Chapter 96 of 100
Chapter 96
6 min read1,575 words
Guan Yu had never expected that Yuan Fang, this little scoundrel, would not only be cunning but also have such remarkable archery skills, actually managing to hit him.
In pain, Guan Yu saw his finely crafted weapon, the Green Dragon Saber, slip from his hand, and he was greatly alarmed. On the spot, he wanted to turn back to retrieve the Green Dragon Saber.
As he turned his head, Yan Liang had already spurred his horse and swung his saber, charging towards him. Behind him, Yuan Fang was already preparing to shoot another arrow.
Guan Yu knew that before he could pick up the saber, Yan Liang would surely reach him. Without a weapon in hand, even with his great martial prowess, he could only become a ghost under Yan Liang's saber.
Even if he could pick up the Green Dragon Saber in time, with the arrow wound, one Yan Liang would already be a tough opponent, let alone with another Yuan Fang, it would still be a dead end.
In an instant, Guan Yu weighed the pros and cons, his mind racing, and was forced to make a decision he was extremely unwilling to make.
He gritted his teeth in hatred, covered his wound, and fiercely spurred his horse, fleeing like a madman.
In his狼狈 state, Guan Yu, to save his life, could not even spare a thought for his Green Dragon Saber.
Yan Liang was about to pursue, but the chaotic troops blocked his pursuit. In the brief delay, Guan Yu had already mixed into the chaotic troops.
"Zi Zheng, that scoundrel has fled into the chaotic troops, no need to pursue him further," Yuan Fang shouted.
Yan Liang, still filled with the desire to kill, felt greatly disappointed. As he turned his horse, he saw that Yuan Fang had already picked up the Green Dragon Saber that Guan Yu had abandoned.
Yuan Fang examined the saber closely, seeing that it was exceptionally sharp. He weighed it and found it only about ten pounds lighter than his own skull-crushing club.
"Here!" Yuan Fang threw the saber to Yan Liang, "What do you think of this saber, Zi Zheng?"
Yan Liang, an expert in saber use, knew as soon as he caught the Green Dragon Saber that it was a fine weapon. He couldn't help but praise it, "This saber is both heavy and sharp, surely crafted by a master. It's truly a fine weapon. No wonder that scoundrel Guan Yu could fight me to a draw; it turns out he was relying on this fine weapon."
Guan Yu's martial prowess was indeed strong, but Yan Liang was right; much of Guan Yu's strength came from the power boost provided by the Green Dragon Saber.
Seeing Yan Liang's fondness for the Green Dragon Saber, Yuan Fang smiled generously, "Since you like this Green Dragon Saber so much, take it from now on."
Although the Green Dragon Saber was an excellent weapon, Yuan Fang specialized in staff techniques. This saber, though good, was of little use to him and would only serve as a collector's item if he kept it.
Such a fine saber, rather than being a decoration, should be given to someone who could use it.
Yan Liang, an expert in saber use, would surely be even more formidable in battle with this Green Dragon Saber.
Yan Liang's victories would also be victories for Yuan Fang. There was no reason not to give this Green Dragon Saber to a brave warrior.
"Really? Thank you so much, Master. With this saber, anyone who dares to offend you, I, Yan Liang, will surely kill them for you," Yan Liang was overjoyed and extremely grateful to Yuan Fang.
Yuan Fang laughed heartily, pointing to the chaotic enemy troops, and said sternly, "There's no need to wait. There are so many enemies right in front of us. Go and test the power of this Green Dragon Saber."
Yan Liang's dormant killing intent was suddenly reignited by Yuan Fang. With a wild roar, he wielded the Green Dragon Saber and charged into the enemy ranks.
The green light swept through, and countless heads flew into the air. The terrified soldiers of Xu Province were killed in a bloodbath, their cries of terror filling the air.
Guan Yu, wounded and having abandoned his weapon, fled in defeat. The thousands of Xu Province soldiers were completely routed, scattering in all directions.
Yuan Fang, with Yan Liang leading the charge, crushed the enemy camp from north to south. In less than half an hour, the entire enemy camp was destroyed.
As the army advanced south, a large force of enemy troops charged towards them, their banners bearing the character "Zang."
Zang Ba, the leader of the Zang Ba army.
The two Yuan armies, attacking from inside and outside, met in the enemy camp. Zang Ba, covered in blood, spurred his horse and dragged his spear to greet them.
"Master, you've finally come. If you hadn't come to save us, my men and I might not have held out," Zang Ba was both excited and moved.
Yuan Fang smiled, "I know your capabilities, Zang Ba. You have held out with a lone army until now. In this battle, the defeat of the Xu Province army, the greatest credit goes to you."
Yuan Fang's praise greatly comforted Zang Ba, and the suffering of the siege was forgotten. He laughed heartily.
Soon, the victorious generals gathered.
"Master, the northern siege has been broken. What should we do now?" Yan Liang, holding the blood-soaked Green Dragon Saber, shouted.
Yuan Fang's eagle-like eyes looked southeast, and he said coldly, "Cao Bao and Liu Bei are still waiting in the eastern siege. We can't let them down. Order the entire army to charge towards the eastern siege camp."
The order was given, and the nearly 20,000-strong Yuan army, emboldened by the victory, followed the fleeing enemy troops and charged towards the eastern siege camp of Xu Province, their momentum fierce.
...
In the eastern siege camp of Xu Province.
Twenty thousand Xu Province soldiers were lined up in the camp, having been in the cold wind for several hours. Some were yawning, and others were shivering from the cold.
Cao Bao, riding a tall horse, looked up at the slanted moon, his expression gradually becoming anxious.
Beside him, Liu Bei remained calm and composed, as if everything was under his control.
After waiting for a while, Cao Bao could no longer bear it and said in a deep voice, "Xuande, we've been waiting for so long. Why hasn't that scoundrel Yuan Fang come to raid the camp? Has something gone wrong?"
Liu Bei smiled slightly, confidently saying, "The signal fires have been lit in the enemy camp. That scoundrel Yuan Fang must be on his way. General Cao, please be patient. I believe that scoundrel will fall into our trap."
Liu Bei's confident judgment somewhat reassured Cao Bao, and he swallowed his breath, deciding to continue waiting.
Just then, a soldier suddenly screamed, "Look, there seems to be a sudden fire in the northern siege camp."
This cry caused Cao Bao and Liu Bei to turn their heads towards the northwest, where their northern camp was located.
Sure enough, they saw a huge fire rising from the north camp, and the sounds of battle could be heard faintly.
Cao Bao's expression changed, and he exclaimed, "What's happening? Why is there a sudden fire in the north camp?"
Liu Bei was also startled but quickly regained his composure, saying, "I suspect this is a feint by that scoundrel Yuan Fang to draw our attention so he can attack our camp with his main force. General Cao, rest assured, Guan Yu is guarding the north camp."
Cao Bao was somewhat relieved but continued to wait with suspicion.
However, no matter how long they waited, Yuan Fang did not show up. Instead, the fire in the north camp grew larger, and the sounds of battle reached a deafening level.
At this point, even Liu Bei was somewhat shaken, his face growing pale and his confidence waning.
Cao Bao, unable to contain his anxiety, urgently ordered scouts to go to the north camp to investigate.
Just as the scouts were about to set out, a voice from the northwest shouted, "General Guan has returned! General Guan has returned!"
Cao Bao and Liu Bei's expressions changed dramatically.
Guan Yu, who was supposed to be guarding the north camp, had inexplicably come here, immediately giving them a sense of foreboding.
In shock, Guan Yu, with a grim expression, galloped towards them, an arrow still embedded in his arm, blood streaming down.
Seeing Guan Yu in this state, Cao Bao and Liu Bei were even more uneasy.
Guan Yu galloped up, struggled to dismount, and, covering his wound, said in a trembling voice, "We've been tricked. We've fallen into that scoundrel's trap. He and Zang Ba attacked the north camp from inside and outside. Our forces were too few and weak to resist. The north camp has been taken by that scoundrel Yuan Fang."
The shocking news hit them like a bolt of lightning.
Cao Bao was greatly startled, almost falling off his horse in shock.
Liu Bei was also horrified, his eyes wide with shock.
The Xu Province soldiers around them were suddenly in chaos, their reactions like a pot of boiling water.
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