Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

"I wonder if the national treasury will be hit, and if it will reveal those precious treasures..." Lin Mu watched as the meteorites in the crater were quickly collected, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind as he muttered to himself.

Lin Mu's real purpose in entering the palace this time was not the Imperial Seal, but the national treasury!

However, due to the dramatic changes that occurred, he had an additional objective: to prevent Dong Zhuo from relocating the dragon vein.

Lin Mu had no clear idea of ​​what the national treasury was looking for, so he could only rely on Liu Bei... to see if he could find it.

After a brief moment of reflection, Lin Mu joined the collecting army. The 600,000-strong army swept through like locusts, quickly collecting everything of value.

……

While Lin Mu was busy collecting meteorites and Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were hurrying towards the depths of the palace, the three warlords Sun Jian, Liu Bei, and Gongsun Zan, who were walking at the forefront, stopped in their tracks.

The forced march, the previous battles, and the devastating meteor shower had exhausted the soldiers. Even Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and others were somewhat weary.

Therefore, the three armies halted their advance and temporarily encamped to rest and recuperate in preparation for the upcoming tough battle.

That night, in the core camp of the three armies, Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Gongsun Zan and others gathered together for a meeting.

“Dong Zhuo didn’t transfer the Flying Bear Divine Army. What is he planning to do?” Sun Jian asked, his brows furrowed.

Just now, they had engaged in battle with the Flying Bear God General. To be precise, the Flying Bear God Army suddenly attacked them from the flank.

However, the Flying Bear Army did not have many soldiers. With the formidable strength of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others, even though they were ambushed, they did not suffer much damage. On the contrary, the Flying Bear Army lost many giant bears and soldiers...

However, the fact that the Flying Bear Divine Army is still in the palace is not good news.

If the enemy's entire army is still intact, once they launch an attack, even with Zhang Fei's involvement, the collapse of the other ordinary soldiers is inevitable.

Add to that the retreating Xiliang cavalry, and they should not be underestimated!
"Could one of their goals be to find some kind of opportunity?" Liu Bei said meaningfully.

He wouldn't utter the words "Imperial Seal of the State" during the meeting. Although everyone knew the implication, they couldn't say it aloud…

"It might be... but the Heavenly Black Dragon is still around... so it's not that simple... Dong Zhuo might really be making a move against the Nangong Dragon Vein," Gongsun Zan speculated.

He had a honeymoon period with Lin Mu and knew about the dragon vein. In addition, he had struggled in the vortex of the capital for a period of time and also knew some secrets.

"He dares to do that!!!" Liu Bei roared angrily, slamming his fist on the table.

As a member of the Han imperial family, Liu Bei certainly understood the importance of the imperial lineage. It was even more important than Emperor Liu Xie!

The Liu family is actually the innate guardian of the dragon vein. If the dragon vein is born, the Liu family will definitely be involved and will also bear the heavy karma of heaven and earth.

“It’s not a matter of whether he dares or not, he has already made a move…” Sun Jian glanced at Liu Bei and said calmly.

"Gentlemen, we must stop Dong Zhuo's tyranny. Once the dragon vein changes, the world will fall and all living beings will suffer!" Liu Bei solemnly urged.

Sun Jian and Gongsun Zan remained silent upon hearing this.

"Moreover, if we stop it from disturbing the dragon vein, we might gain merit from heaven and earth..." Liu Bei added.

These words made Sun Jian and Gongsun Zan's faces show a hint of interest.

They would risk their lives to stop Dong Zhuo from disturbing the dragon veins; they wouldn't risk their lives for nothing if there were no benefit in it.

The campaign against Dong Zhuo has ended; turning against him again would be detrimental to future plans.

However, if one possesses merits from Heaven and Earth, then it's different.

However, at this moment, Sun Jian, who had been silent all along, suddenly said: "Bo Gui, Xuan De... the three of us have come a long way, witnessed the camaraderie among comrades, built a friendship, and even completed the final mission of storming the palace."

“I think we need to part ways for the rest of the journey,” Sun Jian suddenly suggested.

“With such a vast palace, it would be very inefficient for us to act alone. It would be better to divide our forces,” Sun Jian continued before Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan could respond.

“Brother Wentai, the Imperial Palace is guarded by the Flying Bear Divine Army and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. If we split our forces, we will be in danger and may be defeated one by one!” Gongsun Zan was the first to disagree and said solemnly.

However, when Gongsun Zan thought Liu Bei would support him, he found Liu Bei deep in thought, as if he were very interested in Sun Jian's proposal.

Two against one... He knew the decision to split up the forces was made.

Just like that, one second the three military commanders were drinking and eating together in perfect harmony, but the next second the atmosphere became awkward...

Before long, Liu Bei couldn't help but stand up and say, "My two elder brothers, thank you both for your guidance along the way. Let's split up and seek out the opportunities that lie ahead. However, if I ever encounter any trouble, could you please help me one more time?"

Liu Bei asked sincerely.

“Xuande, that is the way it should be,” Sun Jian immediately replied.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan sighed softly and nodded, saying, "I will grant your request!"

However, all three of them knew that once they split up, things would be unpredictable, and they might even become enemies.

However, even if they remain together, there is still a risk of turning against each other.

After all, that opportunity was just too great!
"Come, let's drink to our hearts' content!"

The three of them drank heartily and then hugged each other.

The other generals also exchanged greetings and hugs, expressing their reluctance to part.

Afterwards, Liu Bei and Sun Jian left with their personal guards, leaving only Sun Zan, the protagonist of the camp, heartbroken...

For some reason, Gongsun Zan's emotions were extremely complex at this moment. At the same time, some of Lin Mu's words involuntarily surfaced in his mind…

"My lord, do you have any clues about Sun Jian and Liu Bei?" Just then, Guan Jing, who was standing beside him, gave a pointed reminder.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan's expression hardened slightly.

He did have that feeling... but more than that, he felt this trip was extremely dangerous!
He was already having second thoughts!

Yes, Gongsun Zan, who was originally ambitious, actually had the idea of ​​withdrawing from the capital after Sun Jian and Liu Bei proposed to divide their forces!

Gongsun Zan remained silent and continued drinking in silence.

The soldiers also drank with Gongsun Zan, but they didn't say much; the atmosphere was awkward and heavy...

"My lord, my lord, General Liu Bei and General Sun Jian have both left with their troops!" In the dead of night, a messenger rushed into the tent, breaking the somber atmosphere.

Why are they in such a hurry? Could it be that some clue has actually been discovered?!

However, their eagerness only made Gongsun Zan break out in a cold sweat...

"Let's stay put for now and continue resting," Gongsun Zan said in a hoarse voice after a long silence.

The other generals were slightly startled upon hearing this. It was merely a division of troops; why did it seem as if their lord had lost his wife?!

Liu Bei and Sun Jian tacitly led their troops away and then chose a more distant palace to rest.

They did not continue to seek opportunities, but instead rested first.

While they were resting, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others also arrived at the inner wall of the palace.

Once inside the inner wall, they separated. Instead of immediately seeking opportunities, they began setting up a temporary camp.

Lin Mu was busy collecting meteorites, while everyone else was busy setting up a temporary base.

And so, another three days passed...

Meanwhile, the allied forces of several feudal lords finally arrived in front of the palace.

This side of the palace was deserted, with no Xiliang cavalry stationed there. The palace gates were open, and the place was utterly desolate.

The rain was still pouring down, blurring the view, and the damp, cold air made it extremely uncomfortable.

It's been raining heavily for many days now...

Unlike Yuan Shao and Liu Bei, the other warlords were all envious of the meteorite and rushed forward to fight over it. The whole scene was extremely chaotic...

Even so, they were able to collect meteorites faster than Lin Mufang...

Afterwards, they quickly reached the inner palace walls, and as if by prior arrangement, they set up camp after entering the inner palace.

Everyone seemed to think that a tough battle was about to begin!

After allowing his soldiers to rest for a while at his temporary encampment, Sun Jian led half of his troops away from the camp to continue searching for opportunities in various palaces...

Following Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others also began to take action.

Unexpectedly, on the seventh day after the division of forces, Gongsun Zan, who had symbolically launched several attacks, actually led his troops to retreat.

That's right, Gongsun Zan is preparing to leave the palace.

Lin Mu, who had just collected the nearby meteorites, was also resting with his soldiers.

"My lord, a large army is approaching from the interior!" Yu Jin came over to report.

"The Xiliang Iron Cavalry?" Lin Mu asked in confusion.

"It's unknown for now, we just sensed movement."

Soon, Yu Jin spotted that familiar silvery-white...

"My lord, it's the White Horse Cavalry!!" Yu Jin was slightly startled, and immediately reported to Lin Mu.

"Order the soldiers to consolidate their formation." To be on the safe side, Lin Mu still issued the order to hold the line.

They went deep into the palace and then retreated; something was amiss. One should always be wary of others.

However, to Lin Mu's surprise, the White Horse Cavalry bypassed the palace and continued their retreat towards the outside.

Afterwards, an envoy came to meet Lin Mu.

"My general sent me with a message: Thank you for General Wei's advice." The messenger then left.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu's face showed a hint of realization: "I didn't expect that you would be the first to retire gracefully!"

He hadn't expected that Gongsun Zan would be the first warlord to evacuate the imperial palace and the capital, Luoyang!

Was Gongsun Zan a fool? No… he must have realized something to do that!
Perhaps they sensed a fatal crisis and knew they couldn't withstand it, so they chose to retreat while they were ahead.

This time, Gongsun Zan's choice truly impressed Lin Mu. (End of Chapter)