Traveling back in time to Liu Feng, starting with rescuing soldier Guan Yu.

On the Han River, the firelight reflected on the surface, turning half the river crimson. The Xiangyang water fortress had been reduced to ruins in Deng Ai's great fire. Burning shipwrecks lay scattered on the shore, charred fragments of fences floated downstream, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of burning tung oil and wood.

Before the troops sent by Lü Chang to surround the ferry crossing could arrive, they were blocked by the towering fire and could only watch helplessly as Fancheng on the other side of the river changed hands.

Liu Feng's army landed at Fancheng amidst these ruins! There was no rain of arrows, no siege stones, and not even a single Cao army soldier stood guard on the shore. The piers of the water fortress had been burned to charcoal, so the Shu Han soldiers simply waded ashore from the shallows, their boots crunching softly in the muddy water mixed with charcoal ash. More than a thousand men had landed within half an hour and formed ranks inside the water gates of Xiangyang City.

Liu Feng reined in his horse on the riverbank, gazing at the flames and thick smoke rising from Xiangyang City.

This important town of Jingzhou was like a boiling pot. The fire spread from the south to the north, and from the east to the west, with billowing black smoke rising into the sky, completely obscuring the stars and moon.

In the streets and alleys, the cries of the people, the shouts of the defending soldiers, and the shouts of Deng Ai's scattered soldiers as they set fires everywhere were all mixed together, making it impossible to distinguish between the enemy and ourselves.

"That lad Deng Ai," Kou Wei said, riding closer to Liu Feng with heartfelt praise, "has turned Xiangyang into a complete mess."

Liu Feng didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

Just then, Ma Liang rode up from the rear and reined in his horse beside Liu Feng. He looked up at the outline of Xiangyang City, his gaze sweeping over the flames and thick smoke, finally settling on a higher spot in the north of the city. There, a row of mansion rooftops could be vaguely seen; although they were also affected by the thick smoke, they had not yet been affected by the fire because of their high location.

"Deputy General," Ma Liang pointed to the mansion, "that was the former residence of Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou."

Liu Feng looked in the direction he was pointing.

"When Liu Jingsheng was alive, he built his mansion on a high slope north of Xiangyang City." Ma Liang's voice was steady and firm, with the composure of a local. "Standing on the watchtower in the mansion, one can overlook the streets, city gates, water fortresses, and even the Han River ferry. Back then, Liu Jingsheng stood on that watchtower to command the city's troops and resist the invasion of the Sun family of Jiangdong."

He turned to look at Liu Feng, his gaze calm: "Xiangyang has not seen a major battle for several years, and the layout of the city's streets and alleys has not changed much from back then. I lived in this city when I was young, and I still remember every alley and every gate."

Liu Feng and Ma Liang exchanged a glance and instantly understood the meaning behind his words.

"Take over the governor's mansion," Liu Feng said succinctly.

Ma Liang nodded: "With the governor's mansion captured, Xiangyang's defenses will be as blind as if they were blind, utterly powerless to resist."

Liu Feng no longer hesitated. He immediately selected eight hundred elite troops, ordering Kou Wei to lead the Fengzi Battalion to clear the way, with Ma Liang leading the way, while he himself led the main force closely behind. The army entered the city and quickly advanced along the streets and alleys pointed out by Ma Liang.

The streets of Xiangyang were not very wide to begin with, and now they were packed with fleeing civilians and scattered defenders. Ma Liang, however, always managed to find those quiet alleys and side streets, leading eight hundred elite troops like a sharp knife, bypassing the congested main streets and heading straight for the high slope in the north of the city.

Seven years have passed.

He had been away from Xiangyang for seven years, but he dreamed of recapturing the city! Every bluestone slab under his feet, every corner of the alleyway, was as clear as if etched into his bones. He could even point out which alley led to which city gate with his eyes closed.

This is the value of the people of Xiangyang.

Eight hundred elite troops pierced through thick smoke and flames, through chaos and screams, and approached the governor's mansion at top speed.

Lü Chang had already climbed the watchtower.

His armor was covered in tobacco ash, a corner of his cloak was burned off, and a bloody mark was licked from his face by the flames. But this veteran general, who had followed Cao Ren in guarding Jingzhou for many years, stood straight as an iron pillar nailed to the watchtower.

Below the watchtower, Xiangyang City was in complete chaos. Deng Ai's troops were still setting fires and shouting battle cries throughout the city. The defending forces had been cut off from each other and were fighting independently, with some even beginning to collapse. Meanwhile, from the direction of the water gate, the Shu Han army was pouring into the city in an endless stream, the sounds of battle growing ever closer.

"General!" The lieutenant stumbled up the watchtower. "The Shu army has entered the water gate! Our army cannot mount an effective resistance, the fires in the city are out of control, and communication between the battalions has been severed! General, retreat!"

Lü Chang did not look at him.

He gazed at the flames and black tide surging from the direction of the water gate, and at the approaching Liu banner, and slowly drew his long sword from his waist.

"Pass on the order." His voice was hoarse but steady. "Contract all available troops and rely on the governor's office for defense. Tell the brothers that the General Who Conquers the South is still in Fancheng. As long as we hold out until the General returns to reinforce, Xiangyang will not fall."

The lieutenant opened his mouth, wanting to say that the general was probably in grave danger, but when he met Lü Chang's gaze, he ultimately didn't speak, clasped his hands in greeting, and left to accept the order.

Lü Chang gripped his sword hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white. He knew he was gambling on an almost impossible outcome, but he was Lü Chang, the Cao Wei general defending Xiangyang. A general's duty was to defend the city, not to abandon it.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps echoed through the streets and alleys outside the governor's mansion.

Lu Chang looked up and his pupils suddenly contracted.

In the firelight, a large banner bearing the character "Liu" appeared first, rounding the street corner. Beneath the banner stood a general in crimson robes and black armor, a severed head protruding from his spear. The head was clearly visible in the firelight—it was Cao Ren.

Liu Feng reined in his horse in the open space in front of the governor's mansion, raised his spear high, and the head of Cao Ren on the spear tip was particularly conspicuous in the firelight.

"Cao Ren is dead!" Liu Feng shouted, his voice booming through the surrounding noise, echoing above the governor's mansion. "Fancheng has fallen! Those who surrender will be spared!"

Behind him, eight hundred elite soldiers chanted in unison: "Cao Ren is dead! Fancheng has fallen! Those who surrender will be spared!"

The roar surged like a tidal wave, crashing against the walls of the governor's mansion. The Cao army soldiers, who were tightening their defenses, halted in their tracks. They stared at the head on the spear, at that familiar face, and their weapons began to tremble.

The General Who Conquered the South is dead.

Fancheng has fallen.

Then what are they still guarding here for?

The news of the death of Cao Cao's supreme commander on the southern front spread among Cao Cao's soldiers like a terrible plague, as shocking as when Xiahou Yuan, the commander on the western front, was killed in battle by Huang Zhong, and perhaps even more so.

Cao Ren's reputation even surpasses that of Xiahou Yuan!

The first knife fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Then came the second, the third, the tenth. The Cao army soldiers looked at each other, seeing the same despair and relief in each other's eyes. Some silently laid down their weapons and knelt on the ground, while others turned and fled into the dark streets, never to return.

The army collapsed like a landslide.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the outer defenses of the governor's mansion crumbled. Liu Feng's eight hundred elite troops encountered almost no significant resistance and advanced to the gates of the mansion.

But inside the mansion gates, the glint of swords still shone.

Lü Chang did not surrender. He led his last thirty-odd personal guards into the main hall of the governor's mansion, sealed the gate from the inside, built makeshift fortifications with tables and chairs, and aimed his bows and arrows at the gate.

When Captain Kou led his Fengzi Battalion to break down the gate, they were met with a dense hail of arrows. The three Fengzi Battalion soldiers at the forefront fell instantly. Captain Kou raised his shield to deflect two arrows and shouted sharply, "Archers! Fire!"

Arrows poured in through the broken doorway, and several muffled groans echoed from inside the main hall. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kou Wei led his men in and engaged in close combat with the remaining Cao army guards in the narrow hall.

That was a true struggle of a cornered beast.

None of Lü Chang's personal guards surrendered. They either fell to the sword, were pierced by crossbow bolts, or perished along with the charging Shu Han soldiers. More than thirty men fell one after another until only Lü Chang remained.

Lu Chang leaned against the wall deep inside the main hall, gripping his sword with both hands, the tip aimed at the approaching soldiers of the Fengzi Camp. His armor was already damaged in several places, and a crossbow bolt had pierced his left leg, blood dripping from his leg armor onto the floor tiles. But his hands were as steady as a rock, the tip of his sword not trembling in the slightest.

The soldiers of the Fengzi Battalion stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the entrance.

Liu Feng stepped across the threshold and entered the main hall. He still carried the long spear in his hand, the tip of which bore the severed head of Cao Ren, and dried blood still clung to the blade. He stopped ten paces away from Lü Chang and sized up the blood-soaked Cao Wei general.

"Lu Chang," Liu Feng spoke, his voice as steady as ice, "your soldiers have all surrendered, and your city has been lost. Lay down your sword, and you may escape death."

Lü Chang did not answer. His gaze swept past Liu Feng and looked out of the main hall. Looking out from the doorway, he could see the firelight outside the governor's mansion, the Liu family banners fluttering on the walls of Xiangyang, and the fact that the city he had guarded for years had completely changed hands.

Then he looked away and turned to Liu Feng.

"My lord is in the north." Lü Chang's voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "I must not be allowed to die facing south."

There was a moment of silence in the main hall.

Liu Feng looked into Lü Chang's eyes and saw no fear, no hesitation, only a stubbornness that ran deep in his bones.

Liu Feng remained silent for a moment, then picked up a long sword that someone had dropped at his feet and gently kicked it. The blade slid across the brick surface, making a screeching sound, before finally stopping at Lü Chang's feet.

Lü Chang glanced down at the knife, then looked up at Liu Feng. Their eyes met for a moment, and Lü Chang suddenly smiled—the kind of relieved smile unique to the dying. He discarded his longsword, bent down to pick up the longsword, used it as a support, and slowly turned around.

He was facing north.

Xuchang. King of Wei. Homeland.

Lü Chang gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, holding the blade horizontally in front of his neck. He glanced one last time at the northern horizon, obscured by thick smoke, where nothing could be seen. But his gaze seemed to pierce through the smoke, through the clouds, landing on his homeland a thousand miles away.

He let out a long sigh.

The blade grazed the throat.

Lu Chang stood upright for a moment, then fell backward, crashing heavily onto the cold floor tiles of the main hall. Blood gushed from his neck, spreading along the cracks in the tiles like a dark red flower blooming in the gloom.

The room was completely silent.

Kou Wei sheathed his sword, stared at Lü Chang's corpse, remained silent for a long time, and then whispered, "He was a real man."

Liu Feng did not reply. He turned and walked out of the main hall, standing on the steps of the governor's mansion, looking down at Xiangyang City. The fires in the city were still burning, but the shouts of battle had gradually subsided. Ma Liang was directing the follow-up troops to take over the city gates and armories, and Shu Han flags were being raised on the city walls, replacing the Cao Wei banners.

Xiangyang, the former capital of Jingzhou under Liu Biao's rule, has changed hands again after many years and the Liu family's banner has been raised once more!

Liu Feng raised his head and looked towards the highest point of the watchtower.

"Lu Chang was loyal and righteous, truly a remarkable man. His body was collected and given a proper burial in the northern mountains outside Xiangyang City."

After saying that, he strode towards the watchtower.