Reincarnation in the Three Kingdoms Era with a System

Chapter 641 641: 641 Zhao Yun

The reason Lu Ming personally led the troops was solely because of Zhao Yun.

To win Zhao Yun over, one must treat him with respect, build a good relationship, and then recruit him.

Zhao Yun was indeed one of the few truly capable generals, but his previous service under Liu Bei was somewhat of a waste of his talents.

Such a person should have shone brightly earlier, rather than having his talents wasted in obscurity.

Talent is not important; loyalty is paramount.

Even when Liu Bei was down on his luck, Zhao Yun remained steadfastly loyal, demonstrating unwavering devotion. Any ruler would appreciate such a capable and loyal subordinate.

Zhao Yun was also taken aback, completely unexpected that Lu Ming would personally lead the troops.

He only learned it was Lu Ming when he arrived; Lu Ming's reputation was not good.

Ji Province and You Province were both strongholds of the Yuan clan. Due to their animosity towards the Yuan clan, they naturally wouldn't sing his praises.

Instead, they portrayed him as a greedy, treacherous, murderous, fraudulent, sycophantic, deceitful, and lecherous scoundrel!

He had no redeeming qualities, but a mountain of flaws. They'd spread rumors and slander, regardless of their veracity.

When scholars start spreading rumors, it can be incredibly dangerous!

It seems Governor Lu is different from the rumors.

Zhao Yun's eyes flickered; he had his own judgment on everything.

As the saying goes, seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. Only what you see is true.

This time, Zhao Yun had actually returned from studying martial arts and happened to encounter a bandit attack on a village, which is why he stepped forward.

The soldiers assembled quickly. Lu Ming ordered a portion of the soldiers to stay behind, and then he led two thousand men to set off.

"Zhao Yun, lead the way. Saving lives is the priority, hurry."

"Yes, sir."

Zhao Yun accepted the order and began leading the way. His riding posture alone revealed his skill in archery and horsemanship, showing he was always ready to strike.

A general's ability can often be judged by his horsemanship.

In this era, a general who cannot ride a horse is at best first-rate, not top-tier.

The mountain road was rugged and winding, thirty li longer than the usual fifty li. Fortunately, Lu Ming's cavalry were all highly skilled warriors…

Moreover, with the boost from his class advancement, riding was not difficult.

Only his personal guards were less adept at riding, as these guards were Tiger Guards, Imperial Guards, Flying Dragon Generals, or even rarer Sword Saints and Sword Masters, not particularly skilled in horsemanship.

Only cavalry units could unleash the full power of a warhorse.

However, it was perfectly adequate for everyday travel.

Along the way, Lu Ming only briefly inquired about the number, size, and location of the bandits, which Zhao Yun answered in detail.

In less than half an hour, they reached the village at the foot of the mountain.

The village was ablaze with flames, filled with cries and groans—the sounds of women being raped!

Lu Ming's eyes turned cold. He raised his spear.

"Kill!"

With just that one word, the cavalry unleashed their ultimate fighting spirit.

The vanguard charged, providing cover on both flanks, while a small number of highly skilled horse archers formed the center.

They drew their bows, nocked arrows, and aimed at the bandits still slashing in the distance.

Whoosh!

A soft whooshing sound filled the air, carrying the stench of blood.

The bandit still raping a woman suddenly shuddered; his head was pierced by an arrow.

The woman beneath him screamed. These women were the most innocent victims.

In chaotic times, women without protection are easy targets for bullying.

Zhao Yun rushed forward anxiously, and Lu Ming, seeing this, sent a small team to accompany him.

He didn't choose to attack, but sat on horseback, coldly watching the burning village.

He was truly indifferent, because he couldn't save it.

Even in a wealthy prefecture like Ji Province, the people on the border were so impoverished, unable even to wipe out the bandits. He truly didn't know what they were good for.

Soon, Lu Ming saw a battle erupting on the distant mountains. He narrowed his eyes, "Let's go, let's go see over there."

On the hillside, a man was struggling to fend off the attacks of several bandits…

Behind him was a cave. Inside were some elderly, weak, women, and children who had managed to hide.

They used to be quite well-hidden, but today, for some reason, they had been discovered. But the village guards had all died in battle; he had no choice but to stand up and fight.

"You're asking for death! What kind of bastard dares to block my path!"

A burly, imposing man, wielding a large knife, brought it down with a vicious slash.

"Ah!"

The man only had time to scream before he was cleaved in two at the shoulder blade.

His two halves of body convulsed, intestines spilling onto the ground, blood spurting out in a mist, emitting a stench of blood.

"Boss, you're amazing!"

"Incredible! The Fierce Tiger Blade Technique is too strong!"

The surrounding henchmen were all trying their best to flatter him; they knew that if their boss was pleased, they would get braised pork.

"Let's go, let's go in and take a look. Hehe, these bastards must have hidden a lot of things inside."

Just as the burly man finished speaking, an arrow whistled through the air.

He hurriedly swung his knife to block it.

Clang!

The immense force of the arrows sent him staggering backward, even his knife-wielding arm throbbing slightly.

But that wasn't all. After the first arrow struck, two more followed, each carrying even greater force, pinning him firmly to the hillside.

The arrows were barbed, making them incredibly difficult to remove!

Only when his body was completely embedded in the ground did he let out a series of screams.

Before the surrounding henchmen could react, another whooshing sound pierced their heads!

With a clatter, Lu Ming rode forward to investigate and discovered the cave hidden behind the bushes.

"I am Lu Ming, the governor of Liangzhou, sent by Zhao Yun to quell the mountain bandits. If you are not a bandit, please come out. If you do not come out within ten breaths, then we will set the mountain on fire."

"No!"

A hurried female voice came from the cave, followed by a woman dressed in hemp clothing, her pretty face still smeared with ashes, seemingly deliberately smeared to conceal something.

"My lord, we are all villagers from Zhao Family Village."

"Then come out. The bandits in Xiamian have been wiped out. You may come out."

Lu Ming nodded, looking at the plump young woman before him. He felt something was amiss.

She wasn't exactly a threat, but something was strange.