Before Gu An'an's tightly shut eyes could register the blinding light, the weight of her body had already struck her. In an instant, her legs were pulled, followed by her arms, shoulders, head, and the tight pressure of the armor straps on her body, then the hot breath swirling inside the mask, and finally the sounds of breathing echoing within the helmet.
A cold, sharp wind blew in. Gu An'an opened her eyes, and a gust of yellow sand mixed with fresh blood engulfed her. The curved blades reflected the glaring sunlight, making the entire surroundings shimmer. The sound of battle—screams of death—raged in her ears without end.
It turned out, she was in the midst of a fierce battlefield.
Damn it, being inexplicably thrown into this so-called 'past life' was bad enough, but my luck is awful! Instead of waking up in a bed, I've crossed into this dangerous place! Luo the elder, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?
Gu An'an felt her mind spinning. She had briefly experienced the bliss of leaving her soul's existence, only to now feel a sudden sense of loss.
I wonder if Xiao Zhu went through the same experience?
Speaking of which, where is Xiao Zhu?
Finally, she remembered her friend who might have crossed over with her. She quickly turned around, trying to spot Jin Zhu's figure while also ransacking her memory in an attempt to comprehend the current situation.
But the battlefield was chaotic, with blades and spears everywhere, offering her no time to react. Her mind was still processing when a sword slash came down toward her.
Gu An'an hurriedly took a step back and sidestepped, then reflexively swung the weapon in her hand... huh? A longsword? I'm holding a longsword? Without missing a beat, she thrust it toward the opponent's abdomen with full force.
The feeling of piercing through the human body was transmitted to her palm through the sword hilt, until the sword passed through the skin, muscle, fat, veins, internal organs, and even the spinal vertebrae. It felt dense and thick, as if her soul had been torn apart, crashing down like a heavy weight in one stroke.
Gu An'an's whole body shook violently. The sensation of killing was so bizarre that she hurriedly withdrew the sword. The person before her collapsed with a thud, kneeling at her feet. His smooth, bloody intestines spilled out with a wet, disgusting sound.
The scene before her was too bloody and real, making her feel terrified. Gu An'an wanted to scream, but the scream was forcibly choked back in her throat and swallowed down, along with the twisting of her intestines, which she desperately tried to suppress.
She stiffened her nerves, forcing her trembling legs to remain steady. She tried to calm herself, muttering an apology to the deceased—"I'm sorry..."—before deliberately averting her eyes from the body lying on the ground. She knew clearly that there was no time to soothe her emotions and feelings now.
I need to survive. I have to survive. Gu An'an repeated in her mind. I must live, I refuse to die here for no reason.
Fortunately, the physical condition and martial abilities of this body were excellent, so she decided to disregard everything for now and focus solely on preserving herself.
She opened all five senses and let her instincts take over, dodging and weaving among the advancing enemies, blocking, striking, dodging, and thrusting.
In the blink of an eye, the ground around her was littered with the bodies of enemies.
No one dared to approach her now, and Gu An'an finally got a brief moment to catch her breath. Her right arm, still gripping the sword, felt sore and weak. She longed to take off her mask and breathe deeply, but instinctively, she knew that she shouldn't do that.
The enemy soldiers dressed in animal hides and various clothes scattered and fled, shouting and begging their own defenders to open the city gates, but the towering city gate in front of them stood immovable, coldly watching the remnants of the army with hopeless, desperate cries.
The defenders held firm, continuing to dispatch soldiers to climb down the city walls, engaging in guerrilla warfare among the besieging troops, trying to break the encirclement.
They would not open the gates, nor could they. The king had decreed that anyone who opened the gates would be executed along with their entire family—men, women, and children.
The tiger-striped banners atop the city tower flapped in the wind. The commander on the watchtower, seeing the situation was turning, quickly gave an order. In an instant, arrows rained down, attacking the soldiers below the city walls with a ferocity that left them almost defenseless. However, the besieging troops did not back down; they quickly built shields and advanced steadily, protected by the shieldbearers.
As the rain of arrows covered the sky like a dark cloud, Gu An'an did not retreat beneath the shields. She planted her feet firmly and, without hesitation, swung her longsword. The sword's edge cut through the air like lightning, making it nearly impossible for the countless arrows to pierce her sword aura.
"Prepare the ladder!" Gu An'an heard herself shout. She frowned, thinking about the word while dozens of light-armored shield soldiers rushed to her side, clattering loudly as they formed ranks three men deep. As they neared the city wall, they piled higher.
She jumped onto their massive ladder-like formation, stepping from shoulder to shoulder. With a swift movement, she was already scaling the wall's stones, climbing quickly.
With sword in hand, she danced among the archers, stone throwers, and infantry—her swordplay was elegant and deadly, gleaming with cold light, humming sharply. The defenders had no chance to resist.
Seeing that she had successfully broken through the defenses, the attacking forces began to cheer, following her forward without hesitation. The defenders fought back valiantly, but the tide was slowly turning.
Just as Gu An'an was waiting for the enemy's surrender and beginning to relax, she heard a thunderous shout from afar. She quickly turned to see a shadow running toward her from the tower, leaping over rooftops and slaughtering all who blocked its way. A curved blade whirled in his hand like a whirlwind.
Gu An'an was taken aback, thinking: The leader has arrived.
The shadow quickly landed in front of her, and Gu An'an saw clearly that the figure was a burly man. His face was rugged, exuding authority, with a short beard on his chin, wearing a tattered wide-brimmed hat. His eyes beneath the brim were filled with disdain. His massive, muscular body suggested he was a fierce warrior.
"Hey, let's have a match," he called.
The defenders, seeing the man, started to cheer, shouting: "The king! The king! The king will win!"
Gu An'an squinted, cursing inwardly:
Damn it, why does he want to fight me one-on-one? I'm so tired! Can't he pick someone else?
She glanced around and noticed that both armies had stopped fighting, watching them. She frowned and sighed before stepping forward, taking an aggressive stance. "Surrender! You can't beat me."
The man, known as the king, snorted and, without warning, swung his curved blade at her neck with a vicious, forceful attack. Gu An'an dodged to the side with swift grace. Her eyes were calm, as if she had already seen through his every move.
Hey, my body's really strong! Not only is my technique good, but my reflexes are top-notch too.
The king swung his curved blade again, the air filled with the power of his blows. Gu An'an understood; when faced with an attack as hard as stone, she needed to use softness to counter it.
Hey, this thinking strategy is pretty awesome.
With that, she transformed her body into a soft breeze, her arm moving fluidly, gently striking his wrist and dissipating his force.
The king, shocked by her clever defense, quickly regained his composure. Lowering himself, he shifted to using his legs to attack, rapidly kicking toward her lower body. Gu An'an wasn't afraid. She shifted her steps, using his force to her advantage, and with a slow, graceful turn, deflected his attack with ease.
"You tricky little thing! Show me your real skills!" the king roared. He unleashed a series of powerful and forceful strikes, trying to break through her defenses with sheer strength. His punches howled through the air, and his blade was sharp and fierce.
Gu An'an didn't flinch, only growing more focused as she blended her movements with her breath, each strike graceful and sweeping, as if a ribbon dancing in the wind. Every blow seemed to dissolve in the air, yet always coming back. Sparks flew, and strong gusts of wind exploded, creating a perfect circle around them, like an invisible barrier separating them from the rest of the world.
The king increased his speed, following Gu An'an's every move like a shadow, his relentless attacks seemingly endless. His strikes, hard and fast, made it harder for her to defend.
Gu An'an squinted, deciding to stop retreating and go on the offensive. She lightly tapped her toes and leaped into the air. Her longsword stabbed forward like a venomous snake, aiming for the king. The king hurriedly raised his curved blade to block. Seeing this, Gu An'an immediately pulled back, spinning in the air. As she landed, she kicked her right leg with powerful force, delivering a precise blow to the king's chest. The king was knocked back, caught off guard.
Seeing the opening, Gu An'an rushed in, three steps in two, and advanced swiftly to the king, trying to corner him. The
battle had reached its peak. With the faint sound of armor clattering, her moves became faster, her strikes fiercer.
了解,我將繼續進行翻譯:
An'an saw the scene and let out a loud shout, launching one final, fierce strike. In a single blow, she severed the king's right arm. The arm flew through the air, forming a blood-red arc as it fell like petals scattered by a fierce wind.
It was over. An'an exhaled deeply, letting her shoulders slump as she quietly looked at the defeated enemy, who was still groaning in pain.
The king, now with only his left hand pressed to his right shoulder, where blood poured out incessantly, staggered a few steps. Several soldiers moved forward, drawing ropes to bind the king and take him away. However, he suddenly turned his head, his eyes wide open as he stared at An'an, his mouth opening as if to say something.
An'an leaned forward slightly, but before she could react, the king lunged at her as though ready for one last fight. Without thinking, An'an raised her sword, but the king did not charge at her. Instead, he flashed a mysterious, unfathomable smile, then lunged forward, impaling himself on her sword.
An'an was stunned, unable to move, watching as the blade sank deeply into his abdomen, piercing through to emerge from his back. The king hung from the sword, using his last bit of strength to lift his head and mumble a few words, but his voice was drowned in the blood bubbling from his mouth. All An'an could make out was a few muffled sounds, but she clearly heard him say: "...Zhu...leave..."
"What!" An'an shouted as if she had heard a key word, "What did you say? Say it again!"
But the king never spoke again. His soul had already left his body, dissipating into the flow of time and space.
An'an's heart sank. Zhu! Could he be referring to Xiao Zhu?
It made perfect sense!
First, they both crossed time and space, so it was very likely they'd meet at the same place and time, and each might be an irreplaceable key figure in their respective factions.
Second, if Xiao Zhu were to be reborn as a man? That was also completely reasonable! After all, the soul has no gender; only the body it inhabits does.
Lastly, and most importantly, the king had said "Zhu..." in such a strange and cryptic manner just before he died.
Based on all this, it was very likely that the king was Xiao Zhu. After all, in this time and space, no one else knew she knew Xiao Zhu.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!!! Was Old Luo playing a joke on me? Was I stuck in some kind of deadly game of attack and defense?
She pulled the sword from the king's body with a crash, and his lifeless body hit the ground. An'an rushed forward, shaking his now lifeless shoulders desperately, shouting, "Xiao Zhu! Is that you, Xiao Zhu? Xiao Zhu! Is that you? Hey! Wake up! Damn it!"
She cursed loudly, shaking with rage. Damn it! What kind of battle is this! What kind of people am I killing! I've killed my dear friend! Ahhh!
The soldiers stood frozen in shock as they watched An'an's outburst. No one dared make a sound, holding their breath and waiting for her to calm down.
After a long silence, someone timidly asked, "S-sir... Can we cheer now?"
Another voice chimed in, "Yeah, we won, right?"
Little General? An'an froze for a moment, then suddenly realized everyone was looking at her. Ah, I'm their leader! No wonder I was so fierce.
She sighed deeply, waving her hand dismissively, "Do whatever you want."
At last, the soldiers erupted into cheers, shouting, "Little General! Victory! Great Zheng! Victory!"
They cheered, while also tending to the aftermath of the battle and singing military songs.
In the loud, triumphant victory anthem, An'an was lifted onto the shoulders of her soldiers, high in the air, still cheering and moving forward.
"Little General! Victory! Great Zheng! Victory!"
Great Zheng?
As she heard the words shouted, a flood of unfamiliar yet strangely familiar terms rushed through her mind:
Great Zheng, the fourth year of Emperor Duan Zhao, the young lady of the Lord's family, the young general, Little General, Lianshan mines, remnants of the western frontier... thousands of pieces of information flooded her mind, but not a single thread seemed to connect them all.
Until she recalled one word, one name:
Ping Huai'an.
Just as the thought flashed through her mind, everything suddenly snapped into focus. Her memories burst forth like a kaleidoscope, dazzling and colorful, spinning and intertwining in her mind. All the past scenes, memories engraved in her soul, emotions, and feelings, surged at her like a tornado, a giant wave crashing over her, nearly knocking her off her feet, making it difficult to stand.
Only when everything settled down like dust, with only faint ripples left, did she finally regain her composure.
Ping Huai'an. My name is Ping Huai'an, the daughter of the Duke of Dingguo, a great hero of the Northern Zheng kingdom. I am seventeen years old, with two older brothers who love and protect me, living in a harmonious and happy family. Since childhood, I have excelled in both literature and martial arts, and many say I resemble my father, Ping Ji, in talent. Last year, after ranking first in the martial examination, I officially assumed a military post. Now, I am the Left General of the Imperial Guard, a fifth-rank officer appointed by the court. Since then, everyone in the household, and even outsiders, have begun calling me "Little Lady" instead of "Miss."
At this point, she whistled mentally: Who would have thought that my life as An'an, ordinary and helpless, would have such a remarkable past in the previous life!
Then, she suddenly realized a problem: So, is the "me" now the "An'an" or the "Ping Huai'an"?
Although according to Old Luo and Jin Zhu, they had crossed into a time and space where their souls had once existed in a physical form, so this "Ping Huai'an" was a past version of herself. Therefore, she was both "An'an" and "Ping Huai'an."
But which "consciousness" should be the dominant one?
She was troubled. To completely discard the consciousness of "An'an" felt like abandoning part of herself, something she couldn't do or let go of. But what could she do? If she didn't think as "Ping Huai'an," there would surely be many mistakes and foolishness in this era.
Damn it! Damn this reincarnation! Damn this time travel!
She hesitated for a long time, with many thoughts popping up one after another like mushrooms after rain.
In the end, she came to a conclusion: I'll keep both! When I need to think as Ping Huai'an, I'll do so. When I need to break free, I will! I am still me, and this "me" will not change just because of a name or identity.
(But for the sake of the story's development and smoothness, from now on, the narrative will consistently use "Ping Huai'an" as the main identity.)
Huai'an took a deep breath. Well, now that the most important issue of identity has been settled, let's deal with the current situation.
I led the army into battle and won. And by chance, I killed the enemy leader (or rather, he killed himself). The enemy leader could be Xiao Zhu. So, I might have killed Xiao Zhu.
I killed Xiao Zhu. Damn it! I killed Xiao Zhu!
No, wait, is he really Xiao Zhu? Maybe not.
But how do I prove he's not Xiao Zhu? He's already dead!
Aaaahhh!