Mythical Three Kingdoms

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Hulao Pass had been taken, and it was clear to any discerning eye that Dong Zhuo had abandoned it, but to Yuan Shao, it was obviously all his own achievement! It didn’t matter why Dong Zhuo gave up Hulao Pass, now it was simply that I, Yuan Shao, had taken it.

Seeing that his efforts to Support the King were about to be rewarded with unparalleled success, Yuan Shao gestured grandly, fully committed to capturing Luoyang and completing this grand undertaking!

The Coalition Army moved swiftly, their marching speed astonishing, bolstered by both gold and the force of authority.

Liu Bei, listening to Chen Xi’s plans, dawdled at the rear of the Coalition Army, and similarly, Cao Cao was barely hanging on at the end. The wise knew that there must be danger in Luoyang, but many were blinded by visions of a bright future, failing to see the corpses littering their path.

Luoyang burst into flames. Screams and cries could be heard miles away. Chen Xi looked towards Luoyang with immense sorrow, knowing that the vanguard troops who had entered first were likely burnt to cinders by now.

”This way, De Mou!” Sun Jian shouted loudly to Cheng Pu. They had just entered Luoyang and hadn’t begun looting when they heard cries of a water surge. He had a bad feeling immediately, and then Luoyang was engulfed in flames, smoke billowing everywhere. Even a fool would know they’d been tricked, and it was clear to him that retreat was no longer an option.

”Gong Fu, Duke Yi, move!” Cheng Pu waved his Iron Backbone Serpent Spear, a powerful aura suppressing the flames around them. But then he felt a moment of dizziness; the fire consumed vast amounts of oxygen, and they, as martial artists, needed more oxygen than normal people and felt the effects of deprivation sooner.

Huang Gai and Hann Dang didn’t hesitate for a second, following Cheng Pu along the path cleared by his spear through the flames.

”Quick, put out the fire!” Yuan Shao commanded frantically, unable to believe Dong Zhuo would go to such extreme lengths as to burn the Imperial capital!

Despite the efforts of tens of thousands of soldiers, they could only control part of the fire. Much of Luoyang was still consumed, its skyline a churning mass of smoke and rubble. It was then that Chen Xi truly grasped the cruelty of the times.

”Sigh,” Chen Xi exhaled heavily. He had tried to see if he could bring down some rain from the sky, but not even a hint of moisture was present above. He could only watch helplessly as Luoyang turned to ruins. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to save it; he simply lacked the ability. The Coalition of Feudal Lords had the power, but unfortunately, it wasn’t his to command.

”Zichuan, can you understand how I feel now?” Liu Bei’s face was a mix of sadness and anger as he entered Luoyang. ”This is the Imperial capital, the capital of our Great Han Dynasty. How dare Dong Zhuo do this!” Liu Bei’s roar echoed in Chen Xi’s ears.

”Yes, this is the Imperial capital Luoyang. We lack the strength to save them, and even if we had known in advance, it would have been futile. The Coalition of Feudal Lords has the capability, but it is not ours. If Lord Xuande wishes to pacify the realm, he must not think to rely on others. Only by holding power in our own hands can we prevent such tragedies,” Chen Xi said quietly.

”We’re heading back to Mount Tai Commandery now. I am utterly disgusted by their inaction. No matter how difficult it is, I am determined to save this Great Han Dynasty!” Liu Bei firmly took Chen Xi’s hand as he spoke.

Normally, this is where Chen Xi would bow his head in deference, but instead, he looked at his hand grasped by Liu Bei, feeling disgusted. Two grown men holding hands in public, especially when one of them was himself...

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With an unfazed expression, Chen Xi withdrew his hand and gave a bow to Liu Bei, ”Lord Xuande, would you please wait another two days?”

Meanwhile, Sunx Jian had just retrieved a female corpse from the well, on which was a brocade bag. Inside the bag was a box, and upon opening it, to his astonishment, it was the Jade Seal. Sunx Jian’s heartbeat nearly stopped, then, upon careful examination, he confirmed it was real. The Jade Seal was square, four inches in size, with five interlocking dragons engraved on it. A corner was missing, inlaid with gold, and it bore an eight-character seal script that read, ”Given the mandate by heaven, may longevity be everlasting.”

Sunx Jian was shocked, not knowing where to place his hands, his body trembling nonstop, he was so excited that his eyes were nearly rolling back.

At that moment, Cheng Pu finally saw what Sunx Jian held in his hands. He was first startled then overjoyed, ”Surviving a catastrophe surely indicates future blessings. My Lord, fortune has come your way! With heaven bestowing the Jade Seal upon you, you are destined to ascend to the throne someday. My lord, quickly secure this treasure, and let us hasten back to Eastern Wu to plot our grand ambitions!”

With that, Cheng Pu scanned the soldiers behind them with a fierce look.

”These are all my confidants, they will not leak a word. The few of us should quickly return to Eastern Wu and cautiously plan our grand ambitions!” Sunx Jian glanced at the six or seven soldiers behind him, who were all his guards, and rejected Cheng Pu’s suggestion.

”Very well,” Cheng Pu pondered for a moment, sighed, and abandoned his idea, but he kept a watchful eye on everyone.

On the other side, Liu Bei, accompanied by Chen Xi and Guan, Zhang, and Zhao, was prepared to pay their respects to the Imperial Mausoleum. Although it had been reduced to ruins, in the hearts of some who remained loyal to the Han Dynasty, this place still held the ancestors that protected the Han.

Regarding these as heroic forebears, Chen Xi calmly offered incense for them, then led Guan, Zhang, and Zhao in another direction.

”It’s all up to you now, save as much as you can,” Chen Xi said as he pointed to Cai Yong Family’s house, engulfed by flames.

On their way there, Chen Xi had already clarified to the three that Cai Yong Family had four thousand scrolls. Their task was now to rescue as many as possible, without regard for unique copies; grab whatever was closest!

Chen Xi had utterly misjudged the situation. With the three individuals exerting their full strength, extinguishing a section of the wildfire was not an issue at all. Initially, fighting the fire seemed like a joke compared to the methods these individuals employed; they simply quelled the flames with a slap in front, behind, to the left, to the right, and finally a downward hit—well then, no more oxygen...

”Hey, hey, hey, Second Brother, what are you doing?” Chen Xi watched as Guan Yu tucked another scroll into his bosom, having already pocketed one before.

”It’s just the Commentary of Guliang; it’s not such a big deal,” Guan Yu indifferently replied, showing no intention of handing it over and casually slipping Cai Yong’s handwritten Zuo’s Commentary on Silk Manuscript into his bosom as well.

”Are you collecting annals of the Spring and Autumn Period?” Chen Xi said, frustrated as he sorted through the letters. There wasn’t much damage; after all, it was only after the Feudal Lords entered the city that the fire was lit. Luckily, about ninety percent of the four thousand scrolls were saved, even though many had been scorched.

Guan Yu glanced at Chen Xi, took out a Gongyang Commentary annotated by Cai Yong and started to absorb it right there. His only literary hobby was such; holding the Spring and Autumn Period works, he could even debate with a Great Confucian Scholar. The reason was simple: he had only one book at home, and anyone who spent over an hour a day, uninterrupted for twenty years, studying a single book, would have enough knowledge to astonish others in a discussion about it.