NOVPUBQiao Rui did indeed set out to intercept the invading Mount Tai Army, yet his approach differed from Xun Zheng’s expectations. The first thing Qiao Rui did was to order his men to pour tung oil onto the main north-south street in Pingyu. Since they could no longer hold the city, Qiao Rui wasn’t going to fight to the death, but he knew that some kind of obstruction for the enemy was still necessary.
"Hua Xiong! Meet your doom!" Qiao Rui, alone on his horse accompanied by a handful of trusted aides, stood at the intersection in the city center, roaring at the distant sound of horse hooves. He had already dispatched the rest of his men to guard supplies and provisions, though he held no illusions of holding them. Rather, it was about burning them when they couldn’t be defended—only by burning them would he be following the King’s Way!
As Hua Xiong charged toward the city center, he was momentarily stunned by Qiao Rui’s ferocious shout. He had never expected the Qiao Rui, whom he had always viewed as fainthearted as a mouse, to choose a one-on-one duel with him at such a time.
"You all go elsewhere," Hua Xiong turned to those behind him and instructed, "Let me grant him a hero’s death!"
Hua Xiong maintained his peculiar character; he respected all warriors, whether friend or foe, and despised the idea of their dishonor. Thus, he decided to personally take Qiao Rui’s life.
After speaking, Hua Xiong spurred his horse and charged full speed in Qiao Rui’s direction.
"All of you watch closely. As soon as you see that guy approaching, don’t hesitate—throw the tung oil canisters and torches right at him. I’ve doused half the street with tung oil! I’ll kill Hua Xiong if it’s the last thing I do!" Qiao Rui warned the few people next to him.
Hua Xiong was fast, and from a distance, he could see Qiao Rui standing beneath a torch. Despite a sudden unease, he remained unafraid.
Just then, a clay jar flew towards Hua Xiong, who shattered it effortlessly with his great sword. He was curious about the sticky substance but realized in the next instant and promptly exploded his Inner Qi to its fullest.
"Throw the torches!" Qiao Rui bellowed.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than five torches hit the ground simultaneously. In the next moment, the tung oil that had been splattered everywhere and had some unknown substance mixed in with it, burst into flames. It wildly ignited a good portion of the street and almost set Hua Xiong, who was splashed with a canister of tung oil, ablaze.
"You court death!" Hua Xiong, enraged, flung off the sticky tung oil that had contaminated him, but inadvertently his clothing had caught fire.
"Clear the way!" Guided only by instinct, Hua Xiong fiercely lashed out in the direction of Qiao Rui with all his might. Then, flipping off his horse, he stamped the ground ferociously and leapt tens of meters into the air. From above, he glared at the pitiful Qiao Rui below, furious. Qiao Rui’s actions grievously tarnished his martial heart.
Hua Xiong, his body engulfed in flames, angrily unleashed his Inner Qi, striving to keep the flames from scorching his clothes.
"Qiao Rui, face your end!" Hua Xiong soared high into the sky, not bothering to remove his burning clothes, instead, marshaling all his strength to viciously strike at the panicked Qiao Rui, who had just witnessed him leap skyward.
"Boom!" With that one strike, Hua Xiong unleashed all his fury, viciously attacking Qiao Rui. The enormous light blade stretched a hundred meters, slaying Qiao Rui and severely demoralizing Yuan Shu’s Army.
After killing Qiao Rui with a single blow, Hua Xiong landed once again amidst the fire. As for his yellow piebald horse, it had vanished when he dismounted. Casually stripping off his armor, Hua Xiong, now in only his undergarments and bare-chested, holding his sword, stormed out of the fiery path. A mere hundred meters of flames could not stop a master like Hua Xiong. To burn a military general like him to death would require someone willing to sacrifice an entire city as a bonfire.
Looking at Qiao Rui, cleaved in two from shoulder to belly by his own hand, Hua Xiong spat disdainfully. What he hated most were these shameless types.
Bare to the waist, Hua Xiong carried his blade, his face smeared with soot, and turned his head towards Yuan Residence. Upon entering, he found it completely deserted. Looking back at Qiao Rui’s body, his expression turned noticeably complex.
"General, shall we take the enemy commander’s head?" asked a trusted aide.
"Forget it, although this fellow was somewhat shameless, he was also a loyal sort. Sew his body back together and find a place to bury him properly," Hua Xiong waved his hand dismissively. He had a habit of judging others by his own standards.
The shouts of killing grew quieter and eventually, the entire city fell silent, save for some areas that were still ablaze.
When Chen Xi entered the city, the sky was filled with rain, washing away the smoky air of the city in the sudden summer downpour.
Within three days, the battle reports from the eastern, western, and central fronts lay on the desks of the three pivotal Feudal Lords, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shu. As for Liu Biao, he was curious but, unfortunately, unable to receive any news.
Liu Bei was of course overjoyed and worry-free. Cao Cao, on the other hand, had a complex look on his face as he glanced at the newly defected Chen Qun and sighed. When Yuan Shu saw this report, he flipped his desk in rage!
"Retreat!" Yuan Shu bellowed angrily!
"My Lord, I urge you to remain calm. Although our continuous siege has exhausted us, the defenders of Jiangling are still weaker than us. If we don’t defeat Liu Jingsheng now, all the territory we’ve gained will simply be handed over to others, and we might even lose our homeland," said Yang Hong, Yuan Shu’s top Strategist, stepping forward to reassure him. The situation was like riding a tiger—difficult to dismount!
Yuan Shu’s expression flickered; he wasn’t a fool. With a reminder from Yang Hong, he instantly understood – the situation left him no alternative!
"Fight! Take down Jiangling! Within ten days, I want Liu Biao’s head!" Yuan Shu screamed frantically. He had no way out: Cao Mengde had seized Yingchuan, Chen Zichuan had taken Runan, and Guan Yunchang had sealed off Chen State. His entire army was trapped in Jingzhou and if they retreated, their morale would plummet, and Liu Biao’s forces might easily steamroll over Jingbei just as he had done before. As for Jingnan, if Jingbei fell, the whole of Jingnan would surrender to the victor!
Yuan Shu didn’t share the news about Yuzhou; he just issued an order to take Jiangling City within ten days. Even if it required piling up men to do it, they had to take Jiangling City!
Chen Xi and Liu Ye, in reality, still had some ability to continue fighting, but like Cao Cao, who could not advance further, they both understood that continuing to fight would be more loss than gain.
Although Nanyang was a desirable place, Liu Xuande couldn’t even absorb Yuzhou, let alone a detached territory like Nanyang. Even Lub County, considered an expendable area, was advised by all Strategists to be thrown to either Cao Cao or Yuan Shu to let them fight like dogs. They had already gained too much from this endeavor; if Liu Biao could not hold Jiangling under these circumstances, Chen Xi would have nothing more to say and would simply return to develop Qingzhou, leaving Cao Mengde and Yuan Shu to fight among themselves!
After all, having trained his troops in Yuzhou and seized a grain-producing region along with a large number of Civil Officials and military generals, Cao Mengde was capable of holding off Yuan Shu for a year without an issue. As for Qingzhou and Mount Tai, unfortunately, they did not border Yuzhou; thus, they could only attack Cao Mengde first if it came to war.
Even if Yuan Shu activated his "Golden Finger" and defeated Cao Cao later, it would be after more than a year. By then, Liu Bei, with a stabilized Qingzhou, wouldn’t mind using Xuzhou and the Lub Kingdom as battlegrounds. Even if they were utterly ravaged, it wouldn’t trouble him, and by that time, Yuan Shu, even with his "Golden Finger" and the backing of an elder, would be crushed! (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote and support me at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
