Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

“Absolutely. Lin Mu married Cai Yan, so he must have received a system reward. Moreover, Cai Yan is definitely much higher in rank than Zhang Ning, so the reward must be very generous,” Xuan Yuan Changying guessed.

Ji Beiqin, who overheard their conversation, ignored it. He had already learned of this secret through Lin Mu, but had not revealed it to anyone.

He desperately wanted to marry a goddess, but he simply had no chance. Even if his domineering wife found out, he... he wouldn't be afraid!
What he desired most was Diao Chan. To this end, he secretly spared no expense in infiltrating Wang Yunzhi's residence. He bribed many stewards, guards, maids, and laundry workers, but he still could not find any trace of Diao Chan.

Not only that, whenever he discovered any particularly beautiful maids in Wang Yun's residence, he would go to great lengths to bribe them and even have people snatch them away, but unfortunately none of them were Diao Chan.

As for Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Mi Zhen, and others, he certainly put in the effort... but still gained nothing.

In short, he did a lot of stupid things in secret...

Famous generals, brilliant strategists, goddesses, and so on... are all goals to pursue.

He gained nothing, while Lin Mu had already recruited everyone. The difference was so great that even a dog would shake its head in disbelief.

Now that Zhang Ning is right in front of him, he has no choice but to fight for her. As for competing with Yang Tianze, that simp, for her affections!
I'd bet a year I'd never sleep with a tigress before we did it!!

Thinking of this, Ji Beiqin immediately smiled broadly, and scurried over to Zhang Ning's side. Smelling the peculiar yet unforgettable fragrance, he said in a deep voice, "Xinci, what's the next step? Should I have taken the troops to act as bait?"

Kind-hearted? Are we that familiar?!
Jiang Chenglong and Xuan Yuan Changying exchanged a bewildered glance upon seeing Ji Beiqin's sudden change. Then, as if realizing something, their expressions immediately hardened.

Ji Beiqin is the kind of guy who won't do anything without a benefit. He's even willing to be Yang Tianze's lapdog, which means Zhang Ning is very important to him!
The two gritted their teeth and joined in...

And so, four sycophants appeared...

Of course, they are all smart people, and even if they are sycophants, they are not the kind who give everything to others without restraint or brainlessness.

A skilled hunter begins as the prey...

After that, Zhang Ning, who officially took over command, began her performance.

Ji Beiqin and the others trusted Zhang Ning completely and cooperated fully.

The first thing Zhang Ning did was take out her layout diagram.

The map was densely marked with important information such as the troop deployments of both sides, mountains and rivers, and key passes, all of which showed that Zhang Ning had made plans long ago!

Her slender fingers glided lightly across the map, her gaze sharp as an eagle's, as if she could see through the paper and perceive every detail of the battlefield.

Instead of issuing orders, she first explained Zhang Chao's specific situation to Ji Beiqin and others, including the enemy's tactical characteristics, the general's style, and the soldiers' morale and equipment.

This surprised Ji Beiqin again. Zhang Ning's understanding of Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao was even deeper than his own.

You should know that Zhang Ning had never even met Zhang Chao or Zhang Miao... yet he had gone to visit them, and even went to their camp to drink and eat meat.

"Gentlemen, in this area, this is the only place where Zhang Chao can set up an ambush."

She paused, then pointed heavily at a valley on the map: "This place is called 'Falling Rock Valley.' The mountains on both sides are steep, with only a narrow passage in the middle, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. What Prefect Ji needs to do is lead his troops here, lure the enemy into pursuit, and then my troops, which have been lying in ambush at the end of Falling Rock Valley, can rush out and block their retreat... Meanwhile, your troops will surround them from the front, completely blocking them and leaving them with no way to advance or retreat!"

After saying that, Zhang Ning's lips curled into a cold smile: "Close the door and beat the dog!"

Ji Beiqin puffed out his chest: "Xinci, don't worry, I've got it covered! I guarantee I'll put on a convincing performance and make those fools take the bait!"

Although he was a "sycophant," he did have some military skills. This tactic was their original plan.

"But how do we deal with Zhang Miaojun behind us?" Ji Beiqin asked.

Zhang Ning nodded, then looked at Yang Tianze: "General Yang will be in charge of containing Zhang Miao's army."

"General Yang, you will lead your light cavalry to harass Zhang Miao's army from behind. Your mission is harassment, not a direct confrontation. Make sure your own safety is guaranteed. At the same time, you must continuously provoke their anger and make them lose their reason and judgment," Zhang Ning instructed with concern.

"After I take down Zhang Chao's army, I'll lure Zhang Miao's army in... killing two birds with one stone!" Zhang Ning said with a ruthless glint in his eyes.

Yang Tianze immediately replied, "This subordinate obeys!"

"Xinci, which side will you be fighting on?" Jiang Chenglong asked meaningfully.

Good heavens, these sycophants are calling Zhang Ning by his courtesy name so affectionately and naturally, shameless!
"I will stay by Prefect Ji's side and lie in ambush with the two divine generals. When the time comes, we will hold Zhang Chao back and prevent him from escaping!" Zhang Ning said solemnly.

Subsequently, Zhang Ning issued orders to Jiang Chenglong and Xuanyuan Changying, instructing them to each lead a portion of their troops to ambush the mountainside on both sides of the Falling Stone Valley, preparing rolling stones, logs, and powerful bows and crossbows, so that they could deliver a thunderous blow when the enemy entered the valley.

“Remember,” Zhang Ning’s gaze turned utterly serious, his voice tinged with coldness, “This ambush must be a single, decisive strike, leaving no loose ends. Anyone who enters the battlefield will be killed without exception!!”

Her words were devoid of any hesitation or pity; her ruthless and resolute demeanor sent shivers down the spines of all the generals present.

Only now did they truly understand that this seemingly weak woman was no kind person; her ruthlessness probably surpassed that of many tough men. Ji Beiqin even secretly rejoiced that he was on her side; otherwise, becoming her enemy would have had unimaginable consequences.

Of course, the four of them didn't find Zhang Ning ruthless at all; on the contrary, they felt that she exuded a unique heroic spirit...

Once the order was given, no one dared to delay and immediately went to organize their troops and coordinate their actions according to Zhang Ning's plan.

In this battle, besides successfully defeating the Zhang brothers, they also need to make a good impression on Zhang Ning. Given Zhang Ning's tumultuous life, she certainly needs a strong shoulder to lean on. And what they need to do is make that shoulder strong!

With Zhang Ning's arrival, the entire team seemed like a sophisticated machine, starting to operate at high speed and in an orderly manner, a far cry from their previous lazy style.

A counter-ambush, spearheaded by this remnant of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and stirring up countless storms, is quietly unfolding.

……

Time flows like water.

Another morning, Ji Beiqin led his troops slowly forward and arrived at the front of Falling Rock Valley.

After setting up temporary camp and having a meal at the valley entrance, the 100,000-strong army continued its march and entered Falling Rock Valley.

Even as they entered the second half, Zhang Chao, who was still hiding, didn't make a move...

This made Ji Beiqin and the others somewhat anxious...

Indeed, things rarely go as planned...

Amidst a mix of anticipation and tension, Ji Beiqin led his troops through Falling Rock Valley with surprising ease.

Zhang Ning's plan has failed!
However, Ji Beiqin and his companions did not let their guard down; on the contrary, they became even more nervous because the wide official road after leaving the Falling Stone Valley was piled with huge rocks.

The enemy didn't make their move from a highly advantageous location like Falling Rock Valley, but instead launched their attack on the wide official road!

"Boom!!!!!" Just then, a series of huge booming sounds came from the rockfall valley behind.

The narrow official road through the Falling Rock Valley was blocked by huge boulders!
Seeing this, Zhang Ning, who was hiding in the shadows, frowned.

Zhang Chao's unexpected ambush tactics show he's quite skilled.

With Falling Rock Valley blocked, Jiang Chenglong and Xuan Yuan Changying's troops couldn't get through, nor could Yang Tianze and Zhang Miao's troops...

Right now, all that's facing them are their 100,000 men and the Yellow Turban elites lying in ambush further away.

"It seems I'll have to fight tooth and nail in the end!" Zhang Ning sighed inwardly.

She had laid an ambush ahead of them with the legendary Yellow Turban Warriors, numbering 300,000!

She didn't tell anyone about this.

The original plan was to have the alien army wear down Zhang Chao's forces before reaping the rewards, but it seems that won't work now.

Zhang Ning took a deep breath and, before the enemy even appeared, summoned a strange long banner painted with a Tai Chi Yin-Yang pattern. The next moment, peculiar clouds of mist rose from the ground and began to spread.

However, the mist was very thin, easily seen through at a glance. But in the denser forest further away, as the mist rose, the tree trunks swayed continuously…

"Kill!!!" Just as Ji Beiqin and his men were on high alert, countless soldiers suddenly surged out from both sides of the wide official road, blocking Ji Beiqin's army outside the valley entrance.

"That old bastard Zhang Chao, instead of targeting Ji Beiqin, he's set his sights on us! Countless rocks are falling from above, causing us heavy losses," Jiang Chenglong complained in the chat room.

"Nearly 200,000 troops were buried in the falling rocks, damn it!!" Xuan Yuan Changying's voice rang out.

"Old Ji, tell Zhang Ning what's going on," Jiang Chenglong said again.

“Alright! But could you guys get through here? That old bastard Zhang Chao is lying in ambush outside the valley entrance… Their troops are elite, I don’t think we can defeat them…” Ji Beiqin immediately replied. Although Zhang Ning and the others were hiding around him, he still felt a sense of crisis constantly looming over him.

Inside Falling Rock Valley, Jiang Chenglong and Xuanyuan Changying exchanged a glance after hearing Ji Beiqin's words.

"Isn't it a bit excessive to exaggerate the death toll from 2,000 to 200,000?" Jiang Chenglong looked at the ten-zhang-high pile of fallen rocks in front of him and gave a bitter smile.

“Hehe… If we don’t report more casualties, how will Zhang Ning be grateful to us… If we want to win her over, we’ll have to use some special methods…” Xuan Yuan Changying said meaningfully.

"It's settled then, we'll compete fairly," Jiang Chenglong said in a deep voice.

"Hehe...it all depends on your own abilities," Xuanyuan Changying chuckled.

Afterwards, Jiang Chenglong and Xuan Yuan Changying led their elite troops, abandoning their baggage and traveling light, climbing over piles of rocks to support Zhang Ning... no, to support Ji Beiqin.

However, after the two of them had gone through the rugged, rocky section of road with great difficulty, what came into view was a battlefield with a mixture of black and yellow colors.

The deafening shouts of battle and the wailing of the dying echoed through the sky.

Among them, the yellow soldiers were more numerous and firmly held the upper hand.

When they looked closely, they discovered that Zhang Ning and his two generals were actually overpowering Zhang Chao and one of his generals.

As for Ji Beiqin, nobody knows where he went...

"Two hundred thousand, at least two hundred thousand Yellow Turban warriors!! Zhang Ning was hiding this so well!!" Jiang Chenglong took a deep breath and said.

"No wonder she didn't give specific numbers; she had a backup plan. Let's go, let's do our part and earn some contribution points." Xuanyuan Changying waved his hand and led several thousand men down the mountain.

With this increase and decrease, coupled with the terror of the Yellow Turban warriors, Zhang Chao's army was unsurprisingly annihilated...

On the main battlefield, Zhang Ning's two auxiliary generals killed Zhang Chao's general.

When Jiang Chenglong and Xuan Yuan Changying arrived at the battlefield, they saw Zhang Ning, who had already stopped fighting, not far away.

At this moment, Zhang Ning's face was covered in blood, and his armor was also covered in blood scabs.

In her hand, she held a strange token.

After the two divine generals had beaten Zhang Chao more and more badly, Zhang Ning suddenly squeezed the token, and the next moment a huge blood-red aura enveloped Zhang Chao.

"Heaven and Earth's Slaughter Order!!! You...you..." At this moment, Zhang Chao, who had never shown despair even when his soldiers were killed in battle and the divine general beside him had fallen, revealed despair for the first time.

Just then, streaks of purple light suddenly appeared in the sky, forming a purple cloud. And the purple cloud enveloped Zhang Chao.

Zhang Chao's fate is sealed!

"Kill!!!" In the next moment, terrifying auras rippled outwards, and strange, sharp beams of energy suddenly appeared around Zhang Chao.

In an instant, it pierced through Zhang Chao, with dozens of bloody holes gushing blood.

In just a few breaths, Zhang Chao lost his life!

"Buzz!~~~"

"Roar!~~~~"

The next moment, roars of dragons surged from Zhang Chao's body and soared into the sky.

Then, streaks of golden dragon shadows surged in all directions.

Half of them burrowed into an ordinary battlefield, a small portion burrowed into Zhang Ning's body, and a very small portion burrowed into Jiang Chenglong and Xuan Yuan Changying's bodies.

Having sensed everything, Zhang Ning breathed a sigh of relief, gradually concealing his aura, and then subtly glanced at Ji Beiqin in the distance.

The fact that Ji Beiqin directly received half of the Dragon's Luck proves that he possesses something special.

She already knew about Ji Beiqin's journey through Yang Tianze and the others... His greatest reliance was Lin Mu. It was with Lin Mu's backing that he was able to accumulate such a foundation. And his special abilities were clearly also derived from Lin Mu.

If an outsider can be so formidable, then the extraordinary encounters Lin Mu has received must be terrifyingly profound!
……

Lin Mu, who had just been observing the changes in the Heavenly and Earthly Lords Ranking, heard a grand announcement:

"--Ding!"

"--Announcement from Huaxia Region: Waves intentionally create a thousand miles of snow, peach blossoms silently form a procession of spring. Zhang Chao, the governor of Donghai and the nineteenth lord of the [List of Lords of Heaven and Earth], has perished and fallen off the list! The [List of Lords of Heaven and Earth] has changed."

"..."

"..."

This system announcement startled everyone. Because everyone, from NPCs to players, could hear it!
The meaning of this announcement is quite clear: Zhang Chao is dead and cannot be resurrected!
"Hiss... They completely killed Zhang Chao? How many people must they have offended?!" Lin Mu was slightly surprised.

Don't underestimate Zhang Chao just because he's only a prefect of a county and has only 600,000 troops. His resources and connections go far beyond what's shown on the surface!
This has really stirred up a hornet's nest!
Lin Mu looked at the list of feudal lords.

Among the newcomers to the Heaven and Earth Lords Ranking, one person particularly surprised Lin Mu.

The rankings of the feudal lords before them, even those who suffered great defeats such as Cao Cao, Bao Xin, and Zhang Miao, remained unchanged.

But this time, a dramatic change occurred at the bottom of the list:
[The Nineteenth Warlord]: Ji Beiqin, Prefect of Taiyuan!

[The 20th Warlord]: Zhang Miao, Prefect of Chenliu!
[The Twenty-First Warlord]: Bao Xin, Chancellor of Jibei!

[Twenty-second Garrison Commander]: Zhang Ning, the General of the Central Army who was sent to the Xiongnu!
[The Twenty-Third Warlord]: Jiang Chenglong, Prefect of Shanggu Commandery!
[The Twenty-Fourth Warlord]: Prefect of Yunzhong Commandery, Xuanyuan Changying!

Ji Beiqin, who was already on the list, replaced Zhang Chao, and three new "Heaven and Earth Lords" were added to the bottom of the list...

"Zhang Ning, the General of the Xiongnu..."

"It seems that they were the ones who cooperated with Ji Beiqin and his group this time, and they killed Zhang Chao!"

"Killing Zhang Chao is easy, but cleaning up the mess will be difficult... Fengxiao's plan doesn't even need to be implemented much before they've already become the enemy of the warlords!"

This disaster is far greater than the raid on Hulao Pass!
In a dense forest valley, Cao Cao, who was recuperating, also heard the voice of Heaven and the changes in the list of feudal lords.

Zhang Chao, Zhang Miao, and others were very close to Cao Cao. When Cao Cao issued his proclamation, they responded enthusiastically and were quite supportive of him.

If Cao Cao were to run for leader of the alliance, they would absolutely support him wholeheartedly.

When they went to hunt down the remnants of the Hulao Pass army, Zhang Miao disregarded his own troop losses and went to help, which shows the depth of their friendship.

However, upon hearing such devastating news today, Cao Cao was momentarily stunned.

(Just one more chapter, I need to write some materials... I can't update anymore.) (End of Chapter)