Mythical Three Kingdoms

[Something doesn't seem quite right.]Zhuge Liang silently activated his Spiritual Talent, leveraging his intellect that surpassed a hundred, and began to think from the perspective of the Yizhou Army. Then, he activated Fa Zheng's ability to grasp human emotions and Jia Xu's deduction skills.

[The Yizhou Army cannot be purely a Military Spirit force; it must be a Legion Talent army. Their general, Yan Yan, can only be an Inner Qi Manifestation fighter with an Unbreakable Legion Talent. For such a dangerous scheme to work, Zhang Song, Zheng Du, or Liu Ba must possess a Spiritual Talent capable of analyzing military conditions, phenomena, and causality. Only then does this make sense.]

Zhuge Liang listened to Zhang Song's narrative while simultaneously piecing together the latter's abilities. As Zhang Song continued, Zhuge Liang's understanding of the Yizhou Army grew increasingly precise.

[Zheng Du seems focused solely on analyzing causality. As for Shiyuan, who once attempted to set fire but failed, it proves that Shiyuan is indeed plotting something.]Zhuge Liang instantly deduced when Zhang Song mentioned Pang Tong's prior misjudged attempt to burn the mountain, realizing Pang Tong indeed had schemes of his own.

[The one time Zhang Song and the other two were coincidentally present together—is it merely chance? It seems Shiyuan's Spiritual Talent truly can discern the talents of others. But what exactly is Shiyuan's talent?]

Zhuge Liang quietly analyzed. He was now essentially certain that Sunx Ce's defeat was genuine, but Pang Tong's intricate calculations were undeniable. Based on Zhuge Liang's understanding of Pang Tong, he knew Pang Tong would strike spectacularly when the time came.

[Since the defeat is real, it means either Shiyuan has planned an elaborate game of chess, or he was entirely crushed. Judging by the current situation, Shiyuan's sole entry point was extraordinarily coincidental, indicating he intends to sweep the board in one stroke.]

It could be said Zhuge Liang had deep insight into Pang Tong's character. With mere fragments of information, he could infer Pang Tong's plans.

[They've absorbed the over ten thousand soldiers relinquished by Shiyuan and even reallocated the city's garrison. This has obviously disrupted the army's organizational structure. It's likely that issues exist in command chains as well. While all of this has been masked by major victories, such conduct…]

Zhuge Liang bitterly smiled inwardly, finding himself speechless regarding Zhang Song, Zheng Du, and Liu Ba. Entrusting everything to an overarching victory—this was a precarious endeavor where the slightest mishap could turn all prior triumphs into fleeting illusions, precarious as a house of cards without anyone noticing!

"Assistant Officer Zhang, perhaps this matter isn't as straightforward. Pang Shiyuan is adept at employing risky strategies." Zhuge Liang hesitated to plainly state that all their moves fell right into Pang Tong's trap, essentially burying themselves alive. Instead, he subtly hinted at Zhang Song.

"Hahaha, Kongming, there's no need to fret about such trivialities. A mere whelp, even with a bit of cleverness, is far from being a threat." Zhang Song laughed heartily, directly refuting Zhuge Liang's hint, entirely disregarding his advice.

Zhuge Liang's pupils contracted slightly; Zhang Song's remark annoyed him. If Pang Tong was merely a whelp, then what did that make Zhuge Liang?

"Since Assistant Officer has his plans prepared, then I'll refrain from saying more." Zhuge Liang replied emotionlessly, his irritation with Zhang Song's dismissive attitude lingering.

"Heh heh heh." Zhang Song chuckled, showing little regard for Zhuge Liang's counsel, and began rambling again. Perceiving his advice falling on deaf ears, Zhuge Liang decided to remain silent.

It became apparent to Zhuge Liang that Zhang Song harbored subtle resentment towards him—resentment of someone young achieving a prominent official position. Zhuge Liang knew his own conjectures alone wouldn't convince Zhang Song, so he relinquished the idea of persuading him, prioritizing maintaining superficial harmony instead.

After engaging in casual conversation with Zhuge Liang, Zhang Song felt a sense of disinterest filling the exchange. Even his original intent to visit Mount Tai to meet Liu Bei diminished slightly. Zhuge Liang was simply too young yet too capable.

This was Zhang Song's impression: Zhuge Liang's strength was all-encompassing—astronomy, geography, cultural customs, military strategy, governance. Zhuge Liang's excellence left Zhang Song overwhelmed, feeling that aside from age and experience, he lacked any advantage over him.

This significant mental blow gave Zhang Song a sense of exhaustion, as though the years he'd worked toward his ambitions had been in vain.

With such thoughts arising, Zhang Song's aspirations toward Mount Tai likewise dimmed considerably. What he truly sought was a Mighty Lord, someone who could fully realize his talents. But upon encountering Zhuge Liang, he extinguished the idea altogether.

Zhang Song was the type who preferred to lead a smaller entity than be overshadowed in a grander one. Moving forward held no meaning if it merely repeated the past.

"Ziyi, take 5,000 troops to Yiling. Do everything you can; by the time you arrive, the Yizhou Army may already be defeated. Rescue them if possible; if not, retreat immediately." Zhuge Liang instructed Taishi Ci after watching Zhang Song's carriage depart.

"Has the situation truly become so grave?" Taishi Ci asked Zhuge Liang, not knowing him well enough to gauge the seriousness.

"It's likely worse than expected. The Yizhou Army has been infiltrated by Shiyuan's schemes, sowing widespread discord. Their foundation has already begun to crumble, and if my assessment is correct, Shiyuan will strike a decisive blow imminently." Zhuge Liang gazed calmly to the south, as though the battle he spoke of had already commenced.

After seeing off Zhang Song, Taishi Ci led an armored infantry force of 5,000 toward Yiling. Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang maintained his deliberate pace, advancing toward South Commandery with a Military Formation so unassailable it quelled any inclination to attack.

"Report, General! Our scouts spotted campfires left by Sunx Ce's Army three miles ahead!" A scout relayed to Yan Yan.

"Excellent! Full army, pursue!" Yan Yan roared, charging ahead, followed closely by his trusted aides, and then by waves of his soldiers stretching across miles.

"They're here!" Jiangh Qin murmured with a mocking smile. "From Yizhou to Yiling in a month, such impressive bravado! Care to wager we'll force them back to Jiangzhou within a month?"

Yan Yan led the charge straight into Yiling Valley, only to be met by a sudden rain of arrows. Far from being deterred, Yan Yan laughed wildly, shouting, "Sunx Ce, boy! At last, you dare to face me in battle!"

"Clang!" A streak of blue light struck Yan Yan's Long Spear. Moments later, waves of soldiers surged down the surrounding hills, their battle cries resounding. Observing their armor and demeanor, Yan Yan felt a chill in his heart.

"Yan Yan, Jiujiang's Jiangh Qin has been expecting you for a long time!" Jiangh Qin grinned as he forced Yan Yan back with a sword strike. He then bellowed, "Everyone, the time is now!"

"Now!"

"Now!"

"Now!"

The valley echoed with Jiangh Qin's roar. In an instant, ambush troops stationed across nearly ten miles sprang into action, converging from all directions with a deafening onslaught. The Yizhou Army, caught unprepared, descended swiftly into chaos. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read further.)