Chapter 2932: The Three Kingdoms

“Liu Bei?” The Deity of Knowledge frowned. “He is indeed one of the protagonists of that space-time, but his rise to prominence comes too late. He already did a good job, but he still failed to change the tide. Are you sure you can do better than him?”

As a universal deity, he could read the flow of history. His skepticism was understandable. The protagonists of each period in were naturally endowed with good luck in their endeavors. Even those who were stronger and wiser struggled to do better.

“I’ll try,” Zu An replied grimly.

The Deity of Memory asked, “Are you sure you want to walk Liu Bei’s path? If the will of the world senses misalignment in your paths, not only will you not be blessed with good luck, but you might even be cursed with misfortune. You’ll become an entity despised by the world. You’ll face tall hurdles in all your endeavors. Even water may get stuck in between your teeth.”

Zu An closed his eyes. He hadn't been fond of Liu Bei when he first read ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ back when he was young. He'd thought that Liu Bei was incompetent and only knew how to cry, making him nothing compared to the ambitious and carefree Cao Cao, or the invincible Lu Bu, who had the beautiful Diaochan as his companion.

But as he went through life, he began to appreciate Liu Bei’s character. Liu Bei was a compassionate ruler, and he proved that through his actions. There were many emperors in history, but if their subordinates were granted a chance to start anew, only a small handful would be willing to serve the same master. In contrast, even though Liu Bei was defeated in the end, his subordinates would still be willing to fight alongside him a second time for a chance to change fate.

Another thing that moved Zu An was Liu Bei’s unyielding spirit. The latter was unlike Yuan Shao, whose clan was so eminent that they dominated the three most important positions of the imperial court for four generations; or Cao Cao, who was backed by the powerful Xiahou Clan; or Sun Quan, who inherited his father and brothers’ influence.

No, Liu Bei had started from a blank slate. There was nothing outstanding about his capabilities, be it his wits, martial prowess, or commanding competency. Compared to the bright stars that shared that era, he was second-rate at best. Yet despite being exiled for half his life and being over fifty years of age, he never gave up on his dream and eventually became one of the three great warlords of that era.

Many people harbored dreams as children, believing themselves to be the protagonists of the world. But the cruel beating of reality forced them to open their eyes to the fact that they were just normal people. Eventually, they resigned themselves to fate and gave up.

Only those who had been beaten down would understand how difficult it was for Liu Bei to persist in his dreams despite his repeated defeats.

...

Many thoughts rushed into Zu An’s mind before he solemnly replied, “Yes, I’m certain.”

“All right.” The universal deities had a quick discussion before acknowledging his decision.

Zu An wanted to return to bid his lovers farewell, but the universal deities stopped him.

The Deity of Chaos and Enigma said, “You won’t be able to see them even if you return now. They have places where they need to be. The threads of fate will eventually reunite you with your lovers.”

Zu An could only give up on that idea. He confirmed a few details with the universal deities before agreeing to set off.

The universal deities joined forces and suffused the surroundings with a surge of power. A space-time vortex manifested in front of Zu An, and images seemed to flash across the vortex.

Zu An held Qiu Honglei and Princess Liuli’s hands, consoling them while leading them forward.

“What a sentimental man. He doesn’t forget to flirt even when marching into danger,” the Deity of Bliss and Desire teased.

“He wouldn’t have been able to rekindle his ties with his old friends if not for those feelings tying him down,” Mi Li replied casually.

“Do you think he’ll succeed?” Meng had never felt so lacking in confidence before as a universal deity.

“You'd better pray for his success,” the Deity of Love and Beauty coldly remarked. “This is the only chance I’m giving you.”

“I have conducted a holistic assessment of all factors. He is the most likely person to succeed, with a success rate of 29.8%.” The Deity of Knowledge broke his usual composure, sounding inexplicably excited.

The other universal deities fell silent. The Deity of Love and Beauty left with a cold expression. The lights in the sky flashed, and both Mi Li and Meng disappeared as well.

The Deity of Knowledge was confused. “Why are they reacting like that? Isn’t that good news?”

“It has been so many years, but you’re still incapable of calculating emotions.” The Deity of Bliss and Desire laughed seductively before leaving as well.

The Deity of Knowledge stood quietly on the spot for a while before murmuring, “Could that be the reason why my simulation failed despite running for so many years?”

...

Zu An felt the world spin around him. This wasn't his first time experiencing such a sensation. By the time he opened his eyes, Qiu Honglei and Princess Liuli were no longer beside him, but he wasn’t too worried. Given their wits and special identities, they would likely be able to remain safe.

He scanned his surroundings. He was in a crude house with hardly any furniture. There was only a table with simple straw sandals lying beside it. Did I transmigrate into Liu Bei’s younger self?

He looked around for a mirror to check his appearance, but there was nothing of that sort in the room. So, he waved his hand and conjured a bundle of water. Through the water’s reflection, he was able to see his own face.

His ears had grown longer, and his hands were drooping lower, but other than those, there wasn't a big difference in his appearance. That was likely the result of the universal deities’ powers. He had fully taken on Liu Bei’s identity.

He even felt a bit dazed, as he had an inexplicable feeling that he had been born and had lived in this world for many years now.

He pushed open the entrance door and walked out. He was in the middle of a mountain forest. Looking into the distance, he saw a couple of houses scattered around. This had to be the village where Liu Bei’s ancestors resided.

He flew over to a secluded area and unleashed a wave of sword ki. A large swath of trees was chopped down. He tried his own abilities as well, and they functioned as normal.

Zu An felt relieved and nervous at the same time. I retained all my abilities. The original Liu Bei’s martial power should have been at most second-tier in this world. That means this world must be even more dangerous than I expected.

He proceeded to explore the village. All the villagers were astonishingly strong and healthy. He even spotted a white-haired old man flashing across the farmland, tilling an entire acre of land in a single sweep.

These people were comparable to lower-rank cultivators, but they were only normal civilians in this world.

He asked them about the location of the nearest county and began making his way over. He had to get out of this village to gather more intelligence about this world.

—

TL Note:

During the final years of the Eastern Han, the imperial family grew so weak that the emperor became a puppet for the warlords to grasp power.

Several powerful factions emerged, and they battled for power.

For instance, there was Warlord Dong Zhuo, who stormed the palace and installed his puppet emperor and effectively took control of the state. Dong Zhuo was later defeated by Cao Cao, who then took control of the puppet emperor and ruled through him.

There were also Yuan Shao and Yuan An, two brothers who were also powerful warlords. They came from a prominent clan that had accrued much power from dominating the roles of the Grand Protector, Grand Marshal, and Grand Preceptor for four generations.

Liu Bei was a very distant relative of the Liu Imperial Clan (the rulers of the Eastern Han then). He gained supporters due to people opposing Cao Cao’s tyranny after he turned Emperor Xian of Han into his puppet.