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

Chaisang!

When Sun Quan received Lu Su's letter, he was shocked. Zhou Yu had actually sent troops to Xichuan without authorization, and had done so without consulting him first.

The moment Sun Quan learned that Zhou Yu had sent troops to Xichuan without authorization, his face instantly darkened like the sky before a storm.

His eyes were wide open, blazing with furious fire, as if he wanted to burn everything in front of him to ashes. His jaw was clenched, and his tense cheeks revealed his extreme anger.

"What a Zhou Yu! How dare he send troops without my permission!"

Sun Quan roared in uncontrollable rage, his voice echoing through the hall, making the beams and pillars seem to tremble slightly. He suddenly flicked his sleeve, the wide sleeve drawing a sharp arc in the air, as if to dispel all his anger.

Sun Quan paced back and forth in the hall, each step heavy and hurried, the floor tiles beneath his feet seeming to bear the weight of his anger.

His breathing was rapid and heavy, his chest heaving violently, and the resentment in his heart was like a surging wave, crashing against his reason one after another.

"Who is truly the ruler of Jiangdong?" Sun Quan roared again, his voice filled with the authority and fury of a regional overlord.

The guards and servants in the hall were all terrified. Sun Quan was like a wild beast about to erupt, and no one dared to look at him. They were all trembling and dared not utter a sound.

"Zhou Yu, Zhou Yu, what a fine Zhou Yu!"

Sun Quan paced back and forth, going around and around. Suddenly, he realized, "Zhou Yu is my brother's man. He has always been loyal to my brother, but he is not so respectful in front of me. He has become too powerful and is not taking me seriously at all!"

When people are excessively angry, they are prone to losing their rationality.

Despite Lu Su's repeated pleas in the letter for Zhou Yu, saying that he had no malicious intent but was simply eager to make a name for himself, Sun Quan still felt that his authority had been greatly challenged.

The combined forces of Jiangdong number only a little over 40,000, but Zhou Yu took 15,000 away in one go. What if the progress is not good?
After a long while, Sun Quan finally managed to suppress his anger for the time being and picked up the letter that had been lying on the ground again. In the letter, Lu Su mentioned that Zhou Yu had come up with a plan to help Zhou Yu deal with the Dragon Guards hiding in the shadows.

Sun Quan immediately summoned Zhou Shan and Sun Kuang and instructed them: "Set up an execution ground in the west city in three days and publicly execute some prisoners."

"Brother, what is your intention in doing this?"

Sun Quan sneered, "Since they've all hidden themselves, we need to find a way to lure them out. You should publicly announce this in the city for three days. By then, those hiding in the shadows will surely be taken to the execution ground."

Sun Kuang nodded. "I understand. Brother is deliberately spreading the news to make them mistakenly believe that their companion has been arrested. Even if they don't dare to storm the execution ground, they will still go there out of curiosity."

"Good. When the time comes, block off all the streets and make sure to find them."

Zhou Shan was somewhat worried. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "But if my lord does this, it will inevitably harm the innocent."

"Harm innocent people?"

Sun Quan shook his head and let out a cold laugh. "You just need to block the roads. I will not order you to harm innocent civilians. Even if the scene is chaotic, you must screen them one by one. Aren't they the emperor's people? They wouldn't have the heart to hurt ordinary people, would they?"

Zhou Shan and Sun Kuang exchanged a glance and nodded. Soon, they went to the prison and selected some strong prisoners from the dark and damp cell.

The prisoners all looked bewildered, unsure of what fate awaited them.

Within three days, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys. People rushed to tell each other that the assassin who attempted to assassinate Zhang Zhao had been captured and would be publicly executed in three days.

Those who know the truth naturally understand that the so-called assassins are actually the Dragon Guards.

Liu Biao and his men were hiding in various places. Although they were safe for the time being, they could not move around to each other as a precaution, since this was Chaisang and the army often patrolled back and forth.

This resulted in a lack of timely communication. When people learned that Sun Quan was going to publicly execute them, many mistakenly thought that other companions had been arrested.

Filled with righteous indignation, many of the guards, out of curiosity, decided to go to the execution ground to take a look.

Zhou Yu saw this as an opportunity. Regardless of whether they were captured or not, as long as the news was released, it would definitely attract many Dragon Guards.

The atmosphere at the execution ground was solemn and tense. Sun Kuang personally presided over the proceedings, his demeanor imposing and cold. His gaze frequently swept around, paying attention to every subtle movement.

The execution ground was teeming with people, many of whom had come to watch the spectacle. People rushed over and waited patiently.

It wasn't until noon that the prisoners were brought over. Sun Quan didn't care about these scapegoats, and the common people were just there to watch the spectacle, so they naturally couldn't tell the difference.

Zhan Fei, along with his other brothers, mingled in the crowd and kept getting closer to the execution platform. Soon, the execution began, but Zhan Fei carefully checked and couldn't find a single familiar face.

Zhan Fei was suddenly startled, "Oh no, we've been tricked!"

Zhan Fei wanted to push through the crowd and leave as soon as possible, but he soon discovered that a large number of Jiangdong soldiers had suddenly appeared outside the execution ground. These people were armed with knives and spears and blocked all the passages in and out.

People were in a panic, not knowing what had happened. Sun Kuang stepped forward and shouted to them, "We have received news that thieves have infiltrated the execution ground. Don't worry, we will not harm the innocent. Women and children can leave first. If you have family members, let them come and identify you."

Sun Kuang had to investigate and screen them one by one. Women and children were quickly identified, and the number of people at the execution ground was reduced by half. Then came the elderly, and the number of people decreased even more.

Next, Sun Kuang asked their families to identify the people. Those without families could not leave. The number of people left on the execution ground was decreasing. Zhan Fei and the others were anxious. What a cunning and treacherous green-eyed man.

"Zhanfei, what do we do? We can't get out."

Several underlings gathered around Zhan Fei, all gritting their teeth and glaring angrily.

Zhan Fei sighed first, then laughed, "Brothers, there's nothing to be afraid of. Better to die than live in dishonor. At worst, we'll just die."

One of the Dragon Guards looked at the surrounding people and suggested, "Since there are still quite a few people here, let's fight our way out. We might still have a chance while things are in chaos."

Zhan Fei glared at the man and scolded him, "What nonsense are you talking about? Even before we became Dragon Guards, we were all chivalrous knights who stood up for the weak and righted wrongs. When have we ever harmed innocent civilians? If word gets out that the Dragon Guards are using civilians to cover for themselves, how will we have the face to see His Majesty?"

Zhan Fei spoke with righteous indignation. He suddenly stepped forward and shouted to the surroundings, "Dragon Guards, assemble here!"

In a flash, the Dragon Guards who were originally mingling in the crowd gathered around when they heard Zhan Fei's shout.

Zhan Fei shouted to Sun Kuang in the distance, "You just want to deal with us, right? No need for all this trouble. Let the innocent civilians go. We won't run away today."

Sun Kuang secretly admired them, muttering, "Truly courageous." The surrounding people also looked at Zhan Fei and his group. Zhan Fei shouted loudly to them, "Don't listen to Sun Quan's nonsense! There was no assassination attempt on Zhang Zhao. We are officials of the court. Killing Zhang Zhao was an order from the emperor. Sun Quan is a regional warlord who has no respect for the emperor. He is targeting us, not you. The Dragon Guard will never harm any innocent civilians."

Sun Kuang gritted his teeth and glared in anger. This was outrageous! If word got out, it would be extremely damaging to Sun Quan's reputation.

But with so many people, we can't just kill them all, can we?

Sun Kuang was sweating profusely with anxiety. Unable to make the decision himself, he hurriedly sent someone to consult Sun Quan, who replied that the prisoners should be released.

Sun Quan dared not harm the tens of thousands of ordinary people.

Soon, the civilians were all released, leaving only sixty-odd Dragon Guards.

They all came empty-handed, because this was an execution ground, and it was impossible for them to bring weapons.

Zhan Fei looked at everyone and said, "Brothers, I'm sorry, but I'll be on my way with you today. You won't be alone on the road to the underworld!"

"What are you afraid of? Let's fight them! Killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus!"

"Yes, let's fight them! Sooner or later, His Majesty will avenge us for this blood debt!"

Zhan Fei laughed loudly, "That's right! Although His Majesty isn't here, he will definitely avenge us. His Majesty thought highly of us and let us join the Dragon Guard. Today, we cannot disgrace His Majesty! Kill!"

Zhan Fei shouted, his eyes immediately flashing with murderous intent. The other Dragon Guards also transformed into tigers and wolves, charging fearlessly towards the Jiangdong soldiers.

The battle immediately began. This fierce battle lasted for two full hours. All sixty-six Dragon Guards were killed in the end, and more than three hundred Jiangdong soldiers were killed or wounded.

…………

Everything went smoothly for Liu Bei; there was no disturbance along the way, and they didn't encounter a single soldier from Xichuan.

However, Zhou Yu's side was ambushed when they had only gone halfway.

Zhou Yu led the Jiangdong troops along a winding and rugged mountain path. The path was difficult to traverse, with towering rocks on both sides. The further they went, the more difficult the path became.

At the same time, stepping onto unknown land, Zhou Yu instinctively felt a sense of unease.

A damp mist filled the mountain forest, and the shadowy trees seemed to conceal countless unknown dangers.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle shattered the tranquility, and one of Zhou Yu's guards fell from his horse, his neck pierced by an arrow.

"No, there's an ambush!"

Zhou Yu quickly reined in the horses and drew his sword.

In an instant, countless figures emerged from the surrounding hillsides. Zhang Ren's ambush troops appeared like ghosts, the sound of bowstrings rising and falling, and a dense barrage of cold arrows rained down like a storm.

Arrows rained down, blotting out the sun, and the Jiangdong soldiers were instantly gripped by extreme panic. Soldiers screamed and fell, their blood staining the ground beneath their feet.

Zhou Yu shouted loudly, trying to organize a resistance, but the chaotic situation made command extremely difficult.

In the midst of the chaos, a sharp arrow pierced the air. Zhou Yu was unable to dodge in time and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as the arrow pierced deep into his body.

Zhou Yu gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and continued to command his soldiers in battle. However, more and more soldiers fell under the rain of arrows, and the situation became increasingly critical.

The entire valley instantly transformed into a living hell, with shouts of killing, screams of agony, and the clatter of bowstrings mingling together, creating a chilling atmosphere.

The ranks instantly descended into chaos. The soldiers panicked and fled in all directions, but had nowhere to hide.

The already narrow valley suddenly became incredibly crowded, with soldiers and warhorses packed tightly together, jostling and trampling each other, creating an extremely chaotic scene.

Faced with the chaos of the Jiangdong soldiers, Zhang Ren, standing on the hillside, remained expressionless. He would not feel a shred of pity for these invading enemies.

"Release the arrows! Shoot them dead!"

The rain of arrows fell relentlessly, wave after wave, creating a crimson shower of blood in the valley. The Jiangdong soldiers screamed in agony as they fell one after another.

Zhou Yu glared angrily, brandishing his long sword in an attempt to calm the troops.

However, the rain of arrows was too dense, and soldiers kept falling before his eyes. The road was stained red with blood, and corpses piled up like mountains; the scene was horrific.

The casualties among the Jiangdong soldiers were getting heavier and heavier, while the enemy's attacks showed no signs of abating. The situation was becoming increasingly critical, as if the end of the world had come.

After a while, Zhang Ren led his troops down the hillside. Although the Xichuan soldiers lacked combat experience, they had the upper hand at this moment. Following Zhang Ren, they charged down the hillside with great momentum, like tigers descending the mountain, towards the Jiangdong soldiers. The two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

Zhou Yu fought and retreated, directing his soldiers to withdraw. Han Dang and Dong Xi surrounded him, while Zhang Ren brandished his spear and charged forward.

Zhang Ren led the charge, his spear flashing like a dragon emerging from the sea, gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He spurred his horse forward, the spear tip slicing through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

With a flick of his wrist, his spear twisted like a serpent, his moves unpredictable. At times, the spear tip thrust straight forward with lightning speed, instantly piercing the armor of the Jiangdong soldiers; at other times, it swept across the battlefield, its powerful force creating a whooshing sound as it struck down several soldiers in front of him.

His marksmanship was both fierce and agile, with each strike containing immense power.

The spear spun, creating a dense, impenetrable blur of light; wherever it went, Jiangdong soldiers fell like straw. Blood splattered everywhere, staining his battle robe and spear crimson.

Faced with such a powerful offensive, the Jiangdong soldiers were terrified; their weapons seemed so fragile in the face of Zhang Ren's spear.

They tried to resist, but their weapons were easily knocked away, and they were then killed with a single spear thrust. Unable to mount any effective resistance, they could only wail in despair under Zhang Ren's spear, falling in droves.

The panicked Jiangdong soldiers looked at the Xichuan soldiers charging towards them like wolves and tigers, and fear instantly filled their hearts.

Already demoralized by the ambush, they were now utterly powerless to resist.

The Western Sichuan soldiers instantly charged into the Jiangdong army's ranks, swords flashing and blood splattering, corpses piling up on the ground. (End of Chapter)