章 11: Chapter 11 My Great Axe is already restless...
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In the camp of the Coalition Army, despite having suffered a defeat, the mood of most people was unaffected, and they continued as normal—eating when they should eat and drinking when they should drink. On the surface, there was an atmosphere of harmony, but behind closed doors, there was all manner of squalor.
By now, the Coalition Army had reached Sishui Pass, where Sun Jian was already waiting for them to avenge his subordinate Zu Mao. He had no intention of lending a hand again—the Coalition Army had betrayed him once, and he would make sure it didn't happen a second time, or so he thought.
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were all present in the main tent, and naturally, Chen Xi, who knew that an exciting show was about to start, was also nestled inside the tent. At this time, the requirements to be part of the Coalition Army weren't strict; as long as you were a Feudal Lord's strategist or a military general, you could tag along for the free meals. Once, Chen Xi followed Yuan Shao into the Coalition Army and nobody took notice, probably mistaking him for one of Yuan Shao's strategists.
However, it was obvious that Liu Bei had looked somewhat displeased that time, but then he found Chen Xi still in his tent, and after understanding the situation, decided to bring Chen Xi along every time after that.
If one were to say Liu Bei had a lot of followers, Cao Cao had even more. The Xiahou brothers, Cao Hong, Cao Ren, and Le Jin sat in a row behind him, all Cao Cao's men. As for the others, only two or three generals were allowed in. As for the known and named strategists, there were but a few in the entire tent.
Having mingled with the group over the past few days, Liu Bei had grown bolder. He no longer felt intimidated when bragging and chatting with Yuan Shao and the others; his presence had grown much stronger than before. He had begun to carry the air of a Feudal Lord, which could not be helped given how much time he spent with them. When your peers treated you as someone of importance, you too would naturally come into your own over time!
Of course, it couldn't be denied that Liu Bei had this ambition and lofty aspiration within him from the start. Without such ambition, it's likely that he would still be weaving straw sandals to this day.
"Zichuan, stop eating," Guan Yu nudged Chen Xi with his elbow, who was still busily gnawing on beef.
"Are we going to take action?" Zhang Fei whispered.
"We'll see how it goes," Chen Xi said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Report! The Guard General of Sishui Pass, Hua Xiong, has come forth to challenge us and has already slain a number of our generals!" The messenger arrived a tad later than the individual reports from the various Feudal Lords.
All the Lords now looked upon Hua Xiong with disdain. Sishui Pass only had fifty thousand defenders while they, a five-hundred-thousand-strong army, encamped there. Yet Hua Xiong dared to come out and challenge them. He was courting death! Did he really think the Coalition Army lacked capable generals?
"Who is willing to fight and slay Hua Xiong?" Yuan Shao asked indifferently from his seat of honor. To him, it didn't matter whether it was the Coalition Army's generals who got killed or if they managed to kill Hua Xiong; he was happy to sit back and watch the excitement unfold.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a general in Iron Armor, wielding a Steel Spear, stepped forward from behind Yuan Shu, "This officer volunteers!"
"This is my great general, Yug Shee!" Yuan Shu said with a face full of pride.
"Excellent! General Yug Shee volunteers; if he slays Hua Xiong, I shall certainly credit you with the achievement!" Yuan Shao was overjoyed. A general from Yuan Shu's ranks? Hehehe, if he killed Hua Xiong, it would be a favor to Yuan Shu, proving the strength of the Yuan Family. And if he were defeated, it would only mean Yuan Shu's camp was weaker, securing his own position as the head of the family.
"Hey, hey, second brother, how do you rate this Yug Shee?" Chen Xi nudged Guan Yu and asked.
"He's as good as dead. Hua Xiong is the one who defeated Sun Jian and killed Zu Mao. Yug Shee, a minor officer who hasn't even refined his Qi, is undoubtedly doomed," Guan Yu said, opening his eyes wide in disdain.
Indeed, it wasn't more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea before the messenger returned. "General Yug Shee has been slain by Hua Xiong with a single stroke beneath his horse."
At this moment, a glint of sharpness flashed through Guan Yu's eyes, the look of someone who has encountered a worthy opponent.
"What?" Yuan Shu's eyes went wide in disbelief as he pointed at the messenger, stunned that his capable officer had been felled by a single move—something no one could easily believe.
"Who is willing to accept the challenge and slay Hua Xiong to avenge this disgrace!" Yuan Shao shouted angrily.
Seeing that the second brother was about to stand, Chen Xi hurriedly pulled him back.
"Zichuan, what are you doing? I estimate that Hua Xiong has taken the path of brute strength, and he probably has reached the level of Inner Qi to Gang, which makes him a considerable opponent indeed," whispered Guan Yu.
"Don't rush, don't rush, Hua Xiong has yet to display his true strength. Let's wait a bit longer, second brother!" Chen Xi quickly soothed him, though he himself was also surprised by Hua Xiong's capabilities.
According to Guan Yu, martial cultivators start at the entry level by cultivating their first stream of Qi. When they achieve Inner Qi Refinement, they can be considered skilled. Moving up a level to Inner Qi to Gang is almost reaching the pinnacle of cultivation, and then breaking through that pinnacle, as long as one achieves Inner Qi Separation, they could even give King Xiang a fight, so the second brother says!
It was at this time that Hann Fu, the Governor of Jizhou, spoke up, "I have a great general, Pan Feng, who can behead Hua Xiong!"
"General Pan Feng, would you be willing?" Yuan Shao asked with a hint of mockery in his tone. Ah, Jizhou, what a fine place it were.
Devouring the meat off a leg of lamb in one go, Pan Feng stood up, "This general wishes to go, my Great Axe is already itching for action!"
Stepping forward from behind Hann Fu, where he had been sitting, Pan Feng towered at nearly nine feet tall, clad in military attire, carrying a door-sized Great Axe in one hand. Its blade glinted with a chilling brilliance that struck fear into the hearts of those who gazed upon it.
Chen Xi frowned and turned to look at Guan Yu, "Second brother, what do you think of this man?"
"Innate Divine Strength, coupled with the peak of Qi Refinement into Gang, he's just one step away from reaching Inner Qi Manifestation. Once he breaks through, even I will struggle to take him down!" Guan Yu said gravely. Although his cultivation of Qi was one level higher than the opponent, the sight of that massive axe filled him with dread. He despised those born with such strength, for at the same level, they held too great an advantage.
An involuntary twitch appeared at the corner of Chen Xi's eyes. How fierce! The man who could defeat several in a few moves truly thought himself to be Lyu Bu!
Chen Xi carefully observed Yuan Shao, and in the end, he couldn't help but sigh. It was more than likely that Pan Feng was being sacrificed by Yuan Shao. According to Guan Yu, Pan Feng was already a top expert. With the warfare to come and opportunities to spar with other experts, he could take that next step at any moment. In times of war, there is no such thing as stagnation in progress. If you're alive, you advance; a lack of progress only signifies you're dead.
As for Hua Xiong, he became more arrogant after defeating several foes, and he couldn't help but look down upon the Coalition Army. A force of five hundred thousand and not one person with a bit of strength! He believed he alone was enough to handle them.
Sitting atop his horse, Hua Xiong looked across at the enemy's command tent. He felt the barrier above him weakening as his courage grew. He hoped to challenge Lyu Bu once more; even if defeated in a single move, he wanted to experience that power akin to a Celestial God.
"Here they come!" Hua Xiong stopped his musings, watching a dark figure shooting towards him like lightning. The oncoming pressure invigorated him. Leading a few hundred men to challenge the Coalition Army, Hua Xiong was prepared for death, to either advance further or to die.
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