Chapter 627: The Yellow Turbans' Last Stand
Chapter 627: The Yellow Turbans' Last Stand
September 25, 2017
Jiuzhou, Juelu, Guangping City.
After Lu HaiKong secured Guangping and formed the Wuyuan Legion, he had been relatively idle for the past four days.
Even with his newfound leisure, Lu HaiKong had no intention of leading his army to Juelu to seize control. Instead, he patiently awaited his moment to enter the fray.
Lu HaiKong was well aware that his moment to take the stage would be when it was time to deliver the final blow to Zhang Jiao.
Lu HaiKong wasn't the least bit concerned about Zhang Jiao fleeing; from the very beginning, he knew that Zhang Jiao wouldn't and couldn't escape!
By now, Lu HaiKong had a good grasp of the Yellow Turban Rebellion's plot. After careful study, he realized that while the Yellow Turbans' story could be altered, and perhaps even significantly, the power to change the narrative still lay in the hands of the Mystics.
In other words, even formidable figures like Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang might merely be playing the role of bosses in this particular storyline.
Despite their independent thoughts and formidable powers, they seemed to be controlled by an unseen force within the narrative. Although they could display impressive abilities, they didn't seem to have much impact on advancing the plot.
For instance, when Zhang Jiao attempted to use his powers to influence and change the narrative beneath Ye City, guiding the Yellow Turban Army towards a brighter path, his ultimate move was immediately countered by purple lightning from the heavens, knocking him to the ground.
Similarly, during the Battle of Guangping, when Lu HaiKong slew Zhang Liang, Zhang Jiao made another forceful appearance, only to be struck down again by several bolts of purple lightning before he could even unleash his ultimate move.
In Lu HaiKong's view, these consecutive incidents seemed to indicate that some force was controlling the direction of the narrative, perhaps in the name of maintaining balance.
Despite Zhang Jiao's humiliating defeats on both occasions, the fact that he was forcefully interfered with twice raised the question of whether, as an NPC, he possessed the ability to alter the narrative and maintain the system's so-called balance.
Zhang Jiao might have had this ability to some extent, but it was evidently insufficient, as evidenced by his repeated humiliations.
To Lu HaiKong, it was clear that Zhang Jiao was being tightly controlled, unable to act freely even with his immense power. This led Lu HaiKong to believe that Zhang Jiao was being manipulated to become the final boss of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, a challenge for the Mystics.
The tragic fate of a figure as powerful as a god or immortal left a deep impression on Lu HaiKong.
There were undoubtedly deeper implications to ponder, but Lu HaiKong only took his thoughts this far without delving deeper. He knew that if he continued down this path, he might find himself entangled in a deep vortex.
At this point, Lu HaiKong didn't want to consider any more complexities. He was simply waiting for his moment to strike, to slay Zhang Jiao, eliminate potential hidden dangers, put an end to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and then lead his army back to Bingzhou, where he had much work to attend to without the luxury of lingering here.
Lu HaiKong's moment soon arrived. As Dong Zhuo was on the verge of capturing Juelu, Lu HaiKong, as a Mystic of the Great Han Army, received the final task related to the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
The Yellow Turbans' Last Stand
Task Type: Storyline Mission
Mission Briefing: After months of turmoil since the outbreak of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, it has finally reached its last stand. However, the Yellow Turban leader, Zhang Jiao, refuses to accept his heavenly fate and intends to defy the heavens. Please eliminate Zhang Jiao.
Rewards: One Mythical Chest, 50 million Great Han Army Merit Points, three random mission rewards, and ???
"Here it comes!"
Upon receiving this Yellow Turban-related task, Lu HaiKong sprang into action.
.................................................
As Lu HaiKong began his mission, on the other side, Dong Zhuo and his men anxiously waited outside the Governor's Mansion in Juelu, anticipating the emergence of Lu Bu and his companions.
True to the Mystic's words, at midnight, Lu Bu and his party effortlessly entered the Governor's Mansion.
However, once inside, the mansion reverted to its previous state, and no one else could get close.
Two hours had passed since Lu Bu and his group entered the mansion, and there had been no sound from within. It was as if Lu Bu and the others had vanished into thin air.
This eerie situation left Dong Zhuo and his men deeply concerned.
In truth, Dong Zhuo was already starting to regret his decision. A single Zhang Liang had been enough to challenge three Lu Bus, and although Lu Bu and his companions had entered as a group of five, according to their intelligence, Zhang Jiao was already severely wounded and near death. But what if the old man mustered a final, desperate counterattack?
After all, Dong Zhuo had only a handful of top-tier warriors under his command. If they all perished inside, Dong Zhuo wouldn't even have a place to shed tears.
But worrying was futile, as they couldn't enter either, and could only wait anxiously outside.
They waited for four to five hours, until the sky began to brighten at dawn, when the Governor's Mansion finally showed signs of activity. Dong Zhuo, who had been awake all night, immediately became alert upon seeing this situation.
A moment later, the main doors of the Governor's Mansion opened, and Lu Bu and his group emerged from within.
"How are you all? Did anything happen?"
As soon as Dong Zhuo saw Lu Bu and his group come out, he hurriedly approached them. However, his first question wasn't about their progress in the strategy, but rather a concerned inquiry about their well-being.
Seeing Dong Zhuo's worried expression and sincere gaze, Lu Bu and the others were touched, but also somewhat perplexed. It seemed they didn't understand Dong Zhuo's concern, completely unaware of what he was worried about.
Dong Zhuo didn't pay much attention to this, and after seeing that his five trusted generals were unharmed, he finally relaxed.
At this moment, Li Ru on the side noticed something amiss and directly asked, "Gentlemen, what's the situation inside?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Bu and the others exchanged glances, but surprisingly, none of them could provide a clear explanation.
In a 6-9-1-9-1-9-1-9 version!
"We just entered for a short while, and we haven't fully understood the situation inside yet. After opening a door, we all came out without knowing why."
Lu Bu, looking bewildered, explained that they had only been inside for about ten minutes, but somehow, the sky had already brightened when they came out. Moreover, they had almost no recollection of what happened inside, only remembering that they had opened a door and then inexplicably exited.
The situation inside was incredibly bizarre, and Lu Bu clearly couldn't explain what he had experienced. However, it didn't matter, as Li Ru was still there.
When he realized that Lu Bu and the others couldn't provide a clear account, Li Ru took the initiative to question them about their experiences, carefully piecing together fragments of their memories.
However, Li Ru discovered that Lu Bu and the others seemed to have completely forgotten what happened after entering the Governor's Mansion. In the five hours that passed, they only remembered a few minutes, and even those memories were fragmented and devoid of information.
Upon learning of this situation, Dong Zhuo and Li Ru couldn't help but feel a chill down their spines. After all, such a method was indeed a bit too bizarre, and it even erased their memories.
Although Lu Bu and the others had forgotten what they experienced, their physical conditions suggested that they had undoubtedly engaged in combat. All five of them bore signs of battle, and Zhang Ji even had a few wounds, clearly indicating a fierce struggle.
However, Lu Bu and his group had forgotten what they had gone through, and even Li Ru, as intelligent as he was, couldn't deduce anything from these marks or the limited information they had.
One thing was certain: Zhang Jiao had not been slain by them. In other words, Dong Zhuo's first operation had ended in failure.
Although Dong Zhuo had prepared for the possibility of failure before sending them, he hadn't anticipated such a completely mysterious and confusing defeat.
Looking at Li Ru's furrowed brows and the anxious expressions of Zhang Ji and Fan Chong, Dong Zhuo shook his head. "Alright, let's go back for now. Everyone has been tired for a whole night. Go and rest, and we'll discuss this later. It seems we can't be rushed, but that Zhang Jiao won't be able to escape from the Governor's Mansion. I don't believe that he has the power to reach heaven and earth, and his Yellow Turban Army was defeated so badly!"
As a leader, Dong Zhuo demonstrated his competence by swiftly stepping forward to calm everyone's emotions during this moment of confusion.
Subsequently, under Dong Zhuo's orders, their first attempt at the strategy came to an end.
Dong Zhuo and his generals directly returned to the military camp and then sent people to seal off the Governor's Mansion.
After returning, Li Ru, who had also been awake all night, didn't waste any time. He sprang into action, on one hand searching for the mystic and capturing high-ranking Yellow Turban Army prisoners to gather information.
Li Ru was eager to take down the Governor's Mansion. In his eyes, Lu HaiKong in Guangping was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. He wanted to capture Zhang Jiao directly when Lu HaiKong arrived.
However, despite Li Ru's haste, his efforts in the morning yielded no results. When he returned to the military camp, exhausted, he saw Dong Zhuo waiting with a grave expression.
Seeing Dong Zhuo's face, Li Ru's heart skipped a beat, and a possibility flashed through his mind. His expression changed, and he asked, "Your Highness, is there any news from Lu HaiKong?"
Dong Zhuo's face darkened, and after a moment of silence, he nodded.
"According to the intelligence I received, they set off yesterday, and based on their marching speed, they are estimated to arrive in Julu this afternoon!"
(End of Chapter)
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