Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

The battle between Dong Zhuo’s remnants and Ma Teng of Xiliang did not have much of an impact. At most, it made others slightly envious of the two newly ascended internal energy masters. As for Zhang Xiu’s display of strength, it was enough to make all the warlords in the land take notice.

Cao Cao led his army directly from the Ru region of Yuzhou, passing through Fan County. Strategically, he ordered Yue Jin to station 3,000 troops there, guarding the city to prevent Liu Bei or Yuan Shu from cutting off their retreat.

When Cao Cao passed the border between Pengcheng and Ru regions, at the ruined temple where Cao Song had died, his expression became mournful, and he cried out loud. He then prepared offerings and, along with Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Chun, and Cao Xiu, personally performed rituals before the graves of Cao Song and Cao De. Afterward, the entire army donned mourning attire.

Looking at the remains in front of the small temple, Cao Cao realized that Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun had already paid their respects when they passed by. Their offerings, brutal yet sincere, had left a dozen corpses behind. Although Cao Cao felt a twinge of pity, the thought of his father’s death quickly snuffed it out. His eyes turned blood-red as he gazed toward Xu Province. He was out for blood—Xu Province would be drenched in it!

After completing his father’s rituals, envoys from Xu Province arrived outside Cao Cao’s camp, requesting an audience.

”Envoys from Xu Province? Didn’t Chen Yuanlong execute them already?” Cao Cao asked coldly, making no effort to hide his murderous intent. He issued a direct order to have them killed—his enmity with Xu Province was beyond washing away, even with the waters of the three rivers and five lakes.

”Spread my command: Blood will flood Xu Province. Does Tao Qian boast of his benevolence? Let him atone for his crimes in the underworld!” Cao Cao sneered as he looked at the severed head of Xu Province’s envoy presented before him.

”My lord!” Xun You was stunned. He momentarily forgot to maintain his usual reserved demeanor and stood up abruptly.

”Gongda, what do you want to say?” Cao Cao’s icy gaze fixed on Xun You.

At that moment, a cold sweat broke out on Xun You’s back. ”My lord, I am unwell and cannot accompany you.”For a brief moment, Xun You regretted ever joining Cao Cao. Following him now seemed like a mistake.

”Wenlie, escort Gongda to the rear camp and ensure his safety,” Cao Cao ordered his kinsman, Cao Xiu.

Xun You sighed inwardly, bowed silently to Cao Cao, and followed Cao Xiu toward the rear camp, each step taking him farther from Cao Cao.

”My lord, Gongda is just momentarily confused,” Cheng Yu said, standing up.

”I know,” Cao Cao replied, though his anger was evident. He knew full well how important Xun Yu and Xun You were to him.

From that moment on, Cao Cao’s army seemed to unleash the worst of human nature, with the most depraved acts on full display in Xu Province. They slaughtered, burned, looted, dug up graves, desecrated ancestral temples, and massacred city after city. In just over ten days, the northern part of Xu Province was emptied of its hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, leaving the earth stained with blood and rivers clogged with corpses.

When Tao Qian received word of the bloodbath in Xu Province, he spat out a mouthful of blood, aging a decade in an instant. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. ”Why, why, Cao Cao, why are you doing this? I would have given you Xu Province! Cao Cao, I will haunt you even as a ghost!”

”Summon all the ministers of Xu Province immediately,” Tao Qian ordered, wiping the blood from his mouth and discarding the blood-stained handkerchief. Given Cao Cao’s nature, how could he possibly hand over Xu Province to him now?

Soon, all the ministers of Xu Province gathered, their faces grim. They, too, had heard the news of Cao Cao’s atrocities.

”Where is Cao Bao?” Tao Qian demanded, showing no attempt to hide his weakened state. Everyone could see the bloodstains on the floor and at the corners of Tao Qian’s mouth. The ministers of Xu Province, cowed by his fierce and icy gaze, fell silent.

”Here!” Cao Bao said, standing up in shock. The aura of authority emanating from Tao Qian reminded him of the resolute commander who once led campaigns in Xiliang. Cao Bao, sensing the gravity of the situation, quickly stifled any rebellious thoughts and cautiously replied.

”Lead 30,000 elite Danyang troops and annihilate Cao Cao!” Tao Qian ordered, his eyes bloodshot. He wanted to personally go to the battlefield, but after coughing up blood, he realized he was now in his twilight years. His current vigor was nothing more than a final burst of energy.

”Understood!” Cao Bao’s eyes flickered with a brief, unreadable emotion before he accepted the command seal from Tao Qian. With this in hand, his earlier schemes had now become inevitable.

”Yuanlong, Bode, defend the cities. Do not let Cao Mengde find another opportunity!” Tao Qian commanded in fury.

”Understood!” Chen Deng and Zhao Yu replied, bowing their heads.

Chen Deng sighed deeply.

In Langya, Xu Province, Zhuge Jin struck the table in front of Zhuge Xuan with his sword. ”Cao Mengde, you arrogant tyrant! You have slaughtered my homeland. Zhuge Jin will never share the same sky with you! I swear to oppose you until my dying breath!”

”Ziyu, what are you doing?!” Zhuge Xuan exclaimed in panic. Watching his usually obedient nephew slice through the letter of recommendation he had written for Cao Cao, Zhuge Xuan saw Zhuge Jin storm off with sword in hand. If Zhuge Jin decided to go to Liu Bei instead of Cao Cao, the Zhuge family’s bet on Cao Cao would be a total failure!

”Xi Zhicai! I misjudged you!” Zhuge Jin shouted, his eyes red with fury. The armies that had slaughtered their way through Langya had already claimed countless lives at Cao Cao’s command.

Returning to his room, Zhuge Jin furiously penned a letter, channeling all his anger onto the page.

”Deliver this letter to Cao Cao,” Zhuge Jin ordered one of his family’s loyal retainers. This was the first time in his life that he had been so enraged.

In Chenliu, Chen Gong slashed the incense burner Cao Cao had gifted him in half, his eyes blood-red as he stared towards Xu Province. ”Cao Mengde, well, well, well... I hate that I once mistook you. If I had known it would come to this, I would never have allowed you to take control of Yanzhou. You slaughter the defenseless people of our Han Empire—I will make sure you have no home to return to!”

He plunged his sword into a wooden beam, then returned to his study and began writing a letter to Lu Bu. He would invite Lu Bu to take control of Yanzhou. He would see to it that Cao Cao had no home to return to and that he would repent for the lives lost in Xu Province.

Cai Yan wept as she read the report that Li You had handed her. For the first time, she realized how much Cao Mengde, once skilled in literature, learned, and ambitious, had changed. He had become someone entirely unrecognizable.

”Uncle, could you deliver a letter for me to Cao Cao?” Cai Yan asked, her eyes filled with sorrow as she looked at Li You.

”Of course,” Li You sighed. ”Cao Mengde has gone beyond even what Dong Zhuo once did.”

”Thank you, Uncle.” Cai Yan bowed gracefully to Li You, then turned to fetch paper and ink. She quietly began to write. For a rational woman like Cai Yan, the transformation from admiration to hatred took but a moment. She had seen the suffering of the common people with her own eyes.