Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

The sky was gradually covered with the colors of night, and in the still light night the outlines of the distant mountains could still be seen.

Under the blue-black night sky, cavalrymen holding torches marched in formation, the sound of trumpets continued in a low voice, horses' hooves stepped over the noisy ground of the battlefield, and the running knights kept shouting and screaming to release the pressure before the battle.

On the battlefield, burning arrows with black smoke rose into the sky, and burning lights from different places near and far illuminated the images in the dim light. Dark figures pushed forward with all their might, and two long spears stirred the battle lines, forcing the general in iron armor to flee in a panic. The infantrymen holding horizontal swords shouted hoarsely and rushed towards the soldiers of the resentful army with their swords brandished.

This is just an inconspicuous place on the battlefield. The view rises to the sky, overlooking the entire battlefield of continuous fighting. On the unknown wilderness, teams of Liaodong infantry and cavalry are cooperating with their king to expand the results of the battle. The fall of three cavalry flags caught all the generals of the Liao army off guard. The morale of the Qi army was advancing bravely, and the cavalry was entangled and fighting in a group. From the initial formation charge, it turned into dozens of battle groups fighting around the line that stretched for miles. The divided teams, led by their respective generals, killed each other.

In the crowd, Wang De roared "Ah——" and swung his sword, chopping a Xi cavalryman in half. He pointed his sword in the direction of Xiao Gan and said, "Your Majesty has broken through three formations in a row, but we are wasting time here and getting entangled with others. This is a shame for our lives! If you are a man, follow me and kill him!"

The less than one hundred cavalrymen around him shouted in unison, with red eyes, and kept riding their horses and charging forward.

Wanyan Zonghan, who was not far away, heard the roar and a fierce look appeared on his face: "It's time to let the Liao dogs see the blood and courage of Jurchen men! Kill——"

"kill--"

The sound of horse hooves and shouts rang out almost at the same time. Hundreds of Jurchen knights retreated a distance with the former Jin general, and then launched a charge again, holding iron spears, waving swords, roaring ferociously and hoarsely, and engaging in close combat with the Xi cavalry on the opposite side. Some simply jumped off their horses and slashed with their swords. Waves of blood rolled on the battlefield.

The plain was filled with the roars of various wild beasts. Looking from left to right, groups of people were fighting, some advancing and some retreating. The flag representing the Right General of the Qi Army stood opposite the flag of the Prince Consort Taizhen. The cavalry, without the momentum of the charge, were entangled with each other, and people kept falling to the ground.

In a corner on the right side of the battlefield, a flag with Wanyan's name on it was fluttering beside the flag of the Changshui Commandant. Wanyan Zongbing, riding a warhorse and holding a big axe, looked coldly at the fighting group in front of him. Suddenly, noisy shouting came into his ears. He glanced over with confusion, then retracted his gaze and casually deflected the arrow.

Someone rode over in the dim field of vision. When he saw the flag clearly, he was overjoyed and rode over quickly: "Is Wanyan Changshui here? General Niu's troops are fighting hard with the Liao army. I hope Wanyan Changshui can come over to support them as soon as possible."

Wanyan Zongbing turned his head to look at him, then slightly tilted his head to look at the battle group in front of him: "Reply to the Right General of the Central Army and tell him that I know. We are also fighting hard with the Liao dogs here. We will go there as soon as we defeat the people in front."

The cavalryman clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Wanyan Changshui." He turned around and rode his horse back the way he came.

"...Silang." A hesitant voice came, and Wanyan Zongjun's lips moved: "How about I go back first..."

"No need." Wanyan Zongbing shook his head: "Eluguan, you can stay here peacefully. Even a general in a foreign country is not subject to the orders of the emperor, let alone he is just a general." He turned his head with a sneer on his face: "Aren't you fighting on my side? Who can say you are wrong?"

Wanyan Zongjun opened his mouth, and Wanyan Zongbing waved his hand and said, "Alright, don't worry about General Niu Wenzhong. Most of his men are veterans, and they are better equipped than us. As long as we are careful, they can't be hurt."

Then he turned to the messenger and said, "Tell Wanyan Bendu to hold back. He is advancing too fast."

The Jurchen nodded and ran towards the fighting in front.

……

At the moment when the flag of the Zuopishi Army fell to the ground, the Liao Army's central and rear armies, which still numbered 15,000, were quickly rushing towards the place where the red figure was. Yelu Dezhong was riding a war horse, with his eldest son and second son standing side by side behind him to protect him. The sound of fighting in his ears made him turn his head around from time to time, and suddenly he saw the flag being raised in the distance.

In the dark night, a flaming arrow rose up and streaked across the sky. The pattern on the flag was reflected in the pupils in the meteor-like firelight.

"Father, the flag for help, the flag for help from the front army!" Yelu Zongdian shouted loudly, pointing at the double rabbit flag erected in the distance.

"Why worry about the front and rear troops at this moment?" Yelu Dezhong's face was expressionless, and he tightly grasped the reins. "If we can't stop the Lu thief now, we will have no chance of defeating the Qi thief after tonight."

Yelu Zongyun hesitated for a moment, waved the sword in his hand, and rode to his side: "Father, don't go forward later. The thief Lu is very skilled in martial arts. If we engage him indifferently, no one will benefit. We can only rely on numbers to kill him."

Yelu Dezhong narrowed his eyes and turned to look at his eldest son. "I know what you mean. Now that he has defeated three cavalry routes, his physical strength is not as abundant as before. Order the Northern Court General Qu Lichuqing to go forward and quickly defeat him while he is weak." He paused and said, "If you can kill the thief Lu, I will guarantee that he will be appointed as the Privy Envoy of the Northern Privy Council."

As he was speaking, a messenger rode forward hurriedly.

The sound of horse hooves roared.

……

The cavalry charged forward, advancing and spreading behind the opposing cavalry like a raging tide.

Various weapons collided and clashed, and horses and men crossed each other. Figures emerged from the battle and broke through Yelu Yuyang's formation. Lü Bu stroked the sweaty and bloody Red Hare. Lü Bu, who was covered in traces of battle, slowed down with less than 2,500 wolf riders, tilted his head to look at the infantry, turned his sight, raised his painted halberd and pointed at the dust raised by the Liao army's center on the left: "Liao army's center... do you still have strength?"

“Yes!” Yu Cheng, with a blood stain on his face, responded first with a phoenix-headed axe in hand: “Defeat the Liao dog!”

Then more voices burst out: "Follow the king and destroy all the Liao dogs!"

The figure holding the painted halberd turned around, glanced at the people with red faces, and pulled the reins: "With your trust and following, I have nothing to fear!"

Su Ding's arms trembled, and he hesitated for a moment: "My king, didn't you say that we should return to the central army after defeating this group of cavalry?"

"Opportunities are fleeting, how can we follow the plan rigidly?" The mighty figure turned around and shook his head: "Besides, the military advisor is not a scholar who knows nothing, he will cooperate."

Red Hare exhaled heavily, moved his hooves, and headed straight for the central army's flag with his raised halberd. A powerful voice erupted on the battlefield: "Yelü Dezhong, clean your neck and wait for me! I'm coming to find you right away!"

Red as fire, attacking.

In the distance, Yelu Dezhong's face turned pale. Looking at the rising and falling figures in front of him, he suddenly felt a little uneasy. He calmed down and realized that he was traumatized by the offensive of the Qi army. His face became even uglier.

"Father..." Yelu Zongdian's hand holding the knife handle was a little damp, "Why not let Sanlang and Silang also lead the troops to guard the central army? With 5,000 people, they can definitely hold out for a while."

"What nonsense! Just wait and see that General Quli Chuqing will be defeated!" Yelu Dezhong yelled at the two of them and looked at the torches illuminating his ugly face.

The eldest son and the second son looked at each other, moved their lips, and then lowered their heads.

Yelu Dezhong rode on his warhorse, slowed down a little, and was silent for a few breaths: "Let Sanlang and Silang come up."

Yelu Zongyun and Zongdian looked up suddenly.

"It's not that I don't believe General Qu Lichuqing." Yelu Dezhong's hands turned pale as he gripped the reins. "It's just that as the commander-in-chief, I have to prepare for the worst."

……

"Array up!"

Yao Gang raised his lance and shouted, and the armored men and horses were slowly adjusting their breathing. It had not been long since the last battle, and the armored cavalry had not yet been fully replenished. But even so, these burly knights still held their heads high and chests puffed out, looking at the fighting group in front of them with a disdainful attitude.

The sound of horse hooves could be heard from behind, and a messenger riding a warhorse rushed over and shouted out orders from behind.

"The military advisor has given the order to attack the enemy's troops!"

A clear voice reached the ears of all the armored cavalrymen, and a light laugh came from the formation.

"So..." Yao Gang put the iron mask on his face, and a muffled voice came from behind the metallic luster: "Scholars are the worst."

Zheng Huai nodded at the side, and made a flower with the iron rod in his hand. The metal monster trotted forward, and the vision began to shake up and down, gradually accelerating. A dull roar rose from below, shaking the earth and mountains.

squeak--

The sharp sound of arrows echoed in the air. Han Shizhong heard the signal and his expression suddenly changed. He stretched out his hand and pulled Xu Wen, who was obsessed with killing, "Retreat, retreat, and make way!" He shouted to gather the troops around him and began to retreat to the side and rear. The infantrymen holding swords, shields and spears formed a temporary defense line, guarding against possible pursuit.

"Finally retreated..."

On the battlefield where the sounds of fighting were boiling, Pharmacist Guo, with his shoulder bandaged and smelling of medicine, took a breath as he watched Han Shizhong's troops retreat. Then he tilted his head in confusion, as the scene before him seemed familiar.

However, after fighting for a long time, there were all kinds of sounds on the battlefield, and his shoulder was injured and distracted, so he couldn't change his mind for a while. He was about to give the order to retreat and adjust, but suddenly he remembered something and his face changed. His eyes swept towards the direction where the sound of horse hooves came from, and then froze.

In the dim light, the dark figure rose and fell, and occasionally the still burning flames reflected the light of metal. The nightmare-like memories replayed in my mind like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins.

"Armored Cavalry!"

A cry of fear was heard, and the tired soldiers of the resentful army beside him were all startled. They all looked up. Pharmacist Guo shouted, "Retreat!" and turned his horse's head and ran away.

Yao Gang, who was charging ahead with his spear in hand, roared: "Break—"

"Formation——"

More voices roared out.

"Run!"

"Armored Cavalry, run—"

In a moment, chaos spread among the resentful army, and the roar of charging broke out in the night battle.

The Qi army began to counterattack.

……

At the end of the cavalry, Red Hare was running hard, and the figure with a golden crown and tied hair was dragging the Fang Tian Huaji backwards. The sharp blade of the Huaji was close to the ground, turning up the dirt and grass, and occasionally emitting a spark. Behind them, the wolf riders with varying degrees of injuries followed closely, like a wave on the sea, charging behind the commander again and killing straight towards the Liao army's center.

"There are less than 3,000 people and he dares to come over. Shoot him to death!"

Qu Lichuqing was a man in his thirties, with a dark complexion and a tuft of beard on his lips. When he saw Lu Bu, his face became fierce and he swung his three-pointed knife violently. The commander-in-chief of the army had already promised that if he had still had concerns when Lu Bu had just defeated the Qiong demon Na Yan, now that the opposing cavalry had fought for such a long time and he had 6,000 troops under his command, what was there to be afraid of?

“My lord!” Yu Cheng took off his shield from his horse and threw it with all his might: “Catch it!”

The circular cavalry shield was spinning in the air. The moment Lu Bu caught it with one hand, the air on the opposite side was filled with the buzzing sound of bowstrings and dense arrows flew over.

The shield was waving, and the sound of tinkling hit the iron shield. The arrows were smashed and fell to the ground, or directly pierced the shield. A few arrows grazed Red Hare's flesh, leaving a trace of blood. The beast opened its eyes wide, snorted loudly, and its speed increased a bit.

On the back of the running red figure, Lu Bu gripped the halberd handle tightly with one hand, shaking violently, his eyes staring ahead, his expression calm and excited, just like when he first entered the battlefield.

"Change your weapons and kill him!"

Qu Lichuqing roared in a hoarse voice, his face flushed and his eyes trembling.

Above the red warhorse, Lu Bu grinned, and then with a loud roar of "Ha--", he threw the cavalry shield full of arrows over, and it hit the forehead of the cavalry in front with a bang. A loud bang was heard, wood chips shattered everywhere, and human bodies flew backwards.

Red Hare neighed, its hooves stirred up the black soil, and it approached rapidly. The golden crown reflected the light of the torch. A Liao cavalryman in front roared fiercely and stabbed out with a spear.

The next moment, the painted halberd swung in an arc and fell straight from the sky. Blood burst out from the Liao soldier's head, and the whole person was split in half. The red figure flashed by like lightning, and the painted halberd was raised, stabbing into the third person's chest, and the whole person was thrown out. With the other hand, he drew his sword and chopped into the neck of the cavalryman running from the left, and the head flew into the sky.

Blood flowers bloomed in the darkness.

The blood splashed on his face flowed down his skin. Lu Bu licked it with his tongue and said, "Yelü Dezhong, here I come!"

A powerful voice exploded, and the lights of swords and halberds flashed as Red Hare charged forward. The body and head of the man were spinning in the air. The horse's hooves rushed towards the cavalry formation in front without hesitation. Three cavalrymen rushed towards him with spears. The moment they crossed paths, a figure with a ring-handled sword and a Fang Tian painted halberd waving a beast-faced armor passed between the two men. The blade scratched the man's neck, and the Fang Tian painted halberd in his right hand hit the man's forehead. Then he retracted his arm and held the halberd upright to block the third cavalryman's stab. With a wave of his left hand, he scratched the man's abdomen.

There is no sign of weakness at all.

The sound of fighting gradually rang out behind and beside him. The guards holding the big flags followed closely. Amid the bangs and clashes, the scarlet figure was still at the forefront. With a Fang Tian Hua Ji, he lifted up the figure on the opposite side and threw it at the enemy: "Follow me, and go straight to the center of the army!"

Looking from above, the incoming wolf riders formed into swordsmen, and with a touch of red they broke through the layers of blockade. Lu Bu threw away his ring-handled sword that was full of holes, and danced wildly with his Fang Tian Hua Ji, knocking the cavalrymen attacking from the front off their horses. With his personal guards behind him to protect him, he advanced even faster.

"Stop him, someone go stop him!"

Qu Lichuqing was standing in the rear watching the flag of the King of Qi advancing forward without any hindrance, and he suddenly panicked. This was different from what he had expected. Why did this group of Qi soldiers still have such fighting power at this time? He wanted to turn his horses around, but a charge was sounded from the flag of the central army in the rear. The cavalry around him rushed forward desperately, forcing him to retreat.

Just as he gave the order, Lu Bu, who was acting as the sharp knife, also looked at him under the general's flag and lightly kicked the horse's belly. The Red Hare suddenly stepped across the ground, and the Fang Tian Huaji shone in front of the cavalry group rushing forward, leaving a long blood line with the wolf riders, like a knife blade cutting into the human body, breaking layer after layer of flesh and blood. Occasionally, the wolf riders fell off their horses, letting out dying screams.

"Kill this general first, then charge the central army!"

After calculating silently in his mind, Lu Bu looked at Qu Lichu coldly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, and he rode his horse and waved his halberd: "Follow me!"

The wolf riders behind him rushed out with horns, speeding up again and tearing through layers of defense in a blink of an eye. The ball of fire was already in front of them.

In the chaotic battlefield, the two armies charged and cut through each other. Someone drew his bow and aimed at the red. With a whoosh, an arrow flew over the crowd. Lu Bu had already sensed something was wrong and dodged the arrow by tilting his head. With a loud roar of "Ah--", he swung his Fang Tian Hua Ji and deflected the Liao soldier's spear in front of him. He did not look for who shot the arrow and shouted, "Yu Cheng, protect!"

Red Hare paused for a moment, and the guards behind him rushed forward desperately. Lu Bu threw out his spear fiercely, piercing the body of the cavalry in front, took out his longbow and put an arrow on it, and let it go in front of him. At the same time, Red Hare ran past the corpses, grabbed the painted halberd with his backhand, pulled it out, and thrust forward to knock a young general from the North Courtyard off his horse. He no longer looked at the North Courtyard flag and shouted: "Charge the central army!"

Wherever the red passed, blood splattered everywhere, and those who stood in its way looked down upon it. The cavalry in the rear shouted and charged forward with even more fanatical expressions.

The flag slowly fell, and an arrow was firmly inserted into the flagpole. A cavalryman from the North Courtyard shouted, "General, flag... General?!"

In the sight, Qu Lichuqing on the warhorse swayed, fell backwards off the horse, and an arrow in his face trembled slightly.

One bow, two arrows.

……

On the entire battlefield, Wang De and Wanyan Zonghan on one side were forcing the Xi cavalry to retreat step by step. The armored cavalry rushed through the positions of the resentful army and attacked the Xi infantry who were still fighting. Seeing the opportunity to counterattack, the Qi army's infantry and cavalry coordinated and swarmed forward, forcing the resentful army and the Xi troops who were frightened by the armored cavalry to retreat in a hurry.

On the other side, Hua Rong, Di Lei and He Zhongbao cooperated with Mi Xian to start a counterattack. Without the support of the central army in the rear and the protection of the flanks, the defense line of Taizhen and the right wing troops was breached. Wanyan Zongbing saw this helplessly and roared forward. Soon he killed the opposing cavalry and led his army to attack Niu Wenzhong. (End of this chapter)