Three Kingdoms: Zhang Fei was sent flying by a single spear thrust, leaving Liu Bei stunned.

The two torrents collided violently.

Shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, and the screams of the dying instantly resounded through the sky.

Xiahou Dun charged ahead, his spear gleaming like a dragon, each swing claiming the lives of several bandits. His leading by example greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers behind him.

Cao Ren commanded the infantry formation, advancing steadily and firmly, like a solid reef, standing firm no matter how the waves of the Black Mountain bandits crashed against them.

Cao Cao's five thousand veteran soldiers were indeed elite troops who had experienced bloody battles. They formed a tight formation, with spears in front and swords and shields behind, cooperating perfectly. Facing an enemy several times their size, they not only did not retreat, but instead advanced step by step.

However, the number of Black Mountain bandits was simply too great.

They were fearless; when one fell, the next would immediately step over the corpses of their comrades and charge forward. They had no sophisticated tactics; they simply used human lives to pay the price.

The battle quickly became intense.

Although Cao Jun's lines were tenacious, they began to falter under the relentless onslaught.

On the right flank, the situation was even worse for the new recruits led by Li Dian and Yue Jin.

Although these new recruits had been training for some time, it was their first time on the battlefield. Seeing the carnage and the scene of hell on earth, many of them turned pale and their legs went weak.

"Stay calm! Everyone stay calm!" Li Dian swung his sword and cut down a bandit who rushed in front of him, shouting at the top of his lungs.

But around him, some new recruits were already breaking down. They dropped their weapons and turned to run away.

"Anyone who retreats will be executed!" Yue Jin's eyes were bloodshot as he mercilessly killed a deserter, temporarily quelling the commotion.

But everyone knew this was only temporary. The recruits' morale was rapidly declining, and the right flank could collapse at any moment.

Once the right flank collapses, a huge gap will be torn open in the entire Cao army formation, with unimaginable consequences.

On the left flank, Xiahou Yuan led three thousand cavalrymen in several attempts to charge the enemy formation from the side, but the Black Mountain bandits were simply too numerous, and they were unable to break through the dense human wall. Instead, they themselves were caught in a fierce battle.

On the high platform, Cao Cao's palms were sweaty and his face was ashen.

He anticipated a tough battle, but he didn't expect the situation to deteriorate so quickly.

He overestimated the recruits' psychological resilience and underestimated the Black Mountain bandits' madness.

"My lord, the right flank is about to collapse! Let me lead the personal guards to charge!" Xu Chu anxiously volunteered for battle.

"No!" Cheng Yu immediately stopped him. "Your personal guard is your last line of defense; it cannot be moved lightly! My lord, give the order! Let General Ziqian take action!"

Cao Cao's lips were tightly pursed, and he was struggling intensely inside.

He wanted to win this battle on his own, and he wanted to prove to everyone that he, Cao Mengde, could do it just as well without Zhang Ziqian.

However, reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.

Looking at the crumbling right flank in the distance and hearing the soldiers' pitiful screams, he knew he could no longer gamble with the lives of thousands of soldiers for the sake of his ridiculous pride.

"Sound the retreat..." Cao Cao uttered two words with difficulty, his voice hoarse. He wanted to withdraw his troops first and regroup.

"My lord, you mustn't!" Cheng Yu exclaimed urgently. "If we sound the retreat now, our army's morale will plummet, and the bandits will seize the opportunity to pursue us. Our army will surely suffer a complete rout! At that point, it will truly be too late to turn the tide!"

Cao Cao swayed slightly.

He looked at the battlefield, at the young faces contorted with fear, at the soldiers lying in pools of blood, and his heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.

These people are all people who trust him and follow him.

"I...I was wrong..." Cao Cao closed his eyes, his face full of pain.

He finally admitted that he was wrong. He was wrong for being too idealistic and too stubborn.

"Go..." He opened his eyes, his gaze resolute, "Go and fetch Ziqian!"

……

Inside the supply depot, Zhang Ziqian was sitting on a grain cart, enjoying his meal immensely.

In front of him was a large iron pot filled with freshly stewed meat broth, its aroma filling the air.

"Hmm, this cook is quite skilled; the meat is stewed until very tender." He nodded in satisfaction as he ate.

He seemed oblivious to the deafening shouts of battle ahead. Fighting was a soldier's business, eating was his own business; one thing was one thing.

Just then, a messenger rode up on a fast horse and rushed over like a madman, almost knocking over his pot.

"General Zhang... General Zhang!" The messenger dismounted, breathless, and said, "Our lord has ordered... to send you into battle immediately!"

"Oh, finally it's my turn." Zhang Ziqian leisurely finished the last sip of broth, licking his lips with a hint of lingering satisfaction. "How's the fighting going up ahead?"

"The right wing... the right wing is about to collapse! General Xiahou and General Cao are also surrounded! Our lord said that if we don't act soon, our army will be defeated!" The messenger's voice was choked with sobs.

"That bad?" Zhang Ziqian raised an eyebrow.

He stood up, stretched, and his joints cracked and popped.

He picked up the Yuwang Spear that was leaning against the grain cart, weighed it in his hand, and felt that it was just right.

"Alright, time to go to work."

He walked toward the battlefield, his steps slow but each one exceptionally steady.

The cooks and auxiliary soldiers of the supply battalion, looking at his not particularly tall but reliable figure that exuded a sense of mountain-like strength, felt as if they had found their pillar of support, and their panicked hearts instantly calmed down.

Zhang Ziqian made his way through the chaotic rear guard and arrived at the main battlefield.

The scene before me was indeed as the messenger had described: utter devastation.

Cao Cao's army's lines were compressed beyond recognition, riddled with gaps, and the soldiers fought individually, completely losing their organization. Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren's central forces were also divided and surrounded, becoming two isolated islands, struggling to hold on.

On their opposite side, the Black Mountain bandits surged up like a black tide, howling like wild beasts.

"This art style is off," Zhang Ziqian said, pursing his lips.

"How could my boss's army be defeated so badly? If word gets out, wouldn't it make me look useless?"

"No, I have to change the art style."