Three Kingdoms, Myth

Gan Ning cast a glance at Gan Lan, feeling an uncontrollable urge to set things on fire. Ever since he casually tossed a torch, and his men followed suit by throwing out a bunch of torches, turning the Handan granary into scorched earth, Gan Ning had suddenly realized a strategy—nothing beats setting things on fire!

"Gan Lan, I've got a task for you," Gan Ning said, tossing aside the half-eaten beef leg. "It's a tough one, something only someone extraordinary can handle."

"I'm not doing it," Gan Lan immediately refused before Gan Ning could even finish speaking. He wasn't foolish enough to follow Gan Ning's reckless ideas. When Chen Xi had presented them with a difficult task that only the strongest or the most clever could accomplish, Gan Ning had immediately believed it was tailor-made for him!

That was reckless to the extreme. After all, their ship had sunk five times, forcing them to swim from the ocean to the Yangtze River five times. On one occasion, they even encountered a mythical creature, and Gan Ning, undeterred, chased after and killed a legendary Kun! Gan Lan felt that following Gan Ning was a constant test of his nerves.

Gan Ning's motion to pat Gan Lan on the shoulder froze in midair, unable to proceed. "As the Navy Commander, I'm ordering you to take a hundred men and sail downstream along the Zhang River to meet up with Ziyi."

"A hundred men?" Gan Lan felt a headache coming on. While he didn't fear Gan Ning's status as the heir of the Gan family, he knew that in the military, Gan Ning's word was law. Even if Gan Ning's decisions were wrong, his subordinates only had the right to advise, not to overrule.

"Yes, a hundred men! You take a hundred to meet up with Ziyi, and I'll take a hundred to start a fire. This is a golden opportunity, and as the Navy Commander, I'd be remiss not to seize it. I'm going to burn them to ashes!" Gan Ning declared arrogantly.

"Let's just go together," Gan Lan suggested, seeing the determined look in Gan Ning's eyes. He realized he couldn't dissuade Gan Ning from his fiery determination, so he reluctantly agreed.

"You don't get it. With our numbers, it doesn't matter if we have a hundred or three hundred. I could lead a hundred men to total victory, but if you're there, we might lose a few people!" Gan Ning shot Gan Lan a disdainful look. He had to admit, Gan Ning's words, though harsh, were true.

Gan Lan hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. Though the words were unkind, Gan Ning was right—Gan Lan was more of a strategist than a fighter, and his close combat skills were inferior to even the average soldier. On the battlefield, it was unclear whether he'd be protecting Gan Ning or the other way around.

Although Gan Lan agreed to Gan Ning's plan, he stopped him from acting immediately, suggesting they scout Yuan Shao's camp from a high vantage point first.

By the time Gan Ning and Gan Lan returned from surveying the camp, the sun was already setting, and night was approaching.

"Xingba, though I don't fully support your decision, I'll give you a piece of advice as a friend. Don't target the grain stores or the logistics units; their defenses are too tight. Instead, aim straight for Yuan Shao's main camp. The defenses there are weaker. Focus on breaking their morale rather than killing enemies. If you move quickly enough, you might actually achieve your goal."

Though Gan Lan wasn't happy with Gan Ning's reckless plan, once Gan Ning had made up his mind, he stopped trying to dissuade him and instead offered advice on how to maximize their chances of success.

"Got it. You take a hundred men and quickly go find Ziyi. The remaining hundred will stay here and wait. I'll lead a hundred men and all the horses to launch the raid!" Gan Ning nodded, showing that he had taken Gan Lan's advice to heart.

"Xingba, while there's still time, have your men modify those carts carrying the oil barrels on the ship. Use the oxen to pull them. If you want to burn the enemy camp, those oil barrels are essential, and the oxen's strength and endurance far surpass that of horses. Even if you have to retreat, setting the oil barrels on fire and letting the oxen run wild could create an opening for you to escape!" Gan Lan suggested reluctantly, knowing that his role as Gan Ning's childhood tutor was to ensure his safety.

That night, at midnight, Gan Ning, with modified carts pulled by oxen, led a hundred men on horseback towards Yuan Shao's camp. Meanwhile, Gan Lan departed at sunset, taking his hundred men downstream to find Taishi Ci.

Gan Ning's progress was slow due to the oxen-drawn carts, but he eventually reached a few hundred paces outside Yuan Shao's camp. The main gate was brightly lit, and it was clear that despite planning to retreat the next day, Yuan Shao had not relaxed the camp's defenses. The guards were still patrolling, though this time, there was no Zhou Ang watching the gate, just a dozen or so minor soldiers.

"Who goes there!" a sharp-eyed guard spotted the shadows in the darkness when Gan Ning was fifty paces away.

"Searching for Gongsun Zan, that bastard! Just got back," Gan Ning replied nonchalantly. He had no qualms about bluffing.

As he spoke, Gan Ning walked alone for another dozen steps, his hand seemingly fumbling at his waist. A smile crept onto his face as he mentally marked the positions of all the guards. At this distance, he was confident he could take them all out in one strike. "Here, take a look at this—my token!"

In an instant, a cold, water-like gleam flashed, and the scattered guards, including those hidden in the shadows, all fell to the ground.

"Hurry, move!" Gan Ning ordered his men to carefully remove the barricades. He silently praised Gan Lan's suggestion. Once his troops were reorganized, they punctured small holes in the oil barrels on the carts, lit them on fire, and then drove their swords into the oxen's rumps. With a bellow of pain, the oxen, dragging the burning carts, charged into Yuan Shao's camp.

"Kill!" Gan Ning shouted as he followed the trail of flames into the camp. Yuan Shao's camp layout was already well-known to him. His goal now was to burn Yuan Shao's tent to the ground, not to kill enemies, though he wouldn't mind doing both.

"Enemy attack!" The screams finally erupted from Yuan Shao's camp as the burning carts plowed through tents.

"Kill, kill, kill!" Gan Ning roared as he unleashed his inner energy. Though he didn't kill many, it was enough to strike fear into the enemy. Despite his loud shouts, Gan Ning kept his primary objective in mind: to burn Yuan Shao's main tent!

"Who dares attack my camp at night!" Yuan Shao, wearing his nightclothes, roared as he sprang from his bed.

"Do not fear, my lord. Yan Liang is here!" Yan Liang, dressed in a single layer of clothing, rushed in. Despite the severe injury Taishi Ci had inflicted, Yan Liang had already recovered eighty percent.

"Come with me to see who dares attack my camp!" Yuan Shao, holding his sword, stormed out of his tent.