New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

(Today is June 16th. It's not the author's death anniversary, but rather the author's birthday!)

(Bring a larger cup. All of you, drink from this cup and let us raise a toast!)

(I share this joy with you all, wishing you all to remain forever 18-year-old generals, to make a fortune immediately, and for everything to go smoothly!)

(Of course, I won't forget to write even on my birthday!)

The following is the main text.

.......

Sun Ce felt a burning heat all over his body and his eyes turned bloodshot.

He brandished his claws, slashing down one after another, and the soldiers of Jingzhou fell in droves, yet he felt no fatigue whatsoever.

Arrows pierced his entire body—his head, shoulders, and chest—making him look like a hedgehog, yet he seemed completely oblivious to the pain, charging forward with only blood in his eyes.

On the other side, the cunning tiger, holding Sun Quan, gripped the rock wall tightly with its sharp claws and leaped onto the top of the cliff.

As soon as it placed Sun Quan on the ground, its entire body shuddered violently, and the light in its eyes went out suddenly, like a candle blown out by the wind.

Sun Jian breathed his last. The monstrous tiger that had fought alongside him for many years also fell with its master's passing, its massive body crashing onto the crimson earth, never to rise again.

Sun Quan knelt beside the lifeless Guihu, then looked up at the corpses of the Jingzhou soldiers soaked in blood on the ground. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind.

Huang Zu brandished his spear and thrust it fiercely at Sun Quan. Sun Quan's pupils contracted sharply, and before he could react, a white figure blocked his way.

Sun Ce swatted the weapon out of Huang Zu's hand with a claw, then flipped him to the ground. Several Jiangdong soldiers behind him deactivated their supernatural powers and rushed forward, pinning him to the ground.

When the surrounding Jingzhou troops saw that General Huang Zu had been captured and Cai Mao had long since disappeared, they had no will to fight anymore.

Some people threw down their weapons and turned to run, shouting as they ran, "Run! Run!" This shout caused the entire battlefield to collapse, and the Jingzhou army retreated like a tide.

Suddenly, the sound of oars striking the water came from the river. The Jiangdong warship had changed course sometime earlier and was slowly heading towards Jingzhou. Cai Mao stood on the deck, hands behind his back, watching the receding cliffs, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Han Dang was the first to realize something was wrong. He staggered to the edge of the cliff and turned back to Sun Ce, shouting hoarsely, "My lord! Something terrible has happened! The Jingzhou army has taken our lord away!"

Sun Ce turned around abruptly, ignoring the remaining Jingzhou soldiers still fighting beside him, and ran desperately toward the edge of the cliff.

He rushed to the edge of the cliff and saw the warship carrying his father's body sailing further and further away. He cried out in desperation, his voice almost hoarse, "Father! Father!"

He had half his body hanging over the edge of the cliff, and if Cheng Pu hadn't grabbed him from behind, he probably would have jumped off.

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang rushed forward simultaneously. They knew their young master's temperament all too well.

If he hadn't been stopped, he really would have dared to jump off that cliff and fight the entire ship full of Jingzhou soldiers alone in the water.

Sun Ce ran wildly along the cliff edge, trying to catch up with the warship. The three of them shouted at the top of their lungs, "Young master, don't chase! Young master, come back! There's danger!"

Sun Quan, clutching the Imperial Seal, stumbled and ran behind.

Corpses littered the ground, and blood stained the entire area a dark red. As Sun Ce ran, he tripped over a corpse and fell heavily to the ground.

He immediately scrambled to his feet, about to continue the chase, when Cheng Pu caught up from behind and grabbed him tightly from behind: "Young Master, don't chase after him!"

At this point, Sun Ce's arrogance had reached its peak, and his mind was filled with nothing but wildness.

He struggled to break free from Cheng Pu's arms, but before he could take two steps, Huang Gai and Han Dang caught up and pounced on him from both sides, tightly hugging his waist.

Sun Ce struggled desperately, but Huang Gai grabbed his left hind leg and Han Dang grabbed his right hind leg. Before he could run two steps, he was tripped and fell to the ground by the two of them.

He ignored the pain and struggled, lying on the ground, watching the ferry recede further and further into the distance on the river, crying out in anguish, "Father! Father!"

Sun Quan finally caught up. He knelt down in front of Sun Ce with a thud, raising the Imperial Seal of the State high in his hands, the seal gleaming with an eerie red light in his palms.

He cried out hoarsely, "Brother! Stop chasing them! Calm down! Father entrusted you with this before he died, telling you to protect Jiangdong! Otherwise, he won't rest in peace in the afterlife! Brother!"

Sun Ce stared blankly at the ferryboat on the river, now just a tiny black dot. He stopped struggling, lying prone in the pool of blood, head tilted back to the sky, letting out a roar that shook the mountains:

"father!"

Not long after, Sun Ce led the remaining defeated troops back to the cave where they had previously held talks.

He was covered in blood, his hair disheveled, sitting on a rock, staring blankly at the ground in front of him, as if his soul had been ripped away.

Cheng Pu and Huang Gai walked forward slowly and said in a low voice, "Young Master, the soldiers have packed up and can set off back to Jiangdong."

Sun Ce slowly raised his head, his lips moving several times before he murmured, "My father's body...has still not been found. As his son, how can I face my mother? How can I face the elders of Jiangdong?"

Cheng Pu sighed, "Things have come to this, we can only lead the army back to Jiangdong for now. We'll regroup later and settle accounts with that old scoundrel Liu Biao!"

Sun Ce shook his head, his resolve unwavering: "I swear I will never return to Jiangdong until I find my father's body."

Huang Gai thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "My lord, I have a plan. General Huang Zu of Jingzhou has been captured by you. Why don't we use him to exchange for our lord's body? However, we need someone to act as an envoy, taking Huang Zu to negotiate peace with Liu Biao. Only then can we succeed."

Sun Ce suddenly stood up and said sternly, "I'm going!" He took a step and walked out, but Cheng Pu and Huang Gai stepped forward to stop him.

Cheng Pu said urgently, "Young Master, you mustn't! You are now the ruler of Jiangdong, you absolutely cannot risk your life!" He sighed, "I'll go instead."

Sun Ce shook his head: "I am my father's eldest son. If I don't go, how can Liu Biao believe in our sincerity in negotiating peace? Get out of the way!"

With tears welling in his eyes, Cheng Pu said, "What if they kill you? They've already killed our lord, and they're eager to eliminate any future threats!"

Just then, a young yet resolute voice rang out from the corner. Sun Quan, his face streaked with tears, stood up, looked at Sun Ce, and said, word by word, "Brother, I'll go!"

Sun Ce turned his head blankly, looking at the small figure who was standing straight with tears still on his face.

Sun Quan met his gaze and said, word by word, "I am also my father's son. Moreover, I have my grandfather, Tianyi, protecting me. If I go to negotiate peace with Liu Biao, I am sure to succeed."

Sun Ce shook his head, his voice hoarse and weary: "No. How can I let a child like you do this?"

Huang Gai stepped forward and said solemnly, "Young Master, I believe that what Young Master Quan said is absolutely right."

"First, he is the lord's son, and sending him on this mission demonstrates Jiangdong's sincerity."

"Secondly, as long as you, the eldest son, are still alive, Liu Biao would never dare to harm the second son. He fears both your future revenge and the wrath of all the warlords in the land."

"Thirdly, Young Master Quan had already seen through Liu Biao's scheme, but unfortunately, our lord did not listen to him at the time, which led to today's disaster. This shows that Young Master Quan is far-sighted and wise. Having him on the mission is actually the safest option."

Sun Ce's gaze swept back and forth between his younger brother and the two veteran generals, his voice full of struggle: "But...but Quan'er is only nine years old."

Sun Quan suddenly raised his head and said loudly and passionately, "So what if I'm nine years old! That old scoundrel Liu Biao, wouldn't he be surprised to see a nine-year-old like me? Would he dare to lay a finger on me? Does he think he's afraid of a little kid like me?"

Huang Gai clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and praised, "Young Master Quan is well said; every word hits the nail on the head. With your talent and wisdom, this mission is sure to be a success!"

Sun Ce remained silent for a long time before finally walking slowly to Sun Quan's side.

He reached out his hand, which was still covered in blood, and gently stroked Sun Quan's long, disheveled hair. He lowered his head and said in a voice so soft that only the two of them could hear, "Second brother, please take care."

Sun Quan clasped his hands in a fist salute, his gaze unwavering: "I obey!"

Sun Ce suddenly turned around and shouted sternly at Cheng Pu and Huang Gai:

"Cheng Pu, Huang Gai! I order you two to lead all the soldiers and ambush Sun Quan near the Jingzhou camp. If anything happens to Quan, we will storm in and slaughter every living thing in Jingzhou!"

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Cao Cao was discussing military affairs with Cao Ren when suddenly his face turned pale, his brows furrowed, and he involuntarily pressed one hand to his chest.

Seeing this, Cao Ren quickly stepped forward and took his arm, asking, "Brother, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Cao Cao paused for a moment before slowly shaking his head and sighing, "Sun Jian is dead. His soul has been ripped from my body."

He gazed at the somber horizon in the distance, a rare hint of melancholy appearing in his eyes. "What a pity, what a lament. A hero has come to an end. Surely, his soul has already departed for the realm of destiny, awaiting the next reincarnation."

Cao Ren frowned, his face full of confusion: "Brother, what is the Destiny Trick? I've never heard you mention it before."

Cao Cao sighed, withdrew his gaze, and slowly said, "It's a long story, but to make it short..."

"The Fateful Ghost is the first ghost to be born after the arrival of the supernatural in this world."

"It governs everyone's destiny. Whenever an external force attempts to change someone's predetermined fate, the Destiny Curse will step in to correct it. It also has a name you are more familiar with: the Fate Curse."

Cao Ren felt a chill run down his spine and pressed on, "Then, brother, if I knowingly defy fate and insist on going against it, refusing to follow the path destiny has laid out for me, what will happen?"

Cao Cao chuckled, looking at Cao Ren's serious expression, and shook his head: "Is it possible that your so-called going against the grain is actually part of fate?"

Cao Ren was stunned and speechless. Cao Cao raised his head, looked up at the sky above, and lowered his voice, as if talking to himself: "Fate is unchangeable. The will of Heaven cannot be defeated."

He paused, a complex light flashing in his eyes, like a recollection or an expectation, "Unless two complete extraterrestrials appear at the same time and fight against fate together, they can severely damage the Destiny Ghost and break the shackles of destiny."

Cao Ren couldn't help but press, "Then who are these two people?"

Cao Cao withdrew his gaze, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. He said nothing more.