Chapter 5: Guan Sheng Slays Hua Xiong While Warming Wine

Can you not show off for once? Li You was instantly filled with resentment towards Yuan Shu, saying, your brother has renowned generals like Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Zhang He under his command, while you only have someone like Yu She. Oh, and just recently, you were even defeated by Hua Xiong. Now that I have found someone to avenge you, you are still not happy! I must say, Gong Lu, your writing truly reflects the influence of Bai Qi; it seems you cannot feel comfortable unless you are recognized for your achievements.

Yuan Shu was born into a prestigious family and placed great importance on hierarchy. Upon witnessing the disorder in the tent, he felt somewhat displeased, and consequently, he regarded Guan Sheng with less favor. He casually remarked, "Now that the eighteen warlords are rallying to attack Dong Zhuo, with countless renowned generals under my command, why should I send a newly recruited individual to take action? Would it not imply that there is no one in my ranks?"

The leader's strategic deployment has led our army to this great victory! Now that the situation at Sishuiguan has changed, it is necessary for the leader to go and oversee the overall situation!" Upon seeing this, Li You changed the subject, and this compliment greatly improved Yuan Shao's mood. He laughed heartily and led everyone out of the tent and into the pass, with Sun Jian, Kong Rong, and other lords following closely behind; only Cao Cao and Liu Bei remained at the end.

The astonishment of the crowd had not yet subsided when scouts arrived to report, "Report, General Pan Feng under the command of the Governor of Jizhou has led his army to pursue the victory and has captured the Sishui Pass!"

Guan Sheng glanced at Guan Yu, either intentionally or unintentionally, and said, "Put down the wine for now; let me slay Hua Xiong first, and then we can drink at our leisure!" After saying this, he stepped out of the tent, drew his sword, and leaped onto his horse

Li You was just about to propose that everyone go out to watch the battle, as he was quite eager to see whether the ancient generals' duels were truly as depicted in television dramas. Suddenly, he heard a loud shout from outside, followed by the sound of galloping hooves approaching. Before long, Guan Sheng entered, holding a severed head, and with a salute to Li You, he announced, "My lord, the head of Hua Xiong is here!"

"Calm down, Highway. Guan Sheng's demeanor is extraordinary. How could Hua Xiong know that he is newly entered into my camp? It would be better to test his skills in battle. If he does not win, we can punish him later!" Li You once again cupped his hands in salute.

Li You was overjoyed at the sight and immediately poured a cup of hot wine, presenting it before Guan Sheng, saying, "General Guan, please drink this cup before heading into battle!"

"Yide, do not be angry. I still have several jars of fine wine in my tent. If Lord Xuande, Lord Yunchang, and Yide do not mind, why not return to my tent and drink to our heart's content?" The idol of his childhood was now right before him, and Li You could not help but extend the invitation. Unfortunately, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong were not present; otherwise, it would have been even more enjoyable to gather all five Tiger Generals for a drink.

"Is it that Wen Jie looks down upon Cao, thinking that Cao is not qualified to drink with him?" Cao Cao, who was nearby, could not help but interject, as he was utterly astonished by Han Fu's performance today! This was completely different from the mediocre image that was rumored.

Yuan Shu was feeling frustrated and had nowhere to vent his anger. Upon seeing this, he became furious and said, "The ministers have not yet spoken; how dare a mere county magistrate's subordinate flaunt his power here! All of you, get out of my tent!"

"What I wish for, I do not dare to request!" Li You laughed heartily, pulling Cao Cao with his left hand and Liu Bei with his right as he walked towards his tent. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Guan Sheng followed closely behind, the two brothers continuously gazing at Guan Sheng, their eyes filled with curiosity

Cao Cao and the others' eyes were constantly darting back and forth between Guan Sheng and Guan Yu, causing a bit of chaos in the main tent, but Guan Sheng remained undisturbed, standing firmly beneath the tent.

Upon Guansheng's entrance, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei widened their eyes in surprise. Zhang Fei could not help but ask, "Where do you come from, and why do you resemble my brother so closely?"

Ah, this level has finally been cleared! Upon hearing this, Li You let out a long sigh of relief

Everyone in the room was immediately taken aback. Cao Cao stepped forward to Li You's table, gently touched the wine cup with two fingers, and clapped his hands in praise, "The wine in the cup is still warm; General Guan is truly a fierce warrior!" His gaze towards Guan Sheng grew increasingly fervent.

Guan Yu felt puzzled, wondering why he felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing this person

This person has recently joined our army!" Li You, gritting his teeth, tried to persuade, "Therefore, the alliance leader has not heard of him. However, although this person's reputation is not prominent, he possesses the ability to take the head of a general from among a thousand troops as easily as reaching into a bag.

However, what surprised everyone was that in the first battle against Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian, the governor of Changsha who was highly anticipated by the masses, was defeated by Hua Xiong. It was this individual, whom Cao Cao and others regarded as merely mediocre, who first achieved victory. Initially, an unknown general under his command, Guan Sheng, beheaded Hua Xiong, and then General Pan Feng, seizing the momentum, captured Si Shui Pass. This left Yuan Shao and others feeling somewhat embarrassed, as they looked at the scout reporting the good news, unsure of what to say.

Han Fu, the Inspector of Jizhou, did not stand out among the eighteen warlords who sought to suppress Dong Zhuo. He lacked the illustrious lineage of the Yuan brothers, who had served as high officials for four generations, the boldness of Sun Jian, the Governor of Changsha, and Cao Cao, the Cavalry Commandant. He also did not possess the significant literary reputation of Kong Rong from Beihai, nor the military renown of Ma Teng, the Governor of Xiliang, and Gongsun Zan, the Governor of Liaodong. In fact, he was even inferior to Tao Qian, the Inspector of Xuzhou, who was known for his amiable nature.

"My lord, do not worry, I shall take care of it right away!" Pan Feng felt a twinge of disappointment when he saw that his lord preferred to send the unknown Guan Sheng to duel with Hua Xiong instead of calling upon him. However, upon receiving an even more important task from his lord, he was instantly filled with joy and hurried out of the tent to gather his men with his axe in hand.

I apologize for the disturbance, esteemed Wenjie. Liu Bei is currently merely the magistrate of Pingyuan County, actively seeking opportunities. Upon seeing that Han Fu, the governor of a province, has taken the initiative to extend an invitation, how could he not be moved? As he spoke, several individuals were about to leave the tent.

"Hmm? I have only heard of the great general Ju Yi and the general Pan Feng under the command of Wen Jie, but I have never heard of the name Guan Sheng. I wonder what kind of person this is?" Yuan Shao asked in confusion, and even Pan Feng, who was behind Li You, was equally puzzled. When did the lord recruit a general named Guan Sheng?

Haha, not only do you resemble my second brother, but I didn't expect your martial skills to be quite remarkable as well! Later, let's go drink with my fellow Yanren, Zhang Yide! Only Zhang Fei felt increasingly close to Guan Sheng.

Li You could not afford to go out and take a look, as he still remembered that he had another task to seize the Zhaoshui Pass. He immediately pulled Pan Feng and said, "Hurry out, once Guan Sheng has slain Hua Xiong, you must lead the troops to storm the pass and ensure that Zhaoshui Pass is captured"

Han Fu, as the Governor of Jizhou, was also a prominent figure among the feudal lords. Yuan Shao found it difficult to refuse his request, so he nodded in agreement.

Please come into the tent! Yuan Shao immediately became interested. Before long, a man, about eight or nine feet tall, with a slender three-bamboo beard, eyebrows that met at the temples, phoenix-like eyes gazing upwards, a face resembling a heavy jujube, and lips like they were painted with vermilion, entered the tent.

On the panel, the name of the first of the Five Tiger Generals of the Liangshan cavalry, Guan Sheng with the great saber, was prominently displayed, indicating that Hua Xiong was destined to die at the hands of the Guan family! He quickly continued, "I have the general Guan Sheng, who can slay Hua Xiong!"