[The hemp rope is very thick, and the tying method is quite particular. In short, even a second-rate warrior would find it difficult to break free without relying on internal energy, let alone you, who is only a "third-rate warrior."]
"Nice sword." A soldier pulled out your long sword and tossed it to the ground without a second glance. Because you only care about stats, not appearance. This "Black Iron Blade" is of high quality, but it's not particularly fancy.
[One by one, houses were searched thoroughly. Some civilians, sensing a sense of unrest, hid in cellars or wells. They were also captured by the soldiers and taken to the center of the village, where they were tied up.]
After everyone was gathered, you and the villagers were tied up and huddled together, watching the soldiers' ferocious faces gradually reveal themselves. With your keen ears and eyes, you heard the conversation between two soldiers dozens of steps away.
"Clear every corner. Leave no one alive! Dump all the weapons of the army here afterward."
Then, you saw them throwing down some weapons and uniforms, and then someone lit the fire and added fuel to the fire, and the houses were on fire.
[As the fire spread to the sky, the villagers became visibly panicked, and the soldiers approached with grim smiles.]
"General..." someone pleaded, only to be met with laughter. "What general? We are the brutal soldiers of the Wu Kingdom. We have disguised ourselves as soldiers of the Qing Kingdom to massacre your village!"
"So that's how it is. You're actually from the Wu Kingdom army. No wonder you're so abominable and inhumane!" You said with a look of sudden enlightenment. ]
Then, amid the jeers of several soldiers, you broke the rope, a surge of energy enveloping your entire body. You shone brightly, like a god descending to earth: "Since that's the case, I will kill you without regret!"
"Powerful energy is unleashed!" Several officers gasped in shock. "A top-notch expert!" They quickly retreated, one even shouting, "This is a misunderstanding!"
You didn't care about that. You punched the soldier in front of you, and a loud crack of a skull cracked in front of you. Then you kicked another soldier away. His spine snapped, and he flew back several meters, unable to move.
Taking a few steps forward, you drew the Black Iron Blade they had left lying around, and with a swish, you slashed through the wind, slicing a charging soldier in half, along with his standard military blade.
"Your attack was too sudden. The soldiers lost three before they could even react. The leading officer was instantly enraged, and a powerful aura emanated from him. He's also a top-notch warrior!"
The officer's energizing energy is bright yellow. This is a common military skill: "Invincible in a Hundred Battles." When mastered, the energy becomes bright yellow, and at perfection, a deep yellow. While not a high-level martial art, "Invincible in a Hundred Battles" is comparable to "Iron Body Kung Fu," both being excellent examples among common techniques.
[The officer is in his forties and considers himself a martial arts genius. You look no more than twenty years old (your foundation has been greatly enhanced, and the effect of extending your lifespan is also reflected in your slow aging). At this age, even a first-rate martial artist would at most be at the stage of just breaking through, and might not even have strengthened his internal organs yet. However, he has already begun to penetrate the energy into his bones!]
The officer wields a long spear. A thrust forward is like a fierce dragon crossing a river, and a swing horizontally sweeps across an army. His martial arts skills are unparalleled. As he strikes, five or six other second-rate non-commissioned officers also rush over. With so many people attacking him, how can you be his opponent?
[As soon as the spear and the sword made contact, his expression changed drastically, and the spear tip was violently shaken away by dozens of degrees. Your strength was beyond his imagination!]
"No better than that bandit leader," you sneered. With a burst of energy, you pushed him to death in just over ten rounds. However, five or six non-commissioned officers also rushed nearby. You didn't want to risk your own injuries for the officers' lives, so you gave up the chance to deliver a fatal blow.
[This officer can still withstand ten of your blows, but those second-rate NCOs are different. You sidestep to avoid a slash from behind, then take another step sideways and elbow one NCO, breaking his ribs. Then, with another stab, you deflect another NCO's spear, and pierce his chest with the black iron knife!]
[During one round of fighting, he shattered one man's jaw, causing serious injuries, and simultaneously killed another on the spot!]
"Stop! This is a misunderstanding!" You hear those words again, as if you've heard them before. But this time, the person speaking them is the same officer who charged at you with fury just half a minute ago.
[You wouldn't know until we fought. Just now, he was shocked to realize that you're so powerful that you don't even look like a first-rate warrior, but rather the owner of a martial arts gym, a martial arts master!]
[He and all the second-rate non-commissioned officers present would not be your match. Even these one hundred or so elite soldiers might all be killed by your sword!]
"Misunderstanding?" You sneered as you killed him, "Why wasn't there a misunderstanding just now? Now that you can't win, you're starting to misunderstand?"
The officer gasped heavily, not because you choked him, but because the ten consecutive blows you had just delivered had caused his blood and energy to surge. Countless capillaries, membranes, joints, and other delicate tissues in his body were damaged. If he wasn't careful, he would suffer hidden injuries that would have accompanied him for years.
Seeing that you had already cut down two NCOs and five soldiers in just a short while, the officer was furious and irritated. He spat out a mouthful of blood and finally decided to tell you the truth.
"What a misunderstanding! Young man, please stop! We are all soldiers from the Qing Kingdom, not from the Wu Kingdom! We are here to massacre the village because of orders from above!"
You sneered disdainfully. The officers and soldiers around you were either dead or injured. In a short period of time, more than ten of them fell. The remaining ones stood ten steps away from you in fear, weapons raised but not daring to take action.
"An order from above? Are you trying to make me laugh to death? Who would attack their own people for no reason? You despicable Wu people, do you think you can fool me?"
The officer pulls out a piece of paper from his lapel and throws it to you: "Young man, it is true. We soldiers are simply following orders. Look, the order is written right here, commanding us to disguise ourselves as soldiers of the Wu Kingdom, to kill and frame others."
You take the document and read it carefully. It's exactly as he said. It doesn't specify the reason for the massacre, but simply demands: leave no one alive and frame the Wu Kingdom. It ends, seemingly out of moral consideration, with a sentence: This is being done for the sake of the Qing Kingdom.
The officer's face flashed with a flattering smile. "This is an order from above, for the greater good of the Qing Nation. I hope you will leave now, clear up any previous misunderstandings, and give us a break."
You think it's funny.
[To be honest, in this world, you have no sense of national justice or sentiment.]
Because the Qing Kingdom in this world has never helped you, unlike your parents in this world, who treat you well and whom you consider your real parents.
[You grew up in the Qinghe Gang, suffering oppression. Your path to becoming a warrior was earned through working for the Chu family, through an equal exchange.]
[From now on, the preferential treatment you receive in various cities and places is not because you are a citizen of Qing Country, but because you are a high-ranking warrior!]
[This country has never done anything to you. If you are a martial artist from a sect or a disciple of a martial arts school, they may still have a sense of patriotism (in fact, most of them don't, because the Three Kingdoms have the same origin and the same race).]
[——The resources these warriors have used to grow and train their martial arts since the beginning were provided by the Qing Kingdom to the sects and martial arts schools. They fight for the sects and martial arts schools, and the sects and martial arts schools fight for the Qing Kingdom.]
[But these resources were obtained by gangs like the Qinghe Gang, who exploited the civilians under their command, and by exploiting you!]
[As for you, you never received any resources for nothing, nor did you receive any unpaid training or investment from others. You only gained something tangible from those two Young Talent Competitions. You will remember the kindness of those two sects, but you will not extend this goodwill to the country behind them.]
[So—you tore the document into pieces, and facing the officer's face, which froze just as a smile appeared, you uttered five words that made him despair: "You're pretending pretty well."]
You leaped up, descended from the sky, and slashed with your sword like a god or demon descending to earth. The blazing white light was like two suns in the sky, so blinding that he could hardly look directly at it.
[He barely managed to block your sword strike, but then you suddenly let go, causing the black iron sword to fly to the ground without control. However, you had already slipped past him, slamming into his arms with your mountain-hugging stance. A powerful punch, packed with energy, slammed into his chest, exploding his heart!]
The officer fell to the ground, his life almost completely gone before he heard your laughter: "Even if it's true, why would I serve a country that can issue such an order and give you scum a chance?"