Mythical Three Kingdoms

After recounting each person’s achievements, Zhao Yun looked at Huang Zhong and Gan Ning with great interest. He could perceive the power hidden beneath Huang Zhong’s aging exterior. Suffice it to say, Zhao Yun wanted to mention that aside from his aged skin, Huang Zhong’s vitality was no different from that of an eighteen-year-old.

This way of existing reminded Zhao Yun of his master’s friend, Wang Yue, who also bore the guise of an elderly man but was astonishingly youthful within. However, the difference was that Huang Zhong’s inner youthfulness bordered on being downright abnormal.

Huang Zhong’s keen perception naturally caught Zhao Yun’s inquisitive gaze. Yet, after glancing at Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong frowned repeatedly. He couldn’t tell whether it was an illusion or something else; Zhao Yun was clearly visible, yet his perception failed to detect him.

Reflecting on his first encounter with Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong finally identified what felt amiss. Zhao Yun stood so harmoniously as if he were an inseparable part of the natural surroundings—an abnormality, to say the least.

Theoretically speaking, the stronger a military general’s power, the more prominent their presence should be. But with Zhao Yun, the situation was entirely different from what Huang Zhong understood. It wasn’t that Zhao Yun lacked presence; instead, his presence blended seamlessly with his surroundings.

”Old General Huang.” Zhao Yun bowed slightly with a smile. He could sense Huang Zhong’s probing, yet unless he deliberately unleashed his Inner Qi, no one could reliably gauge his strength.

”General Zhao, you are courteous.” Huang Zhong cautiously returned the salute. He wasn’t someone who acted rashly—anyone whose strength he couldn’t measure was certainly not to be trifled with!

”It seems that Zilong’s true strength is difficult to discern unless tested in combat,” Guo Jia remarked, tilting his head and looking inquisitively at Liu Ye.

”It’s almost impossible to perceive,” Li You chimed in. ”And from what I understand, Zilong’s Inner Qi fluctuates drastically. At times, it only seems to have just reached the threshold for Inner Qi Manifestation; at other times, it’s already at a perfect level. So even engaging him in combat would yield little meaning.”

Some of this information had been told to Li You by Lyu Bu, while the rest came from conclusions Li You drew from various sources. In short, Zhao Yun’s cultivation level appeared to undulate unpredictably, but his actual strength was firmly in the top tier.

”Oh!” Xu Shu nodded in understanding. He still had business to attend to in Qinghe. Halfway through dealing with the Cui Family matter, he needed to hurry back. It was highly likely that things would work out, and he didn’t want to waste any more time. Missing the opportunity to slay Yuan Shao had already been enough of a regret, so Xu Shu felt he had to keep earning merits.

”I have matters to tend to, so I’ll travel light and return to Qinghe,” Xu Shu announced. He understood that such matters were best not delayed, and since it would only be him and Wei Yan traveling alone, the journey wouldn’t take long—at most an hour or two.

”To convince the Cui Family of Qinghe?” Chen Xi asked, handing something over. ”Take this.” With that, Chen Xi tossed the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade, previously belonging to Yann Liang, to Xu Shu.

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade had originally been Guan Yu’s spoils of war. It was intended to be a gift for Wei Yan, but since Guan Yu wasn’t the most tactful speaker, he had asked Chen Xi to pass it along. Seizing the moment, Chen Xi handed it to Xu Shu instead. The blade could prove many facts—it was invaluable in this situation!

”The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Blade? Thank you; I’ll return it to you later.” Xu Shu, catching the weapon, instantly understood how to put it to use.

”No need to return it. This is a gift General Guan intended for Wen Chang. While you might not have interacted with General Guan much, you likely know what kind of man he is.” Chen Xi smiled. ”Go quickly—Xin Pi and Zhu Ling are in Ganling City.”

Chen Xi’s words were easily overheard by Guan Yu, who, though slightly awkward, headed straight to the Martial Arts Arena without looking back. He intended to watch Huang Zhong and Gan Ning spar.

”What are you doing carrying a food box?” Lub Su asked, perplexed as he looked at Jia Xu, who had circled back from the rear camp holding a food box. By now, Lub Su no longer looked as haggard as before; the great victory had significantly improved his morale.

”I’m here to watch a high-level fight. I didn’t eat, so I brought some food—might as well eat while I watch,” Jia Xu replied casually as he opened the food box, revealing a large plate of freshly cooked beef. Such indulgence was rare in the military camp, only possible after a grand victory when a bull was slaughtered for sacrificial purposes. Naturally, the excess was consumed afterward.

Lub Su cast a sideways glance at Jia Xu but remained silent. Occasionally, Jia Xu did things that bordered on self-sabotage.

The epic clash between Gan Ning and Huang Zhong didn’t require much explanation. While the fight was impressive and Huang Zhong held back somewhat, Gan Ning conceded after ninety-nine moves.

Gan Ning’s techniques emphasized cunning and unpredictability, while Huang Zhong’s focused on sheer force. More critically, all of Gan Ning’s strikes seemed to trigger a gravitational force when they hit Huang Zhong, forcing him into confrontations of raw power.

Ultimately, Gan Ning straightforwardly admitted defeat, showing no signs of unreasonable persistence. The soldiers in the camp watched the match with fervent excitement. Learning that Yuan Shao, the opposing commander, had been slain by Huang Zhong left them with no doubts about elevating Huang Zhong to the position of main army commander!

Elderly yet formidable fighters commanded great respect among the soldiers. The reason was simple: in this era, older generals signified experience, and being formidable meant boosting morale, earning more merits, and achieving victories. Furthermore, with Huang Zhong’s concrete military accomplishments, even seasoned veterans like Sunx Guan within Liu Bei’s Army had no complaints about his quick rise in rank!

Afterward, Guan Yu, enticed by the challenge, sparred with Huang Zhong. Though the match ended in a draw, Guan Yu realized that Huang Zhong had not yet used his strongest weapon, the bow. To defeat him, Guan Yu knew he needed to put in more effort. However, Guan Yu was still in his prime and had room to grow, whereas Huang Zhong had likely reached the peak of his lifetime potential.

The unfortunate one during this series of events was Jia Xu, who, perhaps as karmic punishment for eating alone, found himself awkwardly eating beef with dipping sauce while a few gusts of sand from Huang Zhong’s clashes filled his mouth.

After tidying up, everyone began preparations to march toward Ye City. The original plan for a swift raid had been canceled, as Li You’s words were deemed credible. As for Guo Jia, he sighed helplessly—his covert assets had been preemptively used by Li You. In hindsight, Guo Jia thought he might as well have allowed Fa Zheng to trigger them sooner.

Rewinding the clock slightly, outside Puyang City, Fa Zheng found himself staring at the city’s banners with a conflicted expression. When did Yuan Shao and Cao Cao become so chummy that their banners could fly side by side on the city walls?

Such a scenario entirely extinguished Fa Zheng’s plans to seize Puyang City. He needed to understand what was happening. Why would such a bizarre arrangement arise? More precisely, what kind of absurdity was this?

In truth, Fa Zheng had faintly guessed what Xun Shen had been planning upon leaving. Guo Yuan, aside from his status as Yuan Shao’s vassal, was also Zhong Yao’s nephew. If Xun Shen had anticipated Yuan Shao’s defeat, the likelihood of inviting the Cao Army into Puyang to proclaim the Mediation Order was exceedingly high!

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)