Chapter 65

The next day.

Great Virtuous Teacher Zhang Jiao sent one of his disciples to teach Zhao Futu the art of talismans. What made him feel rather depressed was that he had to learn it bit by bit on his own. He spent an entire week and only managed to learn one talisman, the one that the Yellow Turban Warrior had given him to drink, the "Celestial Master Talisman - Healing."

There were still seven and a half days left until the end of the spatial battlefield. At this rate, Zhao Futu could learn at most one more talisman.

Zhang Jiao was slightly unwell, and few people had seen him during this period. The other contractors were acting on their own, searching for possible missions within the Yellow Turban Army. After the Han army's two consecutive major defeats, their morale was completely shattered. They retreated to the banks of the Yellow River, waiting for reinforcements from other regions. On the fourth day, new news came from Wan City. Due to the presence of contractors, Wan City was captured early by Sun Jian, leading to a major defeat of the Yellow Turban Army. Han Zhong was killed in battle, and the historical generals who appeared were Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Huang Gai.

After Wan City was captured, Grand General He Jin ordered the army to march north. Huang Pu Song led his troops across the Yellow River to join the defeated forces.

In this battle, the Han camp aimed to completely defeat Zhang Jiao in Ji Province and eliminate the core forces of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in one go. When the army marched north, the historical generals who appeared included Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Sun Jian, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Liu Yan, Zhu Jun, Gong Sun Zan, and Bao Xin. It was said that due to the presence of contractors, a mighty general using a halberd appeared early on the Yellow Turban battlefield. Whether this was the legendary Lu Bu, who was known for his unparalleled bravery, was still unconfirmed. Lu Bu should still be under Ding Yuan's command, but if a contractor interfered, it might be possible to bring out this world-class hero early!

Time passed day by day.

The number of contractors in the Yellow Turban Army's camp gradually decreased, and in the end, only a handful of five or six remained.

Many contractors disappeared without a trace after completing their missions. Some contractors who did not receive missions also quietly left the Yellow Turban Army's camp over the next few days and never appeared again.

The saying "When a person leaves, the tea cools" could not be more fitting!

Zhao Futu still remained in the Yellow Turban Army's camp. Although he knew that the Yellow Turban Rebellion was destined to fail, he chose to stay until the end of the spatial battlefield. The Han army had gathered the defeated soldiers, claiming to have 120,000 troops, and was now advancing toward Julu under the command of Grand General He Jin. At the same time, Yellow Turban generals such as Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang, and Bo Cai also led their troops to support, and in a short time, more than 300,000 troops gathered in the small city of Julu!

The battle that would determine whether the Three Kingdoms world would follow the historical path was about to begin!

...

Days passed, and Zhang Jiao did not summon Zhao Futu again. The Yellow Turban Army's camp was silent, filled with the tension before a major battle. There was still one day left until the end of the spatial battlefield, and the Han army had already entered the territory of Julu. Zhang Jiao realized that this battle would decide the fate of the Yellow Turban Army. He concentrated the elite forces under Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang, preparing to fight a decisive battle with the Han army!

Most of the contractors had already left.

At this point, there were no more contractors offering advice to Zhang Jiao, and there were no more strategies to use.

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian!

The three most powerful figures of the Three Kingdoms era had gathered, and they were now less than fifty miles from the Yellow Turban Army's camp. Facing these three dominant figures of the Three Kingdoms era, most contractors would feel overwhelmed.

Zhao Futu was also at a loss.

The Han army's lineup was simply too terrifying!

Not to mention the incredible leaders of Shu, Wei, and Wu—Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian—even the likes of Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Liu Yan, Dong Zhuo, and Gong Sun Zan were enough to make one's hair stand on end!

In comparison, the Yellow Turban Army had almost no notable figures besides the three brothers Zhang Jiao, Zhang Bao, and Zhang Liang.

...

The battle began the next day. Zhao Futu stood on the walls of Julu to watch the battle, and the contractors who had entered the Yellow Turban Rebellion battlefield also observed from various vantage points.

History had reached a decisive moment!

The two armies faced each other, and a Han general challenged the Yellow Turban Army. Zhang Bao's deputy, Gao Sheng, came forward to meet the challenge. After more than fifty rounds of combat, neither side could gain the upper hand. A black-faced general in the Han army seemed to grow impatient. He roared and charged out, wielding a ten-foot-long spear, directly heading for the two generals who were locked in combat. Grand General He Jin frowned, and Liu Bei, standing in a corner of the camp, also looked uneasy.

A mighty general from the Han army came to assist, and a Yellow Turban general, Bo Cai, also rushed out to help. The black-faced general roared, and his ten-foot-long spear created a fierce wind, sweeping away Gao Sheng and Bo Cai, who were both killed on the spot!

The Yellow Turban generals were shocked, and the Han generals were also surprised!

The black-faced general, seemingly not satisfied with the kill, rode alone to the front of the Yellow Turban Army's 200,000 troops, shouting insults. Countless arrows were shot at him, but he simply waved his ten-foot-long spear, creating a whirlwind that deflected all the arrows! Concerned that the black-faced general might be in danger, another world-class hero with a ruddy face emerged from the Han army's main camp, wielding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, shouting, "Third Brother! Don't be rash!"

With the general killed, the Yellow Turban Army's morale plummeted.

In the Han army's camp, a man in strange attire immediately advised Grand General He Jin, "The Yellow Turban Army's morale is low; we should take advantage of this to crush them!"

Cao Cao, Sun Jian, Yuan Shao, and others also advised to take advantage of the situation to crush the enemy. Thus, the Han army's flanks advanced, and the main camp also pressed forward. Although their numbers were far fewer than the Yellow Turban Army, their offensive was unstoppable! From the start of the battle, the Yellow Turban Army was in a state of complete collapse. In the center, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Yuan Shao, and Dong Zhuo led the charge, and no Yellow Turban general could match the three brothers. They cut through the ranks, and the Yellow Turban Army was in disarray.

On the right flank, Sun Jian, Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Liu Yan led the charge. Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong, broke through Zhang Liang's main camp, and his personal guards fought to the death to protect him, allowing him to break out of the encirclement. However, Zhang Liang was severely wounded by Sun Jian and Huang Gai, and when he was brought to Zhang Jiao's camp, he was barely alive.

On the left flank, Cao Cao, Zhu Jun, Huang Pu Song, and Gong Sun Zan led the charge. A mighty general skilled with dual long swords charged through the ranks, his prowess rivaling that of Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. Cao Cao led elite infantry directly into Zhang Bao's main camp. Soon, a thick fog rose from Zhang Bao's camp, causing chaos among the combatants. Then, a roar came from the fog, and Cao Cao emerged, holding a severed head and covered in blood, shouting, "Zhang Bao is dead!"

...

In the Yellow Turban Army's main camp.

Zhang Jiao's tent was in chaos, and the barely alive Zhang Liang was carried in. His chest was completely torn open, and part of his lungs were exposed. Such injuries were beyond medical help, and he had only managed to survive this long through sheer willpower!

"Third Brother!" Zhang Jiao's face was pale, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.

His hair was disheveled, and he wore a yellow turban, having lost his former elegance and instead exuding a fierce aura. He looked at the barely alive Zhang Liang with deep sorrow.

When Zhang Liang heard Zhang Jiao's voice, he regained a bit of consciousness. His eyes showed a glimmer of life, and he weakly raised his hand to touch Zhang Jiao's hand. His lungs were pierced, making breathing difficult, and he had no strength left, but he used his last bit of energy to grip his brother's hands, speaking with great effort, "The... Heavens... are dead!..."

"The... Yellow... Heavens... shall..."

His hand fell weakly, and Zhang Liang stared at his brother, his breathing gradually stopping.

—"No!!!"

Zhang Jiao roared to the sky!

A fierce wind suddenly arose, tearing the tent to shreds, and the nearby Yellow Turban soldiers suffered heavy casualties!

"The Heavens are dead! The Yellow Heavens shall rise!"

Zhang Jiao muttered, slowly closing Zhang Liang's eyes. Tears streamed down his face, but they were tinged with blood. His face grew paler, and his hands clenched into fists, blood dripping from his palms. He knelt before Zhang Liang's body, burying his head in his knees, and let out a mournful howl like a wild beast!

They were different from Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. They were three brothers born of the same mother, who had worked tirelessly in Ji Province for over a decade to help the sick and needy. His two younger brothers had followed him through hardships, never marrying or having children, and remained loyal to the end.

Brothers fight tigers together!

Fathers and sons fight in battle!

But today, only he remained!

"Destiny!?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!!!..."

Zhang Jiao, covered in blood and with disheveled hair, laughed wildly to the sky, "Is this destiny!?... Is this destiny!?... Ha ha ha ha ha!!!..."

"If heaven wants me to perish, then I shall perish!!!"

Zhang Jiao stood up and looked at his shocked disciples. A strange energy seemed to envelop him, and the sunlight around him was absorbed as if by some substance, and visible black mist emanated from his body.

His pale face had no color, and his eyes, once bright, were now filled with madness!

He tore off his yellow turban and, speaking to his disciples, said, "Open... the altar!"

With that, he rose from the ground, walking in mid-air toward the central altar.

A piece of yellow turban fell to the ground, carried by the wind.