At Guo Jia's words, Cao Cao's eyes lit up.
Now that those at the pinnacle had fallen, top heroes had become the most powerful fighters of the age. They could rampage unchecked amid armies, with no one able to restrain them.
There weren't many people in all of the Nine Provinces who could be called top heroes—not many more than there had been at the pinnacle. The most famous of them was none other than Lü Bu, the Ghost God.
Of Cao Cao's several fierce generals, only one had reached the threshold of heroism: his personal bodyguard, Dian Wei.
The rest could only claim supremacy among first-rate generals. They were utterly incapable of contending with heroes.
"What do you make of what they just said, Fengxiao?"
"My lord already has an answer in mind. Why ask me?" Guo Jia closed the Book of Heaven in his hands, a faint smile on his lips as he shook his head slightly.
Cao Cao fell silent for a moment, then swept his gaze over the assembled civil and military officials and slowly began:
"As long as the Han stands, we are Han officials."
"Report—!"
Before any of the officials could speak, a lightly armored soldier rushed into the tent. He dropped to one knee and presented a jade slip in both hands.
"Urgent news from Luoyang! Lü Bu has led the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry through seven successive checkpoints and launched a surprise attack on Luoyang. He's now reached the banks of the Luo River!"
Cao Cao sprang to his feet, his brow furrowing. He paced back and forth behind the command table for a moment, then issued a loud order:
"We have eaten the sovereign's salary; now we must share his worries. Deliver my command! Break camp at once and head for Luoyang