Chapter Summaries

Wang Xuan judged Yuan Shao's power too dependent on the clans backing him and began investigating Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Yuan Shu as potential allies. As Dong Zhuo deployed his forces to defend the passes, Sun Jian's army ran short of supplies, and Wang Xuan quietly asked Liu Bei to keep Sun Jian from making trouble.

• Wang Xuan dismissed Yuan Shao as an unstable candidate and decided to investigate Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Yuan Shu before choosing whom to support.
• Dong Zhuo heard that Sun Jian had marched and sent Hua Xiong to Sishui Pass, Xu Rong to Hulao Pass, and other generals to guard Luoyang and Hangu Pass.
• Hua Xiong led forty thousand troops toward Sishui Pass while Sun Jian's provisions, overseen by Yuan Shu, failed to arrive.
• Sun Jian ordered his troops to receive one-third rations and worried that retreat would cause his army to collapse.
• Wang Xuan asked Liu Bei to hold Sun Jian back later so he would not make too much trouble.

Sun Jian stormed into the banquet and accused Yuan Shu of withholding provisions, which had led to Hua Xiong's raid and the death of Zu Mao. Yuan Shao blamed a subordinate and had the Grain Supervisor executed, leaving Sun Jian pressured to accept the alliance's explanation.

• Liu Bei followed Wang Xuan's instructions and stopped Guan Yu and Zhang Fei from letting Sun Jian attack Yuan Shu.
• Sun Jian accused Yuan Shu of withholding provisions, causing his army's defeat and Zu Mao's death.
• Yuan Shu denied responsibility, and Yuan Shao summoned the Grain Supervisor to investigate.
• The Grain Supervisor stammered before Yuan Shao's guards beheaded him, and Yuan Shao blamed the disaster on his negligence.
• Cao Cao and the other warlords urged Sun Jian to put the bigger picture first, and Sun Jian could do nothing but grind his teeth.

After the grain shortage ruined Sun Jian’s campaign, Yuan Shu surrendered control of the allied army’s provisions, leaving Liu Bei and his companions to question who had caused the sabotage. Wang Xuan challenged them to examine who benefited, but Zhang Fei’s guess that Yuan Shu served Dong Zhuo earned him a cushion thrown by Wang Xuan.

• Sun Jian crushed the Grain Supervisor, condemned the alliance, and left the main tent, while Yuan Shu offered to care for Sun Jian’s family if anything happened to him.
• Yuan Shao removed Yuan Shu from overseeing provisions, and the feudal lords left the banquet in dismay.
• Liu Bei lamented the alliance’s failure, while Dian Wei and Zhang Fei called for Yuan Shu to be killed; Wang Xuan asked why Yuan Shu would sabotage Sun Jian.
• Dian Wei said he trusted Wang Xuan’s judgment and punched Zhang Fei out of the tent when Zhang Fei mocked him.
• Liu Bei agreed that Yuan Shu lacked an obvious motive, and Wang Xuan asked who had benefited most from the incident.
• Zhang Fei guessed that Yuan Shu was one of Dong Zhuo’s men, and Wang Xuan hurled a cushion at him.

Wang Xuan explained how Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Sun Jian had benefited or suffered from the coalition’s recent events, then urged Liu Bei to use the campaign to build his reputation. As the coalition reached Sishui Pass, Hua Xiong challenged its forces, and Yuan Shao sent Yu She out to fight him.

• Wang Xuan argued that Yuan Shao gained the most from Yuan Shu’s loss of position, while Sun Jian secured a valuable promise despite Zu Mao’s death.
• Wang Xuan warned Zhang Fei not to expose his suspicions about Yuan Shao and encouraged Liu Bei to make a name for himself amid the coalition’s conflicts.
• Wang Xuan gradually shifted his camp beside Liu Bei’s, angering Zhang Miao while Liu Bei welcomed the attention.
• A scout reported that Hua Xiong had left Sishui Pass and was challenging the coalition with Sun Jian’s red headcloth displayed on a pole.
• Yuan Shao asked for a volunteer to fight Hua Xiong, and Yu She stepped forward, prompting Yuan Shao to send him out.

Hua Xiong and Pan Feng fought a fierce duel outside the coalition camp, each hoping the life-or-death struggle would break through his limits. Hua Xiong was wounded but felt himself improving, while Pan Feng sensed something ominous about his horse.

• Yu She went out to face Hua Xiong and was cut down with one stroke, prompting Yuan Shao to demand another challenger.
• Wang Xuan held Guan Yu back, and Han Fu sent his general Pan Feng to fight Hua Xiong.
• Dian Wei judged Pan Feng to be a powerful warrior whose natural strength and giant axe made him difficult to kill.
• Hua Xiong and Pan Feng charged at each other, and their first clash left Hua Xiong at a disadvantage with blood seeping from his palms.
• After exchanging many blows, Hua Xiong adapted to Pan Feng's giant axe, but Pan Feng cleaved his breastplate and wounded his chest.
• Hua Xiong felt his strength improving, while Pan Feng found that his usually responsive horse seemed sluggish.

Hua Xiong defeated Pan Feng and broke through into the externalized Qi realm, then challenged the allied army. With the lords unwilling to face him, Guan Yu stepped forward to fight.

• Pan Feng and Hua Xiong charged at each other, but Pan Feng’s horse stumbled, allowing Hua Xiong to kill him with a decisive strike.
• Hua Xiong broke through to externalized Qi, recovered from his wounds, and tested the blade aura extending from his saber.
• Hua Xiong charged the allied camp, shattered its gate with a blade aura, and demanded the Guandong forces surrender.
• The allied lords learned that Hua Xiong had reached externalized Qi, but none volunteered to fight him.
• Wang Xuan nudged Guan Yu to capture Hua Xiong alive, and Guan Yu rose and declared that he would cut him down.

Guan Yu rode out to face Hua Xiong and attacked with overwhelming force, following Wang Xuan’s order to capture him alive. Hua Xiong was badly injured by Guan Yu’s first strike and met the second head-on, leaving their duel unresolved.

• Cao Cao offered Guan Yu a cup of wine, but Guan Yu said he would return shortly and strode out of the tent.
• Guan Yu mounted his date-red stallion and headed toward the camp gates to capture Hua Xiong alive.
• Hua Xiong mistook Guan Yu’s unhurried approach for fear and dismissed him as an insignificant opponent.
• Guan Yu introduced himself and struck Hua Xiong with a powerful blade aura that sent Hua Xiong and his horse sliding backward and left Hua Xiong’s arms numb.
• Guan Yu followed with a heavier second strike, and Hua Xiong summoned his remaining strength to meet it with his great saber.

Guan Yu defeated and captured Hua Xiong, then returned to the Coalition camp to cheers from the soldiers. Yuan Shao praised him, Cao Cao offered him warm wine, and Sun Jian thanked him for avenging Zu Mao.

• Guan Yu struck Hua Xiong with a powerful blade, wounded him, and seized his reins as Hua Xiong's horse submitted.
• Wang Xuan signaled his soldiers to shout praise for Guan Yu, and the Coalition troops joined in until their cheers reached Dong Zhuo's forces at Sishui Pass.
• Guan Yu brought the unconscious Hua Xiong to Liu Bei's feet, dismounted, and reported to Yuan Shao that he had completed his mission.
• Yuan Shao praised Guan Yu, who replied only, "Too kind," leaving the alliance leader awkward.
• Cao Cao offered Guan Yu warm wine, which he drank before thanking her, and Sun Jian bowed to him for avenging Zu Mao.

After the allied army captured Sishui Pass, Liu Bei received praise for Guan Yu’s victory, but Wang Xuan warned him not to be swept up by flattery and sudden success. Liu Bei accepted the warning, and Wang Xuan reminded everyone that fame and wealth could overwhelm people from humble backgrounds.

• Yuan Shao urged the allied lords to attack while Dong Zhuo’s army was disorganized, and the coalition quickly seized Sishui Pass.
• At the banquet, Liu Bei was praised alongside Guan Yu, while Wang Xuan left to eat hot pot with Dian Wei and the others.
• When Liu Bei returned, Wang Xuan bluntly asked whether the praise had gone to his head and told him to stay clear-minded.
• Liu Bei composed himself, thanked Wang Xuan, and reflected that banquets could be as dangerous as battle because they drew people into flattery.
• Wang Xuan explained how sudden fame, wealth, and praise could bring down people of humble origins, then left the group with the warning.

Wang Xuan learned how Guan Yu and Zhang Fei’s ultimate moves worked, then gave them names that pleased them. After Dong Zhuo heard that Sishui Pass had fallen and Hua Xiong had been captured, he blamed Yuan Shao and turned against the Anti-Dong Alliance.

• Wang Xuan asked Guan Yu whether Hua Xiong would escape, and Zhang Fei explained that Guan Yu had sealed Hua Xiong’s internal energy.
• Guan Yu explained that Hua Xiong had been defeated by the escalating slashes of his ultimate move, while Wang Xuan assessed the strengths and risks of Guan Yu’s and Zhang Fei’s techniques.
• Wang Xuan named Guan Yu’s and Zhang Fei’s ultimate moves, pleasing both men and making Dian Wei envy them.
• Dong Zhuo received word that Sishui Pass had fallen and Hua Xiong had been captured, then overturned his banquet table in fury.
• Dong Zhuo blamed Yuan Shao’s alliance for Hua Xiong’s apparent death, while Yuan Shao protested that Guan Yu had been the one who defeated him.

After Hua Xiong’s death, Li Ru proposed that Dong Zhuo destroy the Yuan clan’s leadership to fracture the Guandong coalition. Dong Zhuo accepted the plan and agreed to follow Li Ru’s strategy.

• Dong Zhuo angrily left the banquet after the gathering blamed the Yuan clan for the Anti-Dong Alliance’s actions.
• Li Ru proposed exterminating Yuan Wei’s household, including Yuan Feng and Yuan Ji, to provoke a succession struggle between Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao.
• Dong Zhuo questioned whether the Yuan brothers would truly turn against each other, and Li Ru explained why Yuan Shao would not support Yuan Shu.
• Li Ru predicted that the Guandong lords would encourage the Yuan brothers’ rivalry while Dong Zhuo fortified himself in Chang’an and held Hangu Pass.
• Dong Zhuo praised Li Ru and agreed to carry out his plan.

After Dong Zhuo’s forces slaughtered the Yuan Family members in Luoyang, Yuan Shao vowed revenge and strengthened his hold over the coalition. Wang Xuan explained to Liu Bei why aristocratic families were unlikely to support him, then began to offer the possibility of recruiting people from humble backgrounds.

• Dong Zhuo’s soldiers killed more than a thousand Yuan Family members, and Yuan Shao saw his father’s and elder brother’s heads in the coalition camp.
• Yuan Shao pretended to faint, then swore vengeance on Dong Zhuo and summoned Yan Liang and Wen Chou to Sishui Pass.
• Yuan Shao ordered the coalition troops through Sishui Pass to capture Hulao, demonstrating his leadership to the other lords.
• Wang Xuan asked Liu Bei to assess Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei praised Yuan Shao’s talent while noting his unstable foundation.
• Liu Bei asked Wang Xuan to introduce capable people, but Wang Xuan explained that aristocratic families’ regional interests made their support difficult to obtain.
• Wang Xuan began to reassure Liu Bei that there were also talented people from humble backgrounds.

Wang Xuan explained to Liu Bei that poor scholars would not join him until he had a real foundation, then argued that making and managing money was essential to ruling. Liu Bei regained his resolve, while Wang Xuan left him dreaming of wealth and a million-soldier army before reminding him he had no territory yet.

• Wang Xuan told Liu Bei that poor scholars were practical but would not risk joining him before he established a foundation of his own.
• Liu Bei declared that he would restore the Han Dynasty and attract all the realm’s outstanding talents, while Wang Xuan wondered whether Liu Bei’s chuunibyou energy had once inspired Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
• Liu Bei asked Wang Xuan about his abilities, and Wang Xuan claimed his greatest strength was governing domestic affairs by making and spending money.
• Wang Xuan asked Dian Wei and the soldiers whether having money was good, then explained to Liu Bei how money supported armies, weapons, cities, roads, and officials.
• Liu Bei imagined raising a million-man army with ample money and grain, but Wang Xuan told him to stop dreaming and first acquire territory.

Gongsun Zan asked Wang Xuan whether he should leave the coalition and return to Youzhou, and Wang Xuan helped him justify the decision as a defense against northern invaders. Gongsun Zan agreed to return, while Wang Xuan fell silent as the others looked to him.

• Wang Xuan criticized the coalition for acting only after the Yuan family died, and a messenger announced that Gongsun Zan had arrived with two hundred White Horse Volunteers.
• Gongsun Zan presented the White Horse Volunteers to Liu Bei as a congratulatory gift for Guan Yu and introduced a capable young du bo.
• Gongsun Zan asked Wang Xuan whether he should return to Youzhou because he was tired of the coalition's infighting and worried about Liu Yu's ability to defend the frontier.
• Wang Xuan urged Gongsun Zan to secure his territory and invented a pretext that Dong Zhuo had allied with northern barbarians to invade Youzhou.
• Gongsun Zan embraced Wang Xuan's explanation, saying he had to protect Youzhou from the annual barbarian incursions, and the group fell silent as everyone turned toward Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan reminded Gongsun Zan of his ambition to defeat the Hu tribes and advised him to secure Youzhou rather than pursue a share of Jizhou. After Gongsun Zan left, the coalition remained unable to break through Hulao Pass under Xu Rong’s command.

• Wang Xuan asked Gongsun Zan about his ambition, and Gongsun Zan rediscovered his goal of becoming the Champion Marquis and defeating the Hu tribes.
• Wang Xuan warned Gongsun Zan that Yuan Shao’s offer to split Jizhou would be impossible to hold and urged him to insist on becoming Governor of Youzhou.
• Liu Bei assigned the white-robed young general to command a thousand cavalrymen, while Wang Xuan taught Dian Wei and Zhang Fei different pronunciations of “damn.”
• Gongsun Zan greeted Yuan Shao, then departed with ten thousand White Horse Volunteers after Dong Zhuo promoted him to General Who Guards the North.
• The coalition’s attacks on Hulao Pass failed against Xu Rong’s fifty-thousand-man battle formation, and Wang Xuan praised Xu Rong’s command.

Wang Xuan encouraged Liu Bei to see his humble origins as a strength, then warned him about Dong Zhuo’s power and Lu Bu’s martial skill. The group discussed Hua Xiong’s ongoing beatings as they tried to persuade him to surrender.

• Wang Xuan argued that Liu Bei’s humble beginnings resembled Liu Bang’s and urged him to consider his potential to rise.
• Wang Xuan told Liu Bei that Dong Zhuo commanded the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, powerful strategists, and the formidable Lu Bu.
• Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Dian Wei, and the others challenged Wang Xuan’s claim about Lu Bu, and Wang Xuan said they would meet him after Xu Rong was transferred to the rear.
• Zhang Fei told Wang Xuan that Hua Xiong was recovering in the rear camp after Dian Wei beat him.
• Wang Xuan recalled that Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Dian Wei had been taking turns beating Hua Xiong while trying to persuade him to surrender, and Hua Xiong had begun to suspect their restraint had another purpose.

Wang Xuan bet Hua Xiong that Dong Zhuo would soon retreat to Chang'an and promised not to make Hua Xiong fight his former lord if he surrendered. At Hulao Pass, Li Ru advised Dong Zhuo to take command himself while Xu Rong returned to protect the rear from Han Sui and the Qiang people.

• Hua Xiong stayed with Wang Xuan's camp, enjoying the food despite his injuries, and said he would not surrender while Dong Zhuo remained undefeated.
• Wang Xuan predicted Dong Zhuo would retreat to Chang'an within a month, and Hua Xiong rejected the prediction and praised Lu Bu's overwhelming strength.
• Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Dian Wei were stunned by Hua Xiong's account of Lu Bu and decided to wait for him.
• Li Su sent Dong Zhuo a report about Hua Xiong's defeat, prompting Dong Zhuo to summon Li Ru, Lu Bu, and the others.
• Li Ru urged Dong Zhuo to recall Xu Rong from Hulao Pass to guard against Han Sui and the Qiang people, while Dong Zhuo personally led the army to the pass.

Dong Zhuo took command of Hulao Pass after Xu Rong withdrew, while Li Ru arranged a dusk raid on the Guandong coalition camp. Lu Bu’s cavalry broke through the camp gate, and Wang Xuan rallied his men as the raid threw the coalition forces into panic.

• Dong Zhuo accepted Li Ru’s plan and marched to Hulao Pass with his army.
• Xu Rong withdrew from Hulao Pass and handed it over to Dong Zhuo’s command.
• Wang Xuan noticed mist forming around the coalition camp and dispersed it with his Spiritual Sense.
• Li Ru’s plan shifted from a direct assault to a sneak attack, but Lu Bu’s cavalry arrived at the camp gate and blasted open a breach.
• Wang Xuan identified Lu Bu and stopped Zhang Fei from charging out to challenge him.
• Wang Xuan’s voice calmed the panicking soldiers, and Zhang Fei and the others began organizing defenses.

Lu Bu broke into the allied army camp and overwhelmed Yan Liang, who fought to protect Yuan Shao despite his injuries. After exchanging names, Lu Bu intensified his attack, and Yan Liang struggled to hold him off as the battle continued.

• Yan Liang blocked Lu Bu's first strike and charged him to defend the allied army's central camp.
• Lu Bu defeated Yan Liang with a single blow, then spotted Yuan Shao and set out to kill him.
• Yan Liang rose despite his injuries and charged Lu Bu again, determined to buy time for Yuan Shao.
• Lu Bu admired Yan Liang's resolve, asked his name, and introduced himself as Lu Bu of Bingzhou, Lu Fengxian.
• Lu Bu powered up his Fang Tian Hua Ji, and after eight exchanges Yan Liang's rhythm faltered.

Lu Bu overwhelmed Yan Liang and Wen Chou as Wang Xuan organized the coalition’s response and sent Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to drive Lu Bu away. Wang Xuan then recognized Zhao Yun and claimed him as a brother, while Liu Bei prepared to lead troops into battle.

• Lu Bu blasted Yan Liang backward with a powerful strike, then suppressed Wen Chou after a few exchanges.
• Wang Xuan sent Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to rescue Yuan Shao and warned Zhang Fei not to pursue Lu Bu or he would lose his wine.
• Wang Xuan assigned Dian Wei and Zhou Cang to accompany Liu Bei as he led an offensive against Lu Bu’s invading army.
• Liu Bei asked Zhao Yun to remain behind and protect Wang Xuan, who recognized Zhao Yun’s background, horse, spear, and martial arts before declaring him his brother.