The outskirts of Xuchang city, early morning, before dawn.
Countless armored soldiers had already gathered. The sky was still early, and they were chatting idly.
On the training ground within the Dragon Soaring Camp's main fortress, drumbeats echoed, sounding as if a tournament was about to begin…
Some martial artists were arrayed on the stage, ready and waiting, but they did not rush to compete.
It seemed…
They were waiting for the arrival of the master of the Dragon Soaring Camp.
Xiahou Mao arrived very early and stood at the very front. Today… Lu Yu was to verify the results of the three thousand spearmen. As the martial arts instructor, he dared not be negligent…
His gaze swept over everyone one by one. He saw Zhao Yun and Zhang Xiu had also arrived, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. After all… these two were disciples of the legendary spear god Tong Yuan.
In contrast, Zhang Xiu and Zhao Yun walked side by side, seemingly… chatting about something.
“Zilong? Have you paid respects to Master in recent years?”
Zhang Xiu asked Zhao Yun…
“I haven’t seen Master since I came south from Changshan.” Mentioning his master, Zhao Yun’s brow furrowed slightly. “I wonder how Master is doing these days?”
“… Master began practicing martial arts from a young age. Even though he’s over fifty, his health has always been good, not to mention he has his wife taking care of him!” Zhang Xiu’s words were meant to comfort his junior disciple.
“Wife? That… the eldest daughter of the Yan family?”
When his wife was mentioned, Zhao Yun’s expression tensed a bit, as if he had some thoughts about his wife’s identity.
“Senior brother might not know yet? Yuan Shao is mobilizing troops and intends to march south. I heard the vanguard general is Yan Liang.”
Yan Liang…
At this name, Zhang Xiu’s brow furrowed tightly. “It’s him? This… is problematic.”
His brow was also coldly creased.
He shook his head helplessly, lamenting, “Since my wife is jealous and notoriously protective of her kin, if her brother Yan Liang meets any harm, then… I fear there will be no end to the trouble.”
Hoo…
Zhao Yun also let out a sigh of relief, shaking his head helplessly.
He vaguely felt a premonition of misfortune.
Indeed, while the world only knew of the current spear god Tong Yuan, few knew that the spear god’s wife was the eldest daughter of the renowned Yan family of Hebei!
If one were to go into detail, it would be a long story!
Tong Yuan, courtesy name Xiongfu, was sworn brothers with Li Yan of Bing Province. Both were disciples of their adoptive father, Yu Zhenzi.
Tong Yuan learned Yu Zhenzi’s spear techniques and was known as the “Spear God”;
Li Yan learned Yu Zhenzi’s halberd techniques and was known as the “Number One Halberd of the Age.” Under their master’s arrangement, both married two daughters of the Yan family of Hebei – Yan Yun and Yan Yu!
Unfortunately…
These two young ladies, pampered since childhood, displayed all the temperament of spoiled eldest daughters…
Yet, strangely, Tong Yuan and Li Yan were truly devoted to these pampered daughters and were exceptionally affectionate.
Yan Liang, the renowned general of Hebei, was the eldest son of the Yan family, the younger brother of Yan Yun and Yan Yu, and a star idol within the Yan clan.
This time, Zhang Xiu was worried.
Because of Yan Liang, the Dragon Soaring Camp, and even Cao Ying, and Lu Yu might fall out with his master…
At that time, it would be difficult.
As they were talking about this matter…
“Dong dong.”
Two drumbeats sounded…
All eyes turned towards the gate of the fortress. Lu Yu had arrived, escorted by Dian Wei and a group of Dragon Soaring Cavalry. He strode into the main fortress…
Gao Shun, who had been waiting at the gate, hurried to meet Lu Yu upon seeing him… as if he had been prepared.
“Commander Lu, yesterday I experimented with the Mo Dao. Its destructive power is astonishing. With a single strike, both man and horse are shattered… Now, the forging workshop has begun forging ‘Mo Dao’ with full effort. Your subordinate, on behalf of the seven hundred men of the Valiant Camp, dares to request seven hundred ‘Mo Dao’ from Commander Lu!”
It seemed this request was not enough, so Gao Shun immediately added, “With these Mo Dao, our Valiant Camp will be the nightmare of all cavalry!”
Uh…
Hearing this, Lu Yu paused, somewhat surprised…
He was here today to verify the spearmen, why had it become about Mo Dao again.
He looked at Gao Shun, especially at Gao Shun’s eyes full of confidence.
The entire impression he gave was three words – rock solid!
“Agreed, I will ask Cao Mu to deliver them! The first seven hundred Mo Dao will all belong to your Valiant Camp.” Lu Yu replied, patting Gao Shun on the shoulder. “Hebei’s Yuan Shao still has a hundred thousand elite cavalry. With the Valiant Camp equipped with Mo Dao, the upcoming battlefield will be a spectacular sight!”
“We will not fail the mission!” Gao Shun cupped his hands in salute…
As soon as the words fell.
“Dong dong dong…”
The drums beat louder. The spearmen on the training ground began to practice formations, followed by… actual combat. Two men formed a pair, the sound of “huo huo” echoing as they fought fiercely.
These red-tasseled spears were exceptionally light and agile. The duels of the armored soldiers were also exceptionally swift and flexible!
Even… from afar, it didn’t look like a martial arts competition, but more like a magnificent dance!
Yet, every strike was filled with killing intent…
It was dazzling…
Of course… Zhang Xiu and Zhao Yun also watched.
Zhang Xiu subconsciously recited, “This spear, this spear technique is quite interesting!”
Yes…
Zhao Yun’s eyes also narrowed. He put aside his original iron spear…
He switched to using wooden spear shafts, coupled with refined steel for the spearheads. This greatly amplified the spear’s agility. In fact… due to the refined steel at the spearhead, its power was no less than that of the iron spear from before!
“Good spear! Good spear technique…”
Zhao Yun exclaimed…
To be honest, although he was curious about the red-tasseled spear, he wasn’t overly concerned. Rather… it was the spear techniques danced by these armored soldiers.
Subtly, Zhao Yun actually found a trace of the “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” spear technique taught by his master.
Not only that, but the spear techniques danced by these armored soldiers were constantly changing. There were even many spear moves and feints that were exquisite, not inferior to the “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix” spear technique at all!
But the core remained unchanged. After removing all the feints, only the “point” remained…
– Zhongping Spear, the King of Spears, the single point in the middle is the hardest to defend!
“Good… Good!”
Two consecutive “good” words. There were not many spear techniques in the world that could elicit such praise from Zhao Yun.
Zhang Xiu also sighed repeatedly.
“I heard that Xiahou Mao taught these spearmen the ‘Thirty-Six Routes of Yang Family Spear’. Seeing it today, this Yang Family Spear is not inferior to our Master’s ‘Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear Technique’!”
“Even superior!” Zhao Yun did not hesitate to praise the Yang Family Spear. “I observe Xiahou Mao’s spear technique. His moves bear the shadow of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear Technique. I can even see the influence of Zhang Yide’s ‘Utmost Strength Spear Technique’. However… it is not as filled with feints as the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear Technique. It can be said that… by removing the redundant elements, every move and every form has a strong purpose, all are killing spear techniques!”
At this point, Zhao Yun paused.
“Senior brother, perhaps… in terms of spear skills, Xiahou Mao is not your or my opponent at this moment, and he cannot even withstand a single move from Master. But if given time, and he can master this ‘Yang Family Spear’ and use it freely on the battlefield, his potential might be much higher than yours or mine!”
The layman watches the fun, the expert watches the skill.
Zhao Yun was the most talented among Tong Yuan’s disciples. The day he graduated, Tong Yuan mentioned that Zhao Yun’s future achievements in spear skills would surely surpass those of Zhang Ren and Zhang Xiu!
And this…
Zhang Xiu also believed it.
As fellow disciples, they had sparred many times within the Dragon Soaring Camp. Naturally… Zhang Xiu could also feel the changes in Zhao Yun’s spear skills. He was trying to improve the “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear Technique.”
Just as he said, by removing the redundant elements and simplifying the countless dazzling moves, every thrust of the spear was a killing blow!
In this way… it was like a snake, attacking in an instant, a single blow to kill!
And undoubtedly…
The current “Yang Family Spear” had given this junior disciple a completely new idea!
Hoo…
Zhang Xiu let out another soft sigh. “Zilong, do you know… who taught this ‘Thirty-Six Routes of Yang Family Spear’ to Xiahou Mao?”
“Who?” Zhao Yun quickly asked, “Is there another spear technique master named Yang in the world?”
“There is no spear technique master.” Zhang Xiu waved his hand. “It was Young Master Lu. Lu Gongzi gave the diagram of this ‘Thirty-Six Routes of Yang Family Spear’ to Xiahou Mao.”
At this point, Zhang Xiu paused. He raised his head and sighed, “Who would have thought that such exquisite spear techniques would come from the hands of a young man who doesn’t understand martial arts? It truly shames us martial artists. Oh, and along with this ‘Yang Family Spear,’ there was also a book called ‘Jin Ping Mei,’ which must surely be a peerless secret manual!”
This…
Zhao Yun’s eyes widened. Yang Family Spear? Lu Gongzi… no… surely not?
Wait?
There was also a book… Jin Ping Mei…
For a moment, Zhao Yun suddenly really wanted to see this peerless martial art called “Jin Ping Mei”!
…
“Dong dong…”
“Dong…”
The drumbeats gradually intensified, and the inspection of the Dragon Soaring Camp’s training ground continued.
Lu Yu was very pleased; the effect was very good…
These spearmen were usable, just like the Mo Dao equipped for the Valiant Camp. Placing the spearmen in specific positions could produce miraculous effects!
In the end, although the Dragon Soaring Camp was famous, it was not the main force for frontal assaults in Cao Ying!
It had more functional requirements…
Whether it was the spear or the Mo Dao, it would make Lu Yu more flexible when deploying the Dragon Soaring Camp…
“Boom… Rumble!”
Lu Yu was still lost in thought when…
A pillar of fire shot up into the sky… This was in the southeast direction, not far from the Dragon Soaring Camp!
All eyes turned towards the fiery pillar.
It was as if a fire dragon had soared into the sky, rampaging wildly and indiscriminately devouring everything.
Soon…
The air became much hotter.
Then… the flames seemed to descend instantly, followed by shouts of “It’s on fire…”, “It’s on fire.”
Cao Xiu was the first to react…
“It’s the cattle shed! The cattle shed is on fire! It seems… it’s just a corner, not the entire area!”
Lu Yu’s eyes narrowed…
Speaking of the cattle shed, Lu Yu was not unfamiliar with it… When he served as the Grand Minister of Agriculture, he had specifically selected a large area of land on the outskirts of the city and built cattle sheds… to prepare for the “accounting of cattle for grain” in the settlement.
Of course, a cattle shed catching fire was not a big deal in itself… At most, the Dragon Soaring Camp soldiers would have a feast tonight, and everyone would happily eat beef. In the past, there were always a few clumsy old yellow bulls that ran into the knives; it was a beautiful accident…
However… today, it was truly an accident!
Let this great fire be considered “braised” for now!
But then…
A pungent smell wafted through the air, like “garlic.” Such a stimulating smell made Lu Yu’s eyes almost unable to open.
This…
Suddenly, a bold idea struck Lu Yu’s mind.
This smell…
This pillar of fire reaching the sky, could it be… white phosphorus?
What was He Yan trying to do?
Didn’t he know… that old yellow bulls worked very hard? Couldn’t he just wait for them to run into the knives themselves? Why burn them with fire?
However… the surging flames just now, was this the power of white phosphorus?
With this thought, Lu Yu’s brow furrowed.
“Let’s go…”
He immediately shouted…
Ah… Dian Wei was a bit confused? Where… were they going?
Before he could be taken aback, Lu Yu’s voice followed, “Let’s go see these yellow bulls that died unjustly! They were too kind, they were loyal, they were benevolent, they were diligent! They did not deserve this undeserved disaster!”
Thinking of this…
Lu Yu’s mind conjured up images.
Old cows, oh old cows, you eat grass and produce milk. You plow the fields tirelessly, detached from base desires. This is the quality of a gentleman!
Wait… so many cows? He Yan is playing this big?
Tonight, we definitely can’t finish them all? Should we dry them into beef jerky? By the way… white phosphorus is poisonous. Was it burned by white phosphorus? Will the meat also become toxic?
This…
Waiting online? It’s quite urgent!
…
…
Xuchang city, School of Investigation.
The elite Tiger Guards stood sternly in front of the School of Investigation. When they saw Cao Cao arrive, they knelt on one knee, their movements neat… but they remained silent.
Cao Cao paused for a moment in front of the main gate of the School of Investigation…
Then he composed himself, a hint of seriousness appearing on his face. He strode in and took his seat in the hall.
Cao Ren and Cao Hong saw Cao Cao.
“Brother…”
With a simultaneous shout, both of them rose and bowed…
Outside the door, over a dozen investigators who had been waiting in line were all dressed in the same black tactical attire. Each carried a bamboo slip and entered. They placed the bamboo slips one by one on Cao Cao’s desk, and then immediately retreated.
Cao Cao did not have time to look at these urgent documents…
Instead, he signaled Cao Ren and Cao Hong, “I won’t look at these urgent documents. You pick out the important ones.”
“Most of them are about the northern border…” Cao Ren reported truthfully. “Firstly, Yuan Shao has withdrawn the four armies of Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan. He has instead sent Han Meng to lead a hundred thousand troops to garrison Bing Province, to guard against the troops deployed by Situ Lu at Yanmen!”
A hundred thousand? Han Meng?
As these two words escaped his lips, Cao Cao raised his hand, signaling them to stop. He curiously confirmed again, “Yuan Shao actually sent a hundred thousand troops to guard against Yanmen? Even… he didn’t hesitate to send Han Meng? Is this news reliable?”
The reason for Cao Cao’s doubt was…
He felt Yuan Shao was thinking too highly of the army that Yu’er had stationed in Yanmen!
Let alone a hundred thousand troops, Cao Cao had heard of Han Meng.
He was skilled in martial arts… a notable figure in Yuan Shao’s camp.
The public only knew that the strongest and most favored martial artists under Yuan Shao were the “Four Pillars of Hebei.”
In fact, it was not the “Four Pillars” but the “Four Pillars and One Pillar.” The so-called Four Pillars referred to “Yan Liang,” “Wen Chou,” “Zhang He,” and “Gao Lan,” while the One Pillar was this “Han Meng”!
“Absolutely true!” Cao Ren’s tone was quite certain. “It seems Yuan Shao is quite apprehensive of the troops deployed by Situ Lu in Yanmen, coupled with the capture of Gao Gan, the Governor of Bing Province, he could only send Han Meng to stabilize the situation.”
Heh heh…
Cao Cao smiled. This was good news!
With Yuan Shao arranging a hundred thousand troops over there, it meant that on the frontal battlefield, his pressure had suddenly eased considerably.
One should know…
News from Bing Province did not reach Xuchang easily.
Therefore, Cao Cao only knew partial information about the situation in Yanmen. In his understanding, it was only Lu Bu and Yang Xiu who were making arrangements… It seemed that under Yu’er’s plan, some generals and righteous men had been incorporated.
But he didn’t know the specific number of people!
“How many troops are there in Yanmen now?” Cao Cao asked curiously.
“Thirteen or fourteen thousand!” Cao Ren replied calmly…
What?
Cao Cao’s eyes widened.
What… what was going on?
In his memory, when Yang Xiu and Lu Bu went to Yanmen in Bing Province, they only brought over a hundred Dragon Soaring Cavalry. How did it… how did it suddenly become thirteen or fourteen thousand?
Yes…
During this period, although Cao Cao knew some of Yu’er’s deployments, they were mysterious.
But… if a hundred people became thirty or forty thousand, Cao Cao felt he could accept it, but if a hundred people became… thirteen or fourteen thousand, it was a bit much.
“Gulp…”
Subconsciously, Cao Cao swallowed. One should know that excluding all the city garrisons, he couldn’t even field thirteen or fourteen thousand troops to fight Yuan Shao in the north!
Did Yu’er… conjure soldiers like magic?
“Zixiao…”
Cao Cao wanted to ask again to confirm.
Unexpectedly, before he could speak, Cao Ren’s voice rang out again, “Thirteen or fourteen thousand is one thing, but what’s more, in the northern Yanmen, among the Dragon Soaring Camp troops, including Gongsun Zan’s You Province cavalry, Zhang Yan’s Black Mountain Army, and… Qu Yi’s Vanguard Death Warriors, each of these legions can fight tough battles!”
Cao Ren knew more and paid more attention to the situation in Bing Province.
In fact, he was also shocked, but… he was already used to it!
Therefore… he was much calmer than Cao Cao, who had just heard such a terrifying number and such terrifying names.
Hoo…
Cao Cao let out a long sigh again.
He gently patted his chest, needing to be calm, needing to be composed… Yu’er had given him surprises more than once; he needed to learn to adapt and get used to it.
Who made his Cao family’s offspring so good… this was his Cao Cao’s merit!
“What else? The direction of Ye City? Hasn’t Yuan Shao made any moves yet?”
Cao Cao continued to ask…
“Not yet at the moment…” Cao Ren truthfully said. “It seems… he is waiting for the previous four armies to return for reinforcement. However, Yuan Shao has already ordered that once Yan Liang reaches Ye City, he is to immediately serve as the vanguard and march south to attack Baima on the south bank of the Yellow River, while Yuan Shao’s main forces will attack Yanjin on the north bank of the Yellow River.”
“However, according to Brother’s instructions… from Guandu to Baima and Yanjin, our ten thousand troops have all been dispatched there, ready and waiting!”
Hearing this…
Cao Cao nodded.
“Very good…”
Yuan Shao’s actions were all as expected. If he were in Cao Cao’s position, he would do the same.
Moreover, during this period, Yu’er’s deployments in Yanmen had attracted a lot of Yuan Shao’s attention, which also provided Cao Cao with ample time to gather troops and dispatch them to the Guandu front line.
Next, all that remained was… the zero-sum game between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao on the path to the summit!
However…
Compared to this, Cao Cao was more curious about what Yu’er had been doing recently.
One should know…
The battle in Yanmen, Bing Province, had been quiet for over a month. During this period, Cao Cao had heard no news of Yu’er. What had he been busy with?
With this thought…
Cao Cao immediately asked, “Where is Situ Lu? What has he been doing during this period? Has the School of Investigation paid attention!”
As soon as these words were spoken…
Cao Ren clapped his hands, and immediately, several leaders of the School of Investigation entered, carrying picture albums!
That’s right…
The School of Investigation sent people to specifically draw Lu Yu’s actions. This was not due to Cao Cao’s mistrust, but because Cao Cao was worried from the bottom of his heart. He feared that if Yu’er encountered any difficulties, he, as his old father, could step in and resolve them.
He couldn’t possibly…
Be ignorant of his own son’s whereabouts as a father, right?
Just as these leaders began to unfold their picture albums one by one.
A woman appeared in front of the School of Investigation.
She was about thirty years old, her appearance was impeccably maintained, and her figure was heavenly…
Her face showed a hint of anger, her teeth lightly biting her lips, as she made to storm into the School of Investigation.
“Madam, you cannot…”
The Tiger Guards at the gate quickly stopped her.
Unexpectedly… this woman was not afraid at all. She glared at the group of Tiger Guards with a cold gaze.
– “This Madam wants to see my brother-in-law? Who dares to stop me?”
…
…