Chapter 134: Heading to Yanjin

"Furthermore, you mean to say that all these men belong to His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Indeed, Liu Xie?" Yan Liang confirmed the matter once more.
"Yes, General, we have all heard about this."
"It is said that the original eighteen Wolf Shadow Guards were brought out of Xuchang by the Emperor himself."
"Afterwards, he led these very eighteen men to carve out the present Jing Province, Yi Province, and Jiao Province."
The soldier spoke again.
Yan Liang nodded with an intensely solemn expression.
"It seems we are not needed here."
"We are heading back."
Before leaving, he cast a deep look at these men clad entirely in black, each radiating a powerful aura—the Wolf Shadow Guards.
He had to admit that their strength was formidable, truly formidable.
He even caught himself wondering what it would be like if he could command such a cavalry force.
How magnificent that would be.
Yet the thought was dismissed almost as soon as it arose.
He could tell that their combat prowess was extraordinary, immensely superior.
In fact, it was highly likely that any single one of the Wolf Shadow Guards, if singled out, could easily surpass him, Yan Liang.
Proud though he was, Yan Liang possessed self-awareness.
He knew clearly that these men were beyond his control and incapable of being commanded by him.
He could scarcely imagine what kind of extraordinary figure it would take to lead an army of this caliber.
Yan Liang departed with his subordinates.
Meanwhile, the battle ahead continued.
The moment Cao Cao recognized these men as the Wolf Shadow Guards, he immediately ordered a retreat with his men.
He was well aware of the capabilities of the Wolf Shadow Guards.
They were a force that could face tens of thousands of his troops without the slightest bit of fear.
Yet now, he had fewer than ten thousand lightly equipped cavalrymen by his side.
They were simply no match for them.
Realizing the grim situation, Cao Cao led his soldiers in an immediate retreat toward Baima City.
Zhao Yun and Gao Shun led the Wolf Shadow Guards in relentless pursuit.
However, when they reached a location not far from Baima City, they came to a halt.
"We cannot pursue any further; our objective has been achieved."
"Through this charge, Cao Cao's light cavalry has suffered devastating losses."
"According to the Emperor's directive, the losses inflicted upon Cao Cao must match those of Yan Liang."
"Let us go and rendezvous with the Emperor."
Having reached an agreement, Zhao Yun and Gao Shun reined in their horses and turned back.

Just like that, the Wolf Shadow Guards swept through like a whirlwind.
They arrived in a tempest of fury, cutting down Cao's forces as autumn winds scatter fallen leaves.
By the time Cao Cao, having retreated into Baima City, recovered his wits, the Wolf Shadow Guards had already vanished without a trace.
He originally intended to dispatch scouts to gather intelligence on the Wolf Shadow Guards.
Yet alas, they seemed to have dissolved into thin air, leaving behind no trace whatsoever.
"What is going on? What on earth is happening?"
"Why would the Wolf Shadow Guards appear here? Weren't they supposed to be in Jing Province?!"
Inside Baima City, the mere thought of what had just transpired left lingering terror in Cao Cao's heart.
The sudden appearance of the Wolf Shadow Guards filled him with deep anxiety.
He knew their strength all too well.
If the Wolf Shadow Guards chose to intervene in future conflicts, they would prove to be an agonizing headache for him.
"Go! Send men to keep watch on the Wolf Shadow Guards; you must keep your eyes on them!"
"I care not what methods you employ, you must track down their whereabouts."
"Remember, once found, do not engage them—simply observe."
He decided that keeping a close watch on the Wolf Shadow Guards was imperative.
Even if he lacked the means to completely eradicate them at present, keeping a vigilant eye on them would at least help avert future disasters.
However, the report he received from his subordinates afterward left him deeply disappointed.
Despite searching diligently for a prolonged period, they failed to uncover even the faintest trace of the Wolf Shadow Guards.
In truth, at that very moment, the Wolf Shadow Guards were indeed no longer anywhere near Baima City.
Right as the Battle of Baima concluded, they had already reunited with Liu Xie and were pressing forward toward Yanjin.
This was what Liu Xie called fast-paced warfare.
To strike and vanish completely before the enemy could even react.
And similarly, to launch a fatal blow while the adversary remained utterly oblivious.
"Zilong, Gao Shun, you both performed admirably this time."
"Remember, this is rapid warfare; do not afford the enemy a single opportunity to recover."
"Resolve the battle before the enemy even realizes what is happening, and then vanish entirely."
"For the upcoming engagements, I will assign your tasks, but I shall not operate alongside you."
"Do you understand my intent?"
Racing along the road toward Yanjin, Liu Xie gave his final instructions.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, your subordinate understands!"

"Swift combat, executing one's assigned task precisely, and ignoring everything outside of that objective."
Gao Shun was quite intelligent; after all, the Trap Camp he had commanded for so long was essentially an ancient version of special forces.
It was merely that Liu Xie had now retooled and upgraded his Trap Camp further.
"Precisely, that is the exact meaning."
"Push forward to Yanjin as quickly as possible, or Yuan Shao's side will suffer yet another crushing defeat."
Liu Xie urged his troops forward with utmost urgency.
Even Liu Xie himself found it difficult not to view Yuan Shao as somewhat incompetent after uttering those words.
The two preliminary campaigns leading up to the Battle of Guandu—the Battle of Baima and the Battle of Yanjin—had both ended in utter, dismal failure.
Fortunately, Liu Xie was now present to salvage the situation to some degree.
In reality, Liu Xie's actions were not motivated purely by a desire to help Yuan Shao.
From another perspective, he was aiding himself as well.
As long as Yuan Shao's strength could be preserved to some extent, he would prove a much more formidable opponent when facing Cao Cao in the future.
If Yuan Shao and Cao Cao exhausted each other in a life-and-death struggle at Guandu, Liu Xie would secure ample time to further develop his territories in Jing Province and elsewhere.
After several days of continuous forced marches, they finally arrived at Yanjin.
The so-called Battle of Yanjin was, in truth, quite an intriguing affair.
It was a major conflict sparked entirely by grain and provisions.
To put it simply, it began as a series of skirmishes following the encounter between Cao's army and Yuan Shao's forces.
By the time they arrived, they discovered that Yuan's army and Cao's army were already heavily entangled.
Yuan's general Wen Chou was leading five or six thousand cavalrymen scattered across the field, transporting and plundering supplies.
Meanwhile, Cao's army appeared remarkably disorganized and panicked.
From the look of things, anyone would conclude that Wen Chou held an absolute advantage.
Perhaps only Liu Xie knew the truth.
This was, in reality, merely a deliberate ruse orchestrated by Cao's forces.
Cavalry could only unleash its maximum destructive potential when charging together as a concentrated mass.
Yet currently, almost all of Wen Chou's cavalrymen were scattered in disarray.
If Cao's dispersed soldiers suddenly regrouped and launched a concentrated assault on a single point, the outcome would be unpredictable indeed.
And in truth, that was precisely Cao Cao's plan.
The historical Battle of Yanjin had followed this exact blueprint, and Wen Chou had perished precisely because of it.