S-Rank Mission!

Li Shuyi asked, "So what should we do with this historical event we've triggered? Should we support Liu Bei in turning the pretense into reality and taking over Xuzhou?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head and said, "The story of Tao Qian's Three Cessions of Xuzhou spans too long. Not all the powerful clans in Xuzhou City supported Liu Bei. Tao Qian had been cultivating his power for a long time; even if he wasn't particularly capable, he should have had a group of followers. Mi Zhu's careful relaying of the message is proof of that. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Tao Qian was forced to renounce Xuzhou before his death, for the sake of his descendants and family. We don't have that much time to wait for Tao Qian to die. The Kingly Way is to seize these few days and find some lucrative missions."

Upon arriving at the post station where Liu Bei's Army was stationed, Bai Xiaowen quickly met Liu Bei.

After presenting the spoils of the southern front battle—five Elite Tier Yellow Turban Army waist tokens— Bai Xiaowen received a notification from the Spirit Realm:

Your reputation in the Liu Bei's Army has increased.

"Your rank in the Liu Bei's Army has been promoted to: Yamen General."

Liu Bei's Army was small and his generals few, so promotions were relatively fast. Even Li Shuyi was promoted to colonel.

Bai Xiaowen presented Mi Zhu's secret letter, briefly stating Mi Zhu's entrustment.

Just as Bai Xiaowen had predicted, after reading Mi Zhu's secret letter, Liu Bei stamped his feet and sighed, "Zizhong has misled me! Is he trying to put me in a position of injustice and wickedness?"

Bai Xiaowen advised, "Our lord is a member of the House of Han imperial family and has fierce generals and elite troops under his command. What he lacks is only a stable base of operations. Tao Qian is weak and incompetent, and is not qualified to guard Xuzhou. It would be better to let our lord take over. He can either bring order to the world or protect the borders and the people."

If Bai Xiaowen were just a deliveryman, Liu Bei certainly wouldn't have discussed the change of ownership of Xuzhou with him; otherwise, wouldn't he have been setting Mi Zhu up? But now that Bai Xiaowen knows the inside story, his words don't seem so abrupt. This is the benefit of exploring the plot—it allows for deeper engagement with the historical narrative.

Liu Bei's expression darkened. "What nonsense! My principles are based on integrity and righteousness. You may not know this, but just now when I met Lord Tao, he offered me the seal of Xuzhou, which I firmly refused. I would never attempt to steal it."

Bai Xiaowen feigned alarm. "My lord is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness; it was this humble general who was presumptuous."

Liu Bei's expression changed quickly; he immediately regained his gentle smile and advised, "You have all these skills; you must use them for good. Although the Yellow Turbans have retreated, they could return at any time, and the threat remains. You must not be careless."

Bai Xiaowen bowed and said, "My lord, wherever the Yellow Turbans rebels go, it's like a locust plague, causing immense suffering to the people. If they escape to Qingzhou and Yanzhou, countless more people will perish. I believe we should send elite troops to cut off Yellow Turbans retreat."

Liu Bei pondered for a moment, then nodded in deep agreement, saying, "You're right. I will consider this matter carefully. First, please deliver my reply to Mi Zizhong, advising him to restrain his thoughts and not act rashly."

Liu Bei immediately wrote a secret letter and gave it to Bai Xiaowen.

Prompt message:

Side Quest Step 1: Secret Letter Completed.

Bai Xiaowen, carrying Liu Bei's reply, revisited Mi Zhu. Along the way, Bai Xiaowen's Mental Scan revealed that someone was secretly following him, most likely spies or informants from Governor Tao Qian Qian's office.

"Things are getting a bit tense; even strangers like us are being followed," Bai Xiaowen said in a low voice. "These errand-running jobs aren't going to be very lucrative anymore. I'm planning to pull off one big heist and then leave."

Li Shuyi nodded, feeling both nervous and excited about triggering the historical plot.

Tao Qian's Army and Liu Bei's Army hadn't completely broken ties. Although they sent people to follow them, they wouldn't commit violence in public in Xuzhou City, Assassination a general under the Liu Bei's Army. Moreover, Bai Xiaowen's position wasn't high, so the surveillance wasn't very intense.

Bai Xiaowen skillfully evaded the spies and quietly entered the Mi Family mansion through a small back gate, where he met Mi Zhu once again.

"General Bai is truly a man of integrity."

The promotion led to a change in how Mi Zhu addressed Bai Xiaowen, from "little brother" to "general." A notification sounded from the Spirit Realm:

"You have obtained 10 Master-Forged Gold Ingot."

"You have obtained 1 Fragment of the Book of Duplication"

Bai Xiaowen whispered, "Lord Mi, our lord is unwilling to seize Xuzhou and advises you to proceed with caution. Here is our lord's reply."

After reading the reply, Mi Zhu sighed and said, "Liu Bei is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness, and he has already decided to leave. But what should be done about the people of Xuzhou, who are suffering from fire and water while surrounded by enemies?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head and said, "Lord Mi, do not worry. As long as the banditry in Xuzhou persists, our lord cannot leave in order to protect the people."

Mi Zhu said, "But the Yellow Turbans rebels have already retreated and will soon head north into Qingzhou. When that happens, Tao Gongzu will no longer be a threat and certainly won't try to keep Liu Bei."

"Lord Mi, what if the Yellow Turbans can't return to Qingzhou?" Bai Xiaowen said in a low voice.

Mi Zhu's expression shifted slightly.

Bai Xiaowen recalled the military map he had seen in the Liu Bei's Army's camp and said, "If the Yellow Turbans want to head north, they have to cross the Yellow River. Le'an Ferry is their only escape route. If a troop of elite troops were to Ambush surprise attack on Le'an Ferry, destroy the ferry, and burn the boats... how would they possibly escape?"

Mi Zhu frowned, pondered for a long time, and then slowly said, "Le'an Ferry is the throat of the Yellow Turban Army, and it will probably not be easy to take it. Moreover, Liu Bei... may not be willing to do this on a large scale, and generals like Guan Yu and Zhang Fei will probably not move out easily."

Bai Xiaowen said proudly, "Why would we need a fierce general to lead the charge? I will return and report to our lord that I am willing to lead a small elite force to seize Le'an!"

Mi Zhu readily agreed, saying, "It would be wonderful if General Bai were willing to go. If things go well, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

"Side Quest Step 2: Assault Le'an"

"Mission Objective: Destroy the basic facilities at Le'an Ferry and burn all warships within the ferry."

"Mission deadline: 3 days."

"Mission Difficulty: S"

"Quest Rewards: Fragment of the Book of Duplication *2, Master-Forged Gold Ingot *50 (Mi Zhu); Unknown Reward (Liu Bei)."

Bai Xiaowen's expression remained calm, but his heart was in turmoil. He did indeed want to pull off a big heist, but the scale of this deal was still somewhat unexpected— S-Tier mission! Even more difficult than Bai Xiaowen's Class Change mission!

Compared to before his Class Change, Bai Xiaowen was now a Level 2 Awakener, his strength having increased dramatically. However, the difficulty of the Spirit Realm missions was based on the level of the person accepting the mission. This mission to Assault Le'an would definitely be extremely difficult for a Level 2 Awakener, and a slight mistake could cost him his life.

Fortunately, Bai Xiaowen was Hero Class, whose strength far surpassed that of an ordinary level 2 awakened individual. He didn't hesitate much and immediately accepted!