Chapter 93: Defying the Correction to Walk Against the Heavens, Unifying the World Once More

The news spread far and wide;

No one could have anticipated that Cao Cao would suddenly pass away at such a time; for the current situation, this would absolutely have a fatal impact.

Although Cao Cao had long been grooming Cao Ang, to say that Cao Ang could rapidly stabilize the situation in a short time—how could that be possible?

Moreover, even Cao Cao could not fully reverse the current decline, let alone Cao Ang.

Neither Gu Chen nor Liu Bei could possibly give up this opportunity.

To them, they were now only one step away from completely sweeping across the world.

The thirteenth year of Jian'an, February;

Liu Bei officially led his army to capture Yanzhou;

He faced almost no major obstacles; every time he led his army through, people would surrender upon hearing of his approach.

This move did not cause any impact on the world.

Anyone could see that the current Cao clan was just like the Yuan clan of the past, showing signs of total decline.

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

He could be said to have learned the essence from the Gu clan.

He did not choose to mobilize troops directly, and even completely suppressed this intention of Liu Bei, unwilling to let Jiangdong face an external enemy united at such a time.

He merely continued to incite internal conflicts within Jiangdong through various means, continuing to exhaust the internal strength of Jiangdong.

At the same time, Gu Chen had also long since stepped into Yanzhou.

Including Zhang Liao in Jizhou.

Only now did Cao Ang fully realize just how difficult the situation of the current Cao clan was.

Even though many noble families were still supporting the Cao clan.

It was still a drop in the bucket.

Under the tilting of such a massive trend, only a figure like Gu Xi could defy the heavens and attempt to change fate once more with the strength of one person.

Cao Ang was actually already quite excellent.

Being able to quickly take over Cao Cao's heavy burden and gain the recognition of countless noble families was enough to prove this point.

But what could that do?

Even if he were as high-spirited as he could be, and no matter how unwilling he was, what could it change?

In the end, he could not change all of this.

Perhaps because he was too young, Cao Ang was unwilling to let things continue like this, allowing Gu Chen and Liu Bei to devour everything Cao Cao had left behind.

He needed a great victory;

The Cao clan also needed a great victory!

With just one great victory, he would be enough to turn the situation around.

Even if he could not completely destroy Gu Chen and Liu Bei, it would be enough to stabilize the hearts of the people in all directions and stall the offensive of Gu Chen and Liu Bei.

Regarding this, the attitude of the officials was naturally one of refusal.

Gu Chen was a figure whom even Cao Cao could not handle; how could he be someone Cao Ang could deal with?

But Cao Ang's attitude was very firm.

He drilled his troops and sharpened his weapons within Yanzhou, and even employed the strategy Cao Ren had once used to make his soldiers consume "Five Minerals Powder."

He also personally traveled in all directions every day to scout the terrain.

He had used almost every limit of his capabilities.

He just wanted to win one battle against Gu Chen.

—However, the outcome was without any surprise.

A person like Gu Chen would never suffer the same loss twice.

The Five Minerals Powder could indeed make his soldiers forget fear and become incredibly brave.

But for Gu Chen.

To deal with people who had already lost their reason, there were simply too many methods.

As for the ambushes set by Cao Ang.

Although some ambushes did indeed have an effect, to say they could completely block Gu Chen's pace—how could that be possible?

Looking at the people of the world today, the Gu clan members' understanding of terrain could absolutely be called the best in the world.

In the past, when Gu Kang governed the fields of the world, he had already left too much of a foundation for the Gu clan.

And Gu Chen's personal character would never allow him to make any mistakes.

In this battle, the outcome was already destined.

The thirteenth year of Jian'an, May;

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

Nearly thirty thousand enemies were annihilated, and those who surrendered were countless.

One battle shook the world!

The two commanderies of Shanyang and Rencheng surrendered upon hearing of his approach.

This completely laid the foundation for clearing out Yanzhou.

At the same time, Liu Bei had also finished reorganizing Yanzhou and began to march toward Xuzhou.

The massive trend poured down.

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

Gu Yi had been silently watching all of this, never letting his guard down in the slightest.

Although it had reached this point.

It could be said that there was no longer any possibility for Gu Chen and Liu Bei to lose.

But would things really be that simple?

Not necessarily!

Gu Yi remembered very clearly that in the game's notes, it had already been stated that the greater the change the family made to the original history, the stronger the corrective force they would have to face.

What Gu Chen was doing now had already far exceeded all previous Gu clan members.

He was trying to change the rise and fall of a dynasty.

What kind of impact this would have on future generations, Gu Yi did not yet know.

But he could be certain of one thing—

The resistance Gu Chen had to face would absolutely exceed that of all previous Gu clan members.

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

This was not just about whether Gu Xi's achievements could be completely fulfilled;

It also involved Gu Yi's subsequent planning.

He needed a world that had not gone through the great chaos of the original history to cope with the upcoming sinking of the Divine Land.

Things did not exceed Gu Yi's expectations.

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

And this illness was extremely severe.

With Gu Chen's current physical condition, it became incredibly difficult for him to even get up within a single day.

The impact of this matter was destined to be immense.

If any accident were to happen to Gu Chen, the forces under his command would very likely lose their balance completely in a short time.

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

But this matter was destined not to be that simple.

Following this came a great drought in the Three Auxiliary regions.

This would naturally affect Gu Chen's offensive.

In the current era, natural disasters were destined to cause turmoil in people's hearts and even incite fear among the commoners.

Fortunately, Gu Chen's foundation was extremely deep, and from beginning to end, he had never rushed into military campaigns.

And there were people like Xun Yu and Gu Wei who were adept at internal affairs.

With the current clear and upright administration in all directions, disaster relief was not difficult.

But for Gu Chen.

Although these were not enough to be fatal, they were destined to affect his offensive.

Most crucially—

As he delved deeper into Yanzhou, the weather throughout Yanzhou became extremely strange.

First, there was the incessant pouring rain.

It had a huge impact on the most elite cavalry under Gu Chen.

Later, every time Gu Chen attacked a city, the weather and wind direction would change drastically.

In an era where battles were still primarily fought with cold weapons.

The impact of this on the entire war was absolutely fatal.

Gu Yi had been paying attention to everything, and he also had some guesses in his heart.

In fact, he had previously suspected that this so-called corrective force had already descended.

Because Cao Cao was far stronger than in the original history.

And the commanderies he occupied were far fewer than in the original history!

And the most critical point is—

Gu Yi had observed Cao Cao for a period of time before; under the circumstances of his head ailment flaring up while also bearing immense pressure, the fact that he could still hold on for several more years was already somewhat contrary to reason.

This includes how smoothly Sun Ce’s development in the Jiangdong region had been.

Gu Yi had suspected back then that this might be the so-called correction from the netherworld helping Cao and Sun, to prevent the development of events from completely exceeding the original history.

Looking at it now, this guess was clearly correct.

It is just that the previous methods were still very secretive, whereas now it is an obvious targeting.

Gu Yi did not begrudge his achievement points.

Through such long observation, he had already vaguely discovered the essence of this game.

The existence of items.

Is one of the reliances for the Gu Shizi to resist the correction.

Of course, this naturally must also include manpower.

A descendant who does not amount to much, even if relying on heaven-reaching items, is not enough to completely turn the tide of the grand trend.

But now that it is Gu Chen who is resisting the correction, Gu Yi no longer has such concerns.

He directly handed the Xuanji Calculation Rods to Gu Chen.

With Gu Chen’s intelligence and wisdom, he would definitely be able to grasp the use of this item.

It would just be a matter of spending some time.

As for the backlash effect of the item.

Gu Yi still has a Good Luck Charm in his hand now; although he does not yet know how severe the backlash of this item is, it will definitely be able to alleviate it somewhat.

Of course, besides this, Gu Yi even chose to draw a lottery.

Since the Gu Shizi has already decided to be glorious for ten thousand generations, it is destined to resist the correction.

This can also be considered an attempt by Gu Yi.

He had long since made up his mind.

Accompanied by the words "draw lottery" being spoken aloud.

The next instant, a series of prompts immediately flashed before Gu Yi’s eyes.

【Lottery successful.】

【Congratulations to the player for obtaining: Mortal-grade item—Satiety Charm.】

【(Mortal) Satiety Charm: After use, one family member can be selected to keep them in a state of satiety for seven days.】

【Congratulations to the player for obtaining: Mortal-grade item—Cure-All Charm. Strength Charm.】

【.】

【Congratulations to the player for obtaining: Profound-grade item—Miasma-Dispelling Charm.】

【(Profound) Miasma-Dispelling Charm: After use, it can be thrown into water; for three days, those who drink the water can be spared from miasma.】

【Congratulations to the player for obtaining: Profound-grade item—Good Luck Card. Focus Card.】

【.】

【Congratulations to the player for obtaining: Earth-grade item—Psychic Jade.】

【(Earth) Psychic Jade: After use, by consuming different equivalent amounts of achievement points, one can provide psychological suggestions to family descendants.】

(Note: Psychological suggestion is to make family descendants generate corresponding thoughts; the specific consumption of achievement points will vary according to the content.)】

【Current Luck Value: 35%】

There is actually another Earth-grade item!

Looking at the series of prompts before his eyes, Gu Yi’s gaze instantly brightened.

Compared to the Xuanji Calculation Rods, the effect of this Psychic Jade is clearly much more direct, and it is also more useful for the Gu Shizi.

Can one make the corresponding person generate thoughts through psychological suggestion?

With this thing, does it mean he no longer needs to control things and can help the entire family?

A smile immediately appeared on Gu Yi’s face.

If it can really be like this, the help this item provides to the Gu Shizi can be said to be unimaginable!

But after thinking about it carefully, Gu Yi calmed down again.

To want to remotely control the entire family through this item is clearly impossible.

Not to mention the achievement points consumed in the process.

Any choice of the family might cause changes in history; Gu Yi cannot constantly reveal the future to family descendants.

Only at the most critical moments will this kind of item have miraculous effects.

——For example, now!

Gu Yi did not hesitate at all and immediately took this Psychic Jade out from his items.

A piece of archaic, warm ancient jade immediately appeared in Gu Yi’s hand.

At the same time, a prompt also immediately surfaced before Gu Yi’s eyes.

【Please input the content.】

Looking at this prompt, Gu Yi hesitated for a moment before choosing to input the usage of the Xuanji Calculation Rods, and made this item an heirloom of the Gu Shizi family head.

He wants the world to be unified as soon as possible to avoid other variables appearing.

Although Gu Yi can now protect Gu Chen from illness.

But Gu Yi cannot provide help regarding lifespan; Gu Yi must cherish all time.

The corresponding content instantly appeared within the prompt.

After Gu Yi chose to confirm, a brand-new prompt popped up again.

【Achievement points required for current content: 100,000】

【Do you wish to use it immediately?】

One hundred thousand achievement points!

Even though Gu Yi had made up his mind, he still could not help but tremble inexplicably.

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

This is simply squeezing him dry all at once!

Although Gu Xi’s achievement points have not yet been settled, and Gu Shizi descendants of Gu Chen’s generation can also bring him achievement points.

But looking at this number, Gu Yi still felt very insecure.

However, he did not hesitate for long.

He immediately chose to confirm.

Since he had already made up his mind to resist the correction, these were destined to be consumed, so why be reluctant?

Since the Gu Shizi wants to be glorious for ten thousand generations, it is impossible to bypass the correction.

This time is the first attempt by the Gu Shizi to resist this so-called correction!

Yanzhou.

Early morning.

Gu Chen woke up leisurely and immediately saw the apparatus that had suddenly appeared on the table not far away.

This is a rather strange item.

Its shape resembles the Xuanji of the current era, but it also has obvious differences.

The entire apparatus uses a jade Xuanji as a base, with the Big Dipper pattern inlaid in the center, and the twenty-eight mansions or hexagram symbols carved on the edges;

In its grooves, jade calculation rods are inlaid, each engraved with tiny runes, and the length is slightly shorter than ordinary calculation rods.

Gu Chen frowned almost instantly, and a look of doubt flashed in his eyes.

But the next moment, he seemed to have thought of something; the look of doubt on his face gradually faded, and he immediately got off the bed, walked to the table, and gently stroked the apparatus on the table with his hand.

Gu Yi had been watching Gu Chen, wanting to see how Gu Chen intended to use this item.

Although not much time had passed.

But the current situation in Yanzhou was not particularly smooth.

Cao Ang has the legacy of Cao Cao and is also extremely skilled at moving people’s hearts.

He perfectly utilized the celestial phenomena during Gu Chen’s several sieges and called this "Heaven’s Mandate Favors Cao."

With the facts laid out before their eyes, this method, which leans toward prophecy and superstition, was a heaven-sent sharp weapon, causing the Cao Army, whose morale had already been scattered, to actually stabilize.

It even affected Gu Chen’s military morale.

This is the inevitability of this era!

The influence of prophecy and superstition is definitely not that easy to break.

The Psychic Jade had clearly already taken effect; Gu Chen just stroked the Xuanji Calculation Rods like this, his entire expression incomparably calm, as if he were constantly making plans in his heart.

Until a long time later.

Only then did Gu Chen make some movements, and he immediately had his civil and military subordinates summoned for a meeting.

He did not say much.

He only announced that a sacrificial ceremony would be held.

Regarding this, everyone had already guessed it and was not too surprised.

And that very night, Gu Chen directly led several guards to the surrounding mountains and forests, and performed star-gazing on the mountain peak.

The duration even lasted for an entire night.

Gu Yi does not understand celestial phenomena at all, and he has no idea what Gu Chen saw or whether he succeeded.

But to prevent any accidents, he still used two Good Luck Charms on Gu Chen in succession.

The very next day, Gu Chen immediately held a sacrificial ceremony and declared among the ten thousand troops, "Heaven's mandate is in Luoyang; it shall assist in defeating Cao."

The three armies shouted in unison.

The sound of their cries pierced the heavens.

This was the difference between Gu Chen and Cao Ang.

Under the blessing of such immense prestige, the soldiers had absolute confidence in Gu Chen.

The entire army marched out in full force.

Gu Chen's tactics this time were completely different from the past.

He divided the entire army into multiple units, each led by a trusted general, waiting for his orders before moving.

No one could discern what Gu Chen’s plan actually was.

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

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

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

A torrential rain fell, and the strong winds did not cease;

The wind blew from north to south, allowing the defending army's arrows to travel further, causing a massive impact on Gu Chen's army.

Cao Ang was naturally incredibly excited about everything that was happening.

He even continued to propagate the rhetoric that "Heaven's mandate assists Cao" to boost his army's morale.

Yet, Gu Chen seemed to have anticipated this long ago.

He ordered Ma Chao to lead his most elite cavalry, with three horses per man, to strike directly at Pengcheng on the south side of Lu County, including the region of Dongping.

At the same time, he continued to attack Lu County.

The wind force never stopped.

Ma Chao's army arrived from the south, and with the wind's assistance, the arrows of the Pengcheng defenders could hardly have any effect.

Within a few short days, Pengcheng was lost.

The other cities met the same fate.

Gu Chen occupied the upper reaches of the Si River; as the heavy rain continued, the river level rose steadily, and Lu County was in imminent danger.

With the precedent of Bai Qi flooding Yan City in the past,

Even if the defenses of Lu County were as stable as Mount Taishan, Cao Ang dared not gamble on whether Gu Chen would disregard casualties and choose to flood Lu County, so he had no choice but to retreat.

The celestial anomalies never ceased.

Gu Chen did not choose to stop; he continued to lay siege based on the ever-changing celestial phenomena.

Never mind Gu Yi, even Gu Chen could feel that the continuous celestial anomalies were targeting him.

The heavy rain caused blocked paths, mudslides, and even various diseases within the army.

Yet his will remained as firm as iron.

Through calculations with the Xuanji Counting Rods, he led the army to avoid all risks.

And Gu Yi was also working hard.

Although he did not have many achievement points left, the items he had accumulated over this period were not few, and he also had the experience left behind by generations of the Gu family.

Disease prevention, topographical maps, diverting water and clearing channels to open paths ahead;

These experiences might not mean much to someone of low talent.

But for someone like Gu Chen,

These were sharp weapons!

As long as he calculated correctly, it was enough for the army to avoid countless risks.

Gu Chen was definitely the family descendant most influenced by Gu Xi.

Perhaps this was inheritance.

It was precisely because of the "winning half a piece against Heaven" that Gu Xi once said when facing natural disasters that Gu Chen was able to steady his resolve when facing such targeted celestial phenomena today.

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

The only thing that worried Gu Yi was Gu Chen's health.

The Xuanji Counting Rods had a backlash.

He no longer had any Good Luck Charms in his hand, so all he could do was keep a close watch on Gu Chen's body; if even the slightest accident occurred, he would use a charm to help him overcome the danger, regardless of whether the illness was serious.

Fortunately, Gu Yi had drawn quite a few "Cure-All" charms previously.

These played a major role at such times.

The news spread continuously.

The impact caused by this matter could be said to be no less than when Gu Xi pacified the natural disasters of the Nine Provinces in the past.

For those who understood even a little about celestial phenomena, who could not see the strangeness of the current celestial signs?

But under these circumstances,

Gu Chen was still able to act against the will of Heaven.

The shock this brought to the world was unimaginable.

Rumors about Gu Chen in the world grew more and more frequent, and almost all the legends accumulated by generations of the Gu family were attributed to Gu Chen.

And as time slowly passed,

Gu Chen became increasingly adept at utilizing the celestial phenomena.

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

Gu Chen feigned defeat at Mount Meng.

Cao Ang thought Gu Chen's troops were suffering from too many injuries and illnesses, so he fell for the trap and led his troops in pursuit.

They encountered a mudslide in the mountains of Mount Meng.

They suffered nearly ten thousand casualties.

Gu Chen took this opportunity to capture Mengyin and completely occupied the entire Yanzhou.

Cao Ang originally wanted to retreat to Qingzhou.

However, Liu Bei's military campaign in Xuzhou had also made progress and was already approaching Langya Commandery.

To prevent being surrounded by both sides in Qingzhou,

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

The war in Jizhou had never stopped.

Although Zhang Liao's offensive was not rapid, with the support of the people, he had already captured Wei Commandery.

Gu Chen was clearly intent on fighting Cao Ang to the death.

After all, the celestial phenomena could affect more than just himself.

The Cao Army was also affected.

He could not give Cao Ang any more time to drag things out.

Gu Chen could feel the toll on his own body.

Although it had not yet affected his combat ability, it definitely could not be dragged out like this forever.

Gu Chen did not even bother to contend for the easily obtainable Qingzhou and headed straight for Jizhou.

The tenth month;

Cao Ang was forced to retreat to Qinghe.

At the same time, Liu Bei, leveraging the momentum of Gu Chen's campaign, successively captured Qingzhou and Xuzhou, and was also heading toward Qinghe.

Cao Ang was ultimately unwilling to retreat again and again, wishing only to fight to the death so as not to tarnish the reputation of the Cao family.

The eleventh month;

Cao Ang personally led his army to face Gu Chen.

He was defeated again at Linjin.

Cao Hong, Cao Zhang, and others died on the battlefield one after another while trying to save Cao Ang's life.

The overall situation was finally impossible to change.

Unable to bear the thought of tarnishing the Cao family's reputation, Cao Ang committed suicide by the banks of the Zhanghe.

The fate of the world was now completely sealed.

The sky, which had been gloomy for months, shone with light once again on this day.

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

Even if it seemed now that the Gu family had successfully overcome one correction,

The price paid was not small.

He had been completely drained.

And this was only achieved because someone like Gu Chen, who could be called a "bug" in the system, existed.

If the subsequent corrections became stronger and stronger...

Then how many more crises would the Gu family face?

Could the Gu family withstand them?

Although the situation had been completely settled, Gu Yi did not feel even a hint of relaxation.

On the contrary, his heart felt even more tense.

——————

In the fourteenth year of Jian'an, heavy rain fell in Yanzhou for twenty days, and the rivers overflowed.

Gu Chen campaigned against Cao, initially besieging Juancheng, but at midnight the dikes collapsed and the camps were completely submerged; he then attacked Linqiu, but a sudden thunderbolt struck, and the scaling ladders were burned to ashes.

Cao Ang rode his horse to patrol the city, pointed his halberd at the overcast sky, and shouted: "This rain washes our armor, truly manifesting divine protection for the Cao clan!"

The three armies beat their shields in response, the sound shaking the wilderness, and the morale of the army gradually stabilized.

However, Gu Chen later observed the stars in the mountains, then attacked Lu County again, taking advantage of the weather to seize several territories in Pengcheng and occupying the banks of the Si River.

Fearing that Gu Chen would flood Lu County, Cao Ang had no choice but to withdraw his troops.

In the eighth month, Gu Chen feigned a retreat at Dong'e; Cao Ang, who had always looked down on Gu Chen's trickery, scoffed: "The rain traps the thief, it is the perfect time to capture him!"

He led his iron cavalry in pursuit, entering the narrow valley of Mengyin.

At that moment, the torrential rain poured down like the Heavenly River, the mountain walls roared, and Gu Chen ordered his death squads to dig through the roots of the cliffs.

In an instant, mud and rocks surged forth like a yellow dragon covering the earth; the Cao Army's horses sank into the flowing sludge, their heavy armor becoming a burden, and Cao Ang escaped by climbing the rocks barefoot, his sword lost in the silt, and Yanzhou was thus pacified.

When Liu Bei broke through Xuzhou, Qingzhou was shaken, and Cao Ang fled north in a panic to Jizhou.

Gu Chen took advantage of the momentum to cross the river, and the people of Jizhou, grateful for the kindness of the Gu clan, offered grain and opened the city gates along the way.

Besieged in Hejian, Cao Ang saw that the overall situation could not be changed, and in the eleventh month, after being defeated by Gu Chen again, he fell upon his sword and died.

—— "Book of the Flaming Han, Biography of Gu Chen"

(End of this chapter)