NOVPUB"Second brother!" Guan Yu saw Zhang Fei riding Black Cloud Treading on Snow from a considerable distance away and heard him bellowing as he charged over.
"Third brother!" Guan Yu laughed heartily, and, with a squeeze of his horse’s sides, he too charged forward. Since taking a post in the north, it had been a long time since Guan Yu had seen Zhang Fei.
When the two met, they couldn’t help but feel how time flies; it had been quite a while since their last meeting.
"General Guan." Xu Chu greeted Guan Yu with a clasped fist. They were familiar enough with each other that they didn’t need much ceremony.
"I have seen Military Advisor Guo." Both Xu Chu and Zhang Fei gave Guo Jia a respectful bow, having witnessed his formidable side, they did not dare show any disrespect.
Zhang Fei and Xu Chu led Guan Yu and the others to the main camp, and after the two military forces joined together, Guan Yu took over command from Zhang Fei and Xu Chu as commander-in-chief of this troop without any obstacles.
"The construction of this military camp is really quite impressive." Guo Jia surveyed the surroundings, and eventually, he had to admit that the camp was formidable. If one wanted to take it quickly, a forceful attack would require a pathway to be paved with lives.
"Thank you for the compliment, Military Advisor Guo." Chen Chi said, unperturbed by praise or insult. He had dealt with Guo Jia when managing logistics for Guan Yu in Qingzhou and held a heartfelt respect for the seemingly sickly noble before him.
"I’m just telling it like it is," Guo Jia said with a smile, "With the river as a barrier and such an outer camp, plus the clever arrangement of the inner defenses, as long as we hold against Lyu Bu, our position here is secure. All that’s left is to figure out how to handle Lyu Bu and the others, making things much easier for us."
Chen Chi didn’t respond, his expression remained calm, but inside, Guo Jia’s appraisal made him feel slightly proud.
"Hmm, indeed not bad," Guan Yu also nodded in approval. The quality of a military camp’s construction directly affects the morale and combat power of the soldiers. With Chen Chi’s method of construction, his soldiers could rest assured, naturally guaranteeing their combat effectiveness.
"Let’s first think of a way to restrict Lyu Fengxian; with him around, these earth mountain heavy crossbows don’t have much effect. Given the number of soldiers that can be stationed on the earth mountain, just one strike from the enemy could probably shear off the top," Guo Jia said with a shrug, knowing that no ’Turtle Stream’ could withstand a monster like Lyu Bu.
"Is Lyu Bu really that powerful?" Chen Chi hesitated before asking. He had once assessed Lyu Bu’s combat power, which is why he had specifically strengthened the earth mountains and stationed more troops there, creating a Cloud Qi barrier to prevent such an event, as mentioned by Guo Jia.
"Probably can cut a normal city wall in half," said Guo Jia, glancing sideways at Guan Yu and weighing his words.
"..." Chen Chi’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot; for everyone present, what Guo Jia said was true.
"Then what use are my defenses?" Chen Chi asked with a dark expression.
"It’s not just Lyu Bu alone, there are other people to consider," said Guo Jia indifferently. Ever since seeing the breach made by Guan Yu in Leling City’s walls with a single slash, Guo Jia no longer held any regard for defenses against Out-of-Body Inner Qi Manifestation; such defenses could only rely on people...
"General Zhang, I’ve heard that you are preparing to engage Lyu Bu’s army," Guo Jia turned to inquire of Zhang Fei, fully aware of the situation as Guan Yu had specifically instructed him that if the chance arose, Zhang Fei should cross blades with Lyu Bu.
"Yes," said Zhang Fei, spiritedly.
"Oh, then we’ll give it a try tomorrow," Guo Jia nodded after confirming that Zhang Fei’s spirit and energy were still strong.
"I knew Military Advisor Guo would understand me," Zhang Fei laughed heartily.
"Good, that’s settled," Guo Jia nodded his head. He wanted to have a fight first to gauge Lyu Bu’s current strength and then decide how to eliminate him. Although he knew the opponent was the top general in the world, Guo Jia wouldn’t easily offer a strategy without carefully confirming the opponent’s combat power.
"What’s written there?" Guan Yu, who had been sitting silently at the main seat, suddenly asked.
"Three-Family Slave, you who have no lord or father and do not understand the virtues of filial piety and brotherhood, a scum born from a pile of trash! If you dare, face me in a duel tomorrow!" Zhang Fei declared with a smug face, beside him Xuu Chu covered his face, while Guan Yu’s complexion turned blood-red, and Chen Chi suddenly felt a sense of shame not befitting his status.
"Well said." Nearby, Guo Jia was clapping his hands with a "smack smack" sound. He highly admired Zhang Fei’s approach.
"I said my writing was good, but Zhongkang thought it was beneath our dignity," Zhang Fei, bolstered by Guo Jia’s praise, instantly regained his confidence and turned to rebuke Xuu Chu.
"This is a bit too much," Guan Yu muttered, but in the end, he still spoke up. Although he really disliked Lyu Bu’s character, he still felt that such humiliation of Lyu Bu was a bit excessive.
"On the battlefield, all is fair. I reckon with Yide’s letter of challenge, Lyu Bu must be fuming," Guo Jia said with a light chuckle, then glanced at Zhang Fei, who was looking triumphant beside him, "But tomorrow, it’s likely to be a fight to the death between Lyu Bu and General Zhang, so please prepare accordingly."
Zhang Fei’s expression darkened for a moment before a wild aura shone in his eyes, "Who’s afraid of whom? I’m not scared of Lyu Bu at all. I came here to duel him. If it’s not a peak Lyu Bu, then defeating him would have no value!"
Zhang Fei was brash, but he spoke the truth. He had sent out the challenge to provoke Lyu Bu because he wanted to witness Lyu Bu at his peak strength, unlike Zhao Yun at Hulao Pass who had cheated. He wanted a real fight with Lyu Bu!
"That’s also good," Guan Yu gave Zhang Fei a profound look, realizing that his youngest brother had begun to surpass even him.
"Tonight, the entire army will rest. Tomorrow, I, along with you, will meet Lyu Bu. Since parting at Hulao Pass, I wonder if he still has the confidence to face several top generals at the same time," Guan Yu said proudly. Facing a top general like Lyu Bu, any martial artist of the Great Han Dynasty would think of challenging him.
"That’s good," Guo Jia nodded, "Where will you be dueling?" He turned to Zhang Fei and asked.
Guo Jia couldn’t care less about dressing it up anymore; a duel was a duel. The kind of grandiosity you read about in books had ceased to exist since the Spring and Autumn Period. After all, it’s ridiculous to think that the fate of a nation depends on a duel between two men!
"To the northwest, more than thirty li on the plains, with an unobstructed view all around, making it hard to lay an ambush." Zhang Fei was no fool; he didn’t want to fall to Lyu Bu’s hands. Although his strength had greatly improved, against Lyu Bu, any general in the world wouldn’t dare to claim they could win with certainty.
"The location is not bad. When the time comes, don’t bring infantry, only cavalry, so if something unexpected happens and we need to retreat, it will be easier," Guo Jia suggested. After all, on a pure plain, cavalry could have a significant advantage.
Guan Yu and the others immediately understood what Guo Jia meant, "Understood, but we ask that Military Advisor Guo make extra preparations when the time comes." (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to recommend and vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
