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

He wanted nothing more than to rush up and tear the scroll to shreds, and even more so, to draw his sword and sever the hand that had just signed the document at the wrist! How could he have been so bewitched and believed the evil of these sorcerers?!
However, the contract was already signed, and the fingerprints were on it. Yu Ji and Tong Fei's cold and resolute gazes clearly told him that this was no empty threat.

Zuo Ci, the legendary and elusive core figure of Penglai, possessed a contract forged from his essence and blood that contained a power he could neither comprehend nor resist.

He is now like a fly caught in a spider's web; struggling will only tighten the restraints.

Tong Fei seemed to see through his sudden burst of killing intent and regret. He took a small half-step forward. Although he did not speak, his tangible, icy aura enveloped him, as if silently warning him not to have any unrealistic ideas.

Cao Cao took several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the rage and fear that threatened to burst from his chest.

He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that remained in them was exhaustion and a resigned gloom.

Now that things have come to this, what choice does he have but to continue down this path?

The most urgent task is to capture Mianzhu and eliminate Gu Rubing, this major threat! As for Liangzhou and the potential backlash... we can only wait and see.

"That's it!"

Cao Cao squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse.

When will we be able to break through Mianzhu?

Seeing that Cao Cao had come to terms with reality, Yu Ji resumed his inscrutable expression and flicked his whisk.

"King Wei, please calm down and observe my methods. Please order the construction of a high platform in the open space of the camp, and arrange it according to this plan."

As he spoke, he handed over a piece of silk cloth covered with strange symbols and directions.

Cao Cao took it, and without even looking at it, handed it to the guard beside him, saying sternly.

"Get it done immediately! There must be no mistakes!"

Cao Jun's execution was extremely efficient. In less than half a day, a three-zhang-high earthen platform was erected in the open space of the camp.

The platform was arranged according to the blueprints provided by Yu Ji, with seven flags of different colors embroidered with strange runes, arranged according to the positions of the Big Dipper. In the center of the platform was a small incense table, on which were placed incense burners, talismans, cinnabar, and other items.

Yu Ji changed into a more ancient and solemn apricot-yellow Taoist robe, held a peach wood sword, and slowly walked onto the stage.

Cao Cao, along with Xun Yu, Xiahou Dun, and other key civil and military officials, watched from a short distance below the stage, each with a mixture of doubt and barely suppressed curiosity on their faces.

Especially the military generals like Xiahou Dun, watching the pretentious act on the stage, their brows furrowed so deeply they could trap flies. If it weren't for Cao Cao's strict orders, they would have already scoffed at it.

Yu Ji stood before the incense table, burned incense and prayed, muttering incantations in a low and indistinct voice, as if communicating with something beyond the reach of the world.

The peach wood sword in his hand began to dance, his steps following a strange rhythm as he circled the seven flags.

At first, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle; there was nothing unusual.

Time passed slowly, from afternoon to evening, and the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the horizon orange-red.

Cao Cao, who was waiting below the stage, gradually became impatient. He tried his best not to lash out, but his anxiety was written all over his face.

Xiahou Dun couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

"Playing tricks! I think this sorcerer is just..."

Before he finished speaking, something strange happened!

On the stage, Yu Ji suddenly pointed his peach wood sword at the sky and let out a clear, long whistle!

The whistling sound seemed to have a certain penetrating power, soaring straight into the sky!
Almost simultaneously, the seven flags that had been motionless suddenly began to flutter and rustle without any wind!

The blue smoke from the incense burner on the altar, where three sticks of incense were burning, no longer rose gently but twisted and swirled eerily, coiling around Yu Ji like a living thing.

Immediately afterwards, everyone felt a sudden, damp, cold wind rise from nowhere, stirring up the dust on the ground, making people's clothes flutter and making it impossible to open their eyes.

"got windy?"

Cao Cao subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

However, this was only the beginning! The wind grew stronger and stronger, howling through the camp and making the banners flutter loudly.

The sky seemed to be stirred by an invisible hand. The originally magnificent sunset was swallowed up by the rolling gray-black clouds at a visible speed, and the light quickly dimmed.

Just as dusk was falling, a thick, milky white mist, seemingly seeping from the void, first appeared in wisps and then grew thicker and thicker, surging towards Mianzhu City like a raging tide!

In just a short while, the distant mountains, forests, and even the majestic Mianzhu city wall became blurred and distorted in this eerie white mist, and finally disappeared completely from everyone's sight!

"It's done! The strategist is truly a genius!"

One of Cao Cao's generals couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his face filled with awe.

Cao Cao was also dumbfounded. Although he had been mentally prepared, the shock brought by witnessing this magical scene of summoning wind and rain and creating fog out of thin air was still beyond compare!
His fear of Penglai reached its peak at this moment.

These people's abilities have completely exceeded his comprehension!

Meanwhile, at the city wall of Mianzhu.

Gu Rubing was inspecting the city's defenses, still wondering why Cao's army had acted out of character today and had not launched any offensive.

He gazed at the silent Cao army camp in the distance, feeling a vague unease.

Suddenly, he felt a cold, damp wind blow against his face and couldn't help but shiver.

He looked up at the sky and saw that the last rays of the setting sun were completely swallowed up by the rolling dark clouds, and the sky quickly darkened.

"Is the world going to change?"

He frowned.

But what happened next made him, a man from the modern era who had seen all kinds of extreme weather, feel a chill run down his spine!
The fog came too fast! It didn't look like it formed naturally at all!

In just a few breaths, the thick white fog, like a huge, silent monster, opened its grayish-white maw and swallowed the entire city of Mianzhu!

The line of sight dropped sharply, the battlements a few steps away became blurry, and the city towers and arrow towers further away disappeared into the white background like a mirage.

The air was filled with a damp, chilly atmosphere, mixed with a faint, strange smell, like sulfur.

"what happened?!"

"Why did it suddenly get dark?" "The fog is so thick! I can't see you!"

"It's sorcery! It must be Cao Cao's army's sorcery!"

Panic instantly gripped the city walls!
The soldiers had never witnessed such a bizarre and rapid change in weather. In this age of superstition and belief in ghosts and spirits, the unknown was often equated with terror. Screams, cries of fear, and the clanging of weapons falling to the ground rose and fell, and the once well-organized defensive line was thrown into chaos.

"Don't panic! Stand still and don't move!"

Wei Yan's roar echoed through the mist, but had little effect; panic spread like a plague.

"Hold your formation! Stand with your backs to the city walls!"

Ma Chao also shouted loudly, trying to restrain his subordinates.

Deng Ai remained calm and immediately gave the order.

"All squad leaders and sergeants, shout out your numbers to confirm the positions of your soldiers! Archers, stand ready! Only fire arrows on command, and be careful to avoid friendly fire!"

Under the strenuous efforts and command of generals such as Wei Yan, Ma Chao, and Deng Ai, the chaos on the city wall was barely brought under control. However, the soldiers' faces, filled with doubt and fear, and their suppressed whispers indicated that morale had been severely shaken.

Gu Rubing stood in the thick fog, letting the cold, damp air cling to his eyebrows, hair, and armor.

His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, not from fear, but from anger and a sense of "I knew it!"

The fog came at such a coincidence, so strangely, that it completely defies the laws of nature!

This is by no means a coincidence!

Immediately afterwards, the faint sounds of war drums and indistinct shouts of battle coming from below the city walls, muffled and indistinct through the thick fog, completely confirmed his guess!
"My lord! Cao's army! Cao's army has begun their attack on the city under cover of fog! They're almost at the city walls!"

A scout, soaking wet and with a look of panic on his face, scrambled up to Gu Rubing, his voice trembling.

Gu Rubing clenched his fist tightly, his nails almost digging into his palm! It really was Cao Cao's doing!
He actually colluded with Penglai!
"To summon wind and rain, to manipulate celestial phenomena... even Zhuge Liang needed to observe the weather and rely on the power of nature to borrow the east wind. To be able to create a dense fog covering the entire city so precisely and quickly... this skill has already surpassed the scope of Zhuge Liang!"

The thought flashed through Gu Rubing's mind, and a chill rose from the bottom of his heart.

Who else but those unpredictable people of Penglai who possess incredible powers could accomplish this?
He never expected that Cao Cao, after suffering so many losses at Penglai and witnessing Penglai's disregard for human life and its unscrupulous behavior, would still dare to seek revenge against them again!
Is the temptation to conquer Mianzhu and eliminate him really so great that he would disregard everything and even willingly submit to Penglai's control?

"Cao Cao...you really are...a leopard can't change its spots!"

Gu Rubing stared at the thick fog that made it impossible to see his own hand in front of his face, and listened to the increasingly close movements of the enemy troops. He gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

The thick, almost tangible white fog not only swallowed the light, but also the courage and judgment of the soldiers defending the city.

Unable to see, with only the heavy breathing of his companions and the distant, seemingly ghostly shouts and clashes of weapons emanating from the mist, this unknown fear was far more devastating than any open battle.

The soldiers under Gu Rubing's command were already wavering in morale due to this sudden "change in the weather." Now, fighting in an environment where they could not see anything at all, their morale plummeted, and they could not exert five or six tenths of their combat power.

"Don't panic! Form ranks! Stand with your backs to the city walls!"

Wei Yan roared hoarsely and swung his long sword, cutting down a Cao army sergeant who had managed to climb onto the city wall. But more Cao soldiers emerged from the fog like ghosts.

"Archers! On my command, cover the area fifty paces ahead!"

Ma Chao's silver spear moved like a dragon, accurately piercing through one blurry figure after another, but he still couldn't determine how many enemies had stormed onto the city wall.

Deng Ai's face turned ashen. He tried to order the use of gunpowder, but the soldiers were too flustered to operate it effectively, and the incredibly humid air seemed to penetrate everything.

Once the gunpowder fuse gets damp, it becomes extremely difficult to ignite. Occasionally, one or two fire pots are thrown out, but the explosions are far less powerful than before, and the flames are fleeting in the thick fog, making it impossible to create any effective killing or deterrence.

What's worse, there was a faint, sweet, fishy smell mixed in with the thick fog!

The scent is not noticeable at first, but after inhaling it for a while, one feels an itch in the throat, a slight dizziness in the head, and a feeling of weakness in the limbs.

"It's poison! There's poison in the fog!"

Veterans who had experienced the previous battle of Linjiang City cried out in terror, which further exacerbated the panic among the defending troops.

Although Hua Tuo's secret antidote pill could alleviate the symptoms, its effectiveness was greatly reduced under such intense combat and panic.

Gu Rubing could only watch helplessly as his soldiers fell one after another under the dual torment of the fog and poison gas, or were taken by weapons that seemed to come from nowhere, and the defensive line retreated step by step.

The fierce battle lasted for two hours, but for the defending troops, it felt as long as two days and nights.

Gu Rubing was covered in blood, his armor was covered in sword and knife marks, and his hand holding the sword trembled slightly, not because he was exhausted, but because of heartache and anger.

He could clearly sense a strong sense of war-weariness and despair permeating the army. The soldiers' eyes appeared numb and fearful in the fog. If it weren't for generals like Wei Yan and Ma Chao leading the charge and desperately supervising the battle, the defense line would probably have collapsed long ago.

"My lord! We can't continue this fight! The soldiers... they can't hold on much longer!"

Deng Ai rushed to Gu Rubing's side, his voice hoarse, his face covered with a mixture of sweat, blood, and water droplets condensed from the mist.

Gu Rubing looked around. Although his field of vision was limited, he could hear more and more screams coming from his own side.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment and bloodshot veins, but reason told him that if he persisted, the only outcome would be total annihilation.

"Order! Alternating cover, retreat! Retreat towards Xindu!"

Gu Rubing practically forced the order out of his throat, each word carrying a heavy weight.

The retreat was equally chaotic and brutal.

Under the dense fog and the constant pursuit and harassment of Cao Cao's army, Gu Rubing lost many more soldiers who were covering the rear.

When he finally led his remaining troops to escape the pursuers and arrive at the new capital, he counted the number of soldiers. The nearly 100,000 troops that had been left to guard Mianzhu were now reduced to less than 80,000, and many of them were wounded. Their morale was extremely low.

Just as Gu Rubing's remaining troops, still shaken, entered the new capital and busied themselves redeploying their defenses.

A cavalry force, led by General Xiahou Dun, had already silently circled around to a secluded valley behind the new capital, following Cao Cao's prior secret orders. Like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, they awaited the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

The atmosphere in the new capital was oppressive. The shadow of utter defeat loomed over everyone.

What's more troublesome is that a rumor unfavorable to Gu Rubing has begun to quietly spread among the wounded soldiers and ordinary soldiers.

“Have you heard?
The dense fog that descended that day was because His Highness Prince Lie's actions violated the laws of nature, incurring divine punishment! (End of Chapter)