"What?" Ye Feng slammed the table heavily, suddenly rising and cursing, "Who dared to do such a thing? Do they not know this is the Third Legion!"
The Third Legion was renowned in Liangzhou. Normally, people would give way even if they encountered them, let alone gather around. Such unusual behavior indicated something big was about to happen, Ye Feng thought!
However, with Gan Quan still present, he could only suppress his smile and ask slowly, "Your reinforcements have likely arrived. Do you still need this document?"
"Since we have formed an alliance with the Great King, we are brothers who share life and death. I implore the Great King to take me out. If they are reinforcements, with my envoy status and seal, I can spare the Great King a war. I beg the Great King to agree!"
"Good, as you wish!" Ye Feng readily agreed, giving Lu Bu a look. Lu Bu understood and silently withdrew.
Before long, the two arrived at the front of the battle formation. Burly men were already waiting ahead, shouting aggressively, "Shameless brat, how dare you trouble my brother! Today, I will surely kill you all!"
Ye Feng turned to look at Gan Quan. Gan Quan silently urged his horse forward and spoke solemnly, "I do not know who the person is, nor what their relationship is with my lord. Can I speak a few words?"
"I am Xing Daorong, the General of Lingling, the vanguard officer under Zhang Miao. Surrender and live, otherwise, you will all be buried with me!" the person declared aggressively. "How dare you kill my brother, you will surely die a terrible death!"
"May I know who this valiant brother is?" Gan Quan asked with a frown. "So that we can identify them and avoid friendly fire."
"Have you heard of Hua Xiong and Pan Feng? They are both top-tier fierce generals. Let alone mere chicks, even Lu Bu would have a fight on his hands against them!" Xing Daorong said coldly, holding his axe. "If they are unharmed, hand them over, otherwise, I will kill you all!"
Gan Quan's smile froze. Their heads had already been severed; how could he hand them over? "Alas, brother, you are a step too late. Had you come earlier, you might have had a chance to see your two brothers one last time."
Gan Quan could have ignored this matter, but he knew very well that from the moment he entered the tent, he had been tested by Ye Feng. Now that he had signed the document, if he fled when trouble arose, not only would he be ostracized, but it was also possible they would attack the mountain later.
Given the current state of the soldiers on the mountain, let alone Lu Bu with a thousand men, even a few hundred would be enough to send them to their doom.
In comparison, Gan Quan did not hesitate to cover his face and weep, "My two brothers were fine, but who knew that suddenly a heavy snow would fall, and they were arguing with each other, which led to them both falling off a cliff. When I found them, only their heads were intact. As they wished to return to their roots, I cut off their heads to bring back."
"Truly fierce!" Ye Feng muttered inwardly. While this revealed his hand, how could Xing Daorong possibly believe this? As expected, Xing Daorong's expression instantly changed, and he roared, "You are too deceitful! I will not rest until I have my revenge on you!"
Gan Quan, who was physically weak, saw Xing Daorong charging at him but remained calm and composed. "I know I cannot escape death, but would the General be willing to answer a few questions?"
"If you play any tricks, I can take your head in minutes!" Xing Daorong said fiercely. "My two brothers are already dead, and you insult them like this. It is too much!"
"General!" Gan Quan said earnestly. "Have you considered whether temporary brotherhood is more important than your lord's command?"
"Loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness. Must the General bear the reputation of betraying his lord and being ungrateful? Are you truly not afraid of being ridiculed for generations to come?" Gan Quan questioned. "It is not too late to turn back now. Besides, your two brothers died from falling off a cliff. Burying them properly would not be a violation of brotherly affection!"
His words left Ye Feng speechless, let alone the simple-minded Xing Daorong. He stood frozen for a while, scratching his head before finally speaking, "Even if what you say is true, did my two brothers die for nothing?"
"How could they have died for nothing? They paved the way for their lord, showing unparalleled loyalty and righteousness. The lord will surely report to His Majesty and bestow titles and ranks upon them. Is that not more satisfying than being some general?" Gan Quan said with pity. "Does the General truly want them to die with their eyes wide open?"
"Of course not!" Xing Daorong quickly waved his hand in refusal. He lowered his head and thought for a long time, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "It seems to make sense. Where are the rest of them? Take me to find them!"
"They are on the mountain. Please accompany me to meet them!" Gan Quan said sincerely, leaving no room for error!
"Wait." Xing Daorong suddenly snapped back to attention. "How can I believe your word? Are you not colluding with him to trick me and set a trap to have my fellow disciples killed on the mountain?"
"How could that be!" Gan Quan's face turned red, as if deeply insulted. He took out his seal and threw it without hesitation. Xing Daorong took it and, whether it was an illusion or not, he seemed to see Ye Feng nod before speaking.
"It is indeed the token," Xing Daorong said, cupping his hands. "King of Chu, I apologize. Please forgive me, King of Chu. Open a path for me to bring my brothers down. I guarantee no harm will come to your men."
"General Xing values brotherhood, and this King will naturally oblige!" Ye Feng waved his hand. The Third Legion parted to make way. Xing Daorong swaggered through, returning the seal to Gan Quan. "Brother, you take care. You will be rewarded handsomely in the future."
Gan Quan snorted coldly and rode forward. "Whether there are rewards is not important. As long as the General does not suspect me, that is enough. I will do my utmost, I truly do not wish to be suspected."
Xing Daorong chuckled. "No, no. I was just being cautious for fear of something happening."
"Your actions are indeed commendable, General, but my brothers cannot endure such grievances!" Gan Quan said sarcastically. "It is only me. If it were someone else, I don't know how they would deal with you."
"That's true, that's true!" Xing Daorong said with a fawning smile, following behind Gan Quan. They ascended the mountain one after the other.
Ye Feng and Lu Bu watched the scene and couldn't help but exchange a smile. Lu Bu said softly, "Your Majesty's move is indeed brilliant. Even if Gan Quan knew that Xing Daorong was a fake, it would be too late!"
"It's a good thing Yu Huatian found this person, otherwise it would have been difficult to implement. We can just reap the benefits!" Ye Feng turned and entered the tent, asking, "Have the remaining matters been prepared?"
"Your Majesty need not worry. Everything is ready. The Third Legion is guarding all the exits. Not to mention the real Xing Daorong, not even a fly can get in." Lu Bu changed the subject and asked doubtfully, "What if we encounter the real Xing Daorong?"
"Kill him," Ye Feng's eyes turned cold. "If there is no opportunity, you must not let him lead a single soldier up the mountain. That person is smart and knows how to choose!"
Ye Feng had also added an insurance policy. Judging from Hua Xiong and Pan Feng, unless they were betrayed, they would not have died easily. Thus, if Xing Daorong escaped, it would also prompt early arrangements.
After all, the Xing Daorong found by Yu Huatian brought elite soldiers and good generals up the mountain. Ordinary soldiers were no match for them, let alone people starving and disoriented. With Gan Quan there, he knew that to preserve Wang Kuang's last bit of influence, the only way was to rely on that document, and he would not do anything foolish.
At that time, not to mention one Xing Daorong, even ten would die at the hands of the person Yu Huatian found.
Before long, snow began to fall again with the wind. Ye Feng couldn't help but worry. Those who went up later were his loyal men. If anything happened to them, it would be disastrous!
"Yu Huatian, do not disappoint this King!" Ye Feng murmured. The next moment, Lu Bu rushed in, shouting, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
"What is the commotion?" Ye Feng turned and asked calmly. "And did the brothers who went up later bring enough food? If anything happens, I will not forgive you!"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, Lu Bu personally watched them bring enough food!" Lu Bu said, panting. "That Xing Daorong, Xing Daorong, indeed killed his way out alone and is now heading towards the mountain. They are likely to meet. Shall we send people to help those brothers?"
"No need. Xing Daorong's ascent this time is a death sentence. Not to mention our men, even Gan Quan and the scholars will not let him go. Lu Bu knows how terrifying their cooperation can be!" Ye Feng said with a forced smile.
"We must be the ones who benefit the most this time, no one else!" Ye Feng muttered, gripping the back of his chair.
More and more of the eighteen lords were arriving. If they were not dealt with one by one, even with the system by Ye Feng's side, it would be a considerable pressure. More importantly, Ye Feng feared losing the hearts of the people. It would be of no benefit to fail at the last hurdle!
"Go down. If there's nothing else, the backup plan this King has prepared can be put to use. Xing Daorong is surely doomed!" Ye Feng said sternly and coldly.
Xing Daorong clung to his horse and stumbled up the mountain. Gan Quan frowned upon seeing his state and hastily helped him down. However, his appearance was clearly somewhat similar to the person he had seen before.
Xing Daorong looked at the banner and spat out a mouthful of blood, saying weakly, "My two brothers, I have come now. Why do you refuse to see me?"
Gan Quan's heart skipped a beat. Only Xing Daorong knew about those two people. Suddenly, a thought struck him: could the person here now be the real one?
However, it had come to this point, and there was no room for regret. Otherwise, everyone would die. Gan Quan threw Xing Daorong off his horse, took out a sharp dagger, and instinctively approached him step by step!
Just as he was about to stab down, he heard a crisp voice, "So you are here," and then his voice suddenly rose, "What are you doing!"