Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves and shouts of battle erupted from both the east and west sides.

Woohoo——

The horn, guiding the way, rang out in the battle formation. Under the daylight, countless hooves pounded, and densely packed figures of people and horses overlapped. From the sky, red and black intertwined, permeated, and devoured each other.

More and more cavalrymen broke through the Song army's defenses. The soldiers hysterically swung their weapons, screaming "Ahhh!" and slashing at people, leaving blood splattering everywhere. People fell to the ground one after another.

At the same time, the Song army, under command, contracted its defenses. Shi Jin looked at the cavalry surging in like a flood under the sunlight, took a deep breath, and rode his horse, sword in hand, through the crowd of figures.

This formation was his defensive line, and now that it had been invaded, he had no reason to flee without a fight, given his pride. He also had five hundred elite soldiers under his command, who had followed him from Shaohua Mountain until now, all of whom were brave, fierce, and fearless.

"Follow me and kill that traitorous general to relieve the siege of the army!"

The three-pointed double-edged sword was swung forward, and Nine-Dragon's voice echoed all around: "Spearmen and shieldmen, form a defensive line to protect the archers! Counterattack! Counterattack—"

With a loud shout, Shi Jin kicked his warhorse and charged toward the black-armored cavalry that had charged into the battle formation.

Arrows rained down from the Song army ranks, followed by a deluge of arrows falling from the cavalry. Shield bearers raised their wooden shields to protect their comrades, and someone shouted, "Defend!"

A dense rain of arrows spread out overhead, whistling as they fell.

Shi Jin watched as swarms of arrows rained down from the opposing cavalry formation. He gritted his teeth and didn't turn back to look. The short, agonizing screams of the soldiers he heard made his heart bleed.

As he galloped, Shi Jin raised his three-pointed double-edged sword with both arms. The armor plates on his body vibrated slightly as he swung the sword. With a sound of armor being pierced and flesh being cut, the black-armored cavalryman was cut in two by the flash of the sword and fell off his horse.

"Follow me and kill—"

Shi Jin, disregarding the blood splattered on his face, shouted and chopped off the arm of another cavalryman. He then deflected the thrusting spear with a swift stroke. As the two horses passed each other, he swung his sword, and a scream rang out behind him. The masterless warhorse was still running.

The elite troops in his rear camp quickly charged forward, forming a spear formation based on their long-standing tacit cooperation, and for a time they were locked in a stalemate with the Qi cavalry who had not yet fully penetrated the formation.

puff--

As the wind-splitting blade slashed down, Shi Bao tightened the reins. Seeing a Song army general charging towards them from the flank, he licked the blood splattered on his face, turned his horse, and said, "We've run into a tough one." He pointed his broadsword forward: "Charge!"

"Follow!"

"kill--"

With a shout, the personal guards who had charged in shouted, and with their spears in hand, they followed Shi Bao and turned to fight back against the Song army, turning their flags and following him like a shadow.

The sounds of battle stretched on and on. The soldiers on the outer perimeter, holding large shields, were like nuts whose shells had been cracked open, revealing the protected troops inside. The black cavalry had broken through several gaps and were frantically encroaching inward.

Seeing the shield formation on the verge of collapse, Shi Jin grew anxious. He urged his horse forward, raising his three-pointed, double-edged sword diagonally: "Don't stop! Forward! Kill!"

On horseback, Shi Bao's personal guards successively pulled out gleaming axes and swung them.

call--

The spinning axe blade reflected the sunlight from the sky, and Shi Jin quickly swung his sword to block it.

when--

puff--

The axes, struck by the blade, flew diagonally, and one by one, the soldiers following Shi Jin were hit by the flying axes. Those hit in vital areas died instantly, but others were hit in the shoulders, abdomen, and legs, and could only fall and writhe while crying out as they pressed their wounds.

"You traitorous general, prepare to die!"

After the roar, Shi Jin gritted his teeth, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, and swung his arm to fiercely slash down at Shi Bao, who was charging towards him.

when--

The blades clashed, sparks flying as the three-pointed double-edged sword and the wind-splitting sword separated with a long, drawn-out clang.

"Drink-"

Shi Baodao flipped in his hand, using his arm strength to pull the sword back, and slashed back at the Nine-Tattooed Dragon on horseback.

The two exchanged blows with a series of clanging sounds, their horses spinning halfway between them, before the charging imperial guards clashed violently with the elite Song army, primarily composed of soldiers from Shaohua Mountain.

Spears thrust upwards and downwards, and amidst screams, some were pinned to the ground, while cavalrymen crashed into spear tips, hanging from the spears as their horses galloped on. "Boom—" a Song army spearman who couldn't dodge was sent flying.

Shi Bao glanced around, his brows furrowing. His cavalry had broken through smoothly, and he was somewhat uneasy about being blocked here, leaving the subsequent offensive to be commanded by his own captains. He knew that Shi Jin on the other side was not someone he could defeat in a short time after a few exchanges of blows. After a moment's thought, a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.

Opposite him, a three-pointed double-edged sword slashed down from above, and Shi Bao raised his wind-splitting sword upwards.

when--

With a deafening roar, the wind-splitting blade couldn't withstand the sudden downward pressure. He took advantage of the situation, tilting his shoulder and using his shoulder armor to block the blade. The three-pointed double-edged sword's blade drew a string of sparks from the wind-splitting blade's edge.

"Um--"

Shi Bao grunted, his shoulders swaying, and he quickly pulled the reins with the hand holding the knife and turned to leave.

Shi Jin was focused on killing the enemy and relieving the siege. Seeing that his soldiers were already at a disadvantage and were falling one after another under the iron hooves, he quickly pulled on the reins and shouted, "Where are you going? Leave your heads behind!" He then chased after Shi Bao.

Shi Bao, who was in front, kept listening to the sound of horses' hooves behind him. He would turn his head to look at Shi Jin from time to time, and occasionally he would swing his sword with one hand to force back the Song soldiers blocking his way. His horse speed slowed down as he fled, but Shi Jin had already caught up with him in about ten zhang.

With his shoulders slumped, Shi Bao quietly took out a meteor hammer. Seeing Shi Jin run to the back and raise his knife, Shi Bao suddenly twisted his waist and swung his arm, shouting, "Take this!"

The meteor hammer flew with lightning speed, instantly obscuring Shi Jin's vision.

bang——

Dark red blood spurted out the moment the hammer struck Shi Jin's face. A mixture of sour, spicy, painful, and dizzy sensations instantly surged through Shi Jin's brain from the point of impact. He immediately loosened his grip, falling backward from his horse with a thud.

Dang clang——

The three-pointed double-edged sword smashed a shallow pit in the ground.

The noisy battlefield suddenly fell silent. Shi Jin's eyes couldn't focus for a moment. Even though he was dizzy, he knew he was in danger. He tried to keep his eyes open, struggled to lift his head, and slid his hands and feet on the ground.

In his blurry vision, a dark shadow seemed to be approaching. "Bang—" and "Crack—" two sounds came from Shi Jin's chest in succession.

The nine-striped dragon let out a "Ugh..." and its eyes widened as a mouthful of blood gushed from its throat, spilling out between its lips and teeth.

As my vision cleared, the hind legs of the warhorse fell before my eyes, clattering beside my ears. When they lifted again, the mud clinging to the horseshoes flew into the air, then fell back down, dotting my face.

"The enemy general is dead. Charge with me! Break through their lines!"

Shi Bao didn't even glance at Shi Jin, who had been buried under the horse's hooves. His uneven shoulders were now level again. He swung his sword and killed the Song soldier who was watching his commander die in battle, bewildered. He then spurred his horse and charged towards the "Song" banner.

The sounds of fighting and the clanging of metal gradually spread across the entire front on both the east and west sides. Song Jiang, who was still in the central army, also understood the development of the battle. The moment Shi Jin's flag fell, he couldn't help but shout, "Brothers!"

"General, let's retreat." Dai Zong and Liu Tong, both covered in sweat and filled with fear, urged the grief-stricken figure beside them: "The Qi bandits' army is too fierce; we can't hold them off on the plains."

Song Jiang's heart sank to the bottom. His vanguard of three thousand men had been routed, and then the enemy had breached his defenses on the east and west flanks. His three commanding generals were likely dead, and they had barely made contact with the Qi army. The losses in this single battle were unbearable. He gritted his teeth, his three tufts of beard trembling: "Go check on Brother Shi Jin… see if he's alive…"

He glanced around. Wu Yong and Tang Long's eyes darted left and right, clearly not wanting to stay any longer. A little further away, Mu Hong saw him looking over and quickly clasped his hands on his horse: "Mu Hong is willing to lead his troops to investigate, but hopes that the general will leave this dangerous place at this time."

Song Jiang gripped the reins tightly. Wu Yong, hearing Mu Hong's words, quickly stepped forward to advise, "We encountered the Qi army south of Renqiu. The city has probably already fallen. We don't know how many more troops will come. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it will be."

Moreover, this place is open and spacious, which is already at a disadvantage for our army. It would be better to retreat first and return to Hejian Prefecture to make further plans.”

He paused, glancing at Mu Hong's side: "Besides, Brother Mu Hong is leading cavalry, and with Lu Junyi and Xu Ning, two highly skilled warriors, protecting him, they can still retreat if the battle goes against them."

Song Jiang glanced at Lu Junyi and Xu Ning behind Mu Hong, frowned, but seeing Mu Hong nod fiercely at him, he gripped the reins tightly, gritted his teeth, and pulled on the reins: "Go!"

He ordered Lei Yingchun and Zhang Yue'e to be placed under Mu Hong's command, and their cavalry to be under Mu Hong's command as well.

Order Dong Cheng and Shen Ji to cover the rear, and the rest of you to quickly retreat to Hejian Prefecture for defense.

Wu Yong, Dai Zong, and the others were overjoyed and immediately blew the horn. They then ordered the messenger to step forward and issue the order. The Swift-Footed Protector, along with Grasshopper, ran to the back to personally deliver the order.

Before long, the central army, under command, quickly turned and retreated. The soldiers carrying large axes threw down their heavy axes, cut the joints in their armor, and ran away as fast as they could.

Li Kui and Wu Song in the rear army were still waiting for orders to prepare for battle, but instead received a message from the central army ordering them to retreat. Black Whirlwind was furious and threw his iron helmet to the ground in frustration.

bang——

"Damn it, we haven't lost yet. If we retreat now, let me, Tie Niu, charge forward and I'll definitely cut off a few dog heads."

"Tie Niu, this is a military order!" Dai Zong, who had run over, had streaks of dust and sweat on his face. He pointed ahead and shouted, "Quickly turn back to Hejian Prefecture!"

Liu Tong nodded repeatedly behind him, but Wu Song frowned: "Tie Niu is right. The battle has just begun and our army has not yet been defeated. If we send the whole army forward now and suppress the movement of their warhorses, we may not necessarily lose."

“…My brother!” Dai Zong was furious when he saw Wu Song also disagreeing. He stamped his feet repeatedly and said, “You two shouldn’t be arguing about killing the enemy now. The Qian brothers and Shi Jin brothers in front are probably dead. Including the vanguard of three thousand men, if we dawdle any longer, we might lose most of our men here. What will happen to Hejian Prefecture then? Let’s go quickly!”

“Yes, yes.” Liu Tong nodded repeatedly from the side: “Besides, this is a military order. Generals, you don’t need to stay in the army now. You should retreat quickly.”

"Damn it, I knew I wouldn't serve that old emperor surnamed Zhao. I got a government soldier's status and now I have to obey some bullshit military orders..."

Li Kui cursed and kicked the iron helmet on the ground. After watching the helmet roll away, he turned around and shouted, "Don't just stand there like idiots! Listen to the orders and get out of here!"

Dai Zong and Liu Tong's faces twitched, and even Wu Song looked helpless. This fool had insulted everyone with his words, but everyone knew his temperament and pretended not to hear.

Li Kui, striding ahead, cursed, "Wait a minute, the military order was also given by Brother Song Jiang! Well, Song Jiang, you coward..."

Dai Zong couldn't hold back any longer. He leaped forward and covered Tie Niu's mouth, saying, "Shut up, Tie Niu. Just do your thing, or I'll make sure you can't play poker for a month when we get back."

Li Kui immediately became quiet, his lips opening and closing as if silently cursing something. Seeing that he didn't make a sound, Dai Zong pretended not to see his silent cursing and ordered the rear guard to become the front guard, quickly retreating.

……

Seeing the central army begin to retreat, Mu Hong took a deep breath and then said to Lu Junyi and Xu Ning behind him, "We'll have to trouble you two to help out a lot in a while. We'll go to the battlefield and then retreat, and see how many people we can save."

Lu Junyi and Xu Ning nodded with sullen faces.

Mu Hong then looked at Lei Yingchun and Zhang Yue'e, noticing their shifty eyes, and immediately knew that the two had chickened out. He nodded to them, saying, "You two have heard Chief Steward Song's orders. Now is a critical moment, and we must unite as one. I hope you two will lend a hand, otherwise..."

With his eyes narrowed, Mu Hong didn't finish his sentence. Upon hearing this, the two men and women's expressions changed. However, after glancing at Lu Junyi, Xu Ning, and Yan Qing behind him, and then at the cavalrymen staring in their direction, they had no choice but to swallow their anger and clasp their hands in a fist salute: "We will do as General Mu says."

Mu Hong nodded in satisfaction, then grabbed the reins and started running. In the next instant, hundreds of cavalrymen followed suit.

……

"Stop them, hurry!"

Amidst the fierce battle, countless voices shouted. Dong Cheng and Shen Ji, who had previously come into contact with Lü Bu, watched the cavalry swarming into the battle formation with red eyes, their hearts filled with indescribable emotions.

Seeing the cavalrymen fighting so fiercely, the two men had no choice but to tighten their grip on their men and gather them in a small circle. As they heard the bugle call from the central army in the distance, their expressions changed.

Before the two could come up with a solution, Wang Yin, who was leading the charge, had already turned his gaze over: "Disperse the battle here and drive them forward!"

To their horror, countless warhorses galloped towards them. (End of Chapter)