Chapter 107: A New Man, A Succession of Ill Tidings

Adjacent to the city, Li Feng craned his neck in anticipation.

Inside and outside the city, the morale of Chu’s army was high. They frequently escorted captured remnants of Sun Ce’s forces, each soldier downcast and dejected as if grieving a great loss.

“This matter is entrusted to you, General!”

Beside Li Feng stood a man in his thirties, his tone tinged with pleading. This man was Deng Dang, a captain under Sun Ce with two hundred men under his command. Though his unit was not yet at full strength, he was still considered a minor leader.

“Rest assured, now that you have surrendered, my lord will surely make good use of you. But ultimately, it depends on yourself. My lord favors those who bravely lead from the front, just as I do!” Li Feng waved his hand, boasting confidently.

“I shall indeed be courageous!” Deng Dang cupped his fist in salute.

Nearby, a young man of about twenty frowned, pulling Deng Dang aside to speak quietly: “Brother-in-law, though General Sun Bofu’s fate is unknown, our parents and wives and children are still in Wuxian. If we swear loyalty to Chu Feng, won’t they be in peril?”

“Ziming, the Sun army is in chaos, and General Sun Ce’s whereabouts are unknown. For now, they won’t threaten us by holding our families. Since we’re captured, it’s better to surrender and wait quietly,” Deng Dang replied gravely.

“General Chu is a descendant of the Yuan family. If he values us, we can find a chance to bring our loved ones over. If not, we can seek an opportunity to escape,” he added.

At that moment, Chu Feng returned with his troops.

Behind him, over a hundred fierce Tiger Guards glared menacingly, their blades and spears stained with blood—clearly elite warriors, each capable of commanding a hundred men.

“My lord, I have reorganized the captured Sun Ce forces—two thousand eight hundred prisoners, all now integrated within the city,” Li Feng hurried forward to report.

He admitted that he was no great warrior himself, but could handle minor tasks well enough; after all, he never expected to be made a marquis or general, just a little recognition would suffice.

“Good,” Chu Feng acknowledged, raising his hand as he prepared to enter the city.

Li Feng hesitated, then said, “My lord, I have also captured one of Sun Ce’s subordinate officers. He requests to meet you, eager to prove his valor by striking down an enemy first!”

“An officer? Who is it?” Chu Feng raised an eyebrow, curious.

“I am Deng Dang, a captain under Sun Ce. I have heard of your illustrious reputation and wish to serve you with utmost loyalty!” Deng Dang cupped his fist and declared with vigor.

He had spent much silver to secure this opportunity with Li Feng.

“Deng Dang?” Chu Feng frowned. The name was somewhat familiar.

Suddenly, realization dawned on Chu Feng, and with a hint of suspicion he asked, “Are you the brother-in-law of Lü Meng?”

Deng Dang was momentarily stunned. Behind him, Lü Meng also looked puzzled.

“General knows me?” Lü Meng cupped his fist, composed and respectful yet curious.

“You are Lü Meng?” Chu Feng smiled, genuinely pleased by this unexpected encounter. Due to the influence of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and various dramas, fans of Cao Wei and Shu Han far outnumbered those of Eastern Wu.

Lü Meng was a figure often overlooked—born into poverty, he risked life and limb from a young age to win honor and rank. Through relentless study and effort, he rose from an illiterate foot soldier to the Grand Commander of Eastern Wu, a true self-made man.

He was renowned for loyalty to friends, strict military discipline, personal bravery, and tactical skill—a rare talent among generals.

Lü Meng nodded, slightly puzzled.

“Deng Dang, is it? Sun Ce failed to recognize true heroes. You are brave and skilled in battle; you deserve more than just being a marquis. Henceforth, I appoint you as military commander in charge of the troops, with a reward of one hundred taels of gold.”

With that, the murmurs quieted.

Now that Chu Feng had confirmed Lü Meng’s identity, it was crucial to win over Deng Dang and sever any loyalty to Sun Ce. Since Sun Ce had not valued Lü Meng greatly, this should be possible.

“Thank you, General. Thank you, my lord, for your recognition!” Deng Dang was elated. He had only hoped to keep his marquis title, earned through fierce fighting, yet Chu Feng was promoting him outright.

“Lü Meng, you are appointed as marquis with a reward of fifty taels. Henceforth, you shall accompany me closely,” Chu Feng said, looking at Lü Meng. He saw Lü Meng as a rough gem needing refinement.

“Thank you, my lord!” Lü Meng cupped his fist and spoke with firm resolve.

To accompany the lord personally was a great honor. Although merely a marquis, this position carried more weight than an ordinary military commander, especially since Chu Feng was showing such favor.

Previously, under Sun Ce, Lü Meng had only been encouraged to keep working hard alongside Deng Dang. Now, Chu Feng’s mere glance was enough.

“Your wives and children should still be in Wuxian, right? Don’t worry, I will publicly claim to have executed both of you. When the time is right, I will arrange for them to join us,” Chu Feng added deliberately.

He knew Lü Meng was filial and did not want a repeat of Xu Shu’s defection to Cao Cao.

Currently, his forces were not exactly refined scholars or mighty warriors, but neither were they mere civilians or weaklings. He must cultivate talented commanders, even great generals, to hold sway over the land.

“Thank you, my lord!” Both men expressed their gratitude repeatedly, their hearts stirred.

The truth proved they had made the right choice; Chu Feng was even more adept at employing men than Sun Ce.

...

Night fell.

Outside the city, within Sun Ce’s camp.

The mood in the camp was grim and desolate. Everywhere, unsettled soldiers recounted how they had fled, some even depicting Chu Feng’s ferocity with awe.

In a large tent, all the generals were present.

Sun Ce lay on his bed, his face pale and spirit flagging. The day’s battle had left him gravely wounded. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Seeing Zhou Yu and others guarding vigilantly, Sun Ce struggled to raise his hand—it was agonizing, as if his arm’s muscles were being torn apart.

Clearly, though the spear wound had spared his life, his body was beyond strain and needed time to recover.

“Gongjin, what are the casualties?” Sun Ce asked.

“My lord, all units have returned. Rest and heal; do not worry,” Zhou Yu explained hastily.

“Speak!” Sun Ce scolded sternly, the exertion causing a slight cough.

“Sigh,” Zhou Yu sighed deeply.

“My lord, except for Ling Cao and Lü Fan, Generals Sun Ben, Sun He, and Dong Xi were killed protecting you against Chu Feng. Only eight hundred troops have returned to camp,” Zhou Yu reported gravely.

Sun Ce felt a sharp pain in his chest. This battle had cost him five senior generals. The pain was not just physical but the guilt of having failed them by underestimating the enemy.

A man sheds tears rarely, but the solemn Sun Ce now lay weeping silently, lamenting: It was his fault—they had perished because he had been reckless.

“My lord, it is an honor for a general to be wrapped in his horse’s hide upon returning. Do not blame yourself. No one expected Chu Feng to be so valiant—far more formidable than rumors suggested. It wasn’t your underestimation alone; none of us anticipated this,” Zhou Yu comforted.

Sun Ce remained silent. The once boastful generals now hung their heads in shame, no longer shouting to kill Chu Feng as before.

At that moment, a royal guard entered with urgency: “My lord, the governor of Danyang, Wu Jing, has sent urgent word. All territories west of Danyang have fallen to Chu’s forces!”

“He pleads for you to dispatch reinforcements swiftly!”