Chapter 34

Chapter 668: Forcefully Killing a Hundred Soldiers, Greatly Killing a Thousand Soldiers (2)

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Hangu Pass.

This place, where the six states once surged to attack, and where the blood and sweat of Qin soldiers froze to stop them, was no longer the impregnable fortress known as the most dangerous pass in the world.

The tall walls and two large watchtowers, three stories high, which symbolized Hangu Pass, had not been maintained for a long time. They had crumbled in places, becoming a desolate ruin.

Darkness descended upon this place. Torches were lit intermittently. Soldiers moved about on the walls, and smoke from cooking rice rose from the east side of the wall.

As time passed and night deepened, a group of men in black approached Hangu Pass from the west, taking advantage of the darkness.

Two of them darted to the left and right of the gate. However, due to their shoes being padded with leather, they made no sound.

Moreover, they climbed the walls with incredible agility using only two short daggers. Considering the height of Hangu Pass's walls, they must have had the daring to risk their lives and exceptional physical strength.

The gate would not be opened just for a dozen or so men to pass through.

Moreover, they had to avoid the attention of others. The men in black below climbed up the walls using ropes provided by their comrades who had gone up first.

When they all gathered in one place, two men ascended the walls. The two men who revealed themselves by climbing the stairs were Lao Shi and Dan Wai.

Dan Wai's left hand gripped the hilt and scabbard of the sword at his waist.

"Roar!"

With a thunderous shout that woke the night sky, Dan Wai shot forward like an arrow.

Thud!

With a lightness of movement that belied his large build, Dan Wai quickly closed the distance to the men in black.

Seeing Dan Wai closing in at a terrifying speed, the men in black drew their swords in unison.

The lead man in black and Dan Wai clashed swords towards each other. A metallic sound rang out, and soon they passed each other.

Swish!

Blood spurted from the neck of the man in black who had switched places with Dan Wai. Before his head hit the ground, Dan Wai's sword had already pierced the chest of another man in black.

The men in black were silent. They suppressed any sound except for the groans that escaped their lips. However, their eyes betrayed their panic and intense trembling.

They seemed bewildered, as if thinking, "Such a fast sword...?"

But they needed to realize that they were facing another peak swordsman.

Lao Shi began to dance with his two swords, performing a deadly sword dance.

"Ugh!"

One of the men in black let out a low scream. However, his scream was quickly drowned out by the cries of his comrades.

Dan Wai and Lao Shi pressed the men in black, one after the other.

Each time their swords clashed, a metallic sound rang in their ears. The sword winds that tore through flesh and bone did not last long.

The men in black tried to deal with the two warriors using their prepared formation techniques. However, the difference in skill was so great that numbers could not make up for it.

In the end, it did not take long for the men in black to fall, spraying blood as they collapsed.

* * *

Dan Wai shook the blood off his sword and sheathed it, then clasped his hands together towards Lao Shi.

"General, you are truly remarkable. How did you know Huang Bosong would send these men?"

Dan Wai was one of the few commanders under Dong Zhuo who knew proper etiquette. Moreover, his opponent was Lao Shi, so it was not surprising that he was so careful in his manners.

"Remarkable, perhaps not. How could I not know Huang Bosong? Given his cautious nature, he would surely send scouts to survey Hangu Pass before attacking."

However, that was not all.

With the postal system restored, communication within Lu Bu's army was re-established. Naturally, Lao Shi received news that Huang Bosong had gone to Huayin.

Of course, it was Lao Shi's ability to predict the scouts' infiltration today.

"Still, I thought they would just conduct reconnaissance. Just a quick look from a distance, that's all."

Dan Wai was not unaware of the importance of reconnaissance. But this was Hangu Pass. Even if its reputation as the most dangerous pass in the world had faded, it was still an impregnable fortress.

In such a place, there was no room for clever tactics.

The only strategies that came to mind were brute force or betrayal.

So, from Dan Wai's perspective, it was strange that Huang Bosong would send such skilled men to survey the situation beyond the gate.

"Huang Bosong is a meticulous man. It's natural to want to win any battle. But Huang Bosong, he only fights when he can dominate the battlefield."

"Then can we delay their advance with this?"

Lao Shi shook his head.

"These men are merely expendable pawns to Huang Bosong. It's obvious."

"Expendable pawns?"

"Do you not understand? Think from Huang Bosong's perspective. If they return, they will bring information about Hangu Pass. If they do not return, then..."

"They were sent to gauge how well-prepared Hangu Pass is?"

Dan Wai was always impressed by Lao Shi's experience and wisdom when they talked.

Certainly, it was something that even a military strategist would have to think hard about. But Lao Shi's words stuck in his mind without any need for deliberation.

After all, this was natural.

Lu Bu had a habit of explaining difficult matters in simple terms, and Dan Wai had benefited from this.

"Huang Bosong's methods are already clear to me. He probably wanted to find out if there are any siege weapons here. Do you know what that means?"

"What...?"

"A brave warrior can kill a hundred soldiers, but siege weapons can slaughter a thousand. If Huang Bosong believes there are siege weapons here, he will bring a strategy to match."

Lao Shi and Huang Bosong knew each other very well.

The problem was that they had never fought each other as enemies. And Huang Bosong did not know that Lao Shi had stepped forward to block him.

* * *

"There are no siege weapons here, right? Not to mention, there are no siege weapons to begin with..."

"Han Guan's general is likely setting up crossbows in Hangu Pass right now."

"Which general are you referring to?"

"Han Guan's general, Han Huo."

Dan Wai should have realized this when the topic of crossbows came up. After all, when it came to crossbows, who else but Wang Guang? The commander of Wang Guang's army who led the crossbow unit was Han Huo.

It was only natural for a military commander to be familiar with a rare crossbow unit and its commander.

"Is General Wang assisting you?"

"Since General Wang follows General Lu, it's only natural that General Han follows General Lu as well."

Lao Shi gestured with his chin and continued.

"How is the battle with the Guandong army going?"

"Why do you ask?"

"From your expression, it seems things are not going well. Part of General Lu's army is stationed in Henei. If the Dong Shang army has the upper hand against the Guandong army, he would have thought of borrowing Henei's forces."

Dan Wai pondered for a moment. Whether to tell Lao Shi about the situation there or not.

But they were in the same boat now. Lao Shi had become the leader of the central army, so his stance was the same as Dong Zhuo's. Moreover, they were in a position where they had to fight the Guanshu army together.

"The battle against the Guandong army is not going well."

"Even with Generals Li Jue and Guo Si, they are being pushed back?"

"There are valiant generals who can match An Liang and Wen Chou in bravery, and we are not outnumbered, but we have no strategy to counter them."

Yuan Shao's ability to challenge the world was not just due to his vast territory and numerous soldiers. The 36 strategists of military tactics were the key differentiators between Dong Zhuo's army and the Guandong army.

"Indeed, with the 36 strategists, it's impossible to counter the Guandong army with strategy. Hmm...! So, we must hold Hangu Pass with our own strength..."

The heavy atmosphere troubled Dan Wai.

Lao Shi's mere presence gave Dan Wai a sense of security. Moreover, Hangu Pass was a fortress that could make any enemy hesitate.

However, the supreme commander of the Guanshu army was Huang Bosong, whose name preceded Lao Shi's, and his forces were several times larger than those in Hangu Pass.

"This old man seems to have said something unnecessary."

"How can you call it unnecessary when it's a fact that cannot be denied? The truth is, I'm only here because of General Lao. If not, I would have packed my bags and left long ago."

"I understand your feelings. Anyone would find it hard to hold out in such a situation."

Lao Shi pouted and shook his head.

After all, their opponent was Huang Bosong. One of the three great generals of the Later Han, alongside Lao Shi and Zhu Jun. His family had suppressed the uprisings of hundreds of thousands of barbarian soldiers for generations, and he himself had fought against rebels all his life, achieving great feats.

He had won several battles in seemingly impossible situations, and the number of lives lost under his sword was countless.

Lu Bu might look down on Huang Bosong, but other warlords would never dare to be his enemy.

"Please help me control my urge to run away."

"Fear is not always bad. It prevents us from underestimating our opponent and making mistakes."

"How can you remain so calm, General?"

"Will worrying change anything? This is a battle we cannot avoid. And we will win this battle."

Lao Shi did not reveal Gao Hou's strategy to Dan Wai.

He just needed to let Dan Wai focus on the task at hand. They had to stop Huang Bosong, who was leading a large army towards Luoyang, at Hangu Pass.

He needed to think only about that. Only then could he fight to the death.

"General, your words give me strength. Good. What should we do now? Please instruct me."

"Time is on our side. But it would be good to delay the Guanshu army at Hangu Pass for a while. That way, we can prepare for the battle at Hangu Pass more thoroughly."

"Is there anything else to prepare besides setting up the crossbows?"

"If circumstances permit, an even greater force will come to Hangu Pass to assist us."

Lao Shi pointed a finger into the air.

"The important thing is that we cannot afford many losses at Hangu Pass."

"I understand, but given the state of Hangu Pass, it will be difficult to hold out for long. And with the additional condition of minimizing losses, the possibility seems even slimmer."

"We must find a way. There is always a solution. It's an immutable truth that every problem has a solution. We just might not find it..."

Dan Wai raised his hands and showed his palms.

"I do not mean to belittle your reputation and glorious achievements, General. But I think you do not know the solution right now. Am I wrong?"

"I cannot deny that. But I know someone who might provide the solution."

Lao Shi gestured towards the east below.

"Sir, please come up for a moment."