Chapter 24: Recruiting Renowned Fighters

Ignoring the thoughts of the two men, Liu Zhan took a few steps forward, swung his broadsword upward from below, and shouted, "Attack!"

With a loud clang, Huang Zhong and Dian Wei's weapons were deflected upward, and they both stumbled backward.

Damn, Liu Zhan actually knocked away both of their weapons with one move.

Huang Zhong and Dian Wei were momentarily stunned. The strength of this man was astonishing, as he managed to knock their weapons aside. They exchanged glances and simultaneously raised their weapons, turning to attack Liu Zhan.

Zhao Yun and Guan Yu hurried a few steps forward, but they had no intention of intervening; they merely wanted to observe their subordinate's skills and step in if necessary.

Liu Zhan thought to himself that, in terms of techniques, he couldn't handle two opponents at once. Their skills were beyond his capability. So, he decided to rely on his great strength to catch them off guard, giving them a show of his power and perhaps recruiting them.

As Liu Zhan planned, Huang Zhong and Dian Wei had already attacked. Huang Zhong, wielding a long broadsword, swung down with a whooshing sound, while Dian Wei moved forward.

In an instant, Liu Zhan met Huang Zhong's attack with his broadsword, and with a loud clang, the force was so great that Huang Zhong was unprepared for it. He had underestimated Liu Zhan, thinking him to be just an ordinary soldier. Moreover, since they were both attacking one person, they weren't using their full strength. As a result, Huang Zhong's sword was knocked from his hand and fell to the ground.

At that moment, Dian Wei's weapon reached Liu Zhan, who used the rebound force to swing his broadsword back, making another loud clang. Dian Wei's hand was jolted, and he lost his grip on his weapon.

Both Huang Zhong and Dian Wei, as well as Zhao Yun and Guan Yu, were stunned. The sheer force Liu Zhan demonstrated was incredible—one move and he had knocked away two weapons. Impressive!

In reality, Huang Zhong and Dian Wei hadn't used their full strength as they were both attacking just one person. If they had been serious, Liu Zhan couldn't have knocked away their weapons in one move. Even so, knocking away two weapons with a single strike was a remarkable display of skill.

Liu Zhan clasped his hands and said to Huang Zhong and Dian Wei, "You both are highly skilled. Seeing that you have been fighting for a while, I feared you might be injured, so I wanted to offer my apologies for any rudeness earlier."

"Ha ha, you are indeed a person of great strength. I have never seen anyone with greater strength than you. I am Huang Zhong, styled Hansheng, from Nanyang, Henan."

"I am Dian Wei, and I reside here."

"I am Liu Zhan, styled Zituo, currently serving as a captain in Youzhou, passing through this area with my troops."

"So, you are a commanding officer. No wonder your martial skills are so impressive."

As they talked, it turned out that Huang Zhong had been traveling in search of a renowned physician for his son's illness. Unable to find a suitable doctor, he was frustrated and happened to clash with Dian Wei.

Huang Zhong had noticed Dian Wei's large, dark figure and somewhat unsightly appearance, which led him to take a closer look. Dian Wei, however, was rude and disrespectful, which further irked Huang Zhong, leading to their fight.

Liu Zhan saw an opportunity and decided to use Huang Zhong's situation to his advantage.

"Hansheng, blindly searching like this isn't effective. To cure the illness, first, you need sufficient financial resources, which you might not have. Second, you need to find the right physician. With so many doctors out there, how can you know who can cure your son's illness? I can help with both these issues. However, as I am currently engaged in military affairs, I won't be able to address this until the end of the year or early next spring."

"Really? Can you truly help me? If you can cure my son, I would be willing to serve you with my life."

"Of course. For now, the military situation is urgent, so we must focus on the battle. Welcome to the army, Brother Huang. This is Zhao Yun, also known as Zhao Zilong; and this is Guan Yu, known as Guan Yunchang. They are my subordinates, and from now on, we are all one family."

Liu Zhan grinned with satisfaction, introducing Huang Zhong to his men.

Meanwhile, Dian Wei, who was anxious on the sidelines, thought to himself, "Why hasn't the Captain asked about me? I should step forward and recommend myself."

"Ah… I don't have many faults, just a bit darker-skinned and a big appetite. Perhaps… Liu Captain could consider me as well?"

"Do you also want to join the army?"

"Yes, I'm willing to eat less if necessary, heh heh."

"Ha, I can support thousands. Even if you eat a lot, can you out-eat thousands? Fine, since you're willing, I just happen to need a bodyguard. You'll be my bodyguard from now on."

"Thank you, my Lord. From now on, I will be your bodyguard and ensure that no one gets close to you."

Dian Wei, being straightforward, immediately addressed Liu Zhan as "my Lord," making him the first subordinate to do so.

Well, Liu Zhan has now recruited two well-known fighters from the Three Kingdoms era. Isn't that a bit too much? Leave some for others!

Too much? Didn't I just leave Black Robe for Zhang Fei? There are still many famous generals in the Three Kingdoms!

After a rest, the army continued its march.