Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Lie Fan’s gaze swept across his advisors, his mind absorbing their counsel. ”Then we proceed as planned. The Qilin Army will draw their attention, the Qinlong Army will cripple their supplies, and the Baihu Army will incite rebellion. Together, we will end this.”

The first clash came at dawn. The Qilin Army advanced on Zhongshan’s main gates, their war cries echoing across the battlefield. Yuan Xi’s forces, bolstered by hastily recruited conscripts, met them with fierce resistance. Arrows rained down from the walls, and the clang of steel filled the air as the two armies collided.

Lie Fan, at the forefront, fought with unmatched ferocity. His halberd cut through the enemy ranks, each strike a testament to his strength and skill. Beside him, Lu Lingqi fought with equal determination, her halberd carving a path through the chaos. The sight of their lord and lady spurred the Qilin Army forward, their morale unshaken despite the fierce resistance.

Alongside Lie Fan and Lu Lingqi, there were also the 3 of Lie Fan’s personal bodyguards protecting them and the generals of the Qilin Army who fought alongside them. Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, the Chao Brothers, Ji Ling, Zang Ba, and Xu Rong, lead the Qilin Army soldiers to fight at several points of attack.

Meanwhile, the Qinlong Army began their sabotage effort. Supply depots around Zhongshan both hidden or not were targeted and destroyed, while caravans that brought supplies for the army at Zhongshan from its surrounding area were intercepted, as they were too late to return back to Zhongshan.

This resulted in Zhongshan’s defenders finding themselves running low on food and ammunition. The soldiers’ morale began to waver, their confidence was eroded slowly combined with the relentless assaults launched against them.

Inside the city, the Baihu Army taking advantage of the distraction began to infiltrate Zhongshan, where Dian Wei due to his size didn’t join in on the infiltration and only commanded the operation from the rear.

The soldiers, disguised as merchants and laborers, they spread rumors of Yuan Xi’s incompetence and the inevitability of Lie Fan’s victory. The seeds of rebellion took root, and whispers of uprising began to spread among the discontented populace.

Back atop the walls, Yuan Xi watched the chaos unfold with grim determination. His brothers stood nearby, their earlier panic replaced by sullen resignation. Yuan Shang spoke first, his voice bitter. ”This is your plan? To let the city fall apart around us?”

Yuan Xi did not look at him. ”The city may fall, but our duty remains. If we can hold the gates, we may still have a chance.”

Yuan Tan scoffed. ”A chance? Look around you, Yuan Xi. The people hate us, our army is starving, and our enemies are at the gates. This isn’t heroism; it’s suicide.”

Yuan Xi finally turned to face them, his eyes blazing with intensity. ”Then leave. If you lack the courage to fight, flee like the cowards you are. But do not expect mercy when this is over.”

Neither brother responded, their silence a tacit admission of their defeat. As they retreated from the walls, Yuan Xi turned his attention back to the battlefield, his mind racing with strategies to delay the inevitable.

Yuan Xi paced the walls of the southern gate, his armor dusty and his face lined with exhaustion. His mind raced to find a solution, any solution, to halt the relentless advance of Lie Fan’s army.

He glanced down at his soldiers, their ranks thinning under the relentless onslaught. The Qilin Army’s discipline and ferocity were unmatched, and morale among his own men was at an all-time low.

Desperation clawed at him, and he realized there was no room left for honor or hesitation. More sacrifices had to be made. ”Bring me the city leaders,” Yuan Xi barked at an aide. ”And the wealthiest merchants. If they wish to preserve their lives, they will contribute every scrap of food and weaponry they possess. If they refuse, kill them and take it by force.”

The aide hesitated. ”But, my lord, this will only increase unrest among the people—”

Yuan Xi’s gaze turned cold, cutting the man off. ”The people are already turning against us. If they hate me but we survive, I can live with that. Now go!”

The aide hurried off, leaving Yuan Xi staring grimly at the horizon. If Zhongshan fell, so too would the remnants of his family’s power. In his heart, Yuan Xi knew the battle was already lost, but his pride and fear of being remembered as a coward who not only lost his wife but also ran away from battle forced him to cling to a shred of hope.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the Qilin Army’s assault was unrelenting. Lie Fan and Lu Lingqi moved like a storm through the Yuan forces, their halberds cutting wide arcs through enemy ranks. Their synchronization on the battlefield was a sight to behold, each movement flowing into the next, an unspoken understanding guiding their strikes.

The soldiers of the Qilin Army cheered as they watched their lord and lady in action, their morale bolstered by the couple’s prowess. To fight alongside such leaders was an honor, and the soldiers responded with renewed vigor. Their battle cries echoed across the plains, a chorus of determination that seemed to grow louder with each passing moment.

Surrounding Lie Fan and Lu Lingqi were the steadfast Yellow Ghosts, Lie Fan’s personal bodyguards, consisting of Zhou Chang, Bo Cai, and Huang Shao. The trio moved with precision, guarding their lord and lady’s blind spots and cutting down any Yuan soldier foolish enough to approach. They were a wall of death, their movements as disciplined as they were brutal.

Zhou Chang, wielding a massive glaive, deflected an incoming barrage of arrows with a single sweep, shouting, ”Protect the Lord and Lady Lu! No harm will come to them on our watch!”

Bo Cai, quick and agile, dispatched a group of enemy archers attempting to flank their position. ”Their defenses are cracking! Push forward, victory is within reach!”

Huang Shao, the largest of the three, charged into the thick of the fighting, his heavy mace smashing through shields and armor. ”For Lord Lie Fan! For our future!”

Their dedication only spurred the Qilin Army onward. The Yuan forces, already demoralized by starvation and sabotage, began to falter. Many soldiers threw down their weapons and fled, while others surrendered outright, begging for mercy.

Inside the city, the Baihu Army’s covert operations were coming to fruition. The seeds of rebellion planted among the populace had sprouted into full-blown unrest. Citizens gathered in small groups, whispering plans to overthrow their Yuan overlords and open the gates for Lie Fan’s forces.

A baker, his face hardened by years of oppression, whispered to a blacksmith as they watched Yuan Xi’s soldiers forcibly seize supplies from a nearby storehouse. ”Enough is enough. If we let them keep this up, we’ll all starve.”

The blacksmith nodded, his hands clenched into fists. ”Lord Lie Fan and his army fight for justice. They’ll treat us better than these tyrants ever did. Tonight, we act.”

By nightfall, fires broke out across Zhongshan, set by the Baihu Army and emboldened citizens. The chaos forced Yuan Xi to divert soldiers from the walls to maintain order, further weakening his defenses.

Atop the southern gate, Yuan Xi watched in despair as his carefully constructed plans unraveled. The city was tearing itself apart, and the Qilin Army was at the doorstep. His brothers, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, returned to his side, their expressions a mix of fear and anger.

”This is your doing,” Yuan Shang hissed, his voice dripping with venom. ”You’ve driven the people to rebellion with your desperation!”

Yuan Tan, for once, didn’t argue. Instead, he muttered, ”We should leave while we still can. There’s no saving Zhongshan now.”

Yuan Xi turned on them, his face twisted with rage. ”Cowards! You would abandon our family’s legacy so easily? If you wish to flee, then go, but don’t expect me to cover your retreat!”

The brothers stared at each other, their unity in defeat shattered by their differing instincts. Yuan Tan finally turned and walked away, leaving Yuan Shang to watch as Yuan Xi resumed barking orders to his dwindling forces.

At dawn, the Qilin Army launched their final assault. The southern gate, weakened by days of relentless attacks, finally gave way under the weight of a massive battering ram. Lie Fan and Lu Lingqi led the charge into the city, their soldiers pouring through the breach like a tidal wave.

Inside the walls, the Baihu Army emerged from the shadows, rallying the rebelling citizens to join the fight. Together, they overwhelmed the remaining Yuan soldiers, their cries of freedom drowning out the desperate orders from Yuan Xi’s officers.

Lie Fan, his armor streaked with blood and dirt, raised his halberd as he advanced through the streets. ”Zhongshan belongs to the people now! Lay down your arms, and you will be spared!”

The sight of him, towering, commanding, and unstoppable, broke what little resolve remained among the defenders. One by one, they surrendered, their weapons clattering to the ground.

Meanwhile, inside Zhongshan Governor Castle, Yuan Shao sat slumped on his ornate throne, his face pale and gaunt. His tired eyes staring blankly ahead as chaos erupted around him. His advisors and officials argued vehemently, their voices echoing through the grand hall. Each offered a different course of action, none agreeing on a unified plan to counter Lie Fan’s unstoppable advance.

”We must negotiate terms of surrender!” one advisor shouted, slamming his fist on a nearby table. ”If we continue to resist, we’ll only doom ourselves and the people!”

”You dare suggest we surrender to that upstart?” another countered, his face red with anger. ”To give in now would be to spit on the Yuan family’s legacy! We should fight to the last man!”

The cacophony of arguments continued, but Yuan Shao showed no reaction. He appeared detached from the proceedings, his once-commanding presence reduced to that of a man defeated before the battle was even over.

His hand trembled slightly as he reached for a cup of tea, only to set it down without drinking. The weight of failure pressed heavily on his shoulders.

Suddenly, the doors to the hall burst open, silencing the room. Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang strode in, their expressions grim. All eyes turned toward them as they approached their father. Yuan Shao’s gaze flickered briefly to his eldest and youngest sons before returning to the empty space in front of him.

Yuan Tan was the first to speak, his tone urgent. ”Father, we must leave Zhongshan while we still can. Lie Fan’s army has breached the southern gate. The city is lost.”

Yuan Shao remained silent, his fingers tightening slightly on the armrest of his throne. Yuan Shang stepped forward, his voice tinged with desperation. ”Father, staying here is madness! If we flee now, we can regroup and reclaim what we’ve lost. There’s no shame in retreating to fight another day.”

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains

Age: 32 (199 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 1325

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,121,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 951 (+20)

VIT: 613 (+20)

AGI: 598 (+10)

INT: 617

CHR: 96

WIS: 519

WILL: 407

ATR Points: 0