Chen Xi did not tell anyone that he planned to take his wife with him. After all, it wasn't something that would sound good. Throughout history, there have been few people who gained a good reputation for bringing their family and children along during military campaigns.
In Yanzhou, after Guo Jia stabilized the situation, he stopped engaging Lü Bu directly. Instead, he started harassing Chen Gong's forces—ambushing them one day, disrupting them the next night—only killing thirty to fifty men each time. However, after some time, the overwhelming morale of Lü Bu's army was gradually worn down.
But Chen Gong was not someone who could be easily dealt with. After suffering losses to Guo Jia's tactics, he retaliated by activating his spiritual talent and successfully counter-ambushed Guo Jia twice. Eventually, both sides decided to hold back.
"This situation isn't looking good," Guo Jia muttered to himself, watching with resignation as Yuan Shao's forces camped on the opposite side of the river from them. It was clear that a certain understanding had developed between Yuan Shao's and Lü Bu's forces.
"Do you remember what Marquis Chen once said? Only the weak need alliances. The path of a hegemon can never be shared; it must be faced alone," Chen Zhi said with some helplessness. He wasn't foolish—he could clearly see the growing communication between Lü Bu and Yuan Shao's forces. However, this was not the time to back down.
"You're right. Although it may seem a bit underhanded, war is ultimately about doing whatever benefits you the most. It seems the enemy commanders have been given significant decision-making authority," Guo Jia shrugged. Even if Yuan Shao and Lü Bu were to unite, Guo Jia wasn't worried about being defeated. He might not win outright, but stalling them wouldn't be difficult.
As it turned out, Guo Jia's assessment was mostly accurate. Tian Feng had returned with over twenty thousand troops, but this time the leader was Yuan Tan. However, Yuan Tan was merely a figurehead, unlike Chen Xi, who had real decision-making power. When Yuan Tan set out, Yuan Shao had explicitly told him to follow Tian Feng's orders.
In truth, Yuan Shao sent Yuan Tan primarily to give him experience and to bolster his reputation. Yuan Shao wasn't foolish enough to have Yuan Tan command in such a crucial campaign. After all, Chen Gong and Lü Bu were no novices, and neither were Guan Yu or Guo Jia. Yuan Tan certainly wasn't the kind of genius who could use such formidable opponents as stepping stones.
Originally, Yuan Shao's plan was almost identical to Liu Bei's, but upon reaching Yanzhou, Tian Feng realized that the current situation made their plan difficult to execute. So, he decisively chose to negotiate with Chen Gong. Naturally, this was reported to Yuan Shao, who, after brief consideration, granted Tian Feng full authority.
"General Yan, what impression did Lü Bu give you this time?" Tian Feng asked Yan Liang as they returned to camp after another round of negotiations with Chen Gong.
"Terrifying!" Yan Liang replied after a moment of contemplation. It had been years since he last saw Lü Bu, but in this recent meeting during the negotiations between Tian Feng and Chen Gong, Yan Liang sensed that Lü Bu had become even more formidable than before.
Lü Bu had indeed accompanied Chen Gong to the negotiations, though he showed little interest in the discussions, or anything else for that matter.
Chen Gong had mentioned that Liu Bei's side had also sent a scholar to negotiate, but Lü Bu hadn't met him. As for the details of the negotiations, Lü Bu remained completely uninformed, as he had no interest in such matters.
Lü Bu had merely glanced at Yan Liang once, deeming him unworthy of further attention. To Lü Bu, Yan Liang was on the same level as Zhang Fei—someone who might provoke a fight if encountered. However, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, despite being of similar strength, were different. Guan Yu had the capability to perform extraordinary feats as long as he was confident enough.
That one glance was enough to make Yan Liang's heart pound with fear. Compared to when Lü Bu had fought against three opponents at once, this version of Lü Bu seemed even stronger. Yan Liang, who had only recently achieved the level of perfected Internal Qi, could clearly sense Lü Bu's terrifying power.
"Terrifying?" Tian Feng asked, puzzled. Why use the word "terrifying"? He turned to look at Yan Liang for an explanation.
Yan Liang could only smile bitterly. "Yes, terrifying. If I were to face him with all my strength, I doubt I'd last more than thirty moves before I'm utterly defeated— and that's assuming he's not riding his Red Hare and I have a chance to flee."
"Ah…" Tian Feng felt a chill run down his spine.
"That being the case, I estimate that I'm now only on par with Guan and Zhang's level of strength," Yan Liang added with a sigh. He had indeed improved significantly, but it couldn't compare to Lü Bu's even faster progress. Lü Bu was a true monster.
"Guan and Zhang, huh? Then how do you gauge Zhao Zilong's strength?" Tian Feng asked after composing himself.
"Zhao Zilong? He's not overly strong, but I can't fully assess his strength. Maybe the next time I meet him, he'll be incredibly powerful, or maybe he won't have changed much," Yan Liang replied, shaking his head.
Now that he had grown stronger, Yan Liang realized that Zhao Yun hadn't been particularly formidable during the Battle of Hulao Pass. Zhao Yun didn't have the strength to confront Lü Bu head-on. In other words, his Internal Qi was refined, his technique and speed were excellent, but his foundation wasn't solid. A warrior's ultimate strength always came down to the depth of their Internal Qi.
Yan Liang's observation wasn't incorrect. At the Battle of Hulao Pass, Zhao Yun indeed didn't possess much Internal Qi, as he had just undergone his sixth rebirth of Qi refinement and hadn't fully stabilized it yet. However, due to the mysterious nature of his Internal Qi and his superb techniques and speed, even Lü Bu had been deceived.
Of course, after the Battle of Hulao Pass, Lü Bu, with his monstrous strength, soon realized Zhao Yun's weakness. However, unlike others who might underestimate Zhao Yun, Lü Bu had a deeper understanding of his true power.
Although Lü Bu wasn't sure why Zhao Yun's Internal Qi was so meticulously refined yet so sparse, he knew there had to be another explanation—possibly involving a Godstone!
Unlike animals, who could only instinctively absorb power from a Godstone, a warrior could use it efficiently and methodically. In fact, humans could typically harness several times more power from a Godstone than an animal could.
Unfortunately, beyond his natural talent, Lü Bu's current status as invincible among his peers—regularly taking on three opponents at once—was also due to his consumption of a Godstone, specifically a Godstone core.
Having experienced it himself, Lü Bu knew better than anyone the power of the Godstone. The Godstone granted him not only immense strength but also extraordinary recovery speed. This recovery wasn't just physical; it also restored his mental fortitude and resolve. This was why Lü Bu could never be defeated in direct combat.