I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 18: The Three Heavenly Swords, Taoist Magical Powers

Rumble~
The sky was covered with dark clouds, with strong winds howling and silver snakes dancing.

The roaring thunder shook the sky.

About 120 miles northeast of Gepi is Gushi City.

In the second year of Jianwu, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu appointed Minister of Agriculture Li Tong as Marquis of Gushi and established the State of Gushi. Gushi got its name from this, which means "If you want to have a good end, you must first have a solid beginning."

Wang Jing, Cao Ren and others who retreated towards Qiao County were now stationed in the city and setting up a defense line.

In the city camp, Wang Jing, as the person with the highest military rank, is now busy gathering the defeated soldiers every day, and sending out scouts to gather information from the outskirts of Huangtian Dao Domain.

After a while, Wang Ling stepped into the bookstore. He had just rushed back from outside the city, and he didn't even have time to drink a sip of water. He reported the military situation to Wang Jing in a hoarse voice: "Second brother, Huang Tian's range has not continued to expand."

Wang Jing put down the bamboo slips and brush in his hand and said, "This is good news. Have you found out the whereabouts of Huang Yuzhou and Captain Bao?"

Wang Ling then shook his head solemnly: "According to the escaped soldiers, the envoy and the captain were both trapped in the Huangtian Dao domain. We have asked a fortune teller to observe the weather, but the Huangtian Dao domain is isolated from the heaven and earth, and it is difficult to observe the weather. Whether the two are dead or alive is still unknown."

Wang Jing thought about it and felt heavy-hearted.

Although he could just walk away, but he finally killed He Man. He couldn't help but ask the court for a reward for this achievement, right?
But rewards are usually only given after victory. Once a war is lost, it would be good enough if the emperor is not angry, so why would he give rewards?
What's more, the commander was captured, but he was safe and sound. If someone had to take the blame in the end, there was no need to think too much, that person would definitely be me!
Wang Jing was also very upset about this. He did not expect that promotion and salary increase would become a bad thing now. All the officers in the army who had higher positions than him were now trapped in the Huangtian Dao Domain with Bao Hong.

Once Bao Hong's army is wiped out and Huang Wan dies in battle, who else but himself can take the blame for the loss of troops and territory?

At this moment, Wang Jing only felt that the wine made him even more sad.

After thinking for a while, Wang Jing called a sword guard from outside the tent and said, "Please ask Zixiao to come over. I have something to discuss with him."

"Yes."

Soon, Cao Ren was invited into the study.

"Yuan Xu, what do you want from me?"

"Zixiao, now Huang Yuzhou and Captain Bao are both trapped in Huangtian, isolated and helpless. We are under the emperor's grace, so how can we not repay the court and share the country's worries? Moreover, the Yellow Turbans in Runan have poisoned Yuzhou, and the noble families have all suffered greatly. If such a source of disaster is not eradicated as soon as possible, it will become a serious problem."

Wang Jing said a lot of things, both using threats and inducements, appealing to people's emotions and reasoning with them, but his ultimate goal was only one - to get the local noble families and wealthy families in Yuzhou to get involved and ask them to send troops for support.

Cao Ren was not a fool. Although he had a good relationship with Wang Jing, he would not rush forward just because of Wang Jing's words. So he showed an embarrassment and evaded the question: "Even the government troops sent by the court are no match for them. What can we do?"

"Don't worry, Zixiao. The Yellow Turbans want to replace Heaven with Yellow Heaven, but how easy is that? I believe Huang Yuzhou and Captain Bao should be able to hold out for a while. We can work together with them to break this formation. Otherwise, if we are defeated, even if the court does not punish us, the unrest in Yuzhou will probably be difficult to quell."

"This……"

Wang Jing's words made Cao Ren hesitate.

Seeing this, Wang Jing immediately continued to persuade him: "Zixiao, I am also thinking about the Cao family of Qiao County. What does the victory or defeat of this battle have to do with me? Even if His Majesty blames me, I can just resign and go home. It's different for you. The Cao family has its roots in Yuzhou. Can you leave?"

Wang Jing will definitely not give up military power.

But Cao Ren didn't know about this. He only knew that if the Yellow Turbans in Runan were not eliminated quickly, the Cao family's spring plowing would be greatly affected. At that time, they would lose a year's harvest for no reason. The thought of it made him feel painful.

Moreover, if what Wang Jing said was true, and Huang Wan and Bao Hong had not yet died in the battle, then it was indeed possible for everyone to work together from inside and outside to defeat the Yellow Turbans in Runan.

If this is accomplished, it will be a great achievement!
"I will go home in person, explain the pros and cons, and I will definitely ask for reinforcements for you, Yuan Xu."

"Okay, then I'll take care of you!"

Wang Jing was in a good mood after successfully deceiving Cao Ren. He personally escorted Cao Ren out of the city, and even held the reins for him and walked slowly, showing all courtesy.

It was not until Cao Ren's figure disappeared in the dust raised by the horse's hooves that Wang Ling could not help asking, "Second brother, do you really believe that the envoy and the captain are still alive?"

Wang Jing shook his head: "I have to believe it now even if I don't want to. If they die, my future will be over."

Although the position of Sima of a separate department is low, it is crucial for him to control the military position now. After all, before Dong Zhuo enters the capital, he must have a certain level of strength so that there is hope of breaking the impasse.

Even if you want to be a salted fish, that is only after you fail.

Now that he has the opportunity to change his fate, Wang Jing still wants to fight for it.

At this time, Gepi.

Under the cover of the Huangtian Dao Realm, ghost rain fell and the yin energy was bone-chilling.

The tens of thousands of troops of the imperial court were trapped, and now they can only defend the barracks, relying on the protection of the fortune of the Mountain, River, State and People to survive.

Many soldiers' hands and feet had been frozen stiff, and their lips had turned purple. It was obvious that the cold evil energy had corroded their bodies and had penetrated into their muscles. Once the cold evil energy penetrated their bone marrow, the only fate that awaited them would be to turn into ghosts.

In the tent, Huang Wan looked at Bao Hong: "What's the situation? Have you contacted the outside world?"

Bao Hong put down the tiger talisman and formation map in his hand: "Even the tiger talisman has been tried. The evil magic of the demon is really incredible. It can actually separate heaven and earth. Even the secondary map of the Shanhe Sheji map in my hand has lost its connection with the main map in your majesty's hand, and even the long river of luck has been cut off. This kind of thing is simply unheard of!"

"Can it cut off the long river of luck?!"

Huang Wan frowned, feeling more uneasy: "The main map and the secondary map of the Mountain and River State Map are connected by destiny, just like the main stream and tributaries of a river. They are blessed by the will of heaven. Who can cut them off?"

Bao Hong was equally worried about this: "Not only that, this fake great and virtuous teacher surrounded us but did not attack us, trapped us but did not kill us. This is a serious violation of the essence of military strategy. I am afraid there is another shocking conspiracy. We must be on guard."

Just as the two were discussing countermeasures, there was a faint sound of thunder outside the camp, and they suddenly felt a familiar sense of energy.

"Here he comes again!"

"Go out together."

Huang Wan and Bao Hong walked out of the camp together, and sure enough, they saw the familiar figure of the mysterious masked man outside the camp again.

"How are you, my dear guests?"

"Humph, you've trapped us here, and you still call us honored guests? How can you treat guests like this?"

Bao Hong was a soldier, so he spoke in a simple and rough manner. He pressed his hand on the hilt of the sword, wishing he could draw the sword and kill the powerful enemy right now. However, at this moment, he had lost the advantage of time and place, and did not dare to take risks impulsively.

The mysterious masked man did not get angry. He sat down on a raised boulder and said lazily, "What about Huang Yuzhou? I have nothing to do. Why not discuss it again to kill time?"

Huang Wan frowned, and then replied in a cold voice: "If we are on different paths, we cannot make plans together. If you want to kill me, then kill me. Why do you have to try to shake my resolve with words?"

"Oh, you're already trapped in a jar, why should I waste my energy to kill you?"

Bao Hong pressed his knife forward, his eyes sharp as a sword: "Huang Yuzhou has a famous weapon to protect him. To kill him, you must use your best tricks, which will definitely expose your true identity. Otherwise, you would have killed us two long ago, right?"

The mysterious masked man clapped his hands and smiled softly: "It is commendable that you can calculate to this level."

Huang Wan was indifferent to such provocation. He knew that he might have met his match this time, so his expression became more solemn: "What do you want to do? Although the Huangtian Dao Kingdom has been formed, the national treasure is nothing but a dead object without the blessing of luck. Once Your Majesty uses the Mountain and River Map and offers sacrifices to the heaven with the honorable position of the Son of Heaven, then under the impact of the human luck accumulated by the Han Dynasty for 400 years, even if you hold the national treasure, you will have no choice but to die.

The mysterious masked man remained unmoved: "No need to worry about that, sir."

Provocation and threats were useless, so Huang Wan turned to provocation: "Now that we have the advantage of time and place, why don't you consider going all out and killing us on the spot? Are you unwilling, or unable?"

However, the mysterious masked man just looked at Huang Wan calmly and smiled contemptuously: "Give up, provocation is useless to me. I won't take action, and I have my reasons for not taking action."

Bao Hong couldn't hold back any longer, his eyes were filled with murderous intent: "No matter how powerful you are, your magic power will eventually run out. Aren't you afraid that the court will send reinforcements and then join forces with us to wipe you out?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't mind if the battle continues to be deadlocked like this."

Huang Wan's face darkened when he heard that, and he and Bao Hong looked at each other silently. After repeated attempts, the two were now more certain that the enemy in front of them must have a shocking conspiracy!
The government troops can be defeated, they can die, but they must find out more information. The person in front of them is too terrifying, and his plan must be extraordinary, even enough to threaten the country and society of the Han Dynasty. Huang Wan grasped the crescent jade pendant on his waist, and a cold moonlight instantly lit up, illuminating the three-foot divine light of the spiritual platform, isolating the invasion of Huang Tian's death energy, and ensuring that Huang Wan's spiritual consciousness could not sleep.

This is the power of allusions, which have acquired incredible magical power because of being sung by countless people.

The royal family of the Eastern Han Dynasty believed in the study of prophecies and divination, and regarded solar eclipses as disasters and ominous signs. When Huang Wan was seven years old, he cleverly predicted that the aftermath of a solar eclipse would be like the first full moon. Over the years, this incident became an allusion, and thus was able to gather the thoughts and minds of countless people. It already possessed supernatural powers, and to a certain extent, was able to resist the erosion of the laws of heaven.

Huang Wan stood in front of the mysterious masked man with a look of lightning in his eyes. When he spoke, he even activated his thoughts and used the magical power of Confucianism: "You are from Taoism. You are doing something against the will of heaven. Aren't you afraid of the disaster that will befall you?"

The mysterious masked man laughed coldly and asked, "How can you be sure that I am from Taoism?"

Huang Wan was stunned for a moment, then frowned and looked sternly: "Your cultivation of Taoism is only comparable to the Five Elephants of Xuanzong in the world. The Earth Elephant Zhang Jiao is dead. The remaining four people, as long as you compare them carefully, it is not difficult to verify your origins. Why do you have to be mysterious in front of me and hide your head and tail?"

"Haha, in this world, can only those who come from Taoism learn Taoism? Don't forget that the sword of princes you used before was also created by the Taoist sage Zhuangzi. The Three Swords of Heaven and Man, the Sword of the Son of Heaven, the Sword of Princes, and the Sword of Common People, there are so many people in the world who have learned these three famous swordsmanship chapters. Could it be that they are all from Taoism?"

Huang Wan: …

For a moment, even he couldn't help but fall into self-doubt.

Could it be that the person in front of me is not from a Taoist background?
But if he was not from Taoism, how could he lead the remnants of the Taiping Dao and make all the leaders submit to him and obey his orders?

Rumble~
Nine thunders in the sky interrupted the conversation between the two parties.

By the time Huang Wan and Bao Hong came to their senses, the mysterious masked man on the boulder had disappeared.

Gepi, deep in the Yellow Turban Army’s base camp.

Two mysterious masked men appeared together in the formation, standing on either side of the artifact Huang Tian Dao Kingdom;
"The heavens have sent down thunder punishment. Dao Realm is estimated to be able to hold out for another six hours. What are the results of the test?"

"Without Huang Shao as the formation base, the effect is not as expected. According to the original plan, our chances of winning the Taishan trip may be less than 30%."

"It's enough to take a risk. At worst, we can just find a new formation base when the time comes."

"Then let's proceed to the next step. If we don't leave now, Liu Hong will probably get mad."

"Well, even though he is a dying dragon, he is still the supreme ruler, the Son of Heaven. There is no need for us to fight to the death with the Han Dynasty right now."

"Yes, after all, our opponents have never been secular dynasties."

After saying this, the mysterious masked man looked up at the sky with a dim gaze.

Kyoto, Luoyang.

"Waste, all waste... cough cough cough..."

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry anymore. The dragon's body is the most important."

Sitting on the dragon throne, Liu Hong kept coughing, while Zhang Rang, whose notoriety spread throughout the country, was serving him carefully at the side.

In the entire world today, he, a eunuch, is probably the only one who most hopes that Emperor Liu Hong is alive. After all, all his power comes from the emperor.

Without the emperor, he was just an old dog that anyone could kick to death.

After catching his breath a little, Liu Hong said with a gloomy look: "Grand Historian."

"The minister is here."

"Is my army still alive?"

"I... don't know..."

Taishi Ling Shan Yang was sweating profusely, and his heart was filled with panic.

The position of Grand Historian originated in the late Xia Dynasty and was particularly important during the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn Periods. He was mainly responsible for drafting documents, appointing princes, ministers and officials, recording historical events, compiling history books, supervising national classics, astronomy, calendar, sacrifices and other affairs. He was a minister in the court.

However, during the Qin and Han dynasties, the position of Grand Historian was gradually downgraded, and the task of compiling history was transferred to the Director of the Imperial Library. Today, Shan Yang's main responsibilities are to observe celestial phenomena and calculate the calendar.

When an army goes out to war, its military strength is concentrated. Wherever it goes, the sky above and the earth below are connected, and the weather created is ever-changing. A fortune teller who is good at observing weather can often predict good or bad luck, and even victory or defeat, based on the changes in the weather.

At worst, at least it can be seen whether the army still has its luck, so as to determine life and death, disaster and fortune.

But now, under the cover of Huang Tian, ​​Gepi has become a lawless place. Even Taichang, who controls the net of heaven and earth to monitor the ups and downs of the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty, finds it difficult to grasp the true situation of Gepi. What can a small historian like him do?
General Yuan Wei stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the best plan now is to ask for the Mountain and River State Map, so that we can break through this dilemma."

Liu Hong glanced coldly at Yuan Wei, the former Situ, and then closed his eyelids: "Not allowed."

"His Majesty……"

"Why, you want to teach me how to do things?"

"I dare not."

Liu Hong was furious. The aristocratic families had already taken over 70% of the Han Dynasty's destiny. Although the royal family was still the most powerful "aristocratic family" on the surface, it had lost control of the overall situation.

If the Han Dynasty's national fortune accumulated in the map of mountains, rivers and states is frequently used again, the Han Dynasty may be in danger of unexpected disasters.

Although outsiders called Liu Hong a tyrant, Liu Hong knew very well who his opponents were. The Yellow Turban Army had to be suppressed, but the aristocratic families and powerful clans also needed to be suppressed!
During the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Runan, he had already sent the lower army captain Bao Hong to fight. He would not invest more troops and national destiny until the outcome of the war was clear.

Anyway, even if Yuzhou was destroyed, the Yuan family of Runan would be the first to bear the brunt.

Liu Hong silently calculated in his heart: "It seems that old man Yuan Wei is getting anxious. Humph, I lost Runan, but I am still the emperor of the Han Dynasty. If you, the Yuan family, lost Runan, can you still be the Yuan family with three generations of officials? Let you fight with the remnants of the Yellow Turbans first, and then I will clean up the mess..."

Then, another coughing sound was heard.

……

Rumble~
After the thunder, the wind and rain came suddenly.

The biting cold wind howled and swept across, plunging the heaven and earth into darkness and chaos.

In Gushi City, ten thousand volunteers gathered, all of whom were from famous families in Yuzhou.

After Wang Jing threatened to tank, Cao Ren used the Cao family's connections and finally convinced this group of stingy people who always spoke in a righteous manner but were unwilling to contribute a penny.

After all, if the army was defeated, the worst that could happen to Wang Jing would be the loss of his official position, but what they would lose was their own foundation.

The Yellow Turbans of Runan were originally insignificant, so they could certainly sit back and relax. But now that the Huangtian Dao Kingdom has emerged, even top families like the Yuan family of Runan can no longer sit still, let alone other prominent families.

After inspecting the entire army, Wang Jing was so angry that his eyebrows stood up: "Among these 10,000 volunteers, at most only 2,000 can be barely called elite, and the rest are all rotten fish and shrimp? Even a 50-year-old man was sent to me. What? Do you want me to take care of him in his old age?"

Wang Ling also came from an aristocratic family, so he naturally knew the aristocratic family's style of doing things: "Second brother, it's already very good to have 20% of elite troops. On the bright side, they are even willing to supply food and grass for our army."

Xu Lan glanced at Wang Jing speechlessly.

In her opinion, it would be fine if someone else said this, but Wang Jing himself did not sit properly. He transferred all the sword guards to the rear in the name of rest and was ready to run away at any time. He did not look like a loyal and patriotic person at all.

Just when Wang Jing was hesitating whether to send out troops to test the waters, the scout he had sent out suddenly came back in the wind and rain: "Sima, the Huangtian Dao domain has disappeared!"

"What!?"

Wang Jing was only surprised for a moment, then ordered: "Immediately send a team to investigate in Gepi. I need more accurate information!"

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)