Chen Xi might overlook Lu Xun's thoughts, but Zhuge Liang, known for his meticulous thinking, certainly wouldn't. Even if Zhuge Liang guessed Lu Xun's intentions, he showed no signs of rejection. To Zhuge Liang, Lu Xun was still too inexperienced. Even in Lu Xun's best area, military strategy, he was no match for Zhuge Liang.
"Boyan, bring The Grand Strategy and follow me. Let's do a test so I can gauge your current level," Zhuge Liang said calmly, walking past Lu Xun with an indifferent tone, leaving him with a solitary figure.
Lu Xun glared at Zhuge Liang's back. That cold, almost aloof demeanor, as if nothing could catch his attention, ignited a fierce determination in Lu Xun's heart. For the first time in his life, Lu Xun encountered someone so utterly infuriating—someone who hadn't done anything wrong, hadn't shown the slightest disrespect, yet still made Lu Xun deeply dislike him.
[Hmph, once I've learned everything from you, I'll give you the same cold shoulder!] Lu Xun thought angrily as he grabbed the book and followed Zhuge Liang.
"Xingba, Jicai," Chen Xi called out to Gan Ning and Lu Jun curiously.
"I'll leave Xun'er in your capable hands, Chen Hou," Lu Jun said with a smile. "I remember you once wrote in a letter that he's not inferior to Fa Xiaozhi."
Lu Jun wasn't very old, and with his good relationship with Gan Ning, he had become familiar with Chen Xi, so he didn't stand on ceremony.
"Rest assured, Jicai. Since I've said he's not inferior to Fa Xiaozhi, I'll teach him as such," Chen Xi replied with a smile.
"This Zhuge Kongming is no ordinary person," Lu Jun remarked, thinking of the calm and composed Zhuge Liang.
"There is only one Zhuge Liang in this world," Gan Ning said with a grin. "At first, it may not seem like much, but the more time you spend with him, the more you realize that you can't treat him like an ordinary youth. He's incredible, just as Zichuan said—what he lacks is experience, not ability."
"Indeed, the longer you stay with him, the more you realize he's no ordinary youth. If there's anyone in the world who can make no mistakes, he's the first choice," Chen Xi agreed, nodding at Gan Ning's assessment, though he didn't notice the knowing look in Gan Ning's eyes.
Lu Jun was taken aback. He had merely admired Zhuge Liang's composure, but he hadn't expected such high praise from Chen Xi.
"Xingba, any news from the scouts you sent out?" Chen Xi asked, not avoiding the topic in front of Lu Jun.
"We have support from Xuzhou, but it's only for defense. The Jingxiang navy hasn't arrived yet. If we move quickly, we shouldn't encounter them. However, I suggest we engage them in battle. If they haven't caught up by now, escaping won't be necessary anymore," Gan Ning relayed the latest intelligence.
"Did Ziyi go in person?" Chen Xi asked, frowning.
"Yes, he's already connected with Zilong and Shuzi. Zilong wanted to come over, but Ziyi persuaded him to stay," Gan Ning replied with a nod.
"Then let's increase our speed. Head for the Yangtze as fast as possible, then sail downstream. I don't know how Zhou Yu did it, but he's probably already ahead of us, waiting to intercept," Chen Xi sighed. The Yangtze's biggest challenge was its complexity. Although Chen Xi didn't understand how Zhou Yu managed it, he was certain Zhou Yu was already in the Jiujing waters, lying in wait. The idea that the Jiangxia navy was too far away to catch up was believable, but saying they hadn't appeared at all was impossible.
Gan Ning wasn't a fool. He just hadn't thought it through initially. Once Chen Xi pointed it out, he instantly understood. "So he's trying to be sneaky, huh? I, Gan Xingba, fear no one in naval battles. If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he'll get!"
"I'll summon some wind to speed up the ships. If their speed is too fast, they must be underprepared. Let's hurry and crush them!" Chen Xi said after some thought, then began manipulating the weather. "By the way, send someone to scout the lower Jiujing waters to see if a fleet is gathering."
"Got it. I'll send someone right away," Gan Ning said, understanding the urgency. Without further delay, he gave a respectful nod to Lu Jun and then walked to the other side of the ship.
"Wenxiang, lead a team of fifty disguised as boatmen and scout the lower Jiujing waters. If a fleet is gathering, send someone back while you go to the mouth of the Yangtze and wait for Ganlan's arrival. This battle won't be easy," Gan Ning instructed.
"Understood!" Xu Sheng, though puzzled as to how Ganlan could return so quickly, didn't question it. He simply nodded and acknowledged the order.
Seeing all this, Lu Jun was initially stunned, but as the ship continued to sail swiftly with the wind, he gradually realized the extent of Chen Xi's power. For the first time, he understood how terrifying Chen Xi truly was. This sheer amount of mental strength didn't seem human, and to Chen Xi, it was as effortless as breathing.
In fact, Chen Xi found it quite strange himself. It seemed that any spell purely based on mental energy was trivial to him. Even such an unnatural display was done with ease. What was even stranger was that when Chen Xi carefully assessed his mental strength, it wasn't as vast as he had imagined. It was only about 20% more than Zhuge Liang's...
While having 20% more mental strength than Zhuge Liang was certainly impressive, it didn't match up to the scale of the mental techniques Chen Xi was employing. At best, it should have been a small fraction of what was required!
Fortunately, Chen Xi wasn't the type to overthink things. If he couldn't figure it out, he'd leave it be. After all, it was a good thing—at least for him.
[Forget it. I'll test my limits and see how much mental energy I really have.] Chen Xi decided, making another move. Slowly, he began to influence the weather—not changing it directly, but gradually affecting it. [At this rate, by the time we reach Jiujing, there will be a natural fog. I refuse to believe they can see through that!]
"What's wrong, Gongjin?" Sun Ce asked, puzzled, as he noticed Zhou Yu suddenly looking up at the sky.
"The weather has changed, but something feels off," Pang Tong interjected. "Originally, the day after tomorrow was supposed to be clear, but now it looks like fog is setting in, and it's going to cover a vast area. As they say, 'the weather is unpredictable.'"
"This isn't just unpredictable weather; it's man-made," Zhou Yu said, frowning. "It seems Chen Zichuan has figured out our plan. Did we miss something? That shouldn't be possible. I didn't leave any gaps."
"Who knows? Even if the weather change is Chen Zichuan's doing, it might just be a test," Pang Tong said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Never mind. Let's not dwell on it. Head for Jiujing quickly," Zhou Yu said, shaking his head, not wanting to argue with Pang Tong over this matter.