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"My King," The Wandere spoke softly, her eyes sparkling with a hint of barely concealed cunning. "Today, that Monkey Head has been causing a ruckus all day, and my heart feels like it's pounding like a drum. I fear I've exhausted quite a bit of energy. You, my King, are extraordinarily brave and naturally unafraid of such things, but I am merely a weak woman, utterly drained. How about this..." She deliberately elongated her words, her delicate hand gently resting on Xiong Yu's chest. "Why don't you take a moment to rest in the Heavenly Joy Tent while I catch my breath here? Once my worries dissipate, I can serve you properly. What do you think?"
Xiong Yu, who was typically bold and spirited, could not bear to refuse such a beautiful woman. He immediately pulled The Wandere into his embrace and replied eagerly, "What are you saying, my beauty? How could I leave you here alone? If I must go to bed without you for one night, then I would rather stay awake all night! But alas, I've indulged in too much wine tonight; my insides feel like they're in turmoil. Would you be willing to listen to me vent my frustrations?"
The Wandere responded sweetly, "What are you saying, my King? As long as it calms your anger, I would do anything for you."
With her consent, Xiong Yu no longer held back. He grabbed his sword and stepped onto the couch in a commanding pose, ready to recount the grand tale of his life.
"My beauty, do you know that I, Xiong Yu, am quite the man of stature? At twenty years old, I chose not to study books or swords because when I saw Qin Shi Huang, I thought him nothing but a foolish ruler unworthy of holding the world. So, I gathered eight thousand sons of Jiangdong along with my strategist Fan Zeng and vowed to take his place!"
"I remember searching high and low for a Feather-Clad Alchemist who was said to be well-versed in the fates of men. Time and again I sent people to inquire of him, but he always said that the Qin dynasty's fate was not yet sealed. Tell me, should the Qin dynasty truly end or not? Hahaha!" Xiong Yu suddenly burst into laughter, though it carried a hint of bitterness. "Later on, my power grew greater and my ambitions soared higher; even fate itself could do nothing against me! They said the Qin dynasty should not fall—yet it fell; they said the Chu state should not rise—yet it rose! Imagine me, Xiong Yu! In one swift move, I took Song Yi's head and hung it at the city gate. Those so-called generals who saw it were terrified beyond measure! Hahaha! At that time, all I could say was: exhilarating!"
"When Zhang Han led his troops to challenge me, I fought him fiercely. The Qin army was vast and imposing, yet I felt no fear! Suddenly, a general leaped out from their ranks; I called out to ask his name. To my surprise, he turned out to be nothing but a coward. Upon seeing my fierce face and hearing my commanding voice, he fell off his horse in fright! Hahaha! Such a worthless fool—I wouldn't even bother to kill him!"
"My beauty," he continued with fervor, "do you truly believe that this world is still ruled by that surname Ying? Pah! Qin Shi Huang considered himself the reincarnation of an ancestral dragon; in the end, he was nothing but a soul scattered by my hand—he didn't even get a chance at reincarnation! Hahaha!" At this point in his tale, Xiong Yu took a hearty swig from his cup; the fiery liquor trickled down his beard and glimmered under the moonlight.
"Now let me tell you about that old Zhang Han. Relying on his reputation and leading a million Qin soldiers to challenge me—did he think I'd be afraid? The Qin army loomed darkly like an impending storm ready to swallow the sky whole. But with a neigh from my Black Steed beneath me, I charged into their ranks like a bolt of black lightning! The rain of arrows falling around me seemed like child's play; they couldn't touch me at all!"
"Just as I was enjoying myself in battle, suddenly a red flag waved before me with 'Huang Zhang' written boldly upon it. I thought to myself that the Qin dynasty had reached its limits if they sent such a minor character to face me! I laughed heartily; my laughter was filled with disdain and mockery. Huang Zhang seemed either truly foolish or pretending to be so; he turned pale at my laughter while wielding his spear as if it were a flickering candle in the wind."
"Behind him followed a Young General clad in golden armor—he had some presence about him. Yet when he saw my mightiness, he became terrified and shouted repeatedly for retreat! Huang Zhang disregarded all semblance of dignity; he waved his command flag frantically while banging on his gong as he fled alongside that Young General and their ragtag remnants—what an utter disgrace for the Qin army!"
I pointed at Zhang Han's nose and shouted, "You old rascal! Are you afraid of me? If you lack the courage to fight me, then hurry back to Xianyang and don't embarrass yourself here!" Zhang Han, that old thief, turned red with anger at my words but dared not step forward to challenge me, hiding instead within his army formation.
At that moment, my Black Gold Saber hummed softly, as if whispering in my ear, "Master, why waste time with these insignificant creatures? Let me take Zhang Han's head and present it at your feet!" I laughed heartily and replied to my treasured blade, "Very well, let you taste the blood of that old man Zhang Han; at least he won't have lived in vain!"
Seeing that night was falling, Zhang Han thought I would retreat and led ten thousand elite soldiers in an attempt to ambush me. I had been prepared for this; as he charged forward, I not only felt no fear but laughed loudly. Zhang Han wielded a giant axe with immense force, swinging it down towards my head. With a cold snort, I lightly waved my Black Gold Saber, deflecting the massive axe. The blade then turned swiftly towards Zhang Han's throat!
Just as I was about to strike, a general named Gao San Chu suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of me, raising his voice, "My King! Zhang Han is a renowned general of the Qin State; it would be a pity to kill him! Why not capture him and make him serve you? I happen to need a quartermaster; how about we give this position to Zhang Han?"
I pondered for a moment and found Gao San Chu's words reasonable. I sheathed my sword and said to Zhang Han, "You may retreat; I spare your life!" Having narrowly escaped death, Zhang Han dared not say more and quickly fled with his remaining troops, leaving in disgrace.
The Wanderer noticed that the Hegemon-King of Western Chu was parched and gently said, "My King, please have some tea to soothe your throat; take your time." Only then did King Xiang pause his tale, gulping down the tea before slamming the cup onto the table as if trying to shatter Zhang Han's spirit along with it. The fragrance of tea wafted through the air but could not mask the lingering scent of blood that belonged to the battlefield and its victors. Outside the tent, the sound of drums echoed like distant thunder; it was already past midnight. In the stillness of the night, only a cold moon hung in the dark sky, silently watching over this war-torn land. King Xiang glanced at the beautiful woman beside him and saw her exquisite features marred by a hint of sorrow. He asked, "My lady, are you not tired enough to sleep?"
The Wanderer sighed softly and replied, "I am troubled in my heart and cannot sleep."
"Oh? Why does my lady still feel troubled?" King Xiang asked in surprise. To him, it seemed that the world was already within his grasp; what could there be left to worry about? The Wanderer shook her head without answering and gazed into the boundless darkness outside the tent. She understood that beneath this seemingly tranquil night sky lay turbulent currents and lurking dangers.
Seeing that she was unwilling to speak further, King Xiang did not press her but laughed heartily instead. "Indeed! Such a beautiful night is hardly a time for sleep! Since my lady is not sleepy, I shall continue my tale. The next day at dawn, I was still sleeping soundly in the Tiger Head Tent, dreaming of scenes where millions of heroes charged into battle when suddenly I heard thunderous shouts of 'Long Live Your Majesty!' coming from all directions—southward, northward, westward, eastward—shaking the ground as if it trembled thrice. Even the warhorses in my dream began to neigh in fright. I turned over in bed, threw off my tiger-skin quilt, and called for my personal soldier to ask, 'Why is it so noisy outside? Could it be that King Ying Zheng of Qin has personally led his troops to challenge me? He is indeed an emperor; why such a grand display today? Has he donned new armor to provoke me?'"
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