Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 290 A Hundred Riders Break Through the Enemy Camp, Their Merit Shakes the World! [5000]

Zhang Liao's camp.

Cao Xing and Wei Xu set out a small dish and drank wine together.

"Zhang Wenyuan is something else. Instead of sleeping properly in the middle of the night, he insisted on launching a night raid, keeping us both awake at night."

"That's right, Brother Cao, do you think Zhang Wenyuan can win?"

"joke!
With only three thousand men, he defeated twenty thousand. Did Zhang Wenyuan think he was a famous general of ancient times?
Let us sit here and wait for him to flee back so we can provide support.”

"is it?
But I often heard strategist Chen say that he was skilled in archery and horsemanship and was a good warrior.

He must be capable. Since he dared to launch a night attack, he must be confident. If he were to win by chance, wouldn't our previous advice to stop him have become a joke?
"If he causes trouble for General Lü in the future."

Upon hearing this, Cao Xing waved his hand and chuckled.

"Brother Wei and General Lü are close relatives, so what is there to worry about?"
The saying goes, "Those who are distant should not interfere with those who are close." If Zhang Wenyuan loses this battle, it will be because he ignored advice and underestimated the enemy, advancing recklessly.

If we win, it will show that the enemy is weak and not even a match for Zhang Liao’s three thousand men. How could they possibly be a match for our seventeen thousand men?

At that time, we will immediately lead our army out to hunt down the remnants of the Yellow Turbans and collect as many heads as possible.

Zhang Liao has only three thousand men under his command, so why should he compete with you and me for merit?
If General Lü asks, it is all thanks to Brother Wei's decisive command.

Isn't this precisely why you and I are staying up late, waiting here for news of Zhang Wenyuan's victory or defeat?

"Good! With Brother Cao's words, I am relieved."

Having received Cao Xing's supportive words, the two men agreed on their story and felt confident that they were now in an invincible position.

"Tap Tap"

Before long, the wine in the cup trembled, and the sound of horses' hooves thundered outside the camp.

Knowing that the time had come, the two men put down their wine cups and hurried to the front of the camp to see if Zhang Liao would win or lose.

Sure enough, a group of Zhang Liao's cavalrymen came galloping towards them. Although their formation was chaotic, they looked to be at least two or three thousand strong.

"Hi~"

Cao Xing and Wei Xu exchanged a glance and couldn't help but gasp.

"This Zhang Wenyuan is truly extraordinary; how did he manage to escape unscathed?"

"It seems we have won. If we had been ambushed and defeated, how could we have returned with only three thousand men after going there?"

Little did the two of them know that Gan Ning's hundred cavalry charged into the enemy lines, focusing solely on speed and daring not to pause for even a moment, lest they be dragged into the quagmire.

Although this terrified Zhang Liao's army, how many could a mere hundred men kill in such a short time? It was merely a show of force to drive away the fleeing soldiers.

Therefore, in the darkness of the night, with many shadowy figures, Cao Xing and his companion had the illusion that Zhang Liao had already successfully launched a night attack and escaped unscathed.

"It seems these Yellow Turban rebels are not a threat. Brother Wei should make a decision as soon as possible."

Wei Xu nodded and said:
"The enemy will never have imagined that after Zhang Wenyuan's night raid, you and I would lead troops to attack the camp."

This is the key to victory—tonight, we will achieve a surprise attack and defeat the enemy!

In their minds, if Zhang Liao could escape unscathed with only three thousand men, there was no reason why their seventeen thousand men would be defeated.

Having made their decision, the two immediately ordered their troops to prepare for battle and rush out of the camp to claim credit.

However, as soon as the gates of the stronghold were opened, Cao Xing and Wei Xu led their troops out and encountered Zhang Liao's army, only then did they realize something was wrong.

The army that had escaped unscathed was not a victorious force at all; it was clearly a group of routed soldiers fleeing in panic.

All that could be heard was the man shouting:

"General Cao, run! Zhang Jiao is coming!"

Cao Xing: "???"

Zhang Jiao? Is this the Zhang Jiao I'm thinking of?

Then someone shouted:
General Wei, leave immediately!

The thief is skilled in sorcery; he is impervious to water, fire, swords, and spears!

Wei Xu: "???"

No, listen to yourself, are you even speaking human language?
Impervious to water and fire, invulnerable to swords and spears, is that thing even human?

Seeing that morale was wavering and his troops were being overwhelmed by fleeing soldiers, Cao Xing immediately drew his bow and shot down the men who were shouting. He then addressed his generals:
"Don't panic, everyone! This man was spreading heresy and has been killed by me!"

Zhang Jiao has been dead for many years, how could he possibly come back to life?
How could the enemy, being mere mortals, be immune to fire and water, or impervious to swords and spears?
This must be because Zhang Liao underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, leading to a disastrous defeat. He deliberately instigated them to say such things in order to demonize the enemy army and lessen his own guilt.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately realized its validity!
Compared to the idea that Zhang Jiao was invincible and impervious to fire and water, General Cao's analysis was perfectly reasonable and insightful.

Wei Xu also captured a fleeing soldier and asked him:
"Where is Zhang Wenyuan? How many enemy troops have arrived? What is the current state of the battle?"

The defeated soldier was clearly terrified, and now, as Wei Xu held him in his hand, his voice was trembling with sobs.

"General Zhang? I don't know."

We ran first. General Zhang ran slowly, seemingly still fighting those sorcerers. He has probably been burned to death by their magic by now.

Enemy forces? Those were not enemy forces at all; they were clearly a hundred fiery demons who burned upon contact and killed upon encounter, impervious to swords and spears, and unharmed by water or fire.

War? What war is there left?
"It's over, it's all over! We've provoked that Zhang Jiao! If we don't escape now, he'll surely burn us to ashes with his sorcery!"

Hearing the man's trembling voice, choked with sobs, and his earnest words, everyone was deeply moved.

"What? Zhang Wenyuan has been burned to death?"

"You were ambushed; the enemy used fire?"

"Fire attack?"

The defeated soldiers looked at Wei Xu with sorrowful eyes, as if they too were about to become dead.

"Where would we need to lay an ambush or use fire attacks?"
General, why can't you understand?

They are fire!
And now, the fire is coming!

As the fleeing soldier's tone grew increasingly desperate, what was reflected in his pupils was a blazing, burning flame.

"fire?"

Wei Xu looked back and saw groups of fire cavalry charging towards them!

The first fire-man charged into the fray on horseback, shouting:
"General Zhang Jiao is here; who dares to fight me!"

With this fire, the Han dynasty will be burned to ashes!
For the great cause of Heaven!

His fire-wielding followers shouted in unison:

"We'll go through fire and water, even death!"

In an instant, a hundred fire-breathing men charged straight into the formation, and none who stood in their way were defeated!
How could they not be invincible? With this ghostly, murderous aura, coupled with the descriptions given by the fleeing soldiers, who would dare to stand against the onslaught of these fire-men?
Cao Xing and Wei Xu looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock. They opened their mouths, but couldn't utter a word.

Damn it!

Today, my brother and I have finally met Zhang Jiao!
Is this for real? It turns out that the legends of the sorcerer Zhang Jiao who knew magic were actually true. Who would believe it if they didn't see it with their own eyes?

Wait, isn't Zhang Jiao already dead?

Shocking! Thinking about it this way makes it even scarier!

Despite the overwhelming shock and shock of the scene, the two still managed to protect the army in front of them.

"So what if they use sorcery? The enemy only has a hundred men, while we have seventeen thousand. We can drown them with just a spit from each of us!"

"That's right! Soldiers, heed my command and charge! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

The two were giving their all to command the army against the enemy, but as they gave the orders, they had already quietly retreated and gradually disappeared without a trace.

This thing, whether human or ghost, is said to have burned Zhang Wenyuan to death. How could they dare to test its power?

As for the soldiers, they were already terrified and dared not approach.

Only a few archers, upon receiving the order, boldly shot their arrows.

However, with a barrage of arrows, all that could be heard was the clanging sound. The arrows struck Gan Ning and his men, who were covered in cloaks, cotton-padded clothes, and heavy fire armor. How could they possibly be effective?

The arrows that were shot were either deflected or stuck in the cotton clothes and set on fire, quickly burning to ashes.

With such an impenetrable shield and the soldiers braving the flames, how could they dare to fight?

"This is a divine being; we cannot defeat him by force!"

General!

Why don't you come and see for yourself whether this is a question of one hundred people or ten thousand people?

Wait, where are the soldiers?
What else is there to fight?
"The general has run away!"

With Cao Xing and Wei Xu's escape discovered, the soldiers lost all will to fight and fled in panic.

In an instant, including Zhang Liao's routed soldiers, nearly 20,000 men were chased and killed by a hundred fire-wielding figures with almost no losses.

The imperial edict resounded throughout the land!

"Heaven is dead; let Heaven punish us and burn the Han dynasty!"
"May the Yellow Heaven rise, and I ride the blazing flames to tread upon the sea of ​​fire!"

"We'll go through fire and water, even death!"

Zhang Liao's army was in a panic, while Gan Ning's army, on the other hand, felt as if their whole bodies were on fire. It seemed that their water-soaked cotton clothes were also burning due to the oil, and their armor was gradually heating up as well.

But right now, their momentum is at its peak. I ask you, how many people in the world have ever experienced such a scene of charging into battle on horseback, defeating tens of thousands of people with only a hundred men?
They're on fire right now, unstoppable!
Today, I will surely join the general in making a name for myself throughout the world!

Just as they were about to reach Zhang Liao's camp, Gan Ning flicked off the deer antlers with his spear and shouted!
"Now is the time to awe the feudal lords!"

"Soldiers, follow me and burn down the enemy camp!"

With that, he charged ahead, entering the camp and heading straight for the rear guard to kill Cao Xing. It turned out that Cao Xing had protected the main army in front of him, while he himself had already spurred his horse to escape to the rear guard. If he had a little more time, he might have been able to escape the camp as well.

Gan Ning only had a hundred cavalry, and the fire was raging, turning their iron armor as hot as branding iron. He knew he couldn't fight for long.

He then led his men to focus on Cao Xing, who was wearing general's armor, and charged forward, attacking from the left and right.

Zhang Liao's army panicked and fled, no longer daring to fight, and became disorganized among themselves.

They allowed Gan Ning, with his hundred cavalry, to roam freely within the camp, killing anyone he encountered, setting fires like stars, and sprinkling oil everywhere to set things ablaze.

In an instant, fire broke out in the camp, and shouts of battle filled the air!
They charged straight from the vanguard to the rearguard, and no one dared to stop them. They caught up with Cao Xing's panicked face as he looked back.

"Now you are acting on behalf of Heaven, and you shall die by fire!"

After saying this, he shot Cao Xing dead with a spear, then casually smashed a kerosene can on his body. His followers then threw down torches, burning him into a human torch.

Those around who witnessed this were all horrified and dared not fight!
In an instant, the entire camp was in chaos; anyone who came near fled, and anyone who came across them darted away, running east and west in a panic, as frantic as mice.

Gan Ning led his men in a great disturbance in the camp. Seeing that his iron armor was burning hot, he led his men out of the east gate and headed straight for the coast.

Zhang Liaojun finally breathed a sigh of relief, having managed to send the sorcerer away, and no one dared to pursue him.

Unfortunately, this group of demons consisted of only a hundred riders, and their bodies were engulfed in flames, making them impervious to swords and spears.

But we have a full 20,000 people on our side!
If he were focused on escaping and hiding, these mere hundred demon riders would most likely not be able to kill him. But if he were to rush to stop them, he would truly be courting death.

Indeed, this was the case. Although Gan Ning's hundred cavalrymen charged into the camp with impressive momentum, their numbers were too small and they dared not fight for long.

Most of the time was spent sprinting to ignite the fire; the actual number of people who died at their hands was only four or five hundred.

Two to three thousand people were injured or killed by being trampled by their own people, or burned to death by fire in the camp.

Seeing that the intimidating group of strongmen had finally left, Wei Xu, dressed in a soldier's armor, stepped forward and began to reorganize his troops while collecting Cao Xing's body.

He found the wine the two of them hadn't finished, filled Cao Xing's cup, and sighed.

"Brother Cao! Brother Cao!"
What's the use of just running fast? In a life-or-death situation like this, the first thing to do is change your armor!

"Wearing a full set of general's armor, all swaggering around, who else but you will die?"

Just as we were in silent mourning, a soldier came to report:

"General! Something's wrong! More cavalry are attacking!"

"what!"

Wei Xu exclaimed in alarm and was about to flee again when he suddenly noticed that the cavalry general who had charged in looked quite familiar.

If it wasn't Zhang Liao, then who was it?
"Zhang Wenyuan? You weren't burned to death?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao's face darkened!
He thought he had been ambushed, but then he was inexplicably thrown off balance by a group of firemen charging into the fray.

He'd never encountered this before, and in his panic, how would he know how to defend against it?
Once he had somewhat regrouped the fleeing soldiers who were chasing after him, he planned to join forces with Wei Xu and Cao Xing to launch a pincer attack and crush the enemy forces in front of the camp.

But how could he have imagined it?

Wei Xu and Cao Xing, those two good-for-nothings, actually opened the camp gates, leading a full 17,000 men, only to be slaughtered by a hundred enemy cavalrymen before he could even save them.

The only saving grace is that the enemy's numbers are small, so the casualties are not too great. Once they regroup, they can fight again!

However, while he was contemplating how to reorganize his troops for another battle, Wei Xu, standing opposite him, pointed at his nose and angrily rebuked him:

"Zhang Wenyuan, how dare you come back?"
You underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, leading to this defeat and even the death of General Cao. You must go before General Lü and explain this matter to him!

Zhang Liao: "."

Seeing Wei Xu's intense emotions, Zhang Liao had no intention of arguing with him and suppressed his anger.

"Liao was indeed at fault in this defeat, and I will explain it to General Lü after the battle."

I urge General Wei not to lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small matter.

The most pressing matter should be the reorganization of the troops.

However, Wei Xu was relentless, seemingly eager to settle the matter of his underestimation of the enemy, defeat, and death of Cao Xing. As the two argued, shouts of battle could be heard outside the camp!
"The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

In the year of Dingchou, great fortune will befall the world!

Upon seeing the fire in Zhang Liao's camp, Jiang Qin, knowing that Gan Ning had made a great contribution, immediately led his entire army to attack.

Just as Cao Xing and Wei Xu had planned, their camp had just been raided, and they never expected that the enemy would raid it again so soon.

At this time, the fire in the camp had not yet been extinguished, and there was chaos everywhere as people were fighting the fire, fleeing, rescuing people, and trampling each other.

How could they possibly stop the well-intentioned yet unprepared Jiang Qin army, which was at its peak?
"The Dingchou stream was an omen of the impending demise of the Han dynasty."

Acting on behalf of Heaven, I lead the Great Way and stand under the Yellow Heaven!

With General Hai Gong here, who dares to fight me?

Then, a massive force of 20,000 Yellow Turban soldiers took advantage of the fire to attack. This time, however, they were different from the previous group of fire-bearers; they were truly there to take lives.

Seeing that the camp was already in chaos, this calamity caused heavy casualties among his men.

Zhang Liao could no longer tolerate it. He spurred his horse forward and shouted, "I'll fight you!"

However, Jiang Qin, who often cooperated with fierce warriors like Zhao Yun and Gan Ning, knew that people were different and that some people were capable of taking his head in just a few moves.

At this time, he had also heard of Zhang Liao's prowess, so how could he dare to fight?

He led his men in a frenzy, killing and wounding Zhang Liao's soldiers.

Zhang Liao was anxious and tried several times to charge at Jiang Qin, but Jiang Qin deliberately avoided battle and only sent a large army to kill him, ordering archers and crossbowmen to form a line to shoot him.

Whenever he seemed about to attack, Jiang Qin would shout urgently:

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Fire arrows!!!"

Then a barrage of arrows was unleashed, and Zhang Liao abruptly reined in his horse, unable to get close.

Unfortunately, he was all alone, and his soldiers were in complete disarray and difficult to command, only shouting and cursing!

“You coward, do you even deserve to be called General Hai Gong and Zhang Jiao’s brother?”
You boasted just now, "Who dares to challenge you? What are you saying now?"

Those who have the courage, step forward and fight!

He was forced into this situation and had no other choice but to provoke General Hai Gong into acting recklessly and engaging him in a duel, in order to have a chance to turn the tide and win.

Moreover, even if Hai Gong is cautious and dares not go into battle, it should be able to dampen his spirits and lower the morale of these Yellow Turban rebels.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qin merely sneered and said:
"If the Dragon Lord and the Ghost Lord were here, your head would be sold like a tagged head!"

Why do you stand here, barking and howling?

Upon hearing this, the morale, which had slightly declined due to Jiang Qin's reluctance to engage in combat, suddenly surged to its peak.

Yes!

General Zilong charged in and out of the army seven times, and no one could stop him!

General Xingba's hundred cavalrymen broke through the enemy camp, treating the 20,000-strong army as nothing more than weeds!
What else is there to say to us?

If you're so capable, try challenging me to a duel again when General Zilong and General Xingba are still around.
Zhang Liao: “???”

This scene left Zhang Liao completely bewildered. How come your commander is afraid of battle, yet you not only don't lower morale, but actually boost it?

However, as Jiang Qin's army charged in with overwhelming force, Zhang Liao's troops were thrown into chaos and unable to resist. They could only charge left and right, fighting wildly for a while before leading his army out of the east gate and heading towards the coast.

The camp was left in ruins, with the dead and wounded scattered everywhere, telling the story of the harrowing night.

On the other side, Jiang Qin led his men out of the east gate and hurried all the way to the coast, where they found Gan Ning, who was soaking in the water and grimacing in pain.

It turns out that although the armor is not afraid of burning, it gets extremely hot. Fortunately, the water-soaked cotton clothing provided some protection for a while.

As the heat intensified, Gan Ning quickly led his men out of the camp. He first used his sword to cut off the burnt cotton-padded clothes and brocade robes, then hurriedly led his men to lie down in the water on the beach to cool down their heavy armor before daring to remove it.

Even so, he had several burns and many blisters on his body.

Upon seeing Jiang Qin arrive, he was both in pain and smiling, and asked:

"Gongyi, do you think this battle will make all the feudal lords of the world aware of my might?"

"I know, I know.

A hundred riders broke through the enemy camp, their achievements shaking the world!
From now on, none of the feudal lords in the world will dare to underestimate you.

Just as Gan Ning was about to burst into laughter, he suddenly seemed to realize something, clutched his chest, and cried out in anguish, "Oh no!"

"What's wrong? What's wrong!"

Upon seeing this, Jiang Qin said anxiously, "Is there a fire somewhere? You should have just charged out of the camp as soon as possible. Why are you so eager for merit and risking your life?"

But Gan Ning looked dejected and sighed:
"Gongyi has ruined me!"
I gave the name of General Zhang Jiao, the Ghost King.

Jiang Qin: "."

He was both angry and amused, and didn't know what to say. He simply raised a torch and signaled for a large ship at sea to come and meet him.

Gan Ning and his hundred cavalrymen were carried onto a large boat, where doctors treated their burns and scalds.

When the people on the ship heard that Gan Ning had led a hundred cavalrymen to the broken camp and routed 20,000 enemy soldiers without losing a single man or horse, they were all astonished.

After he recovered from his injuries, he went to the deck and saw people beating drums and playing flutes, praising him as "a brave and unparalleled general!"

A burst of cheers erupted, and Gan Ning's depressed mood was instantly relieved. He laughed heartily, took the spoils of the trip, and shared them with everyone.

The next day, by the time Zhang Liao regrouped his troops and came to attack, the large ships of "Acting on Behalf of Heaven" had already sailed away.

Zhang Liao, helpless, could only sigh in despair once again.

(End of this chapter)