Choose Liu Bei at the start, I am the only one who knows the plot of the Three Kingdoms.

The leader's voice trembled, as if he were back in that terrifying scene.

"Just as fast as... just like that general just now! No, maybe... maybe even faster! I only saw a flash of the spear, and before my dozen or so elite guards in the tent could even react, they were all pierced through the throat!"
It really was just one shot! So fast! Shih-hsieh said right then and there, "If I don't cooperate, next time that gun will be aimed at my throat..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Rubing's heart sank, and a vague guess instantly became clear.

He suppressed his surging emotions and pressed for an answer.

"What exactly did that person with the gun look like? Age, clothing, facial features—do you remember them?"

The Wuhuan leader tried hard to recall, describing the events in fits and starts.

"His age... I couldn't quite tell, but he didn't seem old. However, his eyes were frightening. He was wearing... a very ordinary gray cloth robe. His appearance... nothing special, it's just... it felt like he was looking at people like they were dead. Oh, and his gun, it was black, completely black, and the tip seemed a bit longer than usual..."

"A black spear...a gray robe..."

Gu Rubing repeated these keywords in a low voice, his face turning completely gloomy, as if water could drip from it.

He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with coldness and solemnity.

"It's him, Tong Fei."

The three words he uttered carried immense weight.

Ma Chao's expression also changed drastically. He had naturally heard of this name and knew even better that behind it was the mysterious and terrifying organization that transcended all mortal forces—Penglai!
Tong Fei's appearance only means one thing—the fierce gunpowder bombing that almost leveled the entire mountain on the desolate mountain did not completely eliminate Zuo Ci and Yu Ji!
The power of Penglai still exists, and they have chosen a new agent, or rather, a new troublemaker—Shi Xie!
This deduction sent a chill down Gu Rubing's spine.

With Penglai's support, even if they only send Tong Fei, the strength and threat level of Shi Xie's bandits will undergo a qualitative change!
Tong Fei's personal martial prowess is enough to restrain or even defeat several legendary generals on our side, and the Penglai methods he may possess behind the scenes are even more unfathomable.

This means that Shi Xie has instantly risen from a border threat that requires considerable effort to eliminate to a level that can rival him head-on under certain circumstances!

What worries Gu Rubing even more is the chain reaction that will occur once this news spreads.

Cao Cao and Sun Jian, the two warlords who had just been forced to form a brief alliance with him due to the threat of Penglai, compromised largely because Penglai directly threatened their survival, and he had demonstrated his determination and effective means to confront Penglai.

But what would they think if they learned that Penglai not only didn't die, but instead switched his support to another warlord, Shi Xie?
Will they still dutifully abide by the covenant and stand by and watch?

Could they think Penglai is invincible and waver again, or even... sabotage themselves behind their backs in order to please Penglai or avoid getting burned?

After all, the nature of being a fence-sitter was ingrained in Sun Jian's bones, and Cao Cao was by no means a person who would be content to be subordinate to others!
Thinking of all this, Gu Rubing felt the pressure on his shoulders increase sharply. Suppressing Shi Xie's rebellion was no longer just about eliminating bandits and avenging the people; it was another battle with Penglai, a rehearsal for the future of the world!

We must act swiftly and decisively, eliminating Shi Xie before Cao Cao and Sun Jian can react, or before Penglai can commit more forces!

To show his sincerity, or perhaps to extricate himself from suspicion of being associated with Shi Xie and Tong Fei, the Wuhuan leader dared not hold back any longer and told Gu Rubing as much detail as he knew about Shi Xie's arrangements in Black Wind Ridge, including several secret paths he thought were possible for infiltration, as well as the locations of several water sources.

Gu Rubing noted down this information, not entirely accepting it, but using it as an important reference.

After leaving some gifts behind and issuing another stern warning to the Wuhuan leader to keep his promise, he immediately left the Wuhuan camp with Ma Chao and his personal guards, riding swiftly back to Yuyang.

Upon returning to Yuyang, Gu Rubing immediately summoned the elite scouts from among the crossbowmen.

"Based on the current intelligence, the target is Black Wind Ridge. Investigate it thoroughly, inch by inch! The distribution of sentry posts on the ridge, troop movements, fortifications, especially any possible traps and ambushes, and whether the secret passage leading to the other side of the ridge is real—make sure you find out everything!"

"promise!"

Upon receiving the order, the Colonel of the Crossbowmen quickly dispatched several of his most experienced squads, which broke into smaller groups and infiltrated the area surrounding Black Wind Ridge like ghosts.

Several days later, detailed intelligence reports were compiled and presented to Gu Rubing. The situation was more complicated than expected.

Black Wind Ridge is extremely dangerous, with high mountains and dense forests. Only a few winding and narrow paths are passable, making it truly a place where one man can hold off ten thousand.

Shi Xie was clearly well aware of the advantages of this location, and he set up strong outposts and arrow towers at key points along the main mountain paths, guarding them with heavy troops.

What's more troublesome is that, based on the scouts' risky approach and observation and the information provided by the hunters, it was confirmed that a large number of horse traps, tripwires, and possibly even more insidious traps had indeed been dug and set up in the valley and some seemingly flat woodlands.

Furthermore, intelligence confirms that during this period, Shi Xie, relying on his infamous reputation and the potential benefits he might promise, has successfully gathered together several bandit groups of varying sizes around northern Youzhou, consolidating and expanding their forces.

The core fighting force currently gathered in Black Wind Ridge and its surrounding areas has reached more than 30,000 people, and almost all of them are cavalry, making them extremely mobile.

This is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

However, in all the reports from the scouts, there was a common discovery.

No trace of anyone resembling Penglai people, especially those with distinctive features like Tong Fei, Zuo Ci, or Yu Ji, was observed on Black Wind Ridge.

They acted as if they had never been there.

Gu Rubing was not surprised by this.

He pointed to the mark of Black Wind Ridge on the map and analyzed it to the assembled generals, including Zhang Fei and Ma Chao.

"The people of Penglai pride themselves on their transcendence and will not easily reveal their whereabouts to ordinary armies."

They are like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, only appearing when Shi-seop faces a desperate situation or when they are confident of delivering a fatal blow.

What we need to do now is to destroy Shi Xie's main army as quickly as possible, before they can react or decide to intervene!

Zhang Fei looked at the treacherous terrain markings on the map and scratched his head in frustration.

"Brother, Black Wind Ridge is like an iron hedgehog, it's hard to get a foothold! Even if we manage to take it by force, the casualties among our brothers will definitely be high!"

Ma Chao also frowned.

"My lord, the enemy is all cavalry. If they hold their ground and defend, our army will be able to attack from below, which is indeed disadvantageous."

Even if we manage to storm the mountain, if they abandon it and flee, we will find it difficult to annihilate them completely, given their fast horses.

Gu Rubing nodded, his sharp gaze sweeping across the map before finally pointing to a relatively open hilly area in front of Black Wind Ridge.

"Therefore, we cannot launch a direct attack; we must lure them out! Outside Black Wind Ridge, we must utilize the terrain to wage an encirclement and annihilation campaign!"

He then began to deploy the battle plan. "Mengqi, you will lead most of the original garrison of Yuyang, as well as some of the infantry we brought, to stay and defend Yuyang."

We must make a great show of force, strengthen the city's defenses, and send more soldiers on patrols to create the illusion that our main force is still in Yuyang, busy pacifying the local area and consolidating defenses, thus misleading Shi Xie's spies.

Ma Chao clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"The last general takes command!"

Gu Rubing continued.

"I, along with Yide, will lead the main force of our cavalry and some elite infantry to secretly move towards Black Wind Ridge. Once we reach the designated position, we need not hide; we can make a great show of force, appearing to be searching for a route and preparing to launch a strong attack on Black Wind Ridge."

Shi Xie is a greedy and arrogant man, and now he is confident in his strong military force, and even has... potential support.

Seeing our main force approaching, and assuming that Yuyang is undefended, he is highly likely to lose his composure and proactively descend the mountain to seek a decisive battle, attempting to crush our army in one fell swoop, or even possibly diverting troops to launch a surprise attack on Yuyang.

He looked at Ma Chao and gave him some instructions.

"Once the battle begins at Black Wind Ridge and Shi Xie's main force is lured out, you immediately hand over the defense of Yuyang to your deputy general and lead all the remaining cavalry to the battlefield as quickly as possible to provide support! We must form a huge encirclement at the designated battlefield and wipe out Shi Xie's 30,000 cavalry in one fell swoop!"

"I will finally understand!"

A fighting spirit flashed in Ma Chao's eyes as he clasped his hands in a deep fist salute.

"Yide, your mission is to give me a good beating, but be careful. In the early stages of the battle, feign defeat to lure the enemy deep into our ambush!"

Gu Rubing then looked at Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei grinned and rubbed his hands together, eager to fight.

"Don't worry, brother. I, Old Zhang, am a master at feigning defeat! I guarantee I'll lure those bastards into the pit!"

With the plan settled, the generals went their separate ways to prepare, and a tense and solemn atmosphere permeated the army.

However, just as Gu Rubing was busily deploying his troops and preparing to implement his plan to lure the enemy, he was unaware that in the Wuhuan tribe he had just left, a seemingly insignificant Wuhuan servant responsible for taking care of the horses had secretly slipped out of the camp under the cover of night, mounted a fast horse, and galloped off towards Black Wind Ridge.

He was Shi Xie's spy planted in the Wuhuan tribe. News of Gu Rubing's meeting with the Wuhuan leader, as well as rumors that Gu Rubing's army might be about to move, were being sent to Black Wind Ridge and delivered to Shi Xie's desk as quickly as possible.
-
The news brought by the Wuhuan informant was like a bucket of cold water poured into a boiling oil pot, instantly causing an uproar in the bandit's lair in Black Wind Ridge.

When Shi Xie learned that Gu Rubing had not only personally gone to Yuyang, but also secretly met with the Wuhuan leader, and that the Wuhuan tribe had defected and promised to no longer provide any support, his first reaction was not anger, but a deep-seated fear! Gu Rubing!
The name was like a nightmare, instantly reminding him of the time in Jiaozhou when he was utterly defeated by the enemy's army and fled in a sorry state like a stray dog.

The fear of being dominated by absolute power was etched into his very bones.

"Go! We must leave immediately!"

This Black Wind Ridge is no longer safe to stay in!

Shi Xie's face was deathly pale. He paced back and forth in the Hall of Gathering Righteousness like an ant on a hot pan, his voice trembling.

"Gu Rubing has come in person, along with his elite troops! We are no match for them! Before they can encircle us, let's head north immediately and venture deep into the grasslands. He can't possibly chase us all the way to the northern desert!"

As he spoke, he instructed his trusted men to pack their valuables, preparing to order the entire army to retreat. What foundation, what ambition—all seemed insignificant in the face of life and death.

However, just as he reached the cave entrance, a figure, like a ghost, silently blocked his path.

The man, dressed in a gray cloth robe and holding a long, jet-black spear, had an indifferent gaze; it was Tong Fei.

"Mr. Tong... Tong Fei..."

Shi Xie abruptly stopped, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, his voice hoarse.

"where are you going?"

Tong Fei's voice was flat and emotionless, revealing no emotion, but his gaze made Shi Xie feel as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake, sending chills down his spine.

"Sir, the situation is dire! Gu Rubing has come in person, and the Wuhuan people have betrayed us. This place has become a dangerous place. We should avoid confrontation for now..."

Shi Xie tried to explain.

"avoid?"

Tong Fei's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.

"Where can you hide? The grasslands? The northern desert? Do you think Gu Rubing's crossbow captains are just for show? Or do you think that once you leave Black Wind Ridge, a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, your tens of thousands of rabble can withstand his battle-hardened elites in open field battle?"

He took a step closer, and the invisible pressure made Shi Xie almost unable to breathe.

"Your master's choice to support you is a sign of respect. If you were to run away now, you would be nothing more than a useless pawn. What do you think would be the fate of a discarded pawn?"

Tong Fei's words were like icicles, piercing through Shi Xie's psychological defenses.

"Or do you think you can escape? If I can find you once, I can find you a second time. Then, you'll be facing more than just Gu Rubing."

After coercion comes enticement.

Tong Fei's tone softened slightly, but it remained icy.

"Moreover, you now command 30,000 troops, all of whom are cavalry, and you have the advantage of terrain."

Gu Rubing has come from afar, his forces must be few, and he is weary from his long campaign. How do you know you are no match for him? If you can severely injure him here, or even... capture Gu Rubing, who in Youzhou, or even the whole world, would dare to underestimate you?
At that time, Penglai will naturally provide you with more support. Whether you run away like a coward, only to be hunted down like a wild dog, or seize the opportunity and strive for a bright future, the choice is yours.”

Shi Xie's expression kept changing, and his back was soaked with sweat.

Tong Fei's words struck at his weak points. Running away might not guarantee survival, and would thoroughly offend the mysterious Penglai; staying for the final battle, while risky, seemed... not entirely without a chance?

Especially Tong Fei's final words, "Take down Gu Rubing" and "More support," acted like poison, igniting the ambition and wishful thinking that had never truly died down deep within him. (End of Chapter)