Reaper of Wrath - Zhurong

Imperial Heroes - The Finishing Battle Ch.16

        With the help of Sun Ce, Nanman not only successfully solved the food crisis, but also led to a time of growing prosperity under Zhurong’s leadership. To overthrow the emperor’s tyranny, Sun Ce, nevertheless, had fallen off the cliffs after the chase of Cao Cao.

        The severely-injured Sun Ce was saved by Zhurong and Meng Huo later on. Despite leg paralysis, Sun Ce managed to stand up again with his unshakable perseverance. However, an army then invaded the tribe. The three teamed up again to defend the enemies. Due to an oversight, Meng Huo perished in order to protect Zhurong from Wang Zhaojun’s assassination.

        Knowing that Cao Cao was the mastermind behind the rebels, Zhurong swore vengeance on him, but rash actions would only get herself killed. So she had been waiting patiently, until——Xiahou Dun, Cao Cao’s right-hand woman, was killed by Sun’s army.

        Zhurong speculated that Cao Cao would risk everything to take on Sun’s city, so she and Sun Ce seized this chance to occupy the defenseless Cao’s city with their army. Afterwards, they set out towards Sun’s city nonstop, persuading Cao’s army to surrender. Strangely, Cao Cao was nowhere to be seen in the warfare. In fact he had already broken into the city alone to hunt Sun Quan.

        Zhurong and Sun Ce rode the fire beast heading to the city gate at once.

        During the ride, even Sun Ce who got used to horsemanship could not stand the bumpiness.

        “Hey Zhurong, are you sure your body can make it,” asked Sun Ce.

        He glanced at her slightly bulging tummy, where lies the baby bloodline of Zhurong and Meng Huo.

        “This is nothing to me.” Zhurong watched the towering city walls ahead, and shifted her glimpse at Sun Ce. “Stop talking. Get a grip.”

        “Em?” Shocked, he soon knew the reason——The fire beast ran up the wall at high speed with unprecedented momentum.

        The beast soon leapt over the wall. During the mid air, Sun Ce jumped down immediately when he saw Cao Cao try to kill Sun Quan. During the tough wrestle, the Sun’s brothers managed to cut off Cao Cao’s right arm.

        Just as the victory had almost come into their hands, Cao Cao triggered the demonic residue within to regenerate a monstrous arm, in an attempt to kill Sun Ce. In the nick of time, Zhurong summoned a hellfire attack to save him and had a face off with the demonic Cao Cao.

        “He is mine.” She gazed at the berserk with burning animosity. “Countdown to the end of your life!”

        “You...are the wife of the chief of Nanman…” Cao Cao mumbled as he covered his face with his left hand. Then, he realized everything. “So you’re the true chief of Nanman.”

        “Wrong.” She pointed her blade towards Cao Cao to declare. “My husband was.”

        “If it wasn’t under my husband’s leadership, Nanman would have been doomed. My duty was to suggest solutions. He was always the one who made the final decision.”

        “Humph, that boor was the ruler of the tribe!? Well I pity you the people of Nanman——”

        “How dare you insult my husband!” With a glare, Zhurong rode the fire beast to thrust her blade; Cao Cao then took it with his monstrous arm.

        “Hahaha! This feels like a tickle to me,” he mocked. Her attack did not cause any harm as the blade could not go deep at all.

        “Then eat this!” Zhurong triggered power to create sparks around her. Then the flames were enchanted into a furious fire blast against his arm.

        “AHHH!” The scorch made Cao Cao stand back. Zhurong kept on the pressure with multiple attacks, which let her gain the upper hand in the battle. Before long, he was already forced to a dead corner.

        “Die!” Occupied by bloodlust, Zhurong released the dazzling flames all over the body to enchant her weapon.

        “Right. I’ll die with them together!” Cao Cao grabbed a bunch of soldiers at the corner with his monstrous arm.

        “Mer-mercy…”
        “I don’t wanna die!”
        In the face of their begging, Zhurong was unshaken. There was only one thing in her mind——

        “I’m willing to sacrifice anyone to avenge my dead husband!” Beclouded by killing, Zhurong made those flames become even more crimson.

        “No! Zhurong! You can’t cross the line!” Sun Ce’s shout seemed to be in vain.

        As she swung her fire blade——

        A slight kick was sent from her abdomen, a sign of life, as if it was to remind her of a gone one’s words——

        “Dear, promise me. Don't lose your sanity even if I’m not here with you...”

        The memories stopped her from making any attack. Cao Cao, who had already foreseen her hesitation, took this chance to strike.

        In the nick of time, someone pounced on Zhurong and rolled down to avoid the attack.

        “Phew, that was close.” Sun Ce then got up and called. “Quan! It’s your turn!”

        “Alright!” The injured Sun Quan had recovered, slashing Cao Cao’s arm with a spear from the above to set those soldiers free. Afterwards, they were led by Sun Quan to get away from the battle.

        “Zhurong, we’re counting on you.” Sun Ce helped her up to prepare for the fight again. Losing the hostages, Cao Cao was soon subdued and it came to his final moment.

        “Any last words?” The bloodlust had gone, only an unswerving faith was left in her heart, as if she was doing this for redemption.

        “...Do it.” Even to this very moment, Cao Cao still ordered arrogantly as he always had been.

        Then Zhurong pierced through his left chest with the blade. Cao Cao could sense his life was fading; and the sight became blurry and blurry.

        “Congrats. Finally you can leave this damned world,” she whispered.

        Shocked, Cao Cao then wore a smile. “Humph, thanks. I’m happy to go to hell.”

        “Dun...I’m coming to you...” Cao Cao closed his eyes to embrace death with absolute peace of mind.

        “Emm——!” An acute pain made Zhurong kneel on the ground; some kind of fluid was discharged from her lower body at the same time.

        “This is...the amniotic fluid! Somebody help!” Sun Ce called for help anxiously. The people around carried Zhurong right away to find a midwife for the labour in the palace.

        “Wahwah——!”

        After a long time, a baby was born safely.

        “Congrats madam! It’s a healthy boy.” The midwife put the newborn next to the exhausted Zhurong after washing clean. The baby had been crying all along, yet his voice was full of vitality. When the mother and son had the very first eye contact, the baby stopped weeping at once, as if his beady eyes could go into the bottom of her heart.

        Zhurong slowly reached out; and the baby spontaneously held her finger. Such warmth reminded her of Meng Huo, bringing back the old memories with him, flooding into her mind, rippling all over her heart for the first time.

        Tears kept welling up in her eyes. Even in the face of her mother’s and sister’s death, she had never dropped a single tear. However, the rise of mother love let her understand the pain of losing a loved one.

        “Meng Huo...So I do love you so bad...But why...why do I get to feel it after you've gone...”

        Zhurong held this tiny little baby tight, crying her heart out...