In the distance—
When the generals of Cao's army saw Fenric catching up to Zilong's BMW on foot and then leaping up to deliver a mid-air kick to Zilong's lion head, they couldn't help but gasp.
Especially Pang De and Xu Chu—both of whom had once exchanged blows with Fenric. Their expressions turned pale with dread.
If Fenric hadn't shown mercy back then, would their graves already be overgrown with grass by now?
Despite their fear, they were inwardly grateful. If nothing else, they owed their lives to Fenric's restraint.
While the generals were trembling in fear, Old Cao's eyes lit up with joy.
"Hahaha! With such a mighty general at my side, why should I worry about the chaos in the world?" he laughed heartily.
Anyone familiar with The Romance of the Three Kingdoms knew—aside from his admiration for capable women—Old Cao adored valiant warriors.
He had once spared Guan Yu, tried to capture Zilong alive, and was always ecstatic when fierce generals served him.
Now, he looked absolutely delighted.
"Arush, courtesy name Zhongye—a nameless foot soldier," Fenric said with a faint smile, stepping forward. "General Zilong, I respect your valor. But I'm under orders from my Lord. Please don't make things difficult for me."
Zilong rose from the ground, Liu Shan in his left arm, sword in his right, staring down Fenric without fear.
"General Arush, I will never surrender. If you want to stop Zilong—take my life!"
Fenric couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain.
Loyalty was Zilong-edged sword. Noble at times. Dangerous at others.
And this was one of those times.
He didn't doubt Zilong's resolve.
After a moment of thought, Fenric said calmly, "Then how about this: General Zilong, lay the child down and face me in fair combat. If you defeat me, I'll let you go. If you lose, you stay behind."
He added coldly, "As for the child—Liu Bei's flesh and blood, isn't he? I will personally beg my Lord to spare him... or burn him alive. How about that?"
Zilong's eyes widened.
But after thinking for a moment—he actually nodded.
"Very well. According to General Arush's proposal. But I trust you will keep your word."
What swayed Zilong most was the fate of Liu Shan. As long as the boy lived, the Lord might yet come to rescue him. And Zilong could answer to his conscience.
Everything else was secondary.
He carefully placed Liu Shan beside him, raised his sword, and said with burning eyes, "Please enlighten me."
Truth be told, Zilong knew he stood no chance against a monster like Fenric.
But surrender? That wasn't in his vocabulary.
There was no "yield" in Zilong's heart.
"General Zilong, please," Fenric said respectfully, gesturing for him to make the first move.
Zilong wasted no time.
"Haah!"
With a fierce shout, he lunged forward, sword flashing like a cold dragon.
Even without his famed silver spear, Zilong's speed was terrifying.
He was, after all, a top-tier general—renowned throughout the Three Kingdoms for his unmatched combat prowess. Few dared claim superiority.
But this time—
His opponent was not human.
As an A-rank boss, even with his abilities restricted, Fenric's base stats alone far outclassed any general from this era.
Zilong's lightning-fast swordplay? Still too slow in Fenric's eyes.
A slight shift—
Fenric dodged the thrust and extended a finger toward Zilong's forehead.
With his current power, even marble would crack beneath that finger. A human skull? Not even a contest.
But to Fenric's surprise, Zilong didn't dodge at all.
Instead, his expression hardened—and he charged forward, full force!
"No! He's trying to commit suicide!" Fenric realized, instantly shifting from a strike to a push.
And then—
His face changed.
Zilong's sword wasn't meant for Fenric.
It was aimed at his own neck!
"The hell?! That's way too extreme!"
Fenric stopped holding back. His speed exploded.
Crack!
Zilong's arm suddenly went limp—snapped by Fenric in the nick of time.
The sword clattered to the ground.
"General Zilong, why?" Fenric sighed, frustrated.
Zilong gave a bitter smile. "I knew I wasn't your match. But I wanted to repay my Lord's kindness with my death. Please... let the army pass."
"Not happening."
Without another word, Fenric dislocated Zilong's other arm, preventing another suicide attempt.
"General Zilong, believe me. Following Liu Bei leads nowhere."
The pain would've sent most men into shock.
But Zilong didn't cry out. He simply frowned.
"Please don't slander my Lord."
"It's not slander. It's a fact. Liu Bei will lose. But... forget it. We won't argue now. Just know—if you die, that child won't survive either."
He spoke the words plainly—but the threat was clear.
Fenric held down Zilong and scooped up little Liu Shan—who seemed strangely fascinated by the man holding him—and walked toward Cao Cao.
"My Lord, mission accomplished."
"Hahahaha!"
Old Cao burst into laughter.
To think Fenric had captured Zilong alive—it filled him with joy.
He'd seen everything—every move, every blow—and Fenric's performance had utterly amazed him.
"Zhongye, you've done us a great service. We'll record your merit. After the war, I'll see you properly rewarded!"
"Thank you, my Lord!"
Fenric was all smiles.
But it wasn't because Old Cao promised him a reward.
He wasn't even from this world—what would he do with wool as a reward?
What really made him happy was the system notification.
Just moments ago, after capturing Zilong, his reputation had increased by more than 10,000 points!
So satisfying!
According to the plot, Zhang Fei—should be ahead.
Cao Cao glanced at Zilong with admiration and praised, "General Zilong, your bravery is indeed remarkable. But I wonder—why do you serve such a tyrant?"
Zilong was taken aback. Hearing Cao Cao compare Liu Bei to King Zhou of Shang, he immediately retorted angrily, "My lord's name is known throughout the world for his benevolence and righteousness. How dare you slander him?"
"You're nothing but a hypocrite!"
Cao Cao shook his head, clearly having seen through Liu Bei's usual tricks.
He then asked calmly, "Now that you've fallen into my hands, are you not afraid I'll take your life?"
Zilong didn't even flinch.
"If you want to kill me, then kill me!"
Seeing Zilong's unyielding spirit, Cao Cao's eyes gleamed with appreciation. He could tell Zilong was a man of loyalty and righteousness.
Just like Guan Yu.
Now, another loyal warrior had appeared before him.
"If you are willing to serve under me, I will spare your life."
Zilong didn't seem surprised by the offer. But his loyalty lay firmly with Liu Bei. He responded resolutely, "I will not serve a traitor or a thief. Zilong will never surrender!"
Cao Cao didn't get angry despite being insulted.
He had long grown used to such accusations.
Instead, he smiled and asked, "If I'm the traitor, then what about Liu Bei? He led tens of thousands of civilians away from their homes, into this chaos. What are they supposed to do now? How should I deal with them?"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and motioned for Zilong to look into the distance.
"Look at them. They could've lived peacefully in their hometowns. If not for Liu Bei's personal gain, would they be suffering like this?"
Zilong followed his gaze and saw countless refugees—old, young, weak, and ill—struggling to survive. For a moment, he was speechless.
Liu Bei had taken too many people with him. Morally, it was hard to justify.
With such a large group on the move, accidents were inevitable. Even if they followed willingly, Liu Bei should've persuaded them to stay.
"These people followed my lord of their own accord!" Zilong insisted, still defending Liu Bei.
"Hahaha! History will judge fairly," Cao Cao chuckled, ending the debate.
Then, turning his attention to the baby in Fenric's arms, he asked, "Is this Liu Bei's son?"
Zilong instantly became alert. "What are you planning?"
Cao Cao smiled and said grandly, "I, Cao Cao, am not so petty as to harm a child. Come!"
A guard stepped forward.
Cao Cao pointed at the infant. "Take this boy and return him to Liu Bei."
It was a dangerous mission.
But the guard didn't even blink. He took the child, mounted his horse, and galloped off to find Liu Bei.
Zilong was stunned. He looked at Cao Cao in disbelief.
Cao Cao laughed heartily. "General Zilong, since you refuse to defect, I won't force you. Stay here for now. When Liu Bei is captured, I'll let the two of you reunite."
"In the future, if you plead for his life, I will consider your loyalty and spare him."
With that, Cao Cao ignored Zilong's gloomy expression and ordered his men to escort him away and see to his injuries.
Naturally, Zilong's dislocated arms—wrenched out by Fenric—were treated by a military doctor.
Everyone present could see through Cao Cao's real intention.
Fenric was among them.
At this moment, even he had to admire Old Cao.
This man truly deserved his title as a schemer among schemers—a political genius of his era.
Sending Liu Bei's son back looked like a gracious act.
But in reality, it severed Zilong's path of return.
Liu Bei knew Zilong went to retrieve his son. Now that the child had come back alone, yet Zilong stayed in Cao's camp—how could Liu Bei trust him again?
Even if Cao Cao let Zilong go back now, Liu Bei might hesitate to use him.
Classic—a clever wedge strategy!
Simple. Effective.
The march continued.
When they reached Changban Bridge, a cavalry scout rode back with an urgent report—there seemed to be an ambush ahead.
Cao Cao led his generals forward to investigate.
Fenric was among them.
At the far end of the bridge stood a burly man with a rugged face, thick eyebrows, an upside-down tiger beard, and wide glaring eyes. He held a mighty Eight-span Serpent Spear and stood alone on the bridge.
Behind him, the woods were shrouded in dust and stirred with noise, as if thousands of horses were running through them.
No one could tell whether there was an ambush or just a bluff.
Then the man shouted with a thunderous voice, shaking heaven and earth:
"I am Zhang Fei of Yan! Who dares face me in a life-or-death duel?!"
His roar echoed like rolling thunder.
The soldiers of Cao's army were so shaken by his presence that they trembled with fear.
Fenric's eyes gleamed with excitement.