I, Zhou Cang, am the number one tank in the Three Kingdoms.

"I see General Liao as a heroic young man; why should he stoop to the level of a bandit?"

When Zhou Cang heard that the person in front of him was Liao Hua, who would later become a pillar of Shu, he belatedly realized that the keywords "north of Xuchang" and "two Yellow Turban rebels" had clearly given him clues long ago.

In the novel, Guan Yu had just escorted the two ladies a short distance north of Xuchang when he saw Zhang Liao chasing after them. He then let the two ladies go ahead in their carriages while he faced Cao Cao's farewell alone. After the formal departure, he could not find the two ladies no matter how hard he tried to chase them on the main road.

Just then, Liao Hua appeared before Guan Yu. It turned out that his companion Du Yuan had kidnapped the two ladies and brought them up the mountain, intending to humiliate them. After learning that they were Liu Bei's family members, Liao Hua killed Du Yuan, protected the two ladies, and waited for Guan Yu to arrive.

Liao Hua originally intended to escort Guan Yu all the way and follow him, but Guan Yu refused because of his identity as a remnant of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

He officially joined the Imperial Uncle's camp when Guan Yu was guarding Jingzhou. Later, during the Northern Expedition, he was entrusted with important responsibilities by the Prime Minister and eventually became the only witness to the entire process of the rise and fall of Shu Han.

It can be said that when Liao Hua first met Guan Yu, he had already gained the approval of the second wife. If he had been more resolute, Zhou Cang might not have been the first bodyguard following Guan Yu...

So when Zhou Cang realized that he had accidentally encountered Liao Hua, a feeling of mutual appreciation welled up in his heart.

While praising Liao Hua, Zhou Cang put down his Mo Dao and walked towards Liao Hua.

Sun Qian, of course, knew nothing of this. Seeing Zhou Cang's sudden change in attitude, Sun Qian simply assumed that Zhou Cang, being a man of passion, had become emotional again.

Liao Hua was also quite surprised. Du Yuan died in a way that was almost self-humiliating under this black-clad thug's blade, yet this guy didn't blame him, his accomplice, but instead praised him so highly...

However, Liao Hua was still young, and what young man would think so much when suddenly praised? Naturally, he was quite happy.

"I wonder where General Zhou is currently serving?" Liao Hua asked politely, bowing slightly as he looked at Zhou Cang walking towards him.

"In my early years, I mistakenly joined the Yellow Turbans and served under General Di Gong. After the Yellow Turbans were defeated, I became an outlaw in Woniu Mountain, Runan. Later, I met Zhang Yide, the third brother of Liu Bei, and am now a subordinate of Liu Bei." Zhou Cang introduced his experience in the simplest possible way.

When Liao Hua heard "mistakenly joined the Yellow Turbans" and "became an outlaw," he nodded in surprise. This fellow's experience was so similar to his own.

When they heard that Zhou Cang was "now a subordinate of Liu Bei," their eyes lit up. No wonder this brave man was so skilled!

I first heard of Liu Bei's fame when I was imprisoned by the Yellow Turbans. I learned that there was a force in the government army that was invincible, and no matter which rebel army it was, they would avoid it when they heard the name of Liu Bei.

The story of Liu Bei that I heard later was that when he was wandering the world, he learned that Liu Bei was not alone, but had two brothers. The three of them fought against Lü Bu, the Marquis of Wen, in the Battle of Hulao Pass, making all the other warlords pale in comparison.

Later, he became an outlaw in Xuchang, right under the emperor's nose, and learned from passersby about stories such as saving Xuzhou for the people, the emperor recognizing him as his uncle, and Cao Cao discussing heroes over wine.

Liao Hua was originally a scion of a fallen noble family, but he always harbored the desire to "meet a wise ruler and achieve great things".

Therefore, I was deeply moved by these stories, but I never expected that I would have the opportunity to meet the subordinates of the famous Liu Bei.

Thinking of this, Liao Hua was extremely excited and was about to kneel down to Zhou Cang to plead when he suddenly noticed Sun Qian, who had an extraordinary appearance, behind Zhou Cang. He then asked Zhou Cang, "General Zhou, may I ask who this gentleman is...?"

Zhou Cang chuckled sheepishly, "Alas, in my haste, I forgot to introduce him. This is Mr. Sun Qian, a subordinate of Liu Bei!"

Upon hearing this, Liao Hua, who had long heard of the Imperial Uncle's advisor, hurriedly dropped his iron spear and knelt before Zhou Cang and Sun Qian, saying, "General Zhou, Mr. Sun, I was young and ignorant, wandering the world without a wise ruler, and I was as anxious as a tree without roots. Today, I am fortunate to have met you two, and I feel as if the clouds have parted and the sun has risen!"

"I have long admired Your Majesty, and I humbly request that you two set aside past grievances and allow me to follow you. I am willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty, even unto death!"

After Liao Hua performed the grand salute, Zhou Cang realized that he might have been a little too hasty...

There was nothing wrong with recruiting talented people for the lord, but he was still inexperienced and had no say in the matter, so he quickly turned to look at Sun Qian.

Sun Qian was also somewhat at a loss. Everything had happened too suddenly. A bandit who had stolen a horse was killed by Zhou Cang, but his companion inexplicably received Zhou Cang's praise and then knelt down to ask to join him...

Although this person is young and a remnant of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there is a ready-made role model right in front of us.

Zhou Cang, also a remnant of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, won over everyone in a short time with his bravery and selflessness after joining the team.

Our lord is weak and isolated in Runan. It would be good to have more capable people. We might as well agree for now and let Yun Chang make the decision after we meet him.

Having made up his mind, Sun Qian quickly stepped forward and helped Liao Hua up, saying, "General Liao, please rise!"

"I understand your heartfelt words, General. I am also willing to recommend you to our lord. However, we both have important matters to attend to, and this matter still requires General Guan's approval." Sun Qian held Liao Hua's hand and explained the situation to him with a smile.

Liao Hua looked at Sun Qian with suspicion, then suddenly realized and asked, "Is it General Guan Yu, the Imperial Uncle's second brother who slew Yan Liang and Wen Chou?"

Zhou Cang nodded and said, "Exactly!"

Liao Hua then asked, "How come I heard that General Guan is currently at Cao Cao's camp at Guandu?"

Sun Qian said, "Yun Chang's surrender to Cao Cao was a desperate measure when he was unaware of our lord's whereabouts. Now that he knows our lord's whereabouts, he should already be in Xuchang bidding farewell to Cao Cao."

Liao Hua said, "Would Cao Cao agree to that?"

Zhou Cang said, "Brother Yuanjian, don't ask such details. I will explain it to you in detail after we have met General Guan."

I really don't want to start all over again...

Liao Hua nodded: "That's good. General Zhou, Mr. Sun, I still have five hundred soldiers in the mountains. I'll leave them to your command."

Zhou Cang and Sun Qian exchanged a glance. After a moment's hesitation, Sun Qian whispered, "Yuanjian, our mission is to escort Yun Chang and the two ladies of our lord to Runan. After all, this area is under Cao Cao's control. If these soldiers accompany us, it might be too conspicuous and cause trouble."

Liao Hua then understood the general situation. After thinking for a moment, he said, "In that case, why don't you two come with me to the mountains to rest for a while and have some food and drink? These five hundred men have been with me for a long time. I will distribute the money and provisions to them so that they can make a living."

Sun Qian nodded slightly after hearing this, and looked at Zhou Cang with some delight.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Cang was indeed a discerning judge of character; Liao Hua, though young, was a rare and responsible person.

Zhou Cang replied happily, "Very good, my stomach is just empty..." As he was speaking, his stomach rumbled very loudly.

Sun Qian and Liao Hua both burst into laughter, and then the group went up the mountain.

Liao Hua distributed all the money, grain, gold, and silk he had plundered from the mountains over the years to the people, and finally said, "I am now following the righteous path and originally intended to take you all with me, but due to the urgency of the situation, it is not permissible. Now, each of you should make a living and then disperse."

As Zhou Cang ate heartily, he watched Liao Hua appease the unwilling followers and couldn't help but think back to the time when he led the people of Woniu Mountain to the ancient city to join Zhang Fei.

Half an hour later, Sun Qian glanced at the sky and urged, "Yuanfu, Yuanjian, we mustn't delay our business. Let's prepare to depart!"

Zhou Cang and Liao Hua readily agreed.

The three of them, full of anticipation, sped off towards the south of Xudu City.