My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

Hulao Pass.

Yuwen Chengdu stood below the hall with his hand on his sword, his eyes burning with fighting spirit like flames.

"Father!" he said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

"The lords beyond the pass are mere chickens and dogs, their armies swarming like ants, whom Chengdu regards as nothing more than weeds! I am willing to lead a fierce and ruthless army, to behead them all, and hang their heads at the pass! Let the world know what a true warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men truly is!"

Dong Zhuo sat astride the tiger-skin chair, looking at his adopted son's eager expression, and laughed loudly: "Hahahaha! Good! Good! With Bowei, why should I worry about those rats in Guandong not being wiped out? I can rest easy!"

Just as he was about to order Yuwen Chengdu to leave the pass, a general in his tent suddenly stepped forward.

"Prime Minister, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"

The speaker was about thirty years old, with a stern face and hawk-like eyes; he was none other than the newly appointed Lieutenant General Xu Rong.

Born into a humble family, Xu Rong had spent many years in a mid-level military officer position due to his lack of flattery. After Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang, he appreciated Xu Rong's composure, competence, and knowledge of military strategy, and promoted him to the rank of General of the Household. Xu Rong was grateful for Dong Zhuo's recognition and felt it was time to repay his kindness.

"General Xu." Dong Zhuo looked at him.

Xu Rong bowed deeply: "Prime Minister, there's no need for you to go personally. This humble general is willing to be the vanguard, beheading all the feudal lords as easily as taking candy from a bag!"

Dong Zhuo stroked his beard and pondered.

He had witnessed Xu Rong's martial arts skills. Although they were not as astonishing as Yuwen Chengdu's, Xu Rong was still one of the top fighters in the Xiliang army. What was even more remarkable was that Xu Rong was a steady and reliable commander. He had once single-handedly defeated several rebel forces, making him far superior to the likes of Hua Xiong.

Sending Xu Rong to probe the strength of the allied forces was indeed a good choice.

"Good!" Dong Zhuo slammed his hand on the table.

"Since General Xu has such ambition, I hereby grant you the position of vanguard, leading ten thousand cavalry down the pass to confront the allied forces of the feudal lords! If you succeed in slaying generals and capturing flags, I will reward you handsomely!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Xu Rong clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes gleaming.

Outside the pass, the Allied Forces' camp.

The morale of the vanguard army of the eight warlords led by Yuan Shao was low at this moment.

Inside the tent, Yuan Shao's face was ashen as he slammed the battle report on the table: "I never imagined Bao Xin would be defeated by Xu Rong again! Last time, his brother Bao Zong disobeyed orders and advanced without permission, resulting in his death and the loss of troops. This time, I appointed him as the vanguard, intending to let him redeem himself, but who would have thought... he would be utterly defeated by Xu Rong again! Losing five thousand soldiers!"

He glanced around at the feudal lords in the tent; Qiao Mao, Kong Rong, Tao Qian… all of them lowered their eyes and remained silent.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" Yuan Shao stood up anxiously.

"Why are you all silent?! Xu Rong is merely a Lieutenant General under Dong Zhuo, yet he has defeated our army twice in a row! Now that Hulao Pass is in sight and Dong Zhuo's main force has arrived, if we cannot defeat the enemy now, how can we face our leader?!"

Gongsun Zan frowned: "Brother Benchu, please calm down. I have heard of Xu Rong. Although he is not well-known, he is steady in his military tactics and highly skilled in martial arts, far superior to the likes of Hua Xiong. It is not surprising that General Bao was defeated by him."

"Then what should we do now?!" Yuan Shao slammed his hand on the table.

"Are we just going to let him swagger around at the pass?!"

Just as they were arguing, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the tent.

"Report! The Alliance Leader has arrived with the main force, thirty li from the main camp!"

Yuan Shao's spirits lifted: "Quickly! Follow me to greet them!"

The next day, in front of Hulao Pass.

The nineteen allied forces joined together, their camps stretching for dozens of miles, their banners obscuring the sun.

Ji Xuanyuan sat in the central army, with the feudal lords positioned on his left and right.

"Report!" A scout galloped in to report.

"Xu Rong led ten thousand cavalry down the pass, using a long pole to carry Prefect Bao's helmet, and shouted a challenge at the enemy lines!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent showed expressions of anger.

Ji Xuanyuan's gaze swept over the assembled generals: "Xu Rong has insulted our allied forces. Who is willing to fight?"

Although he knew that Xu Rong was a commander, and that he was not the strongest in a one-on-one duel, killing generals on the battlefield was related to morale, so he could not prevent the generals from trying.

"I am willing to go!"

A young general stepped forward; it was Yu She, a valiant general under Kong Zhou, the governor of Yuzhou.

Ji Xuanyuan knew that Yu She was no match for Xu Rong, but not wanting to dampen morale, he could only nod and say, "Alright! General Yu, be careful."

Yu She clasped his hands in a fist salute as he left the tent.

Just a moment later.

"Report! General Yu She was slain by Xu Rong in less than three rounds!"

An uproar erupted inside the tent.

Xu Chu and Xu Sheng stepped forward simultaneously, both eager to request permission to fight.

Liu Bei raised his hand slightly, signaling the two to calm down. There were many warlords at the moment, and it was not advisable to reveal their strength too early.

"Alliance Leader!" Han Fu stood up.

"Among my subordinates is General Pan Feng, who wields a hundred-pound axe and possesses the courage of ten thousand men! He can slay Xu Rong!"

"Quickly, invite General Pan!" Ji Xuanyuan said.

Pan Feng stepped forward, his voice booming like a bell: "This humble general obeys!"

Watching Pan Feng's imposing figure, Ji Xuanyuan sighed inwardly. If these generals had been given more experience, they might very well have become famous generals in the future. Alas, this battle...

Sure enough, it only took the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Report! General Pan Feng... has been beheaded by Xu Rong!"

Xu Rong's arrogant laughter seemed to pierce through miles, faintly reaching into the tent: "You rats from Guandong, are there any who dare to fight?! Hahahaha!"

The morale of the Allied forces plummeted.

Just as Ji Xuanyuan was about to call upon his generals, Xu Chu could no longer contain himself. He strode forward, his voice like a tiger's roar: "This humble general is willing to go, to behead Xu Rong, and present his head to you!"

All eyes in the tent fell on the fierce general with the dark face and bushy beard.

Yuan Shu was the first to jump up, pointing at Xu Chu and cursing, "Do you think I have no one else to rely on?! You're nothing but a mounted archer under Liu Bei, how dare you spout such nonsense?! Guards, throw him out!"

Two of Yuan Shu's personal guards stepped forward.

"Wait a minute."

Cao Cao slowly rose and raised his hand to stop him: "Gonglu, calm down. Since this man has made such a boastful statement, he must have some courage and strategy. Why not let him go and try? If he fails, it will not be too late to punish him."

Yuan Shao frowned: "Sending an archer into battle will surely invite ridicule from Xu Rong and damage our military prestige!"

Cao Cao looked at Xu Chu and saw that although he was simply dressed, his tiger-like eyes held a powerful presence and his demeanor was majestic. He laughed and said, "This man has an impressive appearance. How did Xu Rong know that he was a mounted archer?"

Xu Chu clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice shaking the rooftops: "If I am not victorious, please cut off my head!"

"How magnificent!" Cao Cao clapped his hands.

"Bring wine! To send Zhongkang off on his journey!"

A servant brought over some hot wine, and Xu Chu, being a fondness for wine, didn't refuse. He took the bowl, drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "I'll be right back!"

He picked up his Fiery Cloud Blade, mounted his horse, and rode straight out of the camp gate.

As Cao Cao watched Xu Chu's retreating figure, he suddenly felt a strange emptiness in his heart, as if something that should have belonged to him had been forcibly cut off.

On the front lines.

Xu Rong stood with his spear held horizontally, the Xiliang cavalry standing in orderly ranks behind him.

Seeing that the Allied forces had sent out another general, judging from his attire to be that of a low-ranking officer, he couldn't help but sneer, "Is there no one left in Guandong! They actually sent such scum to their deaths!"

Xu Chu did not reply, but spurred his horse to charge straight ahead.

The Fiery Cloud Blade dragged on the ground, stirring up a trail of dust.

Xu Rong abandoned his contempt and charged forward with his spear. He was no ordinary man, having been appreciated by Dong Zhuo, and he immediately recognized Xu Chu's extraordinary aura.

"clang!"

Swords and spears clashed, sparks flew!

Xu Rong felt a tremendous force surge through him, making his arm go numb. He was shocked: "What strength!"

Xu Chu, however, pressed his advantage relentlessly, his Fiery Cloud Blade swirling into a crimson blur, slashing like a storm.

His swordsmanship was bold and unrestrained, without any fancy moves; each strike contained the power to split mountains and shatter rocks.

Xu Rong barely managed to withstand seven or eight blows before his tiger's mouth split open and he was panting heavily. He was more skilled at commanding troops and deploying formations than at fighting one-on-one in front of the enemy. Now, facing a fierce general like Xu Chu with superhuman strength, he was immediately overwhelmed.

In the tenth round, Xu Chu roared and his Fiery Cloud Blade slashed down like Mount Tai!

Xu Rong raised his gun to block.

"Snap!"

The gun barrel snapped in two!

The blade's momentum hadn't waned; it fell straight down.

"Pfft!"

Xu Rong and his horse were cleaved in two!

Blood splattered, staining the yellow sand red.

The Xiliang army was deathly silent.

The drums thundered from the Allied ranks!

Xu Chu dismounted, cut off Xu Rong's head, hung it in front of his horse, and slowly returned to his own camp.

Central command tent.

Xu Chu threw Xu Rong's head to the ground, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "This subordinate reports!"

The head's eyes were wide open, still showing signs of horror.

The various lords gathered around to watch, marveling at the sight.

Yuan Shu's face turned ashen, and he suddenly sneered, "Liu Bei is merely a county magistrate of Pingyuan, who has only managed this minor achievement by sheer luck. If it weren't for the humility of us ministers, would we have allowed you to flaunt your power?"

These words were harsh, and the atmosphere in the tent became tense.

Liu Bei lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Xu Chu's eyes widened in anger, and he was about to lash out when Xu Sheng secretly pulled him back.

Cao Cao intervened to smooth things over, saying, "Gonglu is mistaken. Since you have made such a great contribution, why should we care about your social status? Zhongkang is brave and deserves to be rewarded."

"Hmph!" Yuan Shu flicked his sleeve.

"Since you all only have eyes for one county magistrate, I am superfluous here! Farewell!"

He actually intended to leave his seat.

"stop."

A clear yet authoritative voice rang out.

Ji Xuanyuan slowly rose, his gaze sharp as a sword, staring directly at Yuan Shu: "General Gonglu, the great cause of defeating Dong Zhuo has failed. To abandon public duty for private gain—is this the behavior of a subject?"

Yuan Shu turned around and said arrogantly, "Does Marquis Ji intend to use his authority as the leader of the alliance to intimidate me, Yuan Gonglu?"

Ji Xuanyuan ordered his men to bring two items: a bright yellow imperial edict and the golden seal of the General of the Cavalry.

He unfolded the secret edict, his voice echoing throughout the tent: "This is a secret edict personally written by the late emperor, granting me the power to quell the rebellion and suppress the rebels."

He then raised the golden seal: "This is the seal of the General of the Flying Cavalry, personally bestowed by the late emperor. He is second only to the Three Dukes and is in charge of conquering rebellions."

He looked at Yuan Shu and said, word by word, "I, Ji Xuanyuan, have been ordered to quell the rebellion and am leading the allied forces. If General Gonglu wishes to leave the camp..."

He paused, his tone turning cold: "Do you disregard the late emperor's edict? Or do you treat the laws of the court as a joke?"

The tent was deathly silent.

Yuan Shu's face alternated between pale and flushed, and his clenched fist trembled slightly.

He finally remembered that the seemingly frail young man in front of him was not only the leader of the allied forces, but also the General of the Cavalry who held the late emperor's secret edict and commanded the military affairs of the northern frontier!

His power and influence far surpassed that of a mere rear general.

After a long silence, Yuan Shu sat down heavily, gritting his teeth, and said, "I... I misspoke."

Ji Xuanyuan put away the imperial edict and his expression softened: "In that case, let's put this matter aside. The most urgent task is to discuss a strategy to break through the pass."

He looked at Xu Chu: "General Zhongkang's slaying of Xu Rong greatly boosted our army's morale. He should be credited with the greatest merit, rewarded with ten gold pieces, and given ten fine horses."

He then looked at Liu Bei and said, "Lord Xuande's recommendation of a capable general is also a great contribution."

Liu Bei bowed and said, "Thank you, Alliance Leader."

The storm has subsided for now.

But everyone knows that the rifts within the coalition are growing ever deeper.

At Hulao Pass, Yuwen Chengdu received news of Xu Rong's death in battle, and his double pupils were filled with murderous intent.

"Father!" he pleaded again.

"I must avenge General Xu!"

Dong Zhuo slammed his fist on the table: "Excellent! Tomorrow, my son will personally lead a large army out of the pass! Let those rats from Guandong see what the number one warrior of Xiliang is all about!"