Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Can’t you answer that?” Chen Xi said with a smile. Zhou Yu frowned repeatedly. Although he hadn’t communicated with Chen Xi for long, he often felt oppressed by him.

”Actually, the answer is very simple,” Chen Xi said to Zhou Yu. ”Whether it’s length or size, as long as you find something longer or larger, it’s enough. Unfortunately, in my opinion, neither you nor Sun Bofu can match me and Lord Xuande as heroes.”

Zhou Yu felt a pang in his chest, almost ready to lash out at Chen Xi. After all, such words amounted to belittling Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, and with Zhou Yu’s pride, how could he allow others to look down on him?

”Don’t utter that sentence,” Chen Xi said calmly, the pressure emanating from his serene face making Zhou Yu stifle his anger, though the cold light in his eyes almost pierced through Chen Xi. However, Chen Xi remained unchanged, ”That’s good. Keep that gaze, watch closely.”

”I will witness your failure with my own eyes,” Zhou Yu said somewhat defiantly.

”My failure, maybe only I would know. In your eyes, what am I now?” Chen Xi looked at Zhou Yu calmly. ”Don’t try to take that final step. Neither you nor Sun Bofu should die at my hands; no matter what, don’t take that step.”

Zhou Yu, though wanting to argue with Chen Xi over this matter, felt the sincerity behind Chen Xi’s unfluctuating tone and deep, tranquil eyes.

”Hmph, starting from scratch, building such achievements in a few years, with prosperous people and a strong military. If this counts as failure, then aren’t we even more of a failure?” Zhou Yu said coldly, while Chen Xi’s second sentence seemed to scatter like the wind.

Chen Xi smiled, knowing that Zhou Yu had taken in the second sentence. That was enough. As long as that final step wasn’t taken, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, regardless of their ambitions, still belonged to the Han officials. Just this point, Chen Xi could protect them.

”Actually, I probably can’t count as successful,” Chen Xi shook his head slightly. ”Sometimes, what you perceive as the end is just the starting point for some people.”

Zhou Yu was suddenly startled, looking at Chen Xi’s face, unable to determine whether he was telling the truth. However, the phrase ”what you perceive as the end is just the starting point for some people” struck him like lightning, making him sit up straight.

”So, before you’ve stood at the pinnacle, don’t use your shallow wisdom to gauge the power of the strongest sitting high on the throne,” Chen Xi looked at Zhou Yu calmly, his gaze as if seeing through everything, just like when he looked at Liu Ye before.

”What exactly are you trying to say?” Zhou Yu asked Chen Xi, somewhat puzzled by his words.

”I just want to tell you to strategize before taking action,” Chen Xi said with a smile. ”I have many flaws, and I’m indeed not as versatile as you all, but if you want to defeat me, at least please show such ability.”

Chen Xi opened his left hand, and with his right index finger, slowly drew across the tip of his left thumb, ”That’s it.”

Zhou Yu understood Chen Xi’s meaning. Although somewhat displeased with Chen Xi’s wanton arrogance, he had to admit that Chen Xi had the right to make such a gesture.

”Well, that’s all I’ve said. I’ve made my point clear. Gongjin, think it over. Actually, there’s no irreconcilable hatred between us,” Chen Xi said, waving his hand as he turned away. He had said enough, leaving the rest to Zhou Yu.

The next morning, Chen Xi had a good sleep, while Zhou Yu sported two dark circles. Obviously, the things Chen Xi deliberately talked about yesterday had put considerable pressure on Zhou Yu, forcing him to consider things he was unwilling to think about.

”Seems like you didn’t sleep well,” Chen Xi said with a smile, ”Do you need the army to set out two hours later so you can catch up on sleep?”

”We’ll march during the day for now, and once we reach the distance your estimated war eagles can reach, we’ll switch to marching by night,” Zhou Yu said, ignoring Chen Xi’s teasing, seemingly having buried last night’s conversation in his heart, and simply arranged the march.

”Oh, as long as you’re fine,” seeing Zhou Yu’s attitude, Chen Xi wasn’t angry and simply smiled, proceeding with Zhou Yu. He used voice transmission to ask someone beside him, ”Old Hann, is there an immortal protecting Zhou Gongjin?”

”How could there be? In the world today, only seven or eight people still have immortals protecting them; everyone else no longer has such protection,” Hann Qiong replied.

”Uh, is that so?” Chen Xi calculated silently, adding himself, Liu Bei, Li Youu, Cao Cao, and Liu Xie, guessing Liu Zhang might also have one, but that still left one missing, ”Could Sun Bofu also have a guardian?”

”Do you think someone like him needs a guardian?” Hann Qiong said moodily, indicating that Sun Ce practically didn’t need immortal protection, as immortals in combat power weren’t even a match for Sun Ce.

”That doesn’t add up. Counting the guardian Wen Ru inherited from Dong Zhuo on our side, that’s only three. Cao Mengde, Son of Heaven of Han, Governor of Yizhou together make six,” Chen Xi frowned.

”There are two more, one in Eastern Wu and one in Ye City,” Hann Qiong didn’t mention people, but Chen Xi immediately deduced that the one in Ye City was probably protecting Liu Shan. As for the one in Eastern Wu, it’s hard to believe it was for Sunx Quan, but for protecting Yuan Shu, if Yuan Shao has immortal protection, then Yuan Shu naturally does!

This lifetime, Yuan Shu hadn’t committed any misdeeds, but rather managed the people of Yuzhou and Yangzhou excellently. It was quite normal for him to have an immortal protector, and it seemed these immortals were mostly consistent in their protection.

”Oh, I see. By the way, I’ve heard there are many immortals driven out by you and the Central Plains Immortals on the grasslands. Won’t these people cause trouble?” Chen Xi asked curiously.

”As long as battlefields are not accidentally set up next to their abodes, they won’t voluntarily involve themselves in such wars,” Hann Qiong shrugged. ”But I do think some immortals might make a move on the Heaven-Man Dual Cauldrons left unguarded in Ye City.”

”That doesn’t matter,” Chen Xi transmitted indifferently to Hann Qiong. The Heaven-Man Dual Cauldrons and the Jade Seal can’t be touched by those immortals. When they were ownerless, they might have been able to steal some fate, but now that they’re tied to national destiny, any immortal who touches them doesn’t know their fate.

Thus, nearly twenty-five thousand cavalry, under the command of Chen Xi and Zhou Yu, began charging northward at considerable speed. The Northern Expedition Against Huns was about to open its second battlefield under their orders.

As for the first battlefield beneath the Yan Great Wall, whether it was Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Zang Ba, they all were rushing there with all their might. Without any communication among the three sides, they instinctively accelerated toward the place, where the true first Han-Hun battle was set to ignite!