Chapter 56: The Cost of Victory (Part 2)

  The Lu County camp was in a state of complete devastation, with corpses and collapsed tents everywhere. Severed limbs were scattered all around, and the bloodstains on the ground were so extensive that it could be said that rivers of blood had flowed.

  "It's okay... At least I was able to leave a seed in the enemy camp..."

  A dozen or so brave warriors were brought up under Cao Xin's orders, but they were the last dozen or so remaining. Gao Shun was also tightly bound at this moment, and his face, which had been ashen, finally showed some slight relaxation, yet somehow it looked like self-mockery.

  "General Gao Shun, this one defeat... can you accept it?" Several hundred Cao troops surrounded the crowd of generals, with Cao Xin standing in the center, coldly staring at Gao Shun, his face expressionless as he spoke.

  A stern face showed a hint of gloom, Gao Shun immediately sighed with a bitter smile, "Forget it, haha, I never thought I'd lose so thoroughly, I...I concede..."

  At this moment, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, He Qi and Liu Yue etc. were all standing in the center of the crowd, looking at this brave general, all silent, as if they were all watching how Cao Xin would handle it.

  At this moment, Cao Xin didn't say anything, he just tidied up the stains on his armor and said, "Bring it here."

  A cold and expressionless shout, in less than half a moment, Zhou Zhuang suddenly brought a sly-looking fat man to Cao Xin's face.

  "Big brother! Li San is here!!"

  "Spare General... spare General's life... oh General, spare his life!" Li San's legs went soft at this moment, looking around at the murderous atmosphere, and upon seeing Cao Xin surrounded by blood in front of him, he collapsed to the ground, begging for mercy with a pale face.

  "Li San, don't be nervous, General will thank you instead... If it wasn't for you, this plan wouldn't have succeeded..." Cao Xin said casually while wiping the blood stains on his body.

  "I dare not, I dare not. I only beg the general to spare my life. General Gao, please help me plead for mercy!"

  "Despicable scoundrel, I'd like to kill you..." Yan Shi, who was tied up with ropes, heard Li San's heartless words and suddenly turned red with rage, cursing loudly.

  "Yes, yes, yes... Woe is me... I was wrong..."

  At this time, Cao Xin suddenly smiled inexplicably and looked at Li San strangely, saying: "Li San, don't be afraid, you have made a great contribution this time, I want to reward you."

  "Really?!" Li San's face twitched with a mixture of emotions, his eyes rolling around in anxiety as he spoke.

  "Zi Xiang, ask Li Da Guan Jia for a rich and noble life?"

  The latter nodded and walked up to Li San with a smile, pulling out a dozen documents from his bosom. "This is the deed for half of Dong Prefecture's good fields, take it!"

  Suddenly snatched from Liu's hand, Li San didn't react for a moment, but then realized that such good things would fall from the sky, and hastily rolled his eyes, revealing a sly expression, "Thank you, General, thank you, General, Li San is grateful, grateful..."

  He made a polite gesture towards him, and Cao Xin revealed a seemingly warm smile. "Please, Li the housekeeper."

  "Pah! A bunch of traitors." Gao Shun said disdainfully upon seeing this.

  "Yes, yes, I'm leaving right away." The sudden favor made Li San somewhat at a loss, but he still didn't dare to linger for a moment, after all, these soldiers were too frightening. He hastily got up and wanted to leave, but took two steps, turned his head and smiled slyly at Cao Xin: "General, if you have anything in the future, just give me orders, I, Li San, will do as I say... hehehe..." With that, he turned around and left.

  At this time, Cao Xin immediately gave Dian Wei a look.

  And the latter followed slowly under Gao Shun's inexplicable gaze...

  Trembling with both hands holding these contracts, Li San walked while making beautiful dreams...

  I fantasize that after I rise to power, I will own half of the land in Dong Prefecture, becoming a wealthy and influential person. I'll have mountains of gold and silver, and be surrounded by beautiful women. As for Li Zhen, he'll eventually become my servant and wash my feet!

  Cao Xin, that little brat, actually let me go. Hmph, sooner or later I'll show you the power of Li San, the old master. When I have power and influence in the future, just wait and see how I'll deal with you, you little turtle egg...

  Hehe, now I have money, should I marry nine wives or ten?

  "Hmmph..."

  A cold gleam flashed by, and the black iron halberd chopped off Li San's head with a loud crash, a burst of blood splashing out, sprinkling onto Dian Wei's mocking gaze.

  "Good! Well done! Haha...!" Gao Shun burst out laughing at this moment, and also revealed a hint of joyful smile.

  However, Cao Xin was still carelessly wiping the bloodstains on his body from earlier, but at this time, he also coldly said: "The wealth in your hands is not as valuable as the life in my hands... How pitiful... A foolish person like you doesn't deserve to live in this world."

  Perhaps Li San didn't understand until the moment he died, perhaps he didn't have time to understand. One moment thinking of wealth and glory...the next moment dead with no whole body left. If only I had known today, why bother with the past?

  "You're quite interesting...". Gao Shun stared at Cao Xin, his face once again revealing a determined look, and coldly snorted: "Alright, if you want to kill me, then do it! But there's one thing, I don't want to die like that Li San!"

  "General! We are willing to live and die with you!" The remaining warriors shouted in unison.

  "Great! You're indeed my good brothers! With you guys, I won't be lonely on the road to the Yellow Springs, hahahaha..."

  A burst of loud laughter caused everyone around to stir, yet Cao Xin's face was gloomy at this moment...

  "Bang!" A dull, muffled sound, the black iron greatsword suddenly smashed to the ground, leaving Gao Shun and the other defeated soldiers stunned and speechless.

  "Gao Shun, I'm asking you..." A slow and cold voice came out of Cao Xin's mouth at this moment.

  But Gao Shun sneered and said, "No need for further talk, I'd rather die than surrender!"

  "Then go die!" Zhou Ju and others heard this, suddenly burst into anger.

  Cao Xin waved his hand, signaling the other generals to be quiet, and turned to look at Gao Shun. With a serious expression, he said: "I'm just curious, I didn't ask you to surrender. I only asked you, how is your martial arts in Lü Bu's army?"

  I don't understand what Cao Xin meant, but Gao Shun still replied: "If compared to Zhang Liao, my martial arts are mediocre..."

  "How about compared to Song Xian? And Hou Cheng? Wei Xu? How do you compare to them?"

  With a look of disdain, Gao Shun said: "Of course, I am stronger than these good-for-nothings by more than one level."

  "Not just one trick?"

  "Not bad!"

  "So I'll ask you again, what about marching and fighting?" Cao Xin asked once more.

  At this moment, Gao Shun suddenly puffed out his chest and said, "Naturally, no one can surpass me!" As he spoke, Gao Shun's body language became gloomy again, and he said, "Of course, I have nothing to say about my defeat this time."

  "Heh heh." After laughing for a bit, Cao Xin still asked: "What about in terms of intelligence and strategy?"

  "As for strategic thinking, of course, Military Advisor Chen Gong is the most formidable, followed by Wen Far and me being on par."

  "Oh~~" At this time, Cao Xin hesitated for a moment, but suddenly seemed to have thought of something very interesting, and a sly smile appeared on his face as he looked at Gao Shun and said: "So, it seems that your martial arts are stronger than those of Hou Cheng, your deployment of troops is more than one level higher than that of Hou Cheng, and your wisdom is only inferior to Chen Gong."

  Cao Xin paused for a moment, then smiled and asked: "I wonder, in Lü Bu's army, who is more favored by Lü Bu, you or Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Wei Xu?"

  One sentence was like a thunderbolt on a clear day, striking the deepest and most vulnerable part of Gao Shun's heart. Cao Xin's words, lightly spoken as they were, were not his own pain?

  Gao Shun couldn't help but say with a bitter tone:

  "It's... Wei Xun and them who are more favored by Master..."

  *

  P.S: Collect it!!

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