Chapter Sixty-Two: Zhu Jun in Bewilderment

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Watching Zhu Jun suddenly draw his sword and charge forward, both Lu Zhi, who was laughing wildly, and Huangfu Song, who was struggling on the ground, were stunned. But Xu Kang did not hesitate. Someone was coming to attack him; if he froze, it would surely mean disaster.

So, even though he hadn’t grasped what was happening before him, his instincts compelled him to raise his paw the instant Zhu Jun lunged, and he struck directly at the latter’s face.

A loud slap echoed, followed by the thud of Zhu Jun collapsing to the ground, his weapon clattering beside him.

“Gong Wei!” Lu Zhi finally reacted, hurriedly running over and placing his index finger beneath Zhu Jun’s nose. Discovering he was still breathing, Lu Zhi let out a sigh of relief, then turned to Huangfu Song and Xu Kang. “He’s fine, just fainted. Let’s help him inside to rest.”

“Thank goodness!” Hearing this, Xu Kang, too, breathed deeply, and hastily resumed his human form. He lifted Zhu Jun. “Allow me to carry him.”

“That’s good. Bring him along with me.” With that, Lu Zhi headed toward his bedroom, Xu Kang supporting Zhu Jun as he followed.

...

Zhu Jun lay in Lu Zhi’s bedroom all afternoon, finally stirring as dusk fell. Upon waking, he glanced around at the furnishings and rubbed his hazy head, frowning.

“This is Lu Zi Gan’s bedroom? How did I end up here?” He distinctly remembered encountering a fierce tiger in Lu Zhi’s courtyard, drawing his sword to confront it in order to save Huangfu Song, who had been knocked down. Yet, before he could even make sense of the situation, his consciousness faded entirely.

As confusion clouded his mind, the sound of clashing weapons rang out from outside, accompanied by Huangfu Song’s booming voice cheering.

“Excellent! Such skill—let’s see more. The spirit snake leaves its den... the flood dragon surges from the sea... the willow dances in the wind... sweeping through a thousand armies!”

The metallic clang continued.

Being a military man by nature, Zhu Jun couldn’t resist heading outside at the sound of weapons.

He had barely pushed open the door when he saw two men in short tunics, each wielding a spear, dueling in the courtyard—none other than Huangfu Song and Xu Kang.

Watching their contest, Zhu Jun’s brow furrowed.

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To his eye, Xu Kang’s techniques were riddled with flaws. His wide, sweeping style resembled someone waving an iron rod rather than wielding a spear.

Yet, strangely, no matter how Huangfu Song attacked, Xu Kang managed to dodge or block in time, and each counter left Huangfu Song scrambling.

At first, Zhu Jun suspected Huangfu Song was holding back, but closer observation revealed otherwise.

Xu Kang’s moves were simple—crude, even—but his reflexes were astonishing, always evading or parrying attacks in the nick of time.

Moreover, his strength was formidable, enabling lightning-fast strikes that left Huangfu Song with no chance to dodge, forcing him into desperate defense.

Most notably, Zhu Jun realized that after each attack, Xu Kang would deliberately pull back, allowing Huangfu Song to withstand the blow. Without this restraint, Huangfu Song would surely be overwhelmed by the sheer force after only a few exchanges.

In other words, it was Xu Kang, not Huangfu Song, who had been holding back.

Upon this realization, Zhu Jun rubbed his aching head again, then stepped forward to call a halt.

“That’s enough, Yi Zhen—and you, Xu Kang—stop now!”

“Hm?” Hearing Zhu Jun’s voice, Huangfu Song stopped at once, grinning as he approached.

“Ha! Gong Wei, you’re finally awake. How do you feel? Any discomfort?”

“That’s not the issue!” Zhu Jun raised a hand to silence him, his expression sour.

“Who taught your nephew spear technique? It’s a mess! Why don’t you correct him, instead of merely testing his strength? What a waste of fine talent!”

...

What was happening?

Dumbfounded by Zhu Jun’s scolding, Huangfu Song was at a loss.

Before he could respond, Zhu Jun strode past and seized Xu Kang’s spear, planting it firmly on the ground.

“And you—do you think this is a spear or a club? Even a club shouldn’t be swung so crudely! If you really mean to bludgeon, a hammer would serve better than a spear. Why bother with spear training?”

“Er...” Xu Kang was bewildered by Zhu Jun’s relentless reprimand.

But after regaining his composure, he realized the truth in Zhu Jun’s words. With his abilities, a hammer would indeed suit him better than a spear.

Delighted by the insight, he clasped his fists and saluted Zhu Jun.

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“General Zhu speaks wisely. Your words have enlightened me, as if clearing the fog from my mind. Henceforth, I shall abandon the spear for the hammer. Thank you for your guidance!”

Zhu Jun was speechless.

Damn it! I was telling you not to use the spear like a hammer—who told you to abandon the spear altogether?

Guidance, you say? What guidance?!

Hearing Xu Kang’s response, Zhu Jun’s face twitched uncontrollably, his head spinning, and he staggered.

Seeing this, Huangfu Song rushed forward to steady him.

“Gong Wei, are you alright? Is your head feeling any better?”

“My head?” Zhu Jun seemed to recall something and began searching the courtyard anxiously. “Where’s the tiger? That fierce beast—where’s Zi Gan? Could he have been eaten?”

“You’re the one who was eaten by the tiger!” came a familiar voice from behind.

Turning, Zhu Jun saw Lu Zhi, armored, stride in from the gate, shooting him a glare.

“I merely went to inspect the troops. Upon returning, I hear you cursing me dead—what are you playing at, Zhu Gong Wei?”

“Uh... no, no! There really was a tiger—it knocked Yi Zhen down at noon, remember?” As he spoke, he grabbed Huangfu Song, urgently asking, “Isn’t that right, Yi Zhen?”

To his surprise, Huangfu Song regarded him oddly. “Gong Wei, did you get drunk and dream up something strange?”

“Drunk? Dream?” Zhu Jun was once again bewildered.

“Yes!” Huangfu Song nodded gravely. “You got drunk at noon, slept all afternoon—must have been dreaming. What tiger?”

“Uh... well...” Zhu Jun hesitated, looking around uncertainly.

At that moment, Lu Zhi spoke again.

“Enough, Gong Wei. You must be exhausted. Tonight, don’t bother with the city patrol—let Yi Zhen take your place. Go back and rest for a day. Off you go!”

Zhu Jun was speechless.