NOVPUBGuan Ping, following Wei Yan’s instructions to set up the military camp, quickly put together a camp that seemed riddled with holes.
"Wen Chang, how about this?" Guan Ping came to Wei Yan excitedly. For the young Guan Ping, his father was highly admirable, and this comrade, who bore an uncanny resemblance to his father, was utterly trustworthy.
"Tanzhi, there’s a limit to how much we should entice the enemy," Wei Yan said with a sense of resignation, somewhat like looking after his own brother. "Look at the state of the camp you’ve constructed; as long as the enemy has a functioning brain, they’ll know something’s off. It’s fine to look like greenhorns, to show some inexperience on the battlefield, but surely not everything can be a mistake?"
Guan Ping scratched the back of his head and laughed dryly before going back to camp set-up. This time it took a bit longer, and at least through Wei Yan’s scrutinizing eyes, the flaws weren’t immediately apparent. After a long observation, he finally spotted some issues that seemed like those a newbie might make while unfamiliar with camp set-up, including some obviously redundant arrangements.
"How’s this?" Guan Ping asked after he was done with the adjustments.
"Almost there," Wei Yan said with a helpless tone. "But I’m worried the enemy won’t notice. It took me a long while to see the flaws you left. If they can’t see them, that would be bad."
"Huh? Should I change it again?" Guan Ping was taken aback and asked with a wry smile, remembering the hardships of his younger years that taught him to be cautious.
"No change!" Wei Yan waved his hand and said, "If they can’t see it and don’t come for a night raid, then it just shows the enemy is rubbish."
Guan Ping nodded repeatedly. If they couldn’t spot the deliberately left holes, they were definitely rubbish, but he didn’t consider the implication in Wei Yan’s words. If they did see the holes and came for a night raid, wouldn’t Wei Yan still consider them rubbish? Either way, he perceived the enemy as rubbish. That was quite arrogant.
"Report, General! The enemy general Zhang He is leading two thousand infantry and cavalry to challenge us," a messenger ran over and informed them while they were preparing to have some food and inspect the camp, readying for a challenge in the afternoon.
"Hmph, the guy’s got guts! Their chief general is actually taking the field himself," Wei Yan said with disdain, gesturing with a flick of his hand for the messenger to leave.
"He must be here to probe," Guan Ping said, wiping his Great Guan Dao with a cloth. "How about I go and cut him down?"
"Good, I’ll back you up!" Wei Yan thought it over; although Guan Ping was not as strong as himself, his capability was not lacking. He had heard that Zhang He had reached the peak of ’Qi Refining to Gang’; even if Guan Ping lost, nothing would go wrong with himself there.
Zhang He sat astride his horse, studying the camp that Guan Ping had set up. To be honest, Zhang He thought the arrangement was quite good; aside from a few overly complicated areas and some gaps, Zhang He didn’t immediately spot any flaws at first glance. If not for his extensive battlefield experience, he wouldn’t have noticed those shortcomings that came from a lack of experience.
[It seems they really are two novices, making all the same mistakes I once did. There’s an opportunity here. These poorly positioned areas could let a patrol through. Hmm, I’ll see how those two fare, and if they’re brimming with youthful arrogance, a night raid might be worth a try.] Zhang He thought to himself. The standard of the camp was decent, but it was too green.
"How dare you, bold enemy general, spy on our military camp!" Guan Ping, mounted on a Green Horse, charged out with a loud shout.
"Humph!" Zhang He felt a twinge of delight, then quickly regained his usual expression. He had come primarily to scout, and Guan Ping’s rashness was reassuring.
"Clang!" Swords and spears clashed, and Zhang He applied force dispersion to gauge Guan Ping’s strength, then turned his horse to face Guan Ping directly.
"Zhang Junyi! Remember, the one to slay you is Guan Yu’s son, Guan Tanzhi!" Guan Ping shouted loudly after turning his horse.
Zhang He sneered. If it were Guan Yu saying this, he would not hesitate to turn his horse and flee, but with Guan Ping’s strength, well…
Zhang He brandished his great spear and fought Guan Ping in close combat, with both sides exhibiting explosive Qi force, whirling into a flurry. However, Guan Ping, still young and though showing a momentary bravery, was soon overpowered by Zhang He’s fierce and forceful spear thrusts.
"There are truly many mighty warriors in the Central Plains!" Wei Yan’s eyes burned with a fiery intensity as he stared at Zhang He. He could feel that Zhang He’s strength was closely matched to his own, each at the peak of Qi Refining to Gang, yet neither knew how to break through to the next level!
Guan Ping attacked Zhang He frantically, but none of his strikes were effective. Instead, Zhang He seized the openings in Guan Ping’s assault and delivered several vicious blows. The situation grew increasingly grim for Guan Ping, who, new to the battlefield, lacked the experience to deal with such adversity, inevitably leading to his panic.
But panic as he might, Guan Ping still managed to defend with effort while accumulating his Inner Qi—unfortunately, all this did not escape Zhang He’s notice.
"Go to hell!" Learning from his father, Guan Ping infused his Essence, Qi, and Spirit into the next slash, cutting at Zhang He with a relentless momentum.
Zhang He, having anticipated this move, did not panic at the sight. Though he felt a chilling sensation as the imminent danger drew close, his spirit surged with excitement instead.
"Good move!" Zhang He bellowed, dodging Guan Ping’s attack, but due to the speed, he was still grazed, and a chunk of his arm’s muscle flew off. The blood had barely spurted before Zhang He staunched the flow, then he thrust his already coiled spear directly at Guan Ping.
Having released his Ultimate Knowledge move, Guan Ping was visibly enervated. Seeing the spear thrust from Zhang He aiming for his chest, he forced himself to dodge to the left, but with a gut-wrenching "puchi," his right shoulder was stripped of a large piece of flesh. Unfortunately, Guan Ping lacked Zhang He’s ability to stop the bleeding, and his right shoulder bled profusely.
"Advance, save the General!" Zhang He’s troops rushed forward upon seeing him wounded, and Wei Yan did not hesitate to lead his men into the fray. Both sides scrambled to rescue their commanders, and under Zhang He’s command, Yuan Shao’s soldiers gradually retreated. Liu Bei’s troops, led by Wei Yan, engaged in a chaotic battle, leaving behind over a hundred corpses before the probing skirmish finally ceased.
Upon returning to Leling, Zhang He casually bandaged his wound and relaxed. The cut he had received was actually avoidable, but it was a signal for Guan Ping—an indication that he wouldn’t attack that night, considering that missing a chunk of muscle from his arm was a trifle for Zhang He, who would recover in mere days as long as the bone was unharmed.
Sitting in the military camp, Guan Ping looked dejected. His wounds would take half a month to heal, but fighting Zhang He to the brink had enlightened him to his shortcomings. Yet now, both he and Zhang He were injured. Would the enemy still attempt a night raid?
"Jun Yi, you’re actually injured?" Gao Lan asked in surprise. "I don’t think the opponent was that tough."
"If he were that tough, challenging him to a duel would be suicidal," Zhang He said with an exasperated expression. "The injury was intentional. The other side is injured too. You understand—with both chief generals wounded, you know what that means."
"Well played!" Gao Lan immediately grasped Zhang He’s intention upon hearing the explanation. The likelihood of a night raid was significantly reduced now that both sides’ chief generals were injured.
"I’ve noticed some weak points in their military camp. I’ll sketch out that section later, and we can choose the optimal route to teach them a lesson," Zhang He said with a smile, swinging his bandaged arm effortlessly.
"Hahaha, Jun Yi, you’re truly impressive, accomplishing so much in such a short time," Gao Lan said, laughing.
"Wen Chang, do you think they will still come for a night raid now that their chief general is injured? Sigh, I can’t believe I have to recuperate," Guan Ping said helplessly, having grown more indifferent to the idea of a raid.
"They will come!" Wei Yan stated flatly, though he himself was not entirely certain; however, his expression remained unchanged, confident as he spoke.
"If that’s the case, then the central army is yours, Wen Chang. Tonight, I’ll keep watch outside the camp," Guan Ping said after the medical officer finished dressing his wound and he drank a bowl of Ginseng Powder specifically prepared for generals to replenish Vital Energy. He moved his right arm, feeling a slight loss of strength.
"You stay with the central army, and I’ll go outside. It’s cold at night in the late autumn, and while you would have been fine uninjured, getting damp with dew while hurt is no good," Wei Yan said, looking at Guan Ping’s arm. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
