"Sure."
The Little Overlord immediately became interested. Zhou Yu had previously told him that they had encountered two generals on the road who were his equals.
Now he was finally meeting one of them.
"Clang!"
Fujimaru Kyoya shielded Liu Bian and took Sun Ce's spear head-on. The force made him frown—not because it was weak, but because it was strong.
Judging by how Zhou Yu had addressed him, this man had to be Sun Ce, the Little Overlord. His strength truly surpassed Yan Liang and Wen Chou. But that raised a question... who the hell had he run into in his first battle?
The feeling reminded Fujimaru Kyoya of his first battle, of that razor-thin line between life and death—like clashing with a powerful being from the Age of Gods.
Excitement.
Fujimaru Kyoya was not the only one excited. Sun Ce was equally thrilled. Ever since childhood, aside from Zhou Yu, who had ever given him such a satisfying fight?
No—even Zhou Yu could not fight for long due to his chronic illness. Fighting him had never been satisfying.
Their weapons clashed, and Sun Ce grew more frenzied with every exchange. He did not even notice that the thing between his legs had risen, while Fujimaru Kyoya, whose Ghost Brain was running at full capacity and observing the battlefield from every angle, noticed it instead.
Damn it, there was a homo.
"Villain, don't run!"
At that moment, Yan Liang and Wen Chou shouted from behind Fujimaru Kyoya. Those two men who had lacked horses had apparently found mounts. With Sun Ce holding Fujimaru Kyoya back, they had finally caught up to pursue him.
[While protecting the weak, you were besieged from multiple sides. "Fight to the Last" has taken effect.]
"See you."
Fujimaru Kyoya hurriedly knocked Sun Ce away and charged toward Yan Liang and Wen Chou. He would pick on the softer targets.
"Clang!"
Two clashes of weapons rang out almost simultaneously. Yan Liang and Wen Chou's arms went numb, unable to stop Fujimaru Kyoya as he broke past them. And the direction he was heading was where Dong Zhuo and... Lu Bu stood.
"Gong Jin, what is that guy doing? He is retreating after just one fight?"
Sun Ce's blood was boiling, and he wanted nothing more than to fight another three hundred rounds. But with the situation so critical, he still forced himself to calm down.
"The child that man is carrying is the Deposed Emperor, Liu Bian. He is trying to lure us away from Luoyang."
"Lure us away? What does the Deposed Emperor have to do with us?"
"Nothing. But he saw us come for the Jade Seal. Bo Fu, you must kill him."
Zhou Yu had more or less guessed Zhuge Liang's simple scheme. Like that secret letter, it was an open plot inviting them into a trap. Even Zhou Yu could only turn the situation to his advantage, not break it.
Zhuge Liang's scheme was the same—simple, yet direct, leaving Zhou Yu no time to think.
That man was a Death Warrior.
"Kongming, are you going to cast aside your friend like a chess piece?"
If Zhou Yu had been the one using this strategy, he would only have needed to leave Yan Liang and Wen Chou behind to restrain Yuan Shao. Rather than clash head-on with the powerful Dong Zhuo, dealing with a lone Death Warrior would have been far easier.
Yet that man had still come to provoke Zhou Yu. He had clearly resolved to die.
Unfortunately, Zhou Yu had wronged Zhuge Liang. The two of them might have been brilliant strategists, but who the hell could have calculated that Fujimaru Kyoya was directionally challenged?
Fujimaru Kyoya turned back, and the opposite direction from the west was naturally east. At any rate, it was not the north, where he had originally planned to escape.
As for Yuan Shao's troops to the east, Dong Zhuo's army, Lu Bu, Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, Hua Xiong... which one of them was easy to deal with?
"Are these people really human?"
Yuan Shao watched Lu Bu slaughter his way through the battlefield. That could no longer be called human—it was practically a massive Meat Grinder.
Damn it.
Watching his soldiers dwindle in number, Yuan Shao bitterly wondered why Yan Liang and Wen Chou had not arrived yet. Did taking a child really require this much time?
In Yuan Shao's original plan, once the city gates opened, the Allied Forces would have their chance to enter the city. He would enter first and seize the Deposed Emperor. Then he and Dong Zhuo could each support an emperor and stand as rivals.
But this Great Fire, started ahead of time, had made the Allied Forces too afraid to enter the city, leaving Yuan Shao awkwardly stranded.
Who had started the fire?
Yuan Shao did not understand, but neither did Dong Zhuo.
According to Sima Yi's original plan, Yuan Shao's inside man would open the gates, after which they would set the city ablaze and trap the Allied Forces' main force. Then they could escape through the Imperial City's secret passage.
Now, a fire had been lit ahead of schedule, while the Allied Forces' main force remained hidden outside. Even if they escaped through the secret passage, they would be in a miserable state.
With one fire, Zhou Yu had placed two Daimyo over the flames. Even Zhuge Liang had to admit that he was inferior to such skill in fire attacks.
With Sima Yi absent, Dong Zhuo could only look to his other strategist, Li Ru. They had worked together for years; often, a single glance was enough to understand each other's meaning.
Kill Yuan Shao.
Although the original plan had changed, killing Yuan Shao, the Allied Forces Leader, would surely throw the Allied Forces into disarray. It was a profitable deal with no downside.
Just then, a fine horse leaped into the battlefield, drawing everyone's attention. At the same time, they saw the Deposed Emperor Liu Bian on that man's body.
You Coming to Deliver Me a Horse Really Is Great
Did I get lost?
Fujimaru Kyoya looked at the two groups glaring at him like tigers eyeing prey and immediately sensed trouble. At the same time, Yan Liang and Wen Chou arrived, followed by the Little Overlord of Jiangdong.
"My lord, we failed in our duty and allowed this villain to seize the Deposed Emperor."
Yan Liang's words completely ignited the battle.
Yuan Shao's purpose in coming here had never been to kill Dong Zhuo. He wanted to support the Deposed Emperor before anyone else and confront Dong Zhuo as an equal. Now that the Deposed Emperor had fallen into another's hands, how could he not be anxious?
Yuan Shao was anxious, but Dong Zhuo was even more anxious.
The original plan had been thrown into complete chaos by an unknown meddler. If the Deposed Emperor fell into someone else's hands now, the power Dong Zhuo had worked so hard to control would instantly be cut in half.
"My son Fengxian, quickly bring the Deposed Emperor to your father."
"Understood."
Lu Bu rode Red Hare with the Sky-Piercing Halberd in hand. Abandoning his previous order to kill Yuan Shao, he instead charged at Fujimaru Kyoya.
Fuck, who the hell was this guy?
If Fujimaru Kyoya had still had some room to maneuver against Sun Ce, then against this muscular man before him, he was utterly suppressed by sheer strength.
In weapon, physique, and mount, Fujimaru Kyoya was at a disadvantage. The fine horse beneath him even had its legs broken by that strike, throwing Fujimaru Kyoya and the Deposed Emperor to the ground.
"Brat, your death is at hand."
Wen Chou was overjoyed to see Fujimaru Kyoya fall from his horse. If they killed him and reclaimed the Deposed Emperor now, they could make up for their failure. He immediately urged his horse forward and charged straight at him.
"Perfect."
Even after falling from his horse, Fujimaru Kyoya's Ghost Brain was running at full speed, allowing him to devise a response at once. With True Eye of the Mind supporting him, he could use even the most unbelievable tactics.
"Smack!"
With a backhanded slap against the ground, Fujimaru Kyoya dodged Wen Chou's incoming spear and moved behind him.
"Bang!"
In that instant, Fujimaru Kyoya erupted with tremendous force and smashed the Silver Spear against Wen Chou's head. Had Wen Chou not been a great general wearing extraordinary armor, his head would likely have burst open.
Even so, Fujimaru Kyoya knocked him from his horse with a single blow, then mounted Wen Chou's horse himself.
You coming to deliver me a horse really is great.jpg
"Brother, let me borrow your horse for a ride."
As he spoke, Fujimaru Kyoya scooped up the still-dazed Deposed Emperor from the ground and fled again. This time, he finally headed north, while also trading a hard blow with the mounted Sun Ce.
"Damn, if I could, I would really like to have a fair fight with him."
Sun Ce watched the receding figure. After taking one of Lu Bu's attacks, that man had still defeated Wen Chou, seized a horse, and finally exchanged a direct blow with him.
That strike had not merely been martial skill. It had been the observational ability to grasp the entire battlefield. If their positions had been reversed, Sun Ce absolutely could not have done better than Fujimaru Kyoya.
"Strategist, what should we do?"
Dong Zhuo looked to Li Ru. With Sima Yi absent, he could only rely on him.
"The Deposed Emperor cannot fall into anyone else's hands. Let Lu Bu pursue him first, while we withdraw through the secret passage."
Li Ru understood the Deposed Emperor's importance. But if Dong Zhuo gave chase himself, he would inevitably become everyone's target. It would be better to use a small elite force to escort Dong Zhuo to Chang'an while Lu Bu led some men to draw the Allied Forces' attention.
"Good. We shall do as you say."
Dong Zhuo had long wanted to flee. At this moment, he merely needed an excuse. With Li Ru providing one, he hurriedly fled as well.
Gao Shun and Hua Xiong led the Camp of the Vanguard to escort Dong Zhuo, while the remaining men followed Lu Bu and Zhang Liao in pursuit of Fujimaru Kyoya.
Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, Sun Ce, Yan Liang, Wen Chou...
If Fujimaru Kyoya knew who was chasing him from behind, what would he think?
Probably... excitement.
The rain gradually grew heavier, and news of Lu Bu leaving the city stirred the Allied Forces.
As Dong Zhuo's adopted son and most trusted minister, Lu Bu could not possibly leave Dong Zhuo's protection. Once they confirmed this, the Daimyo all gave chase.
The only ones left behind were Liu Bei, who had begun settling the refugees, and... Cao Cao.
"Just as he said, Lu Bu leaving has drawn away the Daimyo's troops. Dong Zhuo should then leave through the drained riverbed of the moat."
Cao Cao watched the rain and recalled someone who had come to join him some time ago.
Although he had long heard of that man's reputation, a plan calculated to this extent was simply unheard of. Cao Cao truly could not imagine anyone in this world more outstanding than him.
"They are here."
Cao Cao had been watching the riverbed of Luoyang's moat. Sure enough, a small elite force appeared within it, secretly escorting Dong Zhuo away.
"Just as expected. Wang Zuo's Talent truly is no empty praise. Xun Yu, you really are my Zhang Liang."
Cao Cao looked at the scholar beside him. This man had brought him far too many surprises.
"Since my lord considers me Zhang Liang, may I offer one more word?"
"Speak."
"In this pursuit of Dong Zhuo, you may lose, but you must not win. The worse the defeat, the better."
You may lose, but you must not win. Cao Cao's army, whose morale had been soaring, did not understand those words. Their hope of killing the traitor was right before them, so why should they do this?
"I... understand."
After a brief hesitation, Cao Cao still agreed. He did not possess Xun Yu's ability to scheme, but at a time like this, if he wanted this man's complete loyalty, he had to offer sufficient trust.
"Then Wenruo wishes my lord a crushing defeat and a safe return."
Xun Yu spoke words that enraged countless soldiers as he watched Cao Cao leave. Only after they had gone far away did a sickly scholar approach.
"Dong Zhuo's retreat route will certainly pass through the territory of the Yellow Turban Remnants. They are no match for Dong Zhuo's forces, but they are also people harmed by tyranny. You want Cao Cao's defeat to move them, to make them believe Cao Cao is a hero unafraid of power, the Great Virtuous Teacher who once led them."
"Nothing gets past Fengxiao."
Xun Yu looked at the sickly scholar. This scheme was not only meant to strengthen Cao Cao, but also to win over the man before him.
"Those Qingzhou People were originally Yellow Turban Army soldiers with ample combat experience. With only a little training, they can become a capable fighting force. My lord is currently alone and weak. Even if he kills Dong Zhuo, he will lack the strength to follow through. It would be better to use this opportunity to bring those people under his command and strengthen his forces."
That was right. What Xun Yu wanted was not Dong Zhuo's head, but tens of thousands of usable soldiers. They would become the foundation of Cao Cao's future power.
"Though there are only tens of thousands of them, the Yellow Turban Army surely have connections among themselves. They will willingly help Cao Cao absorb a large number of Yellow Turban Remnants. In the future, Cao Cao will have more than a hundred thousand troops and become a Daimyo no one can ignore."
Guo Jia silently calculated.
He had also thought highly of Cao Cao, but Cao Cao had few troops and a weak foundation. Guo Jia was ill and might not have long to live. If he supported such a lord, he might collapse halfway through the journey. But now, with Xun Yu's planning...
"Xun Yu, please invite Guo Jia to serve."
After hearing those words, Guo Jia finally nodded.
With Xun Yu managing internal affairs and Guo Jia handling external matters, who in the world could contend with them if the two joined forces?
Before you continue