Chapter 89

The news spread in all directions;

No one could have anticipated that Cao Cao would suddenly pass away at this moment, which would undoubtedly have a fatal impact on the current situation.

Although Cao Cao had long been cultivating Cao Ang, how could Cao Ang possibly stabilize the situation swiftly?

And if even Cao Cao could not fully reverse the current decline, how much less could Cao Ang?

Gu Chen and Liu Bei could never let go of this opportunity.

For them, they were now just one step away from completely unifying the realm.

The thirteenth year of Jian'an, second month;

Liu Bei officially led his army to capture Yangzhou;

He encountered almost no significant resistance; wherever he marched, most surrendered at the mere sight of his troops.

This move did not significantly affect the realm.

Anyone could see that the Cao clan now displayed the same decline as the Yuan clan once had.

At the same time, Zhuge Liang had not forgotten to strike at Jiangdong.

He had truly absorbed the essence from the Gu clan.

He did not choose to launch direct military action; instead, he completely suppressed Liu Bei's intentions, unwilling to let Jiangdong unite against a common enemy at this moment.

He merely continued to incite internal conflicts within Jiangdong, further draining its strength.

At the same time, Gu Chen had already entered Yanzhou.

Including Zhang Liao of Jizhou.

Only now did Cao Ang fully realize how dire the Cao clan's situation truly was.

Even though many aristocratic families still supported the Cao clan.

But it was like trying to quench a fire with a cup of water.

Under the overwhelming tide of fate, only someone like Gu Xi could defy heaven and attempt to reshape destiny with sheer personal strength.

Cao Ang was already quite outstanding.

His ability to swiftly take up Cao Cao's burdens and gain recognition from countless aristocratic families proved that.

But what of it?

Even if he were as bold and ambitious as ever, even if he were filled with resentment—what could it change?

He ultimately could not alter any of this.

Perhaps due to his youth, Cao Ang refused to remain passive, allowing Gu Chen and Liu Bei to slowly devour all that Cao Cao had left behind.

He needed a great victory;

The Cao clan needed a great victory!

Just one great victory would be enough to turn the tide.

Even if he could not utterly destroy Gu Chen and Liu Bei, it would be enough to stabilize the hearts of the four quarters and stall their offensives.

Naturally, the ministers all rejected this idea.

Gu Chen was a man even Cao Cao could not overcome—how could Cao Ang possibly deal with him?

But Cao Ang's resolve was firm.

He mobilized and armed his troops within Yanzhou, even adopting Cao Ren's old strategy of having his soldiers consume the Five Stone Powder.

He personally traveled daily across the land, surveying terrain.

He exhausted every last ounce of his ability.

All just to defeat Gu Chen once.

——Yet, the outcome was entirely expected.

Someone like Gu Chen never suffers the same defeat twice.

The Five Stone Powder indeed made his soldiers forget fear and become fiercely courageous.

But for Gu Chen,

dealing with men who had lost their reason offered far too many methods.

As for Cao Ang's ambushes,

although some did achieve limited success, how could they possibly halt Gu Chen's advance entirely?

Among all people in the realm today, the Gu clan's understanding of terrain was undoubtedly unmatched.

In past years, when Gu Kang governed the empire's farmland, he had already laid deep foundations for the Gu clan.

And Gu Chen's personal nature ensured he would never make a mistake.

This battle's outcome was already sealed.

The thirteenth year of Jian'an, fifth month;

——Gu Chen utterly shattered Cao Ang's army at Jiyin, beheading Cao Ang's generals Dian Wei and Cao Chun.

Nearly thirty thousand enemies slain; surrendering troops too numerous to count.

One battle shook the realm!

The two commanderies of Shanyang and Rencheng surrendered at the mere sight of his advance.

It firmly established the foundation for clearing Yanzhou.

At the same time, Liu Bei had also completed his consolidation of Yangzhou and began advancing toward Xu Province.

The overwhelming tide surged downward.

Cao Ang could only retreat again and again; no matter how unwilling his heart, he could not stop any of this.

Gu Yi had been quietly observing all of this, never letting his guard down.

Although now, at this stage,

Gu Chen and Liu Bei had essentially lost the possibility of losing again.

But could things really be this simple?

Not necessarily!

Gu Yi remembered clearly that the game's terms of notice had already stated: the greater the family's alteration of original history, the stronger the corrective force they would face.

What Gu Chen was doing now far exceeded everything any previous Gu clan member had done.

He was aiming to change the rise and fall of an entire dynasty.

Gu Yi did not yet know what impact this would have on the future.

But he could be certain of one thing—

The resistance Gu Chen would face would far surpass that of any previous Gu clan member.

No matter what, Gu Yi had to make thorough preparations and absolutely could not let Gu Chen be affected under these circumstances.

This was not only about whether Gu Xi's achievement could be fully completed;

it also involved Gu Yi's own future plans.

He needed a world untouched by the great chaos of original history to prepare for the coming collapse of Shenzhou.

Nothing had surprised Gu Yi.

Just as Gu Chen was about to mobilize again, a sudden illness swept over him instantly.

And this illness was extremely severe.

Despite Gu Chen's current physical condition, he could not even rise from bed within a single day.

The impact of this event was bound to be enormous.

Should Gu Chen suffer any mishap, his forces would likely collapse into total imbalance within a short time.

Gu Yi immediately used the "Cure-All Talisman" on Gu Chen.

But this matter was bound to be no so simple.

Following it came a great drought across the Three Auxiliaries.

This would inevitably affect Gu Chen's offensive.

Natural disasters in this era were bound to cause unrest among the people and even instill fear among the common folk.

Fortunately, Gu Chen's foundation ran deep, and he had never rushed into aggressive campaigns from the start.

And there were still figures like Xun Yu and Gu Wei, experts in civil administration.

Under the current clear governance across all four regions, disaster relief was not difficult.

But for Gu Chen—

these setbacks, while not fatal, were bound to hinder his offensive.

Most crucially—

as he advanced deeper into Yan Province, the weather across Yan Province grew increasingly bizarre.

First came relentless torrential rains.

These severely impacted Gu Chen's most elite cavalry.

Later, whenever Gu Chen attacked a city, the sky and wind direction would shift dramatically.

In an era still dominated by cold-weapon warfare—

this impact on the entire campaign was absolutely fatal.

Gu Yi had been monitoring everything closely and had begun forming some suspicions.

He had previously suspected that this so-called corrective force had already descended.

Because Cao Cao was far stronger than in original history.

And the provinces he controlled were far fewer than in original history!

And most crucially—

Gu Yi had observed Cao Cao for some time; even when suffering from severe headaches and immense pressure, he had managed to endure for years—this alone defied logic.

Including Sun Ce's smooth development in Jiangdong.

Gu Yi had once suspected that this might be the invisible hand of correction aiding Cao and Sun, preventing events from veering completely beyond original history.

Now it seemed his guess was correct.

The earlier methods had been subtle; now they were overtly targeted.

Gu Yi did not hoard his achievement points.

Through prolonged observation, he had begun to glimpse the game's true nature.

The existence of items.

Was one of the Gu clan's bulwarks against correction.

Of course, this must also include human talent.

An incompetent clan member, even with items powerful enough to reach heaven, could not fully reverse the tide.

But since Gu Chen was now resisting correction, Gu Yi had no such reservations.

He directly gave the Xuanji Abacus to Gu Chen.

With Gu Chen's intelligence, he would surely understand the item's purpose.

It would merely take time.

As for the item's backlash effect—

Gu Yi still held a Lucky Talisman in his possession; though he did not yet know how severe the backlash would be, it could certainly alleviate it somewhat.

Of course, beyond this, Gu Yi also chose to draw a prize.

Since the Gu clan had decided to shine for ten thousand generations, it was bound to resist correction.

This was also one of Gu Yi's attempts.

He had long made up his mind.

As the words "draw prize" slipped from his lips.

In the next instant, a series of prompts flashed instantly before Gu Yi's eyes.

【Draw prize successful.】

【Congratulations, player! You have obtained: Common-grade item—Satiety Talisman.】

【(Common) Satiety Talisman: After use, select one family member to remain satiated for seven days.】

【Congratulations, player! You have obtained: Common-grade item—Cure-All Talisman. Qi-Power Talisman.】

【.】

【Congratulations, player! You have obtained: Profound-grade item—Miasma-Dispelling Talisman.】

【(Profound) Miasma-Dispelling Talisman: After use, throw it into water; for three days, anyone who drinks from it will be immune to miasma.】

【Congratulations, player! You have obtained: Profound-grade item—Lucky Card. Focus Card.】

【.】

【Congratulations, player! You have obtained: Earth-grade item—Spirit-Linking Jade.】

【(Earth) Spirit-Linking Jade: After use, consume varying amounts of achievement points to implant psychological suggestions into family members.】

（Note: Psychological suggestion induces corresponding thoughts in family members; the exact cost in achievement points varies by content. ）

【Current luck value: 35%】

Another Earth-grade item!

Looking at the cascade of prompts before him, Gu Yi's eyes instantly brightened.

Compared to the Xuanji Abacus, the Spirit-Linking Jade's effect was far more direct and far more useful to the Gu Clan.

Could it make someone generate a specific thought through psychological suggestion?

With this item, could he now guide the entire family without direct manipulation?

A smile instantly appeared on Gu Yi's face.

If this truly worked, the aid this item could bring to the Gu Clan was unimaginable!

But after careful thought, Gu Yi calmed down again.

To remotely control the entire family through this item was clearly impossible.

Not to mention the achievement points it consumed.

Any choice made by the family could alter history; Gu Yi could not continually reveal the future to family members.

Only at the most critical moments would this item prove truly effective.

——Like now!

Gu Yi did not hesitate a moment; he immediately took out the Spirit-Linking Jade from his inventory.

A simple, warm ancient jade appeared instantly in Gu Yi's hand.

At the same time, a prompt immediately floated into view before him.

【Please enter content.】

After hesitating slightly, Gu Yi entered the usage method of the Xuanji Abacus and designated this item as the Gu Clan lord's heirloom.

He wanted the world unified as soon as possible, to prevent other variables.

Although Gu Yi could now protect Gu Chen from illness,

he could not extend his lifespan; Gu Yi must cherish every moment.

The corresponding content instantly appeared in the prompt.

After Gu Yi selected "Confirm," a new prompt popped up again.

【Achievement points required for current content: 100000】

【Use immediately?】

One hundred thousand achievement points!

Even though Gu Yi had long made up his mind, he still couldn't help trembling slightly.

After drawing ten more times, he now had only 130,000 achievement points left.

It was as if he had been completely drained!

Although Gu Xi's achievement points had not yet been settled, and the current generation of Gu Clan members like Gu Chen could still generate achievement points,

looking at this number, Gu Yi still felt deeply insecure.

Yet he did not hesitate long.

He immediately selected "Confirm."

Since he had resolved to oppose the Correction, these points were bound to be spent—what was there to cling to?

If the Gu Clan was to shine for ten thousand generations, it could not avoid the Correction.

This time was the Gu Clan's first attempt to resist the so-called Correction!

Xingzhou.

At dawn.

Gu Chen slowly awoke and immediately saw a strange device suddenly appearing on the table.

It was a peculiar item.

Its shape resembled the Xuanji of this era, yet was clearly different.

The entire device was built upon a jade Xuanji base, with the Big Dipper's seven stars inlaid at its center, and the twenty-eight lunar mansions or trigram symbols engraved along its edge;

Within its grooves were embedded slender jade counting rods, each inscribed with tiny runes, slightly shorter than ordinary counting rods.

Gu Chen furrowed his brow almost instantly, a flicker of doubt flashing through his eyes.

But the next moment, he seemed to think of something; the doubt on his face gradually faded, and he immediately got out of bed and walked to the table, gently running his hand over the implements laid out upon it.

Gu Yi had been watching Gu Chen the whole time, wanting to see how Gu Chen intended to use this prop.

Although not much time had yet passed.

Yet the current situation in Yanzhou was by no means particularly favorable.

Cao Ang, however, had inherited Cao Cao's bearing, and was likewise extremely skilled at swaying men's hearts.

He had made perfect use of the celestial changes that occurred during Gu Chen's several assaults on the city, and had branded this as "Heaven's Favor Upon Cao."

With the facts laid out before their eyes, this sort of method, which leaned toward omen-and-apocrypha superstition, was a heaven-sent weapon, and it actually steadied the Cao army, whose morale had already begun to crumble.

It even affected the morale of Gu Chen's own army.

Such was the inevitability of this era!

The influence of omen-and-apocrypha superstition was by no means so easy to break through.

The Spirit-Connecting Jade had clearly already taken effect. Gu Chen gently stroked the Xuanji Counting Rods like this, his entire expression utterly calm, as though he were continuously making plans in his mind.

Until a long while later.

Only then did Gu Chen make a slight move, and immediately had someone summon his civil and military officials to a council.

He did not say much.

He merely announced that a sacrificial rite was to be held.

Regarding this, the assembled men had long since had their guesses, and were not overly surprised.

And that very night, Gu Chen directly led several guards to the surrounding mountain forests, and upon the mountain peak performed the act of observing the stars.

The duration lasted an entire night.

Gu Yi understood nothing of celestial phenomena, and had no idea at all what Gu Chen had seen, or whether he had succeeded.

But to guard against any mishap, he still used two Good Luck Talismans on Gu Chen in succession.

And then, the very next day, Gu Chen immediately held the sacrificial rite, and before the entire army proclaimed, "Heaven's Mandate rests in Luo; it shall aid me in breaking Cao."

The three armies shouted in unison.

Their cries pierced the heavens.

This was the difference between Gu Chen and Cao Ang.

Under the tremendous boost of his prestige, the soldiers held absolute confidence in Gu Chen.

The great army sallied forth in full force.

Gu Chen's method of fighting this time was entirely different from before.

He divided the entire army into several units, each led by a trusted general, awaiting his command before taking action.

No one could discern what scheme Gu Chen had in mind with this move.

But out of their faith in Gu Chen, the soldiers still did not hesitate in the slightest.

The fourteenth year of Jian'an, the fourth month;

—Gu Chen formally led his army into the State of Lu, to attack Lu County.

Heavy rain descended from the heavens, and the gale did not cease;

The wind blew from north to south, allowing the defending garrison's arrows to fly farther, and causing tremendous impact upon Gu Chen's great army.

Cao Ang was naturally immensely thrilled by all that had transpired.

He continued to spread the rhetoric of "Heaven aiding Cao," to bolster the army's morale.

Yet Gu Chen seemed to have foreseen all this long ago.

He ordered Ma Chao to lead his most elite cavalry, each man with three mounts, to strike directly at Peng Cheng on Lu County's southern flank, as well as the lands of Dongping.

At the same time, he himself continued the assault on Lu County.

The gale never ceased.

Ma Chao's great army came from the south; aided by the wind direction, the arrows of the Peng Cheng garrison simply could not play any part at all.

Within merely a few days, Peng Cheng had already fallen.

The remaining cities were much the same.

Gu Chen occupied the upper reaches of the Si River; as the heavy rain continued without cease, the waters of the Si River kept rising, and Lu County hung by a thread.

With the precedent of Bai Qi's flooding of Yan City in years past.

Even though Lu County's defenses were as steady as Mount Taishan, Cao Ang simply did not dare gamble on whether Gu Chen would disregard casualties and choose to flood Lu County, and could only retreat his army.

The celestial changes never ceased.

Gu Chen did not choose to linger, and continued his assault on the city in accordance with the constantly shifting celestial phenomena.

Needless to say Gu Yi, even Gu Chen himself could sense that the ceaseless celestial changes were aimed squarely at him.

The heavy rain caused the road ahead to be blocked—mudslides, and even the various diseases that arose within the army.

Yet his will remained as unyielding as iron throughout.

Through the Xuanji Counting Rods he performed his calculations, allowing the great army to avoid every risk.

And Gu Yi was also doing his utmost.

Although he now had no great many achievement points left, the props accumulated over this period were by no means few, and there were also the experiences left behind by generations of the Gu clan.

Disease prevention, terrain geomancy charts, channeling water and opening canals to clear the road ahead.

These experiences, for a man of no great talent, might amount to nothing.

But for a man like Gu Chen.

This was a weapon!

So long as he planned properly, it was enough to allow the great army to avoid countless risks.

Gu Chen was absolutely the family disciple most influenced by Gu Xi.

This might just be what inheritance means.

It was precisely because of the "Half a Move to Beat Heaven" that Gu Xi had uttered when facing the heavenly tribulation years ago that Gu Chen was now able to steady his own resolve when facing such targeted celestial phenomena.

And as long as Gu Chen did not panic, the generals and soldiers under his command naturally would not panic either!

The only thing that gave Gu Yi some worry was Gu Chen's body.

The Xuanji Divination Counters come with a backlash.

He had no more Fortune Charms in hand now; all he could do was keep watching Gu Chen's body, and at the slightest mishap, regardless of whether the condition was serious, use talismans to help him through the danger.

Fortunately, Gu Yi had drawn quite a few Illness-Curing Charms before.

These came in very handy at a time like this.

The news kept spreading.

The impact of this event could be said to be in no way less than Gu Xi's quelling of the Nine Provinces heavenly tribulation in years past.

For anyone who knew even a little about celestial phenomena, who could fail to see the strangeness of the heavens today?

But under such circumstances—

Gu Chen was still able to go against the heavens.

The shock this brought to the world was beyond imagination.

Rumors about Gu Chen grew ever more numerous throughout the realm; the various legends accumulated by the Gu clan over several generations were almost all heaped upon Gu Chen.

And as time slowly passed.

Gu Chen's use of the celestial phenomena became increasingly effortless.

Fourteenth year of Jian'an, eighth month;

Gu Chen feigned defeat at Meng Mountain.

Cao Ang, thinking there were too many sick and wounded under Gu Chen's command, took the bait and led his troops in pursuit.

He encountered a mudslide within Meng Mountain.

Losses approached ten thousand.

Gu Chen seized this moment to attack and take Mengyin, completely occupying the entirety of Yanzhou.

Cao Ang had originally wanted to retreat to Qingzhou.

But Liu Bei's campaigns in Xuzhou had also made progress, already pressing close to Langya Commandery.

To prevent being encircled by both sides in Qingzhou—

Cao Ang had no choice but to lead his army and flee with Liu Xie, the so-called Son of Heaven, to Jizhou.

The fighting in Jizhou had never stopped.

Zhang Liao's offensive, though not swift, with the support of the people's hearts, had already taken Wei Jun.

Gu Chen clearly harbored the intention of fighting Cao Ang to the death.

After all, the celestial phenomena could affect not only himself.

The Cao army was the same.

He could no longer give Cao Ang time to keep dragging things out.

Gu Chen could feel the drain on his body.

Although it had not yet affected his combat ability, he absolutely could not keep dragging things out like this.

Gu Chen did not even bother to contest the easily-won Qingzhou, heading straight for Jizhou.

Tenth month;

Cao Ang, pressed with no alternative, retreated to Qinghe.

At the same time, Liu Bei, riding the momentum of Gu Chen's grand campaign, successively took Qing and Xu, and was also advancing toward Qinghe.

Cao Ang finally refused to retreat again and again, wanting only to fight to the death so as not to disgrace the Cao clan's fame.

Eleventh month;

Cao Ang personally led his army to meet Gu Chen in battle.

He was defeated again at Linjin.

Cao Hong, Cao Zhang, and others, in order to save Cao Ang's life, perished one after another on the battlefield.

The overall situation was finally beyond all reversal.

Cao Ang, unable to bear failing the Cao clan's fame, took his own life on the banks of the Zhanghe.

The great situation of the realm was now utterly decided.

The sky, which had been overcast for months, from this day forth once again revealed its light.

Gu Yi had been silently watching all of this, his expression still incomparably solemn.

Even though it now seemed the Gu clan had perhaps already won against a correction.

The price paid was nonetheless not small.

He had been completely drained dry.

And this was only achieved with the presence of someone like Gu Chen, who could be called a BUG-level existence, barely reaching such an effect.

If the subsequent corrections grew stronger and stronger—

Just how many more crises would the Gu clan face?

Could the Gu clan withstand them?

Although the situation had been completely settled, Gu Yi did not feel the slightest relaxation.

On the contrary, his heart was instead growing ever more taut.

——————

"In the fourteenth year of Jian'an, there was heavy rain in Yanzhou for over ten days running, and the rivers overflowed their banks.

Gu Chen raised arms against Cao, first laying siege to Juancheng; at midnight the dikes burst and the encampments were wholly submerged. He then attacked Linqiu, when a sudden thunderbolt struck and his cloud-ladders were burned to ruin.

Cao Ang rode out to inspect the city, leveled his halberd at the gloom and roared: 'This heaven-sent rain washes our armor clean — it shows the gods themselves protect House Cao!'

The three armies beat their shields in answer, the sound shaking the four wilds, and the soldiers' hearts were gradually steadied.

But Chen later withdrew to the mountains to watch the stars; thereafter he attacked Lu County anew, seized several places in Peng Cheng by the timely weather, and occupied the banks of the Si River.

Ang, fearing Chen would flood Lu County, could only withdraw his troops.

In the eighth month, Chen feigned a collapse at Dong'e. Ang, who had always despised Chen's tricks, scoffed: 'Heaven's rain has trapped the bandit — the very moment to take him!'

He led his iron cavalry in pursuit, riding into the narrow gorge of Mengyin.

At that hour a downpour poured like the Milky Way spilling, the cliffs thundered, and Chen ordered his death-sworn men to dig through the rock's roots.

In an instant mud and stone surged forth like a yellow dragon overturning the earth; the Cao army's horses sank into the flowing mire, their heavy armor became a burden, and Ang escaped barefoot, scrambling up the cliff — his sword lost in the silt. Yanzhou was thus at peace.

When Liu Bei broke through Xuzhou, Qingzhou was shaken, and Ang fled headlong north to Jizhou.

Chen crossed the river in force; the people of Ji, grateful for the Gu family's grace, offered grain and opened their cities along the way.

Ang, besieged at Hejian and seeing the tide could not be turned, was defeated once more by Chen's forces in the eleventh month, and so took his sword and died."

— *Book of the Flame Han, Biography of Gu Chen*

(End of this chapter)