In the woods not far away—
When the soldiers saw Zhang Fei being captured, they were utterly stunned.
"Oh my god! Who is that general? He took down General Zhang in a single move!"
"General Zhang is at least B-rank in strength! How could he be defeated so easily?"
"Damn it! That guy must be Shura!"
"We have to report this to Tom—let him prepare immediately!"
"You're right, let's go!"
When Fenric returned to the front of the formation, carrying Zhang Fei over his shoulder, the forest behind him remained still.
Thud!
With a flick of his arm, Fenric threw Zhang Fei—still unconscious—to the ground in front of Cao Cao.
"My Lord, mission accomplished!"
"Hahaha!"
Cao Cao laughed heartily. He dismounted personally, walked over, and gave Fenric a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Zhongye, once again, you've done a tremendous job!"
To Cao Cao, Fenric was beyond satisfactory.
Zhang Fei was a legendary general. Once, he'd gone toe-to-toe with Lü Bu for dozens of rounds without falling behind. Now he'd been captured with ease by Fenric.
How could Cao Cao not be pleased with such an outstanding warrior?
"Zhongye, having you in my service is truly Cao's fortune," Cao Cao sighed, clearly moved.
Fenric, not lacking in emotional intelligence, bowed slightly and said, "My Lord, you're too kind. As long as I can help defeat the rebels, I am more than willing!"
"Well said, Zhongye. Your merit will be recorded for now!"
"Yes, my lord!"
With that, Fenric turned and guided his horse back into the formation.
When the other generals saw him return, their gazes were filled with admiration—and envy.
But no one resented him. After all, Zhang Fei was a formidable opponent. Even Pang De wouldn't be confident in facing him head-on.
For someone to defeat Zhang Fei in just two moves—what was there to complain about?
The army resumed its march.
Throughout the journey, Fenric wore a subtle, satisfied smile.
Because the system's notification chimes hadn't stopped ringing.
Zhang Fei's fame far surpassed Zilong's. Now that Fenric had captured him, he'd earned the admiration of countless Cao soldiers.
And admiration meant prestige points.
Fenric's prestige had already surpassed 70,000—and it was still rising!
"Look at that smile on Boss Shura's face. He must have racked up a massive amount of prestige this time!"
"Heh! That's true power. No use being jealous."
"Boss Shura's stats are insane... If only I had those attributes!"
The Samsara players whispered among themselves in awe.
By now, Cao Cao's army had reached the banks of the Hanjin River.
But Liu Bei had already disappeared.
"That man's like a damn rabbit," Cao Cao muttered bitterly.
He worried Liu Bei might seize Jiangling by water.
Jiangling was wealthy and brimming with resources. It was a strategic cornerstone in Jingzhou—it had to be secured.
So, Cao Cao ordered the army to march overnight to reach Jiangling before Liu Bei could.
As it turned out, the officials of Jiangling had long been cowed by Cao Cao's growing reputation. Upon hearing of his approach with a massive force, they immediately surrendered and handed over the city without resistance.
And just like that, Cao Cao took Jiangling without lifting a finger.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, inside the military camp, Cao Cao gathered his strategists and generals to discuss plans for dealing with Liu Bei.
Though Fenric was technically still a captain, his string of military successes made promotion only a matter of time. Naturally, he was invited to join the war council.
"According to Tan Ma's report," Cao Cao began, "Liu Bei has fled to Jiangxia. His next move will likely be to form an alliance with Soochow. How should we counter this?"
The tent fell silent as everyone pondered.
Then, Xun You spoke up.
"My lord, our current momentum is strong. I suggest we send an envoy across the Yangtze to Sun Quan. Propose that he help us hunt Liu Bei in Jiangxia. We can then divide Jingzhou between us and solidify an eternal alliance."
Cao Cao nodded slightly. "Sun Quan will likely hesitate, but he won't dare align with Liu Bei outright—especially if Liu Bei lacks military backing."
Listening to this, Fenric couldn't help but think to himself: These strategists really are clever—but when they make a wrong move, it's a big one.
Xun You had underestimated Sun Quan.
According to the original history, Sun Quan not only ignored Cao Cao's overtures but also joined forces with Liu Bei. Together, they defeated Cao Cao's army, inflicting a tremendous loss.
Still, Cao Cao found the idea appealing.
"What Gongda proposes aligns with my thoughts exactly," he said.
Soon after, Cao Cao began making arrangements to send an envoy to Soochow to court Sun Quan.
Simultaneously, he mobilized a combined force of 830,000 infantry and navy, falsely claiming it to be over a million. His plan was a full-scale campaign—advancing by land and water, sailing in dual columns, moving westward to Jing and the gorges, and eastward to Qi, Huang, and Saizha. Over 300 transport vessels were deployed.
The show of strength was so overwhelming that even Sun Quan would hesitate to oppose him.
But what Cao Cao didn't know was that his grand scheme would soon be shattered—by none other than Zhuge Liang's silver tongue.
Two more days passed.
During that time, Fenric remained deep in thought.
According to the timeline, Zhuge Liang should be heading to Jiangdong soon, where he would debate the Confucians and persuade Sun Quan.
If that happened, the Sun-Liu alliance would form—just like in history.
Of course, Fenric knew the script and had no intention of letting Zhuge Liang's "Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats" or Zhou Yu's "Blazing Red Cliffs Fire Attack" succeed so easily.
But even with that knowledge—there were still other variables.
In the minds of Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, the motto must be: "If you can't win now, try again later!"
Zhuge Liang, after all, was the top strategist.
Although Cao Cao had many capable advisors, ever since Guo Jia's death, no one on his side could truly rival Zhuge Liang.
"If I'm already digging at the foundation, why not just destroy the alliance from its roots?"
With that thought, a bold idea took shape in Fenric's mind.
Later that afternoon.
Cao Cao was reading a military strategy manual when the guards came in to report.
"General Arush requests an audience."
Cao Cao raised his eyebrows in surprise, immediately closed the book, and ordered him to be brought in.
"Zhongye, what brings you here?" he asked.
"Lord, I come with an earnest request. I hope you will grant it," Fenric said respectfully.
"Oh?" Cao Cao smiled with interest. "Then speak freely, Zhongye."
He was genuinely curious what kind of request Fenric would make.
"I wish to share the burden of your great cause," Fenric began. "As you're sending an envoy to Soochow, I would like to go personally. I will do everything in my power to prevent Sun Quan and Liu Bei from forming an alliance."
Cao Cao laughed upon hearing that.
"And if Sun Quan insists on forming an alliance, what would you do then?"
"The great cause must not be compromised," Fenric said calmly. "If Sun Quan doesn't know what's good for him—then I'll take his head."
He spoke as if he were discussing something as trivial as taking a stroll.
Cao Cao paused, stunned by the sheer boldness of the declaration, before suddenly breaking into hearty laughter.
In that moment, Old Cao was filled with joy.
Fenric was willing to take such a risk alone for the sake of his ambition—his loyalty alone was enough to move any ruler.
Yet… the risk was great.
A thousand soldiers might be easy to find—but a true general like Fenric was a rarity in a generation.
Cao Cao couldn't bear the thought of losing him to such a dangerous mission. If something were to happen, the loss would be immeasurable.
"Zhongye, such drastic action may not be necessary," Cao Cao said with a smile. "Sun Quan—hmm—he doesn't dare oppose me."
Doesn't dare?
That's naïve.
Fenric, familiar with how the events were destined to unfold, knew full well that Sun Quan was no pushover. He was every bit as ambitious as any warlord.
If Sun Quan truly set his mind to it, not even Zhuge Liang's silver tongue could stop him.
Right now, it seemed like Cao Cao's recent string of victories had made him overconfident—arrogant, even.
That arrogance would one day cost him dearly.
"My lord, to the east lies the mighty Yangtze River—a natural barrier surrounded by mountains, easy to defend and hard to attack. To underestimate it is dangerous," Fenric explained. "For the sake of your great ambition, allow me to act as your envoy to Soochow."
At the mention of fire attacks, Cao Cao's expression turned serious.
Most of the ships he had gathered were made of wood. A fire would spell disaster.
Even with precautions, the damage could be catastrophic.
What's more, he had recently considered chaining the ships together to stabilize them for the seasick soldiers.
At that thought, a chill ran down his spine.
A single mistake… and the entire fleet could burn.
"You've saved me from a near disaster, Zhongye," Cao Cao admitted, rising to pace around the tent. "Your insight is sharp."
Still, he hesitated.
If Fenric were to fall into enemy hands, he'd be losing a rare tiger among men.
Honestly, he didn't want that to happen.
But… the success of his cause was even more important.
"Zhongye, this mission will be filled with danger. Be extremely cautious. If things become impossible, do not act rashly. I trust Sun Quan won't dare move against you lightly."
With that, Cao Cao reluctantly gave his approval.
"I await your command, my lord!" Fenric said, bowing.
That evening.
Back in his tent, Fenric gathered his trusted group of Samsaras.
Once everyone had assembled, he spoke with grave determination.
"My comrades, I've gained permission from the lord to travel to Soochow."
"This mission is to persuade Sun Quan to surrender. But in truth… I plan to assassinate him and destroy the Sun-Liu alliance at its root."
"If we succeed, they won't have a chance to recover. The battle will be ours."
"This is also an opportunity to earn tremendous prestige. But I won't lie—it's extremely dangerous. Who among you is willing to come with me?"
The tent fell into silence.
The Samsaras were visibly stunned.
Over the past few days, they had heard whispers of Sun Quan and Liu Bei planning to form an alliance.
But they hadn't expected Shura to go so far as to assassinate the main commander of the enemy!
It was a bold and dangerous plan.
Even if they succeeded, there was no guarantee any of them would make it back alive.
And that's not even counting the elite Samsaras from the other factions…
When the time came, it would no doubt be a battle to the death.