Chapter Nineteen: Outmaneuvered.

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Zhao Zheng’s gaze fell upon the child standing beside Meng Yun, looking at him with a strange expression.

“???”

Meng Yun and the child were both taken aback. They exchanged a glance, then looked toward Bai Ying.

“Has he suffered a brain injury?”

“I… I don’t know anything,” Bai Ying quietly turned her head away.

“This child saved you…”

Meng Yun rolled his eyes at Zhao Zheng and recounted what had happened after Zhao Zheng had fallen unconscious.

“Master?”

Zhao Zheng scrutinized the child from head to toe. Since when did this kid learn to lie?

“General, my master asked me to deliver a message to Left Chief Zuo. I kindly request the general to step aside.”

The child looked at Meng Yun.

Meng Yun glanced at Zhao Zheng, and seeing Zhao Zheng nod, he turned and left.

Zhao Zheng watched the child with keen interest. “Your master? Tell me who your master is.”

“Master Wang Xu, disciple of Guiguzi.”

Wang Xu??

Is this little brat really a disciple of the true Guiguzi?

Pah! What do you mean ‘true’? I’m the real one.

Zhao Zheng suddenly took the little one seriously, his eyes sharp as he stared at the youngster: “Make it clear, who exactly are you?”

His mind flashed through the list of notorious disciples under Guiguzi—Pang Juan and Sun Bin had already caused upheaval outside.

The only ones still in seclusion were the two terrifying prodigies destined to shake the Warring States profoundly: Zhang Yi and Su Qin.

Hiss, so this little brat in front of him must be either Zhang Yi or Su Qin.

“I am Zhang Yi, greetings to Guiguzi.”

Zhang Yi was neither servile nor arrogant, respectfully bowing to Zhao Zheng.

“Holy crap!!”

Zhao Zheng’s mind went numb.

Zhang Yi?! This was the very same master manipulator who, with his unstoppable eloquence, turned the six kingdoms on their heads!

No wonder this kid could rescue Meng Yun from the midst of a thousand troops.

Truly a disciple of Guiguzi—definitely no ordinary person!

Wait a moment… he called me Guiguzi?

Zhao Zheng’s eyes suddenly narrowed in suspicion. Zhang Yi saw through his thoughts and quickly explained, “My master said the title of Guiguzi is yours to inherit.”

Historically, Guiguzi seemed to be a school or sect, with each inheritor of the title called Guiguzi.

Relieved, Zhao Zheng realized he had been anxiously worrying before, afraid that the original Guiguzi would come to settle the score over his use of the name.

Since Zhang Yi said so, what was there to fear? He was the rightful Guiguzi of this generation.

“How is the old man?”

Zhao Zheng’s gaze drifted toward the distant forested mountains outside the window.

He recalled the unforgettable days deep in the Yunmeng Marsh where that strange old man Wang Xu had taught him without reserve.

Zhang Yi nodded, “My master said he is in good health.”

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“Is he still in Yunmeng Marsh?”

Zhao Zheng suddenly remembered Wang Xu’s cryptic words from before and thought he should find the time to ask him directly.

Zhang Yi shook his head, shutting down the topic outright: “My master said, the things you want to know will only be revealed once you have repaid your debt to him.”

“Debt?”

“Damn it, I pulled you back from the gates of death twice for Qin, and that still isn’t enough to fill that damn hole of his?”

“Hell! Did that old bastard dig up the tomb of Qin’s former king or what? Owing such a huge debt?”

Zhao Zheng’s face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot. This was a bottomless pit with no end!

Zhang Yi continued: “My master said, the debt isn’t just for him—it is primarily for you.”

“As for when you’ll repay it, that depends on when you die.”

“But before you die, my master will personally tell you what you want to know.”

Damn! Even until death? That old ghost’s scheming reached all the way to the underworld.

Zhao Zheng wanted to run but couldn’t. Zhang Yi had said repaying the debt was more for Zhao Zheng himself.

That doddering old man Wang Xu never acted without purpose.

This debt probably had something to do with Zhao Zheng’s transmigration.

“My master said…”

“Stop, stop! Just say what the old man said, no need for those four words.”

Zhao Zheng had grown calluses on his ears from hearing those four words.

Zhang Yi hesitated, then got straight to the point: “Uh… he told you not to forcibly interfere with the course of Heaven’s will. Great matters are Heaven-ordained; small matters can be altered. Furthermore, each person has their destiny, so do not forcibly meddle with others’ fates.”

“My master only left one comment on Senior Brother Pang Juan: ‘Meeting the sheep brings honor; encountering a horse beneath a tree means certain doom.’ His fate is not yet fulfilled; you cannot kill him or you will suffer backlash.”

“Meeting the sheep brings honor; encountering a horse beneath a tree means certain doom…”

Zhao Zheng murmured. The phrase “meeting the sheep brings honor” referred to Pang Juan’s first meeting with Wei Huijun, who was cooking mutton at the time.

As for “encountering a horse beneath a tree means certain doom,” wasn’t that describing the Battle of Maling, where Pang Juan was shot dead beneath a tree by thousands of arrows?

Great matters are Heaven-ordained… so it was a punishment for defying fate.

But wasn’t his very existence as a transmigrator the greatest defiance of Heaven?

Zhao Zheng was somewhat puzzled.

Seeing Zhao Zheng lost in thought, Zhang Yi left with a farewell: “Until we meet again.”

Suddenly, Zhao Zheng realized he possessed an extraordinary healing ability.

The pain in his chest gradually faded; touching the wound, it had completely healed.

It seemed there were many secrets about himself yet to be uncovered!

To fully unravel these mysteries, he might have to wait for the old Guiguzi to arrive.

Forget it, why bother thinking so hard?

The next day, after the army was tallied, two thousand men were lost out of the twenty thousand.

Meanwhile, the State of Wei had left behind sixty thousand corpses at Black Dragon Gorge.

A great victory! This triumph thoroughly wiped away the shame of the Battle of Shaoliang!

Of course, it was only a great victory against Wei.

Beneath the glory of victory, the Qin state’s granaries and treasuries were nearly emptied by this battle, leaving it severely weakened.

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At the same time, Zhao Zheng knew full well that any of the six eastern states, if they dared attack Qin after this, would be fully prepared.

They would surely learn from Wei’s defeat and never underestimate Qin again.

During the fierce battle at Black Dragon Gorge, the Western Rong tribes behind Qin seized the opportunity to send elite forces north to plunder Qin’s rear, causing serious losses.

“Damn barbarian Western Rong…”

Upon hearing the news, Meng Yun slammed his fist hard on the council table.

As for the Western Rong, Zhao Zheng was at a loss.

Like the rising Xiongnu, they liked to loot in chaos, then vanish without a trace once done.

But intimidation was still necessary.

Therefore, on the way back to the capital, they deliberately detoured toward the Western Rong territory.

News of Wei’s crushing defeat had spread, and the Western Rong fled in terror.

Those who couldn’t escape were caught by the furious Qin troops and local Qin natives, with a hundred slain.

…

On the other side, after resting overnight, Pang Juan forced a crossing of the Dan River.

Wuguan had been retaken by Qin forces, so retreating that way was like walking into a trap.

After careful thought, he decided to detour through the Chu’s Fangcheng.

It was the closest route back to Wei, nearly two hundred li shorter than going around Wuguan or Huaisi.

Upon hearing of Wei’s defeat and the turmoil it caused, some in Chu suggested seizing the opportunity to crush Pang Juan.

But the King of Chu, wary of Qin’s post-war reprisals, refused to provoke Wei and let Pang Juan go.

Thereafter, Pang Juan led his troops north along a river, unaware they had entered Zhang River.

This river was the lifeline of Zhao, a natural barrier to the west and south of Zhao’s capital Handan.

Moreover, it served as a natural border buffer between Wei and Zhao.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”

The Zhao troops on guard spotted the large Wei banner and immediately lit the beacon fires along the shore.

Nearby Zhao troops saw the smoke signals and hurried over.

Soon, a massive force of Zhao soldiers blocked the Wei army’s path.

Meanwhile, Pang Juan sensed trouble.

Seeing the nearby fortress and the faint Zhao banners, he realized he had crossed the Zhang River and entered Zhao territory.

“Gentlemen, please allow us to pass!”

Looking at his ragged troops, Pang Juan could only plead humbly with the Zhao commander.

Though he still commanded twenty thousand men, morale was low and they were incapable of further fighting.

“Why has your Wei army appeared within Zhao borders?”

Zhao and Wei were already hostile.

The sudden appearance of such a large Wei force made the Zhao commander suspect another invasion.

Yet, seeing the pitiable state of the Wei troops made him suspicious.

“This…”

Pang Juan didn’t want to admit his defeat to Qin; the humiliation was unbearable.

At that moment, a Zhao messenger on horseback came speeding, brandishing an official order:

“Order of the Marquis of Zhao: Wei’s army has been defeated by Qin. If encountered at the border, engage immediately to avenge past shame!”