Keyboard Immortal - Chapter 2946

Chapter 1459: The True God’s Covetousness

Zu An’s heart skipped a beat. In a sense, the entire Han Dynasty was destroyed by Dong Zhuo. He was the undisputed big boss in the early Three Kingdoms period. Later powerful figures like Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Lü Bu were all overwhelmed by him in the early stages.

Of course, if it were the historical Dong Zhuo, who had endured countless hardships across the myriad realms, he wouldn’t care at all. But in this world, the gods were secretly vying for power, and it was unknown whose representative this Dong Zhuo was.

He dared not be careless in the slightest and hurriedly headed towards the central command tent.

Along the way, soldiers rushed back and forth, unloading provisions and checking equipment. Amidst the clatter of armor and the clanging of swords against metal, there was an unsettling atmosphere.

Despite the noise, there was an eerie tranquility. Before, when Lu Zhi was in charge, everyone was full of fighting spirit, and the camp was usually filled with laughter and conversation, the atmosphere relaxed.

But now, with the new commander in charge, the army was solemn, and everyone’s face seemed somewhat uneasy.

The tent was brightly lit, casting the shadows of the generals inside onto the tent walls, distorted like a chaotic dance of demons.

Dong Zhuo sat behind his command desk.

He wore no armor, only a crimson brocade robe, with a gold-inlaid jade belt fastened tightly around his waist, leaving a distinct mark on his protruding belly.

He resembled an iron-cast Arhat stuffed into the brocade robe, his thick neck almost as wide as his head, his cheeks drooping, his cheekbones high, his brows prominent, and beneath his thick eyebrows were a pair of shrewd, restrained eyes.

Those eyes were now slightly narrowed, like a satiated tiger feigning sleep.

Zu An thought to himself that this fat man indeed fit Dong Zhuo’s stereotypical image.

A dozen or so generals had already arrived in the tent, standing in two rows, each with their hands at their sides. Even the previously arrogant Yuan Shu dared not speak casually.

Lu Zhi had just been escorted away when Dong Zhuo arrived, immediately summoning all the generals. This swift and decisive action was unusual, and no one wanted to become a victim of his newfound power.

Given Zu An’s current rank, he could only stand at the end of the ranks, which conveniently allowed him to secretly observe Dong Zhuo.

He wanted to discern the man’s true strength, but even with his current level of understanding and insight, he couldn’t ascertain Dong Zhuo’s capabilities.

There was an unfathomable aura about the man; he had already raised his expectations as high as possible, but now he discovered that Dong Zhuo was far more powerful than he had imagined.

“Are you all here?”

Dong Zhuo spoke.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was deep and resonant, like a drum pounding on the chest, carrying the rough, characteristic tone of the Northwest. The air in the tent seemed to vibrate.

He leaned forward, his large, fan-like hands resting on the command table, his gaze slowly sweeping across the generals from left to right.

Wherever his gaze fell, it felt as if an invisible knife scraped across their faces; everyone involuntarily lowered their heads, no one wanting to be the first to stand out.

When Dong Zhuo’s gaze swept over Zu An, he paused for a moment.

In that instant, Zu An’s pupils contracted slightly.

He felt an extremely subtle pressure, as if the air in the entire tent had tilted in his direction.

This wasn’t the killing intent of a military general, nor the oppressive aura of a powerful minister, but something more primal.

But Dong Zhuo only glanced at him before looking away.

There was no extra expression.

Zu An’s palms were already damp with sweat .

He wasn’t mistaken; that feeling was all too familiar.

Although the other party was deliberately concealing it, he was all too familiar with that aura of annihilation from their previous interactions.

The other party’s aura of annihilation, in both intensity and level, was far superior to that of the divine messengers like “Dorgon” from before.

Only a true god could be superior to a divine messenger; he just didn’t know if the other party was merely a projection of the consciousness of the Ancestor of Annihilation, or if he had descended directly.

“That old scoundrel Lu Zhi, his military strategy is outdated and he squandered a golden opportunity,” Dong Zhuo leaned back in his chair, the armchair groaning under its weight

. “Zhang Jiao and his gang of sorcerers have been entrenched in the Guangzong area for months, and he couldn’t even break through them. The imperial favor has been wasted on such pedantic scholars.” The generals in the tent exchanged glances, none daring to speak. Lu Zhi held considerable prestige in the army, but Dong Zhuo’s rebuke of his predecessor upon taking office was clearly an attempt to establish his authority.

Dong Zhuo didn’t care whether anyone responded or not, continuing on his own: “I was appointed in a time of crisis, and I have my own set of rules for marching. Let me make this clear—on the battlefield, orders must be obeyed without question, and those who disobey will be—”

He paused, a chilling smile playing on his lips.

“—Military law is merciless.”

The four words were spoken softly, as if discussing a trivial matter. But the temperature in the tent seemed to drop several degrees; everyone heard the bloody weight behind those four words.

Next, Dong Zhuo began selecting his trusted generals, calling out their names one by one. Each general called upon had to step forward and announce, “Your subordinate is here,” before receiving a few brief instructions from Dong Zhuo—mostly questions like, “Where is your unit stationed?”, “How many men do you have? What are their talents and abilities?”, and “How much grain do you have?”

Dong Zhuo’s questions were extremely rapid; often, before the answer was even finished, the next question was already upon them, as if

he were interrogating them. Those who hesitated to answer, or who used words like “approximately” or “about,” were mercilessly reprimanded, and many generals were already drenched in cold sweat.

Finally, Zu An heard his name called.

“Liu Bei.”

“Your subordinate Liu Bei greets Commander Dong.”

The tent fell silent for a moment.

Dong Zhuo’s eyes narrowed.

This time, Zu An saw it more clearly; in those piercing, restrained eyes, something seemed to flash by in that instant of narrowing. Like the reflection of firelight in water, or like some deeper will emanating from beneath that skin.

Anger from Dong Zhuo: +999 +999 +999…

Zu An was startled, not because the other was angry—after all, he had ruined Dong Zhuo’s plans several times in the secret realm, so it was no wonder he was angry.

What startled him was that even the anger system could only display Dong Zhuo’s name; it seemed this world was indeed special.

Immediately afterward, an invisible force washed over his body like a tide, from head to toe, every bone, every tendon exposed. It felt like being stripped n*ked and standing in the freezing cold, or being ripped open from the inside out by an invisible knife. No pain, no cold, but the feeling of being completely exposed was more uncomfortable than any physical pain.

Was this the pressure of a true god…?

However, this wasn’t his first time encountering a true god, and besides, he now held the title of “Deceitful Thief of Heaven’s Fortune,” so he wasn’t afraid of being spied on.

A hint of doubt flashed in Dong Zhuo’s eyes; the information he had received seemed unsatisfactory.

The probing force lingered on him for about two breaths before receding like the tide.

His expression remained unchanged, as if he were merely looking at an ordinary subordinate. He picked up a bamboo scroll beside him, flipped through it, and casually said, “Liu Bei… a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan?”

“Yes, Commander.”

“The imperial bloodline has declined to this day, and the branches are far removed,” Dong Zhuo tossed the bamboo scroll back onto the table with a soft “thud,” his tone nonchalant yet tinged with mockery.

Yuan Shu, standing nearby, was overjoyed, instantly feeling a sense of kinship with him. Born into the Yuan family, a family that had held high office for four generations, he too disliked this guy’s blatant use of imperial blood to deceive people.

Zu An’s expression remained unchanged. Given the enmity between them, such a few sarcastic remarks were already a light offense. The other party hadn’t taken the initiative to attack him; was he also bound by the rules of this world?

“I heard that you defeated the Yellow Turbans several times recently, and now your deeds are being told throughout the north,” Dong Zhuo said indifferently.

“Just lucky.” Zu’an didn’t give him a chance to make trouble.

“Indeed lucky,” Dong Zhuo said with a half-smile. “According to the intelligence I received, I heard that two of your female generals have been extremely brave in these battles and have made great contributions. They are somewhat underutilized under you. From now on, let them follow me, and I can train them to develop even more of their leadership talents.”

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent all changed color.