Chapter 135: Rescuing Wen Chou

Therefore, Liu Xie knew very well what was about to happen here.

However, Liu Xie did not intend to make a move just yet; he kept to his usual approach.

He needed to strike at the most critical moment.

He wanted to inflict heavy losses on Yuan's army, while ensuring that Cao Cao's side would not have an easy time either.

Of course, historically, Wen Chou was destined to die right here.

Yet this time, Liu Xie would not allow him to die.

Just as Liu Xie had anticipated, exactly as expected.

Right when Wen Chou's subordinate cavalrymen were plundering the supplies, the Cao army suddenly stirred.

Over six hundred Cao soldiers abruptly mounted their horses and rapidly gathered together.

Then, they began to charge toward Wen Chou's position.

Such a sudden and unexpected situation caught Wen Chou completely off guard.

"Quick, everyone assemble!"

"Kill the Cao troops!" Wen Chou shouted at the top of his lungs.

However, his cavalry was scattered too widely, and quite a number of men had already dismounted.

To remount and form a combat-ready formation in such a short span of time was simply an impossibility.

Realizing this, the Cao soldiers on horseback disregarded everything else.

Catching the bandits meant capturing their leader first; they charged straight toward Wen Chou without a moment's hesitation.

Everyone knew that once Wen Chou was dead, the problem here would be completely resolved.

Before long, Wen Chou—failing to retreat in time—clashed with the Cao army, and a fierce battle erupted once more.

Simultaneously, the five to six thousand cavalrymen brought by Wen Chou began to be slaughtered.

In the blink of an eye, Wen Chou suffered a disastrous defeat, completely surrounded by a hundred-odd Cao soldiers.

No matter how frantically he fought, he could not break through.

Gradually, his strength failed him, and he was pushed to the absolute limit of his physical endurance.

"Right now, Zilong, Gao Shun, charge through and annihilate the Cao troops!"

Seeing that the timing was ripe, Liu Xie gave the order.

Immediately afterward, led by Zhao Yun and Gao Shun, the Shadow Wolf Guards charged out swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, the Shadow Wolf Guards had closed in on the Cao forces.

"What manner of men are you?!" Seeing the sudden appearance of the Shadow Wolf Guards, the commanding general of the Cao army barked loudly.

Yet the Shadow Wolf Guards paid no heed to such questions; they had only a single command.

And that was to slaughter the Cao troops.

Once again, the Shadow Wolf Guards surged into the ranks of the Cao army like a whirlwind.

Wherever they passed, cries of agony echoed endlessly, and with every sweep of a Shadow Wolf guard's spear, a life was reaped.

Within mere breaths, the numerous Cao soldiers who had surrounded Wen Chou were completely and utterly wiped out.

"Heroes, what... what manner of men are you?"

"For saving my life today, I, Wen Chou, shall surely repay this immense kindness in the days to come."

Exhausted to the point where he could no longer stand, Wen Chou forced himself to speak to the members of the Shadow Wolf Guards.

Yet none of the Shadow Wolf Guards spared him a glance, continuing their fierce, focused combat.

Over six hundred Cao soldiers had been completely annihilated in the span of a few winks.

The moment the final Cao soldier was slain, the Shadow Wolf Guards wheeled their horses around and vanished without a trace, just like a vanishing whirlwind.

Wen Chou shook his head, utterly bewildered and dumbfounded.

"What is the meaning of this? Who... who were these people?"

"Formidable, far too formidable."

At this moment, his condition was no better than Yan Liang's had been.

His face was etched with horror, hardly able to believe his own eyes.

Brilliant, these men were truly too brilliant.

Thus, in the span of just a few days, the Battle of Baima and the Battle of Jinan had both been disrupted by Liu Xie leading the Shadow Wolf Guards.

In truth, the actual losses suffered by the Cao army in these two battles were not particularly heavy.

At the Battle of Baima, the Cao army had merely lost a few thousand cavalrymen.

As for the Battle of Jinan, it was merely a matter of over six hundred ordinary soldiers.

While Cao Cao had not sustained catastrophic losses, Yuan Shao, on the other hand, had successfully preserved his strength.

One must remember that in history, during these exact two battles, Yuan Shao's two prominent generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, had both perished.

It was precisely because Yuan Shao lost these two formidable generals that he eventually forfeited several tactical advantages at the decisive Battle of Guandu.

Now, Liu Xie's intervention had preserved the lives of both Yan Liang and Wen Chou.

Consequently, the subsequent situation became much easier to manage.

Within days, the news from Jinan finally reached the city of Baima.

Upon learning of these developments, Cao Cao's camp exploded with fury once more.

"They actually went to Jinan!"

"What on earth are they trying to accomplish? Are they attempting to assist Yuan Shao?"

Cao Cao was consumed by rage.

Both of their military campaigns had been utterly ruined by these Shadow Wolf Guards.

"My Lord, this subordinate believes that these Shadow Wolf Guards do not appear to be assisting Yuan Shao."

At this juncture, the accompanying strategist, Cheng Yu, stepped forward and spoke softly.

"What? Not helping Yuan Shao?" Hearing this, Cao Cao gradually regained a measure of calm.

"Indeed, My Lord. If we analyze the matter closely, had the Shadow Wolf Guards truly been aiding Yuan Shao—"

"Firstly, during the incident at Baima, this subordinate observed that there seemed to be no communication whatsoever between them."

"When the Shadow Wolf Guards launched their assault upon us, it felt to this subordinate as though they were intentionally driving us away."

"Secondly, regarding the situation at Jinan, rumor has it that the Shadow Wolf Guards retreated at lightning speed the moment the battle concluded."

"As for our provisions and baggage, they did not touch a single item."

"Furthermore, from the moment of their arrival until their departure, they never once exchanged a single word with Wen Chou."

"Therefore, this subordinate concludes that their intention is likely not to aid Yuan Shao."

"If this subordinate's guess is correct, I believe their true aim is to balance the scales of war."

This Cheng Yu was historically renowned as one of Cao Cao's five primary strategists, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with luminaries like Guo Jia, Xun Yu, Jia Xu, and Xun You.

Judging by appearances now, Cheng Yu was indeed an exceptionally astute individual.

His words laid bare Liu Xie's entire strategy and the very objective of his journey here.

Although Cao Cao was deeply angered and furious, upon calming down and reflecting on the matter, he realized it made complete sense.

"Indeed. If the Shadow Wolf Guards came here simply to help one side, it would yield no benefit to them."

"Only by balancing the situation and letting Yuan Shao and myself lock horns in a struggle between two tigers could they reap the fisherman's profit from the sidelines."

Before long, Cao Cao comprehended the true purpose behind the appearance of the Shadow Wolf Guards.

However, the one thing neither of them anticipated was that this mobilization of the Shadow Wolf Guards did not merely involve the guards alone.

Rather, Liu Xie was personally leading the expedition.

Because Cao Cao had not caught sight of Liu Xie among the Shadow Wolf Guards during the Battle of Baima, he had naturally assumed that Liu Xie had not accompanied them this time.

In reality, throughout the two battles since their arrival here, the reason Liu Xie had kept a low profile and refrained from fighting alongside the Shadow Wolf Guards was precisely for this purpose.

Cao Cao did not know he had also come to the front lines with the guards.

Since Cao Cao remained unaware, it was best to keep him in the dark.

Liu Xie intended to foster precisely this illusion.

By doing so, he could manipulate the course of the Battle of Guandu entirely from the shadows.

Yet, contemplating the prospect that the entire campaign might be dictated by the Shadow Wolf Guards left a bitter taste in Cao Cao's heart.

"My Lord, are you considering... eliminating the Shadow Wolf Guards?"