Ye Feng’s eyes widened in recognition. It was the divine archer, and the world suddenly felt like it was collapsing.
His divine archer legion was gone.
Thinking this, Ye Feng suppressed his anger and spoke courteously, "In that case, many thanks, sir. How may I reward you?"
It seemed like losing a divine archer legion and gaining Wang Yue wasn't a great deal.
Ye Feng happily began to scheme, already planning where to place Wang Yue.
Wang Yue clasped his hands together and turned to leave, "Thank you for your kindness, King Chu. However, I already have a lord. Please forgive me for not being able to serve two masters."
"Bold!" Ma Chao blocked Wang Yue’s path with his long spear. "How can you refuse your lord's generosity? Have you forgotten the life-saving grace of our lord?"
"This is not my reward," Wang Yue gestured towards the heads of the divine archers on the ground.
Ma Chao was determined to achieve something, and naturally, he wouldn't let Wang Yue leave easily. His gaze was unwavering, and he said coldly, "I never knew Wang Yue was only worth a divine archer among the Yellow Turban Army. You certainly do yourself a disservice."
"What do you mean by that, Meng Qi?" Wang Yue placed his hand on his sword and stared intently at Ma Chao. "Are you perhaps looking to spar with me?"
"Very well. Today, I shall see how capable the 'Brocade of Xiliang', Ma Chao, truly is. Is it all just a false reputation?" Wang Yue took a deep breath and said with a forced smile, "If I am inferior, then staying here is not impossible."
"Please, show me," Ma Chao took a step back, assuming a ready stance for Wang Yue’s attack. Wang Yue drew his sword and flicked it lightly with his finger.
A crisp sound immediately echoed through the dense forest. At the same moment, Ma Chao thrust his spear forward and then downward towards Wang Yue's face. Wang Yue, with no choice, stepped back.
Simultaneously, he moved his body sideways, blocking the spear with his sword, and pulled it down. In a flash of lightning, Wang Yue grabbed Ma Chao's arm and exerted force with both hands. Ma Chao, with no alternative, followed Wang Yue's momentum.
As they collided, Ma Chao frowned. He released his spear with one hand, transforming his palm strike into a punch that whistled through the air.
Wang Yue’s head tilted slightly, and he once again exerted force with his feet, but it was too late. Ma Chao sent his spear flying, shaking his arm with a powerful thrust.
The spear struck Wang Yue heavily, sending him staggering back several steps. Ma Chao seized this opportunity, planted his spear on the ground, and kicked out, forcing Wang Yue to retreat further.
Coupled with the constant sweeping of the spear, Wang Yue soon became a startled bird, retreating an unknown distance.
"Forgive my offense." Wang Yue leaped up, charging forward with his sword. Ma Chao’s spear hit the ground and almost instantly bent into an arc.
They flipped past each other, and both moved towards the bushes. Not long after, one person was escorted out.
Ye Feng looked closely. The man was trembling like a sieve, his face ashen. He knelt on the ground, unwilling to look up, and beside him lay a bloody bundle.
"Look up! I might spare your life, otherwise, you will surely die!"
Ye Feng adopted the imposing demeanor of King Chu, adding cold words. The soldier wished he could faint.
"I... I am called Wang Wu. I merely admired King Chu, so I..."
"Nonsense! Do you truly think this King is a vegetarian?" Ye Feng patted his Wuzhi horse, producing a dull thud. "Meng Qi, pull out his tongue. Let's see how he spouts nonsense then."
Wang Wu froze on the spot. The powerful figure behind him had only mentioned danger, not this.
Was it too late to run now?
Wang Wu forced a smile. "Great King, what am I? Why don't you look at this?"
Before Ye Feng could speak, Wang Wu had already picked up the bundle in his hands and was slowly unwrapping it. What else could it be but a bloody human head.
The head’s eyes were wide with fury, clearly having died with extreme unwillingness. And its owner was none other than the Yellow Turban leader.
"This?" Ye Feng pondered for a moment. It was impossible for this mere soldier to have killed the Yellow Turban leader. So, who was it?
Who was this powerful figure behind the scenes? Ye Feng felt a shiver run down his spine. Every move he made was being watched by someone.
Although he could traverse the Three Kingdoms battlefield at will, this wasn't the way to play.
And why did Wang Yue and Ma Chao suddenly attack and capture Wang Wu? This was clearly not logical.
The city is too deep, I want to go back to the countryside.
After much thought, Ye Feng placed his Overlord’s Halberd against Wang Wu’s neck and said coldly,
"Who sent you? Speak, or I will have your head."
Wang Wu felt the chilling cold from the Overlord’s Halberd and thought of his family held by the person behind him. He slowly closed his eyes and said righteously, "No one instructed me. He killed them. This matter has nothing to do with anyone else!"
"Good lad," Ye Feng exclaimed and nodded to Ma Chao. Ma Chao immediately understood and quickly said,
"My lord, killing the Yellow Turban leader can be considered a talent. Why not let him spar with me? If he can withstand three moves, let him go?" Ma Chao quickly interceded, offering Ye Feng a way out.
Ye Feng seized the opportunity and quickly responded, "Meng Qi speaks reasonably. But are you his match?"
Ma Chao initially wanted to say he could deal with ten like him, but after a moment's hesitation, he quickly changed his tune, "When I deal with those foreign tribes, I like to torture them, dismember them bone by bone, watching them die before me."
"Him? It will only take one move!" Ma Chao said coldly.
Wang Wu never doubted the truth of these words. He was instantly terrified and weak in the knees. He weighed the two evils in his mind, his eyes darting around. He knelt on the ground and pointed randomly in one direction.
"My lord is that way. He ordered me to deliver the head," Wang Wu quickly explained, tears streaming down his face. "It's all my fault for being bewitched for a moment and doing these things. King Chu, spare me! King Chu, spare me!"
"Ma Chao, this person is not telling the truth. Attack," Ye Feng commanded coldly.
"Yes," Ma Chao answered and approached Wang Wu step by step.
At that instant, Wang Wu lay on the ground and rammed himself headfirst into the earth. "Since King Chu does not believe me, I might as well die. What is the point of living?"
"Are you telling the truth?" Ye Feng sighed. "It's not that this King doesn't believe you, but you have no proof."
"Ma Chao, take this person and accompany me to search. I want to see who is lurking in the shadows!" Ye Feng gave his orders one by one.
Beside the Wuzhi horse was a jujube-red horse, on which Wang Wu, held by Ma Chao, was slumped.
"Ma Chao, how did you and Wang Yue team up to capture this person? Among..." Ye Feng stared at Ma Chao, remaining silent.
Ma Chao was suddenly startled. Their previous cooperation had likely made Ye Feng suspicious. Although Ye Feng feared nothing, in such turbulent times, it was reasonable for him to be more cautious.
"My lord, Wang Yue and I were fighting. Upon discovering this person, Wang Yue was being pushed back, so we captured him. As for why our cooperation was so tacit..." Ma Chao suddenly hesitated.
"Hmm?"
"Because Meng Qi and Wang Yue met when we were young, our cooperation was tacit." Ma Chao dared not delay and spoke frankly.
"Is this true?"
Ye Feng asked lightly, but to Ma Chao, it felt like a mountain. He quickly replied, "I would not dare deceive my lord. If even half a word is false, I beg my lord to punish me severely."
Ye Feng did not wish to dampen the spirits of his new subject, Ma Chao. He agreed and took the opportunity to say, "Since this King promised you a piece of land of your choosing, I will not go back on my word."
Ma Chao's eyes instantly turned red. He had not completed his mission and was being treated so kindly by Ye Feng.
Where else would he find such a lord?
"My lord's great kindness, even if Ma Chao were to be shattered into pieces, it would be difficult to repay it fully." Ma Chao wished he could kowtow to Ye Feng on his horse.
"Meng Qi, rise." Ye Feng persuaded him earnestly.
"Meng Qi implores my lord to grant Meng Qi's request," Ma Chao kowtowed repeatedly.
"Alright, Meng Qi. Since they have a large army, why don't we have one? I have already set up an ambush, and it will arrive in a short while. Also, have someone tie branches to the horses' tails and have them gallop. They will surely retreat without a fight. If reinforcements arrive, who should be the one to fear?" Ye Feng spoke righteously.
This was precisely because Ma Chao was present, making it difficult for him to reveal his million-strong army.
"If that is the case, Meng Qi, do you think it would be more convincing for you to go or for this King to go? Whom do those rebels believe more?" Ye Feng asked.
A barrage of questions left Ma Chao dumbfounded. Seeing that Ma Chao still wanted to speak, Ye Feng clapped his hands and closed his eyes. "This matter is decided. Can the two of us not hold out until the army arrives?"
"Yes!" Seeing Ye Feng's persistence, Ma Chao no longer hesitated and agreed.
With Wang Wu tightly bound, Ma Chao and Ye Feng walked up the slope one after the other. They saw more and more dust, and the leading general was indeed formidable.
Coupled with the dust rising from the dense forest, it truly looked like a million troops were arrayed.
The two walked leisurely, but it was agonizing for Wang Wu on horseback. He never knew his lord had arrived at this location, or if a third force was involved.
Could he still see his wife and children alive?
Ma Chao casually threw Wang Wu off his horse and said with great spirit, "Go tell your lord that the Brocade of Xiliang, Ma Chao, has arrived! Have him dismount quickly and surrender!"
Wang Wu fled like a streak of smoke and disappeared. Below the slope, from among the tens of thousands of troops, a man dressed as a scholar slowly emerged and shouted,
"General, state your name!"