Chapter 4

Chapter 638: Heading to Zhongtian! (1)

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Lü Bu placed Zhang He and Wei Yue on the left and right flanks, respectively, and led the Tangyue army straight toward Yang Xing's forces. With these three fierce generals leading the charge, the Tangyue army was unstoppable.

It was as if they could pierce through Mount Tai itself.

On the contrary, Yang Xing's forces found themselves in a position of being pursued. Just a moment ago, they had been fiercely pursuing Lü Bu's army. However, they had lost their target and were merely advancing due to Lü Bu's ingenious cavalry tactics.

Who could have predicted that Lü Bu's army would break through Zhang Xing's formation and attack from behind?

'What a disaster!'

Yang Xing never imagined that such a small cavalry force could cause such chaos.

'If Zhang Xing's forces could help, it would be great...'

Yang Xing believed that if Zhang Xing's forces could assist, this crisis would be quickly resolved. He seemed to have a talent for assessing the situation.

However, Zhang Xing's forces had no intention of helping Yang Xing.

It wasn't that they didn't want to help, but they couldn't. Zhang Xing was entirely focused on forming a defensive formation, leaving no room to consider Yang Xing's plight.

'Should I turn around?'

There was certainly a way to stop the army, turn around, and face Lü Bu's forces. However, the risk was too high. On the other hand, it was also impossible to keep advancing like this.

His deliberation did not last long. The time he had was limited.

"Infantry, turn around! Cavalry, flank and attack simultaneously!"

The strategy Yang Xing chose was incredibly simple. If he had been a bit more cunning, he would not have made this choice.

"General, Mr. Guo is truly remarkable. It's as if he foresaw the enemy's movements as if he had seen the battle to its conclusion."

"That's why Mr. Guo entrusted the military affairs to him."

Even as they were about to break through, Lü Bu and Wei Yue had the leisure to chat. After all, they had just repeatedly broken through the enemy lines, facing tens of thousands of enemy soldiers.

With thousands of enemies in front of them, the scale of the enemy seemed insignificant in comparison.

Of course, with Lü Bu leading the charge, it didn't matter how many tens of thousands of enemies were in front of him.

Lü Bu raised his halberd once more.

"Break through in one go and take the enemy commander's head!"

"Ooh!"

* * *

Stopping their advance and turning to face Lü Bu's forces, Yang Xing's army collapsed like a landslide.

"Roar!"

Lü Bu roared and swung his halberd relentlessly. He stabbed and slashed with such ferocity that his prowess, known as the best under heaven, was on full display.

Though not as formidable as Lü Bu, Wei Yue and Zhang He also demonstrated their bravery, as if trying to prove their valor by the number of soldiers they felled.

Wherever the three of them passed, the ground was littered with severed heads and limbs, as if a storm of blades had swept through.

"How... How can this be! How can we deal with such men...?"

Yang Xing could not bring himself to finish his sentence.

It was impossible for a commander to admit defeat in front of his subordinates.

But that was his honest feeling.

Even if the enemy had not formed a proper formation, it was unacceptable for his soldiers to be defeated so easily. This was his common sense, and the common sense of the world. Lü Bu and his forces were the exception.

If Yang Xing were asked to do the same, he would have said it was impossible.

'Remain calm, Yang Xing!'

Yang Xing was overwhelmed by the desire to flee. His eyelids trembled as he tried to shake off this urge. Even as Lü Bu's forces were wreaking havoc, his army was still significantly larger.

Moreover, once Zhang Xing's forces formed their defensive formation, they would have the resources to deal with Yang Xing's situation.

'They are human, so they must be tired by now! Hold on! If we hold on, we will win!'

He had anticipated some casualties. After all, the infantry, who had not formed a proper formation, could do little against Lü Bu's cavalry.

After witnessing Lü Bu's might, he did not expect much from his subordinates' efforts. Yang Xing intended to use their lives to blunt Lü Bu's offensive.

'Sacrifices are inevitable. If we can throw a few hundred men to blunt the enemy's initial attack, victory will be mine!'

Yang Xing had his own calculations.

While Lü Bu's forces were all cavalry, making it impossible to withstand their mobility, he believed the rain was on his side.

However, Zhang He's forces still had the strength for one more breakthrough.

The army following Lü Bu, Wei Yue, and the two Tiger Generals was Wei Yue's right flank. Zhang He's left flank was following, conserving their strength. Now was the time for them to act.

Lü Bu sensed this. Wei Yue and Zhang He's horses were tiring and falling behind.

"Dai Shu! Hong Ao!"

Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Lü Bu's thunderous voice called out to Dai Shu and Hong Ao. At the same time, Wei Yue and Zhang He, along with their forces, turned their horses to the left and right.

"Left Commander, Dai Shu!"

"Right Commander, Hong Ao! I'm here!"

As Wei Yue's forces pushed the enemy to the left and right, clearing a path, Dai Shu and Hong Ao led Zhang He's forces to Lü Bu's side.

* * *

Guo Jia, hidden by Zhang Xing's forces, could not see Lü Bu's performance against Yang Xing's army.

However, he was not anxious. The enemy could not launch an effective attack, and Lü Bu, let alone Wei Yue and Zhang He, had no equal among the commanders.

No matter how many there were, Guo Jia believed that Yang Xing's forces would kneel before Lü Bu's bravery, just as sheep could not deal with a wolf.

There was no need to worry about that side. The only concern was whether the strategy he had instructed Xiang Kai would work.

Xiang Kai was charging forward enthusiastically, either following Guo Jia's orders or ignoring them and attempting a breakthrough.

Watching him, Guo Jia felt as if someone was gripping his heart.

'Even if we defeat the Yang family's forces, the Zhang family's forces remain. Without spare horses, if this strategy fails, we will have to retreat without a conclusion.'

Zhang Xing and Yang Xing knew Lü Bu's name, but Lü Bu's forces did not know theirs. They could only guess that the commanders of the two armies were surnamed 'Zhang' and 'Yang' based on their banners.

Thus, they referred to them as the Zhang family's forces and the Yang family's forces.

Even if Lü Bu defeated Yang Xing's forces, Zhang Xing's forces remained. Despite three breakthroughs, Zhang Xing's two thousand cavalry were still nearly half intact. The infantry, though reduced to ten thousand, still numbered over ten thousand.

'Time is not on our side, but if this strategy works, the enemy commander will benefit us!'

Guo Jia placed great hope in the strategy that would conclude this battle. In fact, he had staked everything on it.

If Xiang Kai's feint failed, Guo Jia's position in this battle would be a defeat.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The hooves of Xiang Kai's cavalry splashed through puddles, but their advance was relentless.

They had changed horses, and Zhang Xing's cavalry, disoriented by Tangyue's new cavalry tactic, the 'flying sword formation,' had no means to counter.

Feeling as if he had the world at his feet, Xiang Kai was tempted.

'If I break through and take the enemy commander's head, I could become a Dujiang in one go...'

A Dujiang was a commander who supervised other commanders, a position just below a general.

In the current situation, if Xiang Kai took the enemy commander's head, it would not be unreasonable for him to become a Dujiang. It would be a significant achievement, and if he asked Lü Bu, who rewarded his subordinates based on merit, he could become a Dujiang.

However, disobeying military orders would come with a penalty.

With clear military orders, no one under Lü Bu could easily act recklessly. This made Xiang Kai abandon his ambition.

Nonetheless, Xiang Kai's charge, which seemed like a breakthrough, inadvertently drew Zhang Xing into Guo Jia's trap.

"Commander, hundreds of enemy cavalry are approaching from the west."

"I know!"

Zhang Xing was plunged into deep thought as his fears became reality. The western flank, which had been persistently harassed by Guo Jia and the responding forces, had lost several scouts and commanders, making it difficult to form a defensive formation. This made it vulnerable to cavalry breakthroughs.

'Why the west?'

Zhang Xing assessed the forces he could command. In the end, he could only rely on his two thousand personal guards.

These guards were elite soldiers. Two thousand of them could handle hundreds of enemy cavalry, even if they were infantry.

'Forming a defensive formation is taking too long, so I cannot stop the enemy from the west. I must lead the charge myself!'

* * *

Zhang Xing made a disastrous move. He personally led his personal guards to meet Xiang Kai's forces.

It was a rare occurrence for a commander to personally engage in battle, except in Lü Bu's case.

If a commander personally took the field, it often indicated a dire situation.

When the commander moved, the standard-bearers followed, and the soldiers naturally paid attention to the movement of the standard. If the standard retreated to the rear, it would naturally suggest a retreat.

However, the standard moved to the west.

Zhang Xing, who had been advancing his forces to the east, had already shifted to a defensive formation. This indicated that his strategy had failed.

When the standard moved to the west, how could the soldiers interpret this?

It seemed as if Zhang Xing was fleeing first.

Those who had barely survived Lü Bu's ferocity desperately wanted to escape. The rapid movement of the standard to the west provided a plausible reason for them to retreat.

"The commander is retreating!"

In the rain, it was unclear who shouted this, but the impact was immense.

Zhang Xing's forces, having been repeatedly broken through by Lü Bu, were already demoralized. Hearing that the commander was retreating, what could they do? To survive, they had to drop their weapons and run westward.

Although it was not true, Zhang Xing's soldiers, unaware of the truth, dropped their weapons and fled in a panic, following the standard.

Zhang Xing, leading his personal guards to the west to stop Xiang Kai's breakthrough, suddenly felt as if his forces had grown.

At that moment, he did not fully grasp the situation.

However, when Xiang Kai's forces, which seemed ready to charge, suddenly turned and moved away, Zhang Xing realized something was wrong.

He turned his head, feeling uneasy, and saw his subordinates rushing toward him.

'This, Zhang Xing, has been thoroughly defeated! There is no way to turn this battle around. Even with ten times the forces, I am defeated like this?'

Zhang Xing had never felt such a great humiliation. Even when he bowed to Huang Baochong and joined his ranks, he did not feel this humiliated.

Huang Baochong's forces were several times larger, and many heroes had already submitted to him. Thus, joining Huang Baochong's ranks was seen as a natural progression.

But now, it was different. Lü Bu's forces were only a fraction of Zhang Xing's.

He had three thousand troops under his command, and with Yang Xing's forces, they numbered nearly ten thousand. Yet, they were humiliated by Lü Bu's mere two thousand cavalry.

'Neither bravery nor strategy can match them! This battle is lost!'

Seeing his subordinates, who had dropped their weapons and were fleeing madly, Zhang Xing despaired. With morale at rock bottom, there was no hope of fighting back. He had no choice but to order a retreat.

"All forces, retreat to Zhongtian!"