Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

The group turned their horses and headed north.

Liu Quan led the way.

Along the way, Liu Quan made many twists and turns, yet he did not encounter any Xianbei cavalry, as if he had foreseen the future.

Lu Bu, following in the procession, grew increasingly astonished and couldn't help but whisper to Liu Bei beside him, "Xuande, your brother... could he possibly be a fortune teller?"

Liu Bei laughed and replied, "A-Quan is naturally sharp of hearing and sight."

Lu Bu nodded, somewhat envious.

He was also born with excellent hearing and eyesight, but he couldn't match Liu Yuangu's abilities, so—

This guy is more talented than me!

They came to a stream, where they dismounted to drink and rest.

Suddenly Liu Quan's expression changed, and he said to everyone, "Wait for me a moment, I'll be right back."

As he spoke, he mounted his horse and rode away.

After a while.

Liu Quan returned, leading two empty horses.

There was another person beside him, whom Liu Bei, Zhang Xun and others recognized as the Wuhuan archer who had competed with Liu Quan that day.

The Wuhuan man also led two horses and followed Liu Quan respectfully.

Liu Bei noticed the strange attitude of the Wuhuan man and asked, "A-Quan, what's going on?"

Liu Quan dismounted, and the Wuhuan archer also dismounted, standing with his hands at his sides behind Liu Quan.

Liu Quan said, "This man was being chased by four Xianbei people, and I rescued him."

Zhang Liao, who was standing nearby, utterly disliked the Wuhuan people and couldn't help but mutter, "The Wuhuan people are heartless and ungrateful. Will they turn on us?"

The Wuhuan archer, however, understood Chinese. Upon hearing this, he immediately knelt before Liu Quan, raised his hand to the moon, and swore an oath in broken Chinese:

"My benefactor saved my life, so my bald head and my life belong to him. If I betray him, may I be devoured by a pack of wolves."

Liu Quan turned around, looking down at him, and said coldly, "If you betray me, I won't need a pack of wolves; I'll chop you into mincemeat myself. Now you'll follow me and become my follower."

"Yes, Master!" The Wuhuan archer bowed his head obediently.

"Your name is Bald?" Liu Quan asked again.

"Yes, Master."

"It doesn't sound good. Let's change it. How about... let's call him Jebe?"

"Also, grow your hair out. I don't like your Wuhuan hairstyle."

"Yes, Master."

"Ah Quan, what does the name 'Jebe' mean?" Liu Bei asked Liu Quan quietly.

Liu Quan casually explained, "It means 'divine archer' in our immortal world."

Liu Bei immediately felt envious.

These Wuhuan people are so lucky; they actually received a title of immortal.

"Ah Quan, do immortals fight? And do they shoot arrows in battle?" he asked curiously.

"They know how to fight, and they fight far more brutally than any human! But not with arrows, they shoot... uh, with a kind of magical artifact..."

Liu Quan briefly described to Liu Bei the effects of future laser weapons.

Liu Bei was greatly shocked.

This is truly a divine artifact from the immortals; if it were used in the mortal realm, wouldn't it be invincible?!

Two days later, the group reined in their horses and stood on a riverbank.

Before me lies the Chuo Chou Shui.

The river is not wide, only a few dozen feet wide, but the current is very rapid.

The river rushes out from the mountains to the north, carrying melted snow from upstream. It is turbid and cold, with grayish-white waves.

The riverbanks were covered with dense reeds, a mix of withered yellow and new green, rustling in the wind.

Startled by the sound of the horse's hooves, the waterbirds skimmed across the water and disappeared into the grass on the opposite bank.

Looking across the river, a solitary peak rises abruptly from the ground, standing out starkly on the grassland.

The mountain is not very high, but it has a rather majestic appearance. Its body is dark green, which stands out against the backdrop of the endless green grassland around it.

At the foot of the mountain, domes are scattered like stars, white tents like mushrooms dotting the meadow.

Further away, herds of horses and cattle and sheep can be vaguely seen, scattered like stars, stretching out in the distance.

That was the royal court of the Xianbei people—Danhan Mountain.

As the sun sets, its afterglow bathes the mountains in a golden hue, and wisps of smoke rise from between the tents, creating a scene of tranquility and peace.

Liu Quan looked around and said calmly, "The Xianbei royal court is just across the river. Tan Shihuai took most of the able-bodied soldiers with him, leaving only a small force and the elderly, women, and children. Alright, everyone rest for a while, we'll cross the river when it gets dark."

Lu Bu pointed to the pontoon bridge on the river in the distance and said, "The Xianbei people obviously didn't expect anyone to come here. The defenses aren't tight. We'll charge across the bridge in a bit."

At this point, Lü Bu's expression turned ferocious. "This battle was too frustrating. You've been holding back a lot of anger, so this is the perfect opportunity to vent it."

Liu Bei gazed solemnly at the solitary mountain and sighed softly, "Who would have thought that with tens of thousands of Han troops mobilized, we, the wandering knights, would end up at the foot of Tanhan Mountain?"

Time flows on, the sun sets and the moon rises.

The sky gradually darkened.

On both sides of the pontoon bridge, Xianbei cavalry patrolled back and forth in twos and threes.

However, they were not very vigilant.

His gaze would occasionally wander aimlessly in the darkness, but he spent most of his time chatting idly in the Xianbei language.

"Alas, since we didn't get involved in this battle when the King attacked the Han people, we're afraid we won't get any benefits either."

"I originally wanted to sign up, but my father wouldn't let me go, saying that I'm the only son left in the family and I have to stay home to carry on the family line. He said he would give me half of the spoils he got."

"Your father is really good. Me—what was that sound?"

The next second, the young Xianbei cavalryman trembled, as did his companion.

They were all too familiar with that muffled, thunderous sound.

They were cavalry, charging cavalry.

"It's cavalry!" the Xianbei cavalryman screamed, his voice trembling. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Blow the horn! Blow the horn now!"

A Xianbei cavalryman frantically grabbed the horn hanging from his saddle, but before he could even bring it to his lips—

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

In the darkness, several arrows pierced the air and accurately struck the throats and chests of five patrolling cavalrymen.

The Xianbei cavalryman staggered and fell to the ground with several muffled thuds.

"Excellent archery!" A low voice of approval came from the darkness.

"Likewise," another voice said with a hint of smugness.

The archers were Liu Quan and Lü Bu, oh, and Jebe as well.

The Xianbei garrison stationed in front of the pontoon bridge was alarmed and rushed out of their tents. What greeted them was the thunderous sound of horses' hooves and the gleaming of swords and spears that surged like a tide.

Lü Bu, Liu Quan, and Guan Yu led the charge, forming a triangular formation as they charged straight into the enemy lines.

The three of them together could almost be considered the most powerful individual combat team in the world.

The Xianbei garrison was as fragile as paper in front of them.

Wherever the three riders went, the Xianbei people fell to the ground, and not a single one could stop them in the slightest.

Zhang Fei, Han Dang, Yan Liang, Yan Rou, Zhang Xun, Wei Xu, and others followed closely behind, brandishing their swords and spears, and eliminating the Xianbei people in their sight one by one.

The chivalrous warriors of You and Bing, caught up in the heat of battle, began setting fires everywhere—tents, haystacks—the flames shooting into the sky, illuminating half the night.

The Xianbei garrison was thrown into complete chaos, screaming and fleeing.

Lü Bu exclaimed with delight.

Guan Yu's face turned even redder.

Liu Quan maintained his indifferent expression.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, this end of the pontoon bridge was captured.

Liu Quan reined in his warhorse, looked around, and in the firelight, his handsome face remained calm and composed.

He turned to Liu Bei and said, "Abei, leave some people behind to deal with the battlefield and guard the pontoon bridge. The rest of you, come with me across the river and head straight for Tanhan Mountain."

Jian Yong spurred his horse forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "I'll stay."

He chuckled wryly and patted his thigh. "I've never ridden a horse for so long in my life. My legs are completely numb. You guys go ahead, I'll stay and guard the pontoon bridge. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, the bridge will stand."

Liu Bei glanced at him, nodded, and patted him on the shoulder: "Zixian, you've worked hard."

Jian Yong grinned, dismounted, and limped over to instruct the remaining wandering knights to set up the defenses.

Liu Quan withdrew his gaze, shook the reins, and took the lead on stepping onto the pontoon bridge.

Lu Bu and Guan Yu followed.

The horses' hooves pounded on the wooden planks with a dull thud, and the river water rushed beneath their feet.

The firelight on the opposite bank was reflected on the water, breaking into a shimmering golden-red hue.