Three Kingdoms: Live as Lu Bu

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in the autumn of the sixth year of the Zhongping era of Emperor Ling, on the twenty-first day of the eighth month. Outside the city of Luoyang (Note 1), along the banks of the Yellow River (Note 2), at the ferry crossing of Mengjin, the night was dark, the wind was high, and three thousand iron riders stood solemnly like a forest.

Lu Bu raised the Fangtian halberd, mounted on his horse, stood in front of the formation, gazing at the Mengjin ferry. His face showed unpredictable expressions under the moonless, windy night.

In the Mengjin harbor, tens of thousands of stones of grain were piled up, and thousands of innocent civilians lived there. All of this was set on fire just to intimidate the useless eunuchs in the imperial palace of Luoyang. It was an absurd idea from Yuan Shao, and that swineherd, He Jin, surprisingly obeyed. He issued orders to Ding Yuan, the Inspector of Bingzhou (Note 3). Ding Yuan, an old fool, didn't want a bad reputation, so he sent me to handle this matter.

Normally, killing, arson, looting, and pillaging were commonplace for Lu Bu, but there was usually some benefit involved—either gaining merit or obtaining wealth. However, in today's situation, He Jin, that swineherd, didn't want it to be known that he ordered this. He had Lu Bu act as if he were a Black Mountain bandit, quietly and without publicity. Lu Bu wouldn't be rewarded for this, and he really didn't want to do such a thankless and immoral job.

However, that swineherd, He Jin, was the Grand General with high rank and authority. Lu Bu, a mere scribe from Bingzhou, dared not defy his orders.

Having been in the military for ten years, Lu Bu had grown accustomed to the callousness of the official army. In his eyes, the thousands of innocent civilians in the harbor didn't exist at all. He raised the Fangtian halberd high and declared, "Listen to my command: Burn Mengjin, let the light shine on Luoyang!"

The three thousand cavalry from Bingzhou galloped forward, surrounded the Mengjin harbor, and quickly ignited their torches. Three thousand torches were thrown high into the night sky, crossing over to Mengjin harbor. The piled-up grain had been soaked with oil and, in an instant, a fierce fire erupted, spreading rapidly to the thatched houses of the innocent people.

The thousands of civilians in Mengjin harbor were still sleeping and many couldn't escape in time, burning alive. Along with the pitiful cries and pleas of the innocent people, the fire grew fiercer and higher, illuminating the Yellow River, the sky, and even reaching Luoyang city.

In Luoyang city, the eunuchs led by the Ten Regular Attendants saw the fire and speculated that He Jin had brought in external forces to eliminate them. Panic ensued, as if the end of the world had come. He Jin's faction had their own calculations, some cheering for the upcoming power shift, while others worried about the impending chaos.

Lu Bu, indifferent to the struggles of the innocent people in the raging fire, waved the Fangtian halberd and ordered a retreat.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a coolness on his face and instinctively looked up at the sky.

When they first arrived at Mengjin Ferry, the moon had not yet risen, the sky was deep blue, and the stars sparkled. However, after the fire erupted, the starlight dimmed, the sky darkened, and clouds accumulated, with the wind blowing stronger from the Yellow River. Torrential rain poured down, extinguishing the fire and saving many innocent lives. It also drenched Lu Bu's army, ready to evacuate, turning them into soaked chickens.

Amidst the raging storm, a strange purple lightning streaked across the blackened sky, tearing through the air and striking down suddenly, hitting Lu Bu directly. The lightning was extremely bright, passing through Lu Bu and causing him to collapse softly on his horse.

Three days later, outside Luoyang city, at Xiaoping Crossing, in the Bingzhou army camp, in the tent of the chief clerk Lu Bu.

A subordinate, Hao Meng, asked Ding Yuan in a low voice, "My lord, what should we do if Lu Bu doesn't wake up for a long time?"

Ding Yuan coldly glanced at Lu Bu on the bed and replied, "I'll give him three more days. If he doesn't wake up within three days, let him never wake up again. At that time, I can simply claim that he succumbed to his injuries, and who can survive being struck by lightning?"

Hao Meng's oily face revealed a malicious and sly expression, "It would be best if he dies. Without him, Yuan Shu has no backing. I can marry Lady Yan over, and then hand over the Yan family's property to you, my lord."

Ding Yuan stroked his graying beard and smirked, "After dealing with the eunuchs, relying on the Bingzhou cavalry, and threatening Grand General He Jin, I'll be promoted to one of the Three Excellencies. At that time, wealth won't be an issue. What I'm concerned about is that Lu Bu, relying on his martial prowess, has repeatedly defeated the Yellow Turbans, Xianbei, and the Xiongnu. The soldiers in the army all look up to him. If this continues, he might become arrogant and develop ambitions. If he doesn't die this time, I must find an opportunity to get rid of him. I don't want to nurture a potential threat."

Lu Bu's trusted subordinates were outside the tent, and Ding Yuan and Hao Meng spoke in hushed tones. However, this conversation couldn't escape the ears of the person lying on the bed.

After being struck by lightning, profound changes occurred within Lu Bu's body over the next three days.

Alexander, a university student from the 21st century, had a deep passion for the Three Kingdoms. Most of his time was spent reading Three Kingdoms novels and playing Three Kingdoms games. Consequently, his academic performance was mediocre, and he faced challenges in finding a job. On a rainy day, while carrying his resume and looking for work, he was unfortunately struck by a purple lightning bolt tearing through the sky.

In the following three days, two souls engaged in a struggle within Lu Bu's spiritual consciousness. Ultimately, the soul from the 21st century, armed with an extra 1,800 years of extensive information, prevailed over the soul from the 2nd century. Fortunately, Lu Bu's original memories remained intact, especially those related to martial arts, scattered throughout his body over the two decades of vigorous training and combat. These memories had become a kind of instinct.

The lightning's damage was absorbed entirely by the chestnut horse beneath Lu Bu, turning it into a dark dapple horse that died on the spot. Luckily, it wasn't the famed Red Hare; otherwise, Lu Bu would have been heartbroken. The lightning caused no harm to Lu Bu's physical body; instead, it enhanced his physique, making his muscles denser, cardiovascular system stronger, and overall physical fitness more robust. However, this change wasn't entirely beneficial, as the increased strength might lead him, who initially emphasized skill over strength due to a lack of confidence, to become overly reliant on his physical prowess.

Alexander felt a myriad of emotions, unsure whether to laugh or cry. In his favorite Three Kingdoms game, Lu Bu was the character he loved to use the most. Combining Lu Bu's extraordinary strength with Alexander's skilled gameplay, they dominated the Three Kingdoms game without rivals. Alexander had even dreamt several times of being Lu Bu, leading a vast army, riding a swift horse, wielding the Sky Piercer, and experiencing the thrill of defeating Cao Cao and Liu Bei. The dream scenarios were vivid, providing him immense satisfaction.

However, Alexander had never thought of actually arriving in a chaotic era as Lu Bu. He would rather be a dog in peaceful times than a man in chaotic times. In a supposedly prosperous era, where he could live comfortably by playing computer games, reading online novels, and enjoying food and safety, why would he want to traverse to an era where "white bones lie exposed in the wild, and no rooster crows for a thousand miles," witnessing horrifying scenes of cannibalism?

Nevertheless, it was too late; he had already arrived, as a soul transmigrated into this new body. The original owner of this body was probably long gone, turned to dust. Well, there was no going back now. He sighed, "Since I'm here, I might as well adapt to it."

However, at this moment, should he be called Alexander or Lu Bu?

After careful consideration, despite the joy of being reborn as a historical figure, Alexander wanted his real name to be renowned. But he knew very well that in this era, the name of this body had to be Lu Bu, and it absolutely could not be Alexander.

Therefore, Alexander decided that in this late Eastern Han era, there would no longer be an Alexander; only Lu Bu would exist.

And this brand-new Lu Bu would compensate for all the regrets that Alexander had when he passionately watched the Three Kingdoms.

Alexander, no, he should be called Lu Bu.

At this moment, Lu Bu couldn't believe his ears. What nonsense had Ding Yuan and Hao Meng just spouted? They were utterly heartless.

It turned out that Ding Yuan, the old man, had been pretending to be kind and benevolent all along. No wonder, despite his numerous military achievements under Ding Yuan's command for ten years, Lu Bu was merely a principal clerk managing documents. His official rank was still below the martial arts supervisors Zhang Yang and Xiu Wei. If it weren't for his extraordinary martial prowess that won the hearts of the soldiers, he might have become a minor general without any real influence.

Hao Meng, the one who frequently flattered him, turned out to be a schemer with a honeyed tongue. No wonder he had planned to rebel and kill Lu Bu in the original historical context.

A surge of killing intent permeated Lu Bu's heart. He wanted to immediately take action and kill these two scoundrels. However, he realized he had just awakened, and there was still a slight numbness from the lightning coursing through his body. His movements were not quite agile yet, and engaging in a fight immediately would not guarantee a high chance of victory.

With this in mind, Lu Bu tightly clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to act out of anger. He couldn't afford to make noise that would alert these scoundrels. Who knew how they would deal with him? Even killing him to keep the secret was a mild possibility.

Lu Bu forced himself to shift his focus to a more pressing matter: How could he make a name for himself in this chaotic era?