Deng Ai came with full confidence.

He had been waiting for this day for too long.

The ministers of the Han Dynasty were in discord. In the previous battle of Duan Valley, Jiang Wei sacrificed himself as bait, but his reinforcements never arrived. The encirclement failed, resulting in a major defeat.

Just a month ago, he received news from Yizhou that Zhuge Zhan and others were planning to depose him and appoint Yan Yu as the Grand General.

Well, Yan Yu was not entirely useless, but...

Deng Ai smiled.

What are these noble families? They just took advantage of being the first ones to arrive, right?

In the past, five unknown generals who divided Xiang Yu's body turned into prominent clans.

In this chaotic era, couldn't he eliminate Liu Han and establish the Deng clan once again?

Glorify the family name! Serve the country with talent! Even go further!

After enduring for decades, he finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. This time, he must break through Shu and, just like Sima Gong, rebuild the capital to awe the world.

The hidden dragon will eventually soar in the sky. He had already planned the route through the Yinping Path, and this time, he would leave his name in history as well.

When Deng Ai's son, Deng Zhong, said there had been no new information from the spy network for a month, Deng Ai just paused for a moment.

It was common for intelligence to be cut off during battles.

All the battles went according to Sima Zhao's plan, even better than expected.

Wudou surrendered without a fight, and there were no more worries from the rear.

It went much smoother than imagined.

He thought he would have to wait until October, but things were settled in September.

Until he crossed the Yinping Path with great difficulties, Deng Ai felt that everything was under control.

Haha, advancing straight ahead, there were no more natural barriers to defend Yizhou.

The defender of Jiangyou, Ma Mo, was a mediocre person. Once Jiangyou was taken, Fucheng would be part of Yizhou.

Several ministers he had corresponded with had probably already prepared their surrender letters.

And Liu Chan, the fortunate emperor, should also carry his coffin and offer his seal.

He had even decided who should be eliminated and who could be used, as well as what title to grant Liu Chan.

According to his plan before departure, Zhong Hui would send someone to infiltrate from Jiange and then join forces.

But when they arrived outside Jiangyou, everything was quiet, and it seemed that Tian Zhang, the contact person, had not arrived yet.

It didn't matter; one less person to claim credit.

Deng Ai was not worried. He came with over 30,000 troops, setting up camps every ten miles. The more than 2,000 soldiers behind him had fought and risked their lives alongside him, and there was no way back for them. They were incredibly brave.

With the internal chaos in Shu and the weak military strength, the defense was negligible. Even a few hundred soldiers could hold the crucial Yinping Pass.

But there weren't even a few hundred soldiers—

But there weren't even a few hundred soldiers—

Ha, these fools relied on Jiang Wei to defend Jianmen Pass.

Haha. He could no longer conceal his excitement and drew his sword, ready to achieve this extraordinary accomplishment.

And at that moment, he stepped on something.

Looking down, it was a hand.

The owner of that hand was already dead, with a pair of pitch-black eyes staring straight at him. Deng Ai was stunned. Why was this soldier wearing Wei's uniform? Before he could react, someone moved from beneath the corpse and swung a knife.

An ambush?

Deng Ai sneered. The equipment of the Shu army was famously poor.

He drew his sword to defend himself, but with a loud sound, his sword broke.

This is impossible!

Deng Ai widened his eyes in shock. In the next moment, a rushing sound came, and Deng Zhong's face changed. He stepped forward to shield Deng Ai but was forced back several steps by tremendous force. Deng Ai felt pressure in his chest, and he almost spewed out amouthful of blood. His body flew backward, crashing into a group of soldiers. The impact caused the soldiers to collapse like a domino effect.

Deng Ai struggled to get up, his head spinning. The scene before him was chaotic, with Shu soldiers appearing from all directions. They were well-armed and fought with remarkable skill, unlike the weak and disorganized force Deng Ai had anticipated.

"What is happening? How did they gather such a force?" Deng Ai muttered to himself.

As he surveyed the battlefield, he realized that the Shu soldiers were not fighting alone. They were joined by a group of elite warriors wearing black armor, their movements swift and precise.

One of the Shu generals, with an imposing presence, stepped forward. It was Jiang Wei.

"Deng Ai, you underestimated us," Jiang Wei declared, his voice filled with determination.

Deng Ai's mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. He had been lured into a trap, his overconfidence leading him to this disastrous moment.

He quickly assessed the situation and realized that retreat was the only option. But as he tried to gather his troops, he found himself surrounded by relentless Shu soldiers.

The battle raged on, and Deng Ai fought valiantly, but the odds were against him. The Shu soldiers and their mysterious allies were relentless in their assault, gradually overpowering his forces.

As Deng Ai's troops dwindled, he realized that escape was his only hope for survival. With a heavy heart, he made the difficult decision to abandon his ambitions and flee from the battlefield.

Deng Ai managed to break through the encirclement and escape with a small group of loyal soldiers. They retreated in disarray, leaving behind their dreams of conquering Shu.

Defeated and humiliated, Deng Ai vowed to learn from his mistakes and seek revenge in the future. He would not let this setback define him.

However, his dreams of establishing the Deng clan and leaving his mark in history were shattered on that fateful day.

From that point onward, Deng Ai's influence waned, and he became a minor figure in the annals of history. The ambitions that once burned within him were extinguished, replaced by a bitter sense of failure.

Although Deng Ai's story did not end as he had hoped, his name would still be remembered, albeit as a cautionary tale of the perils of overconfidence and underestimating one's enemies.