Mythical Three Kingdoms

Guo Yuan himself had no intention of engaging in a large-scale battle. After Yu Jin’s elite troops charged forward, he was forced to lead his personal army out of necessity to confront them. Though he and Yu Jin both had refined Qi to Gang, Guo Yuan was far more confident in his individual strength compared to Yu Jin.

Unfortunately, no matter how confident Guo Yuan was, he couldn’t change one fact: hastily leading his army to confront Yu Jin’s well-trained elite private troop resulted in chaos, with men and horses thrown about.

Yu Jin’s elite soldiers, trained with the objective of killing generals and capturing banners, were prepared for this exact moment. These five hundred men working together could achieve feats that Inner Qi Manifestation within a chaotic army obscured by Cloud Qi could accomplish individually.

Individual strength within legion-level warfare is eternally insignificant. Yu Jin was resolutely convinced of this, which is why he worked tirelessly to enhance group strength. His training produced a private troop capable of mirroring the effects of charging generals like those leading the Vanguard Camp. This was to demonstrate to the world that legion warfare relies not on the bravery of individuals, but on collective power.

Under such circumstances, when the two forces collided, Guo Yuan’s personal strength couldn’t come into play. The trusted aides he led were already overwhelmed by Yu Jin’s elite troops, who had painstakingly prepared. Unlike the overwhelming strength of military spirits like those in the Vanguard Camp or the Vanguard Death Squad, Yu Jin’s soldiers focused solely on explosive power.

These soldiers, under Yu Jin’s training, could only fight at full strength for dozens of breaths. Yet during those breaths, even in a direct clash with the Vanguard Camp, they wouldn’t fall behind. This was a method of concentrating all strength into a fleeting moment of brilliance.

Of course, it wasn’t as exaggerated as unleashing decades of life in those brief moments. If that were true, any one of these soldiers could heavily injure an Inner Qi Manifestation fighter. This was merely a training method designed for a short burst of power. Naturally, the cost was the depletion of strength, leaving them weak and powerless afterward.

However, sometimes this kind of explosive ability is precisely what’s needed. Yu Jin, after witnessing Guan Yu fight, was inspired and worked to degrade and simplify this style for broader applicability. He painstakingly selected soldiers suited to this battle style before relentlessly training them toward this specific direction.

Now, this private troop could be considered moderately accomplished. This wasn’t to say there were intrinsic flaws with the troop itself; in truth, it was merely because Yu Jin lacked a Legion Talent and Military Spirit to enhance this army. At least for now, in the hands of a mortal like Yu Jin, this army had no room for further improvement.

But regardless of any room for improvement, once the blade was drawn, the powerful strength unleashed almost instantly routed Guo Yuan’s vanguard. Then, Yu Jin pressed forward with his entire army at just the right moment, decisively defeating Guo Yuan.

[Still fell a little short...] Yu Jin watched Yuan Shao’s Army retreat while simultaneously ordering his soldiers to clean the battlefield, treat the injured, calculate the damages, and count enemy casualties, all while contemplating his own shortcomings.

[Is it truly impossible to take that step without a Legion Talent? Inner Qi Manifestation, damn it! Courage and strength on the battlefield are insignificant—why does individual ability affect Legion Talent?]

Yu Jin’s face remained calm, but a deep anger burned in his heart. He had never believed Inner Qi Manifestation ability was crucial. For a General Commander, in his eyes, the most important task was leading troops to battle—not killing generals or capturing banners. That was the work of third-rate Charging Generals.

Yet reality had proven to him that without Inner Qi Manifestation ability, one could forget about acquiring a Legion Talent. He had once assumed that Gao Shun and Juo Yi were like him, merely refined Qi to Gang. But during the encounter in Yanzhou, he realized he was deluding himself. The abilities these two displayed far surpassed Qi Refining to Gang, even exceeding ordinary Inner Qi Manifestation.

This realization thoroughly shattered Yu Jin’s confidence. As it turns out, Legion Talent truly requires Inner Qi Manifestation ability to possess. Otherwise, no matter how brilliant or exceptional one might be, it remains nothing more than fantasy.

Each time he thought of Hua Xiong, who lacked his own brilliance in commanding troops yet still birthed Legion Talent—and whose soldiers even developed faint Military Spirit—Yu Jin couldn’t help his jealousy.

What Yu Jin really didn’t know was that if he had unwavering belief in his ability to command troops, he would have already manifested a Legion Talent, and his soldiers would have gained Military Spirit. His skill in commanding troops wasn’t weak, but he lacked conviction. He doubted himself. He wavered.

A man who cannot even believe in himself—how could he become a renowned general? Doubt and jealousy only serve to weaken a person. Without the courage to surpass those who’ve come before, how could anyone forge their own path?

Yu Jin tucked away his anger and other emotions, but guilt began to plague him steadily. He knew his thoughts were wrong. Though he could cheer himself up and encourage himself, he couldn’t help but wallow in self-pity and jealousy. After all, he was simply a mortal man.

Caught in this vicious cycle, Yu Jin grew increasingly alienated and withdrawn. His character turned colder, his whole person encased within a shell. He no longer interacted much with others, gradually drifting further away from the bold, open, and magnanimous image he had when cooperating with Lub Su.

The next day, Yu Jin submitted a report on the battle with Guo Yuan to the Central Army. Liu Ye and Fa Zheng immediately noticed something out of the ordinary.

”A probe?” Liu Ye said, frowning.

”It seems like the only possibility. The enemy doesn’t appear worried about us crossing the Yellow River. Unlike Tian Feng and Ju Shou, Xun Shen seems very aware of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Fa Zheng replied, also with a puzzled expression.

”But this kind of action has absolutely no value. What exactly is he trying to demonstrate?” Chen Xi frowned. ”It doesn’t look like feigning weakness to deceive us, nor does it resemble the interplay of orthodox and surprise tactics—this test is wholly meaningless.”

”Why do we even care? Let’s lead the troops to annihilate them!” Zhang Fei’s booming voice rang out as he shouted in frustration. Being confined to the Central Army, barred from speaking at length or venturing out, had clearly built up considerable rage over time.

”The Empty City Stratagem, perhaps?” Chen Xi asked, looking at Zhang Fei with interest. Comparing Xun Shen’s meticulous arrangements at the crossing of the Yellow River to his now careless and ordinary strategies made it seem like two completely different people.

”Hmm...” Fa Zheng and Liu Ye clearly hesitated as well. The Empty City Stratagem relied on overthinking, which could paralyze one’s forces into inaction.

”Why don’t we proceed cautiously, step by step? That way, we can stay reassured,” Chen Xi suggested with a smile, noticing the hesitation in Fa Zheng and Liu Ye.

”I’m worried the enemy might genuinely be stalling for time,” Fa Zheng said with a headache. ”If we proceed this way, we’re likely to play right into their expectations.”

”I’m more concerned they might be waiting for us to charge straight at them,” Liu Ye replied, locking eyes with Fa Zheng in mutual concern. Knowing the enemy’s skill is precisely what makes the decision so agonizing. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)