Three Kingdoms, Myth

After fleeing to Jiangling, Liu Biao did not immediately take command of the Jiangling troops. Instead, he secluded himself in a room for three days to reflect. It wasn't until Yuan Shu's forces neared Jiangling that Liu Biao finally emerged.

"Master! Things are dire! Yuan Shu's forces have nearly captured all of the northern territories, and uprisings are breaking out all over southern Jing!" Kuai Yue reported anxiously as soon as Liu Biao stepped out of his room.

"What is there to fear? As long as Jiangling holds, I am still here. Victory and defeat are only temporary!" Liu Biao replied coldly. The weariness of the refined scholar, indulging in the pleasures of life, was gone. He now exuded a sharp, commanding presence.

"Jingzhou is rich with talent, and the Han dynasty still stands. If Yuan Gonglu thinks he can defeat me, he is gravely mistaken! Relay my orders: Summon Liu Pan and Huang Zhong from southern Jing to Jiangling, bringing all elite forces. We will abandon the southern regions entirely!" Liu Biao ordered without even pausing to gather any intelligence on the situation.

"What?!" Kuai Yue was shocked. This would be like cutting off their own arm! Without Liu Pan and Huang Zhong, who were essential to their military strength, southern Jing would be lost entirely to the uprisings.

"Understood!" Kuai Liang, who had been silent, smiled upon hearing Liu Biao's command. This was the Liu Jingxuan he had once admired. The man at Xiangyang had been a shadow of his former self, dulled by years of comfort.

"Brother!" Kuai Yue exclaimed, confused.

"Follow our lord's orders," Kuai Liang responded calmly.

Kuai Yue knew his brother well—though Kuai Liang appeared reserved, he possessed a mind as sharp as a blade. If he approved of Liu Biao's decision, then it was the right one. Kuai Yue nodded in compliance.

After leaving Liu Biao's residence, Kuai Yue could no longer contain his curiosity. "Brother, why does our lord insist on withdrawing the forces from southern Jing? Without them, we will have no retreat."

"It's a do-or-die battle," Kuai Liang explained, his eyes gleaming coldly. "If we win, the tides will turn. If we lose, everything is over. The forces in southern Jing are fickle at best. If we lose Jiangling, even an army of a hundred thousand in southern Jing would be useless. But if we win here, the uprisings in the south will be nothing more than a passing storm."

"I didn't expect our lord still had such courage. I thought the refined life of a scholar had sapped him of ambition," Kuai Yue said, calming down as he processed his brother's explanation.

"He may have been dulled, but this crisis has revived him. I was considering surrendering the city to Yuan Gonglu in exchange for favor, but now that won't be necessary. If our lord still has this kind of resolve, then let's see Yuan Shu die at the gates of Jiangling," Kuai Liang declared, a fierce determination in his eyes. He was ruthless and pragmatic; if Liu Jingxuan was no longer worth supporting, he had been ready to switch sides without hesitation. But now, Liu Jingxuan had regained his confidence, and Kuai Liang was prepared to fight to the end.

"What's your plan?" Kuai Yue asked, feeling a shiver run down his spine. He knew just how dangerous his brother could be—he might be quiet most of the time, but when he spoke, it often meant someone would die.

"The rainy season is coming," Kuai Liang replied with a chilling smile.

Kuai Yue's hair stood on end. Jiangling backed onto the Yangtze River, and it flooded every year. If Kuai Liang had anything to do with it, the flooding would be disastrous. A flooded Yangtze could easily drown Yuan Gonglu's army.

"This plan is too dangerous!" Kuai Yue immediately objected.

"We're not at that point yet. I've inspected Yuan Gonglu's encampment, and he has made no preparations for potential flooding," Kuai Liang reassured him, having already scouted the area in advance. Though he had initially considered surrendering, he had not wanted to tarnish his own reputation.

"Alright," Kuai Yue replied, cautiously wiping the cold sweat from his brow. He knew his brother well enough to suspect that Kuai Liang might have already started making preparations.

Yuan Shu's forces continued to flaunt their strength daily beneath the walls of Jiangling. But they had finally provoked a hornet's nest. Liu Pan and Huang Zhong, leading Jingzhou's remaining elite troops, arrived at Jiangling, narrowing the gap in strength between the two sides.

Yuan Shu had brought over sixty thousand elite soldiers from Yuzhou, and after successive conquests, his forces had swelled to more than twice that number. However, with Liu Biao mustering all of Jingzhou's remaining elite forces to defend Jiangling, his own army now numbered nearly a hundred thousand.

The problem was that Yuan Shu's troops were riding a wave of unstoppable momentum, while Liu Biao's forces were demoralized. If it weren't for the walls of Jiangling, Yuan Shu's army would have easily routed Liu Biao in open battle. But with the city's defenses, Liu Biao still had a chance to turn the tables.

From the city walls, Huang Zhong watched the Yuan Shu army below with cold eyes. His gaze focused on an enemy officer taunting them, his eyes as cold as ice.

"Zhongxing, stay here. I'm going down to kill a few enemy officers," Huang Zhong said, turning to Liu Pan. Though Liu Pan was technically in charge in southern Jing, he held deep respect for Huang Zhong's strength and wisdom, often deferring to him. However, in recent years, Huang Zhong had become withdrawn, his hair turning white as he struggled with his son's illness. This time, Liu Pan had no choice but to bring Huang Zhong and his family along, as his son, Huang Xu, was nearing death.

"Be careful, Hansheng," Liu Pan responded with a bitter smile. He could tell that Huang Zhong was in a foul mood, likely because his son was close to death and he had no grandchildren. Huang Zhong seemed lost.

The gates of Jiangling creaked open just enough to let Huang Zhong and two thousand soldiers ride out.

"Ha! Has Jingzhou really fallen so low that they send out old men to fight..." The enemy officer's taunt was cut short as a flash of Huang Zhong's blade reduced him to dust. Without hesitation, Huang Zhong led his troops straight toward Yuan Shu's camp.

"Kill!" The soldiers' courage surged as they witnessed Huang Zhong's overwhelming strength. They had assumed they were on a suicide mission, but now they charged after Huang Zhong, shouting as they followed him into battle.

"The command flag?" Huang Zhong sneered as he took out his prized bow and aimed at a distant flag, still a small speck on the horizon. A gleaming arrow flew across the battlefield, obliterating both the flag and the officer guarding it.

"Kill!" Huang Zhong's sword swept through Yuan Shu's forward camp like a flood, his strikes methodical and deadly. Unlike the raw power of Lü Bu or the explosive force of Guan Yu, Huang Zhong's blade work was deliberate, each swing growing in size and intensity until eight spinning arcs of light plowed through the enemy ranks. The sight left the defenders on Jiangling's walls in awe—when had Jingzhou ever had such a fierce general?

With a thunderous crash, Huang Zhong's eight-fold sword light was blocked by an enormous halberd, wielded by none other than Lü Bu, whose presence alone was enough to send tremors through the battlefield.

"Lü Bu?" Huang Zhong recognized the man instantly. His appearance matched the descriptions he had heard—Lü Bu, crowned with a trident crest, wearing a robe of red brocade and a chain-link armor of fearsome design, mounted on the swift Red Hare steed, holding his famous halberd.

Lü Bu was also sizing up Huang Zhong. The eight-fold sword light had revealed Huang Zhong to be a master, yet he was surprised to see that his opponent was an old man with graying hair, clad in worn armor, wielding a long blade marred with rust, and riding a steed with a dull, shaggy coat. How could such a figure possess such power?