Chapter Twenty-One: White Horse, Silver Spear-Superstars of the Three Kingdoms(Three or four ounces of rice)

“Zhongshan Zhang Yu?! Is that the Zhang Yu of Zhongshan who wrote ‘Song of the Mugwort Fields’?” a leader among the Black Mountain bandits called out from nearby.

“It is I!” Zhang Yu replied offhandedly, his eyes fixed on Zhang Thunderlord, who rushed toward him, his mind in utter turmoil. His limbs began to tremble, sweat the size of beans broke out on his brow. Clearly, the system’s failure to appear had robbed Zhang Yu of his greatest source of confidence.

“Thunderlord, wait!” The Black Mountain leader who had called out to Zhang Yu shouted to Zhang Thunderlord.

“Yu Poison, what are you doing?” Thunderlord’s charge did not slow. “This wretch has insulted me so; how can I let him live?”

“You mad brute, if you have any courage, go rob the rich to aid the poor, punish corrupt officials! Driven to such extremes by the times, you instead plunder and oppress the same suffering common folk. To share a surname with such a heartless monster as you—I am ashamed!” Zhang Yu, seeing that the system would not emerge and his chances for survival were slim, decided he’d rather die heroically for a minute than live in misery.

“Master Zhang, hold a moment…” Yu Poison cursed inwardly at how this refined youth’s reprimand flowed more fluently than any bandit’s tongue, then said to Thunderlord, “This is the Jade Gentleman Yu, whom Marshal Yan greatly admires!”

“Admire? Hmph! I wager he’s long been taken into Zhang Yan’s tent as a favorite! Otherwise, how would he know my secrets? Zhang Yan, oh Zhang Yan, I served him loyally, never suspecting he too would stoop so low!”

“What does that mean?” Zhang Yu was bewildered. “That’s quite a lot of information at once.”

Yu Poison’s mind was a mess now too. If Zhang Yu hadn’t uttered such damning words, he could have smoothed things over. Marshal Zhang Yan had read ‘Song of the Mugwort Fields’ and spoken highly of this young man; should he die here at their hands, it would surely displease the Marshal!

But the key was, Thunderlord’s affairs were only whispered among the Black Mountain high command… How did this youth know?

Indeed, as fate would have it, Zhang Yu’s impromptu outburst had hit the mark.

Months earlier, Thunderlord led the Black Mountain Army into a county town, looting a wealthy household. After dealing with the master of the house in the usual fashion, Thunderlord dragged the man’s wives and concubines back to the stronghold, and that night, celebrated marriage with seven or eight of them—a brief legend among the Black Mountain ranks.