Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

Lin Mu frowned. The meaning of this system notification was already very clear: he had also become part of Sun Jian's fate, and even his opponent!
This system notification should have also reached the ears of Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others.

Aside from Lin Mu, the other feudal lords were all looking for the Imperial Seal of the State. Would those guys let Sun Jian go?

In his previous life, Sun Jian probably didn't face such difficulties...

I remember that Sun Jian only argued with Yuan Shao for a bit, and then somehow he let him pass.

"Drip, drip!~~" After many days of heavy rain, the sky was filled with a purple glow, and then it stopped.

However, the oppressive atmosphere within the palace grew even stronger...

Lin Mu led Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, and others quickly toward their destination.

But even faster than Lin Mu and the others was Yuan Shao.

He was closest to Sun Jian's camp, and after gathering his troops, he soon encountered Sun Jian's retreating army.

Instead of immediately ordering his soldiers to attack, Yuan Shao sent a message to Sun Jian, requesting a meeting.

To Yuan Shao's surprise, Sun Jian arrived in front of him very quickly.

"Alliance Leader, I have recently fallen slightly ill and wish to return to Changsha, so I have come to take my leave," Sun Jian said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

However, upon hearing this, Yuan Shao sneered and said, "You're suffering from the disease of the Imperial Seal of the State!"

"Leader, what makes you say that?" Sun Jian asked, feigning ignorance.

“Sun Wentai, we have raised an army to punish the traitor and rid the country of a scourge. The Imperial Seal is a treasure of the court. Now that you have obtained it, you should leave it with the leader of the alliance and return it to the court after Dong Zhuo is defeated. Today you want to hide it away. What is your intention?” Yuan Shao shouted firmly, directly imposing the shackles of morality and righteousness.

However, for the sake of the Sun family's future, morality and righteousness must take a backseat!

"Alliance Leader, how could this Imperial Seal be in my hands! Dong Zhuo and Lin Mu have been searching in the palace for months, and Liu Bei and the Alliance Leader have also been searching there for quite some time. The area near my temporary residence has been searched several times already. How could the Imperial Seal be here... Is there someone behind this stirring up trouble?" Sun Jian continued to feign ignorance.

"Sun Wentai, look at the sky." Just then, Yuan Shao raised an eyebrow and told Sun Jian to look at the sky.

Upon hearing this, Sun Jian and the others looked up at the scene of purple light filling the sky, and their expressions changed slightly.

A calamity of destiny... Could this be Sun Jian's calamity of destiny? Did seizing the Imperial Seal trigger his own calamity of destiny?!
The thought of so many feudal lords and elite troops inside the palace sent chills down Sun Jian's spine...

Absolutely not! Absolutely not!
"Give me what you retrieved from the ancient well in Jianzhang Palace!" Yuan Shao suddenly said again.

Upon hearing this, Sun Jian's expression changed again. How did Yuan Shao know so much?!

"Alliance Leader, I do not possess such a thing. Why force me to do this?!" Sun Jian said with a wry smile.

“Sun Wentai, that divine object is not something you can possess. Once you become tainted by it, you will be burdened with immense karma. At best, you will die suddenly; at worst, your entire family will be destroyed… Hand it over quickly to avoid this calamity,” Yuan Shao said in a deep voice.

"Clatter!~~~" Just then, a group of men approached; it was Yuan Shu.

"Alliance Leader, Heaven be upon me, if I were to obtain the Imperial Seal and conceal it without permission, I would not have a peaceful end the next day, but would die by arrows." Sun Jian swore loudly as he saw a third party approaching.

"Boom!~~~~~" However, at this moment, a thunderous roar suddenly exploded, resounding throughout the entire world.

Sun Jian really made that promise!!

Indeed, Sun Jian was remarkably decisive for the sake of the Sun family's future!
They're willing to risk their lives...

Such a vow is recognized by Heaven and Earth; to break it is to face death nine times out of ten!
Yuan Shao's expression changed slightly upon seeing Sun Jian's decisive action. Could it be that Sun Jian truly hadn't obtained the Imperial Seal? His spies had witnessed it firsthand. Of course, they had only seen the box; they hadn't fully seen what was inside…

"Hmph! Still trying to deny it? When you were salvaging the ship, this general helped pull the ropes. How can you deny it!" Yuan Shao slightly turned to the side, revealing a figure behind him, and shouted in a deep voice.

When Sun Jian and the others saw that man, their expressions darkened again. This was the same general who had volunteered to help pull Huang Gai's rope!
Logically speaking, he treated his soldiers very well, so he shouldn't have betrayed Sun Jian for a little money...

It seems this person has long been Yuan Shao's man...

"Since Wentai has sworn such an oath, he must not possess the Imperial Seal." Just then, Yuan Shu approached with his men and said calmly.

He had just heard Sun Jian's oath. He certainly didn't want Sun Jian to hand over the imperial seal to Yuan Shao.

Just as Sun Jian and Yuan Shao were arguing, Sun Ce, accompanied by Zhou Yu, arrived at the side of Qiao Mao and his men, who had also surrounded them.

Zhou Yu used his wisdom to speak with Qiao Mao and the others before continuing to surround the area.

After Yuan Shu joined the debate for a while, other warlords such as Qiao Mao and Tao Qian also gathered around.

To Sun Jian's surprise, Qiao Mao, Tao Qian, and others actually supported him!
Seeing the others' attitudes, Yuan Shao's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot...

A phrase popped into his mind: "The true intentions are revealed when the map is unrolled!"
At this moment, the feudal lords are no longer considering the alliance, but their own interests... Sun Jian must have promised them something!
"Gongjin, thank you for your hard work." Sun Ce said gratefully to Zhou Yu from behind Sun Jian.

"It's alright, it's just my duty. However, this is only on the surface. If Yuan Shao directly launches a military attack, the other warlords might change their minds. In that case, we'll have no choice but to fight to the death to break through, but the chances are slim."

“I know… the surrounding space inside the palace has long been sealed off, this trip is extremely dangerous,” Sun Ce said solemnly.

"Actually, I have another plan, but it's hard to say whether it will be effective..." Zhou Yu added.

"What plan?" Sun Ce asked eagerly.

This trip concerns his father's life, so he has to seize every possibility.

"Drive away the wolves and devour the tigers. Flying Bear General and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry!" Zhou Yu said meaningfully.

Dong Zhuo's men have been nowhere to be seen. Could they have all gone to hide in Nangong Qun?
Judging from Zhou Yu's tone, it seemed that the Flying Bear General and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry were hiding nearby!
"I didn't find any trace of it, but I sent people around to spread the word that the Imperial Seal of the State had been found and that we were going to present it to our leader, Yuan Shao," Zhou Yu explained.

"Bo Fu, this plan is a double-edged sword; it may also harm us," Zhou Yu said meaningfully.

Sun Ce was no fool; he immediately grasped the key point. Knowing that the Flying Bear General and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry had found the Imperial Seal, they might not immediately launch an attack on the Guandong Coalition. Instead, they would remain hidden, like a venomous snake, striking at the crucial moment to deliver a fatal blow.

If Yuan Shao and his allies disregard their pride and launch a direct attack, even if they manage to break through the encirclement, they might still encounter an ambush by the Flying Bear General and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, which would be disastrous.

Generally speaking, given Zhou Yu's wisdom, he wouldn't have made this move. After all, the Flying Bear General and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry were formidable forces, and not under his control, making the outcome too unpredictable. However, they had reached a critical juncture and could no longer afford to play it safe; they had to take a risky approach!

In the meeting of the feudal lords, Yuan Shao's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. These guys had already subtly taken an opposing stance to him.

Apart from him, none of the feudal lords wanted the Imperial Seal of the State to fall into his hands!

He desperately wanted to start the killings, but he was worried that others would gang up on him... If chaos broke out, it might give Dong Zhuo an opportunity to take advantage of the situation...

At this moment, Zhou Yu took a deep breath and sent a message to Sun Ce in a low voice, while Sun Ce sent a message to Sun Jian.

"Gentlemen, since the alliance leader has been misled by a villain and no longer trusts me, how about I stay in the camp and wait for the follow-up search?" Sun Jian said loudly.

"Good, that's how it should be!" At this moment, Lin Mu's voice rang out, and he swaggered over with Huang Zhong and the others.

Lin Mu gazed at Sun Jian with a deep look, while Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, and the others stared at Huang Gai, Han Dang, and the others with wolf-like eyes...

On the way here, Lord Lin Mu instructed us that since we were already in the game, we should be ruthless and kill Huang Gai, Han Dang, Cheng Pu and others if we had the chance!

Even Sun Ce... if given the chance, he could be killed!!

Sun Jian's heart sank when he saw Lin Mu's smiling face.

Lin Mu was definitely up to no good. "In that case, how about we go back to the temporary camp first, settle in, and then gather together for a warm-up party?" Yuan Shao said leisurely, his eyes slightly narrowed.

As long as Sun Jian doesn't leave for the time being, everything is fine...

Once the other lords have left, he might be able to use his strongest military force to start a fight, not only to seize the Imperial Seal, but also to steal Sun Jian's fortune!

He came in here to plunder the luck...

"Strange, where did Liu Bei go? Why didn't he come?" Yuan Shao looked around but didn't find Liu Bei, Guan Yu, or Zhang Fei, and was slightly disappointed.

He had already learned of Gongsun Zan's departure, and with Liu Bei's military strength, he was absolutely certain he could seize it!
Afterwards, Sun Jian led his troops to set up a temporary camp, while Yuan Shao and others did not return, but instead established another temporary camp nearby. Yuan Shu, Qiao Mao, and others did the same…

"Bo Fu, the longer we stay here, the higher the danger becomes, and the less likely we are to leave! We can't delay!!!" Zhou Yu said to Sun Ce with a solemn expression.

Sun Ce immediately informed Sun Jian of the information.

"I know they're coming here not just for the Imperial Seal, but also for me, for everyone. They want to annihilate us all!!!" Sun Jian also sensed the deadly crisis.

"Father, we must find a way to break through immediately! Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and others are eyeing us covetously, and that scoundrel Lin Mu is even more hostile. His subordinates Huang Zhong and Dian Wei are both top-tier generals. If we wait for them to set up an ambush, we will have no chance to escape!" Sun Ce said anxiously, gripping his Overlord Spear tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He looked at his father's solemn profile, then glanced at the soldiers standing guard outside the tent, and felt extremely anxious.

Sun Jian paced back and forth in the tent with his hands behind his back, the sound of his military boots hitting the ground particularly clear in the silent tent.

“How could I not know!” He suddenly stopped, a ruthless glint in his eyes. “But now we are surrounded by enemies on all sides. Yuan Shao is in the east, Yuan Shu is in the west, Qiao Mao and Tao Qian seem to be neutral, but they are also surrounding us, each with their own agenda. And that kid Lin Mu is like a venomous snake coiled up on our side. The surrounding space is sealed off, and breaking through will be very difficult.”

He hadn't expected the feudal lords to arrive so quickly...

Zhou Yu stood to the side, his brows slightly furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table as his mind raced.

"Bo Fu, our only way out now is Nangong!" Just then, Zhou Yu transmitted his voice to Sun Ce.

"Should we break through Tao Qian's encirclement and head south? But what if there are even stronger Flying Bear Divine Army and Xiliang Iron Cavalry there?" Sun Ce immediately considered his options before replying.

"There's no other way; this is the only option." Even with Zhou Yu's great wisdom, the current situation was far too difficult...

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "The only plan now is to survive amidst the chaos!"

"Furthermore, we could have General Sun surrender to Dong Zhuo... Didn't Dong Zhuo previously try to win over General Sun by offering you as his son-in-law?... Perhaps you could agree!" Zhou Yu said everything he could think of. He even mentioned the price of betraying Sun Ce's happiness... This shows the desperation behind this trip...

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce's eyes lit up slightly. Perhaps temporarily siding with Dong Zhuo was a good idea! As for his own happiness, well…

After thinking for a moment, Sun Ce revealed his plan, and everyone else fell silent upon hearing it.

Sun Jian gave his son Sun Ce a deep look, and then, under his firm gaze, said in a deep voice, "That's how it will be. We'll return to the camp, start a fire, cook a meal, eat quickly, and then break out."

He was willing to give up his life for the Sun family, but while he could lose his life, he couldn't lose the Imperial Seal of the State... Besides, it was just a matter of making Ce'er Dong Zhuo's son-in-law. Compared to the future of the Sun family, what did it matter if he lost his dignity and face?

Afterwards, Sun Jian immediately used a precious artifact to send a message to certain people, and then waited...

……

For some reason, it wasn't Yuan Shao or Yuan Shu to the south, but Tao Qian... Given the strength of his army's generals, they simply couldn't withstand Sun Jian's attack.

Just as Lin Mu went to meet Qiao Mao and the others, Sun Jian unexpectedly broke through the encirclement and escaped!

"It seems I was wrong... Gong Tu and the others were right..." Lin Mu sighed softly as he looked at the rising flames of war and the deafening shouts of battle in the distance.

He thought Sun Jian would use various schemes to form alliances and disrupt the situation, and then make some promises to get through the imprisonment... He didn't expect that Sun Jian would still choose the most daring path and break through to survive!
Lin Mu had a premonition that Sun Jian's troops would all perish here.

As for what will happen to Huang Gai, Han Dang, and the others, we'll have to wait and see.

"Roar!!!" Just then, a bear's roar rang out.

Then, countless bear roars rang out...

"Huh... why did the Flying Bear Divine Army suddenly appear at this time?" Cui Wu asked in surprise.

Shouldn't Dong Zhuo's army have waited for the Guandong Coalition to be weakened by internal strife before launching their attack to reap the rewards?

"My lord, the Flying Bear Divine Army did not attack Sun Jian's troops, but instead held off Yuan Shao's strongest force on the right flank!" Huang Xu shouted.

"The Xiliang cavalry has also appeared, charging Yuan Shu's army on the left flank..." Wang Yue added.

"They are helping Sun Jian!" the three said in unison.

"My lord, do you think Sun Jian might have defected to Dong Zhuo?" Cui Wu guessed.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu raised an eyebrow slightly, then said, "Very likely... There were rumors before that Dong Zhuo wanted to form a marriage alliance with Sun Jian, and here he is..."

With the help of Dong Zhuo's army, Sun Jian fought his way out and broke through Tao Qian's camp. He even nearly killed Tao Qian...

However, after breaking through Tao Qian's camp, Sun Jian could no longer flee south, as three burly figures blocked their way.

Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, and Taishi Ci!
Indeed, the three of them deduced that Sun Jian would break out in this direction, so they ambushed him here early on.

"Kill!!!" Sun Ce charged out from the crowd and went straight for the three.

At this moment, there is no room for hesitation or retreat. It is no longer a matter of being reckless or not; they must face three peak-level Nine Yuan Divine Generals!

"Hmph!" Dian Wei snorted coldly as he saw Sun Ce charging towards him.

He immediately brandished his halberd and engaged Sun Ce in battle.

At this moment, Sun Ce's aura actually erupted to the level of an Eighth-Rank Divine General!

Moreover, behind it, an incomparably domineering phantom was revealed...

Just then, Sun Jian's army suddenly split into five groups and continued south in five different directions.

They didn't charge to kill Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, and Taishi Ci; they continued... to break through the encirclement!
"Huh... Sun Jian's aura has become five!" Huang Zhong noticed the anomaly.

"You've prepared very well," Taishi Ci said calmly.

"Whoosh!~~" As he spoke, he drew his bow, and the next moment a terrifying arrow shot out, directly hitting one of the teams.

Huang Zhong did the same, drawing his bow to stop them from breaking through.

Just then, a dragon's roar rang out, and a black dragon suddenly appeared, blocking the arrows.

However, the black dragon paid a terrible price; its black color almost turned transparent...

Zhou Yu, hidden among the crowd, was deathly pale.

"Roar!!!" Sun Ce, in a burst of energy, swung his spear violently, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that blasted towards the three of them.

(I got home very late today, so I can only post one chapter.) (End of Chapter)