Prologue: The Last Stand at Wujiang

I stood at the edge of the Wujiang River.

Shadows of the past haunted me again. Once, I led twenty-six thousand troops across this river with great enthusiasm. Not just once, but many times. All to topple Qin, which had trampled the people of Chu for so long.

But now... here I was. With only twenty-six soldiers.

Yes. Twenty-six people who were still loyal to me.

I stared blankly at the rushing river flowing softly. It no longer looked like the bridge that had once helped me, that had once protected me. Now it was a wall blocking my path. A silent witness that would watch my disgrace.

One of my soldiers behind me stepped forward. "My Lord," he called. "There's a boat there. Enough for all of us. We can go and regroup our forces—"

"No."

Brief. Firm. And fragile. For the first time, I felt the weight in my voice. No more of the intimidating high tone from before. No more firmness or rallying cries in the midst of a bad situation.

"B-but why, My Lord? We can still survive. We can still take back our land from those bastards!"

I sighed heavily, looking up, staring at the clouds floating lazily as if mocking me. I was broken from within. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But not in front of them. Not for the last time.

"I'm tired." I smiled wryly. "There's nothing left... for me to protect. The people of Chu have perished. Our comrades and loved ones have been killed by those bastards. There's no point in taking that land back. No one will greet us anymore. No one will celebrate our victory anymore. All of this is in vain. We are no longer heroes."

Everyone bowed their heads deeply.

Silence greeted us. No sound. No protest. Not even tears fell. We all just stood frozen, wrestling with chaotic thoughts.

My mind wandered. To the past. To everything that had been lost.

I remembered Xiang Liang, my uncle. The man who taught me everything about war. The man who believed in me even when others doubted me. He died pierced by a spear while trying to protect me. I remembered how I held his bloodied body, how I screamed for help, but no one ever came.

I failed to protect him.

I remembered Fan Zeng, my loyal advisor. That old man always warned me about Liu Bang. "He's dangerous, My Lord," he said. "Kill him before he grows too big." But I didn't listen to him. I was too confident. Too arrogant. And now Fan Zeng was dead, poisoned by Liu Bang.

I could do nothing.

I remembered my army. Thousands of people who died under my command. They trusted me. They followed me into hell. And I led them all to the gates of death that awaited.

I was truly useless.

And Yu Ji... that name stabbed my chest like a dagger. My concubine. The woman who followed me through deserts and bloody rivers, the woman who played the zither to calm my terror-filled dreams, the woman who loved me even though I was never worthy of love.

She died in my tent. At Gaixia. She took her own sword and slit her throat before me, just so she wouldn't be a burden to me.

I failed to protect her.

I failed to protect everyone.

The greatest rebel of China, huh? I was more deserving of being called the greatest loser in Chinese history. No—perhaps throughout human history, I was the loser.

My hands clenched. My tears almost fell.

But at that moment, a flock of birds passed overhead. Arrows suddenly shot from my frustrated men. Half of them fell. But the rest kept going. They passed without looking back.

That was when I realised something. My eyes widened. And perhaps for the last time, a faint smile returned to my lips.

"Go."

"Wait... what did you say, My Lord?"

"Huh, you fools. Why are you all so stupid that you still can't understand such a simple order?"

I turned around, looking at each of my remaining men one by one. I drew the sword at my waist, raising it high.

"We have lost!" I shouted loudly.

Everyone fell silent. As if not believing my words. But I only showed my fragile faint smile.

"Realise it. We have lost. There is no chance to win. But..."

I paused for a moment, letting everyone wait for my next words with anxious faces.

"But as long as there are those who carry Chu's blood, we will never die! We will live on in poems on bamboo scrolls. Our names will continue to be fragrant and sung by the children of Chu. Our story will never stop being told!"

"Wooooh!"

Whether they understood my meaning or not, everyone shouted with great enthusiasm. They raised their weapons high and sang again the songs of Chu that had not been heard for a while.

"For those over thirty years old. Give your lives to me. The rest, board the raft and survive! Tell our story to your descendants without exception! No refusal! No protest! This is my final mission! Chu's blood must continue to flow in China!"

"Long live Chu!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

Six people boarded the boat. They were young men under thirty, as I instructed. Meanwhile, we, including myself, the remaining older ones, stood with our backs to them.

In the distance, thick clouds of dust billowed like a sandstorm. War drums and the banners of the Han dynasty began to appear. Their horses and armour glinted under the scorching sunlight.

We no longer retreated.

We charged without fear.

The two forces faced each other. There were no complex tactics. Only raw strength and desperate courage. Twenty-one men against more than two thousand soldiers.

In the first second, flesh and blood were scattered before me. One by one, comrades and enemies fell. Dozens, or even hundreds of enemies fell without us letting a single enemy step further.

But in less than ten minutes, I realised only I remained. Still swinging my sword and spear in the midst of the enemy encirclement. Countless wounds I received. Countless enemies I struck down.

In my final moments, I glanced back.

No one was there anymore. The young men had escaped as I ordered. My task was done. At that moment, Yu Ji's face floated back into my mind. I no longer used my remaining strength to swing my sword, but only to smile. A faint smile that my enemies would not understand.

"I'll follow you soon, Yu Ji."

Before me, hundreds of Han soldiers were ready to behead me. I had no strength left to fight. But I refused to die at the hands of the Han. Never.

With one final movement. I slit my own throat. Blood spurted like a fountain in a garden. My knees finally touched the ground. I looked up, the last thing I saw was the vast blue sky stretching above me.

Ah... how beautiful...

After that, everything went dark.

*****

The morning sunlight pierced my still-closed eyes, forcing them open from a dream that was... disgusting.

"So... that's how I died in my previous life, huh?" I murmured, blinking several times, staring blankly at the birds perched on the edge of my bedroom window.

"Loser," I mocked, more to myself.

I rose from the bed, sitting on the edge with my head bowed dejectedly. My jaw hardened, a feeling of disgust erupting within me.

"A hero... they said, huh, annoying. What kind of hero can't protect the ones they love? What's the point of your name being praised if you even let your wife die?! What stupid logic!"

Beside me, the alarm clock had been ringing since earlier. It was already seven. The clock that usually woke me faithfully now felt like it was testing my patience. It felt like the clock was mocking my inability to protect those closest to me.

Without hesitation, I threw the clock against the wall until it shattered. Bolts and nuts scattered on the floor, but I didn't care. I lay back down and pulled the covers over me, but my eyes unintentionally fell on an anime keychain shaped like a fox-eared girl on top of my desk drawer.

At that moment, bittersweet memories flooded my mind. That keychain was a gift from someone I failed to save. Someone who had always been with me since my parents died.

It reminded me, at times like this, she would surely remind me. Boasting about the future, boasting about school rules, the university she would attend, and other noisy things. Things that, somehow, felt pleasant to talk about even though they were annoying.

"I guess I have no choice, huh? I never won against her. Even when she's not here, she's still a troublesome girl."

Driven by an extraordinary will that seemed to force me, I rose from the bed. I took my school uniform and got ready to leave. I turned the doorknob and stepped out of the house. Even though my legs felt like they were chained by giant iron balls.

I looked up, staring at the sky filled with clouds floating like cotton candy right above me.

I was still the same as before. Failed to protect the one I loved. Again.

Ah... I hate myself.