NOVPUB"Set off, let me see who can make my heart pound with excitement, Yann Liang, you’re still not qualified enough!" Hua Xiong’s body shimmered with a fiery red luster, and he became ecstatic. He wanted to see who could defeat him while he was leading an entire legion!
As Hua Xiong mobilized his troops and set off, Du Yuan and his three companions felt their hearts racing, but with the Chief General exuding such momentum, their fear dissipated.
When Hua Xiong led his troops forward, Yann Liang, seeing the solemn military appearance and silent infantrymen, and the troop’s march without any noise, couldn’t help but feel a sinking sensation in his heart.
"Hua Zijian, it has been several years since we parted at Hulao." Yann Liang rode forward, cupped his fists in greeting, and said.
"General Yann, it seems you’ve made great progress," Hua Xiong said calmly, for once on the battlefield, all his excitement and nervousness had vanished.
"This is all the skill I have on my hands. I’ve wanted to battle with General Hua since the beginning but never had the chance. I’m still waiting to fulfill that promise made by our Lord," Yann Liang said with a smile.
A chill flashed in Hua Xiong’s eyes. How could he not know what Yuan Shao had said back then? It was nothing other than, "With Yann Liang and Wen Chou absent from my ranks, otherwise Hua Xiong would be surely beheaded"!
"It seems you are quite confident," Hua Xiong said with a laugh, which was so unrestrained. The fire on his body surged, coalescing into fiery red armor. Hua Xiong swung his Great Sword twice and carried it on his shoulder.
"I’ve had enough of this idle chatter," Yann Liang’s body burst with a dark red glow, and armor etched with clear patterns appeared on him.
"Kill!" Yann Liang roared, spurring his horse and charging at Hua Xiong with his Long Spear!
"Thud!" Hua Xiong’s blade struck Yann Liang’s spear shaft, his entire being flaring up as if ablaze. As their horses crossed, both sides’ armies shouted and cheered them on.
"You’ve actually improved so much!" Hua Xiong squinted at Yann Liang.
"You will die here soon!" Yann Liang laughed heartily and charged directly at Hua Xiong, thrusting his Long Spear straight at him.
[Is this my death sentence, a joke? Although Yann Liang is brave, he’s only on the level of Yunchang. To think he can kill me!] Hua Xiong slashed at Yann Liang’s neck, completely ignoring the spear thrust at his own midsection.
"Ting!" Yann Liang deflected Hua Xiong’s blade with his spear but lost the chance to wound him.
Hua Xiong smiled faintly as he hacked at Yann Liang, his frenzied slashes forming a continuous barrage, as smooth as flowing cloud and water. He had no fear of Yann Liang’s thrusts. Back at Sishui Pass, when he faced what he thought was his death sentence and survived, Hua Xiong knew that when one must die, one should fight back with all one has, emerging from certain death even stronger. Only by not fearing death can you overcome it.
"Ting!" The more Yann Liang fought, the more oppressed he felt, his full strength greatly diminished. Hua Xiong was unfazed by each of his deadly attacks, and Yann Liang could distinctly see that Hua Xiong didn’t bother to dodge the spear aimed right between his eyebrows. Hua Xiong’s clear and fearless gaze forced him to defend against each successive chop.
"Ting!" A light chime sounded, and as the saying goes, a defense too prolonged is bound to fail. Yann Liang was finally struck head-on.
A nearly distorted red light struck Yann Liang directly, and to everyone’s astonishment, Yann Liang managed to parry the blade light. Then, the deflected blade slashed viciously into the unsuspecting ranks of the Yann Liang Army. Those soldiers who did not focus on their Cloud Qi protection instantly had nearly a hundred men fall.
Hua Xiong’s eyes were as still as water, knowing he was no match for Yann Liang. His strongest surprise attack had been effortlessly withstood by Yann Liang, revealing a chasm too vast to bridge.
"Charge!" Hua Xiong calmly watched the furious Yann Liang, swinging his Horse-Cutting Blade toward the sky, sending a phantom arc of light flying forward. His troops, like tigers released from their cages, surged towards Yann Liang’s forces, with a torrent of arrows blanketing Yann Liang’s military formation.
"Kill!" The entire military formation under Hua Xiong, like a phoenix spreading its wings, charged into Yann Liang’s unprepared army, throwing them into disarray with men and horses toppling over.
"Slaughter them!" Hua Xiong coldly led several dozen infantrymen, with a long spear in one hand and a Great Shield in the other, cutting down Yann Liang’s trusted aides with ease as if they were chopping vegetables, amidst the countercharge led by Yann Liang.
Yann Liang shattered a shield with one spear thrust, pierced a soldier, then prepared to sweep again, but his spear suddenly felt heavy. The stricken soldier, with strength from gods knew where, clung tightly to the spear, refusing to let go, while the other soldiers around him, with fierce looks in their eyes, thrust their spears at Yann Liang’s horse.
"Crack!" Yann Liang violently flung the soldier off his spear, knocking over several soldiers, then immediately steered his horse toward another flank.
"Hua Xiong has guts let’s fight one-on-one!" Yann Liang roared in anger, witnessing his troops being pushed back.
Hua Xiong glanced at Yann Liang, now retreated among his trusted aides, feeling an icy dread that intensified with the ongoing battle, void of any excitement over defeating Yann Liang.
"Let’s take action, too, take advantage of the chaos in Yann Liang’s ranks and put an end to him," suggested Du Sheng, who was on horseback several miles away.
"Forget it, the general hasn’t ordered us to attack, and do you all not feel that...?" Sun Yan said with a somber expression.
"I’ve felt it too, and it seems General Hua has as well," Du Yuan said, frowning. "We should follow the general’s commands."
"Report also about ten miles to the north, a force of approximately three thousand infantry is rushing this way," reported a scout who had just arrived.
Li Hu felt a sudden lightness upon hearing this news and, turning to look at Du Yuan and the others, saw they all shared the same reaction.
"Hahaha, to think that what put such tremendous pressure on us was merely three thousand infantry," laughed Du Sheng, and in that moment, they all felt an unexpected relief, as if they had been preparing to grapple with a tiger bare-handed, only to find a mere kitten released from the cage. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
"What’s wrong with you, Du Yuan?" asked Sun Yan, noticing the strange look on Du Yuan’s face.
"I have a somewhat bad feeling," Du Yuan said, his brows furrowed.
"Hahaha, what’s there to worry about? We lead the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, and they’re just mere infantry. I’ve never heard of infantry defeating the Xiliang Iron Cavalry," laughed Sun Yan. "Have you?"
"I feel something..." Du Yuan said uncertainly, "Why don’t you go ahead, and I’ll report back to the general, alright?"
"Then you go report, and leave this to us," Du Sheng said, gesturing dismissively as he readied the reins for a charge.
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at QiDian [qidian.com], and your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
