Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 220 Cai!
"Reporting to my lord!" Huang Zhong's voice was steady.

"Hu Ting's troops have assembled, numbering about 35,000 archers. His prince, Yufuluo, came to the camp five days ago to make a fuss, but we repelled him. They are trying to force our army to retreat by claiming that they have been appointed by the Han."

"A title?" Zhang Xian's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Interesting. Now they realize they're under the control of the Han Dynasty. It's a pity the Han emperor's reach isn't that far now!"

He strode toward the central command tent, the cold wind whipping up the hem of his black cloak.

Inside the tent, bright lights were already burning, and on the huge sand table, the location of the Hu people's royal court was highlighted with cinnabar.

"How are the units resting and regrouping? Are their weapons and supplies adequate?"

Zhang Xian took off his cloak and casually tossed it to his personal guard, his piercing gaze sweeping over the generals in the tent.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao stepped forward: "The 7,000 soldiers of the Youyi Army are well-equipped with arrows and their horses are in excellent condition, ready for battle at any time!"

Lu Bu stood with his arms crossed: "The Wolf Riders have been itching for a fight! They're just waiting for your command, my lord!"

Liu Bei and his men were also filled with fighting spirit.

Huang Zhong added at the end: "The 12,000 infantrymen of the Armored Cavalry are fully equipped with heavy armor, swords, shields, and spears."

The army's artisan battalion has newly repaired thirty powerful crossbows and fifteen ballistae, but..." He hesitated slightly.

"With the continuous snow and wind, the horses may be slow, and the heavy cavalry will probably be useless."

"It doesn't matter."

Zhang Xian planted his finger heavily on the location of the Hu people's royal court on the sand table: "I alone am the heavy cavalry! Order all units to eat and rest well, and assemble at the camp gate at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow!"

"promise!"

The generals responded with a thunderous roar, their shouts almost lifting the tent roof off.

The next morning.

The snowstorm that had raged for several days miraculously stopped.

Lead-gray clouds hung low over the wasteland, and the world was a bleak gray-white, deathly silent.

The gates of the Han army camp were suddenly flung open.

Zhang Xian took the lead, his infantry armor gleaming with a cold light.

Behind him, generals such as Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, Lü Bu, Zhang Liao, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu stood with their swords drawn, their presence imposing and menacing.

Further behind, there was a dark, silent array of Han soldiers.

The black-armored heavy infantry, the white-robed light cavalry, and the yellow and white leather-armored wolf riders charged forward, clearly distinct yet seamlessly integrated, like three steel torrents brimming with destructive power.

The deep, resonant sound of war drums began to beat.

Boom...boom...boom...

Slow and heavy, like the beating of a heart, it reached the Hu people's royal court several miles away.

Inside Hu Tingjin's tent, the tribal leaders had already been alarmed and rushed up the simple stockade wall in a panic.

When the silent, advancing black army came into view, a chilling aura instantly gripped everyone.

"The Han people...the Han people have come out!"

"What are they going to do?"

"Quickly! Go and report to the Chanyu!"

Surrounded by his guards, Qiangqu climbed to the highest point of the stockade wall, his face ashen beneath his golden wolf-skin hat.

He stared intently at the large banner bearing the character "Zhang" fluttering in the gray-white sky, and at the dark figure beneath it.

The sound of horses' hooves crushing the snow grew louder as they approached, finally stopping three arrow-widths outside the wall of Huting Village.

The Han army was completely silent, with only the countless cold blades reflecting the sunlight.

Zhang Xian rode his horse alone, slowly stepping a few paces ahead of the crowd.

His gaze calmly swept over the faces of the Hu people on the village wall, some panicked, some angry, and some trying to remain calm, before finally settling on Qiang Qu, who was surrounded in the center.

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, yet it reached the Hu people's camp precisely.

“One of my soldiers went missing last night while patrolling the camp in the snow.”

He paused, his cold gaze locking onto Qiang Qu: "The last trace points to your camp."

"Hand over the person, and we'll spare your lives!"

The entire wasteland fell into a deathly silence.

The wind whipped up the snowflakes on the ground, making a soft rustling sound, which added to the eeriness.

Qiang Qu was stunned at first, then a surge of humiliated rage rushed to his head! Missing? Pointing to my camp? This is blatant provocation! He trembled with anger, and the old scar on his face became grotesque due to the blood rushing to his face.

"Absurd!" A Qiulin clan chieftain beside Qiangqu couldn't contain himself any longer. He leaned out of the crenellations of the stockade wall and roared in broken Chinese.

"Lost in the snow and frozen to death, fed to the wolves! What does that have to do with us? Han general, stop making such a lame excuse! You have instigated border conflicts and besieged the royal court; you are the ones who deserve to die! Retreat immediately, or else..."

His words stopped abruptly.

Because Zhang Xian glanced at him.

With just one glance, he felt as if he were facing certain death.

Qiangqu suppressed his surging anger and the unease deep in his heart, trying his best to make his voice sound authoritative.

"General Zhang! This is utter nonsense! There are no soldiers of your army in my camp! In this harsh wind and snow, it is common for some to get lost! For you to use this as a pretext to bring your troops to my camp is surely..."

"Don't pay?"

Zhang Xian's voice interrupted him without any emotion, so calm it sent chills down his spine.

Qiang Qu's subsequent attempts to explain were abruptly cut off, and his face instantly turned as red as a pig's liver.

In that deathly silence, Zhang Xian slightly raised one of his arms.

Woo——!
The sound of horns echoed across the plains!
"Wolf Riders!"

Lu Bu's furious roar, like thunder, overwhelmed the silence of Hu Ting! His double-fanged halberds pointed straight at the enemy.

"Follow me to kill the barbarian dogs!"

"Kill the barbarian dogs!!"

Sixteen hundred wolf riders roared with bloodlust! Their yellow and white iron-inlaid leather armor sprang into action like an avalanche, their hooves kicking up piles of snow that rippled around the Hu court like flowing water.

"Jiaqi Army!" Huang Zhong drew his sword, his voice booming like a bell.

"Mountain Battalion, destroy the city! All other units follow closely! Crush them!"

"Wind! Wind! Strong wind!"

Amidst a thunderous roar of battle cries, the dark steel jungle began to move! Heavy infantrymen pounded the earth, producing a deep and rhythmic rumble.

Spears like a forest, swords and shields like a wall, like a moving steel fortress, steadily pressing forward with an aura of crushing everything!
"You Yijun! Disperse!"

Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun shouted, slashing their horses, their bright silver spears cutting through the air.

Seven thousand white-robed knights, like mercury spilling onto the ground, instantly transformed into dozens of agile streams, galloping around the main battlefield and sweeping towards Hu Ting's flanks and rear like whirlwinds. At this moment, war truly revealed its most primal and bloodthirsty fangs.

"Moying, get to work!"

Zhang Xian took the lead, his dark figure leaping into the air like a burning meteor, and in an instant he had reached the gate of Hu Ting!
"Open up for me!" With a roar, the Overlord Halberd transformed into a streak of black light that tore through the air, carrying immense power as it slashed fiercely at the rough wooden gate covered with iron sheets!

Boom——!
A teeth-grinding cracking sound rang out! The bolt, as thick as a bowl, snapped in two! The heavy gate was cleaved open with inhuman force, leaving a huge gap! Wood chips, sheet metal, and snow sprayed everywhere!
"Again!" Zhang Xian swung his halberd again, and the shadowy figure stood up, its iron hoof, as big as a bowl, slamming hard into the crumbling gate!
Boom!

Half of the gate, along with several Hu soldiers who were trying to block it, collapsed inwards like rotten wood struck by a giant hammer! Smoke, dust, and snow billowed into the sky!

"Fight in!"

When Lü Bu saw the gate of the stronghold open, he was shocked, and his teeth gleamed with an almost worshipful light.

He spurred his horse, and the crimson warhorse transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, crashing into the gap first! His double-fanged halberds whirled left and right, whipping up clouds of blood and gore, as severed limbs danced in the raging wind! Wherever he passed, it was like a hot knife cutting through butter, carving a bloody alley through the chaotic and crowded tide of barbarian soldiers!
Like wolves drawn by the scent of blood, the wolf riders surged forward through the gap torn open by their commander! The heavy chopping sound of the sabers, the dying screams of the barbarian riders, and the neighing and clashing of warhorses instantly engulfed the area!

"Hold the line! Form ranks! Hold off the Han dogs!"

A centurion of the Qiulin clan roared at the top of his lungs, trying to organize a defensive line.

He brandished his scimitar and led the charge, which aroused the ferocity of some of the fierce Hu soldiers around him, who howled and gathered around.

"Lord chicken and dog!"

A thunderous roar erupted! Zhang Fei, like a black demon, charged in from the side! His eighteen-foot spear transformed into a streak of black light that tore through vision, accompanied by a piercing shriek, stabbing straight at the centurion's heart like a venomous dragon!

The centurion was also fierce and brave. He roared and used his scimitar to parry the attack!

clang--!
A piercing clang of metal on metal! The centurion felt an irresistible, immense force emanating from the blade, his arms trembled violently, and his tiger's mouth instantly split open! The scimitar flew out of his hand!

The moment horror appeared in his eyes, the dark spearhead pierced through his simple leather armor without any resistance and emerged from his back!

Zhang Fei swung his arm, lifting the burly centurion's corpse high into the air! Blood gushed down the spear shaft!

"Who else!" Zhang Fei's eyes widened in fury, his beard and hair bristling wildly, like a demon god descending to earth!

With a mighty shove, the corpse crashed down like a tattered sack, knocking over several Hu soldiers behind it. The spear swept across, slicing two more Hu cavalrymen who were trying to ambush him in half at the waist! Intestines and entrails mixed with hot blood splattered all over the ground!
This sudden, overwhelming force completely shattered the remaining courage of the Hu soldiers.

On the other side, Guan Yu's cleaver whipped up a whirlwind of death.

Where the blade flashed, men and horses were shattered! His warhorse galloped through the chaotic enemy ranks.

His face was calm, his phoenix eyes were half-open and half-closed, and every swing of his knife was precise and deadly, with no superfluous movements, as if he were harvesting fields of ripe wheat.

Blood soaked through his green robe beneath his magnificent beard, adding to his grim appearance.

Liu Bei wielded his twin swords with incredible speed and agility, his blade flashing like snowflakes as he weaved through the blood-soaked waves stirred up by the two great warriors, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Although his swordsmanship was not as domineering as his brother's, it was more precise and ruthless, with a steady hand. He would target the weak points in the enemy formation and the commanders, and his two swords worked together seamlessly. He would always escape far away before the Hu soldiers could surround him, leaving behind a mess.

His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, searching for a greater target of value: the wolf-head banner that represented the Xiongnu chieftain's personal guard!
By the time the heavy infantry stormed in, Hu Ting's interior had been completely transformed into a slaughterhouse.

Originally, the task of conquering the city should have been theirs, but who would have thought that their lord would be so unreasonable as to blast the city open with just one man and one horse?

But this is their true lord!

Even if the Overlord were alive, he would be no match for our lord!
The armored heavy infantry, like giant stone rollers, ruthlessly and efficiently crushed all organized resistance.

"Shields up! Spears! Thrust!" Huang Zhong's steady voice rang out from the heavy infantry formation.

The giant shields at the very front crashed to the ground, sending snow flying everywhere! The spearmen in the second and third rows peered through the gaps in the shields and thrust their chilling spear tips out fiercely!

puff!puff!
The Hu cavalry attempting to charge were like hitting a steel hedgehog; both men and horses were pierced by a dense barrage of spears! Their screams were drowned out by the clanging of steel and the cracking of bones.

The Hu cavalry that followed were so shocked by the horrific scene before them that they reined in their horses and trampled each other.

"Advance!" Huang Zhong pointed his precious sword forward.

"Ho!" The armored warriors roared in unison, stepping over the corpses of their enemies, advancing forward like a moving steel wall!
Shield bash! Spear thrust! Sword slash! Every synchronized step and swing brought forth a storm of blood! The Hu people's crude scimitars and bone arrows struck the fine iron armor, only managing to futilely send up a few sparks.

Despair spread among the Hu people.

On the front is a relentlessly advancing, unbreakable steel jungle.

To the sides and rear, there were elusive, swift cavalrymen, their arrows flying like locusts.

The firelight from the golden tent illuminated countless terrified and contorted faces.

Some people knelt down to surrender, only to be trampled into mincemeat by the fleeing crowd in the next moment.

Some attempted to break through the flanks that were not yet completely blocked, but were immediately shot down by accurate arrows.

Cattle and sheep ran frantically through the inferno, pushing the chaos to its extreme.

"Chanyu! We can't hold out any longer! Let's go!"

The commander of the personal guards, covered in blood, held tightly to Qiang Qu, who was acting like a madman and still trying to charge forward.

The Qiangqu golden wolf fur hat was nowhere to be found. His gray hair was disheveled, and his face was covered with soot, blood, and tears, making him look like a vengeful ghost.

Even the most desolate person shouldn't be like this!
"Zhang Xian!!!"

He let out a hoarse sound, almost like that of a wild beast.

However, it was this very sound that attracted several people who were particularly interested in him.

Zhang Fei!

Guan Yu!

Liu Bei!

"Trying to escape!" The three men's eyes lit up; throughout history, there have only been four major victories in battle.

Slay generals, seize flags, charge into battle, and be the first to scale the walls!
For Liu Bei, what he needed most right now was this excellent head, and the large banner next to it!
"Second brother, third brother!"

"Brother! I'll protect you! Kill!"

Guan Yu flicked his magnificent beard, and the horse-slaying sword in his hand moved like a bolt of lightning.

"Brother! Slay the general!"

Zhang Fei's spear thrusts relentlessly, and the two of them practically cleared a broad road for Liu Bei!
Seeing the three Qiangqu soldiers charging towards him like gods of death, his spirit and energy dissipated.

"We are the fattest prey, and we can't escape."

He laughed bitterly, shoved his guard aside, drew his jeweled gold sword from his waist, pointed it at the dark figure standing to the side, and roared with all his might.

"Warriors of the sacral region! Follow me!"

A streak of dark light, like lightning tearing through the night sky!
puff!
A thick, long, three-edged armor-piercing arrow pierced precisely through Qiangqu's wide-open mouth, exiting through the back of his neck! It slammed his unfinished roar and his entire body to the ground! Blood mixed with broken bone fragments instantly stained the snow beneath him red.

"call--!"

Huang Zhong let out a long breath.

"Damn it, a bunch of young punks had a good time killing, but who's going to have pity on me, the old man who can only command the army?"

"I won't compete with you for the credit for capturing the flag, but this slaying of the general..."

"Hahaha, the one who slays the general! It is none other than Huang Hansheng, the Colonel of the Liaodong Expedition!"

"color!!"

(End of this chapter)