Three Kingdoms, Myth

Tai Shi Ci fiercely carved a path through the enemy, leading Gongsun Zan out of the encirclement. As for Gongsun Zan's infantry, he could no longer concern himself with them. The entire camp had been almost entirely consumed by the blood-red aura, and those who remained trapped inside had no chance of escape.

"Yan Liang, where is that Gongsun Zan?" Qu Yi roared, his fury still burning after the relentless slaughter. He realized that Gongsun Zan had vanished amid the chaos.

"Wen Chou, did you manage to kill Gongsun Zan?" Yan Liang shouted towards another direction.

"Where is Gongsun Zan?" Wen Chou turned to ask Qu Yi, and suddenly all three of them were left bewildered.

"Everyone, stop! Surrender and you won't be killed!" Qu Yi quickly regained his composure and gave the order to halt the attack.

The sound of weapons being thrown down reverberated through the camp. The already demoralized soldiers of Gongsun Zan's army immediately surrendered, relieved to hear what seemed like a divine decree.

"Whoever knows where Gongsun Zan fled to, step forward! You'll be rewarded with ten thousand coins!" Qu Yi shouted, determined to eliminate Gongsun Zan and leave no loose ends.

"He went north!" "He ran north!" "He fled north!" A chorus of chaotic voices echoed the same direction: Gongsun Zan had fled north.

"Yan Liang, you gather the surrendered troops. I'll chase down Gongsun Zan! Death soldiers, follow me!" Qu Yi commanded Yan Liang, without any hint of hesitation. Yan Liang showed no discontent, knowing full well that Qu Yi's strength and leadership were undeniable.

With that, Qu Yi led the remaining hundreds of death soldiers northward, determined to end Gongsun Zan's life.

"Wen Chou, go report to our lord that we've completely crushed Gongsun Zan's army. Brother Qu is now leading his troops to pursue Gongsun Zan." Yan Liang ordered, his tone casual, as if confident that Gongsun Zan stood no chance against Qu Yi.

"Got it. Big brother, quickly gather the surrendered troops. Once we're done, we'll lead the cavalry to chase down Gongsun Zan. We may not care much about the merits, but Gongsun Zan's head will make our lord very happy!" Wen Chou laughed heartily, turning his horse back toward Yuan Shao's camp—a great victory indeed!

Yuan Shao paced anxiously inside his tent. Although he believed in Qu Yi's abilities, Gongsun Zan was no easy opponent. The sounds of battle from Gongsun's camp reached his ears, and while Yuan Shao wasn't afraid of casualties, he dreaded losing a key general. Now, he regretted letting Qu Yi go into battle while still wounded.

"Report!" Wen Chou rode into the camp, heading straight for the main tent, nearly shot down by the guards under Zhou Ang's orders. However, being familiar with him, Zhou Ang refrained from hindering Wen Chou, although he planned to reprimand him later for breaking military protocol.

"Speak!" Yuan Shao rushed out of his tent as soon as he heard Wen Chou's voice. Seeing Wen Chou riding in, Yuan Shao's face lit up with joy. Wen Chou's urgency was a sign of victory.

Leaping off his horse, Wen Chou saluted Yuan Shao, "A great victory! General Qu has successfully launched a frontal assault on Gongsun Zan's camp, completely routing his forces. Our army now occupies Gongsun Zan's camp, and Gongsun himself has fled. General Qu has taken several hundred soldiers to pursue the fleeing Gongsun Zan!"

"Hahaha!" Yuan Shao laughed heartily, "He did not disappoint me! He did not disappoint me! How could I let Qu Yi fight alone with his wounds? Pass my orders—pursue them with all our forces!"

Hearing this news, Shen Pei, Feng Ji, and the other advisors were overjoyed. Whether or not Gongsun Zan managed to escape, he was undoubtedly defeated. With his camp seized, the situation was irreparable. Qu Yi's commanding ability had shocked everyone—no wonder he had been so arrogant before. He had the strength to back it up!

"Master, quickly send word to our forces defending Ji Province to launch a full-scale attack on Youzhou. Whether or not we capture Gongsun Zan, we must create the appearance of a decisive victory! We must drive Gongsun Zan to join forces with Liu Yu, causing chaos in Youzhou!" Feng Ji suggested, his eyes gleaming with calculation. Qu Yi's overwhelming power might even push their forces deep into Gongsun Zan's territory. Why not capitalize on the momentum to force internal strife in Youzhou and end the conflict in one decisive blow?

"Excellent!" Yuan Shao exclaimed, "Wenyuan, draft the orders quickly! This time, I'll make Gongsun Zan understand my true power!"

Turning to Shen Pei, Yuan Shao said, "Prepare the rewards, draft the documents, and request a noble title for Qu Yi!"

"Yes, my lord!" Shen Pei responded, though a flash of envy flickered in his eyes. Yet, there was no room for complaint. Qu Yi's achievements were too extraordinary. In truth, most of those present had merely reaped the benefits of Qu Yi's efforts—he alone had dismantled Gongsun Zan's power.

That night, Tai Shi Ci escorted Gongsun Zan northward, swiftly following the water route along the Zhang River. The autumn chill hardly affected a warrior like Tai Shi Ci, but the once-strong Gongsun Zan fell victim to the cold wind, quickly contracting an illness. Within a single night, he was bedridden, shivering with alternating chills and fever.

Tai Shi Ci washed his face in the icy river water, his expression puzzled. He still couldn't understand how Gongsun Zan had suddenly fallen ill. Just a while ago, they were drinking and chatting together in high spirits.

Now, Tai Shi Ci was grateful for the habits instilled by Chen Xi: every soldier must always carry three days' worth of dry rations, regardless of personal preference. Of course, the "three days" was an exaggeration—five steamed buns weren't enough for that long. But in a pinch, it would suffice for short-term sustenance.

Thanks to these five buns, Tai Shi Ci's men, though weary, regained some strength after eating and drinking water.

When Gongsun Zan fell ill, Guan Jing panicked. But Tai Shi Ci reassured him that there was no need to worry—he had soldiers trained as medics. In truth, they were battlefield medics. As long as they retrieved the wounded, these medics would disinfect the wounds with strong liquor, bandage them with cloth soaked in the same, and finally administer a bowl of "miracle medicine" to cure all ailments. That would usually do the trick!

He recalled instances where soldiers had been gravely wounded—intestines spilling out—and yet these medics would stitch them up with sewing needles, bandage the wounds, and feed them the medicine. Many were saved that way. A simple cold? That was child's play!

Tai Shi Ci was visibly displeased by Guan Jing's doubt. If you don't believe in the miracle cure developed by our strategist, let the results speak for themselves!

Guan Jing had no better options. With Gongsun Zan's condition worsening, he had no choice but to trust them out of desperation.

"General, I've given the medicine to Gongsun Zan. Based on past experience, he should recover soon," the lead medic reported confidently.

If Chen Xi knew how recklessly his medics were administering treatments, he'd likely slap them senseless. Gongsun Zan had a cold, not blood loss! Those miracle powders were for replenishing blood and energy. You might end up curing him to death with that!

Chen Xi's concoctions were specifically designed for battlefield injuries—wounds from swords and spears, essentially anything involving blood loss. The powders were meant to replenish blood and energy, ground into a fine powder for easy consumption. Now they were being used to treat Gongsun Zan's cold—were they trying to kill him?

"Oh, that's good. Don't hold back, give him more," Tai Shi Ci said, fully trusting the medicine. This cure-all had saved tens of thousands of lives. He even took it himself to stay awake through sleepless nights. Gongsun Zan's minor ailment was no match for it.

As expected, after taking a dose of the medicine, Gongsun Zan's pale complexion quickly turned rosy.

Tai Shi Ci proudly glanced at Guan Jing, confident in the power of his miracle medicine. It could cure all ailments—he'd even felt stronger after taking a dose before battle. Truly miraculous!