Chapter 1676

Gu Yi led the army forward, but ripples could not help but rise in his heart. He knew deeply that this confrontation with Liu Bei was not just a military contest, but a collision of will and wisdom. He recalled the scene when he first started out; at that time, he was full of curiosity and longing for the trend of the world, and now, he was standing in the center of this chaotic world stage, becoming the person who decided the fate of others.

"Liu Bei, although you and I are enemies, I admire your tenacity," Gu Yi said silently in his heart, a trace of complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He understood that the reason Liu Bei could become a feudal lord was by no means accidental; the resourcefulness, courage, and the friendship for his brothers behind him were all things that ordinary people could not reach.

At the same time, Guan Yu's harassing action encountered unprecedented challenges. The elite troops sent by Gu Yi were like ghosts, always appearing at the most critical moments, causing Guan Yu's troops to suffer setbacks repeatedly. Although Guan Yu was brave and peerless, facing this guerrilla tactic, he also appeared somewhat powerless.

"Big Brother, this Gu Yi is indeed cunning, our actions are repeatedly blocked," Guan Yu sent a request for help to Liu Bei during a rare breathing space. His voice revealed a trace of fatigue, but more of it was unwillingness.

After receiving the letter, Liu Bei's brows were locked tight. He knew deeply that if Guan Yu's harassing action failed, their entire plan would fall short. He had to find a way to break this stalemate.

"Yunchang, you continue to harass, but remember not to get entangled in battle. I have my own clever plan," Liu Bei's reply was short and powerful, yet revealed an unquestionable firmness.

On the other side, Zhang Fei was searching for opportunities to raid everywhere in Yuzhang, but he had never been able to find a suitable location. Gu Yi's defense line was like a copper wall and iron bastion, leaving no way to start. Zhang Fei was burning with anxiety, but he also knew he couldn't be in a hurry, so he could only patiently continue to scout.

"Big Brother, I found a possible breakthrough," Zhang Fei's voice sounded in Liu Bei's ear, carrying a trace of excitement. He described in detail a weak point in Gu Yi's defense line; it was a small path covered by mountain forests, not easily noticed by others, but it was a shortcut to Gu Yi's main camp.

Liu Bei's eyes flashed with a sharp light upon hearing this. He quickly summoned all the generals and formulated a bold and meticulous raid plan.

Night fell, and Liu Bei took an elite force and set off quietly. They followed the small path Zhang Fei found and moved forward in the dark. Along the way, they carefully avoided Gu Yi's patrols and finally arrived near the main camp.

"Kill!" Liu Bei gave an order, and the soldiers rushed toward Gu Yi's main camp like tigers descending a mountain. They used the cover of night and terrain to quickly disrupt Gu Yi's deployment.

Gu Yi was awakened from his sleep; listening to the battle cries outside, his heart felt a chill. He quickly put on his armor, picked up his weapon, and rushed out of the tent. He saw fire reaching the sky, soldiers fleeing everywhere, and a scene of chaos.

"Liu Bei, you dare to be so bold!" Gu Yi roared and swung his sword at the incoming enemies. He knew deeply that the current situation did not allow him any hesitation, and he had to quickly stabilize the morale of the army and repel Liu Bei's raid.

However, Liu Bei's offensive was like a tide, one wave higher than the next. Although Gu Yi was brave and peerless, facing this overwhelming offensive, he also appeared somewhat powerless. He understood in his heart that if this continued, his large army would likely be wiped out.

"Retreat!" Gu Yi gave the order to retreat at a critical moment. He knew deeply that as long as the green hills remained, there was no need to worry about firewood. As long as the large army was preserved, he would have a chance to make a comeback.

Liu Bei watched Gu Yi's large army flee in a sorry state, his heart feeling a sense of relief. He knew that this victory did not come easily; it was exchanged for by the lives and blood of his brothers. He prayed silently in his heart, wishing that this peace could last for a long time.

However, in a chaotic world, peace is always short-lived. Liu Bei knew deeply that the contest between him and Gu Yi was far from over. In the days to come, they would continue to write their own legends on this land.

Gu Yi, on the way to retreat, felt filled with unwillingness and anger. He recalled every confrontation he had with Liu Bei; every time he seemed to have the upper hand, but in the end, he was always reversed by Liu Bei's clever plans. He could not help but start to reflect on his own tactics and strategies, whether they were too aggressive, and whether he had ignored certain details.

"I will never admit defeat just like this," Gu Yi swore secretly in his heart. He knew deeply that he still had a long way to go and many enemies to face. And Liu Bei was just a stepping stone on his path of growth.

"Pass the order down, immediately reorganize the team and count the casualties," Gu Yi's voice appeared exceptionally steady in the night, although his heart was surging, he still maintained the calmness and decisiveness that a general should have. The deputy general beside him responded quickly, and while conveying the order, he could not help but steal a glance at Gu Yi's furrowed brows, secretly feeling admiration for this young commander's unyielding spirit.

Liu Bei, in the main camp, looked at the gradually subsiding war fire in the distance, his heart not feeling the slightest relaxation. He turned to Zhuge Liang beside him and said: "Kongming, although this battle was won, Gu Yi is by no means an ordinary person; he will surely make a comeback in the future, we need to prepare early."

Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan lightly, his gaze profound: "My lord's words are very true, Gu Yi is a person who has more than enough bravery, and his resourcefulness cannot be underestimated. We should take advantage of this victory to strengthen the defense line, and at the same time, we can consider sending envoys to write letters to unite with other forces to resist Gu Yi together."

"Good, let's follow Kongming's plan," Liu Bei nodded in agreement, then showed worry again, "It's just that in this chaotic world, who is a friend that can be completely trusted?"

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and comforted: "My lord, do not worry. Everything in the world complements each other; the enemy of an enemy is our friend. As long as the interests are consistent, allies will naturally come."

At the same time, in Gu Yi's military camp, there was a busy and orderly scene. The wounded soldiers were quickly settled, supplies were redistributed, and although morale was frustrated, under Gu Yi's encouragement, sparks of hope were reignited in the soldiers' eyes. Gu Yi stood on a high platform, looking at the soldiers below, his voice firm and powerful: "Today's defeat is not the fault of the battle, but caused by my underestimation of the enemy. From now on, we must not only train excellent martial arts, but also learn to fight with our brains! Liu Bei can win against us for a moment, but he cannot win against us for a lifetime!"

Below the platform, the soldiers shouted in unison: "Swear to follow the General to the death and create brilliance together!"

Several days later, Liu Bei's camp welcomed an uninvited guest. The envoy was dressed in gorgeous clothing, holding a staff, and claimed to be a feudal lord from the east, willing to form an alliance with Liu Bei to resist Gu Yi together. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang looked at each other; although they had doubts in their hearts, they did not show it on the surface and warmly received this envoy.

"I am an envoy of Eastern Wu, here on the orders of my lord to plot great matters with General Liu," the envoy went straight to the point, his words earnest, "Gu Yi is ambitious and intends to annex the world; this is our common enemy. If the General is willing, my Eastern Wu is willing to form an alliance with the Shu region to share resources and resist the foreign enemy together."

After listening, Liu Bei pondered for a moment and asked: "What specific plan does your lord have?"

The envoy smiled slightly, took a map from his bosom, and unfolded it slowly: "This was drawn by my lord, marking Gu Yi's possible attack routes and our army's defensive strategy. If the two armies join forces, we will surely be able to make Gu Yi unable to attend to both ends."

Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang carefully studied the map, and gradually had a plan in their hearts. Zhuge Liang shook his feather fan lightly and laughed: "This plan is excellent, but the matter of forming an alliance is significant and needs further discussion. Please let the envoy return first; after we discuss it, we will surely give your lord a clear answer."

The envoy nodded to show understanding and took his leave. Liu Bei watched his retreating back and turned to Zhuge Liang: "Kongming, how do you view this matter?"

Zhuge Liang's expression was solemn: "Eastern Wu's move has both sincerity and hidden selfishness. But as the envoy said, Gu Yi is our common enemy, and forming an alliance to resist him is the best choice at present. It's just that we need to act cautiously; we must use Eastern Wu's strength while also guarding against the calculations behind it."

Liu Bei deeply agreed and decided to send an envoy to Eastern Wu to further discuss the details of the alliance, and secretly sent spies to investigate Eastern Wu's true intentions.

And on Gu Yi's side, he also received the news of the alliance between Liu Bei and Eastern Wu. He did not panic, but instead summoned his advisors to calmly analyze the situation. "Liu Bei's move is intended to strengthen himself, but Eastern Wu is not sincerely helping; they just want to use our hands to consume Liu Bei's strength. Why don't we go along with the plan and use this point to design a bigger trap?"

The advisors nodded upon hearing this and started to offer strategies. A cold light flashed in Gu Yi's eyes; he already had a plan in his heart. This game of the chaotic world had just begun.

In the days that followed, the alliance between Liu Bei and Eastern Wu seemed smooth, but in reality, undercurrents were surging. While cooperating, both sides were also testing each other, looking for the other's flaws. And Gu Yi used this time to secretly train an elite force, preparing to catch Liu Bei and Eastern Wu off guard.

Finally, on a stormy night, Gu Yi's army suddenly launched a counterattack. They used the night and bad weather as cover to launch a raid on the coalition forces of Liu Bei and Eastern Wu. This time, Gu Yi learned from previous lessons and no longer fought head-on, but adopted flexible guerrilla tactics, making the coalition forces exhausted.

Liu Bei and the generals of Eastern Wu were caught off guard and fought in a hurry. Although they resisted with all their might, under Gu Yi's clever layout, the coalition forces gradually fell into a disadvantage. Liu Bei looked at the chaos on the battlefield, his heart filled with anxiety; he knew deeply that if he could not quickly reverse the situation, this war would completely change the balance of power among the three parties.

"Kongming, is there a good plan?" Liu Bei looked at Zhuge Liang, his eyes full of anticipation.

Zhuge Liang's brows were locked tight, and after pondering for a moment, he spoke slowly: "My lord, it is not appropriate to resist head-on at this time; we should look for an opportunity to retreat and preserve our strength. At the same time, send an envoy to Eastern Wu to expose Gu Yi's true intentions, urging Eastern Wu to cooperate more closely with us to resist Gu Yi together."

Liu Bei, upon hearing this, although unwilling, also knew that this was the best choice at present. Thus, he ordered a retreat and at the same time sent an envoy with Zhuge Liang's handwritten letter to Eastern Wu to seek help.

Gu Yi watched the retreating backs of the coalition forces, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He knew that this war was far from over, but at least, he had regained the initiative. In the days to come, more contests of wisdom and courage would be staged on this land, and he, Gu Yi, swore to be the final winner of this chaotic world game.