Zhouzhou didn't like what she heard. Who was he looking down on? She puffed up her chest and straightened her toes, indignantly declaring, "Of course I am taller!"
Hearing this, the man lifted his eyelids, mischievously propping the sword upright beside her, slightly raising his eyebrows, suggesting she look for herself.
Zhouzhou craned her little neck to check, and her face imdiately fell. She really wasn't taller than the sword.
Pouting, she stubbornly replied, "I will grow really tall! I can grow to seven ters!"
The man seed to be amused by her words, letting out a low chuckle.
Zhouzhou, puffing out her cheeks, watched him with an expression of mild annoyance, but her curiosity quickly took over. She studied him carefully.
He wore full armor, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His face was partially covered by a rugged beard, yet it did nothing to hide his handsoness. He exuded strength, looking every bit the part of a warrior.
Zhouzhou bounced over to him, standing right in front of him, and asked curiously, "Uncle, are you an actor?"
"An actor?" The man looked confused, seemingly unable to understand what she was saying.
"Yes!" Zhouzhou nodded eagerly. "My third uncle is an actor! When they do historical dramas, they dress like that when playing generals."
At last, the man understood. He raised his chin slightly, an air of pride in his deanor, and answered, "I'm no actor."
He was a real general.
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves reached them from the distance. The man imdiately stood up, grabbing his sword, and looked down at Zhouzhou. "Dare to fight with ?"
Dare? There was nothing Zhouzhou couldn't do!
Feeling slightly insulted, as though her bravery had been questioned, she puffed out her chest and replied firmly, "Of course!"
Before she could even finish speaking, the man swiftly lifted her off the ground.
"Not tall, but you sure have guts," he comnted, his voice coming from above.
Zhouzhou's face turned red with embarrassnt. "Hey, that's not fair!" she muttered, a little flustered. "I'll grow taller, you'll see!"
The man chuckled softly, clearly entertained by her reaction. They both mounted the horse, and with a swift nudge to the horse's side, they galloped off.
This was Zhouzhou's first ti on a horse, and she couldn't help but let out an excited "Wow!" It was fun--at first.
However, soon enough, the scene ahead shifted dramatically. Two opposing armies were locked in combat.
"Hold on tight, don't move around," the man ordered.
With that, he jumped down from the horse, sword in hand, charging toward the enemy. He swung his sword without hesitation, slicing through foes with deadly precision. Blood splattered across his face, but he paid it no mind, not even stopping to wipe it off as he moved to the next enemy.
Zhouzhou had never faced war so directly before. Even on her previous missions, she had only dealt with a handful of enemies. But here, there were thousands. The sounds of battle--blades cutting through flesh, cries of pain--echoed all around her. Her carefree expression vanished in an instant.
She was stunned by the scene in front of her.
At that mont, an arrow shot toward the man's back, and it was clear that he was surrounded by enemies, too busy to notice it. The arrow was headed straight for his heart.
Without thinking, Zhouzhou pulled a copper coin from her pocket and threw it with all her might. The coin struck the arrow, diverting its path just enough to miss the man's heart.
Before anyone could react, Zhouzhou nimbly jumped off the horse, her small feet sweeping through the air as she kicked down the enemies surrounding them.
The man raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face. "Didn't expect those short legs to be so useful."
"I'm really mad!" Zhouzhou huffed, unleashing her frustration on the nearby enemies, sending them flying with just a few kicks.
The soldiers around were astonished.
An hour later, the last enemy was sent flying, and in the blink of an eye, everyone vanished. Zhouzhou found herself back on the original hillside, where the man still sat, as if nothing had happened.
She blinked in confusion, unsure of what just occurred.
The man, however, looked sowhat lancholic. "This is the first ti I've dodged that arrow."
Realizing the reality of the situation, Zhouzhou rushed to sit in front of him, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, waiting for a story.
Seeing her reaction, the man's mouth twitched slightly. He shook his head helplessly. "It's not a good story."
Recalling the earlier events, Zhouzhou's gaze dimd. It was hard to treat such a thing as re storytelling; the scenes had been too real.
She couldn't help but ask, "So, all of that was true?"
"Yeah," the man replied, looking into the distance. "That was a scene from my death, repeating over and over for over a thousand years."
"A thousand years?" Zhouzhou gasped, her mouth agape. "So, uncle, you're a thousand years old? What's your na?"
The man shook his head. "Just a defeated general, not worth ntioning. No need to embarrass myself."
Zhouzhou thought that was unfair. "In fights, there are wins and losses; what's there to be ashad of?"
The man replied, shaking his head, "But the battles we fought were not just for ourselves. They represented a nation and countless common people."
"The fall of a city, the demise of a country--such outcos are burdens we cannot bear."
Upon hearing this, Zhouzhou began to grasp the deeper aning, her little face growing more serious.
At that mont, the sound of hoofbeats approached again. Without hesitation, the man grabbed his sword and charged off.
"Uncle, this is just an illusion; you don't need to fight anymore," Zhouzhou called after him.
"I'm used to it," he replied with a smile. "You wait here; I'll be back soon."
With that, he mounted his horse and returned to the battlefield.
Now that she knew it was all fake, Zhouzhou felt less anxious.
Over an hour later, the man returned, this ti with an arrow protruding from his chest and wounds covering his body. He expertly removed the arrow and settled back down in his original spot.
Zhouzhou rested her chin in her hands, her brows furrowed in confusion as she looked at him. "Uncle, why do you keep doing this pointless work?"
Since he knew it was fake, why would he go through it repeatedly?
The man paused while pulling out the arrow, then sighed deeply. "Perhaps it's a matter of unwillingness. I always hope to change the outco, even knowing it's futile."
As he spoke, sadness filled his eyes.
Zhouzhou felt a heaviness in her heart as she watched him. Suddenly, she leaned forward, resting her chubby hand on his leg, and said earnestly, "You won! Look, you wanted everyone to be well, and we're doing great now! Other countries don't dare bully us."
"Uncle, your wish has already co true."
At these words, the man was taken aback. He looked at Zhouzhou, and a glimr of realization flashed in his eyes.
A hint of relief crossed his face as he smiled at the comforting little chubby girl, feeling a surge of warmth.
But crying in front of a little girl was not his style.
He lifted Zhouzhou and tossed her lightly aside.
"Quickly, get out of here; otherwise, you'll have to stay here with , and your short legs are quite a nuisance," he teased, laughing as he did so.
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