"It's too late."

Aozawa replied.

From his vantage point, he could see what Fancheng had become, the vulnerable had been devoured, leaving nothing for the ordinary residents.

The city was now only inhabited by man-eating beasts.

He raised his hand, and flames formed into the shape of a great blade in his palm, swiftly slashing downward.

"No!"

Fan Yong shouted, his face showing extreme terror, but just as he had done to the people of Wan City before, once the blade swung down, he would not heed anyone's screams or pleas for mercy.

Even a three-year-old child was bound to die.

As the flames approached, Fan Yong suddenly thought of the child he had killed, and a trace of regret welled up in his heart.

Perhaps this was retribution.

Boom.

The flames descended, and the city gate turned to ashes in the fire.

Figures turned charred within the flames, then crumbled to pieces.

Aozawa didn't forget to take care of the Wei Army elsewhere, the raging fire flattened everything.

Beyond the city walls, Fancheng had nothing left behind.

Guan Yu hid within his space, his mind shaken, feeling as if he was still dreaming.

He pinched his cheek, and the pain proved it was not a dream.

Xu Huang surrendered, Fancheng was captured, the things he longed for had been achieved in such a short time.

This is the power of the Heavenly Deity!

Guan Yu was almost so excited that he nearly yanked his own dignified long beard.

He never thought, within his lifetime, restoring the Han would be so close.

The flame manifested by Aozawa suddenly shrank, contracting to normal size, and he spoke: "Lord Guan, next, we must head to Gong'an and Jiangling."

"Gong'an and Jiangling are extremely fortified; Sun Quan can't capture them for a while."

Guan Yu stated his judgment.

He had withdrawn some troops from Gong'an and Jiangling, but those left were sufficient to defend both cities.

It's not that Guan Yu was arrogant, but the Wu Army's siege capabilities were inept; how could they break his fortifications?

Aozawa shook his head and said, "Lord, you are well-versed in the art of war and should know that attacking the heart is the highest strategy.

Mi Fang and Shi Ren have already betrayed the King of Hanzhong."

"Impossible."

Guan Yu exclaimed in disbelief, quickly shaking his head, "Shi Ren has been with me since Zhuo County, campaigning south and north, never having a second thought.

The same goes for Mi Fang.

Back in Xuzhou, at Changban Slope, they had not betrayed us.

Now, in their high positions, how could they betray my brother?"

Even though Guan Yu harshly reprimanded Mi Fang and Shi Ren in letters, it didn't mean he truly wanted to kill them; only by treating them as his own would he use such merciless words to reproach them.

"Lord, people change; you may see them as your own, but they no longer consider you theirs. If you don't believe it, come with me to Jiangling and see if there are still Han Army banners flying atop the city."

Aozawa's words plunged Guan Yu into silence, the joy on his face fading away.

If Mi Fang and Shi Ren had betrayed them, then staying here would be an extremely foolish strategy.

Without the help of the Heavenly Deity, Guan Yu could imagine the dire defeat he would face when besieged from both front and rear.

But how could Mi Fang and Shi Ren betray them?

They forged their bonds amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Over these years, there had been some disagreements among the three in Jingzhou.

But could such minor disputes lead to this?

Guan Yu was in a daze.

From the uprising in Zhuo County until now, the old brothers left were few and far between.

...

Jiangling City changed hands.

However, the residents of Jiangling City didn't notice any discomfort. Besides the change of flags at the city gates, everything else was as usual.

This was the result of Lü Meng's repeated orders.

He wanted the Jingzhou troops on the front lines to know that under their governance, Jiangling City was without issue, disintegrating their resolve to fight.

For if they continued to oppose Eastern Wu, Jiangling City would inevitably be plunged into a bloody storm.

Lü Meng was proficient in psychological warfare, knowing how to grasp human psychology.

Thus, after taking charge of the affairs in Jingzhou, he employed a strategy of psychological assault, gradually diminishing the hostility of the Jingzhou aristocracy and Mi Fang, Shi Ren towards Eastern Wu. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Ultimately achieving a bloodless military miracle of capturing two prominent cities.

"Cough, cough."

Lü Meng coughed, feeling his body weaken further.

"Great Governor, you should take a rest."

"It's fine; have all the guests arrived?"

Lü Meng shook his head, he had captured Jiangling and Gong'an without shedding blood.

The primary task was to soothe the local families and officials of the two cities to ensure no disturbances would arise.

To accomplish such a task, naturally, a banquet was indispensable.

"Everyone has arrived."

The personal guard answered, eyes full of concern.

Lü Meng looked handsome, yet years of chronic illness had rendered his face emaciated and pale, making it impossible to tell he was a general from the battlefield.

Wearing a plain white robe, he appeared more like a scholar only interested in composing poetry and prose.

"Then let us meet them."

Lü Meng took a deep breath and headed towards the main hall of the Taishou Mansion.

...

The Taishou Mansion was brightly lit.

To showcase Eastern Wu's might, the entire Taishou Mansion was brilliantly illuminated, with an armored soldier posted every ten paces, glaring at each guest with murderous intent.

Lü Meng arrived at the main hall.

The aroma of dishes wafted through the air.

The families of Jiangling City, officials, and some Eastern Wu generals, and families had all gathered.

Some people wore indifferent expressions, while others were obsequious and enthusiastic.

Regardless of the expressions, Lü Meng didn't care; he wore a faint smile and said, "Thank you all for accepting the invitation to come here."

While speaking, he walked past the seats, arriving at the master's seat, then turned around and bowed to those below.

At the first table on the left, Mi Fang immediately stood up, face full of flattery, and said, "Great Governor, your gracious invitation is our honor."