Chapter 2

This is a tent less than fifteen square meters in size. At the corner stands a not-so-straight spear, a long knife wrapped in an old leather sheath, and a similarly worn round leather shield. There are no tables or chairs, only a mat with worn edges and a shaggy felt blanket that smells a bit musty, said to be used for sleeping at night.

At this moment, Ma Han has no interest in these things. He is sitting cross-legged, staring at the face reflected in a pottery basin filled with clear water in front of him.

This is a very young face, one that would not look more than twenty years old no matter how you look at it. The skin is fair, the features distinct, and the facial structure is very three-dimensional, especially the eyes, which shine like they are coated with mercury, extremely lively.

Ma Han is not in a daze because the face does not look like him, but because it looks too much like him—too much like him from over a decade ago! When he sneaked out of the country, the passport photo was just like this. In other words, this time travel has completely transformed him, bringing him back to when he was twenty, or even eighteen.

Seeing such a face, he finally understands why Zhao Yun called him "little brother."

Ma Han slowly stands up, taking off his tattered camouflage shirt, revealing a black tight-fitting undershirt. As the undershirt is removed, a well-built, muscular body is revealed: standing at 1.9 meters tall, his neck is almost as thick as his face, with prominent neck muscles, two large, smooth, and solid pectoral muscles, and six clearly defined abdominal muscles... from top to bottom, forming a highly visually impactful inverted triangle.

His broad and solid shoulders, with arms bulging with muscles, have a streamlined beauty—what delights Ma Han the most is that the scars on his body, those that have tormented him for years, the knife scars, burns, bullet wounds, shrapnel, and the various injuries from the recent battle with the mercenaries... all the old and new wounds have disappeared, not even a scratch can be found. His wheat-colored skin exudes the vitality of youth.

Except for, except for this arm...

Ma Han silently caresses his right arm, and the bloody and brutal scene before his穿越 reappears in his mind.

Before the age of thirty, Ma Han was the second-in-command of the Chinese gang "Hongshun Hall" in San Francisco's Chinatown. He spent ten years rising from a low-ranking member to the deputy leader through his toughness, iron fists, and a quick and decisive mind.

The name "Hongshun Dragon" was known by everyone in Chinatown's thirteen districts.

Until one day, he was suddenly attacked by the Mafia. To protect the daughter of a financier, Ma Han was blown off his right arm by a bomb and was severely injured.

Afterward, the financier's daughter sent him to South America for treatment and refuge. Upon recovery, he learned that the gang had been taken down by the Mafia and the state government, and they were hunting him worldwide. So he went into hiding in the jungles of Guatemala in Central America, never showing himself again.

Five years later, when the financier's daughter found Ma Han again, he had become a welcome guest in many jungle tribes, known as the "One-Armed Wolf." He had nearly a hundred men under his command, dominating the jungle, and wherever he went, he would be surrounded by girls.

The financier's daughter found him not only because of their emotional entanglements but also to offer him compensation.

The Krupp Group had successfully developed a bionic mechanical arm, with a skeleton made of a special alloy that is a hundred times harder and more flexible than ordinary steel. The wrist and elbow joints use nano-hydraulic pneumatic devices, capable of generating 1.5 tons of lifting force and a half-ton grip. The surface of the mechanical arm is covered with synthetic skin, as tough as composite steel mesh, and can self-repair when damaged. The subcutaneous and muscle tissues are made of high-energy polymers, capable of withstanding about three tons of pressure.

"We have developed a prototype—a right arm, customized in size, dimensions, weight, and shape to match the arm you lost. Don't you want to get it back?" the financier's daughter said.

To be honest, Ma Han did not believe such a semi-scientific thing existed, but he still went, just for a glimmer of hope and the sincerity in her blue eyes.

When Ma Han saw the chief doctor of the Krupp Group's underground laboratory easily saw through a steel bar as thick as a thumb with a special alloy wire as thin as a hair, he was half-believing, half-doubting—special alloys had been developed years ago, but they were rare. However, a mechanical arm that could connect to nerves and move freely seemed too incredible...

Then, Ma Han saw the doctor holding out an arm identical to his left arm.

"Congratulations, Mr. Long, your new arm has the same cutting function," the doctor said, circling the steel bar with the tip of the fingernail and then tapping it with a pen from his pocket.

Clang! The steel bar fell to the ground, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

Ma Han's heart, hardened like a walnut, pounded uncontrollably...

The mechanical arm was successfully installed and tested for eight weeks, with no adverse reactions, good nerve connections, and excellent functionality, just like a real arm. As for its destructive power, the doctor described it as "half a Transformer."

The newly minted "Transformer-like" Ma Han had to fulfill his promise to the Krupp Group: to obtain a sacred artifact from a jungle tribe in Guatemala.

Ma Han had not contacted this jungle tribe before, but it was said to be a cannibal tribe. However, he knew how to get there. With the mechanical arm, he could enter the tribe without weapons, making them completely relax their guard, and then use force to seize the artifact.

This was the price Ma Han had to pay, and the true purpose of installing the mechanical arm, worth 700 million US dollars. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Ma Han accepted the mission, entered the jungle alone, and found the cannibal tribe. Using his reputation and knowledge of the local language, he gained the trust of the tribal chief, then found an opportunity to enter their sacred place and, with great effort, obtained the artifact—a crystal skull.

Unlike the crystal skulls in the British Museum and those found in various parts of the world, this crystal skull did not look like a human skull but more like the skull of an alien from Area 51.

After obtaining the skull, a conflict was inevitable. The "Transformer-like" Ma Han turned into a "killing machine." He eventually broke through the encirclement, reached the designated location, and handed over the artifact, only to be immediately ambushed by mercenaries.

In a critical moment, the artifact in his hand saved him—what he handed over was just an empty box. Ma Han, with his years of experience, knew the importance of always having a backup plan.

In the end, one side wanted the artifact, and the other wanted to survive. They compromised until the helicopter took off, and the conflict erupted again. During the struggle, a bomb was accidentally triggered, and the helicopter disintegrated in mid-air.

In the moment before he was about to be torn to pieces, the crystal skull in Ma Han's hand turned to dust, forming a light barrier that enveloped him, then disappeared in the flames...

When Ma Han regained consciousness, he was falling from the sky, arriving in the Three Kingdoms era of the Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, as soon as he opened his eyes, he was greeted by arrows and swords.

Ma Han took a deep breath, threw away his tattered, bullet-riddled camouflage uniform, and put on the new military attire issued to him—whether it was a blessing or a curse, since he was here, he would live well, and if the conditions allowed, he would make a big move!

Now, he knows which side he is on and who the general is.

The Han Dynasty's General of Vigorous Martial Valor, Governor of the Liaodong Commandery, Marquis of Ji, and the most powerful warlord in Youzhou—Gongsun Zan!

This is the late Han Dynasty, and he has arrived just in time for a decisive battle that will determine who will be the dominant force in the north—the Battle of Jieqiao.

In the original history, Yuan Shao, then the Grand Commandant and General of Chariots and Cavalry, led 20,000 troops to battle Gongsun Zan's 30,000 troops 20 miles south of Jieqiao (present-day Weixian, Hebei).

Gongsun Zan sent his elite cavalry, the "White Horse Volunteers," a thousand strong, supported by 2,000 light cavalry, led by the Governor of Ji Province, Yan Gang, to attack in two waves from both flanks. Unexpectedly, they encountered their nemesis, Yuan Shao's general Qu Yi. This outstanding general from the Jincheng Qu family in Xiliang led a thousand strong crossbowmen hidden behind 800 elite sword and shield soldiers. When the Gongsun Zan cavalry approached within dozens of steps, they suddenly emerged, unleashing a storm of arrows. The White Horse Volunteers, renowned in You and Yan, suffered a devastating blow and were subsequently phased out of Gongsun Zan's army. The thousand eight hundred crossbow and shield soldiers became known throughout the Three Kingdoms as the "First