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墨書 Inktalez
As the sky darkened, Zhao Kuo stared at Luzi, who had just reviewed the Qin Army, and suddenly asked, "General Lu! Have we met somewhere before?"
Luzi readily acknowledged the possibility, as military exchanges between the various Feudal States had been quite frequent in the past. Since they were able to meet now, it was certainly possible they had crossed paths before.
Zhao Kuo nodded in agreement, affirming that this was indeed the case. He then shifted the conversation to inquire about the Qin Army Commander's attitude.
"Given the current situation, you have no way out! Behind General Lu are over a hundred thousand Qin soldiers, and their lives depend on your decisions. Therefore, we should treat our next topic with caution; it is quite dangerous!"
Luzi glanced back at the alert Qin soldiers and then at the Zhao Army's banners waving across the mountains. He sighed inwardly. The reality was likely as Zhao Kuo said; they truly could not escape. Since being ordered to lead the main force of the Qin Army into the Shangdang War Zone a few days ago, he never expected to face such a crisis of total annihilation in just a few days.
Zhao Kuo squinted at this young Qin General across from him, who had risen to a high-ranking position in the Qin Army at such a young age. If it weren't for his connection to King Qin, he must be quite capable. However, he had never heard of such a figure in the Qin State; it was indeed strange.
Now Luzi felt as if he were in an awkward situation similar to Lian Po's back then. He intended to buy time and wait for an opportunity but suddenly realized that his opponent had no intention of granting him that chance. Faced with an encroaching army, how could he simply disregard it?
Zhao Kuo clearly had no intention of waiting for anyone to provide him with a standard answer. His earlier command to halt all attacks was merely to get acquainted with this rising star of the Qin State. If not for this reason, the Qin Army would likely have suffered significant losses by now!
"Does General Lu wish to test your skills with me right now?"
When Zhao Kuo said this, Luzi initially intended to agree. However, recalling how fierce generals like Wang Jian and Fang Tianhua had been defeated by this Zhao Army Commander, he realized he would not stand a chance against Zhao Kuo.
Seeing that Luzi did not respond immediately, Zhao Kuo began to look down on this newly appointed Qin General. A military commander should not only be able to strategize but also demonstrate prowess in battle. Unless his opponent belonged to the Civil Official ranks, their warhorse and armor were merely for show.
"If General Lu does not understand martial skills, then please take your leave! I hope your army is prepared; I won't see you off!"
Perhaps due to spending too much time among military personnel and hot-blooded generals, Luzi was instantly enraged by Zhao Kuo's dismissive tone. He completely forgot how he had spoken with Wang Jian before setting out and cast aside his principle of not engaging in battles without certainty of victory.
"Zhao Kuo! This general only respects you, which is why I have refrained from mocking you. What? Do you think this general is afraid of you?" Luzi said, shaking his Long Spear vigorously. "Come! Come! Come! Today, let me, Lu, teach you a unique lesson in etiquette on behalf of your teacher!"
Zhao Kuo had come here intending to challenge him to a duel; after all, it was far more satisfying to kill an opponent personally than to command a Thousand Troops and Horses in battle. Seeing his opponent provoked, he couldn't help but feel elated. Lu Jian! Zhou Zhi! Today, I will avenge this grudge!
"I will allow you ten exchanges! If I cannot defeat you, my Zhao Army will immediately give you a way out! But if General Lu loses, none of you will escape!"
Luzi, now fired up, was filled with thoughts of stabbing Zhao Kuo off his horse. Hearing the arrogant tone again made his head throb. "Stop being so wishy-washy! How can you call yourself a general!? Come on!"
Zhao Kuo did not respond further; he nodded at Luzi and then turned his horse around to create distance for the charge...
Luzi had some skills, and Wang Jian naturally knew this. Dealing with mid-level officers might not be a problem, but going up against Zhao Army's Commander would be like throwing away his life. Zhao Kuo was not Zhou Zhi; he was intelligent and resourceful. Even with the protection of Bronze Armor, what difference would it make? Against a general skilled in horsemanship, it could be completely disregarded!
At this point, there was no time for further discussion. Wang Jian quickly ordered the entire army to be on alert. He then removed the Crossbow from his back and rode toward the front lines. He had made up his mind; he would rather face questioning from the Generals later than let Luzi fall.
By the time Wang Jian lay in ambush among the flags of the front lines to shoot Zhao Kuo, Luzi had already exchanged blows with Zhao Kuo three times.
As the saying goes, an expert knows instantly whether someone is skilled or not. After their earlier exchanges, Luzi now felt uncertain about even lasting five rounds with Zhao Kuo. With each passing moment, the psychological pressure mounted; every turn of his horse felt like carrying a heavy weight.
For Zhao Kuo, however, it felt quite easy. Through their previous tests, he understood that this Qin Army Commander was merely a decorative pillow. If it weren't for the concern that his opponent might be hiding some tricks up his sleeve, he would have been confident enough to take him down at their first encounter.
Zhao Kuo no longer wished to probe further into his opponent's abilities because there was no need. He was just a makeshift general who knew a few tricks; he wasn't worth wasting any more time on!
Determined to take down the Qin Army General in their fourth exchange, Zhao Kuo suddenly spurred his horse forward and charged with his spear raised high. His previously calm demeanor transformed as an overwhelming aura of killing intent enveloped him like thick fog.
Just as Luzi prepared for the final charge, he suddenly felt as if he were lost in a mist, unsure of where or when he was at that moment. The hundred thousand Qin Army soldiers behind him had vanished from sight; even Zhao Kuo charging toward him had become invisible.
What’s going on? Just a moment ago, everything was fine, and now suddenly there’s such thick fog!
Luzi looked down at the Seven Star Black Steed, which was still there, and felt a bit more at ease. At that moment, a flash of insight struck him. From within the light emerged an old man with white hair and a long beard, his face full of smiles.
“Master! Aren’t you supposed to be wandering the world? How did you end up here?”
Luzi's master did not answer the question but instead raised two fingers and pointed upwards.
What’s above?
Luzi hurriedly looked in the direction his master was pointing, only to find that the fog above was still impenetrable. Not only could he not see the blue sky and white clouds, but even the sun was nowhere to be found!
“Master! I can’t see anything!” Luzi exclaimed, only to suddenly realize that the master who had been standing in front of him had vanished.
Panic set in as Luzi called out loudly, searching everywhere for any trace of his master but finding nothing. At that moment, everything around him seemed to disappear, fading into nothingness, leaving him unsure of where he was. Even sounds seemed to become vague, like someone murmuring in their dreams during the night.
Just as Luzi was about to calm himself and seek understanding, a sudden gust of wind rushed by his ear. With that, the fog vanished without a trace, and the surrounding environment restored itself in an instant.
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