Zhao Yun set out with over five hundred trusted aides, each mounted on a fine horse. Originally, these men were intended to become the finest seeds of the White Horse Soldiers, but after their sacrificial charge in the Yuan Liu battle, Zhao Yun knew it was time for the name White Horse Soldiers to fade away. They could inherit the spirit of the White Horse, but no cavalry should call themselves White Horse Soldiers anymore. They had followed Gongsun Zan to another world.

Zhao Yun marched with his five hundred men through the lands of Jizhou, which were already showing signs of disorder. The aftermath of the Yuan Liu battle had erupted, and what was once a well-governed Jizhou now harbored many bandits.

Whenever Zhao Yun encountered bandits on his journey, he would capture them all. Eventually, he had to openly reveal his identity, yet some reckless bandits still ran into Zhao Yun's path, prompting him to sigh. Regardless of the purpose of war, war itself was never a correct means—it caused too widespread an impact.

"Alas, Jizhou once flourished, but now it's chaotic. Take them all down," Zhao Yun commanded as they reached the border between Jizhou and Yanzhou, where he encountered a force besieging a merchant caravan. Luckily, a skilled warrior within the caravan fought fiercely, preventing the bandits from breaking through the escort.

The bandits originally felt uneasy when they saw the distant swirling dust, having ceased their plundering upon hearing rumors of Zhao Yun's presence. Yet, driven by hunger, they attacked a seemingly ill-guarded caravan from the mountains. What they didn't expect was a brave warrior among the escorts.

After the Yuan Liu battle, numerous routed soldiers turned into bandits in the struggle for food, forcing many locals into their ranks and greatly expanding their size. This chain reaction birthed many outlaws near the Yan Ji Battlefield.

Zhao Yun swiftly took down the entire bandit force, as he usually did, and prepared to send a dozen men to escort the bandits to the nearest county jail.

"Greetings, General Zhao." The head of the caravan came forward to pay respects after confirming Zhao Yun's identity.

"And you are?" Zhao Yun looked at the small old man in confusion.

"Zhao Li from the Xuzhou Zhao Family. I once saw General Zhao from afar in Mount Tai," Zhao Li quickly explained, recounting his experiences on this journey.

Zhao Li was caught off guard; he used to travel through Mount Tai and Qing Xu with ten-odd escorts but never put them to use, thus neglecting many risks.

Upon hearing Jizhou was taken, Zhao Li immediately set out with his goods for Jizhou, though he had prepared some escorts. He didn't expect the situation in Jizhou to be so chaotic. If not for a Ren Xia joining their group, his goods might have been robbed, or worse, he might have lost his life.

"Ah, if you're heading to Ye City now, you should hire more escorts. Your current protection is insufficient. Many issues have arisen due to Lord's battle with Yuan Shao, and we haven't had time to address them," Zhao Yun nodded in understanding and offered his advice.

"They say Liu Xuande is benevolent, but it seems otherwise." Just then, Zhao Yun heard a mocking voice in his ear.

Zhao Yun was slightly angry. It wasn't that Liu Bei was unwilling to manage the aftermath; he simply couldn't address it all at once, and resolving it was a long-term task.

He turned to look at the Ren Xia who had protected the caravan earlier, only to realize she was a woman, her beautiful face unhidden despite her battle attire.

"Forget it, I won't argue with you." Seeing she was a woman, Zhao Yun quashed his desire to retort.

"Hmph, do you think less of me?" she asked coldly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Zhao Yun.

"..." Zhao Yun remained silent, choosing the best approach for dealing with such women—ignore her.

"Since he calls you General Zhao and saw you at Mount Tai, are you Zhao Zilong?" The young woman, seeing Zhao Yun remain silent, pulled the reins and approached with no hint of previous defiance.

"And so what if I am?" Zhao Yun frowned slightly.

"Then are my father and brother still in Ye City?" Her face lit up with delight as she eagerly asked Zhao Yun.

"Your father and brother?" Zhao Yun's frown deepened as he scanned the young woman, noting her handsome features that carried an exotic flair and bore several similarities with Ma Chao.

"Is Meng Qi your brother?" Zhao Yun realized this before she could answer, making the already proud young woman even more smug.

"Are they still in Ye City?" she asked with a joyful smile, clearly happy to get news of her family.

"They left two days ago," Zhao Yun replied casually. He wasn't in a hurry along the way, so his marching speed wasn't fast, plus dealing with bandits took considerable time.

"Oh! This is infuriating!" Her previously cheerful expression suddenly turned exasperated.

"You're here to find your father and brother?" Zhao Yun asked, turning his head.

"Yes, my eldest brother is quite formidable, isn't he?" she tried to gather herself and maintain the grace of a noblewoman, though her battle attire spoiled the impression.

"Meng Qi is alright, I suppose. At his current rate of improvement, he'll probably catch up with me in a few years," Zhao Yun spoke honestly. Yet sometimes, when you speak truthfully, people might think you're joking.

"I don't believe it!" she scoffed at Zhao Yun, who found himself disadvantaged by his appearance—no one would guess he was thirty, instead looking Ma Chao's age.

"..." Zhao Yun looked at her wordlessly, puzzled by an unfamiliar feeling of competitiveness arising within him. He then calmly said, "Actually, Meng Qi likely couldn't take twenty moves from me now."

"Liar," she retaliated without hesitation.

"How should I prove this to you?" Zhao Yun, slightly frustrated, glanced around and asked, "Do you see that mountain peak?"

"I see it, what's the matter?" she asked, puzzled. Zhao Yun drew the Yitian Sword from his waist, seemingly without effort, and sliced toward the peak. The mountain top thirty meters away was severed, the blade's cut as smooth as a mirror.

"That's all there is," Zhao Yun exhaled deeply, speaking as though it was entirely unremarkable, despite his own astonishment.

Truth be told, even without any Cloud Qi, that slash severing a mountain top was the culmination of countless secret techniques and nearly twelvefold of Zhao Yun's abilities. It was almost Zhao Yun's peak performance, and even Lyu Bu might be severely wounded if faced head-on with such a strike. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)