Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

"I am Zhao Huai, the magistrate of Pei County! The people of the county have accused you of conspiring with thieves and injuring more than a dozen of their servants! Now, I order you to come downstairs immediately and surrender!"

Zhao Huai's shouts, carrying an unconvincing official air, echoed through the empty street. His horse pawed restlessly, its breath kicking up fine dust.

The carved wooden windows on the second floor of the restaurant remained motionless, as if the loud shouts were nothing more than a disturbing cicada chirp.

Zhang Dashanren, his large, hunched back, leaned close to Zhao Huaima, his fat face flushed red. Pointing at the second-floor window, he shouted in a shrill voice, "Lord Zhao! It's these madmen! Committing violence and injury in broad daylight, and daring to act arrogantly upstairs! You must do justice for the people!"

Before he could finish speaking, something unexpected happened.

"Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo"

Three long, powerful horn calls suddenly rang out simultaneously from the four city gates of Pei County, east, west, south, and north, without warning. The sound penetrated the streets and houses, making people's eardrums buzz.

Zhao Huai suddenly tightened the reins, his fierce expression instantly freezing, replaced by a blank look.

The county soldiers guarding the four gates of Pei County all used bamboo whistles. When had they ever heard such a powerful bugle call?

Before he could react, the dust at the end of the street suddenly thickened, and a dark, armored torrent surged forth as if from the ground, covering the entire cobblestone street.

That was a truly battle-hardened army.

The dark iron armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and the spears and halberds they held stood like a forest, their red tassels fluttering in the wind. The soldiers marched in perfect unison, their footsteps echoing like thunder on the bluestone slabs, each step feeling as if it were treading on Zhao Huai's heart.

"This...this is..." Zhao Huai's voice trembled, his fingers gripping his sword shaking uncontrollably, "Where did this army come from?"

The dozens of county soldiers behind him were already pale with fright. Their weapons clattered to the ground, their legs trembled uncontrollably, and some even collapsed to the ground, their crotches soaked.

Zhang the Benevolent felt as if all the bones in his body had been removed; his corpulent body swayed, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, only to be catching in a flurry of activity by his attendants. His small, beady eyes widened as he stared at the army surging in from all directions, his pupils filled with terror—the soldiers' uniforms and armor were clearly not those of the troops from Xuzhou, much less the rabble from Pei County!

Their steps were steady, their killing intent palpable—the kind of bearing only elites who had weathered mountains of corpses and seas of blood possessed.

In the blink of an eye, this army, which seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, had completely surrounded the long street. The black-armored soldiers stood motionless, like cold statues, their eyes sharp as hawks, all fixed on the entrance of the eatery, on Zhao Huai and Zhang Dashanren.

An invisible pressure descended like Mount Tai pressing down, making it almost impossible for Zhao Huai to breathe.

Only then did he belatedly realize that he had offended no ordinary scion of a prominent family.

Just as Zhao Huai felt ice-cold all over and his soul was about to leave his body, the wooden door on the second floor of the restaurant creaked open.

Duan Yu stood with his hands behind his back. The dark gold cloud patterns on his black brocade robe shimmered in the sunlight. He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his eyes and brows showing no emotion. It was as if the thousands of troops downstairs were nothing more than a common sight in front of his door.

Duan Liuqing followed closely behind, the curved sword at her waist humming softly in its sheath. Her eyes were bright and lively, a mocking smile playing on her lips. Her gaze swept over the trembling crowd below, as if she were looking at a group of clowns.

Gan Mei followed behind the two, her footsteps light and quick. Her faded, coarse cloth dress stood out starkly against the murderous aura around her. She clutched the hem of her dress tightly, timidly peeking out. When she saw the densely packed black-armored soldiers below, her face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively shrank back behind Duan Yu.

The three of them slowly walked down the wooden steps of the restaurant, their footsteps sounding particularly clear on the deathly silent street.

As Zhao Huai watched Duan Yu slowly approach, his legs went weak, and his horse pawed restlessly, not daring to take another step forward. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat too dry to utter a sound.

Zhang the Philanthropist was terrified out of his wits, slumped in his servant's arms, his fat face ashen, his whole body trembling, his previous arrogance completely gone.

Duan Yu walked to the center of the street, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Huai before finally settling on Zhang the Great Philanthropist.

His gaze was calm and serene, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

He didn't even glance at Zhao Huai, but simply parted his thin lips and uttered three words, his voice not loud, yet clearly carrying throughout the entire long street:

"kill him."

The moment the words fell, two armored soldiers shot out like arrows, their ring-pommel swords flashing with cold light.

Before Zhang the philanthropist could even utter a scream, his head rolled to the ground, his eyes wide open in disbelief and terror. Blood spurted out, staining the bluestone pavement and the hem of Zhao Huai's official robe.

Zhao Huai's pupils contracted sharply, and his whole body trembled violently, a fishy, ​​foul odor emanating from him.

Looking at Duan Yu's calm and composed face, he finally understood that he had kicked a hornet's nest today, a hornet's nest that was enough to crush him to pieces.

Duan Yu didn't even glance at the corpse on the ground. He merely raised his chin, his gaze falling on Zhao Huai, whose face was ashen. His tone remained calm:

"The magistrate of Pei County?"

Zhao Huai tumbled off his horse with a thud, hitting the stone slab hard. Blood streamed from his forehead, but he felt no pain. He scrambled to Duan Yu's feet, kowtowing desperately, his voice trembling with sobs:

"I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness! Please spare my life! Please spare my life!"

Duan Yu's voice was calm, yet it struck Zhao Huai like a thunderbolt. He lay on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold bluestone slab, his face covered in blood and dust. Upon hearing the question, he trembled like a leaf, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Duan Yu looked down at him, the hem of his black brocade robe trailing down, sweeping across the bloodstains on the ground without leaving a trace of dust. He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying a terrifying power that echoed throughout the entire silent street: "I am Duan Yu."

"Liang... Liang Wang?!"

Zhao Huai suddenly raised his head, his eyes, already filled with fear, now widened like copper bells, bloodshot and bulging as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. His lips trembled, and his teeth chattered incessantly, making a grating "clucking" sound.

King Duan Yu of Liang!

These four words, like a sharp knife chilled to ice, pierced his heart, instantly shattering the last shred of his reason.

Who doesn't know Duan Yu, the King of Liang?

He was a fierce tiger who rose to power on the border of Liangzhou, sweeping away the Qiang and Hu tribes with thunderous force, subjugating the kingdoms of the Western Regions, and his iron cavalry roamed the world undefeated. It was said that he was decisive and ruthless, and anyone who offended him was beheaded, and even his ancestral graves were dug up.

I heard a few days ago that the Liang King's army was still reorganizing in Guanzhong, how... how did they suddenly arrive in Pei County?!

Zhao Huai felt a chill run from his feet to his head, freezing his blood almost to the point of freezing. He remembered how he had shouted downstairs that he wanted to capture the Liang King, and how arrogant he had been pointing at that luxurious carriage. An extreme fear instantly gripped his limbs.

It's over, it's over!

He was just a minor magistrate of Pei County, barely surviving like an ant in this chaotic world, yet he was so arrogant as to provoke a true god of death!

Cold sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall, instantly soaking his official robes until the back was drenched. His stomach churned, acid reflux rose, and a metallic taste filled his throat, nearly causing him to vomit. He kowtowed frantically, his forehead slamming against the stone slab with a dull thud, quickly creating a bloody mess: "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! I was blind and foolish! I beg Your Highness to have mercy and spare my life!"

His voice was shrill and tearful, devoid of any semblance of the magistrate's authority. At this moment, he was nothing more than a coward desperately pleading on the brink of death.

Not far away, Gan Mei stood behind Duan Yu. When she heard the words "Liang King Duan Yu", she was struck dumb and froze on the spot.

King of Liang?

That figure, rumored to be like a god? That King of Liang, who ruled over several states of the Han Dynasty and commanded a million iron cavalry?

She looked up blankly at Duan Yu's back.

Just now on the second floor of the restaurant, she only thought of him as a distinguished nobleman with extraordinary bearing, but she never imagined that he was the legendary King of Liang.

He... He's actually the King of Liang?

Gan Mei's heart pounded wildly, as if it would leap out of her chest. She subconsciously looked down at her faded coarse cloth dress, at the two conspicuous patches on the hem, and at her rough, calloused hands. An indescribable sense of fear and inferiority overwhelmed her instantly.

Duan Liuqing's earlier words echoed repeatedly in her mind like a curse—"They will definitely raise this beauty to be fair and tender, and then send her to the king's bed!"

On the tatami mat... playthings...

These words were like countless fine needles, piercing her heart so deeply that she could barely breathe.

Born into poverty, she worked alongside her parents in the fields outside Pei County from a young age, enduring countless hardships. She once thought that her life would end with marrying an ordinary farmer, having children, and toiling in the fields.

But just now, she was summoned to the presence of such a person, and even... even treated as a plaything to be given to him.

Gan Mei's cheeks instantly burned, then turned deathly pale. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, her long eyelashes trembling violently, and a thin layer of moisture welled up in her eyes. She dared not look up, dared not look at Duan Yu's back, only feeling that the gazes of the black-armored soldiers around her were like thorns, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

It turned out he wasn't just any ordinary nobleman. He was the King of Liang, a supreme ruler, someone she could only ever look up to and feel could never reach.

She was nothing more than something he casually accepted, a plaything for his amusement.

Gan Mei's heart was filled with mixed feelings. There was fear, anxiety, inferiority, and a trace of bewilderment that she herself was unaware of.

Duan Yu ignored Zhao Huai, who was lying on the ground wailing. He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the black-armored soldiers standing solemnly on both sides of the street, and said in a deep voice: "To the county government."

"Here!"

The soldiers responded in unison, their voices so loud they made one's eardrums buzz.

Two soldiers stepped forward and lifted Zhao Huai, who was limp on the ground, as if he were a chick. Zhao Huai was already so frightened that he was completely powerless, like a lump of mud, letting the soldiers drag him along, while he kept muttering "have mercy".

Duan Yu strode forward, his dark brocade robe fluttering in the wind. Duan Liuqing followed closely behind, and as she passed Gan Mei, she gently patted her shoulder and whispered, "Keep up."

Gan Mei snapped out of her daze, quickly lowered her head, and followed him with light, quick steps. Her heart was still pounding, and her gaze was fixed on Duan Yu's tall, straight back, unable to look away.

The Pei County government building, while not particularly grand, was still quite well-organized. At this moment, the officials inside had already hidden themselves in fear. The large mansion was empty, with only a few slightly braver servants huddled under the eaves, trembling with fear.

Duan Yu sat in the main seat of the county government hall, playing with a jade pendant in his hand, his gaze calmly fixed on Zhao Huai kneeling on the ground.

Zhao Huai knelt on the cold ground, his head bowed low, not daring to even breathe. He could clearly feel the gaze upon him, though calm, carrying a suffocating pressure.

"Want to live?" Duan Yu asked, his voice still calm.

As if grasping at a straw, Zhao Huai suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with a fierce will to survive, and nodded desperately: "Yes! Yes! Please, Your Highness, grant me a way to live!"

“Not difficult,” Duan Yu said calmly. “Write two letters, one to Sima Fang and one to Zhuge Gui.”

He paused, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, making a crisp sound, and said, word by word, "Tell them that King Duan Yu of Liang has led a large army to Pei County."

Zhao Huai's body trembled violently, and he quickly replied, "Yes! Yes! I'll go write it right away! I'll go write it right away!"

He dared not hesitate for a moment, scrambling to his feet and staggering towards the study. He knew this was the last chance the Prince of Liang was giving him; if he failed, his fate would be even worse than that of Zhang the Benevolent.

Duan Yu watched his disheveled figure, a faint smile curving his lips, but no hint of amusement in his eyes.

Sima Fang, Zhuge Gui...

Below the hall, Gan Mei stood in a corner, looking at the composed man in the main seat, her emotions becoming increasingly complicated.