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

The four were like a small boat in a raging storm, struggling in an endless sea of ​​enemy forces. It seemed that they were only a moment away from being completely exhausted and swallowed up by the black waves.

At this most desperate moment—

"Woo-wu-wu-"

A deep, urgent bugle call suddenly came from the southeast, outside the encirclement! Immediately following was the thunderous sound of horses' hooves, and a deafening roar that could be clearly heard even through the thick wall of men, like a dragon's cry echoing through the heavens!

"Brother! Zilong! Yide! Mengqi! I, Guan, have arrived—!!!"

The roar was filled with boundless anxiety and boiling fighting spirit, instantly drowning out all the noise on the battlefield!

It's Guan Yu! Guan Yu who stayed behind to guard the camp!
He had been keeping a close watch on the movements in the sorcery area from within the camp.

When Guan Yu saw the towering flames and explosions, heard the earth-shattering roar, and especially felt the terrifying aura that Cao Cao was unabashedly exuding, he knew that Gu Rubing's surprise attack had probably met with misfortune and might even be in dire straits!

He could no longer restrain himself. Without hesitation, disregarding the potential dangers facing the camp, he mustered all the cavalrymen still capable of fighting—about two thousand—and charged towards the brightest point of the fire at top speed to provide support!
At that moment, he finally arrived! He appeared precisely in the southeast direction, where Gu Rubing and the others were struggling to break through!

"Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, Slash!"

With a roar, a cyan blade of energy, like a waterfall cascading from the heavens or an enraged azure dragon, slashed fiercely down from above the heads of the Cao army on the outer perimeter! Wherever it passed, flesh and blood flew, shields shattered, and it tore open a huge, bloody gap, dozens of feet long, in the impenetrable encirclement!

Guan Yu took the lead, his Red Hare as fast as lightning. His Green Dragon Crescent Blade flashed left and right, cutting down Cao Cao's army who were trying to block the breach as easily as chopping melons and vegetables!
Although the number of cavalry behind him was far less than that of Cao's army on the ground, they were driven by the speed of their charge and the urgency to save their lord, and they also unleashed an astonishing fighting power. Like a red-hot dagger, they stabbed into the weak spot of Cao's army's defenses!
The sudden arrival of fresh troops, and such a fierce cavalry flanking attack, instantly disrupted Cao Cao's encirclement rhythm!
The Cao army in the southeast was thrown into chaos. Many soldiers turned around in fear, not knowing how many enemies were coming. The originally tight encirclement showed obvious signs of loosening and disorder!

"It's Yun Chang!"

"Second brother is here!"

Zhang Fei and Ma Chao were greatly encouraged and almost cheered!
In Gu Rubing's blurred vision, he saw the familiar blue figure and the fluttering "Guan" banner. A warm current mixed with the excitement of escaping from a desperate situation surged into his heart, making his almost scattered will regroup!
"Charge out! Reunite with Yun Chang!"

Gu Rubing screamed with his last bit of strength.

As if injected with new strength, the four mustered their remaining courage and charged desperately toward the gap that Guan Yu had torn open!
Guan Yu also saw the four people who were trapped in the encirclement and covered in blood. His eyes were bloodshot. He spurred Red Hare and charged inwards without regard for anything. His Green Dragon Crescent Blade danced like a storm of death, desperately closing the distance between them!
With the combined efforts of the inside and outside, Cao Cao's army's obstruction was finally completely broken through! Gu Rubing and his three companions, like a flood breaking through a dam, finally joined the cavalry torrent led by Guan Yu!
"Brother! Get on your horse quickly!"

Guan Yu cleaved two of Cao generals who were charging at him with a single stroke, and reached out to pull Gu Rubing away.

"Let's go! Don't linger!"

Knowing that this was not the time for conversation, Gu Rubing, with Zhao Yun's help, mounted an unclaimed warhorse and gave the order in a loud voice.

The cavalry led by Guan Yu immediately changed formation, protecting key figures such as Gu Rubing in the center, forming a wedge formation, turning their horses around, and launching a desperate counter-charge towards the way they came—the outer defensive line of Cao Cao's army camp! They were going to fight their way back!

Cao Cao stood on the high platform, watching the small group of men who, with Guan Yu's support, had finally broken through the encirclement and joined the cavalry in a counter-charge. His face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

The veins on his hand gripping the demonic sword bulged, clearly indicating extreme rage. The workshop was destroyed, and Gu Rubing was seriously injured. This was an excellent opportunity to eliminate the threat completely, or even to crush Gu Rubing's forces in one fell swoop, but it was all ruined by Guan Yu's sudden appearance!
His eyes flickered as he instantly weighed the pros and cons. The workshop fire needed to be controlled, the potential chain reaction from the explosion and the leakage of fel energy needed to be dealt with, and the morale of the troops needed to be stabilized.

More importantly, Gu Rubing's main force is still intact. If we were to pursue them with all our might at this moment, even if we could capture Gu Rubing, we would inevitably suffer heavy losses. Moreover, the empty camp might be taken advantage of by the troops left behind by Guan Yu... The risk is too great.

"Order that we not pursue them. Regroup the troops, extinguish the fire, clear the rubble, and treat the wounded. Strengthen the defenses of each battalion to prevent another enemy attack."

Cao Cao finally gave the order in a cold voice, his tone devoid of much emotion, but the chilling killing intent silenced the surrounding generals.

Under the desperate cover of Guan Yu's cavalry, Gu Rubing and his group fought their way through the densest part of Cao Cao's defenses and finally escaped into the wilderness. The shouts of battle and the flames behind them gradually faded into the distance.

The tattered troops finally arrived at the camp gate, where the soldiers who had been waiting anxiously, having already received the news, hurriedly opened the gate and went to greet them.

When they saw Gu Rubing, covered in blood and barely able to sit on his horse with Zhao Yun's half-support and half-carrying, and Zhang Fei and Ma Chao, who were also covered in wounds and barely breathing, the area near the camp gate fell into a deathly silence, followed by suppressed gasps and anxious shouts.

"Lord!"

"Big brother!"

"Quickly! Summon the army doctor!"

The military doctors and guards, who had been preparing for some time, rushed forward and carefully lifted the almost unconscious Gu Rubing off the horse and placed him on the stretcher that had been prepared.

His face was as pale as paper, his lips were cracked, and his breathing was weak and rapid. His chest, ribs, shoulders, arms... were covered with hideous wounds, some deep enough to expose the bone, and some still slowly oozing blood.

The most serious wound was on his left rib, grazed by the sword energy of Cao Cao's demonic sword. Although it did not pierce directly, the flesh was rolled up, and the edges showed an abnormal gray-black color, with faint traces of evil energy remaining.

"Be careful! Our lord is severely injured, his internal energy is disordered, and he is also invaded by evil energy!"

After a quick examination, an elderly military doctor's expression changed drastically, and he said urgently.

"Quickly carry it back to the central command tent! Get the best wound medicine, as well as mugwort, realgar, and cinnabar to draw out toxins and ward off evil! Prepare hot water and clean linen!"

Guan Yu followed closely beside the stretcher, his phoenix eyes filled with bloodshot veins and anxiety. He grabbed the old military doctor.

"We must save our lord at all costs!"

"General Guan, rest assured, I will do my utmost!"

The old military doctor nodded repeatedly.

Zhang Fei and Ma Chao were also helped down. Although they had many wounds, most of them were superficial and did not cause any serious injury. However, they had lost too much blood and were exhausted from fighting. They were swaying and were helped aside by their personal guards for bandaging and treatment.

Zhao Yun's injuries were slightly less severe, but his internal energy was greatly depleted, and his complexion was extremely poor. He refused to rest immediately and insisted on guarding outside Gu Rubing's tent.

The atmosphere inside the central command tent was extremely tense.

Several of the best military doctors surrounded the bed, carefully cleaning the wound, applying medicine, and bandaging it. They also used silver needles to acupuncture points in an attempt to channel the violent internal energy within Gu Rubing's body, which had been completely disrupted by the forced outburst and invaded by evil energy.

Outside the tent, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and the strategists and generals who had rushed over upon hearing the news all stood silently, no one uttering a word, only heavy breathing and the faint groans of wounded soldiers in the distance.

Time passed slowly in agony. The sun set and the moon rose, and dawn broke again. The towering fire in the direction of Cao Cao's camp burned for almost the entire night, and even from dozens of miles away, one could see the dark red glow of the sky and hear the faint, muffled explosions. In the latter half of the night, the fire gradually weakened and went out, but the commotion and chaos at Cao Cao's camp did not seem to have completely subsided.

At dawn, the elite scouts sent out brought back more detailed information.

"Report! The area in the northeast corner of Cao Cao's camp that was used for sorcery has been completely reduced to ruins. Although the fire has been brought under control, the thick smoke has not yet dissipated. Upon closer inspection, the ruins are charred black, and many strange buildings have completely collapsed. Nothing intact remains."

"The morale of Cao's soldiers was clearly low. The patrols were unusually cautious when they went out, with tight formations and they kept looking around, as if they were still afraid. I once saw several groups of Cao soldiers whispering to each other and looking worried when they changed shifts."

"more importantly."

The scout lowered his voice.

"The number of the 'improved divine marchers' with their vacant eyes, who used to frequently appear on the outskirts of Cao Cao's camp and along important passages, has greatly decreased, and they are almost nowhere to be seen."

My subordinates risked sneaking closer and vaguely heard suppressed arguments and commotion deep within Cao Cao's camp, but the distance was too great to discern clearly. However, the movement of Cao Cao's various camps seemed more frequent than usual, and there was a palpable tension in the air.

After hearing the report, although the people outside the tent were still worried about Gu Rubing's injuries, a glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes. Guan Yu's hand, which was stroking his beard, paused slightly, and he said in a deep voice.

"It seems that although your plan was risky, it has indeed hit Cao Cao where it hurts. That sorcery workshop was not only his secret arsenal, but it also probably affected the interests and confidence of certain factions in his army. Now that it has been destroyed, his army's morale will surely be shaken."

One of the advisors nodded in agreement.

"General Guan is absolutely right. Cao Cao was able to quickly integrate the remnants of Penglai and attempt to improve the evil arts for his own use, so there must be forces within the army that support or even rely on this practice. Now that their foundation has been destroyed, these forces will inevitably waver, and may even cause internal divisions. This shift in power is a great opportunity for our army!"

Even though Zhang Fei was bandaged up like half a rice dumpling, he couldn't help but grin.

"Haha! That's great! Burn that damned place down, let's see what Cao Cao can use to play tricks now! Brother's injury was worth it!"

Ma Chao also perked up.

"Our lord used himself as bait, taking this risky tactic, and it has yielded remarkable results. Now that Cao Cao's army is demoralized and internally unstable, it is the perfect time for our army to press on with full force!"

However, the joy was quickly overshadowed by more pressing concerns. Gu Rubing remained unconscious, his injuries extremely severe. Meanwhile, within the main camp, although the successful surprise attack had noticeably boosted morale—which had been consistently low due to disease and food shortages—

The soldiers no longer talked about the plague and hunger in private, but about how brave their lord was and how he had penetrated deep into the enemy's den to destroy Cao Cao's lifeline. Their faces were filled with more pride and fighting spirit.

The shadow of the pandemic seems to have been temporarily dispelled by these tremendous victories. However, the fact that the commander-in-chief was seriously injured, all the core generals were wounded, and the troops were lost remains a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.

In this atmosphere of hope and anxiety, Gu Rubing, who had been unconscious for a day and a night, finally opened his eyes slowly after noon the next day.

The military doctor and guards waiting inside the tent were overjoyed and rushed forward to check on the situation, while also sending someone to urgently inform the generals waiting outside.

Gu Rubing felt as if his whole body had fallen apart, with pain everywhere, especially in his left rib and chest, as if a branding iron was burning him, and every breath was accompanied by excruciating pain.

His internal energy was in complete disarray, his dantian was empty, his meridians were sluggish, and a cold, foreign energy lingered near his wound, making him extremely uncomfortable.

He struggled to sit up, but the old army doctor gently pressed him down.

"My lord, your injuries are extremely serious. Evil energy has invaded your body, and your internal energy is in great disarray. You must not move around rashly and need to rest and recuperate."

The old military doctor spoke in a serious tone.

Gu Rubing did not insist, but asked in a hoarse and dry voice.

"What's the situation outside? How are Yide, Zilong, Mengqi, and the others? Where is Yunchang?"

Before the words were even finished, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and the others had already rushed into the tent upon hearing the news. Seeing Gu Rubing awake, everyone's faces showed a relieved joy.

"Big brother! You're finally awake! You scared me to death, Old Zhang!"

Zhang Fei was the first to rush forward, his voice booming, which aggravated his wounds, causing him to grimace in pain but ignoring it.

Guan Yu walked to the bedside and carefully examined Gu Rubing's face. Although he was still pale, his eyes had regained focus. Guan Yu felt a little relieved and said in a deep voice.

"Brother, we are all fine, just minor injuries, we'll be fine after a few days of rest. But you, your injuries are more serious, you need to take good care of yourself."

Zhao Yun and Ma Chao also stepped forward to pay their respects, their eyes full of concern.

Gu Rubing nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. Seeing that although they were injured, they were in good spirits, which relieved him somewhat.

He took a deep breath, enduring the pain, and asked.

"Cao Cao's camp... the area of ​​evil magic..."

Guan Yu knew what he wanted to ask, and immediately gave a detailed account of the scouts' report, focusing on the complete destruction of the workshop, the low morale of Cao Cao's army, the sharp reduction in the number of the Divine Marching Army, and the suspected disturbance in the camp.

Upon hearing this, Gu Rubing's eyes, which had been dimmed by blood loss and exhaustion, suddenly lit up, as if two deep flames had been ignited! In that light, there was little joy of victory, but rather an almost cold calmness and decisiveness.

"well!"

His voice was weak, yet it carried an undeniable power.

"The objective of this battle has been achieved. Cao Cao's reliance on evil has been destroyed, his army's morale will surely be thrown into chaos, and the stalemate of protracted confrontation... has been broken!"

He took a slight breath, gathered his strength, and continued.

"Issue the order... the entire army, immediately on high alert! Send out more scouts to closely monitor the movements of Cao Cao's camp! Fortify the camp defenses, inspect the city's defensive equipment, and ensure that soldiers take turns resting to conserve their strength!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals tensed. Guan Yu said. (End of Chapter)