Chapter 146: Evacuating the Mountain Area

Everyone looked extremely excited, and what they expressed was completely identical.

They all felt that once their current injuries healed, they would become even stronger.

Similarly, Zhao Yun and Gao Shun shared the exact same feeling.

"What our brothers said is right, we now have the exact same feeling too."

"Your Majesty, just give the order, what should we do now?" Gao Shun and Zhao Yun had also gained immense confidence.

Liu Xie wore a calm and faint smile. "Next, let's rest first."

"I give everyone ten days. Within ten days, get your injuries healed as much as possible."

"After ten days, it will be time for us to leave."

"Ah, leave?" Liu Xie's words startled everyone.

"Yes, our purpose in coming here has been achieved."

"It won't be that easy for Cao Cao to defeat Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao won't be able to defeat Cao Cao either."

"Let them fight among themselves; we are going back to prepare for our own affairs."

Indeed, once Cao Cao secured victory in the Battle of Guandu, his sphere of influence would inevitably expand vastly.

When that time came, he would definitely march south to Jingzhou to deal with them.

And the time interval between these events would not be very far.

The most representative example of this was the Battle of Red Cliffs.

The Battle of Red Cliffs was a crucial campaign for Cao Cao to plot against the south.

In history, the time gap between the Battle of Guandu and the Battle of Red Cliffs was relatively long.

But now it was hard to say. Liu Xie's arrival in this world had thrown many things into chaos.

The historical sequence was gone.

Therefore, Liu Xie suspected that the timing of the Battle of Red Cliffs might be brought forward much earlier than in history.

Before that happened, Liu Xie had to be fully prepared.

Otherwise, the situation would turn out very unfavorable when the time came.

Thus, after finishing matters here and returning to Jingzhou, it was still quite necessary.

For the next ten days, everyone practically stayed inside this mysterious cave every day.

They never went outside once.

And the Cao army never tracked them down either.

Liu Xie knew very well that it wasn't that the Cao army couldn't find them, but rather that they hadn't found this place yet.

The more than twenty thousand Cao troops basically moved collectively, all searching in one single direction.

They would not split up.

Therefore, it was very difficult to find this place.

However, finding this place was only a matter of time; given enough time, it would definitely be discovered.

Of course, Liu Xie did not need that much time.

He only needed ten days. After ten days, as long as the Wolf Shadow Guard members had recovered most of their strength,

he wouldn't care about the rest anymore.

As the Wolf Shadow Guard completely vanished from sight, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, and Xu Chu in the Cao camp were all filled with doubt and bewilderment.

"What is going on? Where are their people? It's as if they have completely vanished."

"We can't find them anywhere," Xu Chu said with a puzzled expression.

With equally stern expressions, Cao Hong and Xiahou Yuan shook their heads. "Where on earth could they have fled?"

"So many of them were injured, just where could they possibly escape to?"

"Could it be that they are hiding somewhere to recuperate from their injuries?"

"Or perhaps, they have already left this place?"

They made curious guesses without the slightest clue.

As time ticked away, however, they soon discovered something.

"General, we've found traces of the Wolf Shadow Guard."

"They are hiding inside a huge cave, and we've found their horses."

A soldier ran over in a rush to report.

"Oh? So they've all gathered together in one place, no wonder we couldn't find them."

"Quick, lead us there at once. This time we must wipe them all out!"

Hearing news of the Wolf Shadow Guard, everyone regained their vigor.

Over the past month or two, they had been driven to utter distraction by the Wolf Shadow Guard.

Now that they had found clues regarding the Wolf Shadow Guard, they naturally intended to deal with them thoroughly.

Shortly after, Xu Chu and the others quickly reorganized their army and headed toward the cave where Liu Xie and his men were located.

Meanwhile, Liu Xie, still inside the cave, had already received word of the Cao army's movements.

"Your Majesty, the Cao army is on the move. What should we do?"

"Over twenty thousand of them are all coming," Zhao Yun reported hurriedly.

Yet Liu Xie appeared unhurried and unperturbed, without the slightest trace of tension.

"Order the brothers, we are getting ready to set out."

"I have already mapped out the retreat route. Tell the brothers to fall back according to our plan."

Having entangled with the Cao army for more than two months, it was now time for them to leave.

If they kept fighting, the strategic balance of the Battle of Guandu would be thrown off.

Over seven hundred Wolf Shadow Guard soldiers had largely recovered their strength during these past ten days.

Although most of them had not fully healed, it was no longer an impediment.

Their primary mission this time was retreat, not combat.

Their pressure would be much less on this occasion, meaning they wouldn't need to engage in prolonged battles.

By the time they had everything fully prepared, the Cao army was no longer far from them.

Very quickly, the Cao army spotted them.

"Found them! We've found them! They are right there, quick, give chase!"

Upon spotting the Wolf Shadow Guard, Cao Hong immediately ordered the main force to charge forward.

"Gao Shun, Zilong, lead the severely wounded and retreat. The lightly wounded will cover the rear. Fall back!"

Liu Xie shouted his command, and everyone mounted their horses to begin a rapid retreat.

Behind them, over twenty thousand Cao troops pursued fiercely.

For a time, a fierce chase erupted across the mountainous terrain.

However, every Wolf Shadow Guard soldier rode a fine steed, and coupled with the escape routes Liu Xie had prepared in advance,

it was extremely difficult for the Cao army to catch up.

By the time they broke out of the valley, the pursuing Cao army had long since been shaken off into the distance.

Yet, just as they emerged from the mountainous region, Liu Xie encountered people he never expected to see.

It turned out to be Wen Chou.

Wen Chou was leading an army of over thirty thousand troops marching toward this direction.

"The Wolf Shadow Guard! That's the Wolf Shadow Guard!"

Leading the army, Wen Chou pulled on his reins and came to a halt in sheer excitement the moment he laid eyes on the Wolf Shadow Guard.

They saw the Wolf Shadow Guard galloping wildly across the distant plains.

Judging by their trajectory, they were heading right across their front.

"Well, General, shall we make a move?" A deputy beside Wen Chou stepped forward to ask.

"Make a move my foot! The only reason I'm alive today is because those people saved me," Wen Chou snapped irritably, rebuking him.

Wen Chou still held a favorable impression of the Wolf Shadow Guard.

After all, it was the Wolf Shadow Guard who had rescued him from the Battle of Yanjin.

Although Liu Xie and his men also noticed Wen Chou and his forces, they had no intention of stopping.

Instead, they continued to lead the Wolf Shadow Guard in a swift dash toward the south.

Watching the Wolf Shadow Guard thunder past them in a blur,

Wen Chou and his men simply stood and watched quietly, as if they were spectators at an equestrian show.

Draped entirely in black attire and mounted on black steeds, each of them appeared remarkably mysterious and dashing.