Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The night sky was dyed orange-red by the flames, and the dull sound of horses' hooves came from the direction of the flames.

"Qi cavalry."

"What should I do?"

"Brother Pengju!"

Amidst shouts from the surroundings, Yue Fei glanced at the distance of the torches behind him and made a mental estimate: "The enemy cavalry is pursuing us swiftly. There are no dense forests here, so we cannot easily make contact with the enemy."

Wang Gui, Zhang Xian, and Tang Huai slowly pulled on the reins, slowing their horses down. He looked at the three men's faces in the darkness and said, "Each of you will lead a battalion of infantry to the northwest and lie prone in the grass. It is still dark, so the enemy should not be able to see you. Once the enemy has passed, don't worry about anything else. Just run northwest and look for an opportunity to return to Daming Prefecture through the south gate."

Wang Gui and the other two exchanged glances: "And Pengju, what about you?"

"I'll lead the cavalry to create a disturbance and head northeast." Yue Fei took a breath and looked at Suo Chao: "Lord Suo, would you be willing to come with me as bait?"

Suo Chao didn't mince words either, slapping his chest armor with a "thump": "As I just said, General Yue saved my life. I'll take any danger you ask of me. If I even flinch, I'm a coward."

"Lord Suo is truly a gentleman!"

"I can tell that Lord Suo is a man of strong character."

Wang Gui and Zhang Xian both gave a thumbs-up to the vanguard, while Tang Huai looked at Yue Fei, ready to say something more.

Yue Fei interrupted them, saying, "Don't say anything more. The situation is urgent. Listen to me and leave quickly. When you hear me shouting, lie down on the spot. Whether you can escape or not depends on your fate!"

The three generals were from the same place as him and were used to following his orders. Upon hearing this, they clasped their hands in a fist and whispered, "Take care!"

They all pulled on their reins and hurriedly led their infantrymen away, their tight formation gradually dispersing and merging into the night.

Yue Fei looked back at the four hundred or so riders who had come out with him alive, and took a breath: "I'll have to trouble you brothers to accompany me through this ordeal again."

"I am willing to die alongside Bingyi Lang!"

"I am willing to die alongside Bingyi Lang!"

His voice was hoarse and strained, echoing through the night sky.

Thousands of Jurchen cavalrymen, like a tide, spread across the plains on horseback. Hearing the commotion, Wanyan Loushi pointed his broadsword and charged toward them.

Yue Fei gazed at the sea of ​​torches stretching forward, gritted his teeth, and said, "Let's go—"

Suo Chao immediately opened his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs: "You dogs from the north, if you have the guts, follow the scent of Grandpa's pee and come here!"

The surrounding cavalrymen burst into laughter: "Grandpa's pee is yellow, come and smell it! Hahaha—"

The voice transmission came from afar. These Jurchens had been learning Chinese for a long time, and many of the newly enlisted cavalrymen had been learning from Chinese officials since childhood. Naturally, they could understand what was being shouted. Immediately, their faces turned red, and they all spurred their horses and brandished their swords.

"Insanity!"

"Kill them!"

With a roar, many cavalrymen suddenly increased their speed.

The thunderous clatter of hooves echoed as Wanyan Loushi frowned, watching the Song army galloping through the night. "Something's not right!" He brandished his broadsword. "Order the cavalry to follow me in pursuit! The rest of you, disperse and check the surrounding area for any fleeing Song soldiers!"

"Here!"

Upon hearing this, the cavalryman immediately spurred his horse forward, his shouts echoing across the sky. Ulindatai and Wanyan Zongbi, both in the army, reined in their horses, with the former leading his troops northward.

The latter gestured for his cavalry to slow down, then headed west with a blank expression.

The thunderous sound of hooves split into three directions at that moment, galloping across the night grassland, the torchlight illuminating a radius of two or three zhang around them as they ran alongside the general's flag ahead.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves shook the ground and the weeds. Suddenly, someone shouted, "Someone's here!"

Countless eyes suddenly turned towards them. "Kill them!" "Giddy up—" shouts rang out one after another.

"We've been discovered, kill them—"

In the darkness, Zhang Xian's voice rang out, and crossbow bolts shot towards the approaching cavalry.

Without the help of sunlight, the Jurchen knights on horseback could not see the specific situation in the darkness. A dozen or so riders in front were instantly hit by a burst of arrows, fell off their horses with screams, and their torches fell to the ground, reducing the range of light. The cavalry behind them roared in shock and anger and quickly spurred their horses forward.

Under the cover of night, the plains ahead suddenly surged with life. The dark shadows were not very clear in the pre-dawn hours, but a general outline could still be made out. Fearless cavalrymen charged forward, fiercely wielding their blades to cut down the enemy.

Zhang Xian felt a bitter taste in his mouth. The exposure had been too sudden, so he could only lead his five hundred men in a fierce resistance, shouting repeatedly, "Grandpa Zhang Xian is here! You little dogs from the north, come on!"

Tang Huai and Wang Gui, who were further away, heard it all. Wang Gui, a rough man, suddenly gripped the hilt of his knife and was about to get up and mount his horse.

"What are you doing!" Tang Huai grabbed him. "That kid Zhang Xian is risking his life to give us a chance to escape. Otherwise, these cavalrymen might have left all three of us here."

"Tang Huai, you're so cowardly..." Wang Gui was furious upon hearing this and turned to curse. But when he saw someone nearby biting their lip hard and dark liquid flowing down their chin, he was taken aback.

"Don't let him die in vain, let's go—"

Tang Huai pulled Wang Gui with all his might, causing the burly man to stumble. The two quickly mounted their horses, pulled on the reins, and led their soldiers backward.

The thunderous roar of warhorses echoed through the heavens and earth, shouts of exertion came from their backs, blades sliced ​​through the bodies of foot soldiers, blood spurted onto the ground, and the fallen corpses stared blankly into the distance, the spread-out bodies emitting a strong stench of blood.

As Wanyan Zongbi watched the soldiers shouting and galloping around him, he frowned slightly. Then, glancing at Zhang Xian, who was wielding a long spear and charging left and right among the cavalry, he couldn't help but tighten the reins.

"Where did this Song pig come from? Wuzhu, I'm going to kill him!" Wanyan Bendu shouted beside him, ready to charge forward on horseback with his spear.

Wanyan Zongbi reacted swiftly, stretching out his hand: "Wait a minute, I've been bored in the army these past few days, let me handle this person." As he spoke, he glanced to the side and then casually looked away.

The young man, once known as the "Golden Gentleman," was taken aback and slowed down his horse as instructed.

With a shout of "Giddy up!", Wanyan Zongbi's mount suddenly leaped forward, followed by his personal guards, but he did not stop them.

Wanyan Bendu watched him leave, then glanced at the infantry fighting to the death, brandished his spear, and said, "Leave that to Wuzhu, the rest of you come with me."

The iron cavalry galloped past, and the light of the torches converged upon them.

"kill--"

The fire dragons crisscrossed and intertwined, with infantrymen rushing forward to desperately block the enemy's charge, only to be killed on the spot. Taking advantage of the deaths of their comrades, their comrades behind them thrust their spears diagonally, killing their men instantly. Amidst the shrill screams, warhorses galloped past, knocking both the killers and the victims flying.

Zhang Xian raised his spear and killed a Qi soldier, then forcefully deflected the incoming blades and roared as he swept the cavalrymen following behind off their horses.

The torchlight flickered before his eyes. Zhang Xian was somewhat surprised by the ferocity of the soldiers before him. However, he was also a skilled martial artist. Although he found it troublesome, he felt that he could still handle it. But seeing his soldiers falling to the ground, bleeding profusely, he couldn't help but feel extremely distressed. He had only been holding out to protect his friend.

The sound of horses' hooves rang out again, accompanied by a roar: "General Wanyan Zongbi of Anzhong is here! Southern traitors, prepare to die!"

The great axe swept past with a whoosh, causing the torch's flame to flicker unpredictably.

when--

The blood-stained spear blocked the incoming axe, and Zhang Xian felt a sudden numbness in his arms, immediately realizing something was wrong!
"Take another one of my axe blows!"

Wanyan Zongbi shouted, swinging his axe soaring through the air, clanging against the spear, sparks occasionally flying from the axe blade.

Zhang Xian felt that even after these few axe blows, he could still hold onto his spear. The initial fierceness of the blows was gone. Although the moves were wide and sweeping, the strength he had now allowed him to hold on.

bang bang bang-

With three consecutive axe blows, Zhang Xian blocked the attack, feeling that there was no way forward. He could only keep adjusting his position, but unconsciously he retreated further and further away from his own battle group.

When the personal guards who followed Wanyan Zongbi into battle saw this, they assumed that their commander had encountered a tough opponent. They simply brandished their swords and spears to keep the enemy soldiers away from the oncoming troops, so as to prevent the Song soldiers next to them from injuring their commander.

The area around the two generals suddenly cleared up, and Wanyan Zongbi suddenly exerted force with his great axe. With a loud "bang," Zhang Xian felt his arms being hit by a huge force again, and his spear immediately became unresponsive.

In his line of sight, the Qi army general, who had maintained a cold expression, suddenly spurred his horse forward, hastily swinging his spear to strike at the general's head, only to have it easily deflected by a large axe. *Thud*

"Listen, I will only say this once."

Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, Zhang Xian was startled.

Wanyan Zongbi swung his axe, and Zhang Xian instinctively raised his hand to defend. Several impacts were made under the guidance of the axe.

“There are people blocking the road to the north. Go southwest, and your companions will also go there.”

Warhorses crisscrossed, circled, and clashed with axes and spears.

"The siege equipment was positioned at the forefront of the central army company and was heavily guarded."

bang bang bang-

Amid the sound of the impact, Zhang Xian's eye twitched: "Why are you telling me this?"

The axe came crashing down with a whooshing sound.

bang——

The gun barrel is mounted on the rack.

"Don't ask. If we retreat to Qi, we can't hold the city. We'll need a large army to surround and kill us. We don't have enough troops here. Contact me later. My name is Wuzhu."

Behind him, the sounds of fighting and shouting drew closer. Wanyan Zongbi abruptly pushed aside his spear and whispered, "Stab my right arm! Quickly—"

Zhang Xian instinctively raised his hand and thrust his spear forward.

"Oh!"

Wanyan Zongbi cried out, and the hand holding the great axe suddenly loosened, causing the iron axe to fall to the ground. He quickly pulled on the reins and retreated sideways. More than ten guards who were fighting were shocked to see this and immediately abandoned their opponents and rushed over.

Zhang Xian wasn't stupid; he immediately understood, pulled on the reins, and spurred his horse to gallop away.

"Don't let him get away, chase after him!"

Wanyan Zongbi, clutching his injured arm, roared, and more than ten riders, brandishing swords and spears, swarmed past him.

Turning his head to glance at the fierce battle, Wanyan Zongbi's eyes flickered. He reached for his iron sword at his waist and followed his personal guards to chase after Zhang Xian ahead. With his arms hanging down, he stared ahead for a moment, his lips tightly pursed.

This is probably the last chance...

I hope these people of the Southern Dynasty will listen to me and gather more troops to surround and kill Lü Bu...

Hopefully!

……

same moment.

A gentle breeze blew across the plains, the sound of horses' hooves thundered, and the panting of warhorses could be clearly heard. Yue Fei and Suo Chao galloped ahead, followed by a thousand-strong army bearing the banner of Wanyan.

In the darkness, torches flickered, and the rushing wind pulled the flames backward. Cavalrymen with bows and arrows would occasionally pull back their bowstrings and fire at the pursuing cavalry. Arrows also came from behind, and screams of pain could be heard from the ranks from time to time.

"My warhorse is no good."

"I've reached my limit too."

"Me too……"

The sound made Yue Fei and Suo Chao frown. The former turned his head to speak, but saw the cavalry behind him cup his fists and say to him: "Take care, Bingyi Lang. The Qi bandits are chasing too fast. I'll use my life to delay your death."

His hand was pulling on the horse's reins.

Yue Fei's pupils contracted: "Wait..."

Someone immediately turned their horse around and said, "Brother Bingyi, you are a man of great loyalty. It is our blessing to fight alongside you."

More people are pulling on the reins.

“Bingyi Lang, go back and kill a few more for me.”

"Brothers, rush!"

More than half of the cavalry turned, glided along an arc, and charged toward the Qi cavalry that outnumbered them several times over, shouting "Kill!" Their shouts shook the heavens.

"Damn it, just like me..."

Yue Fei, holding the Li Quan Divine Spear upside down, was about to pull the reins and turn when Suo Chao suddenly reached out and grabbed his bridle: "General Yue, the men under your command are of goodwill. Hurry up, you can leave another talented general for Daming Prefecture if you stay. Let's go!"

"I...ah——"

Yue Fei looked at Suo Chao and made a short sound, which finally turned into a sigh from his chest and abdomen.

"That's quite bold..."

Wanyan Loushi coldly watched the cavalry charging towards them and snorted, "Charge!"

"kill--"

The galloping cavalry let out desperate shouts and collided with the charging cavalry with a loud "boom."

Spears, iron swords, maces, and golden gourds clashed and struck each other in the midst of the battle, the sounds of metal clanging and screams mingling together, and cavalrymen in red robes fell from their horses one after another.

Occasionally, Jurchen cavalrymen would be shot and fall, their bodies rolling together under the trampling of horses' hooves, and blood would gradually spread throughout the area.

The sounds of battle gradually subsided, and the dust kicked up by the warhorses dissipated.

“…They’ve gone far away.” Wanyan Loushi frowned as he listened to the receding hoofbeats ahead, and pointed his broadsword forward: “Keep chasing them, let’s see where they can escape to.”

……

The golden sun in the east pierced the darkness of the night.

Black plumes of smoke rose in the Qi army camp, and some embers were still burning. Qi soldiers poured buckets of sand on them, and then someone splashed water on them, spreading a pungent smell.

The charred corpses were carried out of the camp where the flames had died down, wrapped in straw mats, and placed in an open area.

In the distance, the once quiet military camps sounded the morning bugle call, and figures moved about in the camps. Every now and then, a fast horse would gallop over and ask about the events of the previous night.

Bian Xiang had no interest in dealing with his colleagues. After recording the losses, he immediately led his personal guards to the central command tent.

Lu Bu heard a commotion a few feet away.

"Yu Cheng, what's happening outside?"

The tent flap was lifted, letting in the morning sunlight, and Yu Cheng's voice came through: "Your Majesty, General Bian has arrived, and the losses from last night have been tallied."

Inside the tent, Lü Bu had already gotten up, put on his black military uniform embroidered with dragon patterns, washed his face, and wiped his cheeks with a white towel: "Let him in. I also want to know how much we lost last night."

He stepped over the screen with the geomantic map hanging on it, plopped down behind the table, and a guard came in to place breakfast on his table.

The sound of soldiers talking could be heard outside. Bian Xiang's tall figure blocked the sunlight from the tent flap. The figure that walked in suddenly lowered, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed his head slightly.

"Your Majesty, this humble general begs for forgiveness..." (End of Chapter)