Battle Aura (Please Vote for Me)

In the middle of a great river, there are always hidden dangers—undercurrents, whirlpools, and the like. Beyond those perils, one must also consider physical strength. Even if luck is on your side and you manage to avoid the undercurrents and whirlpools, whether you have enough stamina to swim to shore is a matter of life and death. Even a naval commander like Gan Ning would not dare leap into the river unless it was absolutely necessary.

Moreover, after the fierce winds and torrential rain last night, the dangers were multiplied. That is why Gan Ning remarked that for Zhuge Liang—a frail scholar—to dare jump into the river, it truly took courage.

In reality, Zhuge Liang was not so much courageous as he was ignorant of the true danger. Though he was learned in astronomy and geography and had read countless volumes, he truly did not know what it meant to plunge into a river during a storm. After all, such things are not recorded in books. Those who have braved a river in a storm seldom lived to write of their experience.

When Zhuge Liang leapt into the river, he only thought of how he had lived for years in Jingxiang, and considered himself a fair swimmer. During his reclusive days in Nanyang, he often swam in the mountain streams and little rivers, diving and playing in the water. Thus, he believed his swimming skills were adequate. His plan was simply to jump into the river, swim to the shore, and escape with his life.

However, the moment he entered the river, Zhuge Liang realized it was nothing like he had imagined. While his hopes were ample, reality was merciless. Once in the river, for the first time, Zhuge Liang felt he had made a grave miscalculation.

Last night the wind was fierce and the rain relentless. As soon as Zhuge Liang hit the water, the rain lashed down upon him, blinding his eyes. The wind whipped up great waves that tossed him about without mercy. He struggled desperately toward the shore, but against the might of nature, human effort was utterly powerless. With such wind and waves, what use was his strength? Wherever the wind blew and the waves crashed, Zhuge Liang was swept along.

Fortunately, before jumping, Zhuge Liang had tied his bamboo flask—normally used for drinking water—around his body. Its buoyancy kept him afloat. Otherwise, he might well have sunk to the bottom, becoming the sleeping dragon of the river.

Moreover, one cannot help but say that Zhuge Liang’s luck was extraordinary. Through the night, he miraculously encountered no undercurrents or whirlpools. Judging by the ferocity of last night’s storm, had he met even one, his life would surely have ended. Yet he suffered only from swallowing mouthfuls of river water and being battered black and blue by the waves, and still managed to drift ashore.

Perhaps the current in this part of the river was gentler. With the last of his strength, Zhuge Liang dragged himself out of the water.

Gasping for breath, he lay on the grassy bank, feeling as though he had survived a great calamity. “Since ancient times, water and fire know no mercy,” he muttered, “to escape disaster today means fortune in the days to come.”

He clenched his teeth and vowed, “Wicked minister, traitor Cao—today you force me to suffer in the water, but in the future, I shall repay you with fire!”

In Zhuge Liang’s mind, Su Ming was simply one of Cao Cao’s generals. Su Ming managed Jiangxia on behalf of Cao Cao, so all Su Ming’s actions must have been under Cao’s orders. Thus, Zhuge Liang felt it perfectly reasonable to bear this grudge against Cao Cao.

This brush with death would later influence his strategies against Cao Cao, prompting him to favor fire attacks.

Meanwhile, on the boat, Huang Chengyan and his daughter, along with Cui Zhouping, had already learned that Zhuge Liang had escaped by jumping into the river. At first, they were delighted, thinking that once Zhuge Liang got away, he might return with help. The Zhuge family was a prominent clan in Jingxiang, after all; surely he could find officials to come to their rescue, perhaps even intercept Gan Ning and his men.

However, Taishi Ci dashed their hopes with a cold bucket of reality. Sighing deliberately, he looked at Huang Yueying and said, “A young bride, newly wed, and in the blink of an eye, she’s become a widow. How pitiful, truly pitiful!”

At these words, Huang Chengyan bristled with anger. Not only had they been captured for no reason, but now they insulted his son-in-law! “You lout, what nonsense are you spouting?” he retorted. “We all live in Jingxiang—who isn’t skilled in swimming? My son-in-law is probably already at the authorities, gathering men to come after you!”

Taishi Ci only laughed at this. “At your age, how can you still be so naïve?” he replied. “This is the Yangtze, not a little brook or stream. Every inch of it hides undercurrents and whirlpools. If you get caught in one, all your skill is useless. With last night’s storm, even if he were the Dragon King reborn, it would do him no good!”

“I don’t believe it!” cried Huang Yueying, shaking her head in denial. “You must be lying. You simply can’t bear to see Brother Kongming safe. He’ll be all right, I know it!”

Taishi Ci was exasperated. He was telling the plain truth—every word sincere—yet no one believed him! In his frustration, he pointed at Gan Ning. “Hmph! We’re nearly there anyway; soon enough you’ll know who we are! Let me tell you now—do you know who he is?” He gestured at Gan Ning. “That’s Gan Ning, the famed Gan Xingba of the Yangtze!”

Gan Ning, in his days as the leader of the Brocade Sail Pirates, had dominated the Yangtze and Huai River regions. Wherever there was water, Gan Ning’s name struck fear. Along both banks of the Yangtze, the mere mention of the Brocade Sail Pirates would send people into a panic.

“Gan Ning, Gan Xingba? The Brocade Sail Pirate?” Huang Chengyan frowned in recognition. As a member of a prominent family, his household also had river trade caravans, and in the past, their fleet had been raided by the Brocade Sail Pirates. Thus, he was all too familiar with the name.

Gan Ning managed a wry smile. Brother Ziyi, it’s one thing to argue with others, but why drag my name into it? Still, since they were already on the boat and would soon reach Jiangxia, there was no harm in revealing his identity.

(Note: Due to the New Year, there will be two chapters per day for now. As a married man, I have many obligations at this time. After the holidays, I’ll resume the regular three chapters per day. Also, please vote for the story if you have a spare ticket!)