Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1033: Chapter 989: Killing Is Just a Means

”Cao Cao?” In Lyu Bu’s mind emerged the robust black man of short stature, and he sneered, ”Whatever, we’ll just fight our Xianbei. Let them cause havoc in the Central Plains; it won’t cost me half a coin.”

”Have there been any movements from the Xianbei Tribe, Bupenyi?” Putting aside the matters of Cao Cao and Yuan Tan, Lyu Bu began to focus on the serious business, fully embracing his role as a commander defending the northern frontiers.

Although Lyu Bu didn’t say it out loud, inwardly he was quite pleased. He was mentioned in the official announcements twice; once for guarding the borders and restoring territories, the other as the greatest military general in the world.

Lyu Bu is a character who thrives on acknowledgment. With people offering such support, he felt the need to demonstrate his value, so he decided to put in the effort to restore Yunzhong County.

”They’ve allied with the Dingling Qiang and seem eager to act,” Hu Zhao said with a smile. Lyu Bu’s martial prowess had already earned him respect from the Xianbei People—a one-man army against hundreds. Terrifying, isn’t it?

Speaking of which, when Lyu Bu first arrived in Wuyuan, he wasn’t having a good time, but he managed to turn the situation around with his own methods. Unlike Chen Gong, Hu Zhao, and Zang Hong who planned strategically, Lyu Bu tore open the scene with sheer martial force.

Just as the Hundred Qiang People revere strength, so does the Xianbei. Lyu Bu arrived uninvited at the Xianbei Tribes’ alliance meeting. Despite their decline, the Xianbei Tribes still ranked among the top under the three major Eastern Xianbei tribes.

Of course, they were displeased with Lyu Bu, the unwelcome guest, but Lyu Bu approached them with the Xianbei welcoming ritual. Nine welcoming warriors from the Xianbei collapsed in Lyu Bu’s presence.

Strength is the true qualification. Later on, Lyu Bu single-handedly slashed the only Inner Qi Manifestation of the tribe with just one move, reclaiming his lost dignity. At that time, Lyu Bu was unbeatable.

With his overwhelming might, Lyu Bu made the small and medium tribes attending the tribal alliance bow before him.

After tens of thousands of troops arrived, Lyu Bu used the Sky Piercer to carve a trench in the Xianbei Tribes’ grasslands. The Eastern Xianbei were forbidden from entering, and Lyu Bu stationed himself there, claiming that land for himself.

Strong ones have the right to take what they need, including the lives of the weak. This is a fact embraced by the Qiang, Hu, and Xianbei tribes, and Lyu Bu’s demands were not excessive; he wielded that kind of intimidation.

With Lyu Bu’s intimidating power, before the Xianbei Tribes could react, Chen Gong, Hu Zhao, and Zang Hong had swiftly completed strategic intelligence assessment and finalization of their defensive system.

At that time, the Xianbei Tribes still hadn’t figured out Lyu Bu’s intentions, so they could only show submission while cautiously investigating.

However, Chen Gong and the others paid no heed, continually instilling the idea of ’Princes and Kings, there’s no hereditary right’ to the tribe. It wasn’t time for a hard battle with the many horses and people of the tribe yet.

Four months after solidifying the defensive system, Lyu Bu officially began annexing smaller tribes, embarking on the grand mission of territorial restoration. After months of effort, he successfully reclaimed more than half of Jiuyuan but also exposed his troop shortage to the tribes.

This was also the main reason behind the tribes’ restlessness. Lyu Bu’s forces were too few, while the Xianbei People, being a militaristic society, could rally nearly one hundred thousand troops, vastly outnumbering Lyu Bu’s few tens of thousands.

Coupled with their alliance with the Dingling Qiang, their military strength was even more formidable. If it weren’t for Lyu Bu’s previous terrifying display of power, the Bupenyi of the tribes would have long been unable to contain his ambitions.

This was also why Lyu Bu was unwilling to pursue Ma Chao at that time. The major war in the north could break out at any moment, and unless the Xianbei People and the Qiang witnessed terror firsthand, they would surely become wolves!

However, if you show absolute dominance on the battlefield, shattering all their dreams of victory, then they will become lambs before you.

Therefore, Lyu Bu absolutely didn’t want to chase down Ma Chao, causing him to be unable to exhibit his pinnacle strength in the upcoming wars. One must know that once the troop disparity reaches a certain level, achieving miraculous battle feats requires the Brave Faction’s approach, which is most effective against the Hu People.

”Gongzheng, when the time comes, you will be my Personal Guard, and the Vanguard Camp will serve as my Personal Army.” Lyu Bu sneered at Gao Shun. He wanted to crush the Xianbei Tribes with his might, showing them what ’the greatest under heaven’ truly is!

He was long tired of raiding small tribes. To stand as one of the strongest among the tribes under the three major Eastern Xianbei tribes, with a population of over three hundred thousand including subordinate tribes, this was just the start of him severing the Xianbei’s roots!

”It’s been a while since we last fought together,” Gao Shun said after a long silence. Time had passed so quickly that Gao Shun could hardly remember the last time he served as Lyu Bu’s Personal Guard Squadron Leader.

At some point, Lyu Bu dared not use Gao Shun anymore, nor did he dare to employ this strongest troop formation as his personal soldiers. But now, years later, he was utilizing it once again.

”I remember our last cooperation; you were still my personal soldiers, and the Vanguard Camp hadn’t even formed yet. I wonder if you can still serve as my trusted aide now?” Lyu Bu chuckled as he reminisced about the time, a decade ago when he dominated Bingzhou, when Gao Shun was his Personal Guard.

”The Vanguard Camp will be the finest Personal Army!” Gao Shun stated with cold yet immense confidence.

”I will do my best, and the rest is in your hands. My life will be entrusted to you.” Lyu Bu looked at Gao Shun and calmly said, ”How can we let the Qiang, Hu, and Xianbei defile the lands of Bingzhou I stand upon? Such disgrace can only be washed away with their blood!”

Hu Zhao remained silent. Although he was from the Enlightenment Sect, he wasn’t foolish. Even a cornerstone figure from the Enlightenment Sect like Liu Yu didn’t intervene when Gongsun Zan began massacring the Hu People. All sensible members of the Enlightenment Sect knew that to educate the tribes, they must ensure obedience; the initial slaughter was just to make future enlightenment smoother.

So-called ’stopping violence with violence’ and ’subduing with force’ are all misguided in Hu Zhao’s eyes. Slaughter and violence are merely means, not ends. The Enlightenment Sect won’t oppose methods seeking peace through forceful means, only opposing slaughter for the sake of slaughter. To them, Gongsun Zan had already become a demon. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com with your recommendations or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)