With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 142, Guan Yu cleaves Cao Cao in two.

Cao Cao waved his hand and said, "Wenruo, the Han Dynasty was founded on military strength. Now that the world is in turmoil, only by relying on military force can we unify the world. Your Majesty has also been diligently practicing swordsmanship in the palace."

"Your Majesty is the ruler of the world, and your swordsmanship must be quite superb. Today, I dare to challenge Your Majesty to a duel to boost the morale of our army and inspire the spirit of our troops."

Xun Yu was unable to persuade Cao Cao and was in a difficult position, so he looked awkwardly at Liu Xie.

Liu Xie glanced gratefully at Xun Yu, then looked around at everyone's expressions.

Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, Guan Yu, Yang Biao, Mi Heng, and others all looked at him nervously.

Guan Yu, in particular, was on horseback, his phoenix eyes blazing with fury. He gripped the reins with one hand and held the Green Dragon Crescent Blade tightly in the other, wishing he could rush over immediately and cleave Cao Cao in two with a single blow.

Everyone's expression was different. Cao Ren, Xiahou Dun, and others were completely gloating, simply watching the show. They all dreamed that Cao Cao could trample Liu Xie underfoot.

Xun You, Guo Jia, Man Chong, and others also sided with Cao Cao, while Xun Yu was tense and uneasy, his heart hanging in suspense.

Whether the two are arguing or fighting, the worst thing is that neither of them is willing to back down.

Neither side was willing to back down, and something bad was bound to happen.

Today's situation is very clear: Cao Cao and Liu Xie are completely at odds!
Liu Xie no longer wanted to be like Emperor Xian of Han in his previous life, who was so subservient and terrified of Cao Cao that he could barely stand up straight.

They could only resort to underhanded tactics like issuing an imperial edict in the belt, but the secret was leaked early on, and Cao Cao almost wiped them all out.

Liu Xie understood that if he conceded this step today, Cao Cao would definitely take advantage of the situation.

Aside from temporarily refraining from interfering in military and political affairs, Liu Xie wouldn't allow anything else; that was his bottom line!
Cao Cao could not interfere with his freedom, nor could he be allowed to ride roughshod over him.

Faced with Cao Cao's provocation, Liu Xie decisively drew his Qinggang sword, saying, "Since Lord Cao insists on the contest, how can I back down?"

Cao Cao squinted and nodded meaningfully, then feigned concern as he reminded, "Your Majesty, swords have no eyes. I will be as careful as possible, but if I injure Your Majesty later, I hope Your Majesty will not be angry."

Liu Xie understood that Cao Cao was trying to scare him; he was a seasoned warrior and skilled in archery and horsemanship.

When later generations mention famous generals of the Three Kingdoms period, they will name a lot of well-known figures, such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and Lü Bu. However, few people notice that Cao Cao himself was also one of the famous generals of the Three Kingdoms period.

When the warlords attacked Dong Zhuo, he took the lead in the battle. When they fought against the Yellow Turbans, he was always at the forefront. In addition to being proficient in military strategy and tactics, Cao Cao also charged into battle many times, and countless people died by his sword.

A gust of wind blew by, swirling up many leaves from the ground. The two men, each holding a sword, stared at each other, and the atmosphere suddenly became much more tense.

The ministers watching held their breath; the atmosphere was suffocating.

Cao Cao did not make the first move. He nodded to Liu Xie and said, "Your Majesty, please go first!"

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."

At this moment, excessive humility is meaningless. Liu Xie pushed off the ground with his foot, rushed forward, and with a flash of sword light, he swiftly stabbed Cao Cao in the chest.

Once he made his move, Liu Xie didn't hold back; he acted decisively and swiftly!

Cao Cao was slightly taken aback, but his reaction was quick enough. He held his sword horizontally, and with a clang, the two swords clashed together without any suspense, scattering a burst of dazzling sparks.

Cao Cao could clearly feel the astonishing power emanating from the sword hilt.

Liu Xie's gaze was cold and his expression was calm.

Cao Cao secretly praised him, forcefully deflected Liu Xie's Qinggang sword, and swung his sword backhand, aiming for Liu Xie's waist.

At first, Cao Cao was somewhat hesitant and did not use his full strength. The two swords clashed, like two silver dragons circling in the air.

Cao Cao's swordsmanship was fierce and domineering, just like his expression at this moment, sharp and unrestrained. Liu Xie's swordsmanship was simple and straightforward, not flashy, but every move was dangerous and swift.

He followed Wang Yue to practice swordsmanship. Wang Yue practiced swordsmanship for killing, pursuing only one purpose: to strike the vital points directly. The simpler the technique, the more effective it was.

After a dozen or so rounds, Cao Cao stopped holding back. He could clearly sense that Liu Xie's swordsmanship was extraordinary. If he continued to let him win in front of so many people, he would probably be the one to lose in the end.

Cao Cao's swordsmanship suddenly accelerated, slashing left and right, exchanging blows with Liu Xie, countering each move and becoming even more ferocious.

Cao Cao's swordsmanship was sharp, and his attacks became fierce. Liu Xie's swordsmanship was not yet fully developed, and after more than twenty rounds, he gradually fell into a passive position.

As Cao Cao attacked with his sword, he reminded Liu Xie, "Your Majesty, if you surrender now, it's not too late to avoid getting hurt."

Liu Xie responded calmly and took concrete actions. Jia Xu had reminded him that no matter what he was competing with Cao Cao in, he could not lose in terms of momentum.

"Lord Cao, there's no need for further words. Defeat me first!"

Liu Xie let out a cold shout and forcefully deflected Cao Cao's sword.

Cao Cao snorted, his eyes growing even colder. He suddenly leaped up, swinging his sword with both hands simultaneously. The long sword cut through the air with the force of a thunderbolt.

Liu Xie parried with his sword, and after a loud bang, his arm went numb and sore, and he staggered back several steps.

Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Yang Biao, and the others watched nervously, their eyes wide open.

Seeing this scene, Liu Bei became even more determined to leave Xuchang. He knew that if Cao Cao set his sights on him, he would not be so lenient.

He was even willing to go all out when dueling with the emperor.

Cao Cao's sword struck Liu Xie, sending him staggering back several steps. As soon as Liu Xie landed, Cao Cao lunged forward again and swiftly thrust out his sword.

The sword flashed and the air was chilling. Cao Cao's expression became more and more serious, and Liu Xie became more and more passive. But Liu Xie's expression also became more resolute, without any fear.

Neither of them wanted to lose, but judging from their swordsmanship, Cao Cao was clearly superior.

Cao Cao quickly seized the opportunity and deflected Liu Xie's sword with a single stroke.

Cao Cao then flashed his sword, the Yitian Sword, across Liu Xie's waist. Liu Xie tried his best to dodge, but was still slashed. Not only were his clothes torn, but a trace of blood also flowed out.

"His Majesty!"

Several people on the sidelines cried out in alarm, which made Liu Xie feel relieved.

Liu Xie did not want to admit defeat because he was the emperor and had many people behind him. If Liu Xie backed down and lost his momentum, those who supported him would inevitably suffer a blow to their morale and be affected.

Cao Cao sneered, "I have said that swords have no eyes, Your Majesty, you flatter me."

Cao Cao even kindly came over and pretended to be concerned about Liu Xie's injuries.

Liu Xie's face was ashen. He waved his hand and said, "No need for Cao Gong's concern. It's just a minor injury. I'm fine. Congratulations, Cao Gong, your swordsmanship is superb. My swordsmanship is not as good as yours now."

Liu Xie stood up straight with composure, but Cao Cao was very unhappy, as Liu Xie's words displeased him.

Liu Xie only admitted that his swordsmanship was inferior to Cao Cao's, and that his current swordsmanship was inferior to Cao Cao's.

This shows that Liu Xie did not lose in other areas, and he was confident that he could defeat Cao Cao in a future sword fight.

People on the sidelines started cheering loudly, encouraging Cao Cao.

But Cao Cao was far from happy, because this fell far short of his desired effect of intimidating Liu Xie. Cao Cao hoped to see Liu Xie admit defeat, submit, and show fear of him, but unfortunately, he only won in silence.

After a while, Cao Cao stared at Liu Xie, fiddling with the Yitian Sword and saying, "Your Majesty, I have said before that swords have no eyes. If my sword had deviated even a fraction more, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Threat, naked threat!
The implication is that Liu Xie's life and death were entirely in Cao Cao's hands.

Intelligent people don't need to speak too bluntly, but they can all understand the implied meaning.

Cao Cao then slowly said, "Fortunately, this is just a competition. Your Majesty has never been on the battlefield and does not know the dangers of a life-or-death contest."

Cao Cao's soldiers in the distance cheered and celebrated his victory in the sword fight, but Cao Cao took the opportunity to threaten Liu Xie.

He was reminding Liu Xie that his life was always in his hands.

Suddenly, a loud shout, like a thunderclap, startled Cao Cao. "You traitor Cao, cease your arrogance and prepare to die!"

Guan Yu could no longer restrain himself, spurred his horse, drew his sword, and charged straight at Cao Cao.

This scene was unexpected by everyone, even Liu Xie was somewhat surprised and deeply moved.

According to Liu Xie's understanding of the plot, Guan Yu wanted to kill Cao Cao, but Liu Bei persuaded him in time. However, now Guan Yu is riding straight over.

Guan Yu's actions terrified Liu Bei, who hurriedly shouted, "Yun Chang, don't be rash, come back quickly!"

Zhang Fei didn't know how to react. To be honest, Zhang Fei was fearless and had been itching to get back to his senses in Xuchang. From Zhang Fei's perspective, Guan Yu killing Cao Cao should have been met with a huge uproar, which was very much in line with Zhang Fei's personality.

However, seeing Liu Bei's intervention, and knowing that Zhang Fei always listened to Liu Bei, he didn't know how to respond.

Zhang Fei wanted to join Guan Yu in charging to kill Cao Cao, but he also wanted to obey Liu Bei's orders.

Guan Yu was like a sword drawn from its sheath; he was ready to go all out. Cao Cao had repeatedly provoked Liu Xie, and Guan Yu could no longer tolerate it.

Cao Cao was also surprised. He watched as Guan Yu, who was galloping rapidly towards him, approached. He saw Guan Yu's phoenix eyes wide open, his eyes flashing with a fierce light, and he had already raised his eighty-two-pound Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Cao Cao was stunned with fear.

Cao Cao had very complex feelings toward Guan Yu, including admiration, respect, and of course, some fear.

In addition, after the last time he sent troops to Xuzhou and seized the Du family's property, he felt somewhat guilty.

Guan Yu was not far away to begin with, and since he was on horseback, a distance of a hundred meters or so was only a blink of an eye.

When Cao Chun and the others realized something was wrong, they hurriedly spurred their horses and rushed over.

Cao Chun was closest and reacted quickly, but Guan Yu still managed to reach Cao Cao first.

"Yun Chang, you..."

Cao Cao retreated in fear, frantically trying to say something, cold sweat pouring down his face.

However, before he could finish speaking, Guan Yu raised his Green Dragon Crescent Blade high.

"You traitor Cao, you have bullied the Emperor and harbor rebellious intentions. Today, I, Guan, will kill you!"

Before he finished speaking, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade whistled as it slashed down towards Cao Cao's head.

Zhao Yun also spurred his horse and charged over. Before he even got close, he shouted, "Your Majesty, leave this place immediately! It's dangerous!"

Many of Cao Cao's generals rushed over. Zhao Yun was most worried about Liu Xie's safety. If someone disrespected Liu Xie in the chaos, it would be troublesome.

Xun Yu had the most complicated expression; he was completely bewildered.

Xun Yu trembled and murmured, "It's over, it's over, what are we going to do, how are we going to end this?"

Guan Yu swung his sword down, and Cao Cao was terrified. In the critical moment, he dodged to the side without hesitation.

Guan Yu's blade swept across Cao Cao's clothes, startling Cao Cao into a cold sweat.

Another slash, the blade whistling, the attack extremely fierce.

Cao Cao was just enjoying the thrill of defeating Liu Xie, but in a short while, he experienced the taste of dancing with death.

Guan Yu slashed with his left hand and his right hand, and in less than five rounds, he slashed Cao Cao's waist.

The blade was sharp, and although it did not wound Cao Cao's vital organs, it terrified him so much that his soul almost left his body.

Cao Cao was no match for Guan Yu. He rolled on the ground and fled for his life while shouting, "Guards! Stop him!"

Guan Yu rode past Liu Xie, glancing quickly at him. In Liu Xie's eyes, Guan Yu saw deep gratitude and worry.

Guan Yu's actions this time had only one purpose: to kill Cao Cao!

Even though he acted impulsively and without thinking, Liu Xie was still grateful!

Liu Xie could fully understand that Guan Yu did this entirely because of his heartfelt loyalty to him and the Han Dynasty.

He even forgot Liu Bei's instructions and didn't care about the consequences of his actions.

Seeing Guan Yu chasing Cao Cao like a madman, Liu Bei could no longer stand it and hurriedly gave chase, shouting, "Yun Chang, stop!"

They chased for several dozen meters and ran into Xiahou Yuan.

Without saying a word, Xiahou Yuan raised his sword and slashed at Liu Bei, angrily saying, "You three brothers are in cahoots, give me your lives!"

When Liu Bei saw the murderous look on Xiahou Yuan's face, he tried to explain, but Xiahou Yuan wouldn't listen at all.

If Guan Yu had killed Cao Cao, no one would have considered Liu Bei and Zhang Fei as good people anymore.

Liu Bei quickly found himself in a fierce battle, and Zhang Fei rushed over to help Liu Bei fight Xiahou Yuan. Seeing this, Xiahou Dun also joined the battle.

This caused complete chaos. The Cao army soldiers on the periphery, who were cheering for Cao Cao, suddenly found themselves joining the battle.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Zhao Yun approached Liu Xie, spear in hand, and shielded Liu Xie behind him.

Before long, Lü Bu, Wu Anguo, and others rushed over, and the group spontaneously formed a circle to protect Liu Xie as he retreated to a distance.

Several oblivious Cao soldiers passed by, and Zhao Yun and Lü Bu showed no mercy, angrily attacking and killing the troublesome Cao soldiers one by one.

Xun Yu glanced at Liu Xie, then at Cao Cao who was still fleeing in a sorry state, and hesitated. Even he himself didn't know who he should care about first at this moment.

If no one had protected Cao Cao, Guan Yu would have succeeded long ago, but he was quickly stopped by Cao Chun, and Cao Ren also led his men to attack.

This is, after all, Cao Cao's territory.

Many mid-level Cao Cao generals hesitated at first, but breathed a sigh of relief once they were sure that Cao Cao was not targeting Liu Xie.

(End of this chapter)