Chapter 17: Using Fists to Reform You

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After listening to the explanation from the Deputy Commander, Gongsun Zan suddenly understood. Without a word, he handed half of his troops over to Liu Bei, indicating his willingness to let Liu Bei manage the local affairs while he had urgent matters to attend to in the rear. He entrusted the entire matter of campaigning against Dong Zhuo to Liu Bei.

Having handed a portion of his troops to Liu Bei, Gongsun Zan tendered his resignation to Yuan Shao and led his five thousand White Horse Volunteers back to Youzhou. He intended to make the barbarians understand that looting would be met with death!

Upon receiving this news, Dong Zhuo followed Li Ru's suggestion to appoint Gongsun Zan as the General Who Guards the North, precisely to keep Liu Yu in check. However, he did not transfer Liu Yu back to Luoyang, likely intending to use Liu Yu's prestige to restrain Gongsun Zan. Furthermore, since there were many points of friction between a military force and a civil administration—especially when military suppression encroaches upon political affairs—the clandestine activities were far more destructive than overt sabotage.

With eight thousand infantry and cavalry in hand, Liu Bei felt much more confident. It had to be said that the Youzhou soldiers, who had seen blood and fought barbarians in the northern frontier, were far superior to the conscripted laborers drafted from the Central Plains.

In his haste to leave, Gongsun Zan left all his infantry behind, leaving only a thousand of the elite White Horse Volunteers to Liu Bei to maintain appearances. After all, suppressing the barbarians in the north relied more on cavalry; every extra rider meant more pressure on the enemy.

"General Gongsun has left, then. Truly a man of decisive action," Chen Xi remarked with a sigh. He had left so quickly that Chen Xi hadn't even woken up yet, and no one had come to rouse him. He felt he should have at least seen this wealthy patron off; such a generous benefactor was rare even in later generations.

With Gongsun Zan gone, he had entrusted his authority to Liu Bei. Consequently, Liu Bei, who already possessed some degree of influence, suddenly found his voice amplified, and more importantly, his strength bolstered.

In the following days, under Yuan Shao's command, the allied forces continuously attacked Hulao Pass. Unfortunately, no matter how much Yan Liang and Wen Chou exerted themselves, they could not take the pass. Even when the Second Brother and Zhang Fei joined the fray, it had little effect. Xu Rong calmly held off the five hundred thousand allied troops, making everyone realize that individual martial prowess sometimes cannot resolve a battle, even if you can single-handedly kill ten thousand...

"Zichuan, how much longer do you think it will take us to take Hulao Pass?" Liu Bei asked, standing at a distance gazing toward the pass.

"As long as Xu Rong doesn't leave, don't even dream of taking Hulao. The man on the opposite side is the most likely to become a great commander under Dong Zhuo, and he seems to possess some special techniques," Chen Xi said somewhat helplessly. Xu Rong was indeed very strong; after all, in history, he had once defeated Cao Cao in a duel. Relying solely on the passion of the allied forces, it was truly difficult to overcome Xu Rong, who held the advantage of terrain.

"Sigh, what a pity to see such a fine general go to waste." Liu Bei's appreciation for talent awakened once again, prompting Chen Xi to roll his eyes.

"But don't worry, that fellow will soon be transferred to the rear. Our offensive will eventually force Dong Zhuo to come to Hulao to command personally. This time, Lord Xuande will witness the greatest warrior under heaven," Chen Xi said, looking at Xu Rong standing below the city gate. He could sense that the coordination among Xu Rong's soldiers was far superior to that of the allies. Even a master like Second Brother Guan could be surrounded by a dozen elite soldiers and targeted by dozens of arrows, even sustaining injuries in the process.

[Ah, as generals become stronger, the soldiers become stronger as well. The importance of battle formations and ranks is constantly magnifying. Once a formation is broken, a top-tier warrior like Second Brother might be able to crush a force of ten thousand alone; but if the opponent's formation and ranks are intact and their commanders are excellent, even Second Brother might fall under the siege of a few hundred soldiers!]

As Chen Xi gazed at Hulao Pass, he organized the information he had recently gathered. In this world, the power of battle formations, ranks, and collective units was amplified, just as the effectiveness of generals was. If used well, a commander leading a hundred men could crush an army of ten thousand.

"Sigh, 'the greatest warrior under heaven'—such a massive title. If someone dared to claim it, they would surely face endless trouble. I am quite interested to see how the greatest warrior under Dong Zhuo's command wins the people's respect," Liu Bei shook his head. He was interested in the title Chen Xi kept mentioning, but he did not necessarily accept it. It wasn't that Liu Bei lacked worldly experience, but rather that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were truly terrifyingly strong; even so, neither Guan Yu nor Zhang Fei felt confident enough to claim the title of the greatest under heaven.

"Wait a little longer, Lord Xuande will find out soon. By the way, has General Hua Xiong's injury healed?" Chen Xi changed the subject. He no longer wanted to dwell on the title of the greatest warrior. Lu Bu's strength was beyond doubt; at least for now, even the combined strength of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei could not take him down.

"General Hua was beaten by my younger brother again. He is probably still lying in the rear camp," Liu Bei shook his head and picked up Chen Xi's thread, not continuing the discussion about the greatest warrior. He had a great deal of patience with Chen Xi.

"Beaten again..." Chen Xi said, speechless.

Hua Xiong had already woken up. He felt no resentment about losing to Guan Yu; that strike, which felt like it came from a god, was etched into his memory. However, despite his defeat, the awakened Hua Xiong had no intention of surrendering. In his words, Dong Zhuo had shown him kindness, and if he were to die, so be it. As for the wrongs Dong Zhuo had committed, those were Dong Zhuo's business; whether to be loyal or not was his own business. He was ready to face whatever punishment came his way!

Good heavens, this speech nearly beat the life out of Guan Yu, who had volunteered to persuade him to surrender. The naturally blunt Guan Yu was so angered that his face turned red.

Since words could no longer move Hua Xiong, Guan Yu felt he should use his most specialized method to "persuade" him: whoever has the bigger fist is right. Guan Yu decided to use his fists to persuade Hua Xiong...

Since it was meant to be "persuasion," and Guan Yu sought the greatest possible understanding, he naturally released his restraints on Hua Xiong. After a fierce brawl, Hua Xiong was beaten down, but through this encounter, Hua Xiong also discovered that this man who had floored him with three strikes did not seem much stronger than himself.

To Hua Xiong, the power he had faced on the battlefield earlier was completely irresistible. The power he faced now, while also very strong, felt distinctly like something he could contend with.

Consequently, Hua Xiong naturally attributed his previous defeat to his own carelessness and Guan Yu's sneak attack, making him even more defiant. He was then subjected to continuous "persuasion" via Guan Yu's fists.

However, it was obvious that no matter how many times Guan Yu knocked him down, Hua Xiong would grit his teeth and keep fighting.

By now, Guan Yu had completely acknowledged this brute from western Guanzhong. Based on his loyalty alone, Guan Yu had accepted him. Blind loyalty—especially loyalty to the wrong person—easily earns the favor of righteous men like Guan Yu. Because of this, although Hua Xiong never surrendered, he was treated to fine wine and food by Guan Yu, though he still received his daily dose of "physical persuasion."

(End of Chapter)