Mythical Three Kingdoms

[It must be the recent pressure. I haven’t rested well. Damn Liu Bei, tomorrow I’ll let you see my true strength!] Yuan Shao snapped back to reality after a moment and cursed inwardly.

”Everyone, rest early tonight and restore your energy. Tomorrow, let’s slaughter Liu Bei!” Yuan Shao rarely abandoned his noble demeanor, raising his voice as he spoke, which showcased his current apprehension toward Liu Bei.

The gathered civil and military officials erupted in laughter, cupping their hands in salute. Since the structure of the military camps was already dismantled into formations, there was no need for additional discussion about their arrangement. Everyone had been interweaving between formations repeatedly during prior maneuvers and thus were already familiar with the layout of each formation, and particularly adept at navigating the interwoven setups of the Central Army.

Elsewhere, Jia Xu looked at Guo Jia, his words stirring some emotion within him. ”If the enemy matches us in strength, then what I see—what is true, and what is false? And how should one discern between truth and illusion?”

Moonlight bathed both Jia Xu and Guo Jia. ”I never shy away from contemplating the most tragic outcomes of all that I might face,” Guo Jia said, raising his cup to the moon, a trace of intoxication filling his eyes.

”Wen He, you’ve been careless.” Guo Jia, swaying the wine flask in his hand with drunken eyes, spoke slowly, ”Or perhaps you’re impatient. I’m curious—what is it you’re rushing toward, or what compels your urgency?”

”My Spiritual Talent has always been more of a burden to me than a gift. Thus, I’ve long treated it as if it didn’t exist, relying instead on my eyes to observe, my ears to listen, and my mind to distinguish. Don’t you sense the irony in that?” A glimmer of arrogance emerged in Guo Jia’s intoxicated gaze. Even without the Spiritual Talent—without the Sage’s Laurel—he remained confident that he could stand proudly above all others.

This was precisely what made Guo Jia so fearsome. Even in the absence of his Spiritual Talent, he would not be defeated. In fact, as he himself admitted, it might even strengthen him. To him, his Spiritual Talent was merely a hindrance.

”Very well, then we’ll consider everything from the most pessimistic perspective,” Jia Xu said evenly, his expression unchanged as he stared at Guo Jia.

”For us, the worst-case scenario is no more than Yuan Shao mobilizing all of Hebei’s forces. As for rumors of depleted supplies and soldier desertion, those are nothing but jokes,” Guo Jia replied with unparalleled calmness.

”Then let us fight!” Jia Xu said coldly. ”You surely understand what kind of victory we need right now. To stand alone against the world requires not just strength in arms, but an overwhelming momentum—a force that crushes everything underfoot with a mere wave of the hand.”

”So, knowing that the enemy has formed a five-army formation, and aware of countless uncertainties within, you still took this step?” Guo Jia tossed aside the white porcelain wine flask in his hand, allowing the vessel—filled with fine, priceless wine—to shatter into fragments.

”And what of it?” Jia Xu asked, his gaze fixed on Guo Jia. ”Nothing can change the inevitable defeat of Yuan Shao’s army.”

”You’re gambling…” Guo Jia said after a long silence. ”But I suppose I have no grounds to stop you. That said, Wen He, you’ve been strangely impetuous lately. If there’s something you’re hiding, now would be the time to say it.”

Jia Xu silently shook his head and said nothing. He simply turned and walked away. Some matters were better left untold.

That night, Chen Xi’s army at Puyang split into two forces. One, under Yu Jin, conducted a feigned encirclement of Puyang. The other secretly advanced toward Eastern Wuyang under the cover of darkness.

On the same night, Hua Xiong led the remaining 6,000 Xiliang Iron Cavalry along the Yellow River toward Eastern Wuyang, aiming to act as a sharp dagger to pierce Yuan Shao’s heart amid the Yuan-Liu conflict.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi and Liu Ye, commanding 2,000 infantry, accompanied Xu Sheng’s navy aboard ships heading to Eastern Wuyang—not only as a hidden force but also as a precaution against potential surprises in the battle.

That same night, Fa Zheng handed a confidential letter to a soldier disguised in Yuan Shao’s army armor, instructing its delivery to Yanzhou. All of his schemes hinged upon this letter. Whether the plan succeeded or failed upon reaching Yanzhou would depend on it.

Simultaneously, Jiangh Yiqu, tasked with guarding Ye City, led the city’s stockpiled forces along the main road, traveling in a direction divergent from Fa Zheng’s. Meanwhile, the city’s defense was left to the stationed Four Directions soldiers who originally guarded Ye.

Almost concurrently, Xun Shen and Guo Yuan, defending Puyang, led the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry out from the North Gate. Under the cover of night, they, too, advanced toward Eastern Wuyang. Whether as a razor-sharp knife or a decisive cavalry force, Guo Yuan’s contingent proved more than qualified.

At roughly the same moment, Xu Shu and Wei Yan, returning empty-handed from the Cui Family’s old estate outside Qinghe City, cast resentful glances at the family’s ancestral home.

After all this time, the Cui Family of Qinghe remained ambiguous, causing Xu Shu great frustration. While the family had shown signs of wavering on a few occasions, Xu Shu still struggled to determine their intentions. Trying to discern anything from Cui Yan’s expression had become nearly impossible—especially after his earlier defeat at the hands of Cui Jun. Since then, Cui Yan had seemingly mastered the art of concealing emotions.

”Yuanzhi, if things continue at this rate, we’re just wasting time. Are we really going to persist?” Wei Yan asked furiously. So much time had passed, yet no substantial progress had been made.

”One last attempt. If it yields nothing, we cannot afford to waste any more time,” Xu Shu said after some thought. He then detected faint tremors in the ground.

”Yuanzhi, do you feel that? There’s movement—a large cavalry force is on the move,” Wei Yan said gravely.

”Why would a large cavalry force appear at this time?” Xu Shu’s brows furrowed tightly.

”Who knows? We should sneak closer and take a look,” Wei Yan suggested, glancing at Xu Shu.

”Alright,” Xu Shu agreed. He wasn’t overly concerned for their safety, as Wei Yan, being an Inner Qi Manifestation level expert, could easily ensure their escape if something went awry.

When Xu Shu and Wei Yan cautiously approached, they found nothing but a chaotic trail of hoofprints left on the ground.

”What exactly is this cavalry up to?” Wei Yan muttered, confused. It was clear the force hadn’t come for them.

Half kneeling on the ground, Xu Shu examined the trampled soil and instinctively glanced around, his expression suddenly shifting in shock.

”Changwen, return to camp immediately! Abandon everything here and charge straight for Eastern Wuyang—let’s hope we make it in time!” Xu Shu exclaimed. Though he had only seen scattered traces, with his brilliant mind, he quickly pieced together the entire picture in a single moment of inspiration.

”Yuanzhi, what’s wrong?” Wei Yan called out, puzzled, as Xu Shu vaulted onto his horse and bolted back to their camp as though possessed.

”Ride with me to the troops at once! I expect Yuan Shao will launch the decisive battle with the dawn!” Xu Shu said grimly, spurring his Precious Steed forward, his face pale with worry.