In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

She would gag Zihuai with a cloth and then use violence to prevent others from hearing Zihuai's cries.

Then came all sorts of bizarre and intense training. Zihuai's young body simply couldn't withstand such training, but Zihuai couldn't utter a single complaint, otherwise what awaited him was even more terrifying beatings.

That little house became a hell for Zihuai.

Escape is impossible. Resistance is impossible. Calling for help is even more out of the question.

Zihuai almost went crazy.

He chose to numb himself with pain, repeatedly slashing his arm with a piece of tile to calm himself down a little.

Kou Shaodan discovered Zihuai's "little quirk," but instead of scolding or hitting him, she revealed a terrifying smile.

"It's good that you can be ruthless to yourself."

She said this.

She stopped beating Zihuai and started teaching him some things.

Preparing poisons—that's what she taught Zihuai.

She was from Chu, and she wanted to kill Qin Er Shi (Hu Hai), but she was too old to do so. So she trained the strongest assassin to complete the mission that neither Gao Jianli nor Jing Ke had been able to accomplish, even though the target of this assassination was not actually the same person.

Zihuai's childhood was filled with training of an almost inhuman intensity in a dimly lit room. Moreover, Kou Shaodan was not particularly wealthy; she had simply learned some skills in concocting poisons from somewhere.

Therefore, the catalpa tree is very short and will never grow taller in its lifetime.

But he knew that he had become stronger.

Finally, one day, the very old Kou Shaodan looked at the Zihuai tree with satisfaction, as if he were looking at a weapon.

"At least it's been polished up and is usable now," she nodded and said.

Polished

It's usable now.

Let's give it a try.

Zihuai looked at Kou Shaodan, who was shocked by the dagger piercing his chest, and smiled for the first time since being adopted by Kou Shaodan.

Ah, it's definitely been polished.

On Kou Shaodan's severed head, a look of astonishment remained, as if he was surprised that the boy who had been under his control for so many years would pull out a dagger and kill him.

The weapon was indeed well-forged, but it would devour its master.

Zi Huai didn't know how many pieces he had divided Kou Shaodan into, but he divided her into pieces that couldn't be divided any smaller before he opened the door and stepped out of this world he had been away from for many years.

At this moment, Liu Ji, the village head, once again saved Zihuai.

When Liu Ji hugged him and said, "I'm sorry, poor child," Zi Huai finally regained some of his senses.

"Ah, I'm still alive."

still alive.

There was no doubt that the State of Qi did not come to their aid. After crossing the Wen River from Juye Marsh, the next enemy that the Western Chu army would face was Zhang Han.

"Proceed steadily, don't be impatient. Take it one county at a time. Our targets are Chengyang, Xiangcheng, and Dingtao." Xiang Liang gathered several generals and said seriously, "Zhang Han is not a threat, but we must still be cautious."

"Linji is not far from the defense line, so we must be wary of the possibility of Zhang Han launching another surprise attack."

"Liu Ji".

"Your subordinate is here." Liu Ji stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"How's the situation in Dongjun City?"

“Zhang Han and Wang Li’s men are all here, guarding the area at all costs,” Liu Ji replied.

As the northernmost unit on the previous strategic front in Wenshui South, intelligence gathering was naturally entrusted to him.

Dongjun City is a major ferry crossing, a major ferry crossing connecting the north and south of the river, and it is a major ferry crossing in the middle section. The four states of Qi, Chu, Zhao, and Wei are not far from this ferry crossing.

But

"Let's put the matter of Dongjun City aside for now. Zhang Han and Wang Li won't let it go. Even if we take it temporarily, it won't be of much use. Our strategic focus remains on the south of the Yellow River." Xiang Liang shook his head with regret. "Although it's more important to build a defensive line against Zhang Han around Dingtao, we can't give up on continuing our northward advance."

"Liu Ji, you lead the troops to attack Dong'e." Xiang Liang tapped the table, pointing to a city northeast of Juye Marsh, then looked at Xiang Yu and Xiang An, "Then you two brothers, come with me to attack westward."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu and Xiang An both cupped their hands in greeting, saying, "Your subordinates obey orders."

Although Liu Ji also obeyed the order, he couldn't help but purse his lips as he lowered his head.

Sending him to attack Dong'e was simply to prevent him from stealing credit; wasn't that a bit too obvious?

But it doesn't really matter.

After the order was given, the three members of the Xiang family, uncle and nephew, each led their own army to attack the west.

Within half a month, the three uncles and nephews had captured several cities between the Wen River and the Yellow River. Zhang Han, who had never suffered a defeat, chose to avoid their sharp edge and retreat.

This only confirmed Xiang Liang's suspicion that Zhang Han was now short of troops and supplies, and like a tiger unleashed from its cage, Zhang Han was frantically devouring the land that Zhang Han had previously conquered.

"General, Dingtao is gone!" Jin Qixiu rushed into the command tent and reported to Zhang Han.

They had been forced to retreat by Xiang Liang for a long time.

"Don't rush, let them swallow as much as they want," Zhang Han said, raising a hand with a hint of gritted teeth. "Anyway, they'll have to spit it all out in the end."

Since he left Hangu Pass to the east, this was the first time he had felt oppression and unfavorable circumstances.

Undeniably, Xiang Liang's army is very strong, extremely strong. For Zhang Han's army to confront Xiang Liang head-on is simply suicidal.

"Reinforcements from Xianyang will arrive soon. Until then, instruct the entire army to defend Linji and Dongjun. As for the other cities, let Xiang Liang attack them as he sees fit."

Peng

Zhang Han slammed his hammer on the console, gritting his teeth and looking ferocious.

"I'll make him vomit back twice as much as he's eaten of me; I'll endure it until then."

Jin Qixiu nodded, a bead of cold sweat on his forehead.

"Your humble servant obeys."

Zhang Han's fingernails dug into the countertop, he swallowed hard, and narrowed his eyes.

"Xiang Liang, while you still can be arrogant, keep being arrogant."

"Once the reinforcements and supplies arrive, I'm going to completely destroy Western Chu." Please remember: Free, fastest updates, no anti-theft measures.

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Chapter 902 Breaking Through the Defense Line

"Third brother, have some." Xiang Yu put some fried beans in his bowl, sat down on a stool, and nodded to Xiang Jing.

Xiang Jing stretched and sat down opposite Xiang Yu, picking up two crispy fried beans and chewing them with a crunching sound.

"Shall we continue fighting and push forward? Linji isn't far from us." Xiang Baixing chewed on beans while looking at Xiang Yu.

"The original strategy was to hold this position, but judging from the general's intentions, he seems to want to continue pushing westward." Xiang Yu placed the bowl on the table, picked up a small wine pot from the side, and untied the rope himself.

Xiang Jing's eyes lit up: "Wine"

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "But we're defending the city, can we drink?"

"All sides are at peace, which is a tacitly agreed-upon period of peace. What's wrong with drinking? Do we have to keep fighting until we die?" Xiang Yu smiled indifferently, poured a bowl of wine, and waved it at Xiang Jing. "Come on, have a drink. If a normal person doesn't release some pressure by drinking after fighting for a long time, they'll go crazy."

"Alright." Xiang Jing swallowed hard, took the wine from Xiang Yu's hand, tilted his head back, and drank the still-unchewed beans down in one gulp, finishing it all.

"Ah, that's so refreshing, incredibly satisfying!" Wiping the last bit of wine from his lips, Xiang Jing laughed heartily. "It's a pity Second Brother and Fourth Brother aren't here. If they were, this wine would probably smell even better."

"Yes," Xiang Yu sighed, a hint of melancholy appearing in his usually calm eyes. "When the war is over, the four of us siblings can have a few more drinks together."

Zihuai squatted inside his tent, constantly rubbing his dagger with his thumb.

I really am a useless person.

My sister has people protecting her, and General Liu also has many capable generals under his command.

Try to find something you can do.

He stepped out of the tent, looked at the dark night sky outside, and vanished in a flash.

"Hmm," Liu Ji, who had just stepped out of the tent to get some fresh air, noticed something leaving, which caused a slight gust of wind.

Walking up to Zihuai's tent, looking at the empty tent, Liu Ji sighed.

"Ah Shu, please don't get stuck on this one thing anymore."

After Xiang Liang captured Dingtao, he temporarily stayed there, while Xiang An stayed in Chengyang to the north. Xiang Yu stayed in Xiangcheng, which was between Dingtao and Chengyang. The three uncles and nephews formed a straight defensive line north of the Wen River.

However, Xiang Liang is not satisfied with playing a defensive counter-attacking game. He wants to go further. For him, this is the weakest time since Zhang Han left Hangu Pass from the east. If he can't gain an advantage now, it will be much more difficult to gain an advantage later.

"Prepare yourselves. Five days later, continue your westward advance. During these five days, try to rest and recuperate. Tell the entire army not to be intimidated by Zhang Han." Xiang Liang put his spear aside and looked at Huang Xiaozhong. "You will be in charge of informing Xiang Yu and Xiang An. Be quick."

"It's my horsemanship, General, don't worry," Huang Xiaozhong smiled confidently and patted his chest.

"You mean we'll leave the defensive line in five days?" Xiang Yu frowned. "Isn't that a bit too hasty?"

"The General said not to be frightened by Zhang Han, as he is currently at his weakest," Huang Xiaozhong said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Xiang Yu smacked his lips. "Alright, I understand. You should also inform Xiang An next, right? Go on."

"Yes," Huang Xiaozhong said, and ran out of the tent, continuing north towards Chengyang City.

Xiang Yu shook his head and sighed softly.

The war seems to be progressing too slowly. Although Zhang Han is indeed weak, he shouldn't have been defeated so quickly.

It's all a bit strange.

However, the Chu army is currently in excellent condition. If they hold out for too long, they will lose morale. Therefore, launching an attack sooner is indeed reasonable.

The Western Chu army has never suffered a defeat so far, while Zhang Han's army, whose morale has just been dampened by the Chu army, now is indeed a good time to attack.

"Third brother, pass on my order: the entire army must prepare for battle and continue our westward advance in four days," he said to Xiang Jing.

"Out of the defensive line?" Xiang An's eyes widened. "Are you sure this is what the General said?"

“Yes, attack westward. Before Zhang Han can react, try to drive him to the north of the river,” Huang Xiaozhong nodded and said to Xiang An.

He looked somewhat tired.