139

"Yes, Eldest Brother. Since the two of us have chosen to follow you, we will naturally take you as our leader. No matter what the outcome of today's battle may be, we will follow you to the death." By comparison, Guan Yu was not blindly optimistic; he fully understood that this battle was a desperate, do-or-die struggle.

"Alas, Second Brother, Third Brother, I have implicated you both. Each of you possesses the might to rival ten thousand men, yet you are forced to follow a wanderer like me. I am deeply ashamed."

As Liu Peng—Liu Bei—spoke, tears streamed down his face. He was truly heartbroken this time. Just think: ever since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he had begun to make a name for himself, yet more than a decade had passed, and he still did not possess a single scrap of territory. How could he not grieve?

"Eldest Brother!" Guan Yu had originally been willing to follow Liu Bei because of his loyalty and righteousness. Seeing Liu Bei in such sorrow, Guan Yu longed to offer his broad shoulders for him to lean upon. "Eldest Brother!" Although Zhang Fei was a rough and boorish man, his devotion to Liu Bei was entirely genuine. The three of them pressed close together; the bond among the three sworn brothers of the peach garden was truly profound.

"Eldest Brother, the two of us will surely fight to the death for you and repay your kindness in recognizing our worth!" the two declared with clasped fists and resolute expressions, carrying an air as desolate as the wind sighing across the freezing waters of the Yi River.

Guan Yu wielded the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, while Zhang Fei carried an eight-foot serpent spear. Liu Bei had left Sun Qian and Mi Zhu behind to guard Xuzhou. Liu Bei rode in the center, Guan Yu on the left, and Zhang Fei on the right, charging straight toward Xiaopei.

"General, I fear there is an ambush at Xiaopei," said a man beside Guan Yu. "Look at the Cao camp; it is unusually quiet."

"Hmm?" Guan Yu furrowed his brow. It was indeed true; the enemy camp ahead was far too silent. After a moment of thought, Guan Yu ordered the army to halt. "Stop."

However, it was already too late. A cannon sounded from the rear camp, followed by the beating of gongs, signaling that both the center army led by Liu Bei and the right army led by Zhang Fei had fallen into a trap.

"An ambush!"

"Ha, ha! Guan Yunchang, today your life ends here!" At that moment, Zhang Liao and Xu Huang led their forces from Guan Yu's right flank to engage him.

"You speak too boldly," Guan Yu sneered. The man who could kill him had not yet been born!

In the dark night, the two armies collided like a torrential flood, erupting into a sky-shaking slaughter, a fierce roar of life and death, fighting with desperate ferocity.

Zhang Liao was a recently surrendered general whom Cao Cao had taken in, and he was eager to prove himself. The moment his words fell, a long spear thrust forward. In the darkness, the shadow of Zhang Liao's spear flickered as he galloped his horse, charging forth like a fierce tiger.

Zhang Liao was a fierce tiger, but Guan Yu was no less formidable. The Green Dragon Crescent Blade swept out with a clear, cyan glow. Though he knew the surprise attack had failed, Guan Yu's expression remained undisturbed—this was the hallmark of an exceptional commander. The whirling shadows of his blade intersected with Zhang Liao's spear images.

A deafening crash echoed in the ears of everyone nearby, ringing in their heads and leaving them momentarily stunned.

Instantly, a tremendous force surged up through Zhang Liao's arms into his chest and internal organs, churning the blood in his cavity and causing him excruciating pain.

A surge of blood rose into his throat, and Zhang Liao let out a cold grunt, barely swallowing back a mouthful of bright red blood. His mount instinctively retreated two steps, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Guan Yu, Guan Yunchang, truly lived up to his legendary reputation. Unhappy about being ambushed, Guan Yu poured all his frustration into his strike, shaking Zhang Liao with a single blow. Yet Zhang Liao was no ordinary man; Guan Yu himself felt his arm go numb, prompting a silent sense of wonder. At that moment, Xu Huang arrived and joined the fray. They were not engaging in a formal duel, and paying no heed to fighting two against one, the pair engaged Guan Yu for over thirty bouts until Guan Yu was faintly gasping for breath.

Looking toward Liu Bei's army, many soldiers had already realized the enemy was Cao Cao's force. Caught in a surprise attack and terrified out of their wits, large numbers of them promptly surrendered.

"Alas," Guan Yu sighed deeply. The overall situation was lost; from the moment they attempted to raid the camp tonight, they had walked right into a trap set by Cao Cao.

Guo Jia held a flask of wine, drinking and enjoying the scenery with Cao Cao on a distant hillside, thoroughly amused.

"Fengxiao, how long do you think Liu Xuande can hold out?"

Guo Jia took a sip and laughed heartily, looking as if he were intoxicated.

"Soon, very soon..."

As if verifying his words, Liu Bei, caught in the pincer attack of Xiahou Dun and Li Dian, was now reduced to his last extremity.

"My life is over!"

Facing imminent death, Liu Bei closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh of resignation.

Liu Bei accepted his fate. Although he was a formidable warrior in his own right, he could not endure indefinitely against the combined onslaught of Xiahou Dun and Li Dian!

At that critical juncture, a deafening explosion shattered the air beside Liu Bei's ear.

"Unhand my Eldest Brother!"

Guan Yu came galloping swiftly on his warhorse, whirling the Green Dragon Crescent Blade so fiercely that it generated a roaring wind. Having just been besieged by Zhang Liao and Xu Huang, Guan Yu knew they had fallen for a ruse. Seeing that his own troops had discarded their armor and surrendered, and that the ten thousand men under his command were scattered in the chaos, unable to tell north from south, Guan Yu had looked up to the heavens with a long sigh, fighting while retreating. Anxious about Liu Bei's situation, he had rushed over in time to see Liu Bei cornered and unable to advance or retreat by Xiahou Dun and Li Dian, prompting his furious shout.

"Hmm?" Liu Bei returned from the gates of hell, scared completely out of his wits. Though he had wandered through life-and-death situations countless times before, this battle had completely shattered all his hopes.

The troops under his command had either surrendered or fled. If Liu Bei had achieved victory, this collapse might not have been so apparent, but his army's morale had already been unstable. Launching a desperate, do-or-die assault only to be surrounded and crushed meant the soldiers were not fools—who would throw their lives away for nothing?

"Clang!"

Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade clashed with the spears of Xiahou Dun and Li Dian, sending sparks flying through the dark night like violent waves.

Amidst a dull, heavy ring of clashing metal, Guan Yu dropped his posture, leveled his blade, and thrust it upward in a sudden, violent arc that exploded by Liu Bei's ear, blocking the fatal joint attack of Xiahou Dun and Li Dian entirely by his own strength.

"Guan Yu is not dead yet; how dare you act so presumptuously?" Guan Yu shouted, blood rushing to his head as he rebuked them angrily.

"Guan Yu, you possess the strength to rival ten thousand men. If you surrender, our lord will likely spare your life," Li Dian tempted. The man spoke without thinking; although Liu Bei had been defeated, he hadn't been captured yet, and saying such things was simply driving Guan Yu into a frenzy! Xiahou Dun shot Li Dian a look of utter disgust.

"Traitorous thief, you insult me! I, Guan Yu, shall certainly have your head!"

True enough, Guan Yu's explosive temper was instantly ignited. A man of his stature, if he were ever to surrender, would have to do so with dignity, wouldn't he? How could he be swayed by such words from Li Dian? Where would he put his face if he accepted that?

At that moment, Zhang Liao and Xu Huang, who had been pursuing Guan Yu, also arrived on the scene. Liu Bei, still shaken from his close brush with death, was alarmed to see Zhang Liao charge in. Four against two? Are you kidding me?

"Second Brother, quickly fall back with me!" Realizing the situation was beyond redemption and that defeat was certain, Liu Bei knew that languishing in a prison cell under Cao Cao would be far worse than seeking refuge elsewhere.

"Yes, Eldest Brother!" Hearing Liu Bei's call and knowing he could not afford a protracted battle with Cao Cao's generals, Guan Yu roared with rage. He brought the Green Dragon Crescent Blade down in a mighty overhead劈 (chop), driving Xiahou Dun back, and then hurled his great blade outward with a flick of his wrist, deflecting Li Dian's weapon. This allowed him to evade their joint encirclement and leap out of the trap.

Recovering his stance, Guan Yu saw Zhang Liao and Xu Huang fiercely pressing the attack on Liu Bei. He lunged straight at Zhang Liao, temporarily beating back the two generals tangling with Liu Bei, and then fled the encirclement together with Liu Bei, racing away at top speed.

"Second Brother, we have been defeated once again," Liu Bei muttered, riding his horse toward an area devoid of enemy commanders. Once more, he and Guan Yu shared the bitter fate of down-and-out companions. He had never expected to be utterly crushed by Cao Cao at the very first move, and the worst part was that they hadn't even caught a glimpse of Cao Cao's face.

"Eldest Brother, do not fret. I believe that one day, Eldest Brother will carve out a great enterprise! The heavy responsibility of restoring the Han Dynasty is something no one else can accomplish save for you, Eldest Brother," Guan Yu said while cutting down the surrounding Cao soldiers.

The two exchanged no further words, for Cao Cao's troops had surrounded them completely, sealing off all avenues of escape. Enraged, Guan Yu and Liu Bei spurred their horses through the crowd, fighting a bloody path like human killing machines. Disregarding all directions, they slashed their way outward toward the periphery of the Cao camp!

...

"Ah! This infuriates me! I will kill you all!" Zhang Fei's whiskers bristled as his eyes bulged in fury. Ever since he had charged into the camp, a cannon had sounded, followed by the appearance of Cao generals Le Jin and Cao Chun, who joined forces to trap him in a pincer attack. Unable to advance or retreat, Zhang Fei cursed in boundless rage.

When had Zhang Fei ever suffered such humiliation? In the dead of night, he was heavily suppressed by Le Jin and Cao Chun, unable to unleash the full power of his eight-foot serpent spear.

"Damn it all! This infuriates me! Infuriates me to no end!"

Zhang Fei had been so close to succeeding in his surprise attack, avenging the humiliation when Cao Cao had previously imprisoned his elder brother, only to find the Cao army fully prepared, with several fierce generals suddenly bursting forth to ruin his plans.

Zhang Fei was deeply resentful. He had come out to win glory, and watching his own troops surrender en masse only heightened his burning anger.

"Surrender, and I will spare your life!" Seeing that Zhang Fei was reaching his limit, Le Jin ordered him to surrender. Unlike Guan Yu and Liu Bei, Zhang Fei lacked the composure to recognize a bad situation and immediately retreat.

Zhang Fei's dark, swarthy face instantly flushed to a deep, dark red. Surrender? What kind of man did they take him for? Enraged, muscles bulging like thick plates on his massive arms, Zhang Fei gripped his serpent spear tightly and charged forward in absolute silence, hurtling toward Le Jin with the unstoppable momentum of a thunderbolt.

"Brat! Prepare to die!"

Le Jin was naturally undaunted. Riding his horse and wielding his saber, he intercepted Zhang Fei from the side with lightning speed. Le Jin was also a formidable general within Cao Cao's army, wielding his blade with godlike skill. Later generations would rank him among the Five Tiger Generals of Cao Cao's camp, a testament to his prowess.

As Zhang Fei and Le Jin locked in combat, Cao Chun seized the opportunity to thrust his spear straight toward Zhang Fei's waist and abdomen. Zhang Fei's movements faltered, and he nearly tumbled from his saddle.

Seized with sudden fury, Zhang Fei glared murderously at Cao Chun with wide, round eyes, then spurred his horse directly toward him. Le Jin, who had been forced back by a ferocious strike, saw that Zhang Fei was injured and, overjoyed, spurred his horse forward to press the attack.

Just then, a horseman galloped straight toward Le Jin. Holding Le Jin at bay for a fleeting moment, the newcomer roared at Zhang Fei:

"General, fall back!"

Zhang Fei looked back and saw that the man was none other than Xiahou Bo, Guan Yu's deputy. But Zhang Fei was in no mood to listen and cursed loudly:

"Fall back to your grandfather's grave!"

"General, the lord and the Second General have already retreated! If you do not leave, you will surely die!" Xiahou Bo urged anxiously. Knowing Zhang Fei's fiery temper, he did not take offense.

Though sharing the surname Xiahou, Xiahou Bo was an early follower of Liu Bei who had accompanied him through countless campaigns. Some claimed Xiahou Bo was on par with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, though historical records on this were unclear.

Historical accounts regarding Xiahou Bo were somewhat vague. Later lore suggested that Xiahou Bo was captured alive by Cao Cao alongside Guan Yu during this battle and that, despite Cao Cao's repeated attempts to persuade him to surrender, he refused. Upon hearing news of Liu Bei's death, Xiahou Bo reportedly committed suicide, though the veracity of this tale remained unknown.

Regardless, Xiahou Bo was a man of honor and righteousness, as evidenced by his lone pursuit of Zhang Fei after Guan Yu's departure. Xiahou Bo understood that as one of Liu Bei's primary generals, Zhang Fei could under no circumstances be lost.

"Die!"

Seeing that Xiahou Bo intended to disrupt his plan, Le Jin did not hesitate. With a loud shout, he engaged them. While fighting Zhang Fei was difficult, Xiahou Bo was clearly not in the same league. Le Jin seized an opening and brought his blade down. Xiahou Bo attempted to parry, but Le Jin's speed was too great; in the blink of an eye, Xiahou Bo's head was severed from his shoulders.

"Ah!" Zhang Fei was jolted with horror. Seeing Xiahou Bo killed because he had come to warn him, Zhang Fei was consumed by rage. Remembering Xiahou Bo's final words, he roared:

"Le Jin! I, Zhang Fei, will flay you and carve your bones to vent my hatred! Just you wait!"

Taking advantage of the moment, Zhang Fei thrust his serpent spear forward to force Cao Chun back. Though the wound on his abdomen throbbed with agonizing pain, Zhang Fei ignored it entirely and fought his way toward the outer perimeter.

Xiahou Bo could not die in vain! Zhang Fei had to preserve his life. This debt would be repaid sooner or later!

...

In the dark night, the Cao camp was engulfed in the sounds of slaughter.

Guo Jia gazed at the pale, breaking moonlight, raising his cup to drink. He paid no heed to the carnage unfolding below him, as if his prediction of the outcome brooked not a single error.

"Fengxiao, do you think Zhongkang can claim this merit?" Cao Cao asked with a furrowed brow. It was not that he doubted Xu褚's (Xu Chu's) ability; rather, he dared not underestimate Liu Bei's battle prowess.

"Perhaps he cannot take him alive, but Liu Bei is bound to flee toward Li Shao. Intercepted along the way, even if Liu Bei does not die, he will lose a layer of skin." Guo Jia wore a bewitching smile, every single detail completely within his grasp.

"With Fengxiao by my side, the world is mine."

Cao Cao did not stint on his praise. In Cao Cao's eyes, Guo Jia was truly his confidant. The two trusted each other implicitly, for Cao Cao knew Guo Jia harbored no convoluted schemes. While one aspired to become emperor and the other sought to assist a true ruler, there were no conflicting interests between them—how wonderfully carefree that was.

"My lord, come, share another cup with me." Guo Jia handed over a cup of wine, and together with Cao Cao, he watched the slaughter below as if viewing a magnificent landscape painting.

...

Guan Yu and Liu Bei, accompanied by a few hundred personal guards, fought a bloody path. Their armor was completely stained crimson with blood. Having lost count of how many enemies they had cut down along the way, they finally broke out of the Cao camp.

"Eldest Brother, where do we go?" Guan Yu asked.

Liu Bei replied without a moment's hesitation, "Send men back to Xuzhou first to inform Gongyou, Zizhong, and the others. Xuzhou can no longer be held. We head north to seek refuge with Li Shao."

"But... didn't Eldest Brother previously attack Li Shu, causing his defeat and death? Will Li Shao be able to tolerate us?" Guan Yu asked, puzzled.

Liu Bei shook his head. "Li Shao is currently in dire need of talented men; he will not harm us." Liu Bei narrowed his eyes, finally displaying the charisma of a supreme leader. Even if he lagged behind his subordinates in martial prowess, there were different kinds of generals. A leader of generals—that was the caliber of warlord Liu Bei truly was.

"You shall go no further! Behold as I, Xu Chu, take your lives!" roared a massive man standing over eight chi tall, with a waist ten spans in circumference. Of majestic appearance and terrifying might, the burly warrior had a thick beard circling his face, lending him a ferocious, demonic air as the blade in his hand gleamed coldly in the night.