"Yes, indeed. How about this, Sikong, send another elite force to meet us halfway," Xiang Yu nodded.
Cao Cao's lips twitched violently. A backup halfway through? So Xiang Yu still wanted to take these 500 men to burn the grain supplies, but he was worried about being pursued during the retreat, which was why he needed a backup.
Alternatively, Xiang Yu might simply want backup for these 500 scouts; given Xiang Yu's abilities, he wouldn't need backup at all.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will arrange the backup." Cao Cao had also figured it out. If Xiang Yu could accomplish this with only five hundred men, then he would certainly be more than happy to do so.
"After I leave, you must strengthen your defenses. Don't wait until I return victorious and find that the camp has already been breached by Yuan's army." Xiang Yu glanced at Cao Cao, then his gaze swept over the generals and strategists.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty! Even though we are injured, we will absolutely not allow Yuan's army to break through our camp!" Xu Chu said irritably.
The other generals of Cao Cao's army echoed his sentiments. Several of them looked particularly miserable. They had been knocked off their horses by Xiang Yu and had fallen unconscious, landing on the ground without any warning, almost disfiguring themselves.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, the Guandu camp will hold out for over a month without any problem," Guo Jia said, cupping his hands in greeting.
Cao Cao also cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Your Majesty, please rest assured and go on your campaign. With me personally overseeing the operation, Guandu will be a sure victory."
Xiang Yu nodded slightly, "Very well, then let's muster our troops and set off immediately. Speed is of the essence in war, and we cannot afford to delay."
"That's only right. Cao Ren, quickly take the Overlord to gather five hundred elite scouts and prepare flammable materials. This battle is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly," Cao Cao said solemnly.
"Your subordinate obeys!" Cao Ren clasped his hands in a bow, then walked out of the central command tent with Xiang Yu.
At this moment, in Wuchao City, a hundred miles northeast of Guandu.
A general wielding a halberd stood atop the city wall, laughing wildly.
"Hahaha... Come quickly, I will dominate this battle!"
Chapter 600 One-on-One Duel
In a heavily guarded military tent in Cao Cao's army camp at Guandu.
Guan Yu removed half of his clothes, revealing his strong body. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead as he endured the excruciating pain and gently placed a piece on the chessboard.
An old man beside him, holding a small knife, intently cut open the flesh on Guan Yu's shoulder. He was none other than the legendary physician Hua Tuo, who was preparing to perform the bone-scraping treatment.
Originally, this treatment had a crucial step: drinking a numbing soup before treatment. However, Guan Yu skipped this step.
Hua Tuo was shocked and cursed inwardly, "Why did you do this?"
"Why haven't you left yet?" Guan Yu asked.
"Why leave? My lord sent me to assist the allied forces in their battle, and I haven't received any new orders yet." Zhang Liao remained relatively calm, but was the person opposite him a monster without the ability to feel pain?
"I mean, it's your turn to make a move." Guan Yu knew that Zhang Liao must have other purposes for coming here. Yuan Tan had suddenly seized Yuan Shao's territory, and the next step was to deal with Cao Cao.
Although the two sides have not yet broken off relations and Yuan Tan and Cao Cao are still allies, they will soon be at war.
Unlike Guan Yu, who ran away but was rescued, Zhang Liao didn't run away at all. He stayed behind voluntarily and accepted Cao Cao's offer to recruit him.
If Yuan Shao had been defeated, Zhang Liao's situation would have been better.
But now, Cao Cao's army, from top to bottom, is on high alert against Zhang Liao.
Whether Zhang Liao truly submitted to Cao Cao or feigned allegiance to act as an inside agent for Yuan Tan, the situation was extremely awkward.
"Hehe, Yun Chang is truly an extraordinary man." Zhang Liao quickly placed a piece, but then felt it was not a good move and subconsciously wanted to move it again.
"Huh? Once a move is made, it cannot be taken back." Guan Yu saw an opportunity.
Zhang Liao gave a wry smile, "I was reckless, but I don't regret it."
"Oh? Yuan Tan doesn't even spare his own father. Is such an unfilial son really worth your loyalty? If he really valued you, would he have left you here unattended?"
"I heard you betrayed Lü Bu and went directly to Yuan Tan. Lü Bu must have held a grudge and deliberately made things difficult for you. Yuan Tan chose him over you." Guan Yu made another move, and Hua Tuo began scraping the poison from the bone with a small knife.
Zhang Liao looked gloomy and was distracted while playing chess. Lü Bu was not a magnanimous person, and Lü Bu was certainly not happy that Zhang Liao was now on equal footing with him.
Yuan Tan sent him to help Cao Cao, ostensibly to help his ally fight against a powerful enemy, but in reality, it was to target Yuan Shao's confidants Yan Liang and Wen Chou, making it easier for him to seize Hebei.
After Yuan Tan occupied Hebei, Zhang Liao could either flee Cao Cao's camp like Guan Yu, or stay and become an inside agent who was physically in Cao Cao's camp but loyal to Yuan Tan. If he was lucky, he might even be able to make some contributions.
However, it was clear that Cao Cao's army was very wary of him, so acting as an inside agent wouldn't be very effective.
There's even a possibility that they might be dragged out by Cao Cao's army to serve as a sacrifice to the flag before the two armies clash!
Guan Yu smiled slightly at Zhang Liao's expression, "Wen Yuan, why don't you join me in assisting my brother? The one who will restore the Han Dynasty will surely be Liu Huangshu."
Zhang Liao chuckled, "Hahaha... I admire you, I admire you! Brother Yun, you can still act as an envoy even while undergoing bone-scraping treatment. But, isn't Liu Bei currently under Yuan Tan's command?"
Even if I abandon Yuan Tan, wouldn't Cao Sikong be a better choice? And who can say for sure that I'm not truly loyal?
Or perhaps, following this suddenly emerging overlord Xiang Yu wouldn't have tarnished my own reputation.
Guan Yu narrowed his eyes. "Why is Wen Yuan in such a hurry to refuse? My brother has lofty ambitions; how could he remain subservient to others forever? As for Cao Cao, I'm afraid he's no match for Yuan Tan."
Zhang Liao shook his head. "Cao Cao alone might not be enough, but with Xiang Yu added, it's definitely possible. Guan Yu knows better than anyone how strong Xiang Yu is, doesn't he?"
"This..." Guan Yu recalled how Xiang Yu had easily defeated him and Cao Cao's generals, and for a moment he was also a little confused. "Wen Yuan, what do you think of Xiang Yu compared to Lü Bu?"
Zhang Liao thought for a moment and said, "The original Lü Bu was definitely no match for him, but Lü Bu's combat strength has increased after he joined Yuan Tan's forces. We'll probably only know after we fight him. Perhaps they will meet soon."
...
Whether by coincidence or not, Yuan Jun's provisions were still stored in Wuchao, and the scouts confirmed this in no time.
"You all wait here for now. When you see the city gates open and supplies being transported out of the city, come and meet them," Xiang Yu said, looking at the distant city.
The scout was taken aback. "Weren't we here with the general to burn the grain supplies?"
"If the grain supplies were really burned, it was Yuan's army that burned them. I called you here to transport grain. This grain can save lives. How many people have died already?" Xiang Yu's eyes were deep, with a hint of compassion for humanity.
A sense of respect welled up in the scout's heart. "Understood, sir."
Xiang Yu said nothing more, and rode his black horse straight to the city gate. Some things didn't need to be made so complicated.
Soon, the garrison at Wuchao spotted Xiang Yu, but since Xiang Yu was alone with only one horse, they didn't take him too seriously.
"Who goes there?" Yuan's soldier on the city wall asked.
"Let your general come out and answer!" Xiang Yu said disdainfully.
Lieutenant Yuan Jun brandished his machete, "What an arrogant bastard! Don't you dare run away! Men! Go and tie him up and hand him over to the general!"
Squeak squeak...
The city gates opened, and ten Yuan soldiers rushed out, armed with spears, swords, shields, and other weapons.
Xiang Yu snorted coldly, and his black horse immediately charged forward.
Puff puff puff...
The Overlord's Divine Halberd sliced ten Yuan soldiers in half as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, the blood staining the ground red, a dazzling sight.
Glug...
Lieutenant Yuan Jun's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Go and report to the general immediately!"
"General Wei Yue has arrived!" a soldier exclaimed in surprise.
Wei Yue looked down at him, "What happened?"
"Reporting to the general, a stranger has arrived outside the city. He demanded to speak to you without giving his name, and then proceeded to kill ten of our soldiers," the junior officer Yuan reported truthfully.
"Hmph! This man has quite the nerve! Come, muster a hundred cavalrymen and follow me into battle!" Wei Yue waved his hand.
"Yes, sir!" The junior officer Yuan Jun was overjoyed and immediately went to relay the order. General Wei Yue was a man of great military achievements and extraordinary strength, and he was sure to capture and kill that madman!
Soon, the city gates opened, and Wei Yue led a hundred cavalrymen out of Wuchao.
"Come on! Surround this man and don't let him escape!" Wei Yue sneered.
Tap tap tap...
Yuan Jun's hundred cavalrymen split into two groups and rushed towards Xiang Yu to encircle him. Wei Yue, carrying a broadsword, slowly walked towards Xiang Yu, looking confident of victory.
Suddenly, Xiang Yu moved.
The black horse charged towards Wei Yue in a flash, like lightning.
Xiang Yu brought his halberd down on Wei Yue's head, and Wei Yue, startled, raised his sword to meet it, and then...
"ah!"
Click!
puff!
With his broadsword broken, Wei Yue was instantly cleaved in two, much like the ten soldiers before him.
The remaining hundred cavalrymen, who were bold enough to charge forward and surround Xiang Yu, were quickly killed or wounded, and the rest fled back to Wuchao City.
Before the city gates could close, another seven or eight hundred Yuan soldiers rushed out of the city. Most of them were infantry, with only a small number of cavalry. However, the armor and weapons of these soldiers looked very refined and well-organized, and they must have been elite troops.
The leading general wore a purple-gold crown, a lion-headed swallow armor, and flying-feather boots. He rode a curly-maned black horse and wielded a wolf-tooth wind-breaking spear!
Behind them, dozens of riders lined up, all dressed in silver robes and riding light horses, with two of them holding large banners aloft.
One side of the banner reads "The Trapped Camp," while the other side reads... "General Gao Shun!"
Chapter 601: Fengxian
Wow!
Bang!
The sound of swords striking shields was uniform and synchronized. Their formations changed and their advances and retreats were orderly. In just a moment, they had Xiang Yu completely surrounded without revealing the slightest flaw. They did not underestimate Xiang Yu because he was alone. Even among the most battle-hardened warriors, few could do this.
"Gao Shun's elite Trapped Camp lives up to its reputation, but it's a bit short in number," Xiang Yu murmured.
Hao Jiu curled his lip, "Their equipment isn't cheap. With so many people, how could Lü Bu afford to support them? He might as well use that money to raise cavalry. Wasn't all the gold Liu Bei robbed used by Lü Bu to buy horses?"
“That’s right. If it were me, I would also prioritize building a cavalry force of eight thousand men, rather than heavy infantry.” Xiang Yu glanced at the elite soldiers who were constantly approaching, and finally fixed his gaze on Gao Shun.
"Come forth and announce your name, you are doomed! You have no way to escape now!" Gao Shun witnessed his friend Wei Yue being cleaved in two, and his anger was palpable. However, he was not blinded by anger and remained frighteningly calm.
In comparison, Xiang Yu's composure was more natural; this scene was really nothing to him.
"Only those who survive ten rounds against me deserve to know my name. As for escape, when have I ever considered running away? If I wanted to leave, how could your infantry possibly have a chance to surround me?"