Chapter 1082: Unyielding Spirit

At this point, Cao Ren was so frustrated that he almost spat blood, but he had to admit the truth—Lü Bu, ranked number one among the thirty-six top warriors, truly lived up to his reputation. To single-handedly slaughter tens of thousands was no longer something that could be played with joy.

Cao Ren had now given up any thought of subduing Lü Bu. His only hope was to achieve his original goal, which was to completely subdue the Western Xianbei.

However, when he sent messengers to Jiuyuan, the news they brought back nearly made Cao Ren faint from rage. It wasn’t that Lü Bu was unwilling to help; Chen Gong plainly stated that they lacked sufficient troops, as they were fully engaged in reclaiming lost territory.

When it came to deciding between recovering one's homeland and annihilating the Xianbei, there was no need for much thought in this era. Reclaiming land was far more important than defeating the enemy, especially when victory had already been decisively secured. Any territory seized at this point would remain their own.

Cao Ren understood this mindset as well. While he had hoped for Lü Bu's assistance, Chen Gong had made it clear that Lü Bu was still busy sweeping through the Xianbei, leaving the envoys sent by Cao Ren with no options.

To show gratitude for the provisions provided by Cao Cao, Chen Gong even offered to lend Cao Ren his only top general, Cheng Lian, but of course, Cao Ren politely declined.

One more Cheng Lian or one less would make no difference in this situation. Nonetheless, Cao Ren understood Chen Gong’s intentions, but there was nothing he could do—Chen Gong had made it clear that he was out of strength and unable to assist further.

Now, Cao Ren was completely out of options. He was unwilling to lead his 30,000 soldiers out of the Great Wall for a non-decisive battle against the Xianbei in the open field. Even with the Xianbei's low morale, they still numbered over 200,000. It wasn’t a joke.

Meanwhile, on Liu Bei's side, they were unaware of the intricate dealings between Cao Ren and Chen Gong. While strategists like Guo Jia and Jia Xu, who were well-versed in human nature, could guess some of it, they still found it difficult to fully reconstruct the thoughts of both Cao Ren and Chen Gong.

"So, does this mean that Cao Cao’s campaign against the Xianbei has essentially fallen apart?" Chen Xi said helplessly. He had a good understanding of the importance of reclaiming lost lands versus eliminating enemy forces, but unfortunately, he wasn’t the one commanding this campaign.

"Basically, yes. If Lü Bu doesn’t help him by blocking the Xianbei from the rear, the outcome is already set in stone. At best, the Xianbei will suffer thirty to fifty thousand casualties, but they definitely won’t set foot in Bingzhou for years to come," Li You said with a sigh.

"It now depends on whether Cao Ren has the guts. If he does, he’ll keep engaging the Xianbei army in low-intensity skirmishes to train his soldiers," Yu Jin commented, speaking up at this moment. He had a natural talent for military training.

"There’s no better training than battlefield combat. And these low-intensity skirmishes won’t cause heavy casualties but will still provide valuable battlefield experience," Yu Jin added, drawing on his own experience.

In the past, Yu Jin had deliberately refrained from annihilating the Black Mountain bandits, precisely to keep the intensity of the conflict low and stretch it out over time, allowing more of his recruits to gain combat experience.

"I see," Chen Xi nodded, understanding the reasoning. "Then I guess Cao Ren will indeed follow through and keep engaging the Xianbei in battle."

Chen Xi’s prediction was spot on. Although this approach was risky, after weighing the combat capabilities of both sides and considering Cao Cao’s current situation, Cao Ren decided to persist in low-intensity battles with the Xianbei.

But sometimes, just when you think all hope is lost, the heavens throw you a surprise. As Cao Ren was pressing the Xianbei out of Bingzhou, he stumbled upon an unexpected joy!

"So, does that mean the Xianbei tribes will definitely band together and head to Youzhou next year?" Zhang Fei suddenly pieced it together, asking with a conflicted expression.

"That’s a given. As long as the Xianbei have any sense, they won’t return to Bingzhou," Jia Xu said with a chubby smile, his face exuding an air of innocence.

Zhang Fei nearly spat blood onto Jia Xu’s face. Jia Xu was the only one among Liu Bei’s advisors with a plump figure, even fatter than Mi Zhu. But to see such a devious person putting on an innocent face—it was clearly a trap!

"That’s right. Yide, Youzhou will rely on you next year," Liu Bei nodded in agreement. Jia Xu’s words may have been crude, but they were truthful. The Xianbei would definitely not target Bingzhou.

"Go to Youzhou early after the new year and make the necessary preparations. Once the festivities are over, you’ll go, General Zhang," Chen Xi said with an undisguised smile. "We’ll be cheering for you from behind."

"Hmph!" Zhang Fei huffed, "Watch as I poke the Xianbei full of holes!"

"That’s the spirit," Chen Xi laughed. In truth, when he first received intelligence on Lü Bu, his immediate thought was that Zhang Fei had found his match.

No matter what people said about Zhang Fei—whether he was a fool or straightforward—there was one thing that had never changed: he never accepted defeat, especially not to Lü Bu. No matter how many times he lost, Zhang Fei would always charge right back in. While it may seem like he hadn’t closed the gap between them, at least it hadn’t widened!

After hearing the news about Lü Bu, Zhang Fei’s first thought was that Lü Bu had gotten stronger again, and so he had to work twice as hard. If Lü Bu could crush the Xianbei, then Zhang Fei believed he could do it too—and do it even better!

This was why Zhang Fei, who had previously shown some concern, now had his eyes ablaze with fighting spirit. He just wanted to face off against Lü Bu.

Even though Lü Bu had been redeemed in the eyes of many, and people rarely mentioned his slaying of Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo anymore, most only lamented that Lü Bu had acted dishonorably in the past. Now, however, he was defending the northern borders with distinction, and his martial prowess was unmatched.

After Lü Bu’s conquest of Bingzhou spread throughout the land, it was likely that no one would mention Lü Bu’s past deeds again. Grand ideals could cleanse all past sins—that much was certain.

But to Zhang Fei, none of that mattered. He would never hide his dislike of Lü Bu. Even if he acknowledged Lü Bu’s strength in combat, there was no way he would stop challenging him.

Dislike is dislike. Zhang Fei wanted to fight Lü Bu, plain and simple. If he couldn’t win now, he’d just keep working harder. If Lü Bu did well, Zhang Fei would do even better. One day, he would catch up!

Zhang Fei never hid his feelings, nor did he care to. Even if others mocked him for his failures, he would keep his head down and work tirelessly until he achieved his goal.

So, when Zhang Fei heard about Lü Bu’s crushing victory over the Xianbei, it erased any doubts he had about himself. If Lü Bu could do it, then Zhang Fei had to do it too—and he had to do it better. Otherwise, how could he ever surpass Lü Bu?

Chen Xi, seeing the burning determination in Zhang Fei’s eyes, couldn’t help but remember the long-standing rivalry between Zhang Fei and Lü Bu. It was different from how history had previously viewed them—with disdain for Lü Bu’s character and discontent with his skill. In this life, Zhang Fei’s feelings toward Lü Bu were far more complex.

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