Transmigrating to the Three Kingdoms as Lu Bu: I Have a Pseudo-Apocalypse System

That night, at the Han army camp.

Lü Bu sat in the tent, with his generals seated on either side.

Guan Yu clasped his hands and said, "My lord, Ji Ling has not surrendered. How can we attack the city tomorrow?"

Lü Bu said, "Ji Ling is a man of commendable loyalty and righteousness. But since he is working for Yuan Shu, I have no choice but to fight him. I will try to persuade him to surrender again tomorrow. If he still refuses, I will build stone platforms to attack the city."

Zhang Fei grinned and said, "My lord, building a stone platform is a good idea! Let them see the power of the Heavenly Gift Granary!"

These two men had already been dispatched to lead troops elsewhere, but due to the southern campaign, they were recalled by Lü Bu to await orders.

Lü Bu nodded and looked at Xu Shu beside him: "What does Yuanzhi think?"

Xu Shu nodded and said, "My lord, attacking the city with stone platforms will certainly lead to victory. However, I have a plan that may reduce casualties among both sides' soldiers and civilians."

Lü Bu said, "Yuanzhi, please speak."

Xu Shu said, "Ji Ling does not surrender not because he is unwilling to, but because he dares not. He has received great favors from Yuan Shu, and if he surrenders easily, he will be ridiculed by the world. But if we can give him a way out, so that he can preserve his reputation for loyalty and righteousness as well as the lives of his soldiers, he may be tempted."

Lü Bu asked, "What does Yuanzhi mean?"

Xu Shu said, "Before attacking the city tomorrow, my lord can send another envoy into the city to explain Yuan Shu's crimes in detail, and promise that if Ji Ling surrenders, his troops can be retained, and he can still lead the defense of Nanyang, only needing to change his flag. If he still refuses, we can arrange a duel, best two out of three. Ji Ling is highly skilled in martial arts and very arrogant. If we can defeat him in the duel, perhaps we can make him truly convinced."

Lu Bu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Sir, this plan is feasible. We will send another envoy into the city first thing tomorrow morning."

……

July 11th, early morning.

The Han army stood in formation beneath the walls of Nanyang.

On the city wall, Ji Ling led his generals, ready for battle.

An envoy rode up to the moat and announced loudly, "General Ji! The Prince of Jin has decreed: out of consideration for your loyalty and righteousness, you will be given another chance! If you open the city gates and surrender, you may retain your troops and continue to lead the defense of Nanyang! If you are confident in your martial prowess, you may challenge the Prince of Jin to a duel! If the Prince of Jin loses, he shall immediately withdraw his troops! If you lose, you shall open the city gates and surrender!"

A commotion broke out on the city wall.

The adjutant beside Ji Ling whispered, "General, this is an opportunity! If we can defeat the Prince of Jin, we can not only protect Nanyang, but also become famous throughout the land!"

Another general chimed in, "Indeed, General, your martial arts are superb, and your mastery of the three-pointed double-edged sword is unparalleled. You may very well be able to put up a fight!"

In reality, both men were cowards who feared death. They knew of Lü Bu's unparalleled martial prowess and his invincible record in recent years. Once the great battle began, they were likely to be beheaded on the battlefield.

They encouraged Ji Ling to fight the Prince of Jin one-on-one, and regardless of the outcome, neither of them would have to participate in the battle to save their lives.

Ji Ling wasn't stupid, of course. Even though he had never fought Lü Bu head-on, he knew he was most likely no match for him. Lü Bu's reputation as the strongest in the world wasn't something that had been built up overnight. If it were false, he would have been chopped into mincemeat long ago.

Although Yuan Shu had promoted him, he couldn't bring himself to die for Yuan Shu completely.

Yuan Shu acted perversely under his rule, forcibly requisitioning soldiers and provisions, causing widespread resentment among the people. He wanted to fight the court to the death, knowing that he would surely perish. He did not want to actually die with Yuan Shu.

If you fight Lu Bu, you can have a reason to lose and save face.

Moreover, if we can't win on foot, is there any chance of turning the tide if we switch to infantry combat?

Ji Ling then loudly proclaimed, "Very well, I, Ji, accept the challenge! However, Prince Jin's Red Hare is a renowned steed, far superior to my own. How about we fight on foot?"

When the messenger relayed Ji Ling's words, Lü Bu almost burst out laughing. You see, he usually couldn't fight at his full strength because Red Hare couldn't boost his attributes.

If he abandons his horse and fights on foot, with his speed attribute already increased to 170, plus his other attributes, the gap between him and his opponent will only widen.

Ji Ling probably thought that he relied on the advantage of Red Hare and that switching to foot combat would give him a sliver of hope. Little did he know that if both sides abandoned their horses and fought on foot, Ji Ling's defeat would be even more certain.

Therefore, Lü Bu readily agreed to Ji Ling's request to fight on foot.

……

Half an hour later, the gates of Nanyang City were opened wide.

The drawbridge was lowered, and Ji Ling led dozens of riders out of the city, reining in his horses by the moat.

Lü Bu also rode forward and stopped in front of the two armies, several dozen feet apart.

Ji Ling dismounted, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Prince Jin, this humble general is Ji Ling. Please enlighten me!"

Lu Bu dismounted, handed his halberd to Dian Wei, stepped forward empty-handed, and smiled, "General Ji, please."

All the soldiers on both sides were stunned. Ji Ling was also taken aback: "Prince Jin, you don't use weapons?"

Lü Bu laughed and said, "No need, come on!"

His goal was to defeat Ji Ling with his bare hands, making Ji Ling and the Nanyang garrison surrender more willingly.

Ji Ling's face darkened, feeling utterly slighted. Even if you, Lü Bu, are the best in the world, how can you possibly defeat me without riding a fine steed or using weapons?

But since Lü Bu was courting death, he didn't say much. He took the three-pointed double-edged sword from his personal guard and strode forward.

On the battlefield, thousands of eyes turned to look at each other.

Ji Ling wielded his three-pointed, double-edged sword, its cold light flashing, its power formidable. His martial arts were indeed superb, his swordsmanship fierce, and his aura astonishing.

Lu Bu remained calm and unhurried. As Ji Ling approached, he suddenly dodged to the side with great agility and speed, then closed in and struck Ji Ling in the chest with a palm!

Ji Ling was shocked and hurriedly sheathed his sword to block, but it was too late. He was forced to retreat three steps by Lu Bu's palm strike!

He was horrified: This Prince Jin is so fast! He was holding a weapon, yet the Prince of Jin dodged him and even closed in on him to deliver a palm strike.

Lü Bu did not pursue, but stood with his hands behind his back and laughed, "General Ji, let's go again."

Ji Ling, embarrassed and enraged, pounced on him again!

The three-pointed double-edged sword swept across with tremendous force!

Lu Bu slipped and slipped under the blade, then struck Ji Ling in the back with a palm strike at lightning speed!

Lu Bu was too fast, and Ji Ling was still unable to dodge in time. She was struck by the palm and staggered forward, almost falling over!

"Bravo!" A thunderous cheer erupted from the Han army ranks!

Ji Ling steadied herself, her face flushed.

He knew he had lost. Clearly, Lu Bu hadn't used his full strength in those two blows; otherwise, he would have been seriously injured and collapsed long ago.

He had no reason to continue fighting, so he reluctantly took a deep breath, threw down his three-pointed double-edged sword, and knelt on one knee: "Prince Jin is incredibly brave, fighting hand-to-hand with ease. This humble general is completely convinced! I am willing to keep my promise, open the city gates, surrender, and submit to the court!"

Lü Bu stepped forward to help him up, and said with a smile, "General, please rise. Yuan Shu is tyrannical, and it is the right thing for you to submit to the court. You need not feel guilty. You will continue to guard Nanyang for the time being. You only need to change your flag and obey the court's orders."

Ji Ling's eyes welled up with tears, and he kowtowed deeply: "This humble general thanks the Prince of Jin for sparing my life!"