The thief turned around in a hurry, only to see Li Kui looking at him with a smile. "I've heard you were coming for a long time."
"When do we act!" the thief asked impatiently, for the official position held more temptation for him!
"Tonight, I, Tie Niu, also want to see if you can steal all the tiger tally!" Li Kui smiled at the thief. "If you steal them tonight, you can present them to the King tomorrow!"
"Good! Just watch me!" the thief agreed readily. Li Kui, on the other hand, looked in a distant direction with a worried expression. It was no wonder he was worried, as they had just learned of Eastern Wu's intention to interfere. Since everyone wanted a piece of the action, then it was time to fight!
Lu Bu rushed to Ye Feng's side, hastily cupped his hands and said, "My King, I heard that Eastern Wu has allied with Zhang Jiao to make a move. I fear we will be attacked from both sides, and then!"
Ye Feng smiled slightly, thinking they only knew about his third legion. What a joke, they didn't know how many elite soldiers and generals he had hidden in the system.
"Excellent, it's the perfect time to catch them all in one net. There's still gunpowder in the armory, let them experience its might!" Ye Feng hurriedly ordered someone to bring forward the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow and prepared the gunpowder.
"I'd like to see what waves these people can stir up!" Ye Feng waved his hand. "Feng Xian, with you here, Li Kui alone might not be able to manage the situation!"
"My Lord, rest assured. Although Li Kui doesn't understand military strategy, he is extremely obedient. I had already explained everything before I came. Coupled with someone stealing all the military tallies, let alone petty warlords, even the King of Heaven would have to kneel!" Lu Bu said confidently. "My King, please be at ease!"
"Good. What about His Majesty?"
Yu Huatian drifted in, "His Majesty has stated that his health is failing, and his children have not yet achieved greatness. Everything is left to you, my King, and he only asks that you protect his children!"
"Alright, I promise!" Ye Feng nodded, his hand gripping the letter from Jiang Dong tightly, agreeing to an alliance of marriage. With this, dealing with the warlords' armies would be more than enough!
"We act tonight. Lu Bu, notify Zhuge Liang and the others. They absolutely cannot falter. The decisive battle is today. We must also keep a close watch on those merchants to prevent any trouble in the rear!"
"Yes!" Orders were issued, and with each "Yes," everyone's expression became grave. This was a battle for survival, a war that would decide the fate of this empire!
No one dared to be careless. Ye Feng stood on the high platform, looking at the soldiers ready for battle, a look of satisfaction on his face. Diao Chan and another woman, clad in armor, looked worried. "My King, although victory is certain, do we really not wait for the remaining sisters?"
"You know nothing about the system!" Ye Feng grumbled internally, clenching his fist. "We won't wait. Time is of the essence. If they want to make a move now, then let them!"
Diao Chan and the other woman did not hesitate. They mounted their horses, infantry with long spears in front, archers and crossbowmen following closely, supplemented by shield bearers on the flanks. The formation was grand, with Diao Chan and the other woman leading the way.
"My King, must we annihilate them all this time?" Diao Chan asked with a slight frown. "After all, they are still subjects of the Han Dynasty!"
"Naturally, we cannot. They also have homes, wives, and children. We must absolutely not pursue them to the bitter end!"
Diao Chan and the other woman's words echoed in Ye Feng's ears, along with Lu Zhi's saying, "The people suffer when the country prospers, and they suffer when it falls." This struck Ye Feng deeply, and he sighed.
Diao Chan and the other woman then stopped speaking and hastily asked, "My Lord, what should be done?"
"If we could reach a peaceful resolution, why would we start a war? However, it seems unlikely," Ye Feng said, frowning.
Diao Chan gently held Ye Feng's hand. "My King, this is all you can do. It's not your fault!"
"Mm!" Ye Feng nodded slightly. Seeing the flames rising from the distant camp, he immediately understood and quickly ordered the three armies to prepare. Soon, they arrived outside the warlords' camp, which was already in chaos!
Yuan Shao's face was cold, and he berated the warlords. "Where are your military tallies? Are you hiding them from me as well?"
"Duke Yuan, we truly did not intend to. It's just that the military tallies have disappeared, and we are unable to produce them. We beg for your understanding!"
"Yes, Duke Yuan!"
Instantly, the warlords spoke up one after another. But Yuan Shao couldn't afford to care about that. He was vexed, and Lu Bu had also disappeared. After a while, they saw someone leading his troops charging out. Who else could it be but Li Kui!
"Quickly arrest them all and hand over the military tallies, or I'll kill them all!" Yuan Shao hastily ordered Li Kui. But Li Kui already had a plan. "Arrest them!"
Seeing the warlords strung together, Yuan Shao declared triumphantly, "If you hand over your military tallies, I will spare your lives!"
The next moment, Li Kui's axe swung, and Yuan Shao's head fell to the ground. Li Kui laughed heartily. "I, Tie Niu, am a subordinate of the King of Chu. Surrender now, and I will spare your lives!"
Seeing their military tallies jingling at Li Kui's waist, the warlords were filled with despair!
"You dare to be so arrogant..."
Before he could finish speaking, a head fell to the ground. After three or four such instances, the warlords looked at the killing god before them, swallowed their saliva, and nodded repeatedly. At most, their military power would be confiscated, and they could still live in luxury. Otherwise, they would lose their lives!
"We are willing! We are willing!"
Some still held out hope, looking at Li Kui before them as if he were insignificant, especially since Eastern Wu's reinforcements were on the way. Soon, they saw Ye Feng and the leader of Eastern Wu arrive together, and despair immediately set in!
"We are willing!" Ye Feng took the military tallies from Li Kui's hand and said slowly, "Since you are all willing to protect the common people, this King will naturally not mistreat you!"
Looking up, they finally noticed that Ye Feng was followed by over a million men. How could they fight this? It was suicide. Realizing this, they all eagerly pledged their allegiance.
"Bold Ye Feng, to actually..." The three Zhang brothers rushed over, but upon seeing the army behind Ye Feng, their expressions changed drastically.
"Big Brother, why don't we kill them..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Bao received a heavy slap on the head. Only then did he see the vast army!
"What did the Heavenly General say? I didn't hear clearly!" Ye Feng picked at his ear, speaking slowly.
Zhang Jiao had no time for bravado. He hastily put on a smiling face and presented the military tallies with both hands. "I heard that the King of Chu has cleared all obstacles. We are here to contribute this last military tally, making it complete!"
Ye Feng grabbed it and laughed heartily. "Good, those who know the times are wise!"
...
Many years later, Ye Feng, with a hunched back, watched as children read in a bright and clean classroom, a look of contentment on his face. Diao Chan and a group of others surrounded Ye Feng.
"My King, the days you spoke of have truly come!"
"Yes," Ye Feng said, squinting towards the sun. "Our days will get better and better!"