Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The noisy sounds of the battlefield were spreading, and the hysterical shouts of the soldiers and the sound of metal clashing shook the sky.

Blood, broken swords, broken guns, and corpses covered the battlefield which stretched for miles and was still expanding.

The smoke and dust raised by the war horses filled the sky, and the yellow dust was blown by the wind, spreading in all directions with a bloody smell.

Scouts wearing armor and carrying yellow flags were constantly delivering news from the battlefield. From time to time, shouts of "get out of the way" were heard from the formation, leading them back to the central army's flag.

New military orders were issued based on the intelligence transmitted back. Soldiers galloping back and forth raised tiny trails of dust in the formation, and then soldiers on horseback gathered.

Under the large banner decorated with wolf hair, Yelu Dashi was putting on birch bark armor with the help of his personal guards. This was the third level of winter armor for the Tielin Army. Of course, he did not wear camel hair felt armor like in winter, but he also wore a double layer of soft cowhide armor inside and gold, silver and iron mesh armor outside. These three layers wrapped himself tightly.

"Da Shilin Ya, what are you doing..."

Xiao Gan rode over from behind, was stunned when he saw Yelu Dashi wearing armor, frowned and asked: "Do you want to lead the central army to attack now?"

Wearing heavy armor, Yelu Dashi moved his shoulders and neck with a little discomfort. He was in good physical condition and he adapted in just a moment.

He took a breath, then slowly exhaled, looking at the approaching Grand Master of the Four Armies, walked to his warhorse, stepped on the stirrup with the support of his personal guards, his cloak swayed, and he sat on the saddle and looked at Xiao Gan and nodded: "Not bad, otherwise why would I gather the cavalry."

"But the situation has not yet become difficult. Although the cavalry on both wings are at a disadvantage, they have not lost... " Xiao Gan spoke thoughtfully and gradually stopped.

The wind blew across the large banner of the central army, causing it to vibrate with a whooshing sound, seeming somewhat strange amid the sounds of fighting.

"It seems you have thought of it too..." Yelu Dashi looked ahead at the battlefield, pointed forward with his hand, and said sternly, "The Qi bandits are different from those cowardly soldiers of the Southern Dynasty. They gained their reputation by killing. We obviously have twice as many troops as the enemy, but we don't have the upper hand. On the contrary, the front line is pressing towards us."

Xiao Gan turned his head and saw the flags of both sides tangled together in the distance, moving back and forth, intertwined. Only the two bloody flags were moving slowly but still slowly moving forward.

"If we continue like this, there will be problems sooner or later." Yelu Dashi kicked his horse's belly and took two steps forward: "... Earlier, the imperial court's troops were defeated several times by the Qi bandits. We have to admit that we are inferior to them in momentum and combat power. Even if we boost morale now, it will only be temporary. The longer it lasts, the more disadvantageous it will be for us."

Xiao Gan lowered his head in front and continued mumbling: "…So why not take advantage of the soldiers' fighting spirit and attack with all the troops? There may be a chance of victory."

"That's right." Yelu Dashi took the spear from the guard and waved it gently: "Although our army is fighting now, it is trapped like a tiger in a trap, waiting to be killed! In the past, King Xiang burned his boats and fought with his back to the river in Huaiyin, all because of the principle of 'fighting to the death'.

We are now like people walking in a quagmire. If we don’t save ourselves, we will die!”

"All troops, listen to my orders, follow me to attack——"

Yelu Dashi roared and ran away with his gun in hand.

Xiao Gan took a breath and said, "In a fight for the remaining chess pieces, the one who makes the first move is the strongest!" He pulled his horse hard and followed him forward.

The cavalry gathered behind him and roared. Countless horse hooves blew up the soil and they galloped wildly.

……

The early summer breeze blew across the battlefield. The sound of horse hooves roared like raindrops, and the Liao army drew an arc from the center and rolled towards the Qi army's flag standing in the distance.

The scouts were running wildly on the battlefield, shouting "Report!" in a loud and drawn-out voice, their horses galloping, and the yellow flags on their backs were almost torn into pieces of cloth.

"The enemy's center army has 30,000 cavalry moving out."

"The enemy cavalry did not attack the left wing, but passed by and attacked our center."

Lu Bu glanced towards the wolf-hair banner in the distance with a hint of admiration on his face.

Since the war with the Liao Kingdom began, the commander on the opposite side, Yelu Dashi, was considered the most decisive commander. He was quick and decisive in issuing orders, which inspired the soldiers and boosted their morale. The army, which had defeated them several times, has not collapsed until now.

Now they are taking the initiative in an attempt to take the initiative into their own hands.

Unfortunately, some things are already too late.

"Tell Yao Gang's troops to put on armor." Lu Bu moved his arm on the horse, fluttered the blood-colored cloak back, stretched out his hand, and a guard came over with a Fang Tian Hua Ji and handed it to him.

"Order Xi Sheng and Wang Zheng to take charge of the infantry." He raised his Fang Tian Hua Ji, facing the sunlight in the sky, and swung it downward in an arc: "Wu Wei and Lang Qi, follow me to attack, defeat Yelu Dashi, and end this battle early."

The messenger soldier ran back, and many civil officials moved their lips but did not speak.

They understood the dangers of the emperor personally leading the army, but this was a battle for the fate of the nation. As the side with fewer soldiers, the emperor's participation in the battle was a great encouragement, and they just had to ensure safety...

Several ministers glanced at each other, and as their eyes exchanged, Fang Xuedu and Li Ying rode forward with their spears in hand: "This is the last counterattack of the Liao army. Your Majesty, please allow me to follow you and share this glorious moment together."

Lü Bu didn't care what his subordinates thought. He just pulled the reins and let Red Hare trot forward, leaving a message in the air: "Follow me."

The two civil officials hurriedly rode their horses to catch up. Under the daylight, more than 4,000 cavalrymen gathered with the sound of trumpets. The fiery figure of Red Hare passed through the cavalry and ran forward. Lu Bu's powerful voice resounded among the cavalry: "The enemy comes suddenly, I will not waste time on talking. Follow me and seize the flag as usual--"

The Fang Tian Hua Ji suddenly stabbed into the air: "Kill the general——", then slid down and hit the mud. The sharp tip cut through the ground and turned over the mud and moved forward.

"Wansheng——" Yu Cheng, Wei He and other Wuwei cavalrymen who followed roared.

"Wan Sheng——"

The cavalry roared in unison, and nearly five thousand of them ran up. These were the elite cavalry, and many of them had followed Lu Bu to charge into the battle line since the Song Dynasty. Seeing someone trembling beside them with a spear in his hand shaking, they could not help but speak.

"Brother Wang Bolong, right? Don't be afraid. A cavalry clash only takes a moment. Just charge forward and stab. Most of the time, our armor is excellent and nothing will happen."

"Thank you for your kindness. I'm not afraid..." Wang Bolong was startled, then he understood something. He pulled the corner of his mouth and licked his upper lip with his tongue. The scar on his face turned red and purple. "I'm excited. It's finally my turn to kill the enemy."

The cavalryman on the other side was stunned for a moment, then muttered, "He's a talented person," and ignored him.

The sound of horse hooves roared, the Red Hare galloped, and a fiery red figure rushed forward. The dust it raised in the air seemed to turn into a monster, and it pounced towards the wolf-hair banner.

"Lu Bu..."

Among the densely packed cavalry, Yelu Dashi looked at the flying flag with the Chinese character "Lu" in it, clenched his spear, and shouted with all his might: "The enemy chieftain is in front of us. Anyone who injures the bandit Lu will be appointed as a military governor and rewarded with a thousand taels of gold!

Whoever kills the thief Lu, I, Yelu Dashi, will be given the title of king and a reward of ten thousand taels of gold!"

The guards around were stunned, then shouted and repeated the commander's words just now. Xiao Gan waved his hand to give a warning, and the cavalry at the rear shouted together.

The voices of hundreds of people penetrated the sound of horse hooves and echoed among the cavalry. The sound of people's breathing stopped for a moment, and then a roar of "Kill!" broke out from the mouth of every Liao cavalryman. The white clouds in the sky seemed to be shaken away by the sound in an instant.

The light in the sky grew brighter, and the war horses rushed towards each other quickly.

The Liao soldiers drew their strong bows and put arrows on them. One general shouted, "Shoot! Be crowned king!"

"Confer the title of king..." followed the response. On Red Hare, looking at the incomprehensible Khitan characters, the dense arrows pointed at this side, and the sound of the cavalry beside him drawing their bows and arrows, Lü Bu's expressionless face suddenly showed a smile, the distance shortened, and gradually became wilder: "Hahaha, hahahaha——"

"Shoot him—"

"come!"

"His Majesty--"

Red Hare neighed and ran as fast as it could. The air was filled with the sound of vibrating bowstrings. Arrows swooped into the sky like locusts and then covered them.

On the running fiery red figure, the Fang Tian Huaji was swung at the moment when the rain of arrows fell.

ding ding ding-

Several crisp sounds were heard, and arrows were deflected one after another. Some arrows were unable to be blocked in time, and fell before Fang Tian Huaji, avoiding the swinging halberd shadow and piercing straight into the flesh, leaving blood lines on the warhorse and the golden armored figure.

A wave of arrows crossed each other, screams were heard on both sides, and the figure rushing forward was still holding the Fang Tian Hua Ji, and the arrows that pierced the people and horses made it look somewhat tragic.

There was a slight pain in the bumpy ride of Mercedes-Benz, and the burning sensation stimulated the nerves of the figure on Red Hare, and his eyes became ferocious.

……

"That thief Lu... is going too far!"

Arrows rained down, and a fiery red figure came into view. The fiery red color made Xiao Gan ignore the cavalry behind him, and veins on his forehead bulged with excitement.

"Cum again!"

Yelu Dashi also gritted his teeth and said, "Shoot that arrogant guy to death!"

The voice of the words had not yet spread, as if sensing the momentum of the impending storm, the charging figure leaned forward amid the roar of horse hooves, swung the painted halberd, and roared like a tiger's roar and a dragon's roar: "Khitan people, die--"

The red warhorse stomped the ground hard, and the mud flew into the air, parallel to Red Hare's eyes, rolling in the air.

The Liao cavalry in front saw that the situation was not good, and without time to retract their longbows, they simply let go and threw them away. They clamped their spears, rode their horses and roared, and stabbed the necks of the charging horses.

Red Hare almost instinctively jumped to the side, and Lu Bu on horseback swung his arms and chopped down a huge arc.

The bright red cloak fluttered upwards for a moment, and blood suddenly exploded in front of it. The blood plasma splashed without any rules, "哗——" soaking the floating bright red brocade and carrying it down with it.

The corpse fell to the ground in two pieces, howling miserably.

Several spear heads stabbed over, and the red warhorse used its speed to distance itself and viciously rammed its head into the unsuspecting warhorse on the other side.

bang——

The cavalryman on the horse over there screamed and rolled to the ground along with his horse which had fallen limp under his crotch.

"Protect His Majesty, protect His Majesty!"

"kill--"

The Wuwei and Wolf Riders in the rear roared loudly and pointed their spears and iron lances forward in unison.

The charging Liao soldiers were startled and turned their eyes away from the red color. However, the distance was already too close. Fang Xuedu and Li Ying roared and thrust out their spears, lifting people off their horses and making them fall. Then, as if they were risking their lives, they urged their horses to follow in the direction of Red Hare together with Yu Cheng, Wei He, Xu Wen and other generals.

Fang Tian Huaji cut through the waves and charged into the cavalry group. The Liao cavalry that came into contact with him were like grass and fell down at the first touch.

"Lu thief, do you think my Great Liao has no one?" Yelu Wuzhi rode his horse in the formation and saw Lu Bu coming bravely in front with a big knife and his personal guards.

He came close and chopped it down viciously.

The crescent branch chopped across the neck, and the figure with a golden crown on his hair turned his eyes, spurred his horse around, and chopped down with a big knife.

"So what!"

With a loud shout, the painted halberd swept across, almost in an arc, and hit the blade fiercely.

Clang——

With a golden sound, the sword broke into pieces, and half of the blade flew out quickly. With a "puff", the figure running on the belly of the warhorse on the side and rear suddenly fell to the ground.

"what?!"

Yelu Wuzhi used too much force and suddenly lunged forward, and the Fang Tian Huaji emitted a ray of light and swung back.

Chi-

The Khitan general's head and half of his body were cut off by the painted halberd, blood spurted into the sky, and his head, along with one shoulder and arm, fell to the ground with a bang, and blood plasma smeared all over.

Among the wolf riders, the cavalry led by Shi Bao, Li Tianrun, Wang Yin and others also launched an attack on the Liao army. However, the Red Hare was fast and left them behind for a distance. Seeing their emperor charging into the enemy formation alone from behind, they suddenly felt cold sweat crawling from their tailbone to the back of their heads, and they all rushed forward desperately.

Wang Yin gave up charging with the wolf riders. He picked up his spear and shouted "Hah!" repeatedly. He knocked down several Liao cavalrymen and dodged a shot. He had no time to fight back. He stared at the red spot and rushed forward madly.

The cavalrymen collided violently, and the sound of swords and spears hitting flesh and blood could be heard. The small number of black-armored cavalrymen fearlessly moved towards the tiger-like figure in front of them.

The fight reached its climax in a moment. Figures holding weapons kept flashing with the help of horse speed. Lu Bu knocked an unknown Liao general off his horse with a halberd. Red Hare took the opportunity to jump out and bit the thigh of a knight who was running past.

"Ahh——" With a scream, a figure fell from the horse's mouth and was trampled by the iron hooves, and became silent in an instant.

The Liao cavalrymen around rushed towards the red figure without fear of life and death, each of them extending their swords and guns, just wanting to leave their own marks on it.

The tip of the halberd pierced into the chest of a Khitan general, urging the warhorse to lift the body, which was screaming in pain, off the horse's back. With a swing of his arms, the cavalry rushing in front were hit by the corpse, and fell off their horses with a scream.

Lu Bu raised his eyes and looked, and saw that the wolf-hair banner was already thirty feet in front of him.

……

Among the shadowy cavalry, Yelu Dashi looked at the fiery figure charging straight ahead and took a deep breath: "The thief Lu is really as brave as the rumors say..."

Raise your hand: "Bow and crossbow ready——" (End of this chapter)