Mythical Three Kingdoms
Chapter 936 896: Each's Own Thoughts

Chen Xi wanted to tell this group of solemn-faced individuals, whose expressions were now heavy due to war, that he had countless tasks at hand. What they had played with before was child's play compared to what was coming next—grand projects on an epic scale were about to launch!

These people were already good enough to conquer the land, but compared to conquering it, governing the land was far harder and more taxing. To surpass the achievements of ancestors wasn't something achievable by mere thought; the sheer complexity of it was enough to make one's head throb!

However, pouring cold water on them now wasn't wise. Chen Xi could only silently admit in his heart that he would have another opportunity to prove his far-sighted vision in the future.

The group moved at a leisurely pace, but the main tent wasn't far; just a few steps away. It didn't take them much time to arrive, and by then Liu Bei and others were already waiting to receive them.

"Greetings, my lord." "Greetings, Lord Xuande." Amidst the synchronized voices, an odd, discordant tone was mixed in. Unbeknownst to Chen Xi, Liu Bei had gradually won over all his subordinates except for him. Those who once referred to Liu Bei as Lord Xuande en masse had dwindled down to just Chen Xi.

"Wen Ru, weren't you overseeing Mount Tai? Why have you come here?" Liu Bei, seeing Li You among them, asked with slight confusion.

"I am his contingency plan." Li You smiled softly as he gestured to Jia Xu.

This scene sent a chill down Hu Zhen's spine, who served as Hua Xiong's deputy. Back in Xiliang, when had he ever seen Li Ru wear such a kind smile? Even when celebrating Dong Zhuo's birthday, Li Ru had only worn a grim face with a cold sneer.

Likewise, upon seeing Jia Xu, Hu Zhen felt completely at ease. The two figures responsible for ensuring the survival of Xiliang Soldiers under any conditions were still alive and well. With that, they had no further worries—they just needed to follow Elder Hu's lead as they had in the first decade.

"I beg your pardon, my lord, but there was a Yuan Shao spy within our ranks, forcing me to adopt drastic measures." Jia Xu calmly took over the explanation from Li You while continuing to speak. As for the term "contingency plan," that was merely Li You avoiding taking too much credit.

"Don't delve into the matter of spying. Yuan Shao is powerful, commanding troops numbering in the hundreds of thousands. A little scheming on his part is normal. Did he die?" Liu Bei spoke quietly.

"Dead. Old General Huang has already shot him down!" Li You replied with utter calmness. If his ambush hadn't achieved its goal, he wouldn't bother showing up only to embarrass himself.

"Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng, pays his respects to the lord!" Huang Zhong immediately paid his respects to Liu Bei. Just then, Xu Sheng, who had been sent to the Yellow River estuary for ship preparations, informed General Gan of Guan Yu's return. At precisely this moment, Gan Ning stepped into the main tent.

"White-Haired Demon King!" Gan Ning froze mid-step, immediately jumping back and shouting upon seeing Huang Zhong. To say Gan Ning's worst defeat happened during that time in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, freshly out of Yizhou, acting cocky as though heaven ranked first, earth second, and himself third, there was no doubt—it was at the hands of that white-haired, overly enigmatic old monster!

Chen Xi immediately covered his face. Others who recalled Gan Ning's tale of being rendered completely helpless in ten moves by someone were now laughing aloud.

"White-Haired Demon King? This is General Huang!" Liu Bei burst into laughter, pointing at Gan Ning, whose face still showed wariness. Clearly, Huang Zhong had dealt Gan Ning a heavy blow during his early days out of Yizhou; otherwise, this conditioned reflex would never have occurred.

"Greetings, General Gan," Huang Zhong smiled and bowed. Back in the day, he had indeed put Gan Ning in his place. Huang Zhong's son had been critically ill at the time, and his fury had been overwhelming. While fishing by the Yangtze River to calm himself, Gan Ning had recklessly crossed his path, only to fall victim to a just-entering Inner Qi Manifestation Huang Zhong.

"Hmph!" Gan Ning coldly turned away in frustration. Back then, he hadn't used any weapon and was defeated by Huang Zhong—using a fishing rod—in merely ten moves. Though strength disparities contributed, most of it was because Gan Ning had lacked the psychological preparedness...

"Xingba, be magnanimous. Who hasn't been young and arrogant at some point?" Liu Bei coughed a few times, urging reconciliation. Having learned of Huang Zhong's abilities through Li You, Liu Bei recognized Huang Zhong's loyalty and talent; he didn't want his senior ministers to bear grudges against him.

"Come on, Xingba, don't be so petty. What's the big deal about losing? Be generous. If you're still unsatisfied, you could spar again in the future," Xuu Chu chimed in. Having once fought Gan Ning fiercely, the two had built a solid camaraderie, which prompted Xuu Chu to offer advice.

"Fine, my lord has spoken. What's past is past. But let's talk real business now—last time, my loss was because of being naïve and careless. Next time, let's duel one-on-one in the barracks!" Gan Ning tossed his head, looking both aggrieved and begrudgingly reconciled, while making it clear he wouldn't let bygones be bygones—at least not entirely.

"That's fine; we'll fight another time." Huang Zhong responded with a smile.

Among those present, Huang Zhong was the most perceptive when it came to gauging strength. Aside from Guan Yu, who truly made his heart race, he was confident he could defeat anyone else there.

Standing next to Huang Zhong, Guan Yu himself felt a similar unease toward Huang Zhong—akin to his confrontation with the monstrous Lyu Bu. As such, Guan Yu welcomed Huang Zhong's agreement to fight Gan Ning, eager for someone to test the waters for him.

Yet, among the observers, Li You, Jia Xu, and Guo Jia—experts in reading human behavior—noticed something deeper. Initially, Gan Ning's reaction had been one of conditioned reflex, but beyond that, his actions seemed opportunistic.

[Gan Xingba is truly a character.] Li You silently thought to himself. If Gan Ning genuinely wanted to spar with Huang Zhong, private duels would be the smarter choice. Bringing the matter to public attention—Li You doubted Gan Ning would confidently win against Huang Zhong!

[Is this about building up Huang Zhong? Wen Ru's earlier maneuver of having him eliminate Yuan Shao paved his way upward, and Zichuan clearly intends to promote Huang Zhong. Now, Gan Ning wants to stage a military duel? Is this an act to bolster Huang Zhong, making it easier for him to take charge of a complete army?] Guo Jia mused silently, though he had no intention of interfering.

[Just watching for amusement. This saves me effort when it comes to Huang Zhong—I don't need to say a word.] Jia Xu thought casually, reveling in ease and staying on a different wavelength altogether.

Subsequent events mostly revolved around documenting the accomplishments of those present. Unsurprisingly, Huang Zhong was awarded command of a military corps, with an official position likely being General Who Conquers the Rebels. The reason it was "likely" was due to the absence of the Emperor.

Meanwhile, the greatest merit was awarded to Hua Xiong. After all, the key to breaking Yuan Shao's forces hinged squarely on Hua Xiong's actions. Jia Xu and Li You had orchestrated a masterful synergy—Jia Xu ensured Hua Xiong's battlefield maximized his combat strength, while Li You provided the optimal tactics and equipment!

Thus, Elder Hua Xiong, who hadn't appeared before Liu Bei for some time, delivered an exceptional surprise upon his grand return! (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, feel free to visit Qidian.com to vote for recommendation or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please access the story on m.qidian.com for reading.)

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