The Three Kingdoms: The entire Cao Cao camp thought I was weak and frail.

With various factions harboring their own ulterior motives and fueling the flames, this diverse and self-serving alliance finally set off westward in a grand procession the following morning.

The army stretched for dozens of miles, its banners obscuring the sun. It appeared to be a formidable force, but in reality, their movements were inconsistent and undercurrents were swirling.

Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Liu Bei, who volunteered for the mission, formed the undisputed vanguard. Their soldiers marched in perfect unison, their military bearing solemn, and their speed was astounding. In contrast, the armies of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu lagged behind, their supply wagons filled with non-combat supplies, their march slow and resembling more of an armed parade.

The continuous travel and mental exhaustion caused Xun Hao's health to deteriorate rapidly. He was almost unable to ride a horse and had to be forcibly placed in a carriage by Guo Jia.

Guo Jia had the carriage filled with the softest furs and stayed by his side every step of the way, his face so gloomy it could drip water. Whenever the caravan had to slow down because of the delays of the vassal lords behind them, he would mutter a few curses under his breath.

Xun Yu and Xun You walked side by side to Xun Hao's carriage. Xun Yu lifted the curtain and saw Guo Jia holding Xun Hao in his arms, carefully feeding him medicine with a small spoon. Xun Hao leaned weakly against him, letting the other take care of him. The intimacy between them made Xun Yu's face darken instantly.

Xun You whispered to him, "Wenruo, are you just going to let them do as they please?"

Xun Yu lowered the curtain, suppressing his anger, and squeezed out his voice through clenched teeth: "What can I do? The moment I offered to take care of him, he said, 'I wouldn't dare trouble my elder brother,' leaving me speechless!"

After speaking, Xun Yu suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Xun You. His serious gaze made Xun You, who was older than him, feel a little uneasy.

Xun Yu spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly: "Gongda, let me discuss this with you. We are uncle and nephew, and although you are older, you are still the next generation of the Xun family. As the old saying goes, when there is trouble, the sons and nephews should do the work. Isn't that right?"

Before Xun You could react, Xun Yu grabbed his arm and shoved him into the carriage without a word: "Fengxiao is not one of my clansmen, so it's inappropriate for him to stay in the carriage any longer. You, go inside and take good care of Yanruo. If anything happens to him again, I will hold you responsible!"

Xun You was thus half-forced into the carriage by his uncle, where he exchanged bewildered glances with Guo Jia and Xun Hao, who were also inside.

The three people inside the car stared at each other, falling into an eerie silence. Guo Jia's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He had wanted to kick out this "nephew" who had suddenly barged in, but seeing Xun Hao with his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, looking extremely uncomfortable, he forcibly held back.

Xun You was also extremely embarrassed. Looking at Guo Jia's unfriendly expression, he could only clear his throat in an attempt to break the deadlock: "Uncle, please tell me what you need."

As the army continued westward, a faint, acrid smell of burning began to permeate the air. By evening, even though the sun had set, the western horizon was still tinged with an eerie, ominous dark red.

That wasn't sunset; that was firelight.

When the army finally arrived outside Luoyang, everyone was stunned by the sight before them.

The once unparalleled capital city is now a boundless sea of ​​fire. Enormous tongues of flame lick the night sky, thick smoke billowing and obscuring the stars and moon. Waves of heat wash over you, mingled with the crackling of wood and the agonizing screams echoing from afar.

Under the firelight, Cao Cao summoned all his core generals.

He didn't consult anyone else; instead, he issued the order directly.

"Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren, heed my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You two will each lead a thousand elite troops to escort Mr. Gongda into the city, sparing no expense to rescue the Lantai Stone Chamber and all the books in various places!"

Xun You was startled, climbed out of the carriage, and bowed deeply to Cao Cao.

"The rest of you, follow me to wipe out the remnants of Dong Zhuo's forces outside the city and buy them time!" Cao Cao's voice sounded particularly resolute amidst the crackling of the flames.

A frantic rescue operation, a race against the raging fire, was thus launched.

Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren led a thousand elite troops, resolutely plunging into Luoyang, the former capital that was now ablaze. A wave of heat hit them, carrying with it suffocating smoke and the smell of burning.

Along the streets, once-prosperous houses are collapsing one after another, sparks flying everywhere.

Xun You was positioned in the center of the group, his elegant robes standing out starkly against the hellish scene. He forced himself not to look at the charred corpses in the distance, nor to listen to the heart-wrenching cries around him, relying solely on his astonishing memory of Luoyang's markets to guide the group.

"Turn left, into Yong'an Lane! Quickly!"

They soon encountered Dong Zhuo's rearguard. A group of scattered Xiliang soldiers were looting a mansion when they saw Cao Cao's army charging towards them. Instead of retreating, they charged forward with fierce eyes. Xiahou Dun roared and took the lead, his spear instantly felling the leaders to the ground. A brief but bloody street battle ensued.

Meanwhile, in the main camp outside the city, Xun Hao tossed and turned in his carriage. He forced himself to activate the [Last Plan].

His vision instantly overlapped with Xun You in the distance, and the entire burning city of Luoyang flooded his mind.

Flames, thick smoke, collapsed buildings, fleeing civilians, fighting soldiers... countless fragmented images and sounds made it impossible for him to close his eyes.

The immense mental strain made his vision blur, and a metallic taste rose in his throat. But he forced himself to stay awake, managing to glean crucial information from the chaotic scene. He saw that at the end of the next street Xun You had pointed to, a tall watchtower was already crumbling, about to collapse in the flames. If the group entered, they would be buried alive.

"No..." He suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed Guo Jia's hand, and said urgently, "Watchtower! West... take the irrigation canal!"

Guo Jia immediately understood. He rushed out of the car and relayed the order to the messenger in charge of liaison as quickly as possible.

A moment later, the messenger rode up to Xiahou Dun's troops and loudly relayed the warning.

Just as the group turned, the watchtower collapsed with a deafening roar. Huge beams and bricks completely blocked the street, leaving everyone terrified.

Xiahou Dun glanced back at the ruins, then at Xun You, who was pale-faced in the center of the group. He didn't ask anything, but simply clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the messenger.

Under Xun Hao's intermittent guidance, this isolated army seemed to have divine assistance, repeatedly avoiding deadly traps and heavy forces from the Xiliang army.

They finally arrived at their destination—the Lantai Stone Chamber.

However, the scene before them sent a chill down everyone's spine. The main building of the library was not yet completely engulfed in flames, but the surrounding side halls and corridors were already a sea of ​​fire. Fueled by the wind, the flames were spreading towards the main building. The main entrance had been completely blocked by the collapsed eaves.

"Mr. Gongda!" Xiahou Dun looked at Xun You.

Xun You's eyes were bloodshot, and he was extremely anxious. He walked quickly around the fire, but couldn't find any way in.

"General Yuanrang, break through the wall!" He pointed to a side wall where the fire was less intense, his voice hoarse.