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

News of the great victory at Zhuojun spread like wildfire throughout Youzhou overnight.

Inside the residence of the Prefect of Guangyang Commandery, Liu Yan, the Governor of Youzhou, was pacing anxiously in the hall. This member of the Han imperial family was nearly fifty years old, and his well-maintained face was now covered with worry, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

On the large sandalwood table in front of him, a sheepskin map was spread out.

On the map, Cheng Yuanzhi's 50,000 Yellow Turban troops resembled a ferocious giant python, its head pointing directly at Zhuojun. If Zhuojun were lost, Guangyang County would be wide open, and Youzhou would be in grave danger!

"Report—"

A long report was given, and the scout staggered into the hall, his armor clanging as he knelt on one knee.

Liu Yan whirled around: "What? Has Zhuojun fallen?!"

"My lord! Great news! A great victory at Zhuojun!"

"What did you say?!" Liu Yan's teacup crashed to the ground with a clatter, shards of porcelain scattering everywhere, and scalding hot tea soaking the carpet.

The scout, his face flushed and his voice trembling with excitement, reported: "Ji Xuanyuan led two thousand righteous troops and utterly defeated Cheng Yuanzhi's fifty thousand rebel army in a valley thirty miles outside the city! Eight thousand were beheaded, over three thousand two hundred were captured, and four hundred warhorses were seized. Cheng Yuanzhi was killed on the spot!"

Liu Yan was stunned for a full three breaths.

Then he threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound shaking dust off the beams: "God bless the Han! God bless the Han!"

After laughing, he hurried forward to help the scout up: "Tell me the details! That Ji Xuanyuan... is he a disciple of Mr. Shui Jing, Sima Hui?"

He had heard of Ji Xuanyuan's name a few years ago, and was praised by Mr. Shui Jing, Sima Hui, as a "genius of all ages." However, he later heard that Ji Xuanyuan had gone into seclusion in the mountains due to poor health. He never expected that Ji Xuanyuan would appear in this Zhuojun!

"Exactly!" the scout replied.

"Among his eight generals, six were disciples of the grandmasters Tong Yuan and Li Yan, while the remaining two were also incredibly brave, each possessing the strength to withstand ten thousand men! It is said that the one who killed Cheng Yuanzhi in battle was a young general in white robes named Zhao Yun, wielding a silver spear, who charged single-handedly through the army of ten thousand men and pierced the enemy general's throat with a single thrust!"

"Two thousand to fifty thousand..." Liu Yan murmured repeatedly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

"What an achievement! Even if Wei Qing or Huo Qubing were resurrected, they couldn't have accomplished anything like this!"

He abruptly looked up: "Prepare the horses! No, prepare the carriages! I am going to Zhuojun personally to reward the three armies! Also prepare a hundred cartloads of cattle, sheep, wine, and meat, five hundred thousand coins, and three thousand bolts of cloth! Go immediately!"

"promise!"

The following morning, Liu Yan, accompanied by a large entourage and three hundred gleaming armored guards, marched towards Zhuojun with banners waving. Upon hearing the news, the people along the way flocked to the roads to watch and discuss the matter.

"I heard that General Ji is as handsome as an immortal!"

"More than that! His eight generals are all gods descended from heaven!"

"Two thousand against fifty thousand, and they still won! What else could they be but heavenly soldiers and generals?"

Outside the Xuanyuan army camp, the nine brothers were already lined up to welcome them.

When Liu Yan's carriage arrived at the camp gate, the curtain was lifted, and he stepped off the carriage onto a brocade bench. The first thing he saw was Ji Xuanyuan, dressed in white fox fur.

Even though he was mentally prepared, Liu Yan was still stunned for a moment by that peerless beauty.

The young man stood before the crowd, draped in a snow-white fox fur coat over a moon-white robe, with a jade belt around his waist. His face was as pale as cold jade, yet it could not conceal his extraordinary elegance, unlike anyone else in this world.

"This humble subject, Ji Xuanyuan, pays his respects to Lord Liu." Ji Xuanyuan bowed respectfully, his demeanor composed despite his frail health, his voice clear and melodious like a spring striking jade.

Liu Yan then came to his senses and quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying, "Nephew, there's no need for such formalities! You led the righteous army to a great victory over the bandits, protecting the borders and the people. You are a meritorious official of the Han Dynasty! You should be the one to bow to Liu Yan!"

After saying this, he actually went to bow, but Ji Xuanyuan quickly stepped aside and said, "Your Excellency is too kind to this humble subject."

His gaze swept over the eight people behind Ji Xuanyuan, and he was secretly alarmed again.

These eight men were all exceptionally brave and distinguished, each with their own unique bearing: the boy with double pupils wielded a large, jet-black halberd, its blade gleaming coldly; the red-faced, long-bearded man stood with his sword at his side, exuding an imposing aura without anger; the man with a leopard-like head and piercing eyes held an eighteen-foot-long spear, his voice booming like thunder; and then there was the young general in white robes and a silver spear, who, though the youngest, already possessed the aura of a war god...

"Fellow warriors, please accept Liu Yan's bow!" Liu Yan bowed solemnly.

Everyone quickly returned the greeting.

Zhang Fei grinned and said, "You're too kind, my lord! Killing a few petty thieves is nothing!"

Liu Yan laughed loudly: "Excellent! How generous! Men, bring up the provisions for the troops!"

Beef, mutton, wine, meat, money, grain, and cloth were continuously delivered to the camp.

Liu Yan then submitted a memorial to the court on the spot, requesting that Ji Xuanyuan be rewarded and temporarily appointed as "Commander of the Expeditionary Army". The other eight were all appointed as military commanders.

That night, Liu Yan hosted a banquet in his camp, enjoying wine and conversation with his nine brothers. After several rounds of drinks, a soldier suddenly rushed in with a report: "My lord! Urgent report from Qingzhou!"

A weary messenger knelt to present the official document.

Liu Yan unfolded it and his expression changed drastically.

"Gong Jing, the Prefect of Qingzhou, urgently requests assistance... The Yellow Turban rebels have besieged the city, and it is about to fall. He pleads with Youzhou to send troops to its aid..."

He looked up at Ji Xuanyuan, his eyes filled with hope: "Nephew, look at this..."

Ji Xuanyuan put down his wine cup, coughed twice, and slowly stood up: "My lord, the people of Qingzhou are suffering terribly. How can I sit idly by? I am willing to lead my troops to their rescue."

Liu Yan was overjoyed: "Excellent! I will allocate you five thousand troops, with Zou Jing as your deputy, and you shall immediately set out for Qingzhou!"

The banquet ended at 9 PM.

Inside the central command tent, the nine brothers sat around a brazier, the crackling charcoal fire casting flickering shadows on their faces.

"Brother, are you really going to Qingzhou?" Xiang Yu spoke first, his double pupils filled with worry. "Your health..."

"It's alright." Ji Xuanyuan waved his hand and coughed twice.

"This trip to Qingzhou presents an opportunity for our army to grow stronger. However..."

He glanced at the crowd: "This trip should not be too large. Yu Di, Yong Zeng, Feng Xian, the three of you will stay in Zhuojun."

"What?!" The three of them stood up at the same time.

Lü Bu was the first to shout, "Brother! I want to go with you!"

Although Ran Min did not speak, his cold and stern face was full of reluctance.

A struggle flashed in Xiang Yu's double pupils: "Brother, you can't be left unguarded..."

"It is precisely because I need guards that I am taking others with me," Ji Xuanyuan said with a smile.

"The three of you have more important matters to attend to."

He gestured for the three men to sit down and said slowly, "The three thousand two hundred young men captured this time are all strong and capable men. Brother Yu, you have the best command skills, so you will take charge. Select one thousand five hundred men from these prisoners and train them rigorously. Yongzeng, you are the most ruthless in training troops, so you will be in charge of training these one thousand five hundred men. In two months, I want to see an elite army."

"Fengxian," he said, looking at Lü Bu.

"You are different from Jingsi and Zongxing. You are not only brave but also skilled in cavalry warfare. You are responsible for building a cavalry unit with the four hundred warhorses you captured. You don't need many; train three hundred riders first, but they must be elite."

The three men looked at each other, still unwilling, but they had no choice but to obey their elder brother's orders.

"Brother, are we really going to take this job?" Zhang Fei scratched his head.

"We just finished a battle, and the brothers haven't had enough rest yet."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said, "Yide, you are mistaken. Reinforcements are needed as quickly as possible. If Qingzhou falls, the enemy's strength will only increase."

Li Cunxiao grinned and said, "What's there to be afraid of? Cheng Yuanzhi has already slaughtered 50,000 men. Now our forces are even stronger. Why should we fear those Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou?"

Yang Zaixing toyed with the gilded spear, the gilded patterns on the shaft flowing in the firelight: "I've heard that the people of Qingzhou are known for their fierceness. The Yellow Turban rebels should be a bit stronger than Cheng Yuanzhi's rabble, right?"

Ran Min suddenly looked up: "Brother, how strong are the five thousand soldiers Liu Yan gave us?"

Ji Xuanyuan coughed a few times, a sickly flush rising on his pale face: "Zou Jing's troops are considered the elite of Youzhou. But..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The key to our journey to Qingzhou lies with our own army."

Zhao Yun had been listening quietly until now, when he finally spoke: "Brother, the Yellow Turbans have besieged Qingzhou, and they must be heavily armed. Even with the addition of the Youzhou army, we only have about 7000 men. We are outnumbered and have been on a long march, so we should attack while they are exhausted..."

"Zilong's considerations are thorough." Ji Xuanyuan nodded approvingly.

"Therefore, we cannot fight this battle head-on."

He pointed to the map: "The main force of the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou is besieging the city, so their rear must be vulnerable. We can send an elite cavalry force to raid their supply lines. Without food, the enemy will inevitably fall into internal strife, and then we can launch a coordinated attack from within..."

"I'll go!" Zhang Fei and Li Cunxiao stood up at the same time.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes brimming with tension.

"Three hundred cavalrymen are enough for me. I'll definitely stab that Yellow Turban general three hundred times!" Zhang Fei said proudly.

Li Cunxiao scoffed, "Hmph, last time we fought Cheng Yuanzhi, you didn't even kill half as many as I did!"

"Bullshit! I only kill generals! You only kill small fry!"

"Even small fry are still heads! In war, what do you look at if not kills?"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Ji Xuanyuan coughed lightly: "Yide, Jingsi, sit down."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of authority.

Zhang Fei and Li Cunxiao sat back down, looking rather annoyed.

"On our way to Qingzhou, we must make a name for ourselves in our first battle." Ji Xuanyuan's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Therefore... I want Zilong to be the vanguard."

"Huh? It's me again?" Zhao Yun was taken aback.

"Not bad." Ji Xuanyuan smiled.

"You killed Cheng Yuanzhi. Your name is now the most famous. The Yellow Turban rebels are intimidated by the name 'Zhao Zilong'."

Yang Zaixing laughed heartily, "Zilong is amazing! He's become our trademark now!"

Guan Yu frowned: "Brother, Zilong is still young, why always put him in the most dangerous positions..."

"Don't worry, Yun Chang."

Ji Xuanyuan looked at Zhao Yun: "Zilong, tell me yourself, are you afraid?"

Zhao Yun straightened his back: "I'm not afraid!"

"Okay." Ji Xuanyuan nodded.

"Then it's settled. Zilong will lead 300 of his own troops as the vanguard, Zongxing as his deputy, Jingsi will lead 500 cavalry to attack the enemy's supply lines on both flanks, Yide will lead 1,000 soldiers to escort the supplies, Yunchang will stay with me to oversee the central army, and Zou Jing's 5,000 soldiers will be divided into front and rear divisions..."

The group accepted the order.

Ji Xuanyuan further instructed, "Remember, we are going to rescue people, not to massacre the city. There are many civilians among the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou who have been coerced. If they can surrender, let them surrender; if they can be spared, let them not be killed."

"Brother, you have a kind heart," Guan Yu exclaimed.

Ji Xuanyuan shook his head: "It's not about being kind-hearted, it's about having a long-term vision. In this chaotic world, people are the most precious resource."

He suddenly coughed violently, covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and when he removed it, there were dark red bloodstains on it.

"Big Brother!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

Ji Xuanyuan waved his hand and forced a smile, "It's an old ailment, nothing to worry about. You all go back and prepare, we'll break camp early tomorrow morning."

Everyone left the tent with heavy hearts, except for Xiang Yu, who silently poured water and handed medicine to Ji Xuanyuan.

"Brother Yu." Ji Xuanyuan took the medicine bowl, and the bitter taste of the medicine made him frown.

"You're going to have to go through this again."

Xiang Yu said in a muffled voice, "What are you saying, brother? If it weren't for you, we brothers would have starved to death in the mountains long ago."

Ji Xuanyuan smiled, but a complex emotion flashed in his eyes: "Sometimes I wonder if bringing you into this chaotic world was the right or wrong thing to do..."

"Of course it's right!" Xiang Yu said decisively.

"A true man is born into this world to achieve great deeds! Besides, my elder brother is going to save the people from suffering; this is a matter of righteousness!"

Looking at Xiang Yu's young and resolute face, Ji Xuanyuan felt somewhat relieved.

Yes, these brothers are all legendary figures, heroes or villains.

In this life, with my own guidance, I can avoid detours and regrets.

But... how much longer can my body hold out?

He dared not think too deeply about it, and simply drank the medicine and lay down to rest.

Outside the tent, the moonlight was like water.

Zhao Yun sat alone on the hillside, polishing his silver spear.

The blood on the tip of the gun had long been washed away, but he still felt he could smell the stench.

"What's wrong, can't sleep?" Yang Zaixing walked over and sat down next to him.

"Zongxing".

Zhao Yun said softly, "Tell me... is killing like this right or wrong?"

Yang Zaixing was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Zilong, what kind of question is that? We're killing thieves and saving civilians, how can that be wrong?"

"But among the Yellow Turban rebels, there were also many ordinary people who couldn't survive..."

"That's different."

Yang Zaixing said solemnly, "If you can't survive, you can flee the famine or beg, but you can't rob, kill, or harm more people. My elder brother said that there must be a bottom line in chaotic times. We take up weapons so that more people can live without weapons."

Zhao Yun remained silent for a long time before finally nodding: "I understand."

"Good that you understand!"

Yang Zaixing patted his shoulder: "Go to sleep early, we have to travel tomorrow. By the way, I feel there's something wrong with the seventh move of your Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear, 'Phoenix Nodding'. Let's spar a bit on the road tomorrow..."

The two talked as they walked toward the camp.

Inside another tent, Guan Yu was instructing Zhang Fei: "Yide, when we march tomorrow, you must keep your men in check. Zou Jing's troops are not from our ranks, so don't cause any trouble."

"I know, I know!"

Zhang Fei waved his hand impatiently: "Third Brother, you've said it three times already!"

Guan Yu glared: "I'm saying it three times because you never take it seriously! Last time in the battle against Cheng Yuanzhi, you charged too far ahead and almost got surrounded..."

"But Zilong saved me!"

"What if Zilong doesn't make it in time?"

The two brothers were bickering, but their words revealed a deep concern for each other.

That night, the soldiers in the camp were either excited, apprehensive, or homesick, but none of them knew that they were about to embark on a true road to legend.

At dawn the next day, the bugle sounded.

Seven thousand troops broke camp and rose up, banners waving and swords and spears like a forest.

Ji Xuanyuan, mounted on his horse, called out loudly, "Let's go!"

The army set off, raising clouds of dust.

Zou Jing rode alongside Ji Xuanyuan, watching the thin back of the white-clad youth, and secretly marveled: How could such a frail body command such a fierce army?