Chapter 39: Four Battles, Four Victories

“Damn it! Cao Ziyu, you’ve fought three battles in a single day and won them all. You’re one hell of a fighter, aren’t you?”

On the opposite hillside, Zhang Xiu reined in his horse at the head of his eight hundred Xiliang cavalry, facing off across a ravine against a little over a hundred Langya cavalry. The two sides were locked in a standoff.

“Haha, Zhang Weiyou, have you come to pay your respects to your master?”

Cao Xin laughed heartily.

“Bullshit! I was the one who taught you your ‘Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.’ I’m the master here, you damn traitor!”

Zhang Xiu snapped his riding whip, pointing at Cao Xin as he cursed.

“Haha, then you must be here to inquire about Liniang? Don’t worry, she’s in Xuchang handling my business, has already made me tens of thousands of coins, surrounded by dozens of maids, dressed in silks and living a life of luxury—a very good life indeed.”

“Damn it, who wants to hear about your household affairs? I just received a letter from Deng Ji. He wants me to attack Cao’s army at once and kill you, the infamous Cao traitor. Ha! Seeing you’ve only got a hundred tired men left, it seems this task won’t be hard at all.”

Zhang Xiu laughed heartily, his hand on his belt.

“Tsk, to think a grand General of Martial Prowess is taking orders from a mere local commander in Jingzhou. Zhang Weiyou, how did you end up like this?”

Cao Xin sneered.

“Nonsense! Jingzhou and I are allies. You came barreling in here and wiped out their twenty thousand men. Damn it, if I don’t do something, how am I supposed to have a foothold in Nanyang?”

Zhang Xiu cursed.

“Nonsense! Who says you have nowhere to go?”

“Hmm?”

Zhang Xiu was momentarily stunned.

“Are you daft, Zhang Weiyou? You taught me the ‘Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix,’ I married your aunt Lady Zou, which makes us friends, relatives, family. You’re living on my land—would I ever drive you out? Impossible! Not long ago I recruited tens of thousands of mountaineers and now command over twenty thousand troops. Some suggested I attack you and drive you from Nanyang, but I was furious. Given our relationship, Zhang Weiyou, how could I ever send troops to oust you? Relax in Rangcheng, and if you need anything, just say the word. We’re family, there’s no need to stand on ceremony.”

Cao Xin called out.

Zhang Xiu’s face darkened. What a smooth talker—anyone without sense would be utterly taken in by him. Zhang Xiu burst out laughing.

“Cao Ziyu, you’re a strapping man, nine feet tall, yet here you are, trying to butter me up. Are you hoping I’ll let you off? Hahaha—Cao Ziyu, never thought I’d see you like this!”

Zhang Xiu laughed so hard his back teeth showed.

“Zhang Weiyou, are you drunk? Did the wine go to your head? Last time, with just a hundred men, I routed your five thousand. Now you’ve only got eight hundred—do you think that’s enough to stop me? Do you know why I don’t want to fight you? Because of what I just said—we’re friends, family. What’s the point of family fighting each other? It’s like left hand against right; in the end, you only hurt yourself. Don’t you understand, Zhang Weiyou?”

“Hmph, Cao Ziyu, you’re just stalling for time so your Langya cavalry can rest, aren’t you? Ha! Well, I’m stalling too. Look over there.”

Zhang Xiu pointed to the left valley, laughing.

“Report! General!”

A scout in black rode up swiftly. “General, there’s a force of about four thousand on that mountain. They were well hidden and I’ve only just discovered them. Please punish me for my negligence.”

Even as he spoke, dark ranks of soldiers began lining the opposite hillside. In the dusk, a couple dozen square formations could be vaguely made out—dense and numerous.

“Hahaha! Cao Ziyu, no matter how clever you are, you’re still drinking the water I’ve washed my feet in.”

Zhang Xiu roared with laughter.

Cao Xin laughed as well. “Zhang Weiyou, is that four thousand infantry? How about sending two hundred more, add your eight hundred, and make it a nice round number?”

Last time, his hundred-odd Langya cavalry defeated Zhang Xiu’s five thousand, earning him two attribute points. He hoped for another such windfall.

Zhang Xiu snorted coldly. “Cao Ziyu, don’t play the fool. I’ll give you two choices. First, dismount and surrender, and I’ll hand you over to Jingzhou. Second, because we’re friends, I’ll spare you and your Langya cavalry, but you must withdraw south of Mount Huo and pay a compensation of two hundred thousand coins.”

“Zhang Weiyou, you’re dreaming! Never mind that you only have eight hundred light cavalry—even if you had eight thousand or eighty thousand, I wouldn’t bat an eye. My Langya cavalry have ridden across the world, braving fire and blade without a second thought—do you think we fear you? Langya cavalry!”

“Here!”

All one hundred and twenty-four Langya cavalry roared in unison.

“Charge with me!”

Cao Xin swung his iron spear, spurred his black horse, and charged. The hundred-plus Langya cavalry bellowed and followed.

“Damn! Xiliang riders, charge with me!”

Zhang Xiu bellowed, leading his cavalry forward.

Meanwhile, the Rangcheng ambushers began rushing down the mountain, surrounding the Langya cavalry on all sides, determined to bury Cao Xin and his men in the valley.

Thunderous hooves rumbled.

Suddenly, from a distant slope, another thousand-strong cavalry force thundered down, imposing and fierce.

“General! Zhang Baiqi leads eight hundred cavalry in support!”

Zhang Baiqi rode at the head, mounted on a white steed, dashing through the night with a dashing bearing.

“Damn it!” Zhang Xiu raged. Reinforcements from Wancheng had arrived too quickly.

“General, there are more over there!”

A Xiliang cavalryman pointed across the slope, where figures darted like apes through the Tongbai Mountains—uncountable in the gloom, but at least two thousand strong.

“Haha, General, I’m here! Yu Du leads four thousand brothers of the Mountain Battalion to reinforce you!”

Yu Du burst from the trees, shouting.

“Old Zhang, Old Yu, you’re just in time—attack with me!”

Cao Xin roared, brandishing his iron spear as he charged Zhang Xiu’s cavalry.

“Damn it, Cao Xin! You’re too cunning—we’re pulling out!”

Seeing Cao Xin, Zhang Baiqi, and Yu Du all charging like wolves, Zhang Xiu’s face changed and he led his cavalry in a hasty retreat.

“Zhang Xiu, don’t run!”

“Weiyou, stop! We’re family—I won’t fight you!”

Cao Xin shouted, chasing for over a mile, but both his and Zhang Baiqi’s horses were exhausted from a day of running and couldn’t catch up to the fresher Xiliang horses.

“Damn it, Zhang Xiu! My offer still stands—let’s ally, split Nanyang, and resist Liu Biao together. You fool, you don’t know the benefits here—go ask Jia Wenhe!”

Cao Xin shouted, then led the Langya cavalry and eight hundred light cavalry to charge the four thousand Rangcheng soldiers on the mountain.

The Rangcheng soldiers, seeing Zhang Xiu flee, dared not linger. After less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, their line broke. Over three thousand slipped away into the woods and vanished in the night.

[Battle Over]

[Defeated 4,000 enemies with 3,000 men. Losses less than one-tenth. Evaluation: Excellent. Gained 1 free attribute point.]

[Cao Xin]

[Constitution: 100] (Top-tier general) (Super recovery)

[Strength: 94] (First-rate general)

[Agility: 84] (Second-rate general)

[Intelligence: 69] (Third-rate strategist)

[Resistance: 65] (Poison, cold, heat, corrosion, aging, etc.)

[Remaining free attribute points: 1]

“Another point! Five in a single day. At this rate, immortality isn’t just a dream.”

On the mountaintop, Cao Xin leaned on his long spear, gazing at the starry sky, and laughed heartily.