What was an immortal god?
Countless people held different notions in their hearts, but one thing was universally clear: anyone who could ride upon clouds and mist was an immortal!
"It's an immortal god!"
"There truly is a god among the Moth Rebels!"
"Holy Sovereign Huang Tian!"
"..."
Cries rose and fell in waves along the battlements.
Everyone, Liu Hong included, deduced that this young man was beyond doubt God Zhonghuang Taiyi, the legendary patron of the Moth Rebels.
"...Riding upon clouds and mist?"
Liu Hong's mind went blank for a moment, torn between terror over defending the city and an overwhelming craving for immortal arts.
The high ministers beside him were in no better state. Though they had long since heard confirmation of an immortal's existence from Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo after their flight back to Luoyang, witnessing an immortal work magic with their own eyes was an entirely different matter.
In particular, the elderly ministers—men like Yang Ci, Zhang Wen, and Yuan Wei—found their breathing growing heavy involuntarily.
An immortal walked the earth, and immortal arts truly existed. Did that not mean longevity was within reach?
"Elder Brother, are we... really facing a true immortal?" Behind Liu Bei, the burly, imposing Zhang Fei quietly tugged at Liu Bei's sleeve, murmuring in a low voice.
At his side, Guan Yu also looked toward Liu Bei. Though he considered his martial prowess second to none against a hundred ordinary men, before an immortal, he saw little difference between himself and any common mortal.
Liu Bei quietly swallowed hard and whispered back, "Death comes to all men sooner or later. To protect His Majesty and repay the grace of his patronage, what does it matter if we perish? Even if he is an immortal endowed with immense power, the worst he can do is claim our heads!"
Liu Bei had been promoted and elevated by Emperor Liu Hong, and his most trusted brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, had naturally risen alongside him to receive military commissions of their own. It was no exaggeration to say that Liu Hong had shown them immense patronage and favor.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei nodded slightly.
In an age that prized righteousness and filial devotion above all, debts of gratitude had to be repaid, and vengeance had to be exacted. The three of them were duty-bound to repay the Emperor's benevolence.
Liu Bei murmured an urgent instruction: "That God Huang Tian possesses terrifying divine powers. I am deeply uneasy; I fear Luoyang's mighty walls will not hold for long. We must watch the situation closely. If Luoyang falls, we escort His Majesty in flight immediately, heading toward Dongyang Gate. The rebel forces are thinner in that direction. Do you understand?"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei replied, "Understood."
Only then did Liu Bei turn back toward the lands outside the walls. As his gaze drifted, his eyes suddenly met those of Yuan Shao. Liu Bei was taken aback, then gave a slight nod. He recognized Yuan Shao—a scion of the Yuan clan renowned for producing four generations of the Three Excellencies, as well as an eminent figure among the capital's elite. Liu Bei had long hoped to befriend him.
Yuan Shao, however, clearly had no desire to associate with him, especially in circumstances like these. Seeing Liu Bei's nod of greeting, he offered no response at all, merely averting his gaze with a blank expression, thinking to himself:
*An immortal truly exists in this world. Can Luoyang truly be held? It seems I must follow through with my plan to flee to another province...*
To the other side, the handsome Gongsun Zan drew in a sharp breath. The icy wind of the overcast sky filled his lungs, sending a shudder through him. *An immortal god! How absurd the world has become...*
Sun Jian had also lost his usual fearless composure. His hand instinctively gripped the ring-pommel saber at his hip, a flicker of relief rising in his chest. *Thank heavens His Majesty denied my request to do battle that day. Had I marched out alone at the head of an army, wouldn't the Moth Rebels have captured and slaughtered me long ago?*
Reckless though he was, he was no fool. Before an unfathomable immortal whose powers bordered on the supernatural, he felt that biding his time and preserving his neck was entirely acceptable...
Along the battlements, ministers and generals harbored their own thoughts, and the atmosphere grew strangely unsettled.
Meanwhile, Huang Tian stood atop the high terrace, his gaze turned upward. The sky hung overcast, choked with leaden clouds, looking as though it were on the verge of rain yet stubbornly holding back.
*After waiting for days, an overcast, rainy day has finally arrived...*
A faint smile touched the corners of his lips. He raised his right hand and tapped his index finger lightly in midair. A brilliant golden light blossomed from his fingertip, and slender wisps of spiritual qi drew together every trace of moisture lingering between heaven and earth.
This was... the Minor Cloud and Rain Technique!
Although the word "Minor" was in its name, when cast on an already overcast and rain-bearing day, that qualifier could be discarded entirely.
"Wind, arise!"
A clear voice rolled across the wilderness, ringing sharply in everyone's ears.
*Whoosh—*
First came a bleak, icy gust, followed immediately by a violent gale sweeping out from the depths of Mount Mang. With the fury to overturn everything in its path, it whipped up dust and gravel from the ground, violently shaking the tall trees and snapping the military banners!
Atop the wall, Liu Hong and his ministers were driven stumbling backward by the howling winds. Grit stung their eyes, blinding them, their faces drained pale with terror.
Liu Bei lunged forward to seize Liu Hong's arm, shouting at the top of his lungs, his voice drowned out by the howling gale: "Your Majesty, the false god is likely unleashing a terrifying spell! We must withdraw below immediately, lest his sorcery bring you harm!!"
Liu Hong nodded in sheer panic. "Yes, yes! Get below at once!"
Clutching the swaying Tongtian crown atop his head, the Emperor dashed toward the stairs under Liu Bei's protection, his face contorted in dread. But by now, the soldiers along the battlements were also scrambling to escape. With so many men jammed together, they shoved and jostled one another, clogging the path so tightly that no one could get down.
Some soldiers, finding themselves trapped, knelt in despair, kowtowing toward Huang Tian in mortal terror, while others prostrated themselves on the flagstones, clutching their heads and shivering uncontrollably.
"Do not block the way! Do not block the way! Let His Majesty pass first!!"
Liu Bei roared, but no one paid him any mind. Nor did he dare draw his blade to hack a path through them; under such hysteria, there was no telling how the frantic soldiers might react. If they drew their weapons in retaliation, the safety of Liu Hong and the ministers would be gravely jeopardized.
Pandemonium broke loose atop the battlements.
Below the walls, the fierce wind whipped Huang Tian's robes so hard they snapped, yet he paid it no heed. He uttered another command: "Rain, fall!"
The overcast sky darkened in an instant, the heavy clouds congealing into an inky blackness that roiled low overhead, as if brewing some horrifying monstrosity.
*Patter... patter...*
Drops of rain began to fall from the sky, tapping softly against the small flags planted on the four corners of the terrace. Moments later, the drizzle surged into a torrential downpour, blanketing heaven and earth in a pale veil of rain that obscured the vision of countless men.
The gale howled and the deluge crashed down as though the world had been turned on its head. Chaos exploded along the battlements of Luoyang; men shoved frantically for the ramps, fleeing downward like madmen.
Sun Jian was a man of fierce resolve. If he could not contend with God Huang Tian, could he not handle a rabble of mere foot soldiers? He drew his blade in an instant, his face twisted in a ferocious sneer as he swung down at the neck of a young conscript who had cast aside his helmet and armor. *Squelch!* Scalding blood sprayed out, and the headless corpse crashed heavily into the freezing puddles, sending crystalline water splashing in all directions.
"Clear the path for this Major!!"
Roaring at the top of his lungs, he hacked a path forward, cutting down anyone in his way. Though most of his personal guards had been scattered by the mob, several remained glued to his heels. They too brandished their sabers, slashing indiscriminately until severed limbs flew across the ramp leading down from the wall, turning it into a slaughterhouse.
Just then, a voice rang out through the torrential downpour, hurling curses at him. Sun Jian caught the faint sound of the insults and glared viciously toward the noise. Suddenly, his pupils constricted—a crossbow bolt gleaming with cold light struck home with a sickening *thunk*, sinking deep into his left eye.
"Aaargh, the agony!!"
Clutching the bolt protruding from his left eye, blood gushing between his fingers, Sun Jian let out a ghastly, monstrous screech...
Chapter 35