Chapter 36

Chapter 670: If I truly desire the righteous fruit (眞心要吃正果), how can I fear high mountains and deep waters (??高山深水) 2

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A moment later.

The gate opened, and a cavalry unit galloped out of Hangu Pass.

“This scoundrel~! I, Zhen Wei, will take care of you! Hand over your head quickly!”

“Zhen Wei? Humph! Where did you crawl out from? A nobody like you thinks you can match me, Yan Xing?”

“You seem to have a bit of insignificant fame among the peasants of the commandery. Try to withstand my iron spear!”

Zhen Wei fiercely spurred his horse towards Yan Xing, and one of his two iron spears whistled through the air with a sharp wind.

Clang!

Yan Xing's halberd clashed with Zhen Wei's iron spear, sparks flying. Even with just one exchange, they knew each other's strength.

Dust rose around them.

They continued to exchange blows, the sparks flying in a fierce battle. In a moment, they had exchanged over a dozen strikes, and it seemed their fight would not end easily.

Huang Baozong, who was watching, frowned.

“I didn’t think there would be such a valiant warrior under Lao Shi. To be able to match Yan Xing...”

“A single valiant warrior can hardly change the tide of battle, can he?”

“That’s true. But something feels off.”

Huang Baozong felt as if someone had spilled a drop of ink on a painting he had meticulously drawn.

“Lord, although it was unexpected, we have achieved our purpose. We confirmed that Lao Shi has not sealed the gate.”

“That’s good, but I had hoped to break the enemy’s morale. In battle, momentum is crucial. We need to suppress the enemy’s morale to push through.”

“Our opponent is Lao Shi. He should not be underestimated.”

“It seems Yan Xing alone won’t do. Send a message to Han Shu. Tell him to call back Yan Xing and start the real battle.”

* * *

“Attack!”

Cheng Gongying led Han Shu’s troops in a full-scale assault on Hangu Pass. Seeing the black mass of allied forces, Yan Xing grew irritated.

‘The battle is still in full swing...!’

In fact, Han Shu had ordered Yan Xing several times to stop fighting and return. But Yan Xing ignored these orders and continued to engage Zhen Wei.

Although he disobeyed his lord’s command, he was confident that the attack order would not come until the fight was over. After all, Yan Xing was a valued general.

However, his prediction was wrong.

Zhen Wei, while engaging in a strength contest with Yan Xing using his iron spear, saw the commandery forces advancing and became enraged.

“The peasants of the commandery are just as expected. They know nothing of a warrior’s honor!”

Zhen Wei forcefully pushed away Yan Xing’s halberd and immediately turned his horse to flee.

Yan Xing, knowing there was no room for argument, moved aside to allow the allied forces to attack.

The gate opened slightly, and as Zhen Wei entered, a series of soldiers began to move busily on the eastern side of Hangu Pass. They were carrying bags of earth and stones to seal the gate.

Lao Shi, who had deliberately provoked a duel by sending Zhen Wei, sealed the gate as soon as Zhen Wei returned. This battle had been planned long ago.

“Fire! Keep firing!”

Zhang Chao, Zhang Miao’s younger brother, commanded the soldiers on the wall, moving back and forth. While Lao Shi directed the overall strategy, Zhang Chao handled the detailed adjustments.

Many of Han Shu’s troops were injured by the rain of arrows from the high walls and watchtowers. However, Lao Shi’s forces numbered only about ten thousand, and the archers were fewer than three thousand.

“Don’t retreat! Climb the walls!”

Han Shu’s troops were led by Cheng Gongying. He moved among the soldiers like a swarm of ants, climbing the ladders, and did not hesitate to face danger. Even as arrows flew, he meticulously deployed his forces.

“Place more ladders on the left! Smash the gate with the ram!”

The ram, heavy and cumbersome, moved slowly. By the time it reached the gate, soldiers were already climbing the ladders.

The appearance of the ram was expected in a siege. Lao Shi had already prepared to block the gate with stones and earth.

However, he could not allow the ram to continue smashing the gate indefinitely.

Lao Shi, observing the battle from the watchtower, extended his hand towards Wei Zi. In response, Wei Zi raised a red signal flag to the soldiers waiting on the wall above the gate.

The soldiers began to throw bricks continuously.

These were not fired bricks but merely dried mud bricks.

However, from such a height, many soldiers were hit and fell.

Bang! Bang!

The ram was now battering the gate.

Zhang Chao gathered his forces on the gate.

“Fire arrows at the ram! Throw stones! Shoot fire arrows!”

Zhang Chao then turned to Wei Zi for help.

“Master, please take charge of this spot for a moment.”

“Leave it to me. I have already prepared the Molten Fire Oil.”

Zhang Chao, having concentrated his forces on the gate, quickly ran to a weaker point. As expected, enemy soldiers had already climbed the wall.

But Dan Wei was already there.

Swish! Clang! Crunch!

About five or six enemy soldiers fell one by one, blood spilling, unable to withstand Dan Wei’s single strike.

“Leave this spot to me, Dan Wei.”

“Thank you!”

Zhang Chao briefly clasped his hands and then moved to another area. Meanwhile, Dan Wei threw the enemy soldiers’ bodies down. From this height, they would create more casualties.

Arrows flew in both directions, and the sounds of battle cries and screams filled the air, causing chaos.

Amidst this, the generals continued to encourage their soldiers to fight.

Numerous ladders were placed against the walls, and soldiers climbed them relentlessly. Even as they saw their comrades fall, they did not stop.

The bravery of Han Shu’s troops was a disaster for Lao Shi’s forces.

Lao Shi, observing the battle from the watchtower, remained silent.

He wanted to sigh but had to maintain a calm demeanor as the commander.

‘Even if Hangu Pass is a dangerous stronghold, it will be difficult to hold back the commandery forces for long.’

For now, the soldiers were holding their ground, but the enemy’s numbers were overwhelming. With barely over ten thousand troops, how long could they hold back Han Shu’s massive army?

* * *

Lao Shi was deeply worried, but Huang Baozong found the battle interesting.

Victory was already assured.

The only uncertainty was when Hangu Pass’s gate would open.

“Han Shu is quite impressive. What do you think of his troops?”

“The soldiers of Han Shu’s army fought bravely. No one retreated in fear, and they launched relentless attacks. However, it’s a pity they couldn’t open the gate in the first battle.”

“One can’t get full from the first sip. I didn’t expect to breach Hangu Pass in a single battle. This is just a preliminary skirmish before the main battle at Hanguan.”

Huang Baozong and Lao Shi knew each other too well. Lao Shi would not be prepared to fight to the death in a weakened Hangu Pass. It would be more effective to defend the stronger Hanguan.

This was not a matter of military strategy but common sense.

If Lao Shi had failed to make such a simple judgment, he would not be where he is now. Huang Baozong’s prediction was natural.

“Do you plan to end the battle here today?”

Siyuan thought the battle should end here. As a strategist, he believed that blindly continuing the assault would not be effective.

Of course, he had not forgotten the plan to alternate between Han Shu’s and Ma Chao’s armies to pressure Lao Shi’s forces. However, the first battle was primarily a reconnaissance mission to gauge the enemy’s strength, response speed, and the presence of reinforcements and archers.

Now that they had this information, they needed to reassess their tactics and prepare for another assault, either tonight or at dawn.

“According to the principles of military strategy, it’s best to conclude here.”

“Do you plan to continue the battle? Lord, although the first battle was unsatisfactory, we did achieve some results. Soldiers managed to climb the walls of Hangu Pass.”

“As time passes, our soldiers will tire, efficiency will drop, and casualties will increase. But the same applies to the enemy. Since we’ve decided on a rotational attack, it’s better to keep the pressure constant from the beginning.”

Huang Baozong seemed determined to maintain a relentless offensive.

“Call back Han Shu and send out Ma Chao.”

As Huang Baozong’s order was given, the retreat signal was raised.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The long, spaced drumbeats signaling the retreat echoed, and Han Shu withdrew his troops.

As Han Shu’s army retreated, the soldiers on the wall of Hangu Pass erupted in cheers.

However, Lao Shi’s expression remained dark.

‘Huang Baozong won’t retreat so easily.’

He wanted to stop the soldiers from cheering. The joy of repelling the enemy today would be followed by disappointment.

Sure enough, as Han Shu’s army retreated, Ma Chao’s forces moved in to fill the gap.

Seeing this, the soldiers and generals of Lao Shi’s army stiffened. Their faces, devoid of smiles, showed clear signs of panic.

“Attack!”

* * *

Wei Zi, who had climbed the watchtower, spoke to Lao Shi in a heavy voice.

“From the way they are pressing us hard from the start, it seems Huang Baozong is in a hurry.”

“The preparations were well made, but...”

“The issue is time. What do you plan to do? Should we prepare to retreat to Hanguan?”

Wei Zi felt they needed to abandon this place sooner than expected.

“Send those who cannot fight, including Mr. Bai Kai, to Hanguan first.”

Lao Shi bit his lower lip and glared at the enemy.

Seeing his frustrated expression, Huang Baozong’s lips curled into a smile.

“Lao Shi’s face is clear even without seeing it. Tsk, tsk, tsk! It’s a pity, a pity, to see the end of a hero who once dominated the era with me.”

“If Han Shu and Ma Chao continue their assault without considering their losses, your banner will be planted on the watchtower by tomorrow night.”

“I hope you understand my desire to avoid lingering at Hangu Pass. I want to fight a real battle, at Hanguan.”

Huang Baozong gestured towards the battlefield.

“Let Han Shu rest for a while, then switch to Ma Chao. Keep pressing even after sunset.”

“I will follow your orders, Lord.”

While Lao Shi and Huang Baozong were engaged in battle at Hangu Pass, Dongguan was peaceful. This was because Lü Bu had not moved from Zhongtian.

However, Lü Bu’s army was not truly silent.

In the main hall of the Zhongtian Prefecture.

The leadership gathered to discuss military strategy, aiming to cut off the commandery forces’ supply lines.

Of course, Jia Hou had provided the overall plan. But even the best plan can become a failure with a single mistake.

Every small action required careful consideration.

“So, Mr. Guo, you’re suggesting we cut off the commandery forces’ supplies?”

“Yes, General. The amount of provisions needed to move a large army is unimaginable. But no army moves with a large supply.”

Jia Gui agreed with Guo Jia.

“The strategist’s words are correct. Now that we have discovered their supply lines, why hesitate?”

But Lü Bu shook his head.

“I think we should prioritize retaking Dongguan. A trap should be easy to enter but difficult to exit, right? Mr. Guo, reconsider.”

“How could I not understand your concerns, General? Securing Dongguan is indeed more important than cutting off their supplies.”

“But isn’t the idea of cutting off their supplies contradictory?”

“Dongguan can be easily retaken, which is why I suggest this.”

Lü Bu pounded his chest in frustration.

“We know little about the commandery forces, just as they know little about us. We don’t know who is guarding Dongguan or the size of their forces. How can you claim it will be easy?”

“It’s time to use the forces at Zhongling Mountain and Taihua Mountain.”