Chapter 861: Flames Rise in Fanyang

"I feel like something’s not quite right." Chen Xi didn’t stop Liu Ye from issuing orders, but as he watched the chaotic battle cries echoing through the main street of Fancheng, his expression became peculiar. He had a vague sense of something being off, but he couldn’t quite figure it out.

"It seems like there are no civilians in this town. Could the enemy be planning to turn this place into a fortress?" Fazheng casually remarked as he glanced around.

"What?" Chen Xi froze, realizing what was wrong the moment Fazheng’s comment hit him.

"Order the entire army to retreat. Ignore the sounds of battle; they’re just trying to lure us deeper into the city," Chen Xi immediately instructed Liu Ye.

"Huh?" Liu Ye was taken aback, but then, as if his soul had just been snatched away, he quickly ordered everyone to withdraw from Fancheng. At the moment Chen Xi spoke, Liu Ye had already begun using his spiritual energy to draw water vapor from the air, only to discover there was none within his range of control!

"Retreat the entire army! Do not advance further into the city. Withdraw in groups of fifty!" Liu Ye commanded loudly. Soon, the soldiers who had already entered Fancheng began retreating, and none of their armor bore any traces of blood.

Liu Bei’s army, well-disciplined as they were, quickly regrouped without disorder. However, by now, small flames had already begun appearing throughout Fancheng, even near the eastern gate where they had entered. Fortunately, Zhang Fei, with a single sweep, extinguished the small flames before they could spread further.

Thanks to Chen Xi’s timely warning, the soldiers had regrouped along the main street, preventing any chaos from breaking out within the army.

"Withdraw!" As the last group of soldiers retreated, most of Fancheng had already been engulfed in flames. Had they advanced any further, even if the fire hadn’t killed many, the ensuing chaos would have given Chen Xi a massive headache.

Even after retreating a significant distance from Fancheng, Liu Bei’s troops could still feel the intense heat radiating from the burning town. Under the roaring flames, Fancheng would be reduced to rubble, leaving little more than charred remains.

"That’s ruthless!" Fazheng said with a sharp intake of breath. "The enemy had long since driven away all the moisture from the area, and we didn’t even notice it while marching."

"It’s not all that ruthless. If Cheng Yu were the one executing this plan, he wouldn’t have evacuated all the civilians. He’d leave some behind," Liu Ye said with a grim expression. "There’s no need to try to put out this fire. Just let it burn. We should focus on pursuing Yuan Shao’s army instead."

"General, we should retreat. Scouts report that Liu Bei’s forces are withdrawing slowly from Fancheng, without panic or confusion," Sun Zi reported to Guo Yuan, who was hiding in the grass.

"Damn it!" Guo Yuan cursed in frustration. He had personally witnessed Liu Bei’s army enter Fancheng, thinking Xun Shen's plan was bound to succeed. Yet reality had played a cruel trick on him: Liu Bei’s forces had managed to retreat steadily from the inferno.

"How is that possible? With fire breaking out on all sides, how could they keep their army from falling into chaos?" Li Pu muttered angrily. "Once the fire starts, the army should be thrown into disarray, their minds scattered. With that, their collective morale would crumble, and they’d flee in all directions. They should have collapsed completely!"

"They must have realized it ahead of time," Sun Zi hesitated before responding. But truthfully, his explanation wasn’t entirely convincing. They had all seen the fire erupt in the city before Liu Bei’s troops had fully withdrawn.

"There’s no other explanation. Retreat!" Guo Yuan said in frustration. Unlike other generals, he knew when to advance and when to retreat, rarely acting rashly. That was precisely why, despite not being exceptionally skilled, he had managed to hold his position in charge.

"Report! General, the enemy has been sighted thirty miles to the west," a messenger reported to Chen Xi as he was contemplating whether to set up camp on the spot or march another ten miles west to rest.

"Hua Xiong, take three thousand cavalry and pursue them. If you can fight, engage. If not, follow them until nightfall!" Chen Xi ordered Hua Xiong, turning his head. The reason for sending only three thousand was simple: the newly arrived Xiliang cavalry had poor night vision.

"Understood!" Hua Xiong saluted, immediately gathering his veteran troops and heading west in pursuit.

"Xun Shen is truly a headache. He clearly doesn’t want to engage us directly," Liu Ye said, rubbing his temples. "Got any ideas, Xiaozhi?"

"Unless we can force him into a situation where he has no choice but to fight," Fazheng replied casually. "But burning down a county town shows his determination. He won’t attack us unless he’s confident of victory."

"In that case, he won’t likely call for reinforcements from Yuan Shao. That means we won’t be able to separate Yuan Shao’s forces, which is a problem," Liu Ye said, feeling troubled.

"...” Chen Xi remained silent, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

"Zichuan, do you have any other ideas?" Liu Ye asked, noticing Chen Xi’s silence.

"Where do you think Xun Shen will retreat to?" Chen Xi inquired.

"Puyang. The high walls and deep trenches of Puyang make it the most suitable place for defense. His forces aren’t much smaller than ours, and Puyang lies on our route, plus it’s a critical hub for water transport," Liu Ye replied without hesitation.

"So, Xun Shen refuses to face us head-on, forcing us to follow his pace. We’ll waste time in Qingfeng before finally reaching Puyang. This is infuriatingly slow," Chen Xi said with a frown. It was something he couldn’t tolerate—such a waste of time.

"Are you suggesting we bypass Qingfeng and attack Puyang directly?" Liu Ye frowned, "Qingfeng blocks our path. Advancing with a separated force would be too dangerous. This is nothing like our previous campaign to aid the king."

"No, what I mean is we stop following Xun Shen’s rhythm. We should launch a direct assault on Puyang, but then feint toward Baima and enter Jizhou, flipping the game and taking Yecheng!" Chen Xi suddenly raised his head, proposing his bold plan.

Liu Ye frowned but didn’t immediately reject Chen Xi’s seemingly unrealistic suggestion. He understood that continuing to follow Xun Shen’s lead would only tighten the enemy’s control over their pace, making it difficult to mount a decisive assault later.

"Do we have any pawns in Qinghe that could turn the tide?" Fazheng asked after a long moment of consideration. Chen Xi’s proposal had sparked his adventurous spirit, making him eager to take action.

"No, but we can create one. The Qinghe branch of the Cui family has been oppressed by the Boling Cui family for too long. Once the aristocratic clans split, internal conflict becomes the most dangerous threat!" Chen Xi replied. "The ancestral line, the main family, the clan—these are the most critical aspects. A legitimate heir can make countless heroes hesitate!"

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