Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Arrows crisscrossed the night, their shadowy forms whistling through the air as they passed.

The shield slammed shut on a charging figure, sending the shield-bearer flying. Just as the hail of spears pressed down, Wang De, who had turned back from the front, charged forward on horseback. With a flash of his broadsword, the spear shafts that were pressing down on him snapped instantly. The three spearheads that were hit hardest on the side flew through the air with their broken shafts, spinning before embedding themselves in the ground.

"Go away——"

A fierce general with a ferocious expression charged into the crowd like a savage beast. He wielded a large sword, slashing and hacking, sending heads and blood flying into the air as horses galloped by. The heavy blade tore through leather armor and flesh, leaving people with their eyes wide open, half their bodies missing. A shrill scream echoed at the forefront of the conflict.

Amidst the sounds of countless bones shattering, Wang De charged forward on horseback, his fury carving a bloody path through the ambush.

"The Northern bandits are arrogant!"

In the darkness, the heavy sound of hooves echoed as a rider galloped out, brandishing a twelve-foot-long square object. As he drew near, a thunderous roar erupted from his wide-open lips, and the heavy object he had raised slammed down, while a large sword swung by the rider slashed down in equal fashion.

bang——

"Um……"

"Humph……"

With two muffled groans, the warhorses simultaneously staggered backward.

Wang De's arms felt numb. He looked at the person opposite him in surprise and saw that the thing in the general's hand was shaped like a roof beam, with iron at both ends and two gripping points in the middle. It was obviously a powerful and heavy strange weapon.

"You've got some skill!"

With his broadsword raised, Wang De stepped forward again, shouting, "Charge! Aid our comrades in the rear!" He slashed at Tie Fangliang, whose hands were also numb, with his sword. The two gritted their teeth and fought a few times before dismounting their horses and joining their own soldiers in the battle. Then they charged at each other again.

The cavalrymen around them shouted, slashing and thrusting with their spears and swords. The speed of their horses and the force of their riders' swings caused the Song soldiers standing on the ground to scream in agony.

At the same time, the sound of throwing axes being hurled from the hands of some cavalrymen echoed through the night sky, the rusty scent growing stronger and gradually spreading amidst the fierce battle.

The shouts and cries of battle grew louder in the night sky. Someone lit a torch and the flames gradually revealed more figures. Zhang Zhongxiong and Yan Shude directed their troops to form ranks, and the army of nearly 30,000 men began to charge south towards the central army of the Qi state.

As the warhorse retreated, Zeng Tu, wielding his spear with one hand to clear away the Song soldiers blocking his path, kept looking back at the figures chasing him, his face filled with bitterness. Since joining the army, he had never suffered such hardship.

"You scoundrel, come back here!" "Don't even think about running!" "If you're a man, turn around and fight three hundred rounds!"

Zhang Bofen was chasing anxiously from behind, shouting incessantly. However, the warhorse he had seized was just an ordinary military horse, while the one Zeng Tu was riding was a thoroughbred that his father had raised at home to save his life on the battlefield. How could he possibly catch up with it?

The cavalry, carrying torches, charged forward, firing arrows. Zhang Bofen parried with his sword, and with a few sharp sounds, the figure on horseback suddenly became anxious. The enemy's cavalry had appeared, which meant that he didn't have much time left.

still have a chance!

Looking ahead and seeing no generals charging towards him, Zhang Bofen immediately pulled on the reins and charged diagonally towards a cavalryman. The Qi soldier saw him coming and gripped his spear tightly, thrusting it forward with all his might.

"Drink!" With a roar, Zhang Bofen snatched the spear without even using his knife, then thrust it into the chest of the opposing cavalryman. With a flick of his wrist, he drew his bowstring and pulled out his horsebow. With a powerful lift and release, he reached for the quiver at the man's waist.

"You think you can run away!"

Zhang Bofen excitedly hung up his knife, drew his bow and nocked an arrow, and fired at the figure carrying a gun in one hand.

hum-

The bowstring twanged, and the arrow arced through the firelight of the night as it fell toward Zeng Tu.

The excitement on his face had barely begun to show when Zhang Bofen swayed, instinctively drawing his bow and gripping his sword. Before he could continue fighting the charging cavalry, he saw a black shadow flash before his eyes.

puff--

A piercing pain shot through my mind.

"what!"

"what!"

As the knife fell to the ground, he caught a glimpse of Zeng Tu, who was fleeing, also releasing his gun and lying on his horse's back.

With one hand gripping the reins, Zhang Bofen gritted his teeth and looked to the side. An arrow was embedded in his shoulder, and blood was flowing down from where the arrow had entered.

"Southern barbarians, prepare to die!"

A Qi soldier charging forward on horseback roared and thrust two spears at his chest and face.

"Up to you!"

The blade sliced ​​through the field of vision, and the edge that cut through the spear shaft struck the cavalryman's armor as it pulled back. Two screams rang out, and the cavalryman, clutching his wound, quickly retreated.

Zhang Bofen gritted his teeth, swung his sword to cut the arrow shaft from his shoulder, and nervously looked toward the direction where the cavalry were surging, as if a blood-red aura was rolling toward them.

……

"Hi-ah-"

The sound of gasping came from the horse's back. Zeng Tu, who was barely able to lift his head, looked gloomy and used all his strength to turn his head to look behind him.

As if for the sake of symmetry, an arrow was stuck in one of his shoulder blades, its fletching swaying slightly as the warhorse galloped, causing the muscles on the Jurchen man's face to twitch incessantly.

Okay, okay, okay—

The sound of distinctive hooves reached Zeng Tu's ears from ahead. He turned his head sharply, and as he moved, a red figure appeared in his line of sight, weaving through the cavalry.

Red Hare charged left and right among the warhorses, as agile as a real rabbit, weaving and shifting between mounts. Its iron hooves pounded the ground, creating several shallow pits and sending dirt flying into the air.

take--

A fiery red warhorse trod past him on the left, a warm breath lingering nearby for a moment, as if a gaze had fallen upon him, before galloping away again.

Zeng Tu couldn't help but turn around and shout in a sorrowful voice, "Your Majesty, please seek justice for this humble general!"

A bright red cloak billowed on the horse's back, and the figure on horseback simply waved his hand behind him.

The thunderous sound of hooves exploded in the night, accompanied by the shouts of countless people. On the violently heaving back of his horse, Lü Bu smirked, shook his head, reached out and pulled out an arrow, and fired another shot forward.

Zhang Bofen, on horseback, knew from his shoulder injury that this was not the time to be reckless. Just as he turned his horse around, a whooshing sound came from the air, and he slashed his sword in the direction from which the sound came.

call--

The blade sliced ​​through the air, causing the rider on horseback to tremble. A complex expression appeared on Zhang Bofen's face as he glanced downwards. An arrow pierced his abdominal armor, and a sharp pain, along with a warm, sticky sensation, quickly spread downwards from the point of impact.

Where did this archer come from!
With that thought flashing through his mind, Zhang Dalang dared not linger any longer. He spurred his horse, wanting to quickly escape back to get his wounds bandaged.

The next instant, Zeng Tu's fleeing troops rushed towards him from behind.

Firelight flickered all around, and figures raced about in all directions. His eyes widened, and in the firelight, he barely managed to grip his sword with both hands, charging into the midst of the pursuing cavalry. His blade slashed through men, deflecting thrusting spears, and he roared repeatedly, cutting down four riders in quick succession, trying to break free of the encircling cavalry. *Herald—*

The warhorse neighed behind them, and the hot breath that Red Hare exhaled seemed to blow on the back of the neck of the person in front. The figure on the horse suddenly turned around, and a fiery red figure came into view. A halberd transformed into a crescent moon and fell from the sky.

"what--"

Zhang Bofen roared and raised his sword upwards with both hands.

when--

The clanging of metal echoed through the night sky. The Song general, who was pursuing the enemy alone, felt as if a boulder had crashed down on him. His arm was uncontrollably lowered, and a spurt of blood gushed from the wound in his shoulder. The pain from the arrow wound in his abdomen intensified.

"You've got guts!"

Upon hearing the exclamations of praise, Lü Bu slightly raised his halberd before lowering it again.

when--

The halberd pressed down on the defending blade, slashing fiercely across his shoulder armor, instantly tearing it apart. Zhang Bofen felt his soul tremble with fear, and in a burst of strength, he deflected the halberd with a soft "Huh?!"

As the enemy's warhorse drew near, the blade instinctively slashed out, producing a crisp, metallic clang. The halberd shrank back, effortlessly parrying the incoming blade. With a twist of the halberd, the broadsword was firmly locked to the halberd.

"come over!"

A tremendous pulling force came, and Zhang Bofen's hand holding the knife opened uncontrollably. "Ah!" he cried out in surprise as the knife in his hand was pulled away by the halberd.

With a flick of his wrist, Lü Bu swung his halberd, the blade snapping back and striking the man's neck, sending the blood gushing into the air.

As the head was turned over, the headless corpse tilted to one side.

bang——

They landed together.

"Follow me to kill the enemy!"

With a flick of his halberd, the blood stained on the iron halberd blended into the darkness. Red Hare let out an excited neigh and strode forward again, charging ahead with unstoppable momentum.

The cavalrymen who were about to retreat shouted "Victory!" and turned their horses around, fleeing desperately towards the place where they had been ambushed. Behind them, a large cloud of dust rose into the night sky, and countless shouts echoed as they rolled forward amidst the muffled thunder of hooves.

The ambush didn't last long; the flames, whipped and swaying in the night wind, swept across the somewhat withered grass, illuminating the running figures.

The cavalryman, armed with a weapon, was stabbed several times. He swayed as he rode his warhorse, desperately swinging his sword downwards, before being stabbed in the abdomen from both sides by a long spear made of a tree trunk.

The warhorses galloped, and the long spears froze the men in mid-air. When they were withdrawn, the lifeless corpses fell to the ground.

"Quickly form ranks! The Northern bandits are coming!"

Just a few dozen feet away, a general in the Song army shouted, and some of the fighting soldiers rushed forward, plunging their large shields into the ground, while arrows shot out from the hands of those surrounding the cavalry.

The figure charging at high speed deflected the incoming arrows, crashing into soldiers who hadn't had time to adjust their positions. The halberd smashed through the forest of spears, pressing forward relentlessly. The massive collision startled the stunned figures around them.

Some men raised their shields and charged forward, only to be knocked away by the returning cavalry. Their bodies were crushed under the hooves of the galloping horses, turning into unrecognizable figures in the blink of an eye.

Torches swept across the shadows, and the warhorses somehow appeared larger in the darkness than in the daytime. The galloping horses charged into the pursuing ranks, and a man was stabbed in the chest by a Song soldier wielding a spear. He was then pushed and slid several feet away, crashing into his comrade. As the warhorses fell to the ground and died, both men rolled on the ground like gourds, trampled to death by the following cavalry.

As the number of charging cavalry gradually increased, they clashed with the Song army's ambush troops. The Qi soldiers who were not killed immediately charged wildly into the sea of ​​people, their eyes burning as they stared at the figures that they could vaguely make out as burning embers.

A crimson cloak brushed against people's faces as Lü Bu led dozens of cavalrymen into battle. His crescent-shaped halberd hooked around the neck of a Song soldier, sending him flying. The halberd, adorned with golden dragon patterns, continued to knock soldiers and generals away and kill them, leaving trails of blood in the night.

"Stop him! Stop him!"

"Send a message to the central command, quickly!"

Anxious voices filled the air, and a powerful figure suddenly let out a "Ha!" as a commander was beheaded. The figure in the golden beast-faced armor galloped across the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, relentlessly rushing towards Wang De outside the formation.

"Do you all know..."

The horses galloped wildly, and a commander in the battle formation was sent flying by a halberd, knocking his comrade to the ground. The emperor, who had been resting for a while, was now in high spirits, and with his halberd, he cut down a banner: "I detest..."

With a roar, he tossed the halberd into the air, gripped the long shaft with one hand, and hurled it forward, embedding it in the chest of a charging Song soldier. As Red Hare galloped past, he leaned down and swung the corpse embedded in the halberd, smashing it into the spearman to his side.

The crowd wasn't too dense. The fierce figure, leading about forty riders, slashed through the soldiers blocking their way, causing them to break apart in a panic. In the center of the battle, Zhang Zhongxiong and Yan Shude, riding their warhorses, couldn't help but exchange a glance as they looked at the blood-red figure in the firelight.

"Go, stop him! Whoever kills the bandit general will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold."

Soldiers with gleaming eyes rushed forward, only to be swept aside. Heads and limbs flew through the firelight, their destinations unknown. Lu Bu, covered in blood from the carnage, charged forward.

"Kill him quickly, and this war will be over!"

"You scoundrel Lü, how could I, Yan Shude, be afraid of you—"

The blood-red warhorse leaped, and the figure on its back, weapon raised, leaned back, and the halberd whistled as it slashed downwards, reflecting the dim yellow firelight.

Yan Shude roared "Hah ah ah—" and blocked with his sword. The huge impact sounded like metal clashing violently, shaking his eardrums. His hand split open, and blood spurted onto the hilt of his sword.

Across from them, Lu Bu's voice rang out: "You cowards!"

A notch appeared in the blade, and the bright halberd cut into the iron knife. The halberd then slashed down with the momentum!
Blood spurted out in all directions with a squelching sound.

Red Hare neighed and roared as it reared up, its two front hooves kicking twice before stomping heavily on the ground. Blood dripped down the halberd and onto the ground. The wind blew, and its bright red cloak billowed and spread out behind it, fluttering in the wind.

In front of him, Yan Shude's eyes were glazed over, and bright red blood trickled down the sides of his nose. He still held half of the large knife in his hand, and then his body swayed.

bang——

He fell off his horse.

Tiger's eyes swept to the side, and the Song soldiers all around were staring in horror at the two people, one standing and one lying down. He tugged at the reins, and Red Hare's head was pointed at the figure who was galloping away.

"Cowardly scoundrels..." he muttered softly, then with a slight push of his legs, Red Hare snorted excitedly and galloped off again.

"Run!"

The soldiers belonging to Qingzhou shouted and turned to run, leading the ranks of soldiers to turn and scatter in all directions.

Soon after, Wang Yin, riding his flying mount, arrived first from behind. His wolf riders charged all the way, and seeing the chaotic scene without making a sound, they turned around and gave chase.

The collapse was spreading, and the troops that had come to ambush the area began to withdraw in an organized manner. The sounds of commotion made Wang De and Tie Fangliang, who were fighting not far away, look over involuntarily.

"...It seems you have lost!" The figure under the banner of the King licked the blood from his blade. (End of Chapter)