Of course, Chen Xi understood the difference between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao. When Liu Bei first arrived in Mount Tai, his power compared to Yuan Shao when he occupied Jizhou was akin to the difference between post-World War II China and the United States. Moreover, just like Mount Tai, Liu Bei had the support of Xuzhou...
However, Chen Xi's greatest achievement was achieving self-sufficiency before Xuzhou cut off its support and then rapidly expanding to catch up with Yuan Shao. The prosperity of Mount Tai grew by leaps and bounds, rivaling Jizhou quarter by quarter, until it finally surpassed Yuan Shao in overall prosperity. To be honest, this was enough to frighten most people to death.
"It's not just good; it's incredibly strong. But you are even stronger. The reason we don't interfere with the plans you set in place is that you're far better at this than we are," Li You sighed, acknowledging Chen Xi's superiority. He refrained from discussing his previous strategy, as Chen Xi's reasoning was sound—Yuan Shao in his current state could indeed cause a lot of trouble if he gained momentum.
"Let's not dwell on that. Who's the strategist for the Western Army in this campaign?" Chen Xi asked, shifting the topic.
"The strategist for the Western Army is Ziyang, but it's probably just a formality since it's a feint. The main force will still be led by General Guan and Fengxiao. However, I suspect Liu Ziyang had other motives when he volunteered for the role," Li You pointed toward Liu Ye.
"He volunteered as the strategist? I bet he's just trying to escape his administrative duties. The calculation of finances is his responsibility—who's going to do that if he runs off?" Chen Xi said, exasperated.
"You will," interrupted Lu Su, who had been quietly listening but chose this moment to chime in. Chen Xi immediately felt his mood darken at the prospect of the next few months.
"You can handle it, Ziyang has other important tasks," Lu Su said sternly, noticing Chen Xi's dismayed expression.
"What about Zijian? I initially thought he wasn't here because he had some important business, but now that I notice Zhugan sitting beside Yide, there's no empty seat left, meaning Zijian isn't in Mount Tai. What's going on?" Chen Xi asked, realizing he had overlooked something.
"Zijian has already set out. He's the vanguard of the Western Army and also needs to liaise with Zhang Yan. So, he led his entire corps into the campaign," Li You explained calmly.
"I...," Chen Xi was momentarily speechless.
A vanguard? Does a vanguard need an entire corps? That's enough to lead an army of a hundred thousand. Even for a hundred thousand strong, five thousand would suffice as a vanguard. But Hua Xiong has an entire corps—infantry and cavalry, totaling seven thousand troops!
It was well-known that Hua Xiong's corps was one of the most formidable in Mount Tai, with both its cavalry and infantry boasting exceptional combat power.
"Something unexpected happened. Zhang Yan sent an official letter saying he's willing to incorporate the entire Black Mountain Yellow Turbans into Mount Tai. He's even willing to offer his own head if we allow them to live as the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou do," Lu Su said with a wry smile, baffled by the shift in the Yellow Turbans' loyalty.
"A righteous act often comes from unexpected quarters," Chen Xi sighed. "So Xuande sent someone to negotiate? Hmm, were the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans driven to desperation?"
"Ju Yi went. The Xian Deng Dead Soldiers were deliberately ambushed by Zhang Yan but retaliated, killing nearly ten leaders of the Yellow Turbans—all formidable fighters at the Qi Refining stage," Lu Su said with a bitter smile. "About twenty Qi Refining experts led thirty thousand men in an ambush on the Xian Deng Dead Soldiers, but they were defeated within a quarter of an hour."
"Strategy must be adapted to the opponent. Against such elite troops, ordinary ambushes, surprise attacks, or night raids are ineffective. Against them, a simple fire would suffice in this cool autumn weather," Li You remarked, glancing at Lu Su.
Lu Su rolled his eyes at Li You. When this issue was discussed with Jia Xu, Jia Xu also suggested burning down the entire mountain to deal with the Xian Deng Dead Soldiers, noting that Zhang Yan's ambush was doomed from the start.
"Have you ever noticed that the Yellow Turbans have an unusually high number of Qi Refining warriors? Considering their humble origins, how is it that our own soldiers struggle to break through despite facing life-and-death battles?" Chen Xi asked, furrowing his brow.
"Could there be some hidden factor? Logically, the first step to cultivating Qi is just getting enough to eat. But after achieving that, we discovered there's a hidden mental aspect," Lu Su mused, frowning.
"It's probably related to the Yellow Turbans themselves," Jia Xu began to deduce. His mind quickly processed the relevant information, and soon he had a conclusion. "Moreover, instead of questioning why there are so many Qi Refining warriors among the Yellow Turbans, we should consider this: isn't this era unusually brilliant?"
Lu Su was taken aback, while Chen Xi remained unperturbed—this era's brilliance was something he had always taken for granted.
"Ever since the Yellow Turban Rebellion over a decade ago..." Jia Xu narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "What did the Yellow Turbans do? I suspect it's something Zhang Jiao initiated. Wenru's spiritual awakening, as well as mine, occurred during that period. Think of all the other talented individuals—the great minds and warriors of our time emerged after the Yellow Turbans collapsed, and the world became much stranger."
Both Lu Su and Chen Xi paused in thought, but while they lacked specific memories of the Han dynasty over a decade ago, Chen Xi found himself agreeing with Jia Xu's analysis.
"Although we don't know how Zhang Jiao did it, this era, if it conquers the world, will undoubtedly forge a brilliance far surpassing any other," Jia Xu concluded, having pieced together the sequence of events with the help of his spiritual insights.
"Heh..." Chen Xi chuckled. The Three Kingdoms era was indeed brilliant, but it was also marked by constant upheavals and reversals. Anyone who dared underestimate an opponent or grew complacent would find themselves toppled—or even dead.
From Dong Zhuo to Yuan Shao, from Yuan Shao to Cao Cao, from Cao Cao to Sun Quan, from Cao Cao to Liu Bei, from Guan Yu to Lu Meng, from Liu Bei to Lu Xun; the Three Kingdoms era was defined by its ever-changing power dynamics. Just when one side seemed to be winning, the tide would turn. The line between strength and weakness could shift at any moment, up until the very last moment.
This is why Chen Xi never underestimated any warlord of this era. Originally, it took Cao Cao eleven years to conquer Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Sili, and parts of Qingzhou with the help of luminaries such as Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, Jia Xu, Liu Ye, Zhong Yao, Man Chong, and others. Yet, even then, he could not defeat Yuan Shao head-on!
Setting aside other factors, Chen Xi had to admit that Yuan Shao's followers were, in fact, formidable. Unfortunately, Yuan Shao's decline in his later years prevented him from fully utilizing their potential. Otherwise, it might have been Yuan Shao's historians writing about victories. In this life, even Chen Xi had to admire Yuan Shao's imposing presence.
Given these circumstances, it was only logical for Chen Xi to regard Yuan Shao as the greatest threat in the North. While Yuan Shao had lost several years of accumulation compared to history, he was far more enlightened than the lackluster Yuan Shao of old. Overall, Yuan Shao's current strength was at least fifty percent greater than it was historically!
While Chen Xi and the others contemplated Yuan Shao's power, Hua Xiong had already entered Yanzhou with his entire corps, hidden within the dark mist produced by the first transformation of the Sky Lock Formation, advancing swiftly toward the Black Mountains.
"Zhengli, don't take unnecessary risks in the future," Tian Feng advised as he sat across from the brooding Ju Yi. "The Xian Deng Dead Soldiers are our most powerful unit. We can't afford to lose them in such battles."
"Hmph, but this way, we can force them to ally with Liu Xuande more quickly!" Ju Yi retorted in frustration. "Besides, if the Xian Deng can't participate in this kind of battle, how can they face even more formidable opponents?"
"Zhengli, you've passed the stage where you need to prove yourself through merit, and so has your Xian Deng. I'm counting on you to defeat Lü Bu's cavalry!" Tian Feng urged, though he remained astonished by Ju Yi's recent feat of wiping out nearly ten thousand Yellow Turbans.
"Alright, alright, I won't do it again. I shouldn't have disobeyed orders," Ju Yi waved dismissively.
"Good, just make sure nothing like what happened ten days ago occurs again. You've already upset You Ruo, and it's only because it was you that you weren't executed on the spot. Anyone else would have been beheaded," Tian Feng warned.
A short while ago, Ju Yi had gone against orders to attack but returned victorious, routing the Yellow Turbans. Even so, his actions enraged Xun Shen. If not for Yuan Shao's intervention, Ju Yi's overwhelming merit, and his triumphant return, he would have faced harsher punishment than the thirty lashes he received.
But those thirty lashes still left Ju Yi bedridden for ten days, unable to recover due to his lack of Inner Qi Refinement.
"That guy made a big deal out of nothing! I admitted that I should be punished for disobeying orders, but I also won a great victory. Sure, I got thirty lashes, but making me copy military texts too? Damn it, I haven't held a brush in over ten years!" Ju Yi fumed.
Tian Feng remained calm, accustomed to Ju Yi's temper. He understood that Ju Yi had likely seen Yuan Shao's rule about compensating for faults with merit and acted accordingly. Moreover, Xun Shen had intended to drive the Yellow Turbans away, and Ju Yi's victory had achieved that goal. However, Xun Shen disapproved of Ju Yi's methods, so he punished him accordingly, adding an extra penalty to keep him in line. Though many would eagerly take thirty lashes for a copy of Xun Shen's family teachings, Ju Yi simply couldn't understand Xun Shen's motives.
After reassuring himself that Ju Yi wouldn't act recklessly again, Tian Feng returned to the main tent to handle military affairs. Meanwhile, Ju Yi's irritability flared up once more. Ever since arriving in the Black Mountains, Ju Yi found himself growing increasingly restless, especially as he drew closer to the Xian Deng and Yanzhou.
At the same time, Gao Shun stood stroking the banner of the Formation Breakers, his camp eerily empty, as the Formation Breakers were still with Wei Xu. However, when Gao Shun departed for the front lines, the Formation Breakers would return to his command, reequipped with their weapons and armor, no longer clad in their current leather and wooden shields.
"The Will of the Formation Breakers: victory or death," Gao Shun muttered to himself. "I wonder what the will of the Xian Deng is, Ju Yi—perhaps you still don't understand."
With one hand, Gao Shun pulled the large banner from the ground. His entire body began to emit a soft white glow, while Lü Bu watched from a thousand meters away on the city walls. Lü Bu knew of Gao Shun's loyalty but dared not use him, for Gao Shun alone, with the Formation Breakers, could defeat Lü Bu's entire personal guard.
"So, this is the power of a military soul? Every time I witness this, it terrifies me. That belief in victory or death, fused into a single will, permeates the entire unit—pure and terrifying," Lü Bu murmured to himself. Standing beside him, Chen Gong was at a loss for words.
"Gongtai, go ahead and make the necessary arrangements. When he goes into battle, it won't matter who the opponent is," Lü Bu said, gripping his halberd tightly.
Chen Gong squinted in the direction of the glowing figure, still puzzled by Lü Bu's refusal to deploy Gao Shun in the battle against Cao Cao.
"Why didn't you let him fight earlier? That you have a unit with an actual military soul—if he had been deployed, we could have captured Chenliu!" Chen Gong asked in confusion.
"No reason," Lü Bu replied dismissively, tossing his cloak and descending the city walls.
"To think that such a general has been under my command without my knowing... But now, victory is assured," Chen Gong muttered, staring in Gao Shun's direction.
Gao Shun's eyes remained calm. This was the privilege of elite units reaching their pinnacle—the emergence of a military soul. This manifestation ensured that even after Gao Shun's death, his unit's spirit would persist for hundreds of years, passed down from generation to generation. As the creator of this military soul, Gao Shun himself would also benefit from its power.
Gao Shun was the only one in the world who understood this because his Formation Breakers were the only unit with a true soul. He had learned this through witnessing his unit's repeated growth, understanding the various stages of a military soul.
A legion's talent can be seen as the initial form of a military soul, each with its own unique traits. As the military soul develops, it not only retains the legion's original abilities but also enhances them. For example, the Xian Deng's "the more they fight, the stronger they become" trait allows their strength to increase continuously as long as they don't exhaust their energy. As for a fully formed military soul, it not only amplifies its inherent characteristics but also brings forth many additional effects.