NOVPUB```
Regardless of Zhang Liao’s wishes, Lyu Bu, currently at a loss on how to explain Wei Xu’s death to his legal wife, would definitely not revoke his order. He was like a tiger with its hackles raised; nothing you say could soothe him.
"Wen Yuan, you will lead the Trap Formation," Gao Shun stated calmly as he glanced at Zhang Liao.
"Gongzheng..." Zhang Liao looked at Gao Shun, puzzled. Others might think Gao Shun doesn’t care about military authority, but Zhang Liao, who also came from Bingzhou, knew very well how much effort Gao Shun had put into the Trap Formation.
"With you in command, I’m reassured," Gao Shun said, looking at Zhang Liao, his eyes clearly conveying trust.
"But..." Zhang Liao didn’t know what to say, yet he had to admit, having him lead the Trap Formation was more suitable than handing it over to anyone else present.
"Wen Yuan, take command of the Trap Formation," Chen Gong, who had been silent thus far, suddenly spoke up. Lyu Bu’s expression was starting to look grim; as Zhang Liao and Gao Shun were caught up in their conversation, Lyu Bu was already growing angry.
Gao Shun said nothing. Just as Zhang Liao was about to reply to Chen Gong, he caught Chen Gong’s meaningful look and instantly understood. He opened his mouth and said, "Since that’s the case, I shall temporarily lead the Trap Formation under my command."
Lyu Bu nodded, looked at Gao Shun, and Gao Shun, saluting Lyu Bu with a fist, strode out of the tent. He seldom took part in military affairs, and Lyu Bu typically did not inform him.
As Gao Shun passed by Zhang Liao, he patted him on the shoulder. A look of surprise and confusion crossed Zhang Liao’s eyes as the Military Spirit of the Trap Formation seemed evidently weakened. At the moment, in this setting, it wasn’t appropriate to inquire about it from Gao Shun, so he would have to wait until the meeting was over to ask.
"Alright, with our departure from Puyang, we’ve thoroughly defeated the Hebei Army. Gongtai’s first-step plan is now complete," Lyu Bu said proudly, though he did have the merit to be proud of, having toppled the Hebei Army’s superior forces head-on. Without Xun Shen and the others, the Hebei Army would have been utterly routed.
"Now, what remains is to deal with the Mount Tai Army. Earlier, General Zhang had already given his report; our enemy has now shifted from Hua Zijian to Guan Yunchang," Chen Gong said, a hint of wariness in his voice when mentioning Hua Xiong and Guan Yu. After all, from what he currently knew, Hua Xiong might not be talked about in terms of strength, but his ability to command troops and break formations was definitely top-notch in the current era. And Guan Yu had not stopped fighting in Licheng and Jizhou, but he had always maintained a strategic advantage.
"Liu Ziyang and Hua Zijian have already headed to Bingzhou. It’s likely in response to Cao Cao’s journey to Chang’an to support the king; it seems Liu Xuande is not only confident but also displays a deep loyalty to the Han Dynasty that should not be underestimated," Chen Gong said gravely. However, inwardly he felt somewhat elated since he appreciated such nostalgically loyal ministers.
"Hmph, quite daring of him, not fearing that he might be caught in an encirclement and losing his senior ministers," Lyu Bu said with a dark expression. He was very displeased with Liu Bei’s manner, which seemed to belittle him.
"It’s better if the enemy underestimates us; that way, we can defeat them with ease," Chen Gong said with a light laugh. He was well aware that Liu Bei had not underestimated Lyu Bu in the slightest; on the contrary, bringing in Guan Yu from the north to take command was an indication of the high regard he had for Lyu Bu.
"Watch as I, having already crushed Yuan Benchu’s forces in Hebei, shall also vanquish Mount Tai’s Liu Xuande. How could this vast world not allow me to roam freely!" Lyu Bu spoke arrogantly, feeling that after his direct victory over Yuan Benchu’s forces in the northern part of Yanuzhou, he indeed possessed the strength to dominate the land.
Chen Gong frowned slightly, confused. Hadn’t they agreed to defeat Yuan Shao and Liu Bei with all their might and then wait to be courted by the other sides for their allegiance? But what was this now? Lyu Bu’s delusions of being a monarch were rising once again. What a joke.
```
"Guan Yunchang is Liu Xuande’s second brother, always stationed in the north to guard Qingzhou; his personal arrival this time surely means he harbors a heart set on delivering an annihilating kill against us. However, with such a thunderous might, if we manage to defeat him, it would certainly make us highly regarded between Yuan Benchu of the north and Liu Xuande. Only then can we secure our future interests," Chen Gong said to Lyu Bu with solemn earnestness.
It wasn’t that Chen Gong underestimated Lyu Bu, but Lyu Bu truly was only fit to be a valiant general. Of course, if it were against the Hu People, he’d also be suitable as a commander-in-chief, but as a monarch, he just wasn’t right; Lyu Bu was simply unclear with rewards and punishments.
"Hmph, I’ll go first and defeat Guan Yu. Back at Hulao Pass, they were all defeated by my hand. Let’s see how much they’ve grown now," Lyu Bu said with dissatisfaction after glancing at Chen Gong, before speaking arrogantly.
Chen Gong secretly sighed. Lyu Bu’s most helpless trait was his lack of self-awareness, and the more he was flattered, the more he shone, always basking in the legend that he was the best in the world, without being able to sober up.
"That’s fine, let’s defeat Guan Yu and his forces first," Chen Gong nodded. Though they already knew the opponent’s commander-in-chief was Guan Yunchang and that Guan Yu’s military strategist was most certainly Guo Jia, Chen Gong was still not too afraid. In terms of strategy, he feared no one, and in martial force, Lyu Bu would not lose to anyone. Moreover, their Wolf Cavalry were all elite troops. Although there was a slight shortage of food, their overall strength was not inferior to Guan Yu’s forces.
"Report!" Just as Lyu Bu was about to express his feelings about the depression lifting from his heart after defeating the Hebei Army, a messenger soldier rushed in.
"What’s the matter," Lyu Bu looked at the messenger with displeasure, the fierce aura in his eyes making the messenger’s heart skip a beat.
"The enemy camp’s Zhang Yide has sent a challenge letter," the messenger said with his head lowered, not daring to look directly at Lyu Bu.
"Present it," Lyu Bu said, his face growing grim as he remembered Zhang Fei from the time at Hulao Pass.
Lyu Bu took the paper envelope written with the word "Challenge" on it, sneered coldly, and opened it directly, "Zhang Fei, you’re courting death!" 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Lyu Bu scanned the words on the envelope and roared as he swung his fist down, directly smashing the few desks in front of him into pieces, and the ground was also bombed into a big pit. However, the letter lay unharmed in the center of the pit, surrounded by a layer of shimmering white light, unaffected by the shockwave.
"Zhao Zilong, you deserve to die too!" The raging Lyu Bu didn’t care where he was and swung down his fist again, the immense aura completely crushing the paper and creating an even deeper pit in the ground, causing the entire military camp to vibrate at that moment.
Chen Gong, with sharp eyes, saw clearly what was written on the paper the first time Lyu Bu failed to destroy it— "Three-Family Slave, you who are without a lord and a father, who knows nothing of filial piety and brotherhood, a scumbag made from scum! Have the guts to face me in a duel tomorrow!"
Zhao Yun had no idea that just helping Zhang Fei make a few papers would get him hated by Lyu Bu to this extent, but there was no helping it. Zhang Fei’s face-slapping move was too ruthless, and Lyu Bu actually failed to destroy the paper strengthened with Inner Qi and specially nurtured by Zhao Yun the first time.
With blood-red eyes, Lyu Bu grabbed his Sky Piercer and charged outside. He had to kill Zhang Fei. Without slaying Zhang Fei, he couldn’t swallow this anger. He was going to butcher Zhang Fei and then hang him up to flog! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)
