With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 128, Guo Tu's Vicious Scheme
Yuan Xi drew his sword and tried his best to defend himself, but the rain of arrows was too dense, coming from every direction, and he couldn't block them all. Before long, an arrow struck his leg.

"Young master, retreat quickly!" Guo Tu hurriedly shouted a reminder.

Suddenly, Yuan Xi cried out in terror as he watched as an arrow pierced the neck of one of his lieutenants.

The powerful penetrating force pierced through the person's neck, tearing off a large patch of flesh and blood, which stunned Yuan Xi.

He thought this meritorious service would be easy, like a freebie, but now Yuan Xi is terrified and regrets it so much he could cry.

The arrows were merciless, coming in densely packed, their rapid whooshing sounds echoing incessantly in my ears.

Wave after wave, it seems like it will never stop.

Yuan Xi was so frightened that he was unable to react for a long time, which made Yuan Bing even more confused and helpless.

Everyone stood frozen in place, becoming targets to be shot at at will.

Seeing that things were not going well, Guo Tu quickly hid in the crowd. He was usually timid and cunning, but today's scene had even terrified him.

"Get out!"

By the time Yuan Xi realized what was happening, hundreds of Yuan soldiers had already been killed or wounded, the ground was littered with corpses, and everywhere were Yuan soldiers who died with their eyes wide open, riddled with arrows.

Yuan Xi finally managed to lead his men back into the secret passage, but Gongsun Zan caught up with them and even divided his forces to surround the main building, trapping Ju Yi inside.

Gongsun Zan's face was ashen, filled with murderous intent. He swung his Golden Cauldron Spear like a madman, smashing it repeatedly as he charged into the crowd. Each swing of the iron spear brought forth a scream.

He was powerful and strong, with superhuman arm strength. Yuan's soldiers could not resist him at all, and no one could withstand a single blow from him.

Many of Yuan soldiers' weapons were knocked out of their hands and flew far away by Gongsun Zan's smash. When iron spears hit people's flesh and blood, the consequences were predictable.

Scenes of brains splattering and flesh flying everywhere continued to unfold.

Gongsun Zan was like a tiger descending from the mountain; wherever he went, men and horses fell, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

The White Horse General, who once commanded respect beyond the Great Wall, has been resurrected in full force!
The exit of the secret passage was narrow, and Yuan's soldiers crowded together, all eager to get in as soon as possible.

The more crowded the crowd, the more chaotic the scene became. Gongsun Zan seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, which emboldened his soldiers, who then launched a fierce and ruthless offensive.

Countless swords and spears rained down on Yuan's soldiers, who were in a state of panic and near collapse, like fish on a chopping board, at his mercy.

Yuan Xi finally managed to escape into the secret passage and ran frantically in the direction he had come from, hoping to return to Yuan Shao's side as soon as possible.

Yuan Xi led his men and ran for a while when suddenly there was a loud rumble in front of them. The ground was forcibly broken open, and countless stones were thrown in, blocking the secret passage in a very short time.

In this way, not only could Yuan Xi not get out, but Yuan's soldiers outside the city could no longer get in.

Tian Yu, expressionless, directed operations from above. After the secret passage was sealed, he sneered, "Our lord knew all along that you were going to dig a secret passage in, so how could he possibly let you escape back through it?"

These days, Gongsun Zan has been sending people to keep an eye on the ground near the main building so that he can confirm in time which direction Yuan's troops are digging the secret passage.

Tian Yu was extremely meticulous and discovered the exact location of the secret passage very early on.

The secret passage was sealed off, and even if Yuan Xi ordered the stones blocking the way to be moved, it was no use.

Firstly, there were too many stones, making them difficult to move.

Secondly, no matter how much is moved, the higher-ups will simply stuff in more at any time, making it completely impractical.

The secret passage was blocked, but Yuan's soldiers behind them continued to squeeze in, and the number of people grew so large that they huddled together like a human pyramid.

One side of the secret passage was blocked, while the other side was guarded by hundreds of sword-wielding soldiers. They had cold expressions and murderous auras, each holding a sword in both hands, waiting for their prey to come to them.

Anyone who dares to crawl out of the secret passage will have their head chopped off without a word.

Those who entered the secret passage were all trapped and died inside.

Guo Tu was captured before he could even enter the secret passage.

After surrounding the main building, Gongsun Zan thought for a moment and gave up the idea of ​​leading his men to rush in and fight Ju Yi.

"Set it on fire immediately and burn the main building down. I want Ju Yi and his gang to perish in the flames."

The ruthlessness and decisiveness that Gongsun Zan displayed at this moment were unimaginable, even to the soldiers who had followed him for many years.

Everyone did as instructed, and soon, many jars and pots filled with kerosene were brought over and poured onto the main building, the pungent smell of kerosene immediately spreading in the wind.

Ju Yi finally made it to the top floor, only to find that he had wasted his time and that Gongsun Zan was not inside.

Standing on top, he could even see the fighting below. Realizing something was wrong, Ju Yi tried to go out again, but found that someone below had already started setting fires.

Wooden buildings are flammable, and with so much kerosene poured on them, the fire became unstoppable once it started.

In an instant, thick smoke billowed and flames soared, the choking smoke causing people to cough incessantly, and Yuan Bing, trapped inside, was unable to break out.

The fire grew larger and larger, crackling and popping. Soon, some of Yuan's soldiers were engulfed in flames, writhing and howling in agony. Some of them accidentally fell into the sea of ​​fire below and were burned alive.

In the firelight, Gongsun Zan's face was filled with murderous intent.

Turning his head towards Xudu, Gongsun Zan murmured, "Your Majesty, I really wish you could see this scene with your own eyes."

Ju Yi has always been ruthless. The elite assassins he trained had previously caused Gongsun Zan a lot of trouble.

Even Yan Gang, Gongsun Zan's top general, died tragically at the hands of Ju Yi.

But at this moment, Ju Yi and his vanguard of suicide soldiers were all trapped in the sea of ​​fire.

Gongsun Zan knew that all of this was thanks to Liu Xie's reminder. If Liu Xie hadn't reminded him, and he had been caught off guard by Yuan's troops, he would have faced certain death.

Suddenly, a figure flew down from the sky and crashed heavily to the ground with a thud, splattering a large amount of crimson blood.

Someone hurriedly shouted, "My lord, it's Ju Yi!"

"Oh? It was him!"

Gongsun Zan rushed over, and when he got close, Ju Yi used his iron spear to support himself on the ground and slowly stood up. He staggered and could not stand steadily, and blood was spitting out of his mouth.

Gongsun Zan got closer and took a closer look, only to be shocked to discover that Ju Yi's left leg was broken, with the bone protruding.

Ju Yi's face was contorted with rage; his already fierce appearance was now even more terrifying.

His face was covered in several knife scars, and his expression was sinister. In the darkness of the night, he resembled a terrifying beast, baring his teeth and looking truly frightening.

Gongsun Zan asked, "Ju Yi, knowing full well that jumping down would mean certain death, why did you still insist on jumping?"

Ju Yi, with an arrogant expression, spat out a mouthful of blood and stubbornly replied, "I would rather fall to my death, I would rather be killed by you than be burned alive!" Gongsun Zan nodded at him, "Although you betrayed Han Fu and your character is somewhat lacking, as an opponent, you are indeed quite good. You have courage and guts. Today, I will personally send you on your way."

Ju Yi smiled sadly, gritted his teeth and stood up straight again. Facing Gongsun Zan, he showed no fear and shouted, "Come on, I'm already very grateful that I didn't die from the fall."

Even the soldiers behind Gongsun Zan were filled with awe.

No one dared to jump from such a tall wooden building, even if they were to be burned alive.

Because the ground below is all hard, even if you don't die from the fall, you'll be half-dead, and you'll still have to face the attacks of Gongsun Zan's soldiers. It's a sure way to die.

Gongsun Zan charged forward on horseback. Ju Yi, whose movements were restricted, managed to block for two rounds before Gongsun Zan struck him in the chest with a spear. Ju Yi coughed up blood and fell to the ground. After struggling for a few moments, he ultimately could not stand up again.

Next, Gongsun Zan continued to sweep away the remaining Yuan soldiers on the battlefield. Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, he killed them all in less than half an hour.

Gongsun Zan had no interest in recruiting even surrendered soldiers.

Gongsun Zan understood that even if he recruited the surrendered soldiers, he wouldn't have the energy to appease them.

Seeing Gongsun Zan's ruthlessness and willingness to kill, Guo Tu was terrified. Just as Gongsun Zan was about to order his execution, Guo Tu hurriedly begged for mercy, "General Gongsun, please don't kill me, spare my life!"

"Spare your life?"

Gongsun Zan strode up to Guo Tu, looking at him disdainfully, "Spare my life? You're Yuan Shao's strategist, so you're barely worth anything."

Guo Tu nodded hurriedly, "Yes, spare my life, I might still be of some use."

To everyone's surprise, Gongsun Zan sneered, "Want to live? Wishful thinking! Push him down and behead him!"

Gongsun Zan was just worried about not being able to kill more influential people, so he naturally wouldn't let a strategist like Guo Tu go.

Guo Tu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. Two clerks came over and, without saying a word, grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away, like a dead dog.

Guo Tu, quick-witted, suddenly came up with a plan and shouted in a shrill voice, "General Gongsun, I have something to say."

Gongsun Zan waved his hand, "Bring the person back."

Guo Tu was dragged back again, and in just a short while, he lost one of his shoes.

Guo Tu's face turned deathly pale; he nearly wet his pants.

"General Gongsun, although I have some influence, I am still not enough. Do you want to kill the Grand General? I can help you."

"Oh?"

Gongsun Zan's eyes lit up immediately, and he became interested. "Then tell me, how exactly can we kill Yuan Shao?"

Guo Tu was willing to risk everything to protect himself.

"Now that Yuan Xi has been trapped in the secret passage, may I ask, General, what are your plans for dealing with him?"

Gongsun Zan snorted, "That goes without saying, he was naturally killed."

Guo Tu said, "In fact, General, you could have taken Yuan Xi hostage first, then met with Yuan Shao in front of the two armies, took the opportunity to get close to Yuan Shao, and then killed him."

Tian Yu approached, and Gongsun Zan hurriedly sought his opinion, "Guorang, what do you think? Is it possible to get close to Yuan Shao?"

Tian Yu glanced at Guo Tu and sneered, "Even if Yuan Shao loves his son dearly, he will still be wary. Besides, he has many elite soldiers and generals around him. Getting close to him is as difficult as climbing to heaven!"

Gongsun Zan flew into a rage, glaring fiercely at Guo Tu. "You're wasting my time! Push him away and behead him immediately!"

When Guo Tu's first plan failed, he came up with another: "Actually, General Gongsun does have a chance if he really wants to get close to Yuan Shao, but I'm afraid..."

"Oh? Tell me quickly, how exactly do I do it?" Gongsun Zan pressed.

He's now so eager to kill Yuan Shao that killing just one of his sons is far too insignificant.

"But I have a request."

"Speak quickly, what are your demands?" Gongsun Zan was clearly running out of patience.

Tian Yu smiled and said, "My lord, his only request is that you spare his life."

Gongsun Zan snorted heavily, "You coward who clings to life. I hate people like you the most in my life. Speak, and if your method is feasible, I may spare your life."

Since Guo Tu was afraid of death, Gongsun Zan believed that killing such a person would have no impact on Yuan Shao.

Guo Tu pointed to the secret passage not far away, "My method will definitely work. General Gongsun will kill Yuan Xi first, and Yuan Shao will surely be furious. Then General Gongsun will..."

Guo Tu stopped mid-sentence, and Gongsun Zan glared at him, urging, "Speak quickly, I don't have much patience. If you don't speak, I'll kill you right now."

Guo Tu gritted his teeth and said, "My method is actually very simple. First, kill Yuan Xi, then the general kills himself. Then, choose a reliable person to take the general's head to see Yuan Shao. In this way, we can learn from Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin and kill Yuan Shao under the pretext of presenting his head."

"How dare you! What kind of terrible idea is this? Are you trying to murder our lord?"

Before Gongsun Zan could get angry, Tian Yu had already angrily shouted at him.

Gongsun Zan was initially angry, but after a while, a thought suddenly came to him. He was already prepared to die, and if he could use his head to get close to Yuan Shao, it would be a viable option.

At least, this method is feasible and worth a try. Besides, it's not like we're about to commit suicide right away. We can offer our heads when we really can't resist anymore.

"Guorang, what do you think?"

Tian Yu hurriedly advised, "My lord, this man is a cunning and treacherous villain. He is only afraid of death and dares to offer such a vicious plan without any scruples. My lord, please do not pay him any mind."

Gongsun Zan shook his head. "I think it's worth a try if necessary."

Guo Tu quickly flattered him, praising him with a fawning expression: "General Gongsun, my plan is absolutely feasible. If you do not intend to let Yuan Shao's son go, then Yuan Shao, grieving the loss of his beloved son, will surely be furious and wish he could kill you with his own hands. Therefore, upon seeing your head, he will definitely lower his guard. This is an excellent opportunity."

Gongsun Zan glanced at him again, thought for a moment, and ordered, "Come on, take him away first."

Guo Tu breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had temporarily escaped death.

He was different from Tian Feng and Ju Shou; those two were upright and unyielding, and were not even afraid of death.

Guo Tu is cunning and opportunistic; in times of crisis, he still cares more about his own personal interests.

Tian Yu then shouted from the exit of the secret passage, "All Yuan soldiers inside the secret passage, come out! You can get a good end to this."

Every one of them who came out died; no one would dare to come out easily under such circumstances.

(End of this chapter)