Chapter 38: Luoyang Under the Flames

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Hulao Pass had been taken. Anyone with eyes could see that Dong Zhuo had abandoned it, but in Yuan Shao's eyes, it was clearly his own achievement! Regardless of why Dong Zhuo abandoned the pass, the fact remained that Yuan Shao had taken it. It was as simple as that.

Seeing that the mission to aid the Emperor was nearing success and that unparalleled glory was within reach, Yuan Shao gave a grand wave of his hand, committing all his strength to seizing Luoyang and completing this great undertaking!

The speed of the coalition was immense; bolstered by both gold and the stick, the marching speed of the troops was nothing short of shocking.

Listening to Chen Xi's strategies, Liu Bei lingered unhurriedly at the very rear of the coalition. Similarly, Cao Cao hung at the back, half-dead and half-alive. Smart people knew Luoyang was surely in danger, but most were blinded by the dazzling prospect of a grand future, unable to see the corpses lying ahead.

Luoyang began to burn. Screams and wails could be heard from miles away. Looking toward Luoyang, Chen Xi felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow; the vanguard troops that had entered must have been mostly incinerated by now.

"Demou, over here!" Sun Jian shouted loudly to Cheng Pu. They had just entered Luoyang and hadn't even begun to plunder when they heard someone screaming about a fire. He had sensed something was wrong immediately, and then the entirety of Luoyang erupted in flames and smoke. Even a fool could tell they had fallen into a trap, and it was clearly too late for him to retreat.

"Gongfu, Yigong, let's go!" Cheng Pu brandished his iron-spine serpent spear, his powerful aura directly suppressing the surrounding flames. However, he soon felt a wave of dizziness; the massive fire was consuming oxygen. For martial artists like them, the demand for oxygen was higher than that of normal people, and they felt the discomfort even sooner.

Huang Gai and Han Dang did not hesitate for a moment, charging straight behind Cheng Pu along the path where the flames had been suppressed.

"Quick, fight the fire!" Yuan Shao commanded his subordinates frantically. He had never imagined Dong Zhuo would be so insane as to set the imperial capital ablaze!

After the combined efforts of over a hundred thousand soldiers, they finally managed to control parts of the fire, but more than half of Luoyang had been burned. Looking at the ruins and the swirling smoke, Chen Xi felt the cruelty of this era for the first time.

"Sigh..." Chen Xi let out a long sigh. He had previously tried to see if he could summon rain from the heavens, but he couldn't sense even a hint of moisture in the sky. He could only watch helplessly as Luoyang was burned to ruins. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but he lacked the ability. The coalition of lords had the ability, but unfortunately, it wasn't his.

"Zichuan, can you understand how I feel right now?" Liu Bei's face was filled with grief and indignation after entering Luoyang. "This is the imperial capital! This is the capital of my Great Han Dynasty! How dare Dong Zhuo do this!" Liu Bei's soul-piercing roar echoed in Chen Xi's ears.

"Yes, this is the imperial capital, Luoyang. We do not have the strength to save them. Even if we had known in advance, it would have been useless. The coalition has the capability, but it is not ours. If Lord Xuande wishes to sweep across the world, do not think of relying on others. Only when power is held in your own hands can tragedy be prevented," Chen Xi said in a low voice.

"We are returning to Taishan Commandery immediately. I loathe their inaction. No matter how difficult it may be, I must save this Great Han Dynasty!" Liu Bei said solemnly, grasping Chen Xi's hand.

Generally speaking, this was the moment Chen Xi should have prostrated himself in loyalty. Instead, Chen Xi stared at his hand being held by Liu Bei with a look of disgust. Two grown men, pulling at each other in public—especially when one of them was himself...

Quietly withdrawing his hand, Chen Xi bowed to Liu Bei. "Lord Xuande, please wait two more days!"

On the other side, Sun Jian had fished a female corpse out of a well. On her was a silk pouch containing a box. Upon opening it, he found the Imperial Seal. Sun Jian's heart nearly stopped. He looked closer; it was indeed real. The seal was four inches square, engraved with five dragons entwined; one corner was missing, inlaid with gold; and it bore eight characters in seal script: "Mandated by Heaven, may he live long and prosper."

Sun Jian was shocked, not knowing where to put his hands. His body trembled uncontrollably, and he was so excited he nearly blacked out.

It was only then that Cheng Pu saw what was in Sun Jian's hands. He was startled at first, then overjoyed. "To survive such a disaster is a sign of great fortune! The Lord's luck has arrived! Heaven has bestowed the Imperial Seal upon the Lord; surely there will be a day when you ascend the throne. Lord, hide this treasure quickly. We must head to Jiangdong as soon as possible to plan for great matters!"

As he spoke, Cheng Pu's eyes flashed with a predatory intent as he scanned the soldiers behind them.

"These are all my confidants; they will not spread word. Let us return to Jiangdong quickly to plan our future!" Sun Jian looked at the six or seven soldiers behind him; they were all his personal guards, so he dismissed Cheng Pu's suggestion.

"Very well." After a moment of thought, Cheng Pu sighed and abandoned his idea, though he continued to observe the group closely.

Elsewhere, Liu Bei, accompanied by Chen Xi, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun, prepared to pay respects to the Imperial Tombs. Although they had become ruins, in the hearts of those loyal to the Han, this place still housed the ancestors who protected the dynasty.

Since these were considered martyrs, Chen Xi simply offered them a stick of incense before leading the three men in another direction.

"I'm counting on you guys. Grab as much as you can," Chen Xi said, pointing toward Cai Yong's house, which was engulfed in flames.

On the way, Chen Xi had explained the situation to the three: Cai Yong's house contained four thousand volumes of books. Their task was to plunder them. Forget about rare editions—just grab whatever is closest!

Chen Xi had completely misjudged the situation. Under the full exertion of these three, the surrounding fires were suppressed without any issue. His thoughts of fire rescue were a joke compared to these men's methods. They suppressed the flames with a simple technique: a slap, another slap, a left slap, a right slap, and finally an upward strike. Well, there was no air left...

"Hey, hey, hey! Second Master, what are you doing?" Chen Xi watched as Guan Yu tucked another scroll into his robe, having already tucked one away earlier.

"It is merely the *Guliang Zhuan*; there is no need for such fuss," Guan Yu said with a calm expression, showing no intention of taking it out. He then casually tucked Cai Yong's handwritten silk scrolls of the *Zuo Zhuan* into his robe as well.

"You're collecting the *Spring and Autumn Annals*!" Chen Xi muttered gloomily while organizing the slips. Not many had burned, as the fire was only set after the lords entered the city. About ninety percent of the four thousand volumes were preserved, though quite a few were charred.

Guan Yu glanced at Chen Xi, pulled out a copy of the *Gongyang Zhuan* annotated by Cai Yong, and began absorbing it on the spot. This was his only literary hobby. With the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, he could hold his own in a debate even against great scholars. The reason was simple: his family owned only one volume. If anyone spent over an hour every day for twenty years studying a single book, they would be able to shock anyone who spoke to them about it.

(End of Chapter)