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

Liu Bei's army retreated to Yancheng, and Liu Yan officially took office as the magistrate of Yancheng County. Jianwu Colonel Chen Dao led 4,000 soldiers to continue to guard Yancheng, while Liao Hua followed the army back to Runan.

Upon returning to Runan, Xu Shu did not give any rest to the soldiers, but instead quickly assigned training tasks to the generals.

Zhou Cang continued to train the armored soldiers, expanding them back to a thousand men, and began to assemble and forge a Mo Dao (a type of long-handled sword) that was smaller and lighter than the one he used.

Having withstood the test of the great battle at Wancheng, Xu Shu believed that Zhou Cang's troops could play a remarkable role on any battlefield in the future.

Zhang Xiu won the trust of Liu Bei and Xu Shu through this battle. Although the Xiliang cavalry previously under Zhang Fei's command had dwindled to only 300 men, Xu Shu took it upon himself to put the battalion back under Zhang Xiu's command, expanding it to a thousand men.

In addition to leading the thousand veterans that Liu Bei had gathered since he started his rebellion in Runan, Zhang Fei also received 1,500 surrendered soldiers from Qingzhou. The Third Master's military management methods were perfectly suited to the Qingzhou soldiers.

All the new recruits were placed under the command and training of Liao Hua.

Mi Fang and Jian Yong were busy with the money and provisions for the horses.

Although they returned in triumph, Runan was in a state of full preparedness for war in order to deal with the impending chaos in the land.

After giving instructions on training the troops, Liu Bei and Xu Shu, along with Zhao Yun and five hundred soldiers, and a large number of valuable gifts, decided to visit Xiangyang City again on the eve of New Year's Day.

After Liu Biao and Liu Bei formed an alliance, the people of Yuzhou and Jingzhou had more frequent exchanges. Jian Yong ordered people to gradually widen the Funiu Mountain trail from Runan to Biyang, and the road gradually became suitable for small-scale military marches.

Compared to the traditional route, which detours through Nanyang to Jingzhou, this route takes about the same amount of time, at the fastest it will still take about twelve days, but the distance is halved.

Before departing, Xu Shu instructed Jian Yong: "On this journey to Jingzhou, I will have many affairs to attend to with our lord. If Cao Cao marches south to Yancheng, you may open this brocade bag and prepare a response."

After saying that, he handed a blue brocade pouch to Jian Yong.

"If there is a war in Huainan, open this brocade pouch to respond." After saying that, he took out another red brocade pouch.

After Jian Yong accepted the gift, the group officially set off.

In the depths of winter, heavy snow was falling.

Walking along the mountain path, Liu Bei couldn't help but look at Xu Shu and complain, "Sir, you keep saying that you are going to find a great sage on this trip, but you still refuse to reveal his name, which makes me very uneasy."

Xu Shu laughed and said, "It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you, my lord, but this man is very proud and compares himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. Let alone asking him to come out of seclusion, I can't even guarantee that you will get to see him."

Liu Bei asked in surprise, "How does this man's talent compare to yours and Shi Yuan's?"

Xu Shu said, "Compared to him, I am like a nag compared to a unicorn, or a crow compared to a phoenix—not worth mentioning. If it were Shi Yuan… I fear he would also be no match for him."

Liu Bei remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Is there really such a highly skilled person? Or is he merely a name without substance?"

Xu Shu nodded: "This man is a peerless genius. If he were to come out of seclusion, what need would my lord have to worry about the stability of the realm?"

Liu Bei was still not quite convinced. He sighed softly on horseback and then quickened his pace.

The heavy snow made the mountain roads extremely difficult to travel, and it took the group a full eighteen days to reach Xiangyang.

Before entering the city, Xu Shu repeatedly instructed Liu Bei: "My lord, when you enter Jingzhou to meet Liu Jingsheng, you must act as a guest general and not get involved in any internal affairs of Jingzhou. You must not arouse Liu Jingsheng's suspicion."

Liu Bei agreed, saying, "That's how it should be; I have my own plan."

Liu Biao once again lined up outside the city to greet them, but this time there were far fewer officials accompanying him than before.

Undoubtedly, Jingzhou has been influenced by Cao Cao's strategy of widely bestowing titles upon civil and military officials throughout the land, and has begun to align itself with different factions.

"Brother Xuande, you have rendered great service in defeating Cao Cao and recovering Nanyang in this battle!" Liu Biao seemed unaffected by Liu Bei's title of "Commander of the Military Affairs of Jing and Yu Provinces," and his gaze towards Liu Bei remained enthusiastic.

"Brother, you flatter me! It is my duty to share your burdens!" Liu Bei humbly bowed deeply to Liu Biao.

Liu Biao took Liu Bei's hand and led him to the carriage. While inspecting the soldiers, he praised, "With my virtuous brother here, I can be assured that there will be no worries about external affairs in Jingzhou."

Liu Bei sensed that Liu Biao's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, and quietly asked, "Brother, is there something troubling you?"

Liu Biao sighed and said, "This is not the place to talk. I will discuss this with you in detail later."

Xu Shu, who was standing behind the two, noticed that some of the civil and military officials in Jingzhou were looking at Liu Bei with a somewhat complicated expression.

The welcoming banquet was still exceptionally lavish, but separate rooms were specially prepared for the military officers. Zhao Yun was somewhat dissatisfied and looked at Xu Shu, but Xu Shu indicated that it was alright.

After a round of toasts and drinks, Liu Biao pulled Liu Bei aside into an inner room, dismissed the servants, and they talked intimately.

"Brother, are you troubled by the matter of recommending someone for a position?" Liu Bei asked directly.

"Exactly." Liu Biao frowned.

"I am submitting a memorial on behalf of my brother, Liu Biao, to recommend him as General of Chariots and Cavalry, but in reality..." Liu Bei mistakenly believed that the emperor had not approved his memorial on behalf of Liu Biao, which aroused Liu Biao's dissatisfaction.

"I understand your good intentions, but that's not the case," Liu Biao interrupted.

"Oh?" Liu Bei asked in surprise, then quickly explained, "It is not my wish to oversee the military affairs of Jing and Yu provinces..."

Liu Biao shook his head again.

Seeing that Liu Bei was puzzled, Liu Biao took out two bamboo slips from the side of the table and handed them to Liu Bei.

When Liu Bei opened it, he was shocked. The letter advised Liu Biao to sever ties with Liu Bei and submit to Cao Cao. It was signed by Han Song, Liu Xian, Fu Xun, and Wang Can, with a total of twenty-one signatures.

However, after carefully examining all the signatures, Liu Bei found that there were no signatures from the Kuai brothers or Cai Mao's family, which reassured him somewhat.

Undoubtedly, Cao Cao's bestowal of the title "Taipu" upon Han Song, Liu Biao's most "pro-Cao" subordinate, caused a sensation among the gentry of Jingzhou, as this was a high-ranking official among the Nine Ministers.

In front of Liu Biao, Han Song stood up even straighter.

This memorial, advising Liu Biao to separate from Liu Bei and submit to the imperial court, was Han Song's reply to Cao Cao.

Fu Xun was a close friend of Han Song and their relationship was very close. Naturally, he followed suit and jointly submitted a memorial. Liu Xian, as Han Song's former superior and the Prefect of Jingzhou, led a group of aristocratic families like Wang Can who wanted to "advance" quickly and also left his name.

Liu Biao sighed and said, "Now, people like Han Song are willing to collude with traitors and speak ill of my virtuous brother, but I am helpless to do anything about it."

Liu Bei remained silent, then suddenly remembered Xu Shu's instructions before entering the city. He quickly waved his hand and replied, "As the ruler of Jingzhou, you, brother, will have your own judgment. I am but a guest general, and it is inconvenient for me to participate in this matter. I hope you will understand."

Seeing Liu Bei's humble demeanor, and knowing that even when directly targeting him, he showed no intention of interfering in Jingzhou's internal affairs, Liu Biao revealed a barely perceptible smile. However, he quickly added with a worried expression, "If it were in the past, if Han Song had uttered such arrogant words, I would have certainly dismissed him and imprisoned him. But now... alas."

Liu Bei then smoothly changed the subject, saying, "Cao Cao's actions may plunge the world into chaos; brother, you should take precautions as soon as possible."

Liu Biao asked, "Brother, are you referring to Jiangdong?"

Liu Bei said, "Indeed, I have heard that Cao Cao posthumously conferred upon Sun Jian the titles of General of Chariots and Cavalry and Prince Huan of Changsha. This move will surely cause Jiangdong to rise up in war again."

Liu Biao nodded and said, "What you say makes sense, my brother. Tomorrow I will order Huang Zu to intensify the training of the navy in preparation for the Jiangdong bandits."

After Liu Biao tested the waters and received a satisfactory answer, he soon took Liu Bei's hand and walked out of the inner room, chatting and laughing.

Seeing this, Xu Shu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Back at his residence, Liu Bei told Xu Shu everything about Liu Biao's probing.

Xu Shu said, "This shows that Liu Jing Sheng is already wary of our lord."

Liu Bei asked, "What should we do?"

Xu Shu lowered his head and thought for a moment before replying, "I'll just pretend I don't know."

"Han Song, Fu Xun, Wang Can, and others all have the intention to betray their master for personal gain. If Jing Sheng..." Liu Bei said worriedly.

"My lord, there is no need to worry. Jing Sheng is not a weak man. As long as Jing Sheng trusts you, they will have no chance to take advantage of us," Xu Shu comforted him.

Liu Biao's probing did not end there. On Kuai Liang's advice, Liu Biao invited Liu Bei to the council hall the next day to participate in the discussion of all matters concerning Jingzhou.

To Kuai Liang's surprise, Liu Bei not only remained silent throughout the entire meeting, but later even dozed off and nearly yawned, causing much discussion among the officials and commoners of the state.

Liu Biao was very satisfied with Liu Bei's performance, while Liu Bei recalled the days when he lived under someone else's roof in Xuchang, growing vegetables every day to hide his ambitions.

After several days, Liu Biao finally felt reassured by Liu Bei's lack of interest in Jingzhou's internal affairs and stopped testing him.

Xu Shu finally had the opportunity to take Liu Bei and Zhao Yun out to seek out famous scholars.

The three arrived at a village outside Xiangyang City. After passing through a grove of trees, they came to a manor house surrounded by mist, as if they were in a fairyland.

The area in front of the village was completely covered by snow that had fallen two days prior, with not a single footprint in sight, indicating that the villagers had been staying indoors for quite some time.

"Is this the place where the strategist said the master lived?" Liu Bei asked curiously.

"No, this is an old friend of mine. His surname is Sima, his given name is Hui, his courtesy name is Decao, and his Taoist name is Mr. Shuijing. My lord, please come with me, and you will know him at a glance," Xu Shu said with a smile.

After the three dismounted, they slowly walked to the door. Before they could knock, a young boy opened the door and, seeing Xu Shu, said happily, "Master Yuanzhi, my master has been waiting for you for a long time."

Xu Shu nodded, and the boy then looked at Liu Bei and asked, "General, you must be Liu Xuande."

Liu Bei was greatly surprised and said, "Master Shui Jing knows we are coming without ever leaving his house. He is truly a celestial being."

After the three followed the child into the courtyard, they found it covered in pine trees, bamboo, and artificial rocks, all dressed in silver. An old man with white hair approached them; he was tall and slender, with an extraordinary bearing.

"I have long admired your great name, and seeing you today, I can confirm your heroic bearing," the old man said, bowing to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, "Only today, having met you, sir, have I come to know the appearance of an immortal."

The old man smiled and welcomed the three into the house.

Xu Shu and Sima Hui were old friends, so Xu Shu was naturally more relaxed. After exchanging pleasantries, Sima Hui asked, "General, you have just won a great victory against Cao Cao. Why didn't you celebrate in Xiangyang? Why have you come here?"

Xu Shu interjected, "I insisted on bringing my lord here, which has caused quite a disturbance. Please forgive me, Mr. De Cao."

Sima Hui pointed at Xu Shu and said with a smile, "When you came here last time, you consulted me about Shi Yuan's decision to leave the mountain. I'm afraid there won't be any good news this time either."

Xu Shu smiled and lowered his head: "I can't hide it from you, sir. The reason I came to Jingzhou this time is to invite that person to come out of seclusion."

Sima Hui suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is."

Liu Bei looked at the two riddle-solving men with a blank expression.

"Is Shiyuan doing well under your guidance, sir?" Sima Hui suddenly looked at Liu Bei.

"Mr. Shiyuan is currently in Hefei, planning the foundation for our ten-year endeavor," Liu Bei replied.

"Yes, very good. With both Yuanzhi and Shiyuan available, why does Your Excellency insist on seeking that other person out of seclusion?"

"Uh..." Liu Bei had no idea who Sima Hui was referring to.

Seeing Liu Bei's hesitant manner, Sima Hui laughed and said, "With either the Crouching Dragon or the Young Phoenix, one can bring peace to the world."

Liu Bei suddenly realized and asked, "Isn't Phoenix Chick Master Shi Yuan? Then who is Crouching Dragon?"

Sima Hui smiled and said nothing more, while Xu Shu explained, "Fulong is Zhuge Liang, courtesy name Kongming, a descendant of Zhuge Feng, the Commandant of the Capital Region during the Han Dynasty."

"His father's name was Gui, courtesy name Zigong, and he served as the Prefect of Taishan Commandery. He died young; Liang followed his uncle Xuan."

"Xuan had a past relationship with Liu Jingsheng of Jingzhou, so he went to rely on him and settled down in Xiangyang."

After Xuan died, Liang and his brother Zhuge Jun lived a secluded life farming in Nanyang.

"The place where he lived had a hill called Wolong Hill, so he called himself 'Master Wolong'."

As Liu Bei listened to Xu Shu's introduction, his curiosity grew. Just as he was about to ask more questions, he suddenly saw Sima Hui sitting upright with his eyes closed, his white hair rising without wind, muttering incantations, and calculating with his fingers.

After a moment, Sima Hui opened his eyes slightly and smiled, then picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

Xu Shu quickly asked, "Mr. Decao, how is it?"

Sima Hui laughed and said, "Indeed, it was a stroke of luck, hehehehe."

Xu Shu was overjoyed and, with a touch of excitement, bowed and said, "Thank you, sir."

Sima Hui waved his hand: "We are old friends, there's no need for such formalities. I'm already feeling a bit sleepy today, so I won't keep you any longer."

Upon hearing this, the three hurriedly rose and bowed. Seeing Sima Hui flick his sleeves and enter the inner room, Xu Shu then led Liu Bei and Zhao Yun away.

"What does the immortal sage predict?" Liu Bei asked Xu Shu impatiently as soon as he set off on his long journey.

Xu Shu did not answer directly, but said, "When I invited Shi Yuan to come out of seclusion in the past, I also came here to ask you, sir. You only said that the right time, the right place, and the right people are all three, and we have already achieved two of them, but we are lacking the right time."

Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said, "So, if we invite Mr. Zhuge Liang to come out of seclusion this time, we'll have all three advantages: opportune timing, favorable location, and popular support?"

Xu Shu muttered to himself, "The master said, 'There is indeed a fortunate opportunity.' I hope so."

Liu Bei then asked, "What did you mean when you said last time that you only lacked the right timing to invite Shi Yuan?"

Xu Shu looked at the sky where snowflakes were slowly falling again and said, "I don't know. When I pressed him for an answer, he only said that heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. My lord, let's return to the city first."

When the three of them returned to Liu Biao's villa in the heavy snow, an envoy had been waiting for them for a long time.

Upon seeing Liu Bei, the messenger quickly took out a letter and handed it over: "My lord, this is an urgent letter from Mr. Jian Yong."

Xu Shu felt a sense of foreboding and reached out to snatch the bamboo slips to examine them.

"Urgent report from Hefei: Sun Quan's troops have marched out of Chaohu, Zhang Xun has moved south from Shouchun, and Deputy General Chen Lan and Lei Bo have rebelled. Hefei is in grave danger! I have already followed your instructions and dispatched Zhou Cang and Liao Hua with troops to Hefei immediately. This is to inform you!"

"Clatter!" The bamboo slip in Xu Shu's hand suddenly fell to the ground.

"But the timing is probably not ideal... Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed." Sima Hui's words suddenly echoed in Xu Shu's mind.

Shi Yuan... his life is in danger!