Free Web NovelChapter 41: The Best Spy?
The guards at the city gate made a covert analysis upon seeing the situation.
"The people below the city are just one or two thousand, but there are nearly five hundred thousand troops inside the city."
"Even if they are Han troops in disguise, a single spit could drown them."
"Moreover, General Heaven has repeatedly emphasized our unity within the Yellow Turbans. If someone is in trouble, how can we not support them?"
Subsequently, the gatekeeper ordered the gates to be opened, but he remained cautious.
The city gate was only partially opened, with several thousand people still at the gate.
Anyone attempting to seize the gate would be killed by the chaotic soldiers.
"Brothers, hurry in, the gates are open!"
The gatekeeper shouted from the city gate.
A slight smile formed at the corner of Long Chen’s mouth; the fish had taken the bait, and the first step was a success.
"Thanks, brothers!" He shouted back.
He then ordered his companions, Xu Chu and Zhou Tai, to speed up, quickly distancing themselves from the pursuing Han troops.
The guards on the gate began shooting arrows, hindering the Han soldiers chasing after Long Chen.
"Damn it! They’ve escaped! Retreat!"
The Han leader feigned anger, lifting his spear to signal a retreat.
Upon entering Guangzong City, Long Chen noticed thousands of vigilant eyes around them.
He marveled at the cautiousness of the city’s leader; he was no ordinary person.
Though not likely to achieve great success, such caution was enough to maintain their defense.
"Thank you, General, for saving us just now. Otherwise, we might have been intercepted by the Han troops!" Long Chen expressed gratitude with a cupped fist.
"No need to mention it. As fellow Yellow Turbans, it’s only natural to help each other out. Such a trivial matter is not worth mentioning!"
The gatekeeper waved his hand.
This man was a burly figure with a full beard. His exaggerated muscular curves resembled those of a European strongman, emanating primal strength.
Long Chen couldn’t help but admire him, thinking, "What a great general!"
"Check status panel!"
[Name]: Zhou Cang, courtesy name Yuanfu
[Quality]: Three-star General
[Level]: Level 70
[Strength]: 74 (Maximum 82)
[Strategy]: 13 (Maximum 28)
[Endurance]: 50 (Maximum 78)
[Domestic Affaairs]: 9
[Charm]: 9
[Skills]: Steadfast Assault (A-level, increases self-attack and defense attributes by 50%)
[Talent]: Penetration (Blue) (During siege, boosts the morale of the entire army by 35%)
Note: Skilled in commanding infantry!
It turns out to be Zhou Cang, quite a notable figure in the Three Kingdoms, often referred to as the man closest to the Martial Saint.
Indeed, after the defeat of the Yellow Turbans, he became a mountain bandit and was later recruited by Guan Yu to resist Dong Zhuo.
He also proved to be an outstanding vanguard in the army, unstoppable in battle!
After Zhou Cang introduced himself, he quickly led him to the residence of General Ren Gong.
Newcomers to the Yellow Turban army need the approval and appointment of any of the three commanders before they can continue to survive in Guangzong City.
Ren Gong’s residence.
A burly man with a yellow face, dressed in black and yellow armor, towering at eight feet tall, a robust and sturdy man.
He was currently reviewing military affairs in the residence, with a furrowed brow.
"Report—General Zhou Cang requests an audience!"
A Yellow Turban warrior reported from outside.
"Permission granted!"
Immediately, Zhou Cang led Long Chen into the residence.
Originally, he was prepared to take him directly to General Zhang Jiao, but he heard that Zhang Jiao was bedridden today, feeling unwell.
The General on Earth, Zhang Bao, was training soldiers in the city, leaving only Zhang Liang in the residence.
"Who is this person?"
"Reporting to the General, this person claims to be a Yellow Turban from Runan County. Upon hearing that Guangzong City was in trouble, he came to support."
Zhang Liang paced back and forth, carefully examining Long Chen, then asked.
"Do you have any credentials?"
As expected, the main issue came up. Long Chen was well-prepared for this suspicion from the beginning. He disguised himself as the previously slain Xu Wu and presented Xu Wu’s command token to Zhang Liang.
"General, this is my command token. Please take a look."
After a mutual conversation, Zhang Liang finally put down his guard but still harbored some suspicion.
After contemplating for a moment, he ordered, "Alright! You came from afar to support Guangzong, showing commendable loyalty. I appoint you as the Deputy Commander of the South Gate of Guangzong City!"
As a deputy commander, he could command ten thousand Yellow Turban soldiers. Long Chen was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude.
However, one should not expect too much from the strength of these ten thousand Yellow Turban soldiers. Although there were many Yellow Turban soldiers in Guangzong City, their strengths varied greatly. This was directly related to the lenient recruitment policy of the Yellow Turbans. Basically, as long as you were willing to join the Yellow Turban army, you were accepted, leading to a mixed and diverse internal structure of the Yellow Turban army.
This is also one of the main reasons for the failure of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
Returning to the topic, although the Deputy Commander holds significant power, he is still restricted by the Chief Commander, Zhou Cang.
However, considering Zhou Cang’s intelligence and strategy, Long Chen believes he can handle ten opponents alone!
Starting today, he will work undercover in Guangzong City!
There’s also a strange sense of excitement in his heart.
Perhaps having watched too many spy movies in his past life, now that it’s his turn, his heart rate has increased.
In the coming days, Long Chen spends the day guarding the city and hiding in houses at night, sketching the defense layout of the South Gate of Guangzong City.
During the daytime defense, he appears diligent, with eagle-like eyes carefully scanning the distance to prevent Han troops from invading.
When General Zhang Bao, the Chief Commander, came to inspect the South Gate, he paid extra attention to Long Chen.
First, he praised Long Chen’s diligence and awarded him silk and satin looted from prominent families, worth a considerable amount.
"Notification! Obtained 100 pieces of fine silk and satin, worth 200 taels of silver."
Long Chen couldn’t be happier, as 200 taels of silver could buy several thousand units of food.
Being an undercover agent here is really good; he can earn some extra money!
Zhang Bao also learned that Long Chen had abandoned his territory in Runan County to come here and support Guangzong City.
This warmed his heart.
"It’s rare, very rare that you have such good intentions!" Zhang Bao held Long Chen’s hands and exclaimed.
With a wave of his hand, he raised Long Chen’s official position by another rank, truly promoting him from Deputy to Chief Commander.
The close contact with Zhang Bao made Long Chen feel immense pressure, as if he was facing not a person but a colossal mythical beast!
"Check Zhang Bao’s attributes panel!" Long Chen wanted to try and see if he could uncover Zhang Bao’s attribute data.
"Notification! Unable to check due to level difference limitations!"
"Notification! Unable to check due to Zhang Bao’s talent restrictions!"
Suddenly, Long Chen felt a sense of frustration, blocked successively by two barriers. Zhang Bao was indeed as formidable as rumored.
Zhang Bao squinted his eyes; it seemed someone had tried to see through him just now, but it was resolved by the true qi in his body.
"Could it be the person in front of me?" Zhang Bao pondered silently.
Not long after, General Zhang Bao left the place. The situation in Guangzong City was not optimistic, and Zhang Bao didn’t have the time or energy to cover every detail.
Therefore, he simply inspected the area briefly and left. However, the face of this fellow Long Chen left a faint impression in his mind.
After Zhang Bao’s appointment, Long Chen also became the number one figure at the South Gate, the person with the most power.
"Congratulations, Brother Xu Wu!" Zhou Cang congratulated with a clasped fist.
As Long Chen was using a false identity, everyone referred to him as Xu Wu, or Deputy Commander Xu.
"Thank you, thank you! By the way, Yuanfu, now that I am the Chief Commander of the South Gate, what about you? What will you do?"
Long Chen was puzzled.
He had been appointed, but what about Zhou Cang?
"Well, you see, the North Gate of Guangzong City is in a precarious situation. The Han troops led by Emperor Fu Song have repeatedly launched night attacks on the North Gate, causing our army significant losses. The North Gate even faced the risk of being lost. So, they sent me to become the Chief Commander at the North Gate!"
Zhou Cang explained with a worried expression.
Long Chen silently pondered, no wonder Zhang Bao suddenly promoted him from Deputy to Chief Commander.
It turns out that the North Gate is in crisis, and this promotion is just a convenient favor!
Now, Long Chen has to part ways with Zhou Cang. He felt a bit reluctant to leave this straightforward man.
After several days of contact, Long Chen realized that Zhou Cang was a straightforward man with no cunning or strategizing. He was exceptionally loyal.
No wonder later he would be accepted by the equally loyal Guan Yu.
As the saying goes, "Associate with the wise, and you become wise; associate with the foolish, and you get in trouble!" The ancients did not deceive me!
"Then help Brother Yuanfu take this responsibility. If there’s any need, Xu Wu will definitely assist!"
"Good brother! Take care!"
"Take care!"
After Zhou Cang was transferred, Long Chen officially became the leader of the South Gate.
During the day, he chatted and bonded with his subordinates, fostering a genuine belief in himself among these Yellow Turban soldiers.
With the effect of a Charisma value of 100 and Long Chen’s persuasive skills, the trust level of these soldiers, who had not received much attention from their superiors, rapidly increased!
"Notification! Niu Er’s favorability towards you has risen to 82."
"Notification..."
Such system notifications were incessant. The goodwill of the guards at the South Gate toward Long Chen had mostly risen to 70 or even 80.
As for those guards who didn’t have such high goodwill, Long Chen speculated that they might be pawns left behind by Zhang Bao or Zhang Liang to balance or monitor him.
"Hmph! They have their schemes; I have my ways!"
In terms of strategy, Long Chen didn’t give them any respite.
In the following days, Long Chen deliberately counter-monitored and found faults with these individuals, either dismissing them or sending them back to their original units on grounds of violating military orders.
After completing the first phase of gaining everyone’s trust, Long Chen proceeded to the second phase. He wanted to make the Yellow Turban troops feel the strength of the Han army and thereby instigate fear and timidity among them.
While on guard duty, Long Chen subtly revealed the prowess of the Han army outside the city.
"Deputy Commander Xu! Could you tell us more about the stories of the Han army outside the city?"
"Yes! Deputy Commander Xu, since you have witnessed their might, please share it with us!"
Sitting upright, Long Chen spoke solemnly, "Alright! Let me tell you more about the Han army outside the city!"
"The Han army comprises a million strong and is unstoppable. Among them, the three great generals Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi possess enough power to bring about destruction!"
"And now, our Chief Commander is critically ill and unable to combine forces with the other two generals!"
"I’m afraid Guangzong City won’t hold for much longer!"
This news was not exaggerated. According to historical events, Guangzong City wouldn’t hold for long, but Long Chen’s arrival hastened the decline of the Yellow Turban army.
With the formidable strength of the Han army and the news of Chief Commander Zhang Jiao’s critical illness spreading, a sense of gloom pervaded the entire Guangzong City.
The Yellow Turban soldiers were filled with daytime panic, fearing the Han army’s imminent siege. At night, they would transmit this pessimistic and despondent mood to their families.
Simultaneously, Long Chen dispersed his accompanying soldiers to spread this news further.
The pessimistic mood spread like a plague within Guangzong City.
This state of affairs continued for nearly half a month, even alarming the top leader of the Yellow Turban Army, General Zhang Jiao.
In the residence of General Zhang Jiao:
Upon hearing about the situation, Zhang Jiao, suppressing his physical discomfort, decided to stabilize the morale of the troops.
"Big brother! Absolutely not! Your body is so weak now; how can you go out!"
"That’s right! Big brother, Second brother is right! Moreover, if you go out like this, won’t it make the soldiers even more panic-stricken!?"
Zhang Jiao looked at his emaciated body, his bones protruding, and sighed inwardly.
Since using the forbidden SSS-level divine skill, "Assist me, Thunder God!" last time, although he severely injured Huangfu Song and the Han army, his lifespan was significantly reduced.
This forbidden skill drew on the Qi of Heaven, with tremendous power but equally significant side effects. It absorbed the life force as nourishment for the thunder’s immense power.
Combined with Zhang Jiao’s previous consecutive days of high-intensity defense, depleting his physical strength entirely, he eventually could only perform basic attacks. Even a spell attack couldn’t be executed in combat. The consequence of tapping into potential madly was draining one’s life force.
This led to Zhang Jiao’s worsened condition, nearing the brink of death.
Without others’ protection, even Long Chen would have the opportunity to slay him on the spot.
However, in the shadows of the residence, one could vaguely sense hundreds of extremely powerful auras. These were elite Yellow Turban warriors, high-quality troops of the third rank, with formidable strength.
They were specifically assigned to protect General Zhang Jiao.
Cough, cough, cough! After a few coughs, Zhang Jiao sat up and spoke.
"But...but now... the morale of our Yellow Turban soldiers in the city is extremely low. If the Han army launches a full-scale attack now, Guangzong City... How will Guangzong City fare!"
Hearing this, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang also wore troubled expressions.
"Don’t worry, big brother! How could the Han army know about the low morale of our Yellow Turban soldiers? We can still hold on!"
"Moreover, there’s still plenty of provisions and supplies in Guangzong City. We can definitely get through this crisis!"
"When the Han army withdraws due to insufficient supplies, we can return to Qingzhou and rebuild!"
"Qingzhou still has millions of Yellow Turban believers. As long as we survive, we can easily amass another million-strong army!"
Hearing that both his brothers had planned for the future, Zhang Jiao also felt relieved.
After coughing a few more times, he continued, "Very well! Unknowingly, both of you have grown up! Even if I leave, I can rest assured leaving you two behind!"
"Big brother, what are you saying! You won’t leave; you will definitely get better!"
Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang knelt in front of Zhang Jiao, tightly holding his hands, tears glistening in their eyes.The guards at the city gate made a covert analysis upon seeing the situation.
"The people below the city are just one or two thousand, but there are nearly five hundred thousand troops inside the city."
"Even if they are Han troops in disguise, a single spit could drown them."
"Moreover, General Heaven has repeatedly emphasized our unity within the Yellow Turbans. If someone is in trouble, how can we not support them?"
Subsequently, the gatekeeper ordered the gates to be opened, but he remained cautious.
The city gate was only partially opened, with several thousand people still at the gate.
Anyone attempting to seize the gate would be killed by the chaotic soldiers.
"Brothers, hurry in, the gates are open!"
The gatekeeper shouted from the city gate.
A slight smile formed at the corner of Long Chen’s mouth; the fish had taken the bait, and the first step was a success.
"Thanks, brothers!" He shouted back.
He then ordered his companions, Xu Chu and Zhou Tai, to speed up, quickly distancing themselves from the pursuing Han troops.
The guards on the gate began shooting arrows, hindering the Han soldiers chasing after Long Chen.
"Damn it! They’ve escaped! Retreat!"
The Han leader feigned anger, lifting his spear to signal a retreat.
Upon entering Guangzong City, Long Chen noticed thousands of vigilant eyes around them.
He marveled at the cautiousness of the city’s leader; he was no ordinary person.
Though not likely to achieve great success, such caution was enough to maintain their defense.
"Thank you, General, for saving us just now. Otherwise, we might have been intercepted by the Han troops!" Long Chen expressed gratitude with a cupped fist.
"No need to mention it. As fellow Yellow Turbans, it’s only natural to help each other out. Such a trivial matter is not worth mentioning!"
The gatekeeper waved his hand.
This man was a burly figure with a full beard. His exaggerated muscular curves resembled those of a European strongman, emanating primal strength.
Long Chen couldn’t help but admire him, thinking, "What a great general!"
"Check status panel!"
[Name]: Zhou Cang, courtesy name Yuanfu
[Quality]: Three-star General
[Level]: Level 70
[Strength]: 74 (Maximum 82)
[Strategy]: 13 (Maximum 28)
[Endurance]: 50 (Maximum 78)
[Domestic Affaairs]: 9
[Charm]: 9
[Skills]: Steadfast Assault (A-level, increases self-attack and defense attributes by 50%)
[Talent]: Penetration (Blue) (During siege, boosts the morale of the entire army by 35%)
Note: Skilled in commanding infantry!
It turns out to be Zhou Cang, quite a notable figure in the Three Kingdoms, often referred to as the man closest to the Martial Saint.
Indeed, after the defeat of the Yellow Turbans, he became a mountain bandit and was later recruited by Guan Yu to resist Dong Zhuo.
He also proved to be an outstanding vanguard in the army, unstoppable in battle!
After Zhou Cang introduced himself, he quickly led him to the residence of General Ren Gong.
Newcomers to the Yellow Turban army need the approval and appointment of any of the three commanders before they can continue to survive in Guangzong City.
Ren Gong’s residence.
A burly man with a yellow face, dressed in black and yellow armor, towering at eight feet tall, a robust and sturdy man.
He was currently reviewing military affairs in the residence, with a furrowed brow.
"Report—General Zhou Cang requests an audience!"
A Yellow Turban warrior reported from outside.
"Permission granted!"
Immediately, Zhou Cang led Long Chen into the residence.
Originally, he was prepared to take him directly to General Zhang Jiao, but he heard that Zhang Jiao was bedridden today, feeling unwell.
The General on Earth, Zhang Bao, was training soldiers in the city, leaving only Zhang Liang in the residence.
"Who is this person?"
"Reporting to the General, this person claims to be a Yellow Turban from Runan County. Upon hearing that Guangzong City was in trouble, he came to support."
Zhang Liang paced back and forth, carefully examining Long Chen, then asked.
"Do you have any credentials?"
As expected, the main issue came up. Long Chen was well-prepared for this suspicion from the beginning. He disguised himself as the previously slain Xu Wu and presented Xu Wu’s command token to Zhang Liang.
"General, this is my command token. Please take a look."
After a mutual conversation, Zhang Liang finally put down his guard but still harbored some suspicion.
After contemplating for a moment, he ordered, "Alright! You came from afar to support Guangzong, showing commendable loyalty. I appoint you as the Deputy Commander of the South Gate of Guangzong City!"
As a deputy commander, he could command ten thousand Yellow Turban soldiers. Long Chen was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude.
However, one should not expect too much from the strength of these ten thousand Yellow Turban soldiers. Although there were many Yellow Turban soldiers in Guangzong City, their strengths varied greatly. This was directly related to the lenient recruitment policy of the Yellow Turbans. Basically, as long as you were willing to join the Yellow Turban army, you were accepted, leading to a mixed and diverse internal structure of the Yellow Turban army.
This is also one of the main reasons for the failure of the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
Returning to the topic, although the Deputy Commander holds significant power, he is still restricted by the Chief Commander, Zhou Cang.
However, considering Zhou Cang’s intelligence and strategy, Long Chen believes he can handle ten opponents alone!
Starting today, he will work undercover in Guangzong City!
There’s also a strange sense of excitement in his heart.
Perhaps having watched too many spy movies in his past life, now that it’s his turn, his heart rate has increased.
In the coming days, Long Chen spends the day guarding the city and hiding in houses at night, sketching the defense layout of the South Gate of Guangzong City.
During the daytime defense, he appears diligent, with eagle-like eyes carefully scanning the distance to prevent Han troops from invading.
When General Zhang Bao, the Chief Commander, came to inspect the South Gate, he paid extra attention to Long Chen.
First, he praised Long Chen’s diligence and awarded him silk and satin looted from prominent families, worth a considerable amount.
"Notification! Obtained 100 pieces of fine silk and satin, worth 200 taels of silver."
Long Chen couldn’t be happier, as 200 taels of silver could buy several thousand units of food.
Being an undercover agent here is really good; he can earn some extra money!
Zhang Bao also learned that Long Chen had abandoned his territory in Runan County to come here and support Guangzong City.
This warmed his heart.
"It’s rare, very rare that you have such good intentions!" Zhang Bao held Long Chen’s hands and exclaimed.
With a wave of his hand, he raised Long Chen’s official position by another rank, truly promoting him from Deputy to Chief Commander.
The close contact with Zhang Bao made Long Chen feel immense pressure, as if he was facing not a person but a colossal mythical beast!
"Check Zhang Bao’s attributes panel!" Long Chen wanted to try and see if he could uncover Zhang Bao’s attribute data.
"Notification! Unable to check due to level difference limitations!"
"Notification! Unable to check due to Zhang Bao’s talent restrictions!"
Suddenly, Long Chen felt a sense of frustration, blocked successively by two barriers. Zhang Bao was indeed as formidable as rumored.
Zhang Bao squinted his eyes; it seemed someone had tried to see through him just now, but it was resolved by the true qi in his body.
"Could it be the person in front of me?" Zhang Bao pondered silently.
Not long after, General Zhang Bao left the place. The situation in Guangzong City was not optimistic, and Zhang Bao didn’t have the time or energy to cover every detail.
Therefore, he simply inspected the area briefly and left. However, the face of this fellow Long Chen left a faint impression in his mind.
After Zhang Bao’s appointment, Long Chen also became the number one figure at the South Gate, the person with the most power.
"Congratulations, Brother Xu Wu!" Zhou Cang congratulated with a clasped fist.
As Long Chen was using a false identity, everyone referred to him as Xu Wu, or Deputy Commander Xu.
"Thank you, thank you! By the way, Yuanfu, now that I am the Chief Commander of the South Gate, what about you? What will you do?"
Long Chen was puzzled.
He had been appointed, but what about Zhou Cang?
"Well, you see, the North Gate of Guangzong City is in a precarious situation. The Han troops led by Emperor Fu Song have repeatedly launched night attacks on the North Gate, causing our army significant losses. The North Gate even faced the risk of being lost. So, they sent me to become the Chief Commander at the North Gate!"
Zhou Cang explained with a worried expression.
Long Chen silently pondered, no wonder Zhang Bao suddenly promoted him from Deputy to Chief Commander.
It turns out that the North Gate is in crisis, and this promotion is just a convenient favor!
Now, Long Chen has to part ways with Zhou Cang. He felt a bit reluctant to leave this straightforward man.
After several days of contact, Long Chen realized that Zhou Cang was a straightforward man with no cunning or strategizing. He was exceptionally loyal.
No wonder later he would be accepted by the equally loyal Guan Yu.
As the saying goes, "Associate with the wise, and you become wise; associate with the foolish, and you get in trouble!" The ancients did not deceive me!
"Then help Brother Yuanfu take this responsibility. If there’s any need, Xu Wu will definitely assist!"
"Good brother! Take care!"
"Take care!"
After Zhou Cang was transferred, Long Chen officially became the leader of the South Gate.
During the day, he chatted and bonded with his subordinates, fostering a genuine belief in himself among these Yellow Turban soldiers.
With the effect of a Charisma value of 100 and Long Chen’s persuasive skills, the trust level of these soldiers, who had not received much attention from their superiors, rapidly increased!
"Notification! Niu Er’s favorability towards you has risen to 82."
"Notification..."
Such system notifications were incessant. The goodwill of the guards at the South Gate toward Long Chen had mostly risen to 70 or even 80. freёwebnovel.com
As for those guards who didn’t have such high goodwill, Long Chen speculated that they might be pawns left behind by Zhang Bao or Zhang Liang to balance or monitor him.
"Hmph! They have their schemes; I have my ways!"
In terms of strategy, Long Chen didn’t give them any respite.
In the following days, Long Chen deliberately counter-monitored and found faults with these individuals, either dismissing them or sending them back to their original units on grounds of violating military orders.
After completing the first phase of gaining everyone’s trust, Long Chen proceeded to the second phase. He wanted to make the Yellow Turban troops feel the strength of the Han army and thereby instigate fear and timidity among them.
While on guard duty, Long Chen subtly revealed the prowess of the Han army outside the city.
"Deputy Commander Xu! Could you tell us more about the stories of the Han army outside the city?"
"Yes! Deputy Commander Xu, since you have witnessed their might, please share it with us!"
Sitting upright, Long Chen spoke solemnly, "Alright! Let me tell you more about the Han army outside the city!"
"The Han army comprises a million strong and is unstoppable. Among them, the three great generals Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Lu Zhi possess enough power to bring about destruction!"
"And now, our Chief Commander is critically ill and unable to combine forces with the other two generals!"
"I’m afraid Guangzong City won’t hold for much longer!"
This news was not exaggerated. According to historical events, Guangzong City wouldn’t hold for long, but Long Chen’s arrival hastened the decline of the Yellow Turban army.
With the formidable strength of the Han army and the news of Chief Commander Zhang Jiao’s critical illness spreading, a sense of gloom pervaded the entire Guangzong City.
The Yellow Turban soldiers were filled with daytime panic, fearing the Han army’s imminent siege. At night, they would transmit this pessimistic and despondent mood to their families.
Simultaneously, Long Chen dispersed his accompanying soldiers to spread this news further.
The pessimistic mood spread like a plague within Guangzong City.
This state of affairs continued for nearly half a month, even alarming the top leader of the Yellow Turban Army, General Zhang Jiao.
In the residence of General Zhang Jiao:
Upon hearing about the situation, Zhang Jiao, suppressing his physical discomfort, decided to stabilize the morale of the troops.
"Big brother! Absolutely not! Your body is so weak now; how can you go out!"
"That’s right! Big brother, Second brother is right! Moreover, if you go out like this, won’t it make the soldiers even more panic-stricken!?"
Zhang Jiao looked at his emaciated body, his bones protruding, and sighed inwardly.
Since using the forbidden SSS-level divine skill, "Assist me, Thunder God!" last time, although he severely injured Huangfu Song and the Han army, his lifespan was significantly reduced.
This forbidden skill drew on the Qi of Heaven, with tremendous power but equally significant side effects. It absorbed the life force as nourishment for the thunder’s immense power.
Combined with Zhang Jiao’s previous consecutive days of high-intensity defense, depleting his physical strength entirely, he eventually could only perform basic attacks. Even a spell attack couldn’t be executed in combat. The consequence of tapping into potential madly was draining one’s life force.
This led to Zhang Jiao’s worsened condition, nearing the brink of death.
Without others’ protection, even Long Chen would have the opportunity to slay him on the spot.
However, in the shadows of the residence, one could vaguely sense hundreds of extremely powerful auras. These were elite Yellow Turban warriors, high-quality troops of the third rank, with formidable strength.
They were specifically assigned to protect General Zhang Jiao.
Cough, cough, cough! After a few coughs, Zhang Jiao sat up and spoke.
"But...but now... the morale of our Yellow Turban soldiers in the city is extremely low. If the Han army launches a full-scale attack now, Guangzong City... How will Guangzong City fare!"
Hearing this, Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang also wore troubled expressions.
"Don’t worry, big brother! How could the Han army know about the low morale of our Yellow Turban soldiers? We can still hold on!"
"Moreover, there’s still plenty of provisions and supplies in Guangzong City. We can definitely get through this crisis!"
"When the Han army withdraws due to insufficient supplies, we can return to Qingzhou and rebuild!"
"Qingzhou still has millions of Yellow Turban believers. As long as we survive, we can easily amass another million-strong army!"
Hearing that both his brothers had planned for the future, Zhang Jiao also felt relieved.
After coughing a few more times, he continued, "Very well! Unknowingly, both of you have grown up! Even if I leave, I can rest assured leaving you two behind!"
"Big brother, what are you saying! You won’t leave; you will definitely get better!"
Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang knelt in front of Zhang Jiao, tightly holding his hands, tears glistening in their eyes.
