Infinity, The Arcade Age

Within the navy of Eastern Wu, Gan Ning's name carried immense weight.

Among the waterborne troops, both the veteran general Huang Gai and the daring Gan Ning were regarded as legends.

Huang Gai had led the charge at Chibi, using fire ships to devastate Cao Cao's army of hundreds of thousands, earning eternal fame.

As for General Gan Ning, he had once been a notorious pirate, leading a band of raiders that terrorized Wu's naval forces for years.

No matter how hard Wu's navy tried, they could never fully suppress him, until they were finally forced to recruit him through amnesty.

And once enlisted, Gan Ning had proven unstoppable—every naval battle he fought, he led from the front, and every single one ended in victory.

A true undefeated champion of the seas.

Though he had yet to achieve his legendary night raid on Cao Cao's camp, his fearsome reputation and the embroidered battle robes he wore were more than enough for the Wu sailors to recognize him instantly.

The moment they realized that the infamous Jin Fan Pirate, Gan Ning, had arrived, the Wu soldiers stood frozen in shock.

They gripped their weapons but instinctively turned to exchange uncertain glances.

They had been told that they were fighting Shu troops disguised as Wu forces…

So why was Gan Ning here?!

Could it be that the Shu forces had even managed to impersonate him and his entire pirate crew?!

Before they could process what was happening, Gan Ning's furious roar erupted across the deck.

"By the command of King Wu! I have come to escort the Lady and Young Master A'Dou back to Wu!"

"You bastards—stand aside! Anyone who dares block my way—dies!"

With that, he swung his halberd with brutal force—

And cleaved a corpse clean in half.

The Wu soldiers' expressions stiffened.

A beat of hesitation.

And in the next moment—

they sheathed their weapons and parted to make way.

Lady Sun Ji's status was indeed noble.

But Gan Ning was also an esteemed general, personally favored by Sun Quan.

At this moment—who held greater authority?

They had no idea who was telling the truth.

But they did know one thing:

Their home was in Wu.

And Gan Ning was the king's trusted general.

Compared to a woman who had married into Shu, it was obvious whose orders should be followed.

...

Watching from the high platform, Sun Ji's brows furrowed.

She could tell the Wu troops would no longer follow her.

If this continued, they might even turn against her.

Now—on this ship, the only ones she could rely on were her personal guards.

She stepped forward abruptly, her cold gaze locked onto Gan Ning as he strode through the parting crowd.

Her face twisted with rage, and she bellowed at him.

"You lowly cur! How dare you block my way?!"

Gan Ning, having just arrived on the scene, looked up at her with an expression as cold as steel.

"If the Lady wishes to leave, this general would never dare to stop her."

"But—if you wish to return to Shu, you must leave A'Dou behind."

Sun Ji's face darkened instantly.

"You dare speak to me this way?! You've got some nerve!"

Gan Ning snorted disdainfully.

"If the Lady continues to act foolishly, then this general won't just be rude in words alone!"

With a fierce glint in his eyes, he raised his long-handled halberd and pointed it straight at her.

His stance was aggressive, his attitude utterly defiant.

Gan Ning had never been one for excessive decorum.

Brother's sister? So what?! If you're in the way of my achievements, I'll cut you down all the same!

His blatant disrespect made Sun Ji tremble with fury.

She had never imagined that a mere general would dare treat her this way.

Enraged, she prepared to leap from the platform, ready to teach him a lesson herself.

But just as she was about to jump down—

A hand grabbed her wrist and forcefully yanked her back.

Qin Ming.

Ignoring her furious glare, Qin Ming simply murmured a name under his breath.

"General Zhao."

At that moment—

Heavy footsteps echoed from the deck.

In the space before Gan Ning, past the armed female guards who had braced for battle—

A tall, armored figure stepped forward.

Dressed in gleaming silver armor, draped in a blue war cloak, and gripping a long spear in his left hand and a sword in his right—

A man with flowing black hair and an imposing presence stood before them.

With a swift strike of his spear butt against the deck, he raised his gaze, his sharp brows furrowing.

His voice was calm yet filled with unyielding authority.

"Do not disrespect the Lady."

"You are Gan Ning, the water general?"

"I am Zhao Yun of Changshan."

"And I have come to test your skills."

"Zhao Yun… Zhao Zilong?!"

"Indeed."

The moment Gan Ning heard that name, his expression finally changed.

He didn't care for nobility.

But he damn well cared about true warriors.

Sun Ji was just a highborn lady.

But Zhao Yun?

That was the man who had charged seven times into the heart of Cao Cao's million-strong army—and walked away unscathed.

The same man who had single-handedly slain fifty-three officers in battle.

Fifty-three may not have been generals, but—

Every one of them had been battle-hardened captains, leading a hundred troops each.

Any man who could carve through fifty-three such warriors while encircled was not someone to take lightly.

Moreover, it was said that he had personally slain Xiahou En, one of Cao Cao's closest bodyguards, and seized Cao's legendary sword, Qinggang! That was no ordinary warrior—that was a trusted general of Wei!

Oh, and let's not forget—he had also run Gao Lan, one of Yuan Shao's Four Pillars, straight through with his spear, scaring Zhang He so badly that the man had immediately turned and fled. From then on, whenever Zhang He saw Zhao Yun on the battlefield, he never dared to fight him again.

Faced with this legendary warrior, Gan Ning's breath grew heavier. His grip on his halberd loosened slightly.

Then, his gaze landed on the blue-hued longsword in Zhao Yun's hand, and his brows lifted.

"So that's Cao Cao's Qinggang Sword?"

Zhao Yun calmly nodded. "It is."

Gan Ning suddenly grinned and let out a hearty laugh. "Hah! Haha! A divine weapon, indeed! Perfect! Zhao General, is it? How about this—if I win this fight, you hand over that sword?"

Zhao Yun's grip tightened around his weapon. "If you can defeat me, forget the sword—you can take my life as well."

"...In that case, let's settle this with our weapons! En garde!"

With a battle-hungry roar, Gan Ning lunged forward, halberd thrusting straight ahead!

Seeing the incoming attack, Zhao Yun swiftly raised his spear to block.

However—

Crunch!

The moment their weapons clashed, Gan Ning suddenly wrenched his halberd back—

And with a sharp snap, Zhao Yun's spear shattered in two!

Gan Ning froze for a brief second, caught off guard. Zhao Yun, having quickly retreated a step, scowled deeply.

His Dragon Gallant Spear had already been destroyed by Qin Ming before. He had barely managed to grab a standard-issue spear from the armory before coming here.

But a common weapon like this could never withstand a duel against a true master.

Damn it…

Without hesitation, Zhao Yun discarded the broken shaft and, with a grim expression, raised Qinggang in both hands.

He knew all too well that fighting a halberd-wielding warrior with a sword was a terrible disadvantage.

And his swordsmanship was nowhere near as refined as his spear techniques.

But right now, he had no choice.

Just as Zhao Yun tightened his grip, preparing for a life-or-death struggle—

A powerful voice suddenly rang out from above.

"General Zhao—catch!"

At the same time, a sharp whistling cut through the air.

Zhao Yun reacted instantly.

He spun, reached out, and caught the airborne weapon with a single fluid motion.

Lowering his gaze to the weapon in his grasp, his eyes gleamed.

After studying it for a brief moment, he murmured in admiration.

"A fine weapon."

Then, he looked up.

Standing on the high platform, Qin Ming met his gaze.

"Yesterday, I destroyed your weapon," Qin Ming said. "Today, I return the favor. We're even."

Zhao Yun, holding the new spear, clasped his hands in salute.

"I owe you a favor for this. May I ask, what is the name of this spear?"

Qin Ming blinked, momentarily stunned.

Then, he awkwardly scratched his head.

Honestly? He had no idea.

He had only fused a few silver-tier weapons together to make this specifically to strengthen Zhao Yun.

He had hoped that gifting it to him would win some favor and further bolster their faction's overall power.

Of course, he couldn't exactly admit that he had just made it up on the spot.

So, after a brief pause—he answered with confidence.

"It's called the Red Sakura Pear Blossom Spear."

"Pear Blossom Spear?" Zhao Yun repeated the name thoughtfully. Then, he nodded approvingly. "A good name!"

With that, he sheathed Qinggang, gripped the new spear in both hands, and spun it gracefully through the air.

A flourish of silver.

A burst of energy.

Zhao Yun's face lit up with exhilaration.

"Then today, with this Red Sakura Pear Blossom Spear—"

"Let us duel, General Gan!"

Seeing that Zhao Yun had been handed an even finer weapon, Gan Ning—who had been standing idly by, making no attempt to stop it—

Let out a booming laugh.

With a powerful arc of his arm, he raised his halberd into position.

One side curved like an axe, the other sharpened to a deadly point—

A weapon that resembled an elongated war pick.

As it gleamed under the sunlight, Gan Ning grinned.

"Good! Then today, let my Flying Thunder Halberd face your Red Sakura Pear Blossom Spear!"