Chapter 49

The sound of hooves broke Yuan Fang's train of thought. He looked up and saw Zhu Ling riding towards him.

"Did I just hear from the soldiers that you fought two enemies alone and defeated Liu Bei, even killing Tian Kai?" Zhu Ling asked in surprise.

Yuan Fang smiled faintly. "Just a stroke of luck."

Upon receiving Yuan Fang's personal confirmation, Zhu Ling couldn't help but be greatly amazed, marveling at how Yuan Fang's martial arts had advanced to such a level.

After all, Tian Kai's martial arts were on par with Gong Sun Xu, while Liu Bei's martial arts were similar to his own, both having reached the initial stage of the Condensation Membrane realm.

These two generals, when working together, not only failed to defeat Yuan Fang but were also killed or forced to flee by him.

Such a feat was something even Zhu Ling himself might not have been able to achieve.

"Truly, you are a genius of heaven, your talent in martial arts is something I have never heard of." Zhu Ling clasped his hands in admiration.

Yuan Fang's current martial arts had already reached the initial stage of the Condensation Membrane realm, his strength almost on par with Zhu Ling.

Just half a year ago, he was only at the initial stage of the Fragmentation realm. In just a few months, he had advanced several levels to match Zhu Ling's strength.

Not only Zhu Ling, but anyone would consider Yuan Fang a martial arts genius.

Of course, they didn't know that Yuan Fang's rapid progress in martial arts was due to his bio-enhanced body, which allowed him to train tirelessly without fear of injury.

Yuan Fang wasn't arrogant, but he smiled and said, "If it weren't for Wen Bo's gift of the Tiger Step Fist cultivation method, I wouldn't have made such progress. I must thank you, Wen Bo."

"I dare not accept such praise." Zhu Ling hurriedly clasped his hands in refusal and added, "With your current strength, my Tiger Step Fist is already inferior. If you want to advance further, you will need to learn a higher-level cultivation method."

Yuan Fang nodded slightly. Indeed, he felt that the Tiger Step Fist had greatly helped his martial arts in the early stages, but recently, the improvement had slowed down.

As Zhu Ling said, to advance further, he needed to learn a more advanced martial art.

"Progress in martial arts cannot be rushed. For now, focus on cleaning up the battlefield and let the soldiers rest a bit. Then we will head to the Bohai region and take Qingzhou while Liu Bei is still reeling." Yuan Fang said calmly.

"Understood!" Zhu Ling clasped his hands in response.

After tallying the losses, Yuan Fang found that this battle had brought him significant gains.

In this battle, nearly 5,000 enemies were killed, and about 5,000 more were captured. Adding the 3,000 troops captured from Gong Sun Xu earlier, Yuan Fang had captured nearly 8,000 troops in total.

With these 8,000 troops, Yuan Fang could greatly expand his army, significantly increasing his strength.

Of course, integrating and reorganizing these 8,000 captured soldiers would not be accomplished overnight. Yuan Fang ordered them to be sent to the rear, to the city of Pingyuan, for gradual absorption.

In addition to the captured soldiers, a vast amount of military equipment and flags were also seized.

More importantly, by killing Tian Kai, Yuan Fang had left the forces of Gong Sun Zan in Qingzhou leaderless, making it easier for him to sweep them away one by one.

Yuan Fang then organized the spoils of war, rewarded the meritorious soldiers, and after a brief rest of less than two days, the army set off eastward, following the defeated troops of Liu Bei, heading straight for the Bohai region.

As Yuan Fang advanced deep into the heart of Qingzhou, news of his great victory spread quickly.

The great victory at Gaotang and the death of Tian Kai not only shocked the people of Ji Province but also stunned the warlords along the two rivers.

If Yuan Fang's surprise attack on Gaotang had only initially established his reputation among the people of Ji Province, then his defeat of the Qingzhou army and the killing of Tian Kai had truly solidified his standing in the hearts of the people of Ji Province.

Despite still considering Yuan Fang of low birth, people could not deny his strength and were deeply impressed by it.

Some were elated, while others were troubled. Yuan Fang's growing fame did not please everyone.

In Shangdang, Bing Province.

In the hall of the administrative city of Changzi, the air was thick with the smell of wine and meat, as a grand celebration was underway.

"If it weren't for the wise leadership of the Third Young Master, how could we have captured Shangdang? I raise a toast to the Third Young Master."

"The Third Young Master truly lives up to being the legitimate son of our lord, embodying his style and wisdom. We are all in awe."

"We are fortunate to follow the Third Young Master; otherwise, we would not have had the chance to achieve such merit. Let us all raise a toast to the Young Master."

...

The generals below the dais were toasting Yuan Xi, their praise and flattery more intense than the wine in their cups.

Yuan Xi, seated at the head of the table, accepted the flattery of his subordinates, drinking cup after cup, his ruddy face glowing with satisfaction.

While Yuan Shao was engaged in a fierce battle with Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army in Changshan, Yuan Xi took advantage of the weakened Black Mountain forces in Shangdang and, at the cost of 3,000 soldiers, finally captured the administrative city of Changzi.

After six months of repeated setbacks, Yuan Xi, with great effort, finally opened the door to Bing Province.

This banquet was to celebrate this achievement.

"Fang, the bastard, the Black Mountain bandits are keeping my father busy. With Shangdang broken, who can stop me from capturing Bing Province? You, the bastard, are blocking me for Tian Kai and Gong Sun Zan, but you will ultimately lose to me, hehe~"

Yuan Xi played with his wine cup, growing more and more satisfied, his confidence, which had been repeatedly shaken, finally restored. He drank heavily, feeling extremely pleased.

In the midst of the joy and satisfaction, a scout rushed in and knelt before the drunk and elated Yuan Xi.

"Report to the Young Master, an urgent message from Qingzhou. A few days ago, the Second Young Master defeated the Qingzhou army outside Gaotang and killed the enemy leader, Tian Kai."

Clang~

Yuan Xi's wine cup, which he had just raised to his lips, fell from his hand, spilling wine all over him.

The generals who were drinking heartily fell silent instantly, their faces filled with shock and surprise.

Yuan Xi leaped up, rushed down the dais, and snatched the silk scroll from the scout, reading it anxiously.

His face grew increasingly grim, his lips twitching, his veins bulging, his eyes widening as if they might burst.

The hall was deathly silent, the generals looking at Yuan Xi with panic.

"Bastard!"

Suddenly, Yuan Xi roared in anger, tearing the silk scroll to shreds.

This violent act clearly confirmed the news.

The hall erupted in chaos.

The generals were momentarily stunned, staring at each other, their faces etched with disbelief.

Tian Kai was no ordinary figure; he was the second-in-command under Gong Sun Zan, surpassing even Dan Jing in status and strength.

Such a seasoned general, who had fought many battles, was easily killed by Yuan Fang, a weak and useless person.

How could the generals in Yuan Xi's faction not be shocked and puzzled?

"Get out, all of you, get out!" Yuan Xi roared, shouting at the generals.

The generals were startled and hurriedly left, fearing they might anger Yuan Xi.

After the generals left, Yuan Xi's anger gradually subsided.

At this moment, his trusted general Jiang Qi entered the hall with a serious expression.

Jiang Qi, who had just returned from outside, was unaware of what had happened in the hall. Seeing the feast end in such a manner, he was momentarily stunned.

After a moment, Jiang Qi stepped forward and bowed, speaking in a low voice, "Young Master, according to the reports from our spies in Pingyuan, it seems that a few days ago, Miss Zhen Mi personally went to Pingyuan to visit Yuan Fang."

Yuan Xi, who had just calmed down, was suddenly shaken, as if pricked by a needle, his expression changing dramatically.

"How is that possible? Are you sure it was Zhen Mi?" Yuan Xi asked urgently.

Jiang Qi nodded. "It should be correct. The spy reported that Yuan Fang personally escorted Miss Zhen Mi out of the city, and many people saw it."

Instantly, Yuan Xi felt dizzy and disoriented, as if struck by a heavy blow, the pain making it hard to breathe.

His face turned red, his eyes filled with bloodshot, and he trembled with anger.

His expression was as if he had just learned that his woman was secretly having an affair with another man, filled with shame and rage.

"Bastard, you dare to secretly seduce my woman. I will kill you, I will definitely kill you!"

Yuan Xi, in a fit of rage, gritted his teeth and let out a furious roar.