Leaving aside the open and covert strife that erupted within Yuan Shao's camp, Cao Cao headed north through the flames and vanished into the dense forest.
At that time, when Cao Cao attacked the camp, it was already the third quarter of the fourth watch. By the time the battle was underway, the fifth watch had arrived.
As dawn gradually broke and still no trace of Cao Cao could be found, Ju Shou could not help but sigh inwardly.
If Cao Cao could have been killed in this battle, everything that followed would have been much easier for them.
Without Cao Cao, the pillar holding them together, the Cao army would surely fall into turmoil and cease to be a threat.
But since they had failed to capture or kill Cao Cao, the results of that battle would be greatly diminished.
Even killing Cao Cao's generals would not change the fact that Cao Cao was still holding his ground.
With this in mind, he ordered his troops to put out the fire and continue searching for Cao Cao.
He hoped Cao Cao might have been burned to death in this stretch of dense forest.
Yet not long after he gave the order, Chunyu Qiong came to report the deaths of Lü Weihuang, Zhao Rui, and the others.
Hearing that his force of over twenty thousand had surrounded five thousand of Cao Cao's men, yet still lost major generals, Ju Shou sighed.
"Cao Cao's troops are elite. The deaths of these two generals are my fault!"
But upon hearing this, Chunyu Qiong hurriedly shook his head and consoled him.
"Sir, do not say such things. Though the two generals have died, it has nothing to do with you!"
"If not for you this time, we would have died without even a