Free Web NovelChapter 267: Ambitious Hero
"General Long, General Long!"
Tao Qian waved his hand towards Long Chen’s direction and didn’t forget to instruct the soldiers beside him to beat the drums to welcome Long Chen and boost the morale.
In an instant, everyone knew that reinforcements had arrived, and the previously plummeting morale rose again.
The gloomy clouds were suddenly pierced by a dazzling ray of sunlight, bursting forth like a balloon with a hole.
Everyone turned their eyes to the distance, only to see an army vast as the sea, covered in the radiant sunlight, exuding a divine glow.
The leading figures of the army were even more impressive. Long Chen stood in the center, majestic like a king, with an overwhelming aura emanating from him.
On either side of him were Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Zhao Yun, and Taishi Ci, each mounted on a fine horse, positioned beside Long Chen.
The aura surrounding these individuals was astonishing, as if even in the face of thousands of troops, they could retreat unscathed.
Cao Cao, seeing this scene from afar, couldn’t help but drop the peeled orange in his hand. His eyes momentarily blank, he quickly regained his initial confident demeanor.
"Long Chen, so you have come after all!"
He murmured to himself.
"My lord, I request to lead the troops to crush their morale!!!"
Xiahou Dun, unable to contain his fiery temper, hastily cupped his fists and requested to fight.
He thought to himself, this Long Chen, who was rumored throughout the land to be the incarnation of a god descended to earth, sounded quite exaggerated. He wanted to see if Long Chen could withstand his large blade.
Cao Cao was somewhat moved.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Long Chen leading his army here was both within his expectations and beyond them.
He initially thought that this guy would return to Yangzhou to regroup before heading north to rescue Tao Qian.
If things went according to his plan, he would have been able to capture Xuzhou before Long Chen’s arrival.
At that point, it would be a done deal, and Long Chen’s arrival would be meaningless.
But he didn’t expect Long Chen to arrive so quickly.
It seemed the rumors were true... Yangzhou under Long Chen’s governance was indeed solid and united.
While deep in thought, Xun You, dressed in a gray robe, frowned worriedly and said:
"My lord, Long Chen should not be underestimated! In the future, he will be a great threat to you, potentially even more so than Yuan Shao!"
"I am aware of that..."
Cao Cao sighed and then looked towards Long Chen, seeing his handsome and elegant face.
He lamented, "Not just in the future, even now, he is my great enemy! In my heart, his danger surpasses Yuan Shao, holding the top position."
As Long Chen’s figure drew closer, the Cao army grew increasingly restless.
Warhorses neighed, and soldiers showed signs of unease.
"What are you afraid of!? Show the spirit of the Qingzhou elites!"
Cao Cao suddenly stood in the battlefield, shouting loudly, his arms extended outward as if to encompass the entire world.
The depth of his aura was enough to calm the minds of his soldiers.
The aura of a heroic overlord spread with Cao Cao’s shout, which was also his innate skill—[Heroic Overlord].
During his command, this passive skill [Heroic Overlord] would greatly boost the morale and combat effectiveness of his generals and soldiers.
Simultaneously, it could also enhance his own wisdom, making his mind more agile and quick-thinking.
Xun You stroked his long beard and nodded silently, as if he had thought of something, he hurriedly approached Cao Cao’s side and whispered something.
Hearing this, Cao Cao remained silent, and after a moment, he said:
"The strategist’s words are very reasonable. Sending light cavalry to charge while the enemy is far away is a good idea, but I am unwilling to do such a thing."
"If it were any other enemy, this would be fine. But the opponent is Long Chen... such a strategy has likely already been seen through by him...
Moreover... he once saved my life..."
Cao Cao didn’t say the rest, but Xun You understood.
His lord valued loyalty and did not wish to use underhanded tactics.
Xun You felt a sense of admiration, thinking that Cao Mengde indeed possessed a gentleman’s demeanor. It seemed that the responsibility of supporting the Han dynasty could only be accomplished by his lord!
......
Long Chen’s eyes gleamed with a strange light. The generals beside him had been sent to lead their respective troops.
Now, only Xi Zhicai and Jia Xu, the two military strategists, were beside him.
At this moment, Long Chen and Cao Cao looked at each other as if they were the sharpest swords in the world, clashing with a terrifying flow of energy swirling around them.
Withdrawing his gaze, Long Chen asked:
"Two strategists, what do you think Cao Cao will do next?"
After a moment, Xi Zhicai confidently waved his fiery red sleeves and said: frёeωebɳovel.com
"My lord, in my opinion, if Cao Cao sends several light cavalry units to charge at high speed, they might catch us off guard.
This strategy has two benefits: one is to take advantage of our soldiers’ fatigue from long-term marching and catch us by surprise.
The second is to damage our morale."
Long Chen nodded but didn’t speak.
Xi Zhicai was right, but also wrong.
Right because the strategy was sound, wrong because Xi Zhicai didn’t fully grasp Cao Cao’s character.
He couldn’t help but look at Jia Xu on his left.
Jia Xu, dressed in a black robe, exuded a sinister aura that sent chills down one’s spine.
"Wenhe, what do you think?"
If he didn’t actively ask Jia Xu, the man might not speak up on his own.
This old wise man was very clever!
Extremely low-key, making it easy for people to overlook his presence.
But in reality, he was like a hidden venomous snake, ready to strike when you were at your weakest.
And that strike could be a deadly blow, the last straw that breaks the camel’s back...
Jia Xu cupped his hands and calmly said:
"My lord, I don’t believe Cao Cao will take such actions."
"Why?"
"Because Cao Cao’s character wouldn’t allow him to do such a thing, especially against someone like you..."
Jia Xu stroked his beard, his voice drifting like a lone boat on a vast river, ethereal and distant.
Just as he finished speaking, a rider came galloping towards them, clad in fiery red heavy armor, exuding a powerful presence.
With a rugged face, he was a robust man from Shandong.
From a distance, he shouted in a rough voice, "General Long, my lord wishes to meet with you alone, are you willing?"
Hearing this, Dian Wei’s fierce scar around his eyes twitched violently, like a sharp steel blade, exuding a menacing aura.
"My lord, do not fall for Cao Cao’s trickery! Who knows what he’s up to!"
"Yes, yes, my lord, do not go. I also think it’s a trap!"
Xu Chu the Tiger Fool also loudly urged, pounding his massive fists on the golden tiger head on his right shoulder, exuding a murderous aura that could be felt from afar.
