As Lu Bu arrived, a wave of tension swept through the crowd. He was known to be a difficult person to deal with, and the sight of a large man on Red Hare only intensified their apprehension.
"Lord Yuan, this man is a capable general under Ye Feng. I've captured him, and with his loss, Ye Feng will be severely weakened. Victory is assured!" Lu Bu declared, pressing down on the bound Li Kui with a look of interest.
"Feng Xian, release him. Let's go!" Yuan Shao, sounding weary like an old man in decline, uttered a single sentence and turned to leave. "This matter between the lords is none of my concern!"
According to their plan, Yuan Shao was a crucial pawn. In an instant, Lu Bu erupted in fury. "Who dares to mistreat Lord Yuan? Lu Bu declares himself an enemy to anyone who does!"
"And us as well!" Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun stepped forward. Instantly, three formidable warriors glared at the assembled lords. Lu Bu alone was enough to make their scalps tingle, let alone these additional figures.
"Your life!" Lu Bu charged forward, wielding his Fang Tian Hua Ji, heedless of the consequences. The lords hastily raised their weapons to defend themselves. Just then, Li Kui stirred, shouting curses, "You scoundrel Lu Bu, ambushing me! I will surely kill you, and you will die a terrible death!"
"The victor is king, the loser is bandit. What more is there to say!" Lu Bu sneered, his gaze sweeping over the raised platform. He seized a lord by the throat. "Are you perhaps planning to oppose Lord Yuan? Lu Bu will be your sworn enemy!"
"Gen-General, I wouldn't dare. It's just, it's just..."
Yuan Shu coughed softly, and the lord abruptly fell silent. Lu Bu saw it all clearly. His Fang Tian Hua Ji descended, aiming for the lord's throat without hesitation.
"Yuan Shao, are you truly going to let Lu Bu run amok and incite rebellion? What good will that bring you!" Yuan Shu shouted. Yuan Shao felt his heart pound and quickly called out, "Feng Xian, wait!"
Lu Bu, nominally Yuan Shao's subordinate, was forced to halt his actions. He threw down a heavy sentence, "If any of you dare to bully Lord Yuan in my absence, I will leave not a single one standing!"
"Well done, my boy, well done!" Yuan Shao patted Lu Bu's shoulder. "As I thought, Feng Xian, I was not mistaken in you. Rest assured, you will not be shortchanged later!"
"I seem to have misplaced my lord's seal. I would appreciate it if everyone could help me look for it!" Yuan Shao feigned ignorance, searching around.
Yuan Shu suppressed his anger and unhesitatingly picked up the seal, presenting it to Yuan Shao with both hands. "Lord Yuan must have been in a hurry to lose it. Please keep it safe and don't let it fall into the wrong hands."
"No need for your concern, Lord Lu. What belongs to me will always be mine. If it doesn't, no amount of effort will secure it!" Yuan Shao mocked fiercely. "For those who aim too high, their fate will likely be as fragile as paper!"
Yuan Shu stormed away, his face ashen. Lu Bu stared at the remaining lords and spoke slowly, "Whoever dares to defy me, ask my Fang Tian Hua Ji first. As for capturing this person today, it is worth more than a hundred thousand men!"
At this point, the lords could only nod repeatedly. They were not afraid of Lu Bu, but rather of his Fang Tian Hua Ji.
"Since we have captured this man alive, let's kill him to consecrate the banners!" Yuan Shao slapped Li Kui on the back and said coldly, "Tens of thousands have died on the battlefield. I owe them an explanation!"
Lu Bu smiled and gestured with his finger. Instantly, two burly men brought Tian Feng forward. Tian Feng's eyes streamed with tears. "My lord, I thought I would never see you again!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Isn't Feng Xian here!" Yuan Shao gently squeezed Tian Feng's hand, offering comfort. Tian Feng nodded solemnly. "This time, it's all thanks to General Lu Bu. Otherwise, I would surely have died on the battlefield."
Upon seeing Li Kui, Tian Feng's eyes burned with ferocity. "It was this man who gravely injured me! Lord Yuan must kill him as a warning to others!"
"Naturally, naturally!" Yuan Shao nodded repeatedly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Feng Xian, why aren't you acting!"
Lu Bu leaned closer to Yuan Shao's ear and whispered, "If Your Lordship has the opportunity to win this man over to our side, what then?"
Yuan Shao's face lit up with joy. The ability to severely injure Tian Feng was at least comparable to Cao Cao. How could such a mighty warrior be easily let go? He asked with a hint of disbelief, "Feng Xian, is what you say true? How can he possibly agree to this!"
"Your Lordship, rest assured. I met him once in the Third Legion. Although he serves Ye Feng, he has many grievances. Why not let me try to persuade him? Even if it fails, there's no loss!" Lu Bu stated confidently. "But if it succeeds, Your Lordship will gain a great general!"
"Excellent, Feng Xian, this matter is entrusted to you!" Yuan Shao replied, unable to contain his excitement. His ability to overcome this crisis was all thanks to Lu Bu. Having more people like him would allow him to act with impunity.
"Please be assured, Your Lordship. Feng Xian will surely not fail my mission!" Lu Bu bowed, a hint of worry on his face. "However, General Tian Feng and the assembled lords will likely have reservations. At that time..."
"As long as Feng Xian can win him over, I will handle the rest. They won't be able to stir up any trouble!" Yuan Shao said, narrowing his eyes. He walked away a few steps, looking for a physician to attend to Tian Feng.
"General, Lord Yuan has wronged you this time. I implore you..."
As the voice faded into the distance, Lu Bu stepped in front of Li Kui. "Do you recognize me?"
"Bah, lackey!" Li Kui spat in Lu Bu's face, cursing, "A beast like you is fit to serve my elder brother? If I had known earlier, I would have killed you!"
Lu Bu wiped the spittle from his face with a smile and firmly grabbed Li Kui by the scruff of his neck. "If you surrender now, you can keep your life. Otherwise, death is inevitable. The possibility of survival is in your hands. How you choose is of no consequence to me!"
"If you have the guts, kill me, Iron Ox! Even if Iron Ox dies, he will never betray my elder brother!" Li Kui stretched his neck and cursed.
Seeing Cao Cao watching him with interest, Lu Bu snorted, "General, have you seen enough? Can we return now?"
"Different paths, different goals," Cao Cao said, then left in a huff. Seeing that no one was around, Lu Bu leaned closer to Li Kui's ear and whispered, "What if I were also someone from the King of Chu, and my only intention was to sow chaos among them?"
"How could that be?" Li Kui scoffed. "Absolutely impossible. Even if I die here, I will never believe you are one of my elder brother's men."
"Are you trying to trick me!" Li Kui immediately roared. "Guards, someone has infiltrated the camp! Hurry and capture them!"
Li Kui shouted frantically. Lu Bu quickly covered Li Kui's mouth and took a jade pendant from a brocade pouch, placing it before Li Kui. Li Kui immediately fell silent, staring at it intently.