Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

Most importantly, Lin Mu did not hold out as desperately as he did in Yangzhou on the battlefields of Qingzhou and Youzhou.

Liu Yu, Yuan Shao, Tao Qian, Cao Cao, and others all hoped that Lin Mu's army would hold the city, and then they would advance steadily and cautiously, both to deplete Lin Mu's resources and to allow themselves to slowly recover their strength, while gradually finding and exploiting Lin Mu's weaknesses.

But Lin Mu... he simply opened up Youzhou and Qingzhou, letting them advance unimpeded. At first, things were fine, but as they went deeper, they started to panic...

Lin Mu's top-tier generals are capable of annihilating their entire top-tier general lineup. Lin Mu also has no shortage of special units, and their troops are even more plentiful. It is estimated that Lin Mu has at least ten million troops under his command!

Especially in Youzhou, according to intelligence, millions of the National Protection Army and the National Defense Army are still in Youzhou... or they may have crossed Jizhou from Youzhou to Qingzhou. With Lin Mu's abilities, this situation is very likely to happen.

This is also why Cao Cao was extremely wary of it...

Currently, various warlords are emerging to vie for territory; this is all in the initial stages, and everyone's development has just entered a period of rapid growth. If they suffer heavy losses in battle against Lin Mu, they will fall behind in the subsequent struggles…

Therefore, whether it is worthwhile to fight Lin Mu head-on is a question that all the warlords need to consider.

Furthermore, the cracks within the allied forces of the feudal lords had already been sown by the repeated defeats suffered in the previous Kanto Alliance and by their respective calculations. They could no longer be as pure as when they swore their blood oath.

The internal divisions within the allied forces of the feudal lords became increasingly apparent.

Dong Zhuo controlled Liangzhou and Bingzhou, and had a strong army, but he was determined to preserve his strength and wait and see what would happen. He hoped that the other warlords and Lin Mu would be weakened so that he could profit from the situation.

Cao Cao had just retreated to Beihai, his morale was dampened, and he had lost his supplies. At this moment, he was busy reorganizing his internal affairs and was unable to take over Qingzhou in the short term.

Yuan Shao and Han Fu withdrew their troops to defend the front, greatly weakening the offensive on this battlefield. Given Liu Yu and Li Dian's resources, it was impossible for them to achieve their strategic objectives.

Amidst this undercurrent of tension, Wang Yun's "divide and conquer" strategy was like the first insect egg quietly burrowing into an already crumbling, withered tree. His seemingly ordinary banquet with Lü Bu, though without any substantial progress, broke down the invisible barrier between the two.

Although Lü Bu was the bravest warrior in the army, he was fickle in nature and easily tempted by external things. Moreover, his deep-seated respect for Dong Zhuo as his "adoptive father" was not entirely one of awe, but rather a relationship of mutual exploitation and dependence.

Having experienced several setbacks, Wang Yun saw through this point, which is why he dared to take this first step.

He knew that getting Lü Bu to betray Dong Zhuo wouldn't be a simple matter; it required patience, and even more so, a "bait" strong enough to tempt Lü Bu to do anything. And this bait, besides power and status, might also include something truly enticing!
Various warlords set their sights on Lin Mu, while Dong Zhuo also created obstacles for him.

An uninvited guest arrived in Wenyuan Town, outside Dongye County, Kuaiji Commandery, Yangzhou.

That's right, it's Lü Bu!
After failing to assassinate Lin Mu, he eventually made his way to Lin Mu's headquarters through various means.

Originally, he, who already had a great reputation, should not have gotten involved in such disgusting things, but the strategist made him go north and south to constantly test him.

This infuriated him, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

"What's going on?!" Lu Bu concealed himself and arrived at a dense forest outside Wenyuan Town, his brows furrowed.

As soon as he arrived, he felt like he was being watched and had a strong sense of crisis!
"Could there be an even more powerful force at Lin Mu's base?!"

"Even...more than one!!!" Lu Bu's senses were extremely sharp, because he had a keen mind!

"Impossible...impossible...how could Lin Mu have two Heavenly Generals or even higher-level beings under his command?!" Lu Bu shook his head repeatedly, looking incredulous, hoping that he had misperceived.

But...no! His perception should be correct...Lin Mu's true strength is more terrifying than he imagined!
"The strategist sent me here to test the waters; he clearly had his reasons," Lü Bu sighed softly.

Li Ru did not send him to destroy Lin Mu's base camp, but only to gather information, which shows that Li Ru also had some guesses about Lin Mu's strength.

"Alright, we've come this far and gathered some crucial information. Let's retreat." Still shaken, Lü Bu pulled out a teleportation scroll and used it.

After a flash of white light, his figure disappeared.

They came and went in a hurry.

After Lü Bu left, Huang Yang Shangren, Long Ying Xiao Xuan Kun, and two other figures appeared simultaneously in the dense forest.

"His senses are so sharp. We sensed him, but after a few words, he escaped. What a pity," Master Huangyang said regretfully, as if he had missed some great opportunity.

In fact, he truly missed an opportunity, because after Lü Bu arrived, he received a message from Heaven, which gave him a mission.

Unfortunately, the mission failed almost immediately after being accepted. Luckily, there was no penalty...

"The invading Heavenly General can be killed... and one can even gain merit from Heaven and Earth... How strange." Huang Yang Shangren muttered to himself.

"Lord Longying, you have advanced to the level of a Heavenly General. How does your strength compare to that?" Master Huangyang bowed slightly, asking in a fawning manner like a wicked servant, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.

"Just an eleventh-level Heavenly General, not worth mentioning." The proud Long Ying raised her head slightly and said, gently waving her slightly chubby little hand, pretending to be mature, but it was more comical.

"It's truly enviable. He broke through to the Heavenly General level with virtually no bottlenecks and even jumped directly to the Eleventh Yuan Divine General level... You know, it took me hundreds of years to break through... and I also used up countless rare and precious materials... I even failed once in the process... Also, once I reached the Heavenly General level, I skipped over it directly. Where would I find the resources and aptitude to continue cultivating at the Heavenly General level... My foundation was too weak... Sigh, it's all tears!" Huang Yang Shangren sighed deeply.

He is much stronger than Lu Bu now, but once Lu Bu crosses the threshold, he will completely crush him... because he is basically at the bottom among his peers.

He had a premonition that his days of tyranny wouldn't last much longer... There were simply too many heroes in China!

"Let's go... let's go... that guy has been teleported back to Chang'an." Little Xuankun said meaningfully, swaying its round body.

Upon hearing this, Master Huangyang was once again shocked: "It can directly perceive a place as far away as Chang'an from the spatial power it overflows... This [Kun] is also an extraordinary being."

Space reigns supreme, time is paramount. Little Xuankun embodies the former.

"You need to grow strong, ideally you should be able to directly imprison a large area of ​​space, leaving the enemy nowhere to escape."

"Tch... I don't want to grow up..." Little Xuankun said in a childish voice, shaking his body.

After she finished speaking, a strange aura emanated from her body, and the three figures vanished in an instant...

……

Chang'an City, Lü Bu's residence.

After a blinding flash of white light, Lü Bu's figure appeared.

Seeing the familiar courtyard, Lü Bu breathed a sigh of relief. He had only felt that oppressive, deadly feeling in the outer regions; he never expected to experience it again in this remote southern place.

After a moment of change in expression, Lü Bu took a deep breath. In the past, he had fearlessly ventured into even the most dangerous outer regions, but this time he hesitated…

"Maybe they're old relics... I haven't had enough time to grow. Give me time and I'll definitely surpass them!" Lu Bu muttered to himself, trying to comfort himself.

"General, Wang Situ's attendants have come and want to host a banquet for you at Fengming Mountain in Chang'an," a junior officer reported to Lü Bu.

"Oh..." Lu Bu was somewhat puzzled upon hearing this.

On previous occasions, Wang Yun had always entertained him at his residence; why was he outside this time? Although his adoptive father, Dong Zhuo, had not restricted his close association with court officials, such blatant behavior was bound to attract gossip.

However, who was Lü Bu? He wasn't afraid of gossip and said directly, "Wait a moment while I take a bath." Just as Lü Bu finished bathing, feeling refreshed and ready to leave the mansion, Li Ru appeared beside him like a ghost.

"Strategist, I went to Wenyuan Town to investigate, and Lin Mu's true strength is far more than what has been revealed. In his main base, there are two ancient and extraordinary beings protecting him," Lu Bu immediately reported.

Upon hearing this, Li Ru nodded, then said quietly, "You didn't come to report immediately, but instead prepared to... keep your appointment?"

"Oh... I've already sent someone to deliver the information to you. I didn't expect the strategist to come on his own initiative."

“That’s right… I’m going to keep my appointment with Minister Wang Yun,” Lü Bu confessed.

"What, is it taboo for me to associate with court officials? Wang Yun's loyalty to my adoptive father is evident to all. I associate with him because he has intelligence that some people are plotting against my adoptive father. I will extract some information from him and then inform the strategist," Lü Bu said calmly.

Without waiting for Li Ru to speak, Lü Bu quickly left.

Upon hearing this, Li Ru's expression changed slightly. Lü Bu had been becoming increasingly 'unruly' lately!

Previously, he had also swept through the Xiliang army's garrison several times, causing those arrogant guys to complain bitterly.

He also interfered a great deal in the defense of the cities in the eastern part of Chang'an. The cities closest to Luoyang, the capital, were all under the command of the Xiliang Army, with the Bingzhou Army behind them. It was clear that he wanted to put them in front to block the advance of other warlords.

Moreover, his relationship with the court officials was getting better and better.

They're being too naive to think they can get information out of that old fox Wang Yun.

If he truly possessed wisdom, as the adopted son of his lord Dong Zhuo, he should have consciously distanced himself from the court officials, or even opposed them, as he had done before. That would have made him a qualified adopted son!
In particular, he was the first new-generation Tongtian Divine General to break through in China, and his combat power was overwhelming, making him a double-edged sword in Dong Zhuo's camp.

Now...

Watching Lü Bu's departing figure, he sighed inwardly: "I sent you on your recent journeys north and south so that you would stay away from the strife and become a pure adopted son. Unfortunately, you didn't understand... or rather, you understood but didn't act on it, because your heart is still the same as it was under Ding Yuan's command... a wolf's ambition!"

“The second supernatural power has lost its effectiveness…” Just then, Li Ru’s whole body trembled.

He had been in Chang'an for some time now, and in order to help his lord, he broke his promise to Guo Jia.

Although the two of them did not sign a covenant with Heaven and Earth, his violation of it has already caused problems with his Dao heart... To date, he has lost two very important supernatural abilities!
This is the price!
……

Lu Bu, who was leaving in a hurry, snorted coldly.

Li Ru came to his residence to ambush him and interrogated him like a criminal. Did he really think he had no temper?

Calling you "strategist" is already a great honor...

This time, he rushed to the appointment, not because he had become familiar with Wang Yun, but because he had a premonition that he would reap an extraordinary opportunity!

As for what it is, we'll have to wait and see how this appointment goes.

Although Chang'an is not as large as Luoyang, the capital, its infrastructure is still quite complete, with many small teleportation arrays that allow court officials to travel quickly.

If he were to rely on horses to travel, it would take him quite a long time to gallop from Lü Bu's residence to Fengming Mountain.

Of course, if he flew there, it would be quick. But that would be too undignified...

It took Lü Bu most of the hour to arrive at the foot of Fengming Mountain.

Ahead, there is a cliff with a waterfall cascading down, and not far away is a crystal-clear lake.

A small boat floats on the lake.

As if he had a premonition, Lü Bu looked at the small boat.

Standing at the bow of the ship was a woman dressed in a pink gauze dress. Her features were obscured, but her graceful figure and peculiar aura made him feel as if he could almost smell her fragrance...

This alluring woman gave him a strange feeling.

Lu Bu gazed at the woman, completely captivated.

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Yun's voice slowly drifted back: "Fengxian, Fengxian!"

Wang Yun and Lü Bu were already quite familiar with each other, and he now addressed Lü Bu by his courtesy name.

"Ah...haha...the scenery here is so captivating that I was slightly distracted. I hope you'll forgive me, Lord Situ," Lu Bu said with an embarrassed smile.

“The scenery here is truly breathtaking. My daughter especially loves it here too…” Wang Yun smiled.

"Oh...right, the person standing on that small boat that just passed by was my precious daughter," Wang Yun said casually.

"What? She's actually Lord Situ's daughter?!" Lu Bu turned sharply to look at Wang Yun, his eyes filled with disbelief.

That old geezer Wang Yun actually has such a charming daughter!

The woman exuded a unique charm that was far beyond that of ordinary ladies, captivating even a war god like him, who had witnessed countless battles and beauties. He even felt that that fleeting glimpse had made his heart race more than the halberd in his hand or the Red Hare steed.

“It is indeed my daughter Diaochan.” Wang Yun stroked his beard, a barely perceptible glint of light flashing in his eyes. “My daughter has been frail since childhood and dislikes noise. She only loves the tranquil scenery of Fengming Mountain and often sails here alone. I hope you will forgive her for making a fool of yourself, Fengxian.”

"Diao Chan...what a beautiful name!" Lu Bu murmured, his gaze still unconsciously following the receding boat until it disappeared into the depths of the lake bay. A lingering unease, like a feather tickling his heart, was mixed with a strange sense of loss. He had spent half his life on the battlefield, single-mindedly pursuing the pinnacle of martial arts and glorious achievements, and had never cared so much for any woman before. Yet today, a mere blurry silhouette had left him completely captivated.

Wang Yun took in Lü Bu's reaction, secretly pleased, but remained outwardly calm, leading him towards an elegant pavilion by the lake: "Fengxian, you must be tired from your journey. We have prepared some wine in the pavilion. Let's drink and talk."

Exquisite dishes and wine were laid out on the stone table inside the pavilion. The aroma of the wine mingled with the fresh scent of mountain grass and trees, creating a pleasant atmosphere. However, after Lü Bu sat down, he couldn't concentrate. The pink figure at the bow of the ship kept appearing before his eyes, and he seemed to hear a faint, ethereal fragrance, like orchids in a secluded valley.

"Fengxian seems to have something on his mind?" Wang Yun asked casually, picking up his wine cup.

Lu Bu snapped out of his daze, took a sip of wine to cover up his unease, and forced a smile, saying, "Not at all, I just think that Lord Situ has a refined taste and has found such a fine place."

"Heh, it's just a matter of seeking some peace and quiet." Wang Yun put down his wine cup, then changed the subject and sighed, "But when will this world truly find peace and quiet?"

“Now, my daughter has grown into a beautiful young woman, but in these chaotic times, it is difficult to find a good husband. Especially since she is very special… Alas…” Wang Yun put on the appearance of a loving father and sighed with deep emotion.

"Oh... Lord Situ, is there anything special about it?" Lu Bu immediately pressed for an answer.

"My daughter Diao Chan is the top of the unannounced 'List of Goddesses of Heaven and Earth'!!!" Wang Yun glanced around warily and said quietly.

"What?!?!" Lu Bu was shocked upon hearing this.

(Only one update today!) (End of Chapter)