The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

After a seven or eight-day trek, Guan Yu led more than two hundred remaining soldiers to the foot of Dabie Mountain.

From a distance, the more than two hundred people looked disheveled and exhausted, as destitute as beggars. Even Red Hare had turned grayish-white, its head drooping, showing no trace of its divine steed's former glory.

"We've finally arrived." Guan Xing, using his spear as a walking stick, leaned on the shaft and panted heavily. "Father, how can we find the person you need without anyone noticing?"

Although he possessed knowledge and vision far ahead of his time, he lacked Guan Yu's prestige and connections, so he couldn't help with the later matters and could only rely on Guan Yu.

Hopefully, Guan Yu can quickly build up a force in the Dabie Mountains; otherwise, things will become very difficult later on.

Guan Yu was already fifty-eight years old, and his physical condition was no longer what it used to be. He had just experienced a series of defeats and a long journey of seven or eight days, and he was almost at his limit.

Nevertheless, when he saw the Dabie Mountains, a glimmer of hope still shone in his tired, bloodshot eyes. He said slowly, "There is a Qingfeng Village ahead. There are more than 800 bandits in the village. The bandit leader is named Xin Fei. I helped him once, so we are acquaintances."

He handed the Green Dragon Crescent Blade to Zhou Cang and said, “You rest here. I will go up alone. If I don’t return before dark, you will have to cross the river and fend for yourselves.”

The generals all opened their mouths to try to dissuade them, but wisely swallowed their words back.

There's really no need to dissuade them in this situation, because they'll die anyway if they fail; it's just a matter of time.

Guan Yu quickly straightened his clothes and was about to head up the mountain when he suddenly heard a noisy commotion mixed with hurried footsteps. Startled, he changed his expression slightly and quickly said, "Hide immediately!"

The group quickly hid in the bushes, preparing to wait for the other party to pass before making their move.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, a group of two or three hundred people came into view, pushing dozens of wheelbarrows. Looking at the grain sacks on the carts, Sima Wangfu licked his lips and said, "My lord, they look like a bunch of bandits. Their fighting strength shouldn't be very high. Should we rob them?"

"The brothers haven't eaten for several days. If they don't get more supplies, they really won't be able to hold on."

Guan Yu was also somewhat tempted. After observing the caravan for a moment, he suddenly exclaimed with delight, "See that young man in the fur coat? That's Xin Fei. I haven't even gone to find him yet, and he's already come to me on his own initiative. It's like someone handing you a pillow just when you're about to fall asleep. You wait here while I go and negotiate."

Without giving Guan Xing and Wang Fu a chance to dissuade him, he quickly got up and walked towards the bandits.

The bandits transporting the grain were happily exchanging information about their spoils when they saw strangers appearing ahead. They immediately stopped and shouted, "Enemy attack! Be on alert!"

Upon hearing the shouts, the bandits stopped, drew their swords, and rushed to the front of the vehicle to form a defensive formation.

After decades of chaos and war, even bandits have developed exceptional combat skills.

Xin Fei, the leader who was hiding at the back of the group, quickly checked the formation and, after confirming that there were no oversights, stepped forward alone and shouted, "Brother, who are you? What are you up to? What do you want?"

The one who arrived was Guan Yu. Guan Yu stopped in place, stroked his beard, and called out, "Chief Xin Fei, it's been many years. Don't you recognize your old friend Guan Yunchang?"

Guan Yu's name was so famous that Xin Fei was startled and quickly squinted to take a closer look. He was stunned when he saw it clearly.

His height, his magnificent beard, and his deep red face, untouched by dirt, were so distinctive that there was no mistake.

Xin Fei excitedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "General Guan, it really is you! It's wonderful to see you here."

Guan Yu is now the idol of all the men of the Han Dynasty. Xin Fei has also received kindness from Guan Yu. How could he not be excited to see his idol and benefactor on the way?

But wasn't Guan Yu betrayed by those Jiangdong scoundrels? How come he suddenly appears here?

Guan Yu laughed and said, "I believe Chief Xin has already heard about the battle of Xiangfan. I am currently in dire straits. I wonder if Chief Xin could take me in for a few days?"

Xin Fei quickly shook his head and said, "General, you are too kind to me. Without you, I, Xin Fei, would not be where I am today. You are my second father. There is no need to say anything more. From now on, Qingfeng Village will be your home. Take whatever you need."

"Thank you very much then." Guan Yu said with a smile, "Find a place, I have something important to discuss with Chief Xin."

With the two leaders having reached an agreement, the rest was easy. The two armies merged and soon appeared at Qingfeng Village.

As soon as they entered the village gate, Xin Fei impatiently ordered, "Bring out all the best wine and food, and treat General Guan and his brothers well."

Guan Yu was not only Xin Fei's idol, but also the idol of the bandits in the mountain stronghold. When they heard that they were going to entertain Guan Yu, the bandits did not object. Instead, they excitedly brought out their treasures that they usually couldn't bear to eat.

Watching the bandits eagerly boiling water and adding firewood, actively cooking for the Han army, Guan Xing sighed in astonishment, "It has to be Old Guan. If it were me, I would never receive this treatment."

If it were him, Xin Fei would be lucky if he didn't beat him up, let alone entertain him.

It has to be said that the differences between people can sometimes be quite significant.

Xin Fei ordered his men to entertain the Han army brothers, and invited Guan Yu, Guan Xing, Wang Fu, Zhou Cang and others into the hall. He said indignantly, "I have heard about the Xiangfan battle. Those damned Jiangdong rats, instead of taking such a good opportunity to attack Hefei, actually betrayed their ally. It is simply shameful."

"General Guan, what are your plans next? If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. The eight hundred heroes of Qingfeng Village are willing to serve you."

Guan Yu said, "I do have a plan, but it's very risky. I wonder if Brother Xin wants to stay here as a bandit for the rest of his life, or if he wants to strive for a title and a high position, and have his wife and children rewarded?"

Xin Fei's eyes lit up and he immediately said, "I wanted to serve by the General's side three years ago, but at that time my mother was old and had no one to take care of her, so I had to go home to fulfill my filial duties. Now that my mother has passed away, I have no more concerns. General, please tell me what to do."

Guan Yu continued, "I just said the risk is huge, you're not afraid of losing your life?"

Xin Fei patted his chest and said firmly, "It's just death, what's there to be afraid of? Although I'm not very well-educated, I still understand the principle that fortune favors the bold. General, just give the order without hesitation. Even if you send me to kill Sun Quan, I'll do it with you."

Guan Yu is currently in a very low position, but even in his current state, he is still the Marquis of Hanshou, a former general, and holds the authority of a general. He is also the younger brother of the King of Hanzhong. If you follow him, you will definitely rise to prominence.

Guan Yu laughed and said, "I won't kill Sun Quan, but it'll be close enough. I'm planning to secretly cross the river and launch a surprise attack on Jianye. Do you dare to go?"

"What the heck?" Xin Fei asked, bewildered. "A...a surprise attack on Jianye? You're not kidding, are you?"

When I said "I'd follow you even to kill Sun Quan," it was just a polite remark. Are you serious?

That's Jianye, Sun Quan's stronghold. You're going there with only two hundred men?

Guan Yu did not answer but looked at Guan Xing.

Guan Xing laughed and said, "Chief Xin, you didn't expect this, did you? If you didn't expect this, then Sun Quan certainly didn't expect it either. Moreover, the main force of the Wu army is now all in Jingzhou, and even Sun Quan himself has gone to Jiangling. Jianye is just an empty city."

"Wu's main force in Jingzhou has to guard against both the King of Hanzhong and Cao Cao. They certainly can't afford to take care of our few remaining troops. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Becoming a marquis or general is nothing compared to the fact that history will record your name."

"Chief Xin, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Seize it and you'll soar to new heights. Are you sure you're not tempted?"

Xin Fei's eyes widened instantly, and he muttered to himself, "One sentence from Secretary Shi, one sentence from Secretary Shi..."

After repeating it several times, he finally made up his mind, slapped his thigh and said, "Fortune favors the bold, I'll take the risk. What does the general want me to do?"

Guan Yu pondered, "Tell me first, how many mountain strongholds are there in the Dabie Mountains, and how many people are there in all the strongholds combined?"