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Chapter 887: The Decisive Battle Part 12
🕑 Added 2024-10-23 06:41:00 +0000 UTC"It seems this time, we've won!" Hua Xiong’s large blade pointed directly at Ju Yi. He didn’t say "I," but rather "we."
Ju Yi suppressed the anger rising in his chest. He had once commanded the Xiliang cavalry, but never in such great numbers. This battle made him fully realize the terrifying power of the elite cavalry that Dong Zhuo had once used to dominate the world.
Under cover of heavy crossbow fire, Ju Yi led the vanguard to retreat toward the east, where Yuan Shao was located. No matter what happened, he needed to ensure Yuan Shao’s safety!
"General, should we pursue?" After the crossbow attack, Hua Xiong clutched the wound on his chest. The vanguard's final assault had been fierce, even felling several heavily armored cavalry soldiers. Ju Yi’s archery had even wounded Hua Xiong.
"No, first let’s completely destroy Yuan Shao’s rear forces and prepare for the next battle!" Hua Xiong was about to order the pursuit, but then recalled Chen Xi’s instructions and the message Li You had sent through Sun Qian, advising him to first break the formation before going for the kill.
After issuing the command, Hua Xiong turned and charged into Yuan Shao’s left wing. At this moment, under Guo Tu’s persuasion, Wen Chou had abandoned the fight with Gan Ning on the right wing and led his troops back to Yuan Shao’s side. Protecting Yuan Shao was now the priority.
"Clang!" Hua Xiong’s blade clashed against Wen Chou’s spear. Already weaker than Wen Chou, Hua Xiong had recently been injured and his troops hadn’t built up their charge speed before the clash. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and fight.
After only about ten exchanges, Hua Xiong was struggling to hold on. If not for his injury, he wouldn’t have feared Wen Chou, but his wound made things difficult.
Just as Hua Xiong was considering retreating and waiting for reinforcements, two more figures rushed into the fray.
"General Wen, hurry and save our Lord!" Zhang He shouted. He had just finished a head-to-head clash with Zhao Yun when he saw Hua Xiong breaking through Yuan Shao’s rear army. The sight left him utterly shocked.
Before seeing the White Horse Cavalry, Zhang He hadn’t imagined cavalry could be that fast. Before seeing the Wolf Cavalry, he hadn’t thought cavalry could be so formidable in combat. And now, after witnessing the Xiliang cavalry, Zhang He could only say: "This is not even on the same level!"
Those were ten layers of defense—solid defenses manned by the elite of Hebei. Yet the moment Hua Xiong’s cavalry charged in, Zhang He felt as if those defenses were made of paper!
In shock, Zhang He launched a final desperate charge without waiting for his troops to regroup.
After the clash with Zhao Yun’s personal guard, Zhang He and Gao Lan led nearly two full legions of cavalry toward the massive "Yuan" banner. Zhao Yun quickly reacted and led his remaining troops in pursuit, clinging tightly to Zhang He and Gao Lan’s rear forces.
Compared to Gao Lan, Zhang He was better at quick decisions. Seeing that the situation was dire, he immediately sacrificed half his troops in a desperate charge toward Liu Bei’s main force, which was reorganizing to attack.
This was why Liu Bei’s central army did not immediately press the attack after Hua Xiong shattered Yuan Shao’s rear army. Zhang He’s furious counterattack forced Zhao Yun to protect the central army, while Wu An Guo, who had not yet entered the fray, had to lead his personal guards to join the defense.
This maneuver delayed Liu Bei’s army for a while, preventing Yuan Shao’s forces from collapsing under the full counterattack. Unfortunately for Zhang He and Gao Lan, the Wolf Cavalry suffered heavy losses, with most either killed or captured.
Still, their actions bought Zhang He and Gao Lan enough time to escape. The Lü brothers on Yuan Shao’s right flank were also spared from a devastating blow as a result.
When Zhang He and Gao Lan attacked, Hua Xiong felt overwhelmed. He was already struggling with Wen Chou, and now two more enemies joined the fight. It was only a matter of time before he would fall.
Initially, Hua Xiong had hoped to hold off Wen Chou long enough for reinforcements to arrive and take him down. But instead of allies, he got more enemies. Without hesitation, Hua Xiong gathered his remaining strength, unleashed a powerful strike that forced Wen Chou back, and swiftly withdrew.
Seeing Hua Xiong retreat, Wen Chou dared not give chase. He responded to Zhang He’s call, and the three of them charged toward Yuan Shao’s main camp.
With Wen Chou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan working together, no ordinary soldiers could get close to them. They fought their way to the outskirts of Yuan Shao’s camp without difficulty, but there they encountered their next opponents.
With a swing of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Guan Yu blocked Wen Chou. His battle robe was stained with blood, and the two clashed. Zhang He and Gao Lan knew this was no time for hesitation and rushed past.
"How about we each take one?" Despite his exhaustion from using his army talent to restore his troops, Gan Ning grinned and suggested as he saw the fatigued Zhang He. Without waiting for an answer, he attacked, his iron chain lashing out to bind Zhang He.
"Stay here!" As Zhang He tried to charge past, a chain flew towards him. He swept it aside with his spear, but the iron chain curved back and wrapped around his weapon.
"Hmph, one each, then!" Xu Chu, covered in blood and wielding a large saber, leaped forward to block Gao Lan. His powerful physique was a clear indication of his strength—a formidable opponent indeed!
Wen Chou’s anger flared upon seeing Guan Yu, and he charged with his spear. Despite his fury, however, he quickly realized that rescuing Yuan Shao was more important. After dozens of fierce exchanges, he seized an opportunity and withdrew toward Yuan Shao’s camp.
On the other side, Gao Lan, after clashing with Xu Chu for fifty rounds, also took the opportunity to retreat. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood as he fled, clearly at his limit.
Of the three, Zhang He was the only one who held the upper hand. Although Gan Ning’s attacks were strange, Zhang He quickly adapted to his style. With Gan Ning drained from earlier, Zhang He gained the advantage.
But Zhang He wasn’t foolish. Seeing Wen Chou and Gao Lan retreat and noticing Guan Yu and Xu Chu closing in, he gritted his teeth, let Gan Ning’s spearhead strike him, and knocked away the iron chain. Before Guan Yu and Xu Chu could reach him, he also withdrew.
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