Chapter 897: Creating Momentum

After recording everyone's merits, Zhao Yun observed Huang Zhong and Gan Ning with great interest. He could sense the strength hidden beneath Huang Zhong's aging exterior. Frankly, Zhao Yun wanted to say that aside from his outward appearance, Huang Zhong’s inner vitality was indistinguishable from that of an eighteen-year-old.

This way of existing reminded Zhao Yun of his master’s friend, Wang Yue, who also carried an old exterior while remaining youthful inside. However, Huang Zhong's youthful state seemed even more unnaturally maintained.

Huang Zhong, with his sharp perception, noticed Zhao Yun's gaze but, after a glance at Zhao Yun, couldn't help but frown repeatedly. It was strange—though Zhao Yun was standing right there, clearly visible, he seemed to blend seamlessly with his surroundings, making him almost imperceptible through normal senses.

Thinking back to the first time he met Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong finally realized what was wrong. Zhao Yun stood in such harmony with his environment that it felt unnatural. Typically, the stronger a warrior is, the stronger their presence. But Zhao Yun was different; his presence seemed to merge with his surroundings.

"General Huang," Zhao Yun greeted with a slight bow and a smile. He could sense Huang Zhong probing his abilities. However, unless Zhao Yun deliberately released his inner energy, it was nearly impossible for anyone to gauge his true strength.

"Greetings, General Zhao," Huang Zhong responded with a respectful bow. He wasn’t one to underestimate others; anyone whose strength he couldn’t read was definitely formidable.

"It seems that one can't easily gauge Zilong’s strength without seeing him fight," Guo Jia remarked, turning his head towards Liu Ye as if asking for confirmation.

"It's nearly impossible to see through him," Liu Ye replied. "From what I’ve gathered, Zilong’s inner energy fluctuates greatly. Sometimes it's at the entry level of Internal Qi Detachment, and at other times it's at the pinnacle. So even fighting him won’t reveal much."

Li You chimed in at this moment. "Indeed. Some of this information came from Lü Bu, and some conclusions I drew from others later. In short, Zhao Yun’s cultivation level seems inconsistent, but his strength is always stable and at the top level."

"Oh!" Xu Shu nodded in understanding. He had business to attend to in Qinghe, and now that half of the Cui family had been persuaded, he was eager to return and finish the job. Xu Shu didn’t want to waste time, especially since the chance to kill Yuan Shao had already slipped away, courtesy of Wei Yan. He felt he needed to accumulate more merit.

"I have matters to attend to and need to return to Qinghe quickly," Xu Shu said. He knew it was best not to delay, and if he and Wei Yan traveled alone, they wouldn’t take much time—only a couple of hours at most.

"Going to persuade the Cui family of Qinghe?" Chen Xi asked, handing Xu Shu a large weapon, the Da Xia Longque Saber, previously owned by Yan Liang.

The Da Xia Longque Saber was technically Guan Yu’s war trophy, but he had planned to give it to Wei Yan as a gift. However, since Guan Yu wasn’t great at communicating, he had asked Chen Xi to pass it along. So now, Chen Xi decided to give it to Xu Shu, knowing the weapon could prove useful in persuading the Cui family.

"The Da Xia Longque Saber? Thanks. I’ll return it to you later," Xu Shu said, instantly understanding how to use it.

"No need to return it. It’s a gift from General Guan to Wen Chang. Even though you haven't interacted much with General Guan, you know what kind of person he is," Chen Xi smiled. "Now go quickly. Xin Pi and Zhu Ling are already in Ganling City."

Though Guan Yu overheard this exchange, it left him feeling somewhat awkward. Still, he kept his head down and went straight to the training grounds, intending to watch Huang Zhong and Gan Ning spar.

"Why are you carrying a lunchbox?" Lu Su asked with confusion as he saw Jia Xu coming from the rear camp with a lunchbox in hand. Having won a great victory, Lu Su no longer looked as exhausted as he had before.

"I’m planning to watch a high-level duel, and I haven’t eaten yet, so I brought some food to enjoy while watching," Jia Xu explained, opening the lunchbox to reveal a large plate of freshly cooked beef. Only after a major victory would the army slaughter a cow for a ritual offering, and of course, after the offering, the meat wouldn’t go to waste—it had to be eaten!

Lu Su glanced at Jia Xu but said nothing. Sometimes Jia Xu did things that seemed quite eccentric.

The battle between Gan Ning and Huang Zhong was worth watching. Although Huang Zhong held back and let Gan Ning showcase his skills, after ninety-nine moves, Gan Ning straightforwardly admitted defeat.

Gan Ning's style centered on trickery, while Huang Zhong’s style relied on brute force. Moreover, every time Gan Ning struck, Huang Zhong’s defense exerted a gravitational pull, forcing Gan Ning into direct confrontation.

In the end, Gan Ning conceded without any fuss. The soldiers watching were thrilled, especially after learning that Huang Zhong had killed Yuan Shao. No one questioned his promotion to the command of a legion.

A seasoned and capable general like Huang Zhong easily earned the respect of the troops. In this era, an old general symbolized experience, and one who could still fight well meant boosted morale and glory for the soldiers. Since Huang Zhong also had solid military achievements, even the veteran commanders like Sun Guan didn’t feel he was an undeserved newcomer.

Later, Guan Yu, eager to test his skills, sparred with Huang Zhong as well. Although the fight ended in a draw, Guan Yu realized that Huang Zhong had not yet used his most powerful weapon—his archery. Guan Yu knew he still had room to grow, whereas Huang Zhong had likely reached his peak.

As for Jia Xu, who had been watching and eating, he had an unfortunate experience. Perhaps it was karma for eating alone, but several times during the match, the gusts generated by Huang Zhong and Gan Ning’s clashes blew sand into his food, making him eat a mouthful of dirt.

Afterward, everyone gathered their things and prepared to march to Ye City. The original plan for a quick raid had been canceled, as Li You’s information was highly reliable. Guo Jia, meanwhile, looked resigned. Li You had used the hidden informants he had placed, leaving Guo Jia feeling that he might as well have let Fa Zheng trigger the plan earlier.

Speaking of Fa Zheng, who was outside Puyang City, he stared up at the banners on the city walls in confusion. Since when had Yuan Shao and Cao Cao become so friendly? How could there be banners representing both sides on the city walls?

This unexpected situation made Fa Zheng abandon his plan to take Puyang. He needed to figure out what was going on first—how could such a strange situation have come about? What on earth was happening?

In reality, Fa Zheng had an inkling that Xun Chen had left behind some strategy before departing. Apart from his allegiance to Yuan Shao, Guo Yuan was also Zhong Yao’s nephew, and if Xun Chen had predicted Yuan Shao’s defeat, inviting Cao’s army into Puyang to prepare for a ceasefire was highly likely.

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