gnovel Chapter 77 Gan Ning's Surrender
Chapter 77 Gan Ning's Surrender
Gan Ning was subdued by Zhao Yun's spear and forced to kneel on one knee. Though defeated, he remained defiant, his neck stiff with resentment, and roared, "Yuan Xiansi! Kill me if you want! To use such a cunning scheme to trick your grandpa Gan, grandpa Gan will not accept it!"
Yuan Tan was not angry. Instead, he waved his hand to let Zhao Yun put away his spear.
He walked up to Gan Ning, looked down at this unruly and fierce general, and laughed loudly:
"Gan Xingba, you are indeed a man of great courage! You say you disagree, but do you think Zilong's victory just now was dishonorable, caused by a sneak attack?"
Gan Ning suddenly looked up, his eyes burning with rage:
"Isn't that right? If Grandpa hadn't been caught off guard, how could he have been defeated in a single exchange? If you have the guts, let me go and fight me again, for real! If you lose again, you can do whatever you want with me!"
"good!"
Yuan Tan clapped his hands, a glint of triumph flashing in his eyes.
"Xingba's straightforwardness suits me perfectly! I'll give you this opportunity, and also give Zilong a fair and square chance to prove his strength!"
He pointed to the cargo ships moored outside the harbor, his voice carrying throughout the area:
"Gan Xingba, look at that ship full of treasure! It's the hard-earned money Yuan Shu plundered from the people, priceless indeed. I'll wager this ship on you!"
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.
Yuan Tan stared intently at Gan Ning:
"The bet is simple: you fight Zilong fairly again! If you can withstand twenty rounds of his spear without defeat, you may take this ship full of treasure. I, Yuan Tan, will not stop you and will even provide you with travel expenses and escort you out of the country! From then on, you can roam freely as you please!"
"But if you can't last twenty rounds..."
Yuan Tan changed the subject and continued,
"This will prove that Zilong's martial arts are far superior to yours, and you will accept your defeat wholeheartedly! At that time, you must sincerely submit to me, train my navy, and command the navy! I will treat you as a general and regard you as my confidant!"
So, will you live a carefree life with a fortune, or gamble your pride and future for a chance to be ennobled and remembered in history?
This bet is extremely tricky!
It not only gave Gan Ning the "fairness" and the opportunity to turn the tables that he longed for most, but also placed huge benefits and future prospects in front of him, allowing him to choose, which greatly stimulated Gan Ning's competitive spirit.
Gan Ning's breathing suddenly became heavy, and his gaze swept back and forth between the treasure ship and Zhao Yun.
Wealth is tempting, but Yuan Tan's later words about "being granted titles and honors" really shook him to his core!
Gan Xingba roamed the Yangtze River; how could he be a mediocre person who only sought wealth?
What he craves is recognition and achievement!
From this perspective, neither winning nor losing is a loss!
Where in the world can you find such a good deal?
Am I dreaming?
"Is that really true?!"
Gan Ning stared intently at Yuan Tan.
"With the three armies as witnesses, this is not a trivial matter!"
Yuan Tan smiled and said.
"Fine! Yuan Xiansi, you've got guts! I'll take your bet!"
Gan Ning suddenly stood up, picked up the ring-pommel sword from the ground, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
"Zhao Zilong! That doesn't count, let's fight again! Twenty rounds it is! Let's see how your grandpa breaks your spear technique!"
Zhao Yun nodded slightly, stood with his spear held horizontally, still calm and composed.
"General Gan, please."
This time, there were no sneak attacks, only skill!
"Look at the knife!"
Gan Ning roared, his figure like a tiger bursting from its cage, his blade flashing like a bolt of lightning as he rushed towards Zhao Yun!
He learned from his mistakes and stopped being reckless. He put all his knowledge to good use, his swordsmanship was fierce and powerful, sometimes like waves crashing against the shore, sometimes like an undercurrent, his attacks were extremely fierce!
Zhao Yun's gaze sharpened, and he brandished his Dragon Gall Spear, transforming it into a silver halo that neutralized Gan Ning's attacks one by one.
He secretly praised him, thinking, "This man is truly remarkable! He's so skilled in land combat; if he were on water, his power would be even greater!"
He had to be extremely focused, and his marksmanship became even more precise and sharp.
For a time, the sounds of clashing swords and spears echoed like a sudden downpour on banana leaves on the dock!
The two figures moved swiftly, their energy surging, leaving the surrounding soldiers mesmerized.
Five rounds, ten rounds, fifteen rounds... Gan Ning pushed his swordsmanship to its limit and actually withstood Zhao Yun's mountain-like pressure!
Zhang He watched the battle from the sidelines with a solemn expression. Having personally experienced Gan Ning's prowess, he now realized that Gan Ning had not used his full strength earlier, and his admiration for Zhao Yun deepened.
However, rigidity cannot last.
Gan Ning's swordsmanship was fierce, but it was extremely exhausting.
Zhao Yun's spear technique is like the Yangtze River, continuous and with a long-lasting power.
In the eighteenth round, Gan Ning's offensive showed signs of fatigue, and his sword speed slowed down slightly.
In the nineteenth round, Zhao Yun spotted an opening and thrust his spear tip like a poisonous dragon emerging from its cave, aiming straight for the center of Zhao Yun's body!
Gan Ning fought back with all his might to parry, managing to deflect the attack, but he was still shaken so badly that his blood and qi surged, and he staggered backward.
The twentieth round has just begun!
How could Zhao Yun miss such an opportunity?
With a flick of the gun, several sparks of light appeared, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion!
Gan Ning's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated. Overwhelmed by the dazzling array of attacks, he could only wildly swing his sword to protect himself!
"Let go!"
Zhao Yunqing shouted, and the spear shaft, like a nimble snake, snuggled into the blade, twisting it skillfully!
"Clang!"
Gan Ning could no longer hold on, and his ring-pommel sword flew out of his hand again!
Twenty rounds, just right!
Gan Ning suffers another defeat!
Gan Ning stood there, his arms aching and numb, staring blankly at the knife on the ground. He then looked up at Zhao Yun, who was calm and composed, as if he had just finished warming up. His face no longer showed any resentment, only utter shock!
He recalled the bet he had just made with Yuan Tan and let out a long sigh.
As the saying goes, "One should learn good martial arts to serve the emperor."
He practiced martial arts from a young age, wasn't it all for the sake of finding a wise ruler who would appreciate him?
However, when he first sought refuge with Liu Biao, and then with Huang Zu, he was met with cold indifference.
The Yuan Tan of today is different; he can see that the other party truly values him highly.
Moreover, he had already fallen into the enemy's trap and was surrounded, so he had already lost.
However, the other party was still willing to give him a chance, even offering him a high-ranking official position.
Then what reason do I have not to agree?
He took a deep breath, pushed away the old Jin Fan soldiers who wanted to help him, walked up to Yuan Tan, and straightened his disheveled armor.
Then, he pushed aside the mountain of gold and the jade pillar, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a deep voice, and this time, there was no arrogance in his voice:
"Gan Ning...I surrender! General Zhao's martial arts are divine, and I...I am completely convinced! My lord has discerning eyes and a magnanimous spirit, not disregarding my humble past, but treating me as a national hero! I...I am willing to surrender! From this day forward, I dedicate my life to my lord! I am willing to train the navy for my lord, to roam the four seas, and to sweep away the rebellious!"
Yuan Tan was overjoyed. He quickly stepped forward, personally helped Gan Ning up, and laughed loudly:
"Having Xingba is like Emperor Gaozu having Han Xin! Why should I worry about the navy not flourishing or the seas not being at peace? Today's events clearly demonstrate that Xingba is a man of integrity and heroism! Please rise!"
He then looked at Zhao Yun and praised, "Zilong's bravery has been displayed again today; he truly is the courage of our army!"
Zhao Yun sheathed his spear and bowed, saying, "My lord is too kind. I also admire General Gan's bravery."
Yuan Tan, holding Gan Ning's hand with one hand and pointing to the ship full of treasure with the other, said to his generals:
"This ship's treasure will serve as the foundation for the construction of my Qingzhou navy! Xingba, from now on, I entrust this important task of building a navy to you!"
Gan Ning looked at the ship full of treasure, then at Yuan Tan's sincere gaze, and then at the many fierce generals beside him, including Zhao Yun.
A surge of pride welled up within him, and he realized that his previous life of rampant plundering and plundering had truly wasted his time.
Only today do I understand the true path for a great man to achieve great things!
"This humble general will certainly not fail the great trust placed in him by our lord!"