Chapter 761: Old Rivals

Sun Ce thrust his spear with overwhelming force toward Taishi Ci, but the result was only a few superficial wounds on Taishi Ci. In contrast, Sun Ce suffered a severe injury from Taishi Ci’s counterattack.

Taishi Ci observed the large wound on Sun Ce’s chest, blood seeping out continuously. Without a moment’s hesitation, he swung his Fangtian Halberd again, determined to end Sun Ce’s life and rid himself of a future threat.

"This looks bad!" Zhang Xun bit his lip. As the smoke cleared and he saw the wound on Sun Ce’s chest, he panicked. Without a second thought, he abandoned any notion of fairness and led Sun Ce’s soldiers in a desperate charge.

Seeing Zhang Xun and the rest of Sun Ce’s troops rushing at him, Taishi Ci fiercely swung his halberd once more toward Sun Ce. However, this time, Sun Ce barely managed to block the attack, though his helmet was knocked off in the process.

As Zhang Xun threw honor aside and charged with his troops, Taishi Ci’s personal guards were no longer restrained and joined the battle. The clash between the two sides was fierce, with Taishi Ci’s guards proving particularly valiant. But Sun Ce’s soldiers, battle-hardened and led by experienced commanders, fought fiercely, protecting Sun Ce as they gradually retreated.

"Stop! Don’t pursue any further!" Taishi Ci called off the pursuit after only three to five miles. He ordered his troops to fall back, knowing that if he continued to suppress his injuries, the recovery time would only lengthen.

"Why didn’t General Taishi press the attack?" Yan Yan, who had come to take advantage of the situation, asked, puzzled by Taishi Ci’s decision.

"Sun Ce’s forces are larger, and ours are smaller. If his reinforcements arrive, we will be the ones to lose," Taishi Ci replied calmly, offering a plausible excuse without revealing his weakness.

"General, you are cautious." Yan Yan nodded in agreement, not pressing the issue. The display of Taishi Ci’s martial prowess had already left him in awe. He thought to himself, The Central Plains truly are the heart of the Hua Xia, a land of talented people.

After returning to camp, Taishi Ci ordered his scouts to gather intelligence from all directions. He also inquired about Yan Yan’s situation and sent a sealed letter to Zhuge Liang, who was still stationed at the rear. After inspecting the camp’s defenses and giving orders to strengthen them, Taishi Ci finally deactivated his secret technique and allowed the army doctors to treat his wounds, ensuring no lasting damage.

Meanwhile, as the news of Sun Ce’s injury reached Pang Tong, Zhuge Liang also received Taishi Ci’s report. Both strategists pocketed the information and ordered their troops to accelerate their march, each leading their elite central forces ahead toward Yiling.

Pang Tong wasn’t sure which general and strategist Liu Bei had sent, but he knew Sun Ce was wounded. If anything went wrong, it could spell disaster. On the other hand, Zhuge Liang was well aware that Pang Tong was the opposing strategist, and although Taishi Ci was careful, he wouldn’t be able to match someone of Pang Tong’s caliber. Zhuge Liang had no choice but to rush ahead.

Thus, while they had different goals, both strategists took the same course of action, arriving at Yiling at nearly the same time.

"Bo Fu, are you still alive?" Pang Tong asked with a frown as he saw the heavily bandaged Sun Ce.

"Haha! I’m as strong as an ox! How could anything happen to me?" Sun Ce replied with a cheeky grin, pounding his chest, which made a deep, resonant sound.

Pang Tong eyed Sun Ce up and down. "If you can’t win in a fight, why not rely on your command skills? Your legion talent is also a sovereign’s talent, which naturally suppresses others. Why would you insist on dueling? I heard your armor was shredded and your chest got sliced open."

Sun Ce felt embarrassed and struggled to explain. Although the wound wasn’t too serious for him—something that could heal in a few days as long as the bone wasn’t damaged—under Pang Tong’s scornful gaze, he felt awkward. Zhou Yu had warned him countless times, but it had never made a difference.

"Forget it, it’s partly my fault too," Pang Tong sighed, retracting his gaze and taking responsibility. "Just be more careful in the future. I underestimated this situation. Liu Bei’s forces, huh? I wonder who they’ve sent this time."

"If you want to know, why don’t we just go take a look? What’s the point of guessing here?" Sun Ce cut in, interrupting Pang Tong’s train of thought with his straightforwardness.

After giving Sun Ce a sharp glare, Pang Tong fell silent, realizing there was no point in arguing. No wonder Zhou Yu often had to suppress his intelligence when dealing with Sun Ce.

"Fine. Let’s go check out Liu Bei’s forces," Sun Ce continued cheerfully, completely ignoring Pang Tong’s exasperated expression as he dragged him out. Sun Ce was accustomed to relying on a brilliant strategist while charging ahead himself.

It was fortunate for Sun Ce that both of his strategists were highly capable. Otherwise, with his reckless behavior, even as an Inner Qi warrior, he would have met his end sooner or later.

"I can walk on my own," Pang Tong said helplessly, but he didn’t resist. His thoughts had already been interrupted, so he decided to follow Sun Ce and see the enemy’s situation firsthand.

On the other side, Zhuge Liang surveyed the pale-faced Taishi Ci and inquired about the recent battle. After confirming that Pang Tong had not yet arrived, he felt a sense of relief.

"He’s probably already sensed that I’m here, but with all the changes, he likely doesn’t know who I am yet," Zhuge Liang mused with a faint smile, watching the three legion talents slowly approach their position.

"Though I’d rather not face him, he’ll figure out my presence soon enough, given his abilities. It won’t take him more than a day or two to understand the situation," Zhuge Liang remarked, his expression calm as he glanced toward the east, where Pang Tong was.

"Strategist Zhuge, do you know Pang Shiyuan?" Taishi Ci asked curiously.

"Not only do I know him, but we used to get along quite well. I once thought his wisdom would lead him to join Lord Liu Bei, but here we are on opposing sides. No matter—it gives me the perfect opportunity to settle some old scores," Zhuge Liang replied with a rare, sinister smile.

As a child, Zhuge Liang had suffered many defeats at Pang Tong’s hands. Though he always appeared composed and courteous, that calm demeanor was merely a front to frustrate Pang Tong. In reality, the losses Zhuge Liang had inflicted on Pang Tong were equally matched by those Pang Tong had dealt him.

Furthermore, Zhuge Liang knew all too well why his spiritual talent came with such severe drawbacks, and this knowledge only deepened his resentment toward Pang Tong. Even though Zhuge Liang usually carried himself with great maturity, he couldn’t entirely suppress his grudge against Pang Tong.

"Why do I suddenly feel a chill?" Taishi Ci muttered, glancing around nervously. Zhuge Liang’s sinister smile made him feel uneasy. Though he wasn’t well-acquainted with Zhuge Liang, seeing the usually calm and composed strategist display such an expression could only mean trouble.

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