The skies had cleared, the rain had stopped, and Cao Xiong (Richard) felt like he was back in top form.
Cao Cao had blamed Yuan Xi for the grudge, which was definitely great news for Cao Xiong.
Although Richard and Abota had privately discussed how Cao Cao might not have truly put his suspicions aside, being appointed deputy general of the vanguard to attack Hebei was still a rare opportunity.
If Cao Cao made a move against them, then they could simply slaughter the great generals under his command and earn enough from the treasure chests to make up for their losses.
Now that they were attacking Yuan Xi in Jizhou, they could kill generals of the Yuan Clan, claim treasure chests, and boost their own reputation. Why wouldn't they?
They could especially cause trouble for Yuan Xi while benefiting themselves. It was practically perfect.
Abota also agreed to attack Hebei as deputy general, but he reminded Richard to stay alert and watch out for their allies—in other words, the great generals of the Cao Clan Group—to avoid being ambushed.
Although Abota put profit above all else, he was more than happy to see Yuan Xi, an Awakened from an opposing faction, suffer so long as it did not affect his own interests.
After receiving his orders, Xiahou Dun mobilized an army of twenty thousand and squeezed the provisions needed by the vanguard out of the depleted storehouses of the various commanderies and prefectures in Henan. Then he joined up with Zhang Liao, Xu Chu, Xu Huang, and Cao Xiong, the four fierce generals, and drilled the troops day after day to build up their morale. They would cross the Yellow River and head north as soon as the provisions were ready.
While flowers bloom on two branches, let