Chapter 102: Going into Battle, the Young General of Qu'a [Please Subscribe]

Outside the city, Dong Xi rested his heavy broadsword on his shoulder, glaring at the tightly shut gates, feeling utterly frustrated. "Didn't that rogue general claim he was going to ask for permission to fight? How long has it been? Why hasn't he come out yet?"

"Haha, he's probably too scared to show his face!"

"Hey! You soldiers on the wall, go summon your commander! You promised a duel—are you afraid? A true man doesn't fear death; a scar the size of a bowl is nothing to worry about!"

Dong Xi was seething, cursing the cowardice of his opponents. As his roars echoed repeatedly, the defenders on the walls whispered among themselves. Their morale was dampened, and a sense of stifled resentment grew. These people were truly insufferable; why wouldn't their own commander give the order to engage?

After the four generals took turns hurling insults for a long while, they finally retreated, deeply unsatisfied.

Back at the command tent, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were deep in tactical planning. Dong Xi strode in, complaining loudly, "My Lord, this Chu Feng is nothing but a name. We shouted beneath the walls for half the day. Some of his men were ready to fight, but he held them back!"

The other generals burst into boisterous laughter.

"My Lord, Chu Feng is as timid as a mouse. The world has exaggerated his reputation, claiming he has the strength of ten thousand men. In my view, he is not worth worrying about," Lu Fan added, cupping his hands.

"My Lord, given that child's martial prowess, I could cleave him in three strikes!" Ling Cao laughed, his eyes full of arrogance.

"My Lord, our soldiers' morale is soaring, while the garrison inside is listless. If we continue these challenges, within half a month, they will have no heart left to fight!" Lu Fan stepped forward again, bowing. "By then, our siege engines will be ready, and we can take the city in one stroke!"

As the others chimed in, the atmosphere was lively. Only He Qi remained silent. He remembered the rumors from the day his troops were routed—that Pan Zhang had been slain by Chu Feng in a single exchange. Though it was only a rumor, he couldn't be sure if it were true. If it were, he knew Pan Zhang’s strength; he was a fierce warrior, not inferior to himself. If such a powerhouse could be killed in one blow, then what did that make Chu Feng?

"Haha, Chu Feng is merely a paper tiger, not worth mentioning. Order the troops to work through the night to accelerate the construction of siege engines. Follow me, and we shall drive Chu Feng out of Wu Commandery in one fell swoop." Sun Ce waved his hand, laughing heartily.

Zhou Yu hesitated but kept his counsel. The troops' morale was high, and after all, Chu Feng's reputation was likely mostly rumor.

"Understood!" The generals agreed enthusiastically. They were eager to make their mark; Sun Ce was generous with rewards, and for those who risked their lives, promotions and riches were plentiful.

***

Half a month passed. The generals under Sun Ce had made challenging the Chu forces a daily routine, even turning it into a competition to see who could deliver the most creative insults. Sun Ce himself frequently led his commanders to the walls to further suppress the enemy's morale and boost his own, a tactic that proved remarkably effective.

The Sun Ce army was now brimming with fighting spirit. Conversely, the Chu troops, having been humiliated for two weeks without a chance to respond, were stifled and discouraged. Their morale had plummeted, and they had lost the will to fight.

***

Inside the command headquarters, Chu Feng slowly set down his military manual and stood up to stretch. He had reviewed the *Wei Liao Zi* once more and gained fresh insights.

"Where are the generals?" Chu Feng asked.

"They have all gone to drill the troops, I suppose," Xu Chu answered in a booming voice. The generals had been bottling up their frustration for a long time.

"Are the enemy commanders at the gates again?" Hearing the sound of war drums from outside, Chu Feng smiled, his mood quite good.

"Yes. It is said that Sun Ce is leading them himself," Xu Chu nodded, his voice tinged with reluctance. "My Lord, must we continue to cower like this?"

"Of course not!" Chu Feng said with a confident laugh. "Sun Ce's goal is to drive us out of Wu. When his army first arrived, they were united in purpose and fierce as tigers. If we had engaged them then, would we not have been at a disadvantage?"

"Go, summon the generals!"

"My Lord, are we finally going to fight?" Xu Chu was excited. He was a man of action, and being stuck behind Chu Feng reading books had been giving him a headache.

"The art of war states: 'The first drum rouses the spirit, the second falters, the third is exhausted.' Although Sun Ce’s men appear high-spirited, their momentum is actually waning. He has delayed the siege because he is waiting for his siege engines and earthen ramps." Chu Feng curled his lips into a smile. "Since that is the case, if we strike now and slay a few of his commanders, his army's morale will collapse instantly, leaving them unable to conduct a siege. Wouldn't that be better?"

"My Lord is... is... truly brilliant!" Xu Chu had wanted to flatter him like Liu Ye, but he forgot his words. He could only offer a muffled compliment, his eyes burning with anticipation. He respected Chu Feng more than ever.

Soon, the generals swarmed in, eager for battle. They had heard that Chu Feng was going to take them to fight Sun Ce, and they had long desired to cross blades with his commanders.

***

Chu Feng’s side was outnumbered in terms of generals; they only had Gan Ning, Zhao Fan, Li Feng, and Xu Chu, while Sun Ce likely had a dozen or more. It had to be said that Sun Ce was truly formidable, leaving behind a strong foundation for his brother, Sun Quan. Without that, given Sun Quan’s leadership ability, it would have been a struggle. Even so, Sun Quan failed to defeat Huang Zu for eight years. Had it been Sun Ce, Huang Zu would have been finished years ago.

Moments later, on the city walls, Chu Feng looked out. Using his system to inspect the enemy, he saw a line of second-rate talents, with a few reaching the first rank. Only Taishi Ci and Sun Ce truly stood out as top-tier.

Before Chu Feng could speak, Zhao Fan’s eyes locked onto Taishi Ci below. "General Taishi Ci, do you still recognize me?"

Taishi Ci frowned. The face was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"It's him!" Jiang Qin exclaimed.

"Gongyi, do you know this man?" Sun Ce asked in surprise.

"I remember now. My Lord, do you not recall? Years ago, when you were confronting Liu Yao, you were patrolling the enemy camp and happened to engage General Ziyi!" Cheng Pu frowned as he realized who it was. "The lone rider he led was this man. We mocked him that day, and Gongyi was no match for him; it took several of us to finally wound him. Because we were worried about your safety, we didn't pursue him!"

Taishi Ci suddenly remembered. He had indeed ordered men to ambush Sun Ce that day, but only this one youth had followed. No wonder he had struggled against Sun Ce for so long without reinforcements. He felt a pang of shame—he had fought against Sun Ce back then, and now he was serving him. More importantly, this young man had fought to the death alongside him and was nearly killed by Sun Ce’s men.

"General, let us put the past aside. Today, we serve different masters. Why not come out and fight, and we shall see who is the better man!" Taishi Ci pointed his spear forward and shouted.

"Then let us fight!"