Chapter 80

Chapter 714: Unbinding the Hair and Tucking the Collar to the Left (披髮左?) (1)

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"Commander Gao Shun pays his respects to General Lü Bu!"

The camp was not Lü Bu’s army but Luo Xi’s. However, since Luo Xi was a trusted and loyal follower of Lü Bu, this level of courtesy was sufficient.

Luo Xi also accepted this with satisfaction.

"Welcome. There must have been many enemy troops. How did the battle go?"

Before answering, Gao Shun gestured to his subordinates. One of them then lifted the cloth covering part of the floor.

"The heads of the enemy commanders... these are their corpses. The forces attacking Dongguan from the east consisted of five armies, and among the five commanders, one was killed by an ambush from my subordinates, while the other four were personally executed by me."

Upon hearing Gao Shun’s words, Duan Wei and Han Hu bowed deeply.

Gao Shun had single-handedly executed four out of the five commanders of Jiang Yiduan. Song Hu had fallen to the soldiers of the camp, so in the end, Gao Shun’s forces had completely crushed the five armies of Jiang Yiduan.

'The body of one is intact, but the other three are all... the same.'

Excluding Song Hu, the other four had all fallen to Gao Shun.

Ji Zehongque had died with a broken waist, so his body was less damaged compared to Song Hu.

But what about the other three?

Bi Yang’s head was half gone, and the severed head of Wu Le, which had been torn apart, still had a frozen expression of screaming.

The last opponent Gao Shun had dealt with was Buli. Before meeting Han Hu and Duan Wei, Gao Shun had caught up and deprived him of his lower body.

'Judging from the bodies, this commander Gao Shun must have killed them with his bare hands.'

Duan Wei mistakenly thought that Gao Shun had fought bare-handed to show off his bravery.

'One of them was at least my equal, yet he was killed bare-handed. Truly remarkable.'

Duan Wei had engaged in several rounds of combat with Buli during the battle.

Although the fight was not concluded, the outcome was practically decided.

After a few rounds with Buli, Duan Wei realized that he was not inferior to him.

Duan Wei’s sword skills were recognized even within the Xiliang army. However, he was exhausted from fighting the enemy at the forefront and could not fully display his abilities.

If Gao Shun had not attacked the rear of Jiang Yiduan, Duan Wei might have lost his head to Buli’s axe.

One of the five commanders of Jiang Yiduan was his equal, and Gao Shun had single-handedly killed four of them bare-handed. It was no wonder Duan Wei felt the gap between them.

'If he is this strong bare-handed, he must be invincible with weapons. What kind of army is Lü Bu’s that it has such men?'

Duan Wei glanced at Gao Shun with a mix of admiration and fear.

It is natural for warriors to revere those stronger than themselves, especially when they are on the same side.

However, he also felt a sense of fear.

Han Hu was a rare and valiant commander. If he was just a minor figure in Lü Bu’s army, how strong must Lü Bu’s army be?

'Although Lü Bu is currently on good terms with Shangguo, the future is uncertain. Ah! I hope we never meet as enemies...'

Duan Wei had never felt fear before, not even against any enemy.

But after seeing Gao Shun’s brilliant achievements, he sincerely hoped to never face Lü Bu’s army as an enemy.

Just then, news came that a group of troops was approaching from the east of Dongguan.

Everyone momentarily forgot their victory and prepared for a possible battle, holding their weapons and gathering.

However, the remnants of Jiang Yiduan could not regroup and fight again. At most, only about two thousand had managed to escape.

Then, who were the troops approaching from the east? They were the Henei soldiers led by Shan Ben.

"We are the troops following Commander Gao Shun. Do not attack us!"

Shan Ben, with disheveled hair, approached holding a white flag and shouted. Gao Shun ran over to meet him.

"Lord Shan! What happened?"

"Commander Gao, don’t ask. I almost died. I will never... never lead troops separately again."

Shan Ben was almost in tears. The state of the soldiers who followed him explained his reaction. There were many injured, clearly indicating a fierce battle.

Gao Shun realized that Shan Ben was too shaken to speak coherently. He then turned to the 300 soldiers of the camp he had left behind.

"Soldiers of the camp, who were assigned to protect Lord Shan, come forward!"

At Gao Shun’s command, the camp soldiers who were mixed in with Shan Ben’s troops stepped forward and bowed.

"What happened?"

Gao Shun grabbed one of the camp soldiers and asked. The soldier’s body bore the marks of a fierce battle.

"General, we encountered enemy troops on our way here."

"And?"

"..."

The camp soldier hesitated to speak. Gao Shun urged him.

"Speak freely. I promise not to blame you for anything you say."

"Yes, General. The Henei soldiers were a ragtag group and could not stop the enemy’s breakthrough. They scattered, and we barely managed to repel the enemy."

Gao Shun understood why the camp soldier hesitated. It was improper to criticize one’s own side.

The soldier’s words were filled with anger and resentment. With over ten thousand troops, they could not handle a few thousand enemies, and Shan Ben’s credibility was likely damaged.

Gao Shun personally inspected the casualties of both the camp and the Henei soldiers and quickly took follow-up actions. He ordered the soldiers to treat the wounded and collect the bodies of the fallen.

Shan Ben, aware of his mistake, could not lift his head. Gao Shun did not forget to console him.

"Lord Shan, don’t blame yourself too much."

"Without Commander Gao Shun’s troops, I would have suffered a defeat despite leading tens of thousands. I feel ashamed to be alive."

"No, Lord Shan’s troops were on their first campaign. It’s already commendable. You managed to gather the scattered troops, which is a great achievement in itself."

Saying this, Gao Shun sighed deeply.

"Phew! I was so focused on rescuing Dongguan that I didn’t have the time to pursue the remnants. It’s all my fault."

"If Commander Gao Shun says that, how can I face General Lü Bu? Regardless, I’ve learned a valuable lesson. The soldiers will now understand that they must never separate from the main force, even if they collapse from exhaustion."

"Lord Shan, set up camp here and reorganize your troops. The battle is not over, and you must be ready to seize opportunities for further achievements."

"I will do so."

* * *

"Indeed, Commander Gao Shun! To kill four enemy commanders single-handedly...!"

Luo Xi repeatedly praised Gao Shun after he returned from settling the affairs of Shan Ben’s troops. After all, he had led thousands of troops and inflicted near-annihilation on tens of thousands of enemies.

Not only that, but he had single-handedly executed four out of the five enemy commanders, and the remaining one had been killed by one of his subordinates.

This was as good as Gao Shun doing everything himself. Who else could he praise if not Gao Shun?

"Your praise is too much."

"No, no. Who else could achieve such feats if not Commander Gao Shun? Perhaps if General Lü Bu himself had led the charge... but that’s another matter."

"Compared to General Lü Bu’s bravery, my skills are like a candle in the moonlight."

Gao Shun humbly lowered himself. This was also a strategy. It was enough not to outshine his lord.

Of course, in terms of bravery, he could not surpass Lü Bu, but in terms of achievements, it was a different story. Gao Shun knew that many warlords in the world would not tolerate those who surpassed them.

"Modest too... General Lü Bu is a man of great fortune to have a valiant general like you under his command."

"Please don’t flatter me further. Instead, praise my subordinates. They are the brave warriors who risked their lives to repel the enemy."

"Indeed, that’s what I should do."

Luo Xi looked at the camp soldiers and the thousands of Henei soldiers who had followed Gao Shun and achieved great feats.

"I, Luo Xi, the Chief of the Central Army and the Inspector of Hanzhong, commend your great achievements! In honor of your brilliant feats, let us feast on the remaining wine and meat in Dongguan today!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The camp soldiers, who had achieved great feats, remained silent.

Only the Henei soldiers, who had followed them, cheered. After all, it was their first major victory, and the famous Luo Xi was personally commending their achievements, making them feel elated.

While Dongguan was celebrating the victory, the Guanxi army’s camp was like a funeral home.

"Ah! Ah!"

"It hurts so much! Someone, help me!"

"Damn, the stench!"

The groans of the wounded and the intense stench