xymnovel Chapter 50 A Warrior Against Ten Thousand
Chapter 50 A Warrior Against Ten Thousand
Outside Xiaopei, at Liu Bei's military camp.
Liu Bei, fully armored, stood on the command platform, giving a final pep talk to the thousands of soldiers below, who were ready for battle.
This southward expedition was ostensibly "on imperial orders to quell the rebellion."
Joining forces with Cao Cao to attack Yuan Shu, who had usurped the title of emperor, was actually a desperate move by Liu Bei to survive in a precarious situation.
They needed to curry favor with Cao Cao to gain a respite, and also hoped to find a place to settle down and make a living through this battle.
"Soldiers! Yuan Shu is a traitor who has usurped the throne, an act that has aroused the wrath of both Heaven and man!"
Liu Bei's voice was loud and clear, filled with grief and indignation.
"I, Liu Bei, though weak and lacking in virtue, have received the grace of the Han Dynasty. I shall take up my three-foot sword and punish the disloyal one for the Emperor! Today..."
"Report—!!!"
A scout on horseback galloped in from outside the camp.
"My lord! Disaster! Disaster! The Third General... the Third General, he..."
Liu Bei's heart sank, and he rushed down the platform in a few steps:
"How is Yide? Tell me quickly!"
"Our troops, while patrolling near Yelangyu in the northern border of Langya, were ambushed by unidentified soldiers! Our Third General, in order to rescue his men, was surrounded and fought a bloody battle! We fought our way out to deliver the message… My lord! Quickly, go and rescue our Third General!"
"What?!"
Liu Bei was struck as if by lightning, and his body swayed.
Guan Yu stepped forward to support him and sternly questioned him:
"What kind of troops are they? What are their banners? How many are there?"
"I...I don't know! But the enemy's armor is excellent, and their formation is formidable; they are definitely not ordinary bandits! Their numbers...I estimate there are several hundred!"
"Wild Wolf Valley...the northern border of Langya..."
Liu Bei released the scout, his face instantly turning deathly pale.
That's Yuan Tan's sphere of influence!
Besides him, who else could mobilize such elite troops to ambush Yide at this time and place?
"Big brother!"
Guan Yu's phoenix eyes blazed with murderous intent.
"Guan Yu requests the order to muster the troops, raze Wild Wolf Valley to the ground, and rescue our third brother!"
Liu Bei nodded repeatedly:
"I will go with you. Gather all the cavalry and set off immediately! The infantry will follow, under the command of Sun Qian and Jian Yong, advancing swiftly and lightly!"
"Then... about heading south to join forces with Cao Cao?"
Jian Yong said anxiously from the side.
"We can't worry about that now!"
Liu Bei decisively waved his hand.
"If anything happens to Yide, what use is this empire to me! Go quickly! Hurry—!"
……
Wild Wolf Valley.
Zhang Fei's ability to unleash such formidable fighting power in an instant was something Yuan Tan could never have imagined.
Although I've always known that Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are known as warriors capable of defeating ten thousand men.
But I never imagined it would be this powerful.
Zhang Fei managed to break free from the thick hemp rope, which was as thick as an arm.
Who the hell could have thought of that!
Seeing Zhang Fei charging towards him,
Yuan Tan's eyes were also wide with rage.
The cooked duck not only flew away, but it also tried to overturn the pot.
That's absolutely outrageous.
What should I do?
What should I do?
Yan Liang was also known as the bravest warrior in the army.
Even if it was Guan Yu's one-hit kill,
But under full vigilance
They should be able to hold off Zhang Fei for a while.
Zhang He's martial arts skills should not be underestimated; when the two join forces...
We can't let that guy take advantage of us, can we?
During this time, the soldiers on both sides charged towards Zhang Fei fearlessly.
But Zhang Fei suddenly hurled the spear in his hand.
In an instant, the soldiers who rushed forward were pinned to the ground like a string of candied hawthorns.
hiss!
The composed smile on Yuan Tan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a deathly pallor.
"My lord, run!"
Peng An turned pale and grabbed Yuan Tan's horse reins, trying to back away.
Cen Bi also shouted sternly:
"Archers! Shoot! Shoot him dead!"
Arrows rained down again in a chaotic flurry, but Zhang Fei moved with unpredictable agility, weaving through the crowd, and most of the arrows ended up hitting his own soldiers.
He was only ten steps away from Yuan Tan!
That fierce, grizzled beard and blood-red eyes made him look like a demon god.
He was practically a demon from hell!
Yan Liang and Zhang He were blocked by soldiers who attempted to intercept them.
They couldn't rush over in time!
"Yuan Tan, you little brat! Prepare to die!"
Zhang Fei roared, grabbed a discarded iron shield from the ground, used it to protect his head and face, and prepared to charge again!
Yuan Tan wanted to escape, but his horse remained motionless, refusing to budge an inch!
Depend on!
I don't want to die!
You damn horse, I'll slaughter you and eat you when we get back!
At this critical moment,
"Whoosh!"
Lou Ban, seemingly out of nowhere, suddenly lunged out from the side with a short knife, swift as lightning, aiming straight for Zhang Fei's back!
He had been waiting for this opportunity!
Zhang Fei's combat instincts were astonishing; upon hearing the ominous wind, he narrowly twisted his body to avoid it!
"Pfft!"
Although the dagger missed his back, it pierced deeply below his left shoulder blade! Blood spurted out instantly!
"Ugh!"
Zhang Fei roared in pain, his charge halting abruptly. He turned sharply, his gaze fixed intently on Lou Ban.
Lou Ban, you're really something!
I've really been good to your sister all this time!
You have to hold on!
Even if you die, I will go back and burn incense for you.
Yuan Tan seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, abruptly dismounted, and ran several meters.
During this brief moment of stagnation, Yan Liang and Zhang He finally broke through the crowd and engaged Zhang Fei in battle!
They brandished their swords and spears, tightly binding him!
The archers around him, still shaken, also aimed again, their arrows flashing coldly as they were once more aimed at Zhang Fei!
"Huff!"
Although Yuan Tan was surrounded by his personal guards who had rushed to protect him, cold sweat still soaked through his heavy clothes, and his heart was pounding wildly.
"Cen Bi, go to Langya now and order Zang Ba to lead the Taishan Army to their rescue!"
"promise!"
Cen Bi received the order and left.
Langya City is not far from here; at a gallop, it will only take half an hour to get there.
Hmph, when my army arrives, let's see how you, Zhang Fei, can still be considered an invincible warrior!
At this moment, Zhang Fei on the battlefield was covered in blood, but he fought more and more fiercely. He even used a spear that he had taken from a soldier to withstand the combined attack of Yan Liang and Zhang He.
He disregarded his own safety, fighting desperately with every move, exchanging injuries for injuries, which for a time forced even the two famous Hebei generals, Yan Liang and Zhang He, to become somewhat hesitant.
It wasn't that the two of them couldn't defeat him together, but rather that this black-clad man fought with a completely reckless style, which truly terrified them.
"Fire the arrows! Don't let him escape!"
Yuan Tan's face was also ashen as he continued to issue orders.
Zhang Fei is so brave; if we don't kill him here, he will surely become a major threat in the future.
"Whoosh whoosh!"
Arrows rained down on the battle again, but the three were locked in a fierce fight, and friendly fire was inevitable, which made Yan Liang and Zhang He somewhat restrained.
Seeing this, Yuan Tan had no choice but to call a halt to the archers.
This fellow is so cunning; he actually stayed close to Zhang He and Yan Liang, engaging them in a fierce battle.
If I were to order the arrows to be fired again, I fear they might accidentally injure the two of them.
They are two renowned generals whom I painstakingly recruited; I cannot afford to lose them now.
Fortunately, Cen Bi had already gone to summon Zang Ba and others to provide support.
Once the Taishan Army arrives, with so many people, they will wear down Zhang Fei through a war of attrition!
However, things didn't go as planned. Just as Yuan Tan was thinking this,
A furious roar suddenly came from afar.
"Third brother, don't panic! Your eldest brother is here!"
Immediately afterwards, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves approached.
A large banner with the character "Liu" immediately catches the eye.
Liu Bei, with bloodshot eyes and wielding a double-edged sword, charged in first!
Behind him, Guan Yu wielded his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, cutting through waves as he went, and wherever he went, Yuan's soldiers fell to the ground!
A large contingent of Liu Jun's elite troops followed closely behind, instantly scattering Zhang He's defensive line deployed at the valley entrance.
Fortunately, Zhang He reacted quickly, immediately abandoning Zhang Fei and leading his army to block Liu Bei's army at the valley entrance.
These soldiers were all elite troops who had received generous rewards from Yuan Tan.
Now, spurred by the military meritocracy system, they have long wanted to start a war.
Now that their heads are being handed to them, they are all shouting wildly and fighting fiercely, refusing to retreat even in the face of death.
They actually managed to withstand Guan Yu's charge.
Liu Bei, the leader, was dumbfounded. Although his three brothers did not have many troops, they were all elite soldiers who had always been able to break through enemy lines as easily as taking something out of a bag. Today, however, they were actually blocked by the troops here.
No wonder even with the courage of the third brother, he was trapped here.
"Big brother! Second brother!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei's spirits lifted, and with a roar, he forcefully forced Yan Liang back half a step.
Liu Bei immediately saw Zhang Fei covered in blood, and a surge of bloodlust rushed to his head.
He shouted angrily:
"Who are you, daring to injure my third brother like this!"
Guan Yu also squinted his phoenix eyes, stroked his beautiful beard, and held his Green Dragon Crescent Blade horizontally in front of him, looking as if he was about to unleash his full power.
The three brothers from Taoyuan have all arrived!
How can we fight like this?
One Zhang Fei is enough to give me trouble.
With Guan Yu added to the mix, the plan to kill Zhang Fei today is likely to be completely ruined.
Moreover, the key to killing Zhang Fei was to do it without anyone noticing.
Today, Liu Bei's army has already arrived, which means we've missed the best opportunity.
Yuan Tan secretly regretted it.
Although Liu Bei's troops are slightly better than mine, the Taishan army should arrive soon.
But who knows if the three brothers will all go crazy together?
In the chaos of war, will I even be able to see the sun rise tomorrow?
For the sake of your own life
Yuan Tan finally decided that it would be better to play it safe.
"Could the visitor be Liu Bei, Liu Xuande? I am Yuan Tan, the governor of Qingzhou. I have long admired Lord Xuande's noble character, and seeing him today, I can confirm that he is indeed extraordinary."