Three Kingdoms, Myth

Seeing Gongsun Zan awaken, Guan Jing was overjoyed, feeling that Tai Shi Ci had proven reliable. "Master, you're finally awake."

"What happened to me?" Gongsun Zan asked, still feeling dazed.

Guan Jing recounted the events that had transpired. Gongsun Zan struggled to sit up and respectfully bowed to Tai Shi Ci. "Thank you, Ziyi, for your assistance. If not for you, I might have been trapped and lost."

"Gongsun General, there's no need to be so formal. I came here precisely to protect you. Since you've recovered, please mount your horse and continue along the Zhang River. Xingba's fleet should be on its way to escort us back to Youzhou," Tai Shi Ci said, waving off the gratitude, feeling undeserving of such praise.

"If that's the case, it seems Xuande had prepared for this in advance," Gongsun Zan muttered, a trace of suspicion flickering in his eyes. However, Tai Shi Ci didn't notice.

"Of course—" Tai Shi Ci was just about to boast about how brilliant his strategist was when a scout came riding in swiftly. "General, we must move quickly! Yan Liang of Hebei is only a few miles behind us with his troops!"

"Gongsun General, mount your horse and follow the river. I will go intercept the enemy," Tai Shi Ci said with a confident smile, leaping onto his horse and charging in the direction the scout had indicated. He had long wanted to test his skills against the famous generals of Hebei, Yan Liang, and Wen Chou.

After Tai Shi Ci left, a crazed look flashed in Gongsun Zan's eyes. "Shi, let's go!" he commanded, pointing in the opposite direction.

Guan Jing was startled. "Master, why not follow the river? Gan Xingba's reinforcements must be on their way. Why invite trouble?"

"Reinforcements?" Gongsun Zan sneered at Guan Jing. "Reinforcements or enemies—it's still uncertain. Didn't you hear what Tai Shi Ci said earlier?"

Guan Jing froze, staring blankly at Gongsun Zan. In a daze, he watched as Gongsun Zan rode away. When had the once honorable and righteous Gongsun Zan, who had roamed the land fearlessly, fallen to such a state?

Feeling lost, Guan Jing spurred his horse to chase after the now distant Gongsun Zan. In that moment, their paths truly diverged.

Meanwhile, Tai Shi Ci led his men, eager to engage Yan Liang in battle. After all, with Yan Liang's force numbering less than a thousand, the encounter would most likely end in a one-on-one duel. And in a duel, why should he fear?

Shouting war cries, Tai Shi Ci rushed in the direction of Yan Liang, attempting to divert his pursuit and also looking for a secluded spot to eliminate him. At least, that was Tai Shi Ci's plan.

"Whoa!" Yan Liang reined in his horse. His keen hearing had picked up on Tai Shi Ci's war cries, and he laughed heartily. "Let's go! Chase in that direction!"

Elsewhere, Qu Yi, who had gone ahead in pursuit, had somehow ended up north of the Zhang River and was now puzzled as to why he couldn't find Gongsun Zan.

"Whoa!" Tai Shi Ci pulled his horse to a stop and turned to face Yan Liang. "You must be Yan Liang of Hebei."

"I didn't expect to run into a true expert instead of Gongsun Zan!" Yan Liang's eyes gleamed with excitement. Since returning to Hebei, he hadn't encountered a real challenge, especially not from someone like Gongsun Zan, who simply overwhelmed opponents with sheer force. "Will you surrender?"

"This spot, nestled by the river and surrounded by trees, seems like it has good feng shui," Tai Shi Ci mused, ignoring Yan Liang as he pretended to be a feng shui master. He had picked up a lot of trivial skills over time—though none of them could be considered true expertise, they were enough to impress and intimidate people who didn't know better.

"..." Yan Liang remained silent, unsure how to respond to something so far beyond his understanding.

"How about making this your burial ground?" Tai Shi Ci suddenly shifted his tone, his voice chilling as he delivered the sinister suggestion.

Though he hadn't understood the previous comment, Yan Liang definitely grasped this one. Without needing any further provocation, he charged at Tai Shi Ci. "This grave is yours!"

Tai Shi Ci smirked, gripping his Fangtian Halberd as he rushed to meet Yan Liang. In an instant, the two exchanged over a hundred blows, the force of their strikes tearing up the grass around them.

"Hahaha! It's been a long time since I've had such a satisfying fight! Come on!" Yan Liang roared, his internal energy coalescing into a blood-red aura that enveloped his spear, forming a faint, ghostly armor over his body.

Tai Shi Ci responded by unleashing a surge of internal energy, which he swiftly absorbed back into his body to form his own ethereal armor. The blade of his halberd shimmered with a sharp, menacing light.

As Tai Shi Ci clashed with Yan Liang again, his internal energy erupted in a chaotic storm, conjuring eighteen different weapons around him. These weapons lashed out at Yan Liang in a furious assault, pushing him onto the defensive.

Yan Liang, overwhelmed by the storm of attacks, struggled to keep his head above water. Frustration boiled over as his eyes turned bloodshot, and he forcefully parried Tai Shi Ci's halberd. Blood-red flames erupted around him, and he charged straight through the weapon storm!

No one knew how Yan Liang did it, but the blood-red flames that enveloped him seemed to corrode Tai Shi Ci's manifested weapons the moment they made contact.

As Tai Shi Ci watched his ethereal weapons being consumed by the flames, he felt a surge of panic as his internal energy began to drain at an alarming rate—something he had never experienced before.

Seeing the blood flames now wreathing Yan Liang's spear, Tai Shi Ci decided against prolonging the fight. He dispelled his ethereal weapons, concentrating his remaining energy into the Fangtian Halberd. A prolonged battle with Yan Liang seemed like a poor choice.

"Get out of my way!" In an instant, Tai Shi Ci seemed possessed by divine power. His Fangtian Halberd locked onto Yan Liang's spear, the blood flames failing to penetrate it. With one swift motion, he slashed the halberd toward Yan Liang's chest.

Yan Liang, caught off guard by the sheer force of Tai Shi Ci's attack, was forced to release his spear and leap backward, narrowly avoiding being cut in half. Despite his escape, a massive gash ran from his left shoulder to his right waist, so deep that parts of his internal organs were visible.

Blood continuously dripped from Tai Shi Ci's mouth, but Yan Liang was no better off. Though internal energy masters had remarkable regenerative abilities, the severity of their injuries meant recovery would take at least a month, even under the best circumstances.

"Are you still worthy of being called a warrior?" Tai Shi Ci growled, as his men helped him pull Yan Liang's spear from his chest, struggling to keep the blood from flowing freely. Yan Liang was in a similar state, barely able to hold back his injuries.

"My lord doesn't need warriors. My lord needs Gongsun Zan's head. You stand in his way, so as long as I can kill you, nothing else matters!" Yan Liang rasped, breathing heavily. "I've lost this time, but I know my brother Wen Chou will capture you. Without medical treatment, how long do you think you'll last?"

"..." Tai Shi Ci planted Yan Liang's spear into the ground, remaining silent. Meanwhile, his medics quickly brought over the miracle powder. Without hesitation, Tai Shi Ci poured an entire packet into his mouth, swallowing it down. The potent energy of the powder, fueled by his internal energy, rapidly restored some of his vitality, bringing a flush of color back to his pale face.

"..." Yan Liang stared in disbelief at the scene. The effects of the medicine were far too miraculous.