Chen Xi looked at Tao Qian, with his graying hair and frail figure supported by a cane as he came to greet Liu Bei, and sighed quietly. Time spares no one.
"Greetings, Lord Tao," Liu Bei said, bowing along with Chen Xi and the others.
"There's no need for such formalities, Xuande," Tao Qian replied, his body hunched as he leaned on his cane, returning Liu Bei's gesture as he had done years ago at the Battle of Hulao Pass.
Though he seemed like a candle flickering in the wind, he still retained the blood of a warrior. Perhaps the recent killings had rekindled memories of those fierce battles, despite his body no longer being able to keep up.
"Lord Tao," Liu Bei said, reaching out to support him, clearly sensing that Tao Qian did not have much time left.
"Hahaha, no need," Tao Qian laughed, though there was a distinct sadness in his voice, the kind that comes with the twilight of a hero's life. "Come with me. You, Chen Zichuan, I recognize. And this must be the strategist who planned the trap for Cao Mengde, Jia Wenhe."
"Wenhe greets Lord Tao," Jia Xu said calmly as he bowed.
"Xuande, let your Danyang soldiers camp outside the city with your troops. You and your advisors come with me," Tao Qian said, nodding at Jia Xu before addressing Liu Bei. This was an obvious sign that he intended to hand over military control to Liu Bei.
"Lord Tao, you should see a physician," Liu Bei suggested, supporting Tao Qian while giving Hua Tuo a meaningful look.
"No need. I know my own body well enough. Saying it's terminal wouldn't be an exaggeration. I once thought Cao Mengde and I shared the same ideals, but alas..." Tao Qian's voice trailed off, clearly disappointed. Yet compared to when Cao Cao shattered his beliefs, he had clearly come to terms with it.
"Wenhe, don't you think something seems off?" Chen Xi whispered. "Even though Tao Qian has taken out most of the disobedient families in Xuzhou, it shouldn't be this quiet. Apart from the guards from the Tao family, Chen Deng, and a few of Tao Qian's retainers, there are barely any other families here."
"If Lord Tao were to die now, who would benefit the most, and for whom would it be the biggest problem?" Jia Xu muttered as he gazed at the city walls of Xiapi.
"You mean someone might be plotting to kill Tao Qian at this moment?" Chen Xi frowned. If Tao Qian were to die now, Liu Bei could still take over Xuzhou, but his reputation would suffer, and it would give many people an excuse to act against him.
"Don't worry. I've made arrangements. With Zilong and Zhongkang by his side, not even a rain of arrows could harm Lord Tao," Jia Xu said calmly. "Although I don't know who's stirring the pot behind the scenes, this could be an opportunity for us."
Although the conversation between Chen Xi and Jia Xu was whispered, and they were some distance from Zhao Yun and Xu Chu, both men had sharp ears. Upon hearing Chen Xi's concerns, they subtly moved closer to Liu Bei.
With a sudden "thunk," several large, black bolts were fired toward Tao Qian and Liu Bei. Zhao Yun and Xu Chu immediately intervened, using their internal energy to deflect the projectiles. Zhao Yun then drew his sword and leaped toward the city wall, but as he was in midair, a rain of arrows descended on him and the group below.
"Zilong, be careful!" Liu Bei shouted, finally realizing what was happening.
Zhao Yun swiftly moved several feet in midair, dodging all the bolts. Then, with a sweep of his sword, he sent a flurry of sword light toward the soldiers operating the ballistae, killing them instantly.
Chen Xi casually opened his folding fan and waved it at the incoming arrows, creating a gust of wind that redirected many of them. The remaining arrows were deflected by Xu Chu, who swung his large sword, knocking them down.
Then Xu Chu charged at the black-clad troops emerging from the city gate. With powerful, sweeping strikes, he cut down dozens of them, disregarding their tight formations. The Tiger Guards followed, swiftly defeating the assassins and capturing several after killing nearly a hundred.
Jia Xu picked up one of the arrows, frowning as he examined the dark blue tip. "Poisoned—lethal stuff. But this isn't what I expected. I knew something would happen, but this isn't how I predicted it."
Inside the gate, a hidden Taoist, along with Zuo Ci's disciple Ah Zui, quietly observed the battle, silently assessing the strength of Liu Bei's forces.
The Taoist couldn't hide his excitement as he realized he might have found a way to restore the honor of his fellow "immortals."
After carefully considering the forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, the Taoist decided against further testing their strength for now.
With one last glance at Zhao Yun, he withdrew his gaze and, with Ah Zui, quickly vanished from sight.
"Zilong, are you hurt?" Liu Bei asked, inspecting Zhao Yun as he descended from the city wall.
"I am unharmed," Zhao Yun replied calmly, though he slightly furrowed his brow, sweeping his internal energy across the city gate as if sensing something amiss.
"Apologies for the disturbance, Xuande," Tao Qian said, unfazed by the assassination attempt. Instead, he even managed a playful comment. However, a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he spoke. The families of Xuzhou really didn't understand the situation. Whether or not they had been provoked into action, Tao Qian, who had already accepted his impending death, had no intention of showing mercy. "Xuzhou is plagued with troublemakers—no matter how many we kill, there are always more."
With that, Liu Bei and Tao Qian, seemingly indifferent to the recent assassination attempt, calmly led their entourage towards the government office in Xiapi.
"Wenhe, what were you saying earlier?" Chen Xi asked as they followed behind.
"Something isn't right. This situation is vastly different from what I predicted, which means someone else is pulling the strings. But if they've intervened, why stop after just probing us? It doesn't make sense," Jia Xu replied, his expression darkening.
"If it were Cao Mengde or Yuan Benchu, they wouldn't be satisfied with such a half-hearted attempt. What's the point of this? This attack feels more like a test than an assassination," Li You whispered.
"Let's not dwell on it too much. We can pin this on Cao Mengde and move on. We'll create the conditions we need—just eliminate a few more of these families," Chen Xi said calmly. "We don't need to fixate on this incident. Sometimes, it's better to let things slide than to insist on making a point."