Led by Zhou Cang, Qin Ming's group entered the forest and soon reached one of the remnants of Liu Bei's forces.
In the forest clearing, around 180 soldiers were scattered about, resting amidst the trees.
Their armor was battered, their weapons far from pristine—a textbook image of a defeated and demoralized army.
At the center of the gathering sat a towering man. Despite their loss in battle, he radiated composure and vigor.
One hand caressed his long beard, while the other held a copy of the Spring and Autumn Annals, which he calmly perused with narrowed eyes.
Even seated, without so much as a glance at the newcomers, his overwhelming presence was palpable—a chilling aura that seemed to freeze the very air.
That aura: Killing Intent!
Name: Guan Yu (Dynasty Warriors 2)
Dragging Blade Slash / Iron Head Charge (C-grade)
Leaping Strike / Tyrant's Descent (C-grade)
Azure Dragon Surge / Furious River Flip (B-grade)
Description: One of the Five Tiger Generals! Known as Guan Yunchang!
"General! While scouting, I encountered three skilled warriors with grievances against the Wei army. I took the liberty of inviting them to join our cause," Zhou Cang announced as he bowed respectfully before Guan Yu.
Guan Yu, his face like red jade, continued flipping through his book, not sparing Zhou Cang a glance.
"Skilled warriors, you say? And three of them? How did you find them?"
"In a village. They encountered and eliminated a Wei patrol—efficiently and cleanly."
Without shifting his focus from his book, Guan Yu replied in a calm but sharp tone:
"And how can you be sure they didn't stage the entire affair to deceive you?"
"Ah... I mean..." Zhou Cang stammered.
The tall warrior's words faltered as Guan Yu finally turned his gaze toward him.
Those piercing eyes, though narrowed, carried an unmistakable authority that made Zhou Cang instinctively tense up and fall silent.
Turning his attention to Qin Ming and the others, Guan Yu's eyes scanned them from head to toe.
His lips curled into a faint smile as he spoke.
"Three warriors, is it? Tell me, did you encounter my lieutenant by chance, or were you lying in wait for him? A truthful answer will suffice."
At Guan Yu's words, the soldiers around the clearing rose in unison, weapons aimed squarely at Qin Ming's group.
Though their gear was worn, their disciplined demeanor exuded the aura of elite troops.
With blades and spears pointed at them, Ghost Lady froze, her face pale. Tarma instinctively raised his machine gun, ready to retaliate.
Qin Ming, standing at the forefront, remained calm. He glanced at Guan Yu's imposing figure, then smirked.
"General Guan, as they say: 'Employ the trustworthy; doubt the untrustworthy.' Your man invited us to join, yet this is how you treat us? Quite discourteous, wouldn't you say?"
Guan Yu chuckled softly but coldly.
"A fine saying. However, when did I ever claim I intended to employ you?"
"Then why summon us here in the first place?" Qin Ming retorted. "If you distrust us, say so plainly. We'll be on our way!"
With a sharp bow, he turned on his heel and strode away.
Ghost Lady's face darkened in exasperation. Though she found Qin Ming's bluntness grating, she followed him without a word.
After all, he was her ally in this mission, and she wasn't about to risk alienating him for the sake of Guan Yu, no matter how famous the general might be.
As the three began to leave, a deep voice rang out from behind them.
The sound of metal scraping against wood echoed as Guan Yu slowly rose to his feet.
Reaching out, he grabbed the legendary Green Dragon Crescent Blade and swung it onto his shoulder.
Under the moonlight, the blade's edge gleamed with a deadly brilliance.
Guan Yu's half-closed eyes snapped open, unleashing an aura of raw bloodlust.
"Did I grant you permission to leave?"
Qin Ming's brow furrowed as he turned, his revolver subtly slipping into his hand.
Guan Yu stood tall, gripping his massive weapon with both hands. He planted it firmly before him, his voice icy as he declared:
"This place is not somewhere you come and go as you please. Prepare yourselves!"
With that, Guan Yu spun his weapon and lunged forward.
Skill Activated: Leaping Strike!
A flash of blue light erupted as Guan Yu's blade came crashing down.
Qin Ming barely dodged, rolling backward as he retaliated with a sonic hand chop.
But the skill was cut apart by a single swing of Guan Yu's blade. The warrior closed the distance, raising the weapon high above his head before spinning it in a deadly arc.
Ultimate Skill: Azure Dragon Surge!
Blade energy exploded outward, slicing through the air and ground alike.
Qin Ming staggered as a sharp pain shot through his chest. Glancing down, he saw his shirt had been slashed open, though his absurdly high defenses had spared his skin.
Guan Yu's expression briefly flickered with surprise at Qin Ming's resilience, but he pressed the attack.
With lightning speed, he delivered a strike aimed at Qin Ming's neck.
Signature Move: Dragging Blade Slash!
Qin Ming's agility was no match for the speed of the blow. With no room to dodge, he stood his ground, raising a flaming hand while launching another sonic strike at point-blank range.
The razor-sharp sonic wave narrowly missed Guan Yu's face, slicing a few hairs from his beard. But the general's blade froze mid-swing, stopping a hair's breadth from Qin Ming's throat.
At the same time, Tarma and Ghost Lady pressed their guns against Guan Yu's vitals from either side.
The standoff froze the clearing in silence.
Seeing his commander surrounded, Zhou Cang and the other soldiers rushed forward, but Guan Yu raised his free hand to halt them.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
Then, Guan Yu slowly narrowed his eyes again, a faint smile breaking across his lips.
"You have skill, warrior."
"You're no slouch yourself, General Guan," Qin Ming replied coolly.
In one fluid motion, Guan Yu withdrew his blade and tossed it to Zhou Cang.
Turning back to the trio, he nodded in approval.
"Zhou Cang was right. You three are indeed skilled warriors. To have you fight alongside us against the Wei army will be a great boon. Guan Yu thanks you for your aid!"