Guan Yu turned his back to Lü Bu and descended slowly to the ground. Lü Bu couldn't see Guan Yu's expression, but Chen Xi and the others could. They saw the helplessness in Guan Yu's face—perhaps Lü Bu could only be described as a man who had encountered the wrong people.
"I won't die, Guan Yunchang, and you shouldn't die either!" Lü Bu called out after Guan Yu had landed. "If we meet on the battlefield again, I will show mercy. If we don't face each other, then one day, I will repay the favor you showed me today!"
Guan Yu didn't respond, nor did he say anything like "don't show me mercy." He knew that Lü Bu truly had the right to say such things to any opponent, because he was an invincible war god. As long as he wasn't careless, it was hard for anyone in the world to kill him.
Zhang Liao, watching this scene, felt a sense of relief. Lü Bu had finally done a good deed. Zhang Liao could see clearly from below that although Zhao Yun and Guan Yu still harbored some resentment towards Lü Bu, they were impressed by his heroic and majestic display this time and did not hold any serious hostility.
As for that biggest troublemaker, the loud-mouthed Zhang Fei, Zhang Liao figured that with one in the north and the other in the south, surely such a vast land could accommodate both of them. Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction. Next, they should be able to reach a high level of agreement and eventually join Liu Bei's forces.
With this in mind, Zhang Liao was visibly eager, waiting for the next step to begin. However, throughout the whole process, Chen Xi hadn't spoken, which made Zhang Liao feel extremely conflicted. What was the purpose of this so-called friendly exchange through martial arts? Of course, Zhang Liao realized he might be too anxious, but Chen Xi's calm demeanor was driving him crazy!
"Wen Hou, before we part, let me offer you a final toast. We live in different regions and serve different lords. Once we part today, it may be difficult to share wine together like this again," Chen Xi said, raising a cup of wine from the main seat.
Zhang Liao's heart leaped with joy. Finally, they were getting to the heart of the matter! He quickly looked at Lü Bu. Serving different regions and lords—wasn't that a hint that they could join forces? Saying that it would be hard to meet again—wasn't that suggesting that now was the time to find a way to unite?
Zhang Liao was screaming in his mind, desperately hoping Lü Bu would understand. He felt that this was his moment to step in and answer.
"Part for years to come?" Lü Bu paused, and suddenly, everything became clear to him. He realized why he had felt so excited, why he had dressed so grandly, why he had come here, and why his mood had been so good.
In an instant, Lü Bu understood everything. He had been trying to show his valor, his heroism, and his most impressive self because he wanted the approval of his fellow countrymen. He longed to return to Bingzhou, but he felt too ashamed to go back.
Bingzhou was the place that had birthed and raised him. The desire to return to his roots, his homesickness—it weighed heavily on him. How many times had the Wolf Cavalry dreamed of returning to Bingzhou? How many times had they sighed and looked north, suppressing their longing to continue following Lü Bu across the world? But Lü Bu felt too ashamed to return to Bingzhou.
The three thousand northern Wolf Cavalry had followed him in breaking the Xiongnu and battling the Xianbei, bringing glory to the Han soldiers and earning Lü Bu the title of Flying General.
When he left Bingzhou, he carried the hopes of the people there. He thought the battle in Luoyang would be easy, but upon arrival, he realized how powerful Dong Zhuo truly was.
Even under his leadership, the invincible Wolf Cavalry of Bingzhou had been defeated head-on by the Western Liang forces. If he hadn't fought his way into the Western Liang army and cut down their command banner, the Wolf Cavalry would have been routed.
That time, over three thousand of his fellow countrymen, whom he had sworn to protect, perished on the battlefield. Yet Ding Yuan insisted on continuing to fight for the throne. Lü Bu didn't understand why they had to persist. He only wanted to bring the Wolf Cavalry back safely.
Later, unable to tolerate Ding Yuan sending the Wolf Cavalry into increasingly unbalanced battles, he killed Ding Yuan after being provoked by Li Su and joined Dong Zhuo. At that time, he saw Dong Zhuo, strong and valiant, as a good choice for a protector. With such a shield, the Wolf Cavalry could suffer fewer losses.
Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo, who once said "one day you will belong to me" even as Lü Bu cut down his guards and broke his command banner, had become corrupt after entering Luoyang—rotten to the core.
Yet, despite his corruption, at least his Wolf Cavalry had survived.
But corruption is corruption. Lü Bu had acted for Diao Chan, and Dong Zhuo had died. He did not regret it, but why did Wang Yun insist on fighting?
He had failed again. With or without Dong Zhuo, the Western Liang cavalry remained terrifyingly strong. The three thousand men he had sworn to protect had been reduced to just over ten thousand. He didn't know how to explain it. He still remembered his promise to bring them back, but why were they gone? Without them, how could he go back?
With each battle, the Wolf Cavalry dwindled, and his heart grew colder. He felt that the possibility of returning to Bingzhou was becoming increasingly remote. The last time he impulsively wanted to return, he reached the border between Henei and Bingzhou. Just one more step, and he would have been home, but he hesitated and withdrew his leg.
The only thing that brought him some comfort was that letter from his fellow Bingzhou countrymen. Even though the original had been destroyed, the copy that Lü Bu himself had recreated contained all his hopes for Bingzhou.
The people of Bingzhou still remembered him. He wanted to see that fellow countryman. If that person asked him to return, he would go back—back to the Juyuan of Bingzhou that haunted his dreams, to fight against the barbarians once more.
This was the only way he could think of to return. This letter embodied everything about Bingzhou and was the most fragile part of his soul.
"Can I meet the person who wrote that letter?" At this moment, Lü Bu's throat felt dry, but he managed to voice his request.
"What letter?" Chen Xi asked, puzzled.
"The letter inviting me here," Lü Bu replied, trying to maintain his composure, though his voice trembled noticeably.
"Oh, I wrote that," Chen Xi said with a strange expression, noticing Lü Bu's reaction.
"You wrote it..." Lü Bu asked, his voice shaking.
"Yes, Wen Hou, you seem to be trembling," Chen Xi said, his expression growing more curious. What was going on?
"Did you write me a letter before, back when I was in Luoyang?" Lü Bu's face twisted slightly.