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Chapter 878: The Decisive Battle Part 3
🕑 Added 2024-10-22 06:35:30 +0000 UTCYuan Shao personally arrived at the front lines of the battlefield. He even drew his sword and cut down one of Liu Bei’s soldiers, instantly restoring the morale of his collapsing army. If Yuan Shao could fight like this, how could the common soldiers be afraid?
As a result, the moment Yuan Shao charged forward, his entire army launched a counter-offensive, even managing to push back Liu Bei's strong assault. However, large-scale battles between armies are about endurance. A brief surge of energy cannot undo the massive blow dealt by the death of a general under the main banner.
It could be said that this sudden surge from Yuan Shao's forces only allowed them to reclaim Yan Liang's body—nothing more!
"Who dares block me!" Taking advantage of the distraction caused by Guan Yu, Gan Ning led his soldiers in a fierce charge, pushing forward even faster and slamming into Yuan Shao’s last line of defense.
However, the iron-clad arms of the elite halberdiers stood firm like a wall, deadlocking Gan Ning's forces in a brutal stalemate.
At the same time, Jiang Qi and Zhang He, who had flanked Liu Bei's army earlier, successfully completed the tasks assigned to them by Ju Shou during Yuan Shao's counter-offensive.
The armies led by Zhang He and Jiang Qi, like two wings of a great bird, one long and one short, began to encircle Liu Bei’s rear forces.
Zhang He's elite Bingzhou cavalry, in particular, spread wide like the jaws of a wolf, preparing to strike at the rear of Liu Bei’s army.
But just before Zhang He could achieve his objective, a grey shadow suddenly rushed out, followed by a larger wave of grey shadows from Liu Bei’s rear, charging to meet Zhang He's cavalry head-on.
Two groups of some of the most fearsome cavalry in the world collided. In that moment, countless blood splatters flew, but neither side hesitated. They merely gripped their spears tightly, thrusting them toward the enemy. The White Horse Cavalry may have perished, but the spirit of the White Horse still lived on in the hearts of these soldiers.
Clang! A resounding clash occurred as Zhang He and Zhao Yun met head-to-head. In the next moment, they crossed paths, lowering their bodies as they passed. Another crisp sound followed as Zhang He looked down at his sword, which now had a noticeable notch, sending a chill through his heart.
"Turn around. We must eliminate them!" Zhang He called as he pulled his cavalry to a halt, turning to face Zhao Yun, who was now covered in blood. Zhang He knew that if he didn’t destroy the cavalry that had just intercepted them—fewer than half his numbers—he would never be able to complete the task Ju Shou had given him.
The two cavalry units had briefly crossed each other’s path, leaving hundreds dead in their wake, but neither side showed fear. They stared down their opponents with deadly resolve, knowing they were facing an enemy just as formidable as themselves. This was a battle where both sides knew each other well, a true test of strategy and strength.
"Charge!" Zhang He roared, showing no fear as he led his men back into battle against Zhao Yun’s troops. Though he was not as strong as Zhao Yun individually, it was not individual bravery that decided battles—it was the strength of armies.
Zhao Yun’s eyes gleamed with cold determination as he spurred his horse forward. His soldiers, as if responding to an unspoken command, let out a battle cry and charged once again. This was a fight to the death—there would be no retreat.
Remember, Zilong, your mission is to stop Yuan Shao’s flanking cavalry at any cost. The outcome of this battle depends on you! As Zhao Yun twirled his spear in the midst of the chaos, these words from Jia Xu echoed in his mind, prompting him to fight even more ruthlessly.
On the other flank, Jiang Qi’s slower troops faced resistance from Sun Guan, Yin Li, and Wu Dun. Unlike Jiang Qi, who excelled in military command and tactics, the three forces arranged by Jia Xu were known for their brute strength, being composed of soldiers who had a history of banditry and were renowned for their reckless bravery.
Though Sun Guan's forces were outnumbered by Jiang Qi’s, they attacked in three sharp, unpredictable strikes, constantly disrupting Jiang Qi’s rhythm and preventing him from executing his strategies effectively.
However, despite the brave efforts of Zhao Yun and Sun Guan, they couldn’t change the fact that they were severely outnumbered. Their only goal was to delay the enemy. Even with Zhao Yun's superior martial prowess, he couldn’t fully suppress Zhang He.
Yuan Shao's central army had launched a powerful counterattack, pushing back Liu Bei’s forces for a time. But after the third blade struck, the initial surge of courage from Yuan Shao’s army began to wane.
In the overlapping formation of Liu Bei’s troops, the Tiger Guards, who had been steadily advancing despite no clear breakthrough, finally broke through Yuan Shao's central forces, smashing into the heart of his army like a wedge.
"Kill!" Liu Bei roared with fury, echoing Yuan Shao's earlier display of will. As Liu Bei charged forward, his army’s morale soared. When the lord fights at the front, the soldiers' courage intensifies, and their combat power skyrockets, instantly overwhelming Yuan Shao’s troops.
"Order the halberdiers to form a giant shield wall. The central army must protect the lord and retreat. We will bring the flanking armies into formation!" Ju Shou stepped forward and shouted.
Though Yan Liang had fallen, Ju Shou understood one crucial point—victory was within their grasp. If the central army could successfully retreat, Liu Bei’s forces would be trapped, unable to penetrate the dense rear guard. Once that happened, Liu Bei’s army would face attacks from all sides.
At that moment, Gan Ning, seizing his opportunity, charged forward, using his iron chain to open a gap in the defensive wall. Leaping from his horse, he had been waiting for this chance for far too long.
"Ju Shou, your life is mine!" Gan Ning roared as he swung his iron chain. The chain, which had originally been only a few meters long, extended to more than ten meters. In an instant, Ju Shou found himself within Gan Ning’s deadly range, the sharp tip of the chain thrusting toward his chest.
"Out of my way!" Ju Shou unleashed all his mental energy in a desperate attempt to deflect Gan Ning’s attack, just as he had once deflected countless arrows.
Snap! The iron chain, originally aimed directly at Ju Shou, was suddenly diverted to the left under the force of Ju Shou’s mental power, and it seemed that the strike had missed.
Gasp! In the blink of an eye, Ju Shou coughed up blood as he looked down in shock. A spear had pierced through his chest. Trembling, he reached up to touch the wound, but it was too late—his heart had been pierced. Slowly turning his head to see who had struck him, he collapsed to the ground. Until his dying breath, Ju Shou never understood how an enemy had managed to strike him from behind…
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