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

Chapter 196, Liu Xie finally makes his move.
Yuan Shao waved his hand dismissively and said to Ju Shou, "Gongyu, you are overthinking it. Cao Cao is already trapped with no way to escape today. We might as well capture him alive and bring him back to Guandu, thereby forcing Cao Cao to retreat."

Ju Shou stamped his feet anxiously, his beard bristling. "My lord, the opportunity is fleeting. We must not hesitate at all. As long as we kill Cao Cao, Cao's army at Guandu will surely collapse. Why bother sending him there?"

"If we don't kill them now, something could happen at any moment. My lord, you must not hesitate and must give the order immediately."

The more anxious Ju Shou became, the less Yuan Shao cared. He felt that Cao Cao should be arrested and thoroughly humiliated, so that Cao Cao could also experience what it was like to be a prisoner.

If they had just killed the man without a word, Yuan Shao, as the victor, would have found it too uninteresting.

Ideally, Cao Cao would kneel before him, humbly begging for mercy from Yuan Shao, so that killing him would be even more satisfying.

Some people always enjoy trampling their enemies underfoot and relishing the thrill of being in control of others' lives and deaths.

Just then, suddenly, a great fire broke out in the Wuchao camp, illuminating the night sky and the eyes of everyone.

First, one haystack caught fire, then two, then three.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen haystacks were set ablaze, the flames roaring and shooting rapidly into the sky, turning the night sky crimson and illuminating the earth.

The flames shot into the sky, like fire dragons dancing wildly in the night. In the firelight, many of Yuan's soldiers showed expressions of panic and unease.

The fire spread rapidly, and the crackling of grain and the popping of wood could be heard clearly even from a distance.

"What exactly happened? Who started the fire?" This question popped into the minds of everyone in Yuan Jun and his staff.

For a moment, Yuan Shao's smile froze, and then quickly disappeared.

If it were just a small fire, Yuan Shao might not have thought much of it. But the fire soared into the sky and spread everywhere. One after another, huge fire dragons flew into the sky, the fire raging and the flames rolling.

Even a fool could tell that this was no accident; someone was definitely up to no good.

Ju Shou's expression changed, Zhang He's expression changed, and even Cao Cao, who was in dire straits, changed his expression.

"Send someone to check it out immediately." Ju Shou was the first to react.

Zhang He immediately ordered Lü Kuang to take men to investigate.

Lü Kuang led a thousand men and rushed to the back of the camp. When they arrived, Lü Kuang was also shocked by what he saw.

One haystack and grain stack after another was set ablaze, the fire raging and flames soaring, the intense heat waves hitting you from afar, sending chills down your spine.

It is late autumn now, the weather is dry, and the grain and fodder are very easy to ignite.

The strong winds accelerated the fire's spread, causing the flames to climb higher and spread rapidly, becoming unstoppable. Nearby tents were also affected and burst into flames.

The fire and thick smoke mingled together, rising rapidly into the air, raging and swirling wildly in the night sky, baring their fangs and claws, ferocious and terrifying.

Lu Kuang realized with despair that putting out the fire would be extremely difficult and would require a large number of people.

Unless the fighting stops immediately and all of Yuan's troops are sent to put out the fire, they can make no difference.

Otherwise, relying solely on these 1,000 or 2,000 people would be completely ineffective.

Suddenly, some figures appeared ahead, running quickly. Lu Kuang was filled with rage and shouted, "Damn arsonists, don't run!"

Lu Kuang led his men to chase after them. After running for a while, suddenly, the people in front stopped. In the short time that Lu Kuang was stunned, a lot of people suddenly appeared from all directions.

The leader was a man with thick eyebrows and fierce eyes, and an exceptionally strong physique. He carried a large knife on his shoulder and had a copper bell hanging from his waist, which jingled incessantly as he walked, like a demonic sound from the underworld summoning death.

Everyone else was holding crossbows, and before Lü Kuang could even figure out what was going on, Gan Ning gave the order, "Kill!"

Whoosh whoosh!
Countless crossbow bolts whistled through the air, their target locked on Lü Kuang. Before Lü Kuang could even scream, he was struck by more than ten arrows and died on the spot.

Other Yuan soldiers were also hit by arrows and fell to the ground. The remaining Yuan soldiers, having witnessed the power of the crossbow bolts, had no courage to resist. Someone took the lead and they turned and ran, wishing they had two more legs.

The crossbow bolts whistled and thudded continuously. Gan Ning had not completely surrounded them, but less than half of them managed to escape.

The battle started as quickly as it ended.

Someone ran up to Zhang He in a disheveled state, reporting in a panic, "General, something terrible has happened! There are ambushes inside, a lot of them!"

Where is Lü Kuang?

Seeing so many people rush back at once, and their faces filled with fear and unease, Zhang He's heart sank.

"General Lü Kuang has been murdered."

Zhang He was increasingly surprised and had no choice but to send more people over.

Ju Shou hurriedly reminded Yuan Shao, "My lord, do not hesitate any longer. We must kill Cao Cao immediately and then do everything we can to put out the fire."

The enemy's intentions are hostile. How many people have arrived? Who are they? We have no idea yet.

Yuan Shao's forehead was also covered in cold sweat. He nodded and said, "Alright, then let's kill Cao Cao."

The messenger shouted back, "Our lord has ordered: Kill Cao Cao!"

"Kill Cao Cao!"

Zhang He no longer hesitated and decisively raised the spear in his hand.

But just as Zhang He was about to give the order, shouts of battle suddenly rang out from the earthen slope, like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of Zhang He and the others.

"Kill them!"

"Kill them!"

The commotion was immense, as if thousands of people were shouting at the same time. After Gan Ning ordered Zhang He to divide his troops again, he reappeared beside Liu Xie.

Yuan Shao was so startled that he cried out. Among all the people present, he was the closest to the top of the earthen mound, which meant that Yuan Shao suddenly became the most dazzling person in the entire place!
Liu Bei remained calm. From the moment the fire started, he guessed that it was highly likely that Liu Xie had appeared.

Because Liu Bei felt that since the plan at Wuchao was devised by Liu Xie, it was impossible for him to remain completely uninvolved, and he was very likely to appear.

However, Liu Bei did not know exactly when Liu Xie would appear.

"It's His Majesty! My lord! It's His Majesty! His Majesty has come to save us!" Dian Wei shouted excitedly upon seeing Liu Xie, tears streaming down his face. He was overjoyed.

If we had arrived any later, it would have been all over.

Dian Wei was not a coward; he was happy for Cao Cao, for Cao Cao was saved!

Cao Cao suddenly turned around, looked up at the high place, and his gaze fell on Liu Xie. He was also very excited.

Although Cao Cao was not afraid of death, he did not want to die. He still had many things to do, and he was unwilling to die here.

As for why Liu Xie appeared at this time, Cao Cao had no time to think about it.

Cao Cao immediately raised his sword, Yitian, and his whole being was injected with new energy. He shouted, "Soldiers, His Majesty has come to save us! Kill!" At this moment, the most fearful person was Yuan Shao, the happiest person was Cao Cao, and the most conflicted person was Zhang He.

As the commander-in-chief, Zhang He had the opportunity to kill Cao Cao right in front of him. If he put in a little more effort, he could take Cao Cao's life.

However, Yuan Shao was right under Liu Xie's nose, only a few dozen meters away. Could Zhang He really ignore Yuan Shao's life or death?
Liu Xie's move immediately presented Zhang He with a difficult "choice" to make.

Should we kill Cao Cao first, or save Yuan Shao first?
Cao Cao only had a few hundred men with him. If Zhang He could kill him in one fell swoop, it shouldn't be too difficult.

However, Yuan Shao didn't have many people around him, and if they didn't go to save him, it would be difficult for Yuan Shao to survive.

Having just evacuated several thousand men, Zhang He was left with only about ten thousand. These men were more than enough to deal with Cao Cao, but they might not have an advantage against Liu Xie's several thousand fresh troops.

Yuan Shao turned tail and ran. He had been heading straight for the top of the hill, and unknowingly, he had brought himself to his death. Now, Yuan Shao was filled with remorse.

"Xuande, save me."

As Yuan Shao ran, he shouted, a rare look of pleading appearing in his eyes.

Just now, when Cao Cao led his men to attack, Yuan Shao was not particularly afraid. After all, Cao Cao was just a group of remnants of his army, and Yuan Shao did not see him as a great threat.

However, Liu Xie was surrounded by no less than four thousand men, all of whom were strong and brave. These men were like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood, and they were eager to rush over and tear him apart.

With Lü Bu among them, how could Yuan Shao not be afraid?

Back then, Lü Bu alone terrified the generals of the eighteen warlords.

The situation is beyond our control.

Zhang He had no time to think; he immediately led his men to charge towards Yuan Shao's side.

This was his duty, an inescapable obligation; he had to do it.

If we ignore Yuan Shao, even if we can wipe out all of Cao Cao's men, it will all be meaningless.

Liu Xie pointed his longsword forward and decisively ordered, "Kill!"

Lu Bu had been waiting impatiently for a long time and charged down. Gan Ning was no less decisive. The four thousand soldiers roared in unison and charged down like a terrifying torrent, rapidly approaching and engulfing Yuan Shao and his men.

Zhang He was a bit too far away, so Yuan Shao had no choice but to place all his hopes on Liu Bei.

"Xuande, save me!" he kept shouting.

However, the moment Liu Xie appeared, Liu Bei's body seemed to lose its control, and his movements became much, much slower than when he faced Cao Cao!

Liu Bei even wanted to get rid of Yuan Shao and didn't care whether he lived or died.

Since His Majesty has ordered the attack, it is clear that Yuan Shao must die, and Liu Bei no longer needs to protect him.

However, Liu Bei was also cautious. He did not want others to kill Yuan Shao, so he led Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in a retreat while fighting, protecting Yuan Shao. Instead of going down to meet up with Zhang He, he turned east.

Seeing Lü Bu and his men charging over with murderous intent, quickly felling and killing their guards one by one, scattering them in all directions, Yuan Shao didn't think much of it. He was terrified and followed Liu Bei wherever he went.

Lu Bu moved with incredible speed, his halberd whistling through the air as he thrust and smashed, and no one could withstand a single blow from him.

Yuan soldiers fell to the ground one after another. Sometimes, Lu Bu would strike with his halberd, knocking three or four Yuan soldiers to the ground with his monstrous strength, without any suspense.

Gan Ning brandished his broadsword, killing anyone he saw and slashing at anyone he encountered. The blade whistled as he cut down his enemies one by one. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen bloody corpses lay behind him.

Liu Xie, standing on high ground, had a clear view of Liu Bei's actions.

Lu Bu attacked from above, while Zhang He charged from below. The two sides were not far apart to begin with, and soon the two groups clashed.

The scene was extremely intense. Lu Bu and his men were fresh troops, full of energy, and brimming with killing intent. They were also charging down from a high place, giving them a clear advantage.

The moment they met, Lü Bu brandished his halberd, thrusting it out mercilessly, creating gusts of fierce wind.

Just like toothpicks piercing watermelons, plop plop plop, one stab at a time, fast and ruthless.

Gan Ning's Jinfan Battalion was also as fierce as wolves and tigers, wielding their broadswords and hacking and slashing fiercely, cutting down Yuan's soldiers one by one. Accompanied by earth-shattering battle shouts, blood rained down and limbs flew everywhere.

The two sides fought as they pursued Yuan Shao, since both Lü Bu and Zhang He were after Yuan Shao.

On one hand, they wanted to kill Yuan Shao, and on the other hand, they wanted to save him.

With Zhang He's departure, Cao Cao's pressure suddenly decreased, giving him a chance to catch his breath, leaving only Gao Lan with several thousand men to besiege them.

But at least everyone saw hope, and their spirits were lifted.

"Kill! Charge over there and rejoin His Majesty!"

Dian Wei roared excitedly and swung his iron halberd with all his might.

He was almost completely exhausted just now, but now, Dian Wei was full of energy again, as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, and Yue Jin were all very excited. They thought they were doomed, but unexpectedly, a turning point came.

People are not afraid of death, but that doesn't mean they don't want to live.

Life is only once, and each of them has a wife, children, and family. Unless absolutely necessary, none of them are willing to hastily give up their lives.

Although Gao Lan was still besieging the enemy, the grain supplies caught fire and the fire grew larger and larger. In addition, Yuan Shao was also in danger. Under these circumstances, Gao Lan and his men were also uneasy and fearful.

Previously, they were able to focus all their efforts on attacking Cao Cao, but now, no one is sure what the outcome will be.

Liu Xie's unexpected appearance disrupted everyone's rhythm.

Zhao Yun and Wu Anguo remained by Liu Xie's side and did not join the battle. They watched as Liu Bei approached.

Liu Bei suddenly gave Guan Yu a look, and immediately broke away from the group and went around to the back of the earthen mound.

At this moment, Yuan Shao was like a helpless child, extremely dependent. Seeing Liu Bei leave, he hurriedly asked, "Xuande, where did you go?"

Guan Yu glanced at him and replied expressionlessly, "My brother has gone ahead to scout the way."

Ju Shou said, "We should join Zhang He immediately; that would be the only safe way."

Guan Yu said coldly, "Nowhere is safe now."

Zhang Fei chimed in, "That's right. His Majesty has brought so many people; he must be well-prepared. Zhang He and his men might not be able to stop them."

The relationship between Cao Cao and Liu Xie was indeed very unusual.

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(End of this chapter)