Gan Ning: Did I get the wrong script?

Once Su Fei was captured, Gan Ning inevitably appeared.

After uttering those words, Su Ming charged alone into the enemy ranks, moving as though no one could stand in his way. At this moment, Su Ming’s martial prowess had surpassed one hundred; among all the heroes of the Three Kingdoms, he was undoubtedly a formidable warrior. Even the renowned Guan Yu, famed throughout the land, was no match for Su Ming.

The Phoenix-winged Golden Spear danced in Su Ming’s hands, the heavy one-hundred-and-eight-jin weapon swirling like a dragon stirring the sea. The soldiers under Su Fei’s command were nothing but shrimps and crabs before Su Ming; none could stand against him.

In an instant, Su Ming carved a bloody path through Su Fei’s army. In the blink of an eye, he had already fought his way to the front of Su Fei.

As for Su Fei’s martial skill, it barely placed him among the lower second-rate warriors, hovering just above the third-rate. He was the sort who never filled the bottle, only rattled it.

“Are you Su Fei?” Su Ming called out to his distant kin.

Su Fei was over seven feet tall, clad in fiery red armor, wielding a five-pronged Heaven-supporting Fork.

“Yes, I am the Commander of the Xiling Navy, Su Fei!” he announced loudly.

Su Fei, much like Deng Long from the previous day, looked down on Su Ming’s youth and dismissed him. His thoughts mirrored Deng Long’s exactly: How powerful could a young man in his twenties possibly be, even if he had trained since birth?

Su Ming swung his Phoenix-winged Golden Spear directly toward Su Fei. He truly did not regard Su Fei as a threat; his plan was to capture him alive and force Gan Ning to appear.

In all of Jiangxia, the only man Su Ming considered worthy was Gan Ning.

The Phoenix-winged Golden Spear thrust forward, blazing like a phoenix soaring through flames, aiming straight for Su Fei. Su Ming’s intent was not to kill, but to seize Su Fei alive and draw Gan Ning out. Thus, his attack was measured.

Seeing Su Ming’s spear thrust toward him, Su Fei hurriedly raised his weapon to meet it. Yet, compared to Su Ming, Su Fei’s strength was like an eel against a dragon, a sparrow against a phoenix.

With a sharp clang, Su Ming’s spear twisted, and in a single move, he sent Su Fei’s long weapon flying.

Su Fei was stunned. In the blink of an eye, before he could react, his weapon had been knocked out of his hands.

“Where did this young warrior come from? He’s truly formidable!” Just as this thought crossed Su Fei’s mind, he felt a sudden lightness. Looking down, he glimpsed his mount.

After disarming Su Fei, Su Ming’s spear pressed forward, piercing through Su Fei’s chest armor and flinging him into the air.

Seeing himself so humiliated on the battlefield, Su Fei’s face flushed with embarrassment.

With a flick of his spear, Su Ming sent Su Fei tumbling from the air, then quickly caught him and charged back.

Though the process sounded complicated, from Su Ming’s solo charge to the capture of Su Fei, only the span of a cup of tea had passed.

Su Fei’s unexpected capture left not only him bewildered, but Gan Ning, who watched from nearby, equally stunned.

According to Gan Ning’s plan, it should have been he who cut down the enemy commander and seized the banner. Never had he expected Su Ming to snatch his script, capturing Su Fei before he had the chance.

Now all was lost; with Su Fei captured, their army’s morale would surely collapse.

Gan Ning knew he could wait no longer.

He had to storm the enemy ranks and rescue Su Fei immediately.

At this point, Gan Ning no longer cared about cutting down the enemy commander and seizing the banner; all that mattered was rescuing Su Fei.

Gan Ning commanded eight hundred elite troops, known as the Brocade Sail Pirates.

Each wore feathers in their hair, belts adorned with bells, and fought fiercely, fearless of death, skilled at intense battles.

Gan Ning’s Brocade Sail Pirates were akin to a marine corps.

Seeing Su Fei captured, Gan Ning’s fury was ignited.

“Brothers, charge with me!” he cried. “No matter what, even if we fight to the last man, we must rescue our elder brother!”

Gan Ning’s term for Su Fei was “elder brother,” not his official title, showing that, in Gan Ning’s heart, brotherly loyalty surpassed all else.

Moreover, Su Fei had accepted this mission and made his pledge to Huang She all for Gan Ning’s sake.

After rallying his troops, Gan Ning led the eight hundred Brocade Sail Pirates toward Su Ming’s central command.

Within the Cao army, the great Su banner fluttered high.

Su Ming rode the imposing Thunder Leopard, and with his unusual weapon, he was a conspicuous target.

Gan Ning’s objective was clear: first, rescue Su Fei; second, kill Su Ming.

It must be said, Gan Ning’s elite Brocade Sail Pirates were incredibly formidable.

Su Fei’s five thousand soldiers had failed to breach the Cao army’s defenses, yet Gan Ning’s eight hundred pirates caught them off guard.

Where the Brocade Sail Pirates charged, a gap appeared in the Cao army’s lines.

At this moment, Gan Ning and his pirates were only a hundred paces from Su Ming.

“Gan Ning, don’t be reckless! I, Xu Chu, shall meet you!” Xu Chu shouted, lifting his giant blade, as broad as a door, to face the enemy.

Xu Chu had fought Gan Ning the night before, but their duel had ended without a victor, Gan Ning retreating to his ship. Xu Chu, unskilled in naval combat, dared not pursue.

Unfulfilled from last night’s battle, Xu Chu now sought a true contest.

“Wait!” Su Ming stopped the eager Xu Chu and ordered, “Let them through!”

“What, let them through?” Qin Qi asked in surprise.

Su Ming repeated, “Open a gap, let them through! I have my own plan.”

In this campaign against Jiangxia, Su Ming was the chief commander of the Cao army.

On the battlefield, all must follow his strategy.

Military orders were absolute, and none dared disobey.

Though Qin Qi did not understand Su Ming’s reasoning, he still complied.

The Cao army’s messengers quickly relayed the order, and the front-line soldiers opened a path, allowing Gan Ning and his men into the formation.

“Xu Chu, your task is to guard the central command banner. No matter what happens on the battlefield, you must not leave your post. Guard the banner with all your strength. If the banner falls, I’ll take your head!” Su Ming instructed Xu Chu.

Su Ming’s decision to let Gan Ning enter was not reckless; he was confident the central command banner would remain secure.

With Xu Chu defending it, no one could seize the commander or the flag.

“What?!” Xu Chu pointed at himself in disbelief. “I’m to stay here and guard the flag? Me, such a great general, just guarding a flag?”