Cao Xiu gripped the reins tightly with both hands, raised his sword in his right, and savagely stabbed the horse's rump. Crying out in pain, the warhorse leapt with all its strength into the river, and Cao Xiu, man and horse alike, was swallowed by the Han River.
"Cao Xiu is truly strange. He would rather be buried in the bellies of fish than leave behind a whole corpse." Lan Ji shook his head in confusion.
Guan Yu glanced at Lan Ji, stroked his beard, and sighed. "Cao Cao had a good eye. Cao Xiu truly was a steed that could travel a thousand miles—but he was born into the wrong family."
"General, more than ten days ago, scouts reported that Zhang He and Cao Xiu split their forces and crossed the river eastward. This man is a seasoned Wei veteran of countless battlefields. As for the Young General's side..." Pang De quietly reminded him.
"My eldest brother won't be afraid of Zhang He." Guan Xing muttered, then lowered his head.
Guan Yu did not rebuke Guan Xing for interrupting. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and declared with absolute certainty, "Zhang He is already a dog without a home. I have faith in Tan Zhi."
"Uncle, now that we've wiped out Cao Xiu's legion, should we advance into the Central Plains?" Lan Ji asked excitedly.
Guan Yu nodded lightly. "We will first proceed to Wan City and establish our camp there. Once Yuanzhi finishes dredging and clearing the riverway, supplies from the rear can be transported to the front. Also, there has been no news from your father for quite some time. I wonder how the Huainan battlefield is progressing. Hefei is a hard nut to crack."
"Heh heh, the Wei Army in Runan didn't send any reinforcements to Cao