Chapter 80: There Is Nothing Unimaginable, Only What One Dares Not Imagine

The army set out, advancing ten miles westward, conveniently occupying the existing Liang army’s camp for the night. After marching another eight miles, they spotted the cavalry encampment from afar, and the hearts of the allied lords began to pound with unease.

With Mount Mang to the north and the Luo River to the south, the battlefield narrowed at the front and widened toward the rear—a bottleneck terrain. This meant the enemy scouts needed to patrol only a small area, enabling them to respond swiftly to any disturbance.

General Gongsun Zan of the White Horse Cavalry stepped forward. “My lord, it is impossible to raid their camp here. It would be better to press forward with the main force, forcing the enemy to abandon their positions and seek another place to strike.”

Before Yuan Shao could answer, Cao Cao spoke first. “Brother Bo Gui, the Xiliang cavalry have Dong Zhuo’s main force at their back. They need barely any supplies and have no supply lines to protect. Their camp here is a clear invitation to battle. If we do not annihilate most of the Liang cavalry in this fight, and the enemy retreats, do we dare continue westward? The Liang riders are swift; if we let them go, they’ll return to camp here. Should Dong Zhuo’s main force double back, we’d all be corpses left to rot in our graves.”

This was the trouble with cavalry encamped here. If you tried to confront them head-on, they could leave at any moment, and you wouldn’t be able to catch them. When you wanted to withdraw, they could block your retreat. If you attempted a raid and were discovered, the enemy could gather in the time it took for a few sticks of incense to burn—deciding instantly whether to fight or withdraw. But if they raided you, disaster would strike the moment they charged in, especially since they had no supply worries.

Cao Cao did not believe the Xiliang iron cavalry would choose this place for a decisive battle. If you try to strike a snake and fail to kill it, you invite endless trouble.

“Chen the Invincible, why don’t you inherit your father-in-law’s mighty cavalry?” Xu Chu, always eager for excitement, teased Chen Cong quietly by his side.

“Just a bunch of rabble and brutes, easily crushed with a snap of my fingers.” Chen Cong nonchalantly picked his nose.

Chen Cong had been living comfortably these days, looking more spirited than ever. A clear mind comes with a healthy spirit. Setting aside the massive battle-axe slung over his shoulder, he even carried a trace of a scholarly general’s bearing.

“You?” Xu Chu scoffed.

“You think it would be you instead?”

The surrounding silence told Xu Chu his words had piqued the interest of the other lords. He thumped his chest with a loud bang and declared, “Give me eight thousand elite cavalry, and I’ll charge through and sweep all before me!”

Xu Chu was truly anxious; otherwise, he wouldn’t have used Chen Cong as a stepping stone—risking a beating in the process. But he was out of options. After all these battles, he’d spent his days guarding Cao Cao, achieving nothing worth mentioning, while his father was still waiting for him to make a name for himself. Now, even Chen Cong had been made a marquis—not much in itself, but an impressive title nonetheless.

Unfortunately, Xu Chu’s boastful self-recommendation did not attract the lords’ attention. If brute force were all that was needed, they’d have chosen General Gongsun Zan, or at the very least, the more renowned Chen the Invincible—not an obscure, loud-mouthed officer.

On the contrary, everyone’s gaze shifted to Chen Cong. Hadn’t he just said that the enemy was nothing but a rabble, easily crushed? Though Chen Cong did not always appear reliable, his solo victory at Sishui was real enough for the lords to take him seriously.

Chen Cong cleared his throat. “Let me ask you all: what is the most important thing in raiding a camp?”

Gongsun Zan frowned. “Naturally, surprise.”

“And what else?” Chen Cong pressed.

“Victory amid chaos.”

“Excellent. Then why not strike them with surprise and win amidst chaos?”

Gongsun Zan forced a laugh and pointed ahead. “But see, this place is backed by a mountain and bordered by a river, barely three to five miles across. How can we catch them off guard?”

Chen Cong picked up Xu Chu’s cloak, wiped his fingers clean, and, ignoring Xu Chu’s glare, pointed to the rushing Luo River. “We go under—swim across.”

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then shook their heads in disbelief. It was a clever idea, but utterly useless… and not the kind of harebrained scheme a normal person would even conceive.

Cao Ren burst into laughter, as though Chen Cong’s folly could somehow wash away the shame of his own defeat at Jinshi. “Zi Ning, even if I believe you’re unmatched in bravery and could swim upstream, how would you make it across? Even if you did, you can’t raid a camp alone, can you?”

Chen Cong grinned. “Who said I’d swim upstream? Can’t I just cross sideways?”

Cao Ren blinked. “Then why did you say go to the riverbed?”

“Because I can’t swim,” Chen Cong replied matter-of-factly. “I’ll have to tie a big stone to my waist so my feet can touch the riverbed, then walk across beneath the water.”

“And then?”

“Once I’m over, I’ll follow the riverbed upstream, circle behind the enemy, then recross to the north bank and strike them from the rear.”

Cao Ren shook his head. “The Liang cavalry aren’t blind. How could a large force move without being detected?”

“Didn’t you listen to a word the White Horse General said? Surprise and victory amid chaos. As long as there’s chaos, why use the whole army?”

“And what can you accomplish alone and on foot?”

Chen Cong rolled his eyes. “If there’s merit to be gained, we all share in it. Why would I keep it to myself? Anyone who wants to follow me and become famous, raise your hand—tomorrow, your names will resound throughout the land.”

Xu Chu, without a second thought, raised his hand. Gone was any hint of arrogance from earlier.

Next came Xiahou Dun, Yue Jin, Cao Hong, Zhang Fei, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Ji Ling, and Pan Feng. Finally, even Sun Ce, who had previously shown nothing but disdain for Chen Cong, raised his hand, his eyes shining. Unable to dissuade Zhang Fei, Liu Bei and Guan Yu also raised their hands, albeit helplessly.

Every bold and brash warrior in the crowd had their hand up, all staring at Chen Cong with burning eyes.

One slap to the forehead and they were ready for action! As for their wits? Sorry, those had flown out of their heads with that slap.

“Excellent!” Chen Cong nodded in satisfaction. With such a formidable lineup, he wouldn’t fear a frontal assault, let alone a sneak attack.

“Gather at midnight tonight at the Luo River. If you can’t swim, bring a rope—I’ll pull you across. If you’re confident, swim on your own, but if you drown, don’t blame me.”

The lords fell silent, while the eyes of the warriors sparkled with anticipation.

Sun Jian grabbed Sun Ce. “Bofu, listen to your father—don’t get involved. Thirteen men can’t possibly stand against over ten thousand elite cavalry.”

Chen Cong bristled at that. Thirteen men, mere numbers? Truth be told, with a team of such fierce warriors, conquering the world wouldn’t be out of the question. Except for this rare gathering of allied lords, assembling such a lineup was a dream.

Besides, this was a sneak attack—why would they need to fight head-on?

He called out, “White Horse General! Do you think the enemy will be on guard tonight?”

“Naturally,” Gongsun Zan replied.

“If you led the cavalry in a frontal raid, would the Xiliang cavalry flee in panic or stand and fight?”

“They would be ready for battle,” Gongsun Zan said, his eyes lighting up.

“And if, in the thick of battle at the front, the Liang camp suddenly erupted in flames, could you rout the Xiliang cavalry?”

Gongsun Zan stroked his beard and laughed. “Ha ha ha! Victory would be assured in a single battle!”

Cao Cao’s heart quailed. Among these thirteen men were all his most valuable generals, save for Huang Zhong, Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan, and Li Dian. If any mishap befell them…

“Wait, wait! Zi Ning, as your father, let me ask you: if the Liang cavalry turn around and charge en masse, how will you withstand their onslaught?”

Chen Cong grinned. “We’ll kill as many as we can, and if we manage to link up with the White Horse General, all the better. If not, we’ll just jump into the river. Please, father-in-law, have a large net strung downstream where the current is calm, to fish us out.”

Chen Cong couldn’t manage swimming upstream, but going with the current on the way back would be no trouble. Just hold your breath and go with the flow—wherever you wash up, so be it. After all, these were all tough, resilient men; if anything happened, they’d have only themselves to blame for not being true heroes.

Glory awaited them, one way or another.