Three Kingdoms, Myth

Gan Ning moved quickly because he knew that as soon as Yuan Shao's troops reacted and enough men left their tents, the camp's cloud-like formation would quickly form, making his raid a suicide mission. His only requirement for this operation was speed—so fast that ninety percent of the camp wouldn't have time to respond before he was already gone.

"Yuan Shao, prepare to die!" Gan Ning spotted a man holding a sword emerging from the central military tent. His heart leaped with joy as he immediately recognized his target—Yuan Shao himself, a target he hadn't even expected to encounter on this raid!

With unparalleled force, Gan Ning swung his heavy chain towards Yuan Shao. This attack, if it landed, would kill Yuan Shao. However, even as the weapon neared, Gan Ning noticed that Yuan Shao showed no fear. The aura of a ruler was fully on display before Gan Ning's eyes.

"Boom!" Yuan Shao wasn't without fear, but he knew what he represented and was confident that Yan Liang would protect him.

"Who dares attack!" Yan Liang swung his spear and deflected Gan Ning's heavy chain. With blood-red energy surging around him, Yan Liang charged at Gan Ning. He only needed to hold Gan Ning off for a moment, and the rest of the army would have time to surround and capture him.

"I am the naval commander Gan Xingba! Yuan Shao, prepare to die!" Gan Ning sneered. He was using a peculiar weapon, not a spear, and this one could change direction. As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, causing the tip of his chain to snake towards Yuan Shao once more. "Yuan Benchu, prepare to die!"

"Thud!" Just as the chain was about to pierce Yuan Shao, Yan Liang desperately grabbed the chain with his bare hand, preventing it from reaching Yuan Shao.

"Damn it!" Gan Ning yanked the chain back, the motion creating a wide arc that slammed into Yan Liang's chest. But Yan Liang blocked it with his spear, allowing Gan Ning to retrieve his weapon.

In that brief exchange, Gan Ning realized that Yan Liang was still injured, but his strength was undeniable, clearly still at the level of a warrior who could project his inner energy. With Yan Liang protecting Yuan Shao, Gan Ning knew he couldn't take Yuan Shao down. Even if Yan Liang was injured, it would take at least a hundred exchanges to defeat him—and by then, his men would be dead.

"Watch the arrow!" Gan Ning, though daring, wasn't foolish. In an instant, a crossbow appeared in his hand, and he fired it at Yuan Shao. "Yuan Shao, prepare to die!"

Seeing the arrow fly towards Yuan Shao, Yan Liang rushed to intercept it. His spear formed a wall, blocking the arrow. But as the arrow struck the spear tip, Yan Liang was shocked to find it shattered easily. By this time, Gan Ning had already nocked another arrow—not aimed at Yuan Shao but at the command flag.

"Bang!" The command flag fell, broken by Gan Ning's arrow. Wasting no time, Gan Ning tossed all the fire oil bags from his saddle and swung his heavy chain, puncturing the bags. As the chain struck a rock on the ground, sparks flew, igniting a wall of fire between the two sides. Yan Liang, uncertain of the situation and focused on protecting Yuan Shao, didn't dare pursue. Seizing the moment, Gan Ning turned and fled.

Gan Ning's raid was as swift as it was sudden. By the time he retreated, fewer than a hundred of Yuan Shao's men had fallen, but the camp was in chaos. Torches blazed, voices shouted, and though the fires were quickly extinguished, the camp was left in disarray.

"Hahahaha!" A mile away, Gan Ning and his hundred riders laughed uproariously. The raid hadn't resulted in many casualties, and they'd lost several hundred cattle and horses, but the blow to Yuan Shao's morale was severe. The raid wasn't about killing enemy soldiers—it was about killing their spirit!

After retreating without losing a single man, Gan Ning had dealt a heavy blow to Yuan Shao's morale. Though the battle had gone smoothly, Yuan Shao's retreat would now be a slower and more cautious process, as his troops were on edge and paranoid after the raid. Step by step, Yuan Shao's men would have to retreat, consuming precious time—and with it, their dwindling supplies.

Gan Ning had no idea how much trouble he had caused Yuan Shao with this seemingly reckless act. All he knew was that he had struck a significant blow to Yuan Shao's pride, and now he had something to boast about when he returned. Burning grain stores wasn't something worth bragging about since it hadn't involved much direct combat. But now, Gan Ning could proudly claim he had led a hundred riders against Yuan Shao's tens of thousands.

"Let's go! Let's board the ships and find Ziyi! Hahaha, I am the man who faced tens of thousands with just a hundred!" Gan Ning said arrogantly as he mounted his horse. Glancing back at his men, he saw that most of them were singed and battered, and they had lost several horses, but not a single man had fallen.

It was worth noting that Gan Ning had charged in first, while his men mainly focused on setting fires. Gan Ning had only exchanged two blows with Yan Liang before retreating. Most of his men had barely engaged the enemy. Had they lingered just a moment longer, the fully alert Yuan Shao's troops would have wiped them out, including Gan Ning himself.

Gan Ning's men laughed along with him. They had charged into the camp expecting to die, but all they had done was toss a few fire oil bags, and before they could even start fighting, Gan Ning had led them out. This mission had felt surreal, but the thrill of walking the line between life and death was something they wouldn't soon forget.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shao sat in his tent, face dark with rage, as he listened to his officers report the damage. Thirty-one tents had been destroyed, seventy-one men lost, eleven trampled to death in the chaos, and they had captured over three hundred cattle and horses. The actual losses weren't significant, and they had even gained something, but the blow to morale was severe.

"You're telling me that these horses were ours? That those who attacked were the same remnants of Gongsun Zan's forces who burned Handan's grain stores?" Yuan Shao roared.

"Yes, the horses and carts bear our military markings," Feng Ji replied with his head bowed.

"Damn it! Order a search for this Gan Xingba—I want him alive!" Yuan Shao roared, then paused and added, "Tell him I need brave warriors like him, men who are bold, cunning, and unmatched in strength! Let him know that serving Gongsun Zan will get him nowhere—I, Yuan Shao, will always welcome him!"

"Wise, my lord!" Shen Pei sighed in admiration. Yuan Shao had done exactly what he had been planning to advise—focus not on the losses but on recruiting this powerful warrior who had caused them.

"Wise? We're retreating tonight! We don't have time! Our supplies won't last, and if we fortify our position, we'll run out of food. If the enemy seizes that moment to strike, we'll lose everything!" Yuan Shao said helplessly.

"Order Zhou Ang to take responsibility for this failure!" Yuan Shao added, his voice tinged with resignation. He had to admit that their great advantage had evaporated, and now even retreating safely was a challenge.