Chapter Eleven: My Great Axe Can No Longer Bear It...

Inside the allied army’s tent, though they had suffered a defeat, the mood of most remained unaffected. They continued eating and drinking as usual, maintaining a facade of harmony while harboring all sorts of dirty schemes behind the scenes.

At this moment, the allied forces had reached the base of Sishui Pass. Sun Jian was patiently waiting for the allied army to avenge his loyal general Zu Mao. He had no intention of acting himself again. After being tricked once by the allied forces, he was determined not to be deceived a second time—at least, that was his mindset.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were also inside the main tent. Naturally, Chen Xi, who was aware that the real show was about to begin, was tucked away inside as well. At this point, the allied army did not impose many restrictions; as long as one was a strategist or general under a warlord, they could tag along and share a meal. Once, Chen Xi had joined Yuan Shao’s entourage unnoticed, likely mistaken for one of his strategists.

That time, Liu Bei’s expression had clearly soured, but upon discovering Chen Xi still in his own tent, he understood that Chen Xi had merely infiltrated the meal by following Yuan Shao. Afterward, Liu Bei made it a point to bring Chen Xi along each time.

If Liu Bei brought many followers, Cao Cao brought even more. The two brothers Xiahou, along with Cao Hong, Cao Ren, and Le Jin, all sat in a row behind him; they were all Cao Cao’s men. Apart from these, only two or three other generals could enter, and there were only a handful of strategists with known names in the entire tent.

After these few days, Liu Bei had grown familiar and bolder. At least now, he was no longer intimidated when chatting and joking with Yuan Shao and the others. His aura had significantly improved, bearing the demeanor of a lord. There was no other way—constantly mingling with the lords, being regarded as a figure by them, one naturally carved out a presence over time.

Certainly, it could not be denied that Liu Bei himself harbored great ambition. Without such a drive, he would probably still be weaving straw sandals.

“Zichuan, stop eating,” Guan Yu nudged Chen Xi with his elbow as he was still gnawing on beef.

“Are we going to strike now?” Zhang Fei whispered.

“Let’s assess the situation first,” Chen Xi wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Report: Hua Xiong, the defender of Sishui Pass, has come forth to challenge and has already slain several of our generals!” The messenger arrived slightly later than the intelligence gathered by the various warlords.

All the lords now looked down upon Hua Xiong with disdain. Sishui Pass was defended by only fifty thousand men, yet they had half a million troops stationed nearby. Hua Xiong dared to come out and challenge them? He must be courting death! Did he really think the allied army lacked a great general?

“Whoever is willing to face Hua Xiong and slay him shall be rewarded!” Yuan Shao sat at the main seat, expression calm. Whether Hua Xiong cut down allied soldiers or the allied army cut down Hua Xiong was of little consequence to him; he simply enjoyed watching the spectacle.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a heavily armored general stepped forward from behind Yuan Shu, gripping a steel spear. “This junior officer volunteers!”

“This is General Yu She, my chief commander!” Yuan Shu said with pride.

“Very well, General Yu She, if you slay Hua Xiong, I will personally acknowledge your merit!” Yuan Shao was overjoyed. A general under Yuan Shu’s command—if he could take down Hua Xiong, it would reflect well on Yuan Shu’s strength. Conversely, if he failed, Yuan Shu would weaken, and Yuan Shao’s position as head of the family would solidify further.

“Hey, Second Lord, what do you think of this Yu She?” Chen Xi poked Guan Yu.

“He’s doomed,” Guan Yu said disdainfully, eyes widening. “Hua Xiong once defeated Sun Jian and beheaded Zu Mao. Yu She is but a young officer who has not even condensed his internal energy; he will surely perish.”

Just as expected, within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the messenger returned. “General Yu She was slain by Hua Xiong with a single stroke, unhorsed and killed.”

At this, a glint flashed in Guan Yu’s eyes—a look of encountering a worthy opponent.

“What?” Yuan Shu was dumbfounded, staring blankly at the messenger. His capable general was felled in one blow; no one could believe it.

“Who will face Hua Xiong to avenge this shame and restore our honor?” Yuan Shao shouted angrily.

As Yuan Shao was about to rise, Chen Xi quickly grabbed his arm.

“Zichuan, stop,” Guan Yu whispered. “I estimate Hua Xiong fights with fierce power and has likely reached the level of internal energy condensed into a solid form. He is a formidable opponent.”

“Don’t rush, don’t rush. Hua Xiong hasn’t yet shown his full strength. Second Lord, wait a bit longer!” Chen Xi urged, also surprised by Hua Xiong’s prowess.

According to Guan Yu, a martial cultivator begins by releasing the first breath of energy; upon condensing internal energy, they become a minor expert. The next level—transforming internal energy into a solid form—is near the pinnacle of cultivation. Beyond that lies breaking through this extreme to reach the stage of internal energy detachment. At that point, according to Guan Yu, one could even contend with Xiang Yu.

Just then, Han Fu, governor of Jizhou, spoke up: “I have my top general Pan Feng, who can slay Hua Xiong!”

“Is General Pan Feng willing?” Yuan Shao asked with a hint of mockery. Han Fu’s Jizhou was a good place indeed.

Mouth full of lamb leg meat, Pan Feng stood and declared, “I volunteer! My great axe is itching for battle!”

Pan Feng stepped forward from behind Han Fu. The man stood nine feet tall, clad in full armor, wielding a massive axe as large as a door panel. The blade shimmered coldly, chilling the onlookers’ hearts.

Chen Xi frowned and glanced at Guan Yu. “Second Lord, what do you make of this man?”

“Born with divine strength, and at the peak of condensed internal energy. One more step and he will reach internal energy detachment. Once he breaks through, even I will find it difficult to take him down!” Guan Yu answered seriously. Although his cultivation was one tier higher, seeing that enormous axe made him uneasy. He especially hated opponents with such innate strength; at equal levels, their advantage was overwhelming.

Chen Xi twitched at the corner of his eye. So ferocious! Hua Xiong had dispatched several men in a few moves, thinking himself Lü Bu perhaps!

Chen Xi studied Yuan Shao carefully before sighing. There was over an eighty percent chance that Pan Feng was being sent to his death by Yuan Shao. According to Guan Yu, Pan Feng was already a top-tier expert, and with future battles and encounters with other masters, he might yet break through. In wartime, there was no stagnation; as long as one lived, one improved. Failure to improve only meant one was essentially dead.

Meanwhile, Hua Xiong, having slain several men, was filled with pride and disdain for the allied army. Half a million soldiers yet not a single competent commander among them—he could handle them all by himself.

Mounted on his horse, Hua Xiong gazed at the opposing main tent. He sensed the barrier above him weakening as his courage grew. He hoped to face Lü Bu once more; even if struck down in one move, he wished to witness the godlike power.

“Here they come!” Hua Xiong stopped his thoughts, watching a dark streak of light rushing toward him. The pressure invigorated him. Leading several hundred men to challenge the allied forces, Hua Xiong was prepared to die—either to push further or to perish.