Three Kingdoms, Myth

From a distance, Guan Yu saw a cloud of blood-red mist surging toward him. His sharp eyes immediately caught sight of Cao Cao, heavily guarded by a mass of his elite soldiers.

Seeing the disheveled yet resolute Cao soldiers, Guan Yu couldn't help but feel a tinge of admiration.

Lifting his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a set of armor that gleamed like serene, green water materialized on Guan Yu's body, glowing brilliantly in the first light of dawn, giving him the appearance of a god descended to earth.

"Where are Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, and Pei Yuanshao!" Guan Yu shouted without turning his head.

"Here, General!" The three men stepped forward in unison, bowing to Guan Yu.

"Form ranks with me! We will annihilate Cao Cao!" Guan Yu roared, planting the Green Dragon Crescent Blade firmly into the ground. A dragon's roar echoed, and a clear radiance enveloped the entire Guan Yu army. As Guan Yu's aura surged, a coiling dragon became vividly visible above their formation.

"Soldiers, charge with me! Victory or defeat will be decided here!" Cao Cao shouted, leading his troops in a charge toward Guan Yu.

"Foolish!" Guan Yu slightly opened his eyes, a cold light flashing through them. Was Cao Cao truly so reckless as to charge at him like this?

"Kill!" Without another word, Guan Yu spurred his horse forward, accelerating like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.

"Die!" Guan Yu fearlessly charged into the midst of Cao Cao's army, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in hand. When he was about a hundred paces from Cao Cao, he slashed out with a massive blade of energy.

Such foolishness from Cao Cao was unbecoming of the hero Guan Yu remembered from their fateful encounter at Hulao Pass. Guan Yu decided to offer Cao Cao a swift death, striking with his most powerful attack as a final courtesy.

"Splatter!" Blood sprayed over Cao Cao, even though he was shielded by the cloud of energy surrounding his army. Despite the protection, the force of Guan Yu's strike broke through, killing nearly a hundred of Cao Cao's bodyguards. Only the quick reflexes of Cao Cao's horse, Yellow Thunder, saved him from certain death.

"Hmph, a fine horse!" Guan Yu narrowed his eyes, stroking his beard. Behind him, the Guan Yu army surged forward, engulfing the faltering Cao soldiers. Guan Yu, undeterred, continued his pursuit of Cao Cao, cutting down anyone who stood in his way.

Though the Cao soldiers were strong, determined, and prepared to die, the gap in strength was too vast. Guan Yu's presence on the battlefield meant he was confident in the outcome. Concepts like "fighting with one's back to the wall" or "morale boosting" held no sway against the overwhelming power of Guan Yu, who cleaved through these ideals with his blade.

Even under the suppressive force of the cloud formation, Guan Yu pressed forward, undisturbed, relentlessly pursuing Cao Cao. Under his leadership, the Guan Yu army swiftly cut through the Cao formation, scattering it to the wind. The energy cloud above the Cao soldiers began to dissipate.

"Lord, you must flee!" Shouted a few of Cao Cao's personal guards. They turned to face Guan Yu, charging at him in a desperate attempt to buy time.

A flash of Guan Yu's blade was all it took. The guards fell one by one, as Guan Yu continued his relentless pursuit.

"General, Cao Cao's horse is fast, and his guards are sacrificing themselves to protect him. It will be difficult to catch him," Zhou Cang reported after leading a squad to take down several enemy officers.

"Don't worry about it. Keep driving Cao Cao east. I have Yuanjian positioned there in ambush," Guan Yu replied calmly.

"Understood!" Zhou Cang bowed and led his troops in the direction indicated, while Guan Yu pursued Cao Cao, slicing through the disorganized Cao soldiers like a hot knife through butter. In just a short time, the enemy's formation was entirely broken, with the energy cloud dissipating almost entirely. Despite the soldiers' bravery, their morale and determination were nothing more than fleeting obstacles in the face of such overwhelming strength.

Qin Shao, disguised as Cao Cao, was eventually left with only a dozen bodyguards as Guan Yu hunted him down.

"Die!" Liao Hua, who had been lying in wait outside the battlefield, saw this ostentatious golden-armored general and immediately sensed his luck had arrived. Drawing his bow, he aimed at Cao Cao and let loose an arrow. The arrow struck, and "Cao Cao" fell from his horse.

"Capture Cao Cao alive!" Liao Hua shouted, leading a hundred soldiers out of their trench and charging toward "Cao Cao" with spears at the ready.

"Die!" Qin Shao, gritting his teeth, yanked the arrow from his side, his eyes red with fury as he slashed at Liao Hua.

"Crack!" Liao Hua instinctively leapt back as his well-used spear was sheared in half by the Yitian Sword.

Qin Shao fought like a madman, slashing wildly with the Yitian Sword. Though his martial skill was only second-rate, the sharpness of the blade allowed him to kill several soldiers before he was grievously wounded.

Seeing Guan Yu approaching on horseback, Qin Shao stopped his mad assault. "Hahaha! To die under such a well-laid ambush, I have no regrets!"

"Splatter!" He placed the Yitian Sword against his neck, and with a swift motion, he slit his throat. His lifeless body fell to the ground, a final mocking smile directed at Guan Yu.

Guan Yu dismounted, looking down at the bloodied and self-slain "Cao Cao," a hint of sorrow on his face. If not for the massacre at Xu Province, how could it have come to this? The hero of Hulao Pass—what had he become...

"Yuanjian, prepare Cao Cao's body for burial," Guan Yu ordered Liao Hua.

"Yes, General," Liao Hua responded, pleased. Although he had not captured Cao Cao alive, killing him was still a significant achievement.

When Guan Yu returned to the outskirts of Pengcheng, the battlefield had already been thoroughly cleared. It had to be said that Pei Yuanshao was incredibly thorough. Having always been frugal, he was extremely efficient at cleaning up after battles. Guan Yu had grown accustomed to his diligent ways.

"What are our losses?" Guan Yu asked the army's scribe, Zheng Jun.

"We lost about eleven hundred soldiers, with another twenty-three hundred wounded and seventy permanently disabled. The Cao army lost about thirty-seven hundred, with the remainder all injured," Zheng Jun, a descendant of Zheng Xuan, reported without arrogance or timidity.

"Give the dead proper burials. Though they were our enemies, their loyalty and righteousness were unwavering. Treat the wounded with care," Guan Yu said, frowning slightly. "Double the compensation for our troops. If the supplies we captured are insufficient, I will cover the difference."

"Understood," Zheng Jun responded, bowing to Guan Yu.

"Ping, accompany me to take control of Pengcheng," Guan Yu said, turning to his son Guan Ping after Zheng Jun left.

Guan Yu, carrying his banner, led Guan Ping and Zhou Cang to the gates of Pengcheng. Before he could shout for the gates to be opened, the city gates swung open, and Xu Sheng emerged, escorting Zhao Yan toward Guan Yu. "Greetings, General Guan."

Guan Yu glanced at Xu Sheng. "You've done well. Are the Danyang soldiers still in Pengcheng?"

"Currently, there are still over twenty-four thousand Danyang veterans stationed in Pengcheng," Xu Sheng replied, bowing his head.

"Good," Guan Yu said, allowing a rare smile to surface.