"An accident, an accident," Sun Ce explained awkwardly. "Carrying you threw off my balance. When I'm alone, I can jump dozens of times in the air at high speed. I wanted to show you a good time, but... well, you know." If it hadn't been for his quick reflexes, using himself as a cushion and Zhou Yu softening the impact with his spiritual shield, Zhou Yu might have been hurt just now.
"Bo Fu, can't you be a little more mature?" Zhou Yu chuckled helplessly. Although Sun Ce was his sworn brother and acted like an elder sibling in front of Sun Quan and Sun Yi, he sometimes behaved quite foolishly around Zhou Yu.
"It really was an accident. It won't happen again," Sun Ce said, embarrassed. He then picked Zhou Yu up again and dashed towards the Yangtze River at high speed. This time, he refrained from performing any high-difficulty aerial maneuvers, knowing that unless he held Zhou Yu firmly, those tricks could easily go wrong.
With a powerful stomp on the riverbank, Sun Ce shot forward over a hundred meters and, seeing the surging waters of the Yangtze River ahead, he stabilized his body and gently descended onto the water as lightly as a feather.
"How about that? I can do it too!" Sun Ce exclaimed, bouncing on the water a few times like a child showing off a perfect score on a test to his best friend.
"Oh, Bo Fu, you don't have to carry me," Zhou Yu replied casually. Then, under Sun Ce's shocked gaze, he too stood on the surface of the water. "It's quite simple, really. But I prefer to travel by boat."
"..." Sun Ce stared dumbfounded at Zhou Yu.
"It's just spiritual power. When you have enough of it, you can do things like this. If you can move clouds, you can certainly move yourself," Zhou Yu explained with a smile. "Though your technique is more difficult, congratulations, Bo Fu. You've made progress again."
"Hahaha," Sun Ce scratched his head. He had thought using spiritual power to levitate oneself would be simple.
"Aren't you supposed to show me your strength?" Zhou Yu reminded him with a smile.
"Oh, right! Watch this!" Sun Ce nodded firmly, then let out a powerful shout. Golden flames burst from his body, and the river water surged violently in response to his fierce aura.
"Hah!" Sun Ce roared as he unleashed his power. Soon, a set of golden armor appeared on his body, with golden light swirling around his hands and feet. Clenching his fist, a golden spear materialized in his grasp.
"Break!" Sun Ce shouted, thrusting the spear into the river with immense force.
With a thunderous boom, a massive wave, ten zhang high, erupted from the river.
"How was that?" Sun Ce asked proudly, turning to Zhou Yu.
"How confident are you against Changshan Zhao Zilong?" Zhou Yu asked curiously.
"Not at all. The more I improve, the more terrifying I realize he is," Sun Ce replied, his enthusiasm deflating instantly.
"Hahaha," Zhou Yu chuckled, quickly changing the subject. "Hey, what's that?"
"Miss, run!" The guards pushed the two young women onto a small boat, desperately trying to fend off Zhang Kai and his men.
The younger girl clumsily rowed the boat, trying to escape Zhang Kai's clutches.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Zhang Kai leaped onto the small boat, reaching out to grab the girl.
"Been a while since I've seen river pirates," Sun Ce remarked, descending from the sky like a divine warrior. He kicked Zhang Kai off the boat and into the river, though carrying Zhou Yu somewhat spoiled the effect.
While Zhou Yu could walk on water, he didn't have Sun Ce's speed. Upon spotting the river pirates, Sun Ce had instinctively picked Zhou Yu up and rushed toward the boats.
"Hey, Gongjin, we've got ourselves two beauties," Sun Ce joked after setting Zhou Yu down. Only then did he notice the two young women on the boat, both breathtakingly beautiful.
"Little girl Qiao Wei and my younger sister Qiao Ying thank you, heroes, for saving us," Qiao Wei said gracefully, bowing to Sun Ce without a trace of panic.
"Wow, never seen anyone so pretty," Sun Ce laughed, his eyes gleaming with interest. "These scoundrels dare to commit crimes in my territory? They clearly don't respect me. Hey, little lady, give me a smile."
Zhou Yu was taken aback. He had never seen Sun Ce speak to a woman like this before. He looked Qiao Wei up and down, realizing she was indeed a beauty beyond compare. He couldn't help but marvel at his brother's luck.
"Why tease a helpless girl, young master?" Qiao Wei's languid voice reached Sun Ce's ears, causing his heart to skip a beat.
"Sister, that's Zhou Gongjin," Qiao Ying tugged at Qiao Wei's sleeve, her behavior doing little to conceal her thoughts from Zhou Yu and Sun Ce.
"Looks like they know you, Gongjin," Sun Ce teased, causing Zhou Yu to blush and glance away. Seeing Zhang Kai and his men still fighting, Zhou Yu frowned and said, "Enough playing around. Finish those river bandits."
"Easy!" Sun Ce laughed, forming his left hand into a blade and slashing toward the boat. A hundred-meter-long arc of light split the vessel in two, obliterating it in an instant. For a warrior like Sun Ce, destroying an unprotected ship was child's play.
Qiao Wei was so captivated by Sun Ce's display of power that she didn't even notice his hand under her chin.
"Hey! My guards are still on that boat!" Qiao Ying protested, glaring at Sun Ce. "And all our belongings were on that ship too. Plus, this boat is sinking," she added, pointing to the hole Zhang Kai had made when he fell into the water.
"No problem," Sun Ce laughed, scooping Qiao Wei into his arms and leaping over a hundred meters. In just a few more jumps, he reached the larger ship nearby, quickly subduing the remaining river bandits. From a distance, his voice echoed back, "Gongjin, you can handle the rest."
Zhou Yu turned to look at Qiao Ying, who shyly avoided his gaze, clutching her clothes nervously. Seeing her sister leave in Sun Ce's arms had stirred her heart. After all, Zhou Yu was the famous "Zhou Lang," the dream of countless women in Jiangnan. The mixture of shyness and admiration overwhelmed her, and she barely noticed when Zhou Yu gently lifted her into his arms.
As Zhou Yu carried Qiao Ying across the water, taking his time, Sun Ce couldn't help but feel foolish for rushing earlier. He glanced over at Qiao Wei.
"Pfft," Qiao Wei giggled, perhaps amused by Sun Ce's expression. Her smile was so radiant it seemed to outshine the world.