Chapter 1082: A Debt of an Arrow

"Shu’er, how are you? Can you still hold on?" Yuan Shao looked at Yuan Shu with concern, his eyes filled with worry.

Yuan Shu’s face was pale; the wound on his left arm had been simply bandaged, but the pain still left his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. "I... I am fine, I... I can still hold on." He gritted his teeth, his heart filled with hatred for Hua Xiong and Gu Yi.

"Lord Yuan, this is not a place to stay for long; we should retreat to the main camp as soon as possible and make other plans." Cao Cao suggested from the side, his gaze sharp, clearly also thinking about the next countermeasures.

Yuan Shao nodded and said to the warlords: "Everyone, we must all remember what happened tonight. The Xiliang army is cunning; we must be more cautious. Now, everyone reorganize your troops and follow me back to the main camp."

The warlords responded and began to reorganize their remnants, preparing to retreat.

On the way back to the main camp, Yuan Shu kept a gloomy face and said nothing. Ji Ling followed by his side, not daring to breathe loudly.

"Ji Ling, tell me, was I too careless?" Yuan Shu suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of regret.

Ji Ling was stunned, then comforted him: "My lord, do not blame yourself. That Hua Xiong is incomparably brave, and with the help of a cunning person like Gu Yi, it is understandable that we were caught off guard."

"Hmph, understandable?" Yuan Shu sneered, "When have I, Yuan Shu, ever suffered such a loss? If I do not avenge this, I am not a man!"

Hearing this, Ji Ling felt a chill in his heart but dared not say more.

Upon returning to the main camp, Yuan Shao immediately summoned the warlords to discuss countermeasures. Inside the large tent, the candlelight flickered, and the atmosphere was heavy.

"Everyone, we must take tonight’s events as a warning. Since the Xiliang army dares to be so bold, we must not sit and wait for death." Yuan Shao said in a deep voice.

"Brother Yuan Shao is right; we must come up with countermeasures as soon as possible to deal with the Xiliang army’s next move." Cao Cao echoed.

"Countermeasures? What countermeasures can there be? That Hua Xiong is incomparably brave, and with that scoundrel Gu Yi offering strategies on the side, how can we be their match?" A warlord said dejectedly.

"That is not true." Cao Cao shook his head, "Hua Xiong may be brave, and Gu Yi may be wise, but their forces are limited after all. Our coalition’s forces are several times theirs; as long as our strategy is appropriate, we are not without a chance of winning."

"Then what is your brilliant plan, Brother Cao?" Yuan Shao looked at Cao Cao, a flicker of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said: "We can divide into two routes. One route, composed of elite troops and strong generals, will go to launch a surprise attack on Sishui Pass to attract the main force of the Xiliang army; the other route will lie in ambush outside Sishui Pass, and when the Xiliang army comes out of the pass to rescue, we will launch a sudden attack. We will surely make them unable to attend to both ends."

Hearing this, Yuan Shao’s eyes lit up: "This plan is excellent! However, who should be responsible for the heavy task of launching a surprise attack on Sishui Pass?"

The large tent fell into silence for a moment; everyone knew that this task of a surprise attack was exceptionally dangerous, and if one were not careful, the entire army could be wiped out.

"I am willing to go!" Suddenly, a firm voice rang out. Everyone looked toward the sound and saw Yuan Shu stand up; although his left arm was injured, his eyes were exceptionally firm.

"Shu’er, you..." Yuan Shao was startled, clearly not expecting Yuan Shu to volunteer.

"Elder brother, I, Yuan Shu, may not be a hero, but I am definitely not a person who fears death. I must avenge tonight’s hatred myself!" Yuan Shu said through gritted teeth.

Yuan Shao looked at Yuan Shu, feeling moved, but also inevitably worried. However, he knew that since Yuan Shu had already decided, it would be difficult to change his mind.

"Good! Shu’er, since you have this determination, the task of launching a surprise attack on Sishui Pass will be your responsibility. But remember, safety first; if the situation is impossible, be sure to retreat in time." Yuan Shao said in a deep voice.

Yuan Shu nodded and turned to leave, but his heart was already burning with a raging fire of revenge.

A few days later, Yuan Shu led a group of elite troops and quietly approached Sishui Pass. Cao Cao, meanwhile, led another large army and lay in ambush outside Sishui Pass, waiting for the opportunity.

The night was like ink, and the lights on Sishui Pass were dim. Yuan Shu looked at the pass before him and sneered in his heart. Tonight, he would let Hua Xiong and Gu Yi know that he, Yuan Shu, was not so easy to bully!

"Attack!" Yuan Shu gave the order, and the elite troops, like ghosts, launched a fierce attack on Sishui Pass.

However, what they did not expect was that Sishui Pass had long been prepared. Hua Xiong and Gu Yi seemed to have anticipated their arrival and had long since set up many traps.

A bloody battle quietly unfolded in the night. Although Yuan Shu was brave, he felt the strain when facing the tenacious resistance of the Xiliang army and the wisdom of Gu Yi.

Just then, outside Sishui Pass, Cao Cao’s army also launched an attack. However, they encountered the ambush of the Xiliang army. It turned out that Gu Yi had long anticipated Cao Cao’s ambush and had made preparations in advance.

For a time, both armies were locked in a bitter struggle. Yuan Shu suffered multiple injuries in the battle but still insisted on commanding the fight. He had only one thought in his heart: he must defeat Hua Xiong and avenge that debt of an arrow!

However, just as he was about to break through the defense line of Sishui Pass, a cold arrow suddenly flew from the darkness, aiming straight for his vital point. Yuan Shu was shocked, but it was too late to dodge.

"Puchi!" The cold arrow pierced Yuan Shu’s chest, and blood gushed out. Yuan Shu widened his eyes, looking at the arrow in his chest in disbelief. He never expected that he would die by such a cold arrow.

"My lord!" Ji Ling exclaimed and rushed forward to support Yuan Shu. However, Yuan Shu was already gasping for breath and could not even speak.

"Retreat... retreat..." Yuan Shu used his last bit of strength to say these two words, and then there was no more sound.

Ji Ling was grief-stricken, but he also knew that this was not the time to be sad. He endured the grief and led the remnants to retreat. On Sishui Pass, Hua Xiong and Gu Yi looked at the retreating enemy army, a smile of victory on their faces.