NOVPUBGuan Yu saw from a distance a blood-colored Cloud Qi rushing towards him, and in that brief moment when his extremely sharp eyes opened, he noticed Cao Cao protected by a large number of trusted aides.
Observing the disorganized, yet determined-looking Cao Army soldiers, Guan Yu felt a trace of admiration.
He lifted his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and his armor, serene as clear waters, appeared upon his body, shining brilliantly in the rising sun like a Celestial God coming into the world.
"Guan Ping, Zhou Cang, where is Pei Yuanshao!" Guan Yu bellowed without turning his head.
"Here!" the three men stepped forward in unison and saluted Guan Yu with a fist.
"Follow me into formation and exterminate Bandit Cao!" Guan Yu roared, thrusting the Green Dragon Crescent Blade into the ground with a squat; a dragon’s cry rang out, and Guan Yu’s Army immediately became enveloped in Clear Radiance. Following that, Guan Yu’s aura soared continuously, and a figure of a Coiling Dragon clearly appeared above the entire Military Formation.
"Army, follow me to kill the enemy, victory or defeat will be decided in this single move!" Cao Cao shouted at the top of his lungs, charging first towards Guan Yu.
"Utterly unwise!" Guan Yu slightly opened his eyes, a flash of cold light crossing them, daring to charge at him like this.
"Kill!" After a thunderous roar, Guan Yu said no more, and on horseback, he charged towards Cao Cao, picking up speed, fast as an arrow released from its bow.
"Die!" Guan Yu’s horse charged fearlessly towards the Cao Army, and, holding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade upside down, he forcefully slashed out a gigantic Light Blade from a hundred steps away from Cao Cao.
Such unwise actions did not fit the image of Cao Cao that Guan Yu held in his mind from the days beneath Hulao Pass, a hero sparing another hero. Hence, he did not wish to converse with Cao Cao, giving him the chance to die under his mightiest strike, as a form of gratitude!
"Puchi!" Cao Cao was splashed with fresh blood, although he was in the middle of the Cloud Qi Great Formation. However, the residual force that cut through the top of the Cloud Qi still had a lethal effect on Cao Cao. Fortunately, Claw Yellow Flying Lightning had extremely sensitive reactions and dodged away before the danger arrived. Nonetheless, the surrounding trusted aides were caught by the strike, with nearly a hundred killed instantly.
"Hmph, that’s a good horse!" Guan Yu squinted his eyes and stroked his beard. The Guan Yu’s Army behind him formed up and pressed forward into a Military Formation, blocking the Cao Army that was rallying its final courage, while Guan Yu charged relentlessly towards Cao Cao, swinging the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and advancing as if entering an uninhabited land.
Indeed, Cao Army was strong, resolute, and determined to fight to the death. Unfortunately, the disparity in strength was too great. Guan Yu dared to volunteer to defend the last position because he anticipated the situation. Back-to-Water battles, the hope that desperate soldiers would prevail, or that united wills could form an impregnable fortress, all cut in half with a single slash from Er Ye.
Even with his strength half suppressed by the Cloud Qi, Guan Yu still chased after Cao Cao as if he was the only one on the battlefield and successfully split and dissected Cao Army under his lead. The seemingly solid Fish-Scale Formation was severely broken, and even the Cloud Qi showed signs of dissipating.
"Lord, flee quickly!" A dozen trusted aides saw Guan Yu closing in on them and shouted at the top of their lungs, turning to face Guan Yu in attack.
The glint of the blade flashed by instantly, and several of Cao Cao’s guarding aides who were leading the troops fell. Then, a few more slashes followed, and the soldiers facing them were completely cut down by Guan Yu, who then pressed on towards Cao Cao.
"Sovereign Marquis, Bandit Cao’s horse is fast, and with the trusted aides fighting to the death to protect him, it’s difficult to catch up," Zhou Cang led a team of School Sabre Bearers to cut down several enemy generals and then reported back to Guan Yu.
"No need to worry, continue to drive Cao Cao eastward, where I have Yuanjian lying in ambush," Guan Yu said calmly.
"Understood!" Zhou Cang saluted with a fist, then led the troops to kill in a different direction. In just a short while Guan Yu had already completely scattered Cao Cao’s Great Formation, and in at most another quarter of an hour, he would have broken through the Cloud Qi. With such absolute strength, morale and will were but minor annoyances at best.
Qin Shao, disguised as Cao Cao, was pursued relentlessly by Guan Yu, eventually reduced to a mere dozen trusted aides.
"Die!" Liao Hua, who had been crouching outside the military formation, saw the flamboyant golden-armored general and instantly felt his luck had come. He drew his bow and loosed an arrow at Cao Cao, who immediately fell from his horse with a single shot.
"Capture Cao Cao alive for me!" Liao Hua roared, leading a hundred soldiers out of the trenches and charging toward Cao Cao with his Long Spear.
"Go to hell!" Qin Shao pulled the arrow from his waist with a ferocious expression, his eyes bloodshot as he slashed toward Liao Hua.
"Crack!" Startled, Liao Hua leapt backward instinctively, only to see his well-used Long Spear had been cut into two halves by a sword.
Wielding the Yitian Sword wildly, Qin Shao’s martial force might have been only second-rate, but with that sword, which could slice through iron like mud, he managed to kill several men even while surrounded, though he himself was gravely injured.
Watching Guan Yu approach on horseback from afar, Qin Shao stopped his frenzy. "Ha ha ha ha, to fall in an ambush from all sides, I have no regrets!"
"Pfft!" As the Yitian Sword rested on his neck, he pulled it slightly—the sharp blade smoothly slit his throat. He gave a mocking smile in Guan Yu’s direction before collapsing to the ground.
As Guan Yu rode over with his sword, he saw Cao Cao’s blood-stained face; he had committed suicide by sword. A trace of lament appeared on Guan Yu’s face—if Cao Mengde hadn’t brutally slaughtered the people of Xuzhou, how could things have come to this? The great hero beneath Hulao Pass, now…
"Have Yuanjian take care of Cao Cao’s body," Guan Yu ordered Liao Hua.
"Yes, Sovereign Marquis," responded Liao Hua, his face lighting up with joy. Though they hadn’t captured him alive, killing Cao Cao was still a great achievement.
When Guan Yu returned to the outskirts of Pengcheng on horseback, the entire battlefield had already been cleaned spotlessly. It must be said that Pei Yuanshao, accustomed to his frugal ways, was meticulous in clearing the battlefield and efficient in logistics, splitting a coin in two to make it last—he was just the kind Guan Yu was used to.
"What are our losses?" Guan Yu inquired of the army’s Sima, Zheng Jun.
"Our forces suffered approximately 1,100 dead, 2,300 injured, and over 70 crippled. The Cao Army lost more than 3,700 men, with the survivors all wounded," replied Zheng Jun, the descendant of the Zheng clan, neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Give them a generous burial. Though they sinned, their loyalty and righteousness remained unchanged. Treat those who are alive," Guan Yu said with a slight frown as he arranged for the Cao Army, "Double the consolation money for our men. If the captured supplies are insufficient, I will cover the cost."
"As you command," acknowledged Zheng Jun with a salute to Guan Yu.
"Ping’er, follow your father to reorganize the troops and take over Pengcheng," Guan Yu said to Guan Ping, adjusting his state of mind unsettled by the dramatic turn of events with Cao Cao, after Zheng Jun had left.
Carrying the flag emblazoned with "Guan," Guan Yu rode to Pengcheng with Guan Ping and Zhou Cang. Before they could even shout, the city gates opened. Xu Sheng, leading Zhao Yan, approached Guan Yu, "Greetings, General Guan."
Guan Yu gave Xu Sheng a glance, "You did well. Are the Danyang Troops still in Pengcheng?"
"Currently, there are still over 24,000 old Danyang soldiers in Pengcheng," Xu Sheng reported with his head lowered.
"Very good," said Guan Yu, a rare smile appearing on his face. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it with a recommendation ticket or a monthly ticket on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
