Chapter 807: Watching Across the River

After both Yuan Shao and Liu Bei arrived in Yanzhou, they immediately gathered their civil and military officials through a series of tactical deployments. Both leaders began setting up camps without reservation. At their level, most common strategies were ineffective, and with layers of scouts patrolling, any plans of a sneak attack would cause a great deal of headache for potential attackers.

As soon as both sides reached Yanzhou, neither issued a formal challenge, opting instead to establish large camps on opposite sides of the river. Soon, their camps stretched for dozens of miles along the riverbank. At night, the soldiers from each camp could see the endless lights from the opposite side.

Throughout history, wars involving over 400,000 well-trained soldiers without any feints or pretenses were exceedingly rare. As Yuan Shao and Liu Bei set up their armies across the Yellow River from each other, all the warlords of the realm, except for Yuan Shu, fell silent.

Strength. That was the overwhelming impression left on the other warlords. Tens of thousands of soldiers, fully equipped, stretched across the banks of the Yellow River, staring each other down. It was at this moment that the warlords truly realized that all their previous struggles were but a joke. The true hegemons would be decided between these two forces on the banks of the Yellow River.

"Yuan Shao's camp is quite solidly built," Liu Bei remarked during the day. Standing on a high hill, he used a telescope made of crystal to observe Yuan Shao’s camp. But in truth, it didn’t matter. With forces of their size, even if one could see through the other’s defenses, one would still need considerable strength to launch a direct assault.

"It’s likely Ju Shou who set up the camp. He perfectly integrates military formations into the camp's design. Even if their entire army were asleep, the aura would not dissipate. Truly an impressive tactic," Lu Su estimated. "But we have the Yellow River, so tomorrow we’ll let them feel its might."

"It’s just mediocre," Chen Xi said with a shrug after taking a quick look. "It feels inferior to the camp we set up using Wenru’s formation diagrams. They’re just using a dead formation, and their camp is weaker than ours."

"It’s not that their camp is inferior, just that they have different priorities. Ju Shou’s camp is focused on coordination, defense, and momentum-building, whereas ours strengthens the density of our forces' aura," Jia Xu explained, half-opening his black fan to shield himself from the fierce early summer sun.

"That’s because they don’t trust their troops like we do. Over here, we rely on the aura. As long as it’s strong enough, the soldiers will fight on their own," Chen Xi retorted, appearing to have grown more argumentative lately.

"True, but it means we shouldn’t underestimate them. That camp gives them a clear advantage in troop coordination," Guo Jia chimed in. "By the way, if you get a chance, take out Ju Shou first. He’ll be a real headache if left alive, so don’t hesitate to use any underhanded tricks. Just kill him."

For the first time, Guo Jia openly expressed his intention to kill someone in front of Liu Bei. Although Ju Shou was their enemy, such bluntness caught everyone’s attention.

"As long as Ju Shou lives, their entire army will benefit from the equivalent of a comprehensive Legion Talent. By the way, this Legion Talent also affects armies like ours. I came across this intel by chance while I was in Ji Province," Guo Jia explained with a serious expression.

The room fell silent. Chen Xi rubbed his forehead and asked, "So you’re saying their entire 250,000-strong army has a Legion Talent?"

"Something like that. However, his Spiritual Talent only applies to one type of unit at a time. Of course, this is just what I’ve heard. But Ju Shou’s Spiritual Talent isn’t easy to maintain, and our spies have only witnessed it a few times," Guo Jia added, trying to comfort everyone, though the underlying meaning was clear.

"I’ll handle it. If he can cover 250,000 men, I’ll cover 500,000. Who’s afraid of whom? But Fengxiao is right, if we get the chance, we should eliminate Ju Shou first!" Chen Xi said seriously, understanding Guo Jia’s point. If Ju Shou’s ability could boost multiple types of units, and possibly even help those of a similar level to his own, that would be a significant problem.

"I’ll assist when the time comes. While my talent isn’t a Legion Talent, I can control the scope of its effects if I focus solely on the river and the enemy troops," Lu Su offered. Despite his distaste for cold weather, he quickly mastered his Spiritual Talent after learning how to control it.

"Not difficult. We’ll act together and freeze their troops into ice sculptures," Chen Xi said casually. He knew there was a limit to the amount of spiritual energy he could output at any given time, but with a team of strategists on par with Cao Cao’s Five Grand Strategists backing him, and the element of surprise on their side, they held the advantage.

"Yuan Shao’s army is indeed formidable," Guan Yu said coldly, his eyes half-closed as he gazed across the river. Even from this distance, he could sense Yan Liang, who was busy filling the fortifications on the other side, glaring back at him.

"They have a lot of cavalry, and many fine horses," Zhao Yun said, with a hint of envy. Despite commanding all the cavalry, his forces barely exceeded ten thousand, while across the river, the Wuhuan cavalry alone numbered over twenty thousand.

As someone who had come from the White Horse Cavalry, Zhao Yun had never considered the Wuhuan cavalry to be true cavalry. To him, they were just horse providers. In a frontal assault or even in skirmishes, if he couldn’t achieve a 10:1 kill ratio against them, he would consider it a disgrace.

Similarly, the Bingzhou Wolf Riders across the river didn’t see the Wuhuan elite cavalry as their equals. Just because they both rode horses didn’t make them the same, much like how the Xiliang Iron Cavalry’s foot soldiers weren’t comparable to Qiang cavalry.

"It’s so cool around Zijing," Chen Xi said as he moved closer to Lu Su. Having a Spiritual Talent that could lower the temperature was an excellent way to beat the heat of early summer. Soon, Guo Jia and the others moved closer as well, smiling in relief.

"What a pleasant Spiritual Talent. So refreshing. It’ll make staying cool in the summer much easier," Guo Jia said, marveling at the sensation and closing his fan.

Jia Xu, showing no expression, stepped forward naturally, joining the group enjoying Lu Su’s "artificial air conditioning."

"You lot..." Lu Su muttered through clenched teeth, "Get away from me." As he spoke, a cold wave swept through the air within a five-step radius, turning the moisture in the air into a frosty mist.

Unfortunately, this cool spell didn’t last for more than a moment. Before Chen Xi and the others could even feel uncomfortable, Lu Su was already shivering. Used to the warm, humid climate near the sea, Lu Su hated the cold. He had been known to wrap himself in multiple layers during the winter in Mount Tai.

"Tsk, tsk, if you can’t handle the cold, don’t overdo it. You were fine before, and everyone was comfortable. Now look at you," Chen Xi said, casually pulling Zhao Yun’s silk cloak off his shoulders and tossing it to Lu Su. If Lu Su froze any longer, he would likely end up bedridden, hiding in a tent wrapped in blankets.

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