Liang Qiang looked at the curved blade’s gleam, his mind somewhat dazed, as if already feeling the searing pain in his arm.
He even saw himself in that gleam, kneeling on the ground howling in agony, his severed arm rolling to the side.
But he didn’t die. He was treated, helped onto a horse, then surrounded and cheered by countless people amid corpses covering the ground.
Then he received promotions and honors. After that, he campaigned one-armed on horseback, the soldiers following him growing from five hundred to a thousand to tens of thousands. He fought everywhere—after finishing with the Xi Liang soldiers, he fought who knows what other soldiers—
He fought his way forward, receiving promotions and honors along the way, ascending to the court, welcomed by all the officials—
Though he had only one arm, wherever he went people revered him, everyone called him a heroic and brave warrior—
He even saw that girl’s face. She wore empress robes, sat on the throne, her eyes full of admiration and also joy—
“Military Marquis Liang, time waits for no one!” the soldier shouted. “Do you choose success and fame, or your arm?”
The curved blade slid across his armor, making a grating sound.
Liang Qiang suddenly snapped back to reality, instinctively stepping backward.
The soldier gripped the curved blade and smiled: “Military Marquis Liang, such a good opportunity comes only once in a lifetime. Don’t worry, my movements are quick. You won’t feel much pain.”
Liang Qiang clenched his hands, feeling the presence of his arms. Yes, falling into an ambush yet being able to defeat the Xi Liang army’s main force—even if that person was omnipotent, he could only exchange for this once—
This was an opportunity exchanged specifically for him.
He, Liang Qiang, was truly worth so much.
Liang Qiang suddenly laughed.
A soldier nearby muttered in a low voice: “Has this kid gone mad from fear?”
“Mad from joy, more like,” another soldier said coldly.
The soldier holding the blade said: “Military Marquis Liang, you’ve thought it through, haven’t you? This future exchanged for one arm is truly worth it.”
Liang Qiang raised his head to look at him: “How is this exchanged for just one arm? Brother, this is exchanged for my entire life—no, for the lives of my Liang clan’s descendants, generation after generation.”
Without an arm, he could never be independent again. This merit and fame would be his brocade robe and also his shackles. For Liang Qiang to maintain his official position and benefits, he could only hand over his own life, his own future, his own children and grandchildren to someone else’s control.
What a formidable person.
What a good businessman.
What skill in manipulating people’s hearts.
“Military Marquis Liang,” the soldier didn’t argue with him, only saying coldly, “Whether it’s worth it or not, you choose for yourself. We won’t force you.”
Won’t force him? Liang Qiang thought—yes, won’t force him, but having come this far, could he still turn back?
If he didn’t choose, he’d keep his arm but lose everything he’d just gained, even his life.
Would it just end like this?
His entire life would be a joke.
Dead, and there would be nothing left.
As long as he could return before the world’s eyes, as long as he could shine brilliantly, what did his life matter? What did the Liang clan’s fate matter?
How rare that someone needed him, that someone wanted to use him—then so be it—
Liang Qiang raised his head and said: “So that in the future I can still somewhat resemble a person, leave me my right arm, take my left arm.”
That soldier showed a satisfied smile: “No problem. I obey the military marquis’s command—”
He raised the curved blade.
“Military Marquis, to avoid having the wound identified, I won’t ask you to remove your armor and lie down properly. I’ll just do it like this—”
Before he finished speaking, the curved blade suddenly chopped down.
To create the illusion of surprise? But although he’d already made his choice, when the curved blade actually came slashing down, Liang Qiang still instinctively stepped back.
That soldier didn’t follow, instead showing a sinister smile.
A fierce wind attacked from the side. From the corner of his eye, Liang Qiang saw another soldier had somehow closed in from beside him, a broad blade slashing toward him.
So this was the real surprise!
Liang Qiang instinctively twisted his body, but it was already too late. Clang—the broad blade struck into a gap in his armor—
Although flesh wounds on the battlefield had never stopped, and Liang Qiang thought he was no longer afraid of pain, when the broad blade cut into his arm, he still let out a cry of pain—
His arm.
From now on he would have no arm.
He—
From now on, he would no longer be himself—
He regretted it!
He regretted it!
Liang Qiang instinctively raised his hand to use it to stop the broad blade.
Accompanying his pained cry, there was a humming sound in his ears. The next moment, the broad blade stopped moving, and the soldier holding the broad blade also stopped moving.