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Chapter 702: So This Is Your Plan
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 05:05:41 +0000 UTCAfter making up his mind, Chen Xi had nothing more to say. He left Chen Huan, Gan Luo, and others to firmly guard the camp as a second line of defense, and ordered Gan Ning to lead the forces in a coordinated attack to annihilate Yuan Shao’s troops, who were attacking the new city of Linyi.
"Get out of my way!" Xu Chu kicked Lü Xiang off the city wall, then turned and slashed through Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang’s broadswords, forcing the two to jump off the wall to avoid his strike.
"Damned luck!" Lü Kuang pulled his cousin aside, just in time to see an arrow shot by Xu Chu embed itself deep into the ground.
"I told you we were only feigning an attack, and yet you went to fight that monster head-on. Do you have a death wish?" Lü Xiang and Lü Kuang each grabbed one of Lü Xiang's arms and dodged another thrust from Xu Chu’s spear, dragging him back to the front lines.
"Luckily, Xu Chu is strong and powerful, but he's not skilled with a bow. Otherwise, with his strength, even without inner energy, he could pin you to the ground with a ten-stone bow," Lü Xiang scolded as they ran.
"How was I supposed to know he was such a freak!" Lü Xiang spat out blood as he spoke. Even though the suppressive energy had lessened the impact, the fact that he was still able to talk so vigorously after being kicked by Xu Chu showed just how tough he was.
"I told you that monster has inner energy that leaves the body, but you still went after him." Lü Xiang was furious. If it weren’t for the fact that Lü Xiang was his cousin and the only surviving male in his family, he would have let him be killed.
"Wasn't the suppressive energy supposed to prevent the use of that kind of inner energy?" Lü Xiang laughed while spitting blood. "My greatest aspiration in life is to defeat an expert with inner energy that leaves the body."
Lü Kuang and his brother fell silent. Their cousin had much greater talent in martial arts than they did, but a setback had prevented him from reaching the level of inner energy that leaves the body, even after overcoming the fear of death.
"Don’t throw your life away. Even the weakest among those with inner energy that leaves the body is beyond your capabilities," Lü Kuang said, slapping Lü Xiang on the back. "Next time, if you go into battle, bring your personal guards. You’re a general, not a wandering warrior!"
"But what are we really here to do?" Lü Xiang muttered, clearly not taking his cousin’s words seriously. If given another chance, he would still challenge someone with inner energy, especially under the suppression of the energy field.
"Why we’re here? I don't know. We'll find out when we meet with Strategist Xu. We just need to follow his orders," Lü Kuang replied indifferently.
"But you, make sure you’re prepared for an attack from the rear," Lü Xiang pointed to the back lines, clearly dissatisfied.
"Fine, we're just here to be bait, aren't we?" Lü Xiang grumbled, hefting his broadsword and riding off to the rear camp.
"That was close..." Lü Kuang looked at Xu Chu on the city wall, swinging his broadsword with such force that no ordinary soldier could get near him. Even with the suppression of inner energy, the three of them together couldn’t defeat him.
"But with Xiang’s reckless charge, everyone now probably thinks that our goal was to take the city," Lü Xiang said with a fearful expression. His cousin had charged up the city wall in a single breath, startling not only Wang Xiu’s men but also Lü Kuang’s own forces.
"We can’t let him do that again. He’s the only male heir left in our family," Lü Kuang said, turning to give his brother a stern warning.
"Report, Commander! Scouts report that Yuan Shao’s forces have been spotted ten miles away," Gan Ning reported to Chen Xi from horseback.
"Raise our banners and prepare for the attack. Xingba, you know what to do, right?" Chen Xi asked, staring at Gan Ning.
"No problem," Gan Ning replied with a wild grin. He dropped all pretense, unleashing his aura, and led his troops in a charge toward the enemy. The overwhelming momentum he unleashed was a clear signal to both Xu Chu that reinforcements had arrived and to Lü Kuang and his men that the enemy was here.
"Charge!" Gan Ning shouted as he led his infantry in a direct assault on Yuan Shao’s rear forces. The two armies collided with a resounding crash.
"They’ve finally come!" Lü Xiang and Lü Kuang exchanged glances and roared in unison. The cavalry on both flanks charged with all their might, unleashing volleys of crossbow bolts, while the infantry under Lü Xiang’s command clashed fiercely with Liu Bei’s forces.
"Annihilate them!" Gan Ning laughed maniacally as a watery blue aura swept over his soldiers, instantly boosting their courage, morale, and defenses.
"Die!" Gan Ning roared as he charged into Yuan Shao’s troops, cutting through the enemy lines with his broadsword and iron chain, tearing a path toward the enemy’s command banner. His personal guards followed, aiming straight for the enemy’s leadership.
"Gan Xingba, you finally made it," Xu Chu bellowed, leaping down from the city wall. The gates of Linyi's new city swung open, and hundreds of cavalry, led by Zhang Yan, charged out, with Xu Chu standing at the gate like a god of war, protecting the entrance.
"Hold the line!" Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang shouted, rallying their forces to encircle and suppress Gan Ning's charge, but their maneuver left the center wide open.
Zhang Yan led his cavalry in a direct assault on Lü Xiang’s central forces. In an instant, the previously arced formation crumpled like dough.
Seeing the center in jeopardy, Lü Xiang immediately led his personal guards to plug the gap. When the two elite units clashed, the outcome was clear. Even under Zhang Yan's command, Xu Chu’s Tiger Guards tore through the enemy like tigers down a mountain, while Lü Xiang’s personal guards, though fighting desperately, could not withstand their ferocity.
"Strategist, if you don’t come soon, we won't be able to break through!" Lü Kuang cursed as he tried to maintain control. Although he was a decent general, he was far from a great one. If it weren’t for their numerical superiority and his two brothers fighting in the front lines, his army might have already crumbled.
The chaotic sound of galloping hooves mixed with the rumble of thunder as thousands of cavalry charged toward Linyi's new city, like a dark cloud pressing down on the battlefield. The thunderous roar of hooves and the oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on the hearts of both warring armies.
"So this is Xu You’s plan?" Chen Xi wondered, watching the advancing army. Though the sight of thousands of dual-horse cavalry charging was indeed terrifying, if this was the extent of Xu You's plan, it was nothing more than a fierce but evenly matched battle.
"Reinforcements have arrived! Charge!" Lü Kuang shouted, all his previous worries gone. He led his personal guards in a charge toward Xu Chu. "Break through the defenses of Linyi's new city and take it!"
"Charge!" Yuan Shao’s forces, seeing the bright "Wen" character on their banner, surged with renewed morale and launched an attack on Liu Bei’s troops. Unfortunately for them, Chen Xi had anticipated this. Their assault could at most slow down Liu Bei’s forces, but it could never push them back.
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