Chapter 143: Perhaps Your Wife Can Defeat Me

"General Liu," Yu Jin said, cupping his fists as he watched Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei approach.

"Yu Jin, what are you afraid of like a blockhead?" Zhang Fei sneered, casting a look of utter contempt, as hundreds of spearmen and shield-bearers were deployed around Yu Jin.

Yu Jin frowned, showing a hint of displeasure.

Beside them, Sun Ce looked at the trio and warned, "Chu Feng's valor is unmatched. How can you speak of him without fear?"

Having personally crossed swords with Chu Feng, Sun Ce knew all too well how terrifying the man was. If it were the younger version of himself, he probably would have charged in to pick a fight with Chu Feng eight years ago. But now, even if you gave him double the courage, he wouldn't dare.

He had no desire to fight Chu Feng.

Damn it, that man was simply not human.

"Hmph, that only shows your incompetence. Just watch as my second brother and I take his head," Zhang Fei said with a cold snort, gripping his long spear in absolute confidence.

"Third brother, show some respect!"

Liu Bei reprimanded him, then turned to Yu Jin, cupping his fists. "General Yu, my third brother is hot-headed; please pay him no mind."

"That Chu Feng is indeed formidable, but his forces are not invincible. A little later, the three of us will join forces to fight Chu Feng, and General Yu can seize the opportunity to split his army."

Hearing Liu Bei out, Yu Jin nodded and said, "Rest assured, General Liu, I will create the tactical opening for you to surround and annihilate Chu Feng. But we must do it quickly."

Liu Bei did not need to be reminded of this.

As the commander of the central-van, he naturally had a sharp grasp of battlefield opportunities.

"Then I thank you!"

"Second brother, third brother, follow me to capture and kill Chu Feng!"

With that, Liu Bei whipped his horse forward, leading Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to meet the enemy.

---

In the blink of an eye, the three brothers closed in.

On the battlefield, Chu Feng was leading his elite cavalry in fierce charges, cutting down enemy generals and seizing banners along the way. Yet, he could distinctly feel the mounting pressure imposed by Yu Jin.

This man truly possessed a brilliant tactical mind for military formations.

Before being flooded out at Xiangfan by the waters of the Han River, his reputation as Cao Cao's premier general outside the clan was entirely well-deserved.

Glancing left and right, Chu Feng searched for a breakthrough point.

He could not afford to drag this out; if he did, his entire force would be worn down and destroyed.

As his gaze swept the field, he spotted the approaching trio of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei in the distance. Liu Bei wielded his twin swords, his long arms dangling as his expression turned gloomy.

Flanking him, Zhang Fei had wide, bulging eyes and a ferocious visage, while Guan Yu's face was the color of a heavy jujube, standing nine feet tall with a pair of crescent-moon eyebrows. Stroking his two-foot-long beard and dragging his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Guan Yu radiated an air of supreme arrogance.

Chu Feng frowned slightly. Though he had previously corresponded with Liu Bei through letters, this was genuinely his first close-range encounter with the man, who possessed unfathomable depths of scheming.

Without his own intervention, it wouldn't be long before Liu Bei betrayed Cao Cao, plunging the newly pacified Xuzhou back into the flames of war—though that was a matter for the period leading up to Guandu.

As he pondered, Liu, Guan, and Zhang arrived.

Behind the three of them followed two dozen elite guards.

"Chu Chu, lead the heavy cavalry to charge straight toward Yu Jin's center army. Do not stop; you must pierce through their formation at all costs," Chu Feng said, his pupils narrowing.

He knew clearly that Liu, Guan, and Zhang were here to pin him down.

Both Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were peerless fierce generals of this era, and when brothers fought in unison, their combat prowess skyrocketed. He must never let his entire army become bogged down on his account.

"Lord, the valor of Guan and Zhang is no less than Lü Bu's. I will stay behind to fight alongside you," Xu Chu said, gripping his heavy saber with a somewhat nervous expression.

"Hmph, I don't think much of Guan and Zhang. Hurry and attack Yu Jin; he is skilled in troop deployment, and we cannot let him split our forces," Chu Feng commanded with absolute confidence in his tone.

Xu Chu sighed in frustration and had no choice but to lead his men in a continued charge, knowing full well that if the elite cavalry ever stopped and were surrounded by infantry, certain death awaited them.

The three brothers reined in their horses and came to a halt.

Glances met, and the atmosphere grew subtle.

"Chu Feng, taking your life right now is as easy as reaching into a pocket for my three brothers. I advise you to dismount and surrender immediately, lest you blame the three of us for bullying you with superior numbers!" Liu Bei rebuked angrily.

"Heh, hahaha!"

Chu Feng laughed, throwing his head back and roaring with laughter.

"Hmph, what are you laughing at?" Liu Bei demanded.

"Liu Bei, I laugh at your sheer arrogance. Do your three brothers alone think they are qualified to make me taste defeat? Perhaps if your two wives joined forces, they might have had the ability!"

"Though it has been but a few months since we parted, I miss them dearly. When I return to Shouchun, I must certainly pay a visit to your two wives to seek their 'instruction' once again."

Chu Feng laughed heartily, dropping a bombshell straight away.

Liu Bei's chest heaved with instant fury. Was this Chu Feng not going too far, hurling such filthy, insulting remarks right to his face?

"Oh, right, that Lady Gan was truly marvelous in bed, and Lady Mi even bluntly declared that Xuande, you are far too lacking—what a complete waste of two delicate beauties."

"If Xuande marries again in the future and needs any help, I would be more than happy to oblige," Chu Feng chuckled, intentionally provoking him.

His objective was crystal clear: to goad Liu Bei into entering the fray personally.

Although Liu Bei was currently unattached, Chu Feng was well aware of his charismatic pull. Unlike Cao Cao, Liu Bei was not one for misplaced benevolence; getting rid of him today would be the best possible outcome.

With a man like this breathing, there was no telling how much longer the realm would remain in chaos. Rather than letting that happen, it was better to lay a trap and execute him today to eliminate future trouble.

There was no helping it; Liu Bei was no ordinary man.

His reputation for virtue spread far and wide among the common people, and relying on his benevolence, he had garnered the assistance of many figures throughout the world. Yet, at the same time, this man was supremely hypocritical.

That hypocrisy was reserved for the lords.

Take Cao Cao, for instance at the present moment. Cao Cao wholeheartedly nurtured and trusted him, only for Liu Bei to turn on him with a vicious counterattack later on, leaving Cao Cao filled with everlasting regret for not listening to Guo Jia and Cheng Yu.

Later, when Sun Quan sought to seize Yizhou, Liu Bei's performance reached its peak. He declared that since he and Liu Zhang were both of the imperial Han clan, if Sun Quan were to take Yizhou, he would do this and that...

It was spoken with such righteous indignation.

And yet, turning right around, Liu Bei led his own men to sack Liu Zhang's ancestral home.

One had to bear in mind that Liu Zhang had been wining and dining Liu Bei with the utmost hospitality. But what about Liu Bei? A polite facade masking dark intentions, his sole purpose for entering Shu from the very beginning had been Yizhou itself.

Of course, from Chu Feng's perspective, Liu Bei was still not ruthless enough. A true leader should never be plagued by indecision; he should have seized Liu Cong's foundation back in Jingzhou.

In future generations, both the blind worshipers and the bitter detractors of Liu Bei were equally sickening. To fight for hegemony over the empire meant using every means at one's disposal—that, to Chu Feng, was the only natural course of action.

Yet the Liu-apologists constantly babbled about how noble Liu Bei was, whitewashing every single thing he did, even managing to spin the usurpation of Liu Zhang's lands into something entirely justified.

In a word: impressive!

Listening to Chu Feng's words, even with a capacity for tolerance as vast as the sea, Liu Bei was enraged beyond measure, feeling as though a lush green meadow had sprouted atop his head.

This Chu Feng was an irreconcilable enemy.

Only by cutting him into a thousand pieces could he vent the hatred burning in his heart.

"Insulting my eldest brother—you are courting death!"

Guan Yu's narrow eyes flashed with a murderous glint. Stroking his beard and dragging his blade, he charged forward, determined to hack Chu Feng to pieces with his own hands.

Zhang Fei also rolled his bulging eyes, whipping his horse forward in a burst of uncontrollable fury, eager to join forces with Guan Yu to slay Chu Feng.

Watching the charging duo, Chu Feng narrowed his eyes, slowly rotating his halberd as the blade gleamed with a chilling edge. A single thought flashed through his mind:

He had to find a way to lure Liu Bei into the fight.

He and Liu Bei were already locked in a mortal struggle; given the chance, he would never let this man go.

Feign weakness.

Yes, feign weakness.

Chu Feng knew that Guan and Zhang covered for each other. Even if he could triumph over them, it would be difficult to trap and eliminate both. Instead of that, he might as well trick Liu Bei into taking the bait.

And at that moment, Guan Yu was already upon him.