Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

Page 371

“I do,” Yesso replied immediately.

"Yan Qing, arrange for someone to send him to Longzhou," Luo Chen immediately ordered.

Yan Qing gestured for him to leave, and Yesuo immediately rose to prepare to depart. He paused, then turned to Luo Chen and said, "The Grassland Wolf Legion, led by Zhao Cheng, with 120,000 wolves and 40,000 riders, is your greatest threat." With that, he bowed and left.

Chapter 158 The Wolf Pack Enters Real Combat

After capturing Yesso, Luo Chen's first thought was, frankly, whether he could be used for his own purposes. However, Yesso's stance was clear; Luo Chen knew he wouldn't surrender willingly. So, should he use that long-dormant special ability, and his unique blood? Luo Chen hesitated for a moment, then decided against it. According to Mr. Cai Yong's research, it was best to use it sparingly to maintain the system's stability; misuse could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Just when everyone expected Yesso to remain silent, he revealed a huge piece of information at the last moment: the Steppe Wolf Legion consisted of 120,000 large wolves and 40,000 riders. Zhao Cheng was in command. After speaking, he bowed his head and followed Yan Qing away. Chang Yuchun, who was standing nearby, was not surprised at all. He immediately went to stop Yesso and make him explain. Luo Chen stopped him. This amount of information was already enough.

"Abandon Wuwei County! The entire army shall immediately march and converge on Lü Bu's forces!" Luo Chen stood up instantly and gave the order in a stern voice.

Chang Yuchun realized that Luo Chen had guessed Lü Bu was surrounded! Lü Bu commanded 60,000 elite cavalry, highly mobile and formidable in combat. However, if they were surrounded by hundreds of thousands of wolves, the outcome would be dire. But from another perspective, Luo Chen currently only had 30,000 guards plus Chang Yuchun's 60,000, totaling 90,000. If they encountered the main force of the wolf pack, it wouldn't be easy either. The most urgent task now was to combine their forces.

Since the army was about to set off and Yan Qing was unable to intervene, Luo Chen had no choice but to order someone to send Yesuo back to Chang'an first, and then have Lin Chong arrange for someone he knew to take him to Longzhou.

Yan Qing had another concern, saying, "If we abandon Wuwei, what if the garrison of the four prefectures of Hexi takes the opportunity to gather, retake Wuwei, or even attack us from behind?" Luo Chen did not answer, but Chang Yuchun shrugged, looking indifferent: "These garrison troops, what can they do... If they attack us, I only need to bring a detachment to deal with them."

"What if it's this Wolf Legion?" Yan Qing said dismissively. "If the Wolf Legion takes the opportunity to capture the city and holds it to the death, then we will have nowhere to stop. The harsh desert environment will severely deplete our army's combat strength. This is completely inconsistent with the original battle plan."

Luo Chen simply shook his head: "The best place for a wolf to fight is the vast grassland, not a city."

Yan Qing paused for a moment, thought about it and it seemed to make sense, so he stopped talking.

Sure enough, as soon as Luo Chen's army left the city, a messenger urgently reported that Lü Bu had encountered a pack of wolves and a group of cavalry on his way to Wuwei, and that close combat had begun, with the battle being fierce.

Upon hearing this, Chang Yuchun immediately thought of the large wolves that had silently wiped out his patrol squad. Luo Chen, on the other hand, recalled the time he had led tens of thousands of cavalry to hunt down a dozen or so wolves. The brutality of that battle was something probably no Luo army soldier had ever experienced. So, if the number of wolves increased ten thousandfold, the wolf pack would be twice the size of Lü Bu's cavalry. In other words, two wolves could attack a single cavalryman; the perilous situation was unimaginable.

"With our current strength, I'm afraid it will be difficult to repel the wolf pack," Yan Qing said worriedly. "These wolves are really too fierce. They are all killing machines. When they do move, they aim for your throat, and every move is fatal. Let alone ordinary soldiers, even for us well-trained guards, it is very difficult for several of us to kill a wolf together. It's almost like risking our lives."

"The quality of the Guanzhong cavalry soldiers is no worse than that of your Imperial Guards," Chang Yuchun said with dissatisfaction. "According to you, our mission in Hexi is doomed to fail, and we might even suffer a devastating defeat... You yourself are a Lieutenant General, how can you have no backbone!"

The dust-covered cavalrymen spurred their horses forward, galloping like lightning. Yan Qing, upon hearing Chang Yuchun's words, was immediately displeased and opened his mouth to retort, but instead swallowed a few grains of sand. After a cough, Yan Qing, his face flushed, said, "When have I ever lacked courage? I was merely stating the situation objectively, and my intention was not to avoid battle. I suggest joining forces with Lü Bu, trying our best to open a breach, and then retreating to Wuwei County to fight a siege. This would significantly offset the advantage of the Steppe Wolf Cavalry!"

Chang Yuchun snorted dismissively, but Luo Chen said, "I'm afraid this is the only way for now." With that, he cracked his whip and rode ahead, leaving Yan Qing and Chang Yuchun to hurriedly follow.

They hadn't gone more than ten kilometers when a sharp-eyed soldier shouted, "Wolf!" Sure enough, a gray wolf was crouching on a sand dune, seemingly watching them. Barrow, standing next to Luo Chen, quickly nocked an arrow. As if it knew what was happening, the wolf, seeing several soldiers drawing their bows, leaped down the dune and turned to run away as fast as it could.

"Change marching formation! Towards battle formation, spread your flanks, and coordinate!" Luo Chen shouted the order. Clearly, this meant the Grassland Wolf Legion wasn't far away.

In fact, Zhao Cheng himself was too lazy to engage Lü Bu in a direct confrontation. Who was Zhao Cheng? The infamous "Night Battle Ghost," whose greatest passion was launching surprise attacks, especially at night. However, according to reconnaissance, Lü Bu was leading tens of thousands of cavalry, marching day and night towards Wuwei. Clearly, he intended to join forces with the Luo army that had already captured Wuwei, forming a main force of hundreds of thousands. This would make the battle much more difficult. Therefore, Zhao Cheng changed his usual tactics. After arriving at the Steppe Wolf Cavalry command camp, without waiting for rest or a meeting to discuss the situation, he immediately ordered the entire Steppe Wolf Cavalry regiment to move out, intercept Lü Bu, block his southward advance, and launch a fatal attack along the way.

Never before had there been such a commotion deep in the grasslands. Tens of thousands of wolves emerged from the silent grass; a gentle breeze rustled the drooping grass, revealing glimpses of their grey fur. One, two, and then layers upon layers, densely packed. There were even riders on the backs of wolves.

This was the first time this astonishing killing machine had been deployed en masse in actual combat. The officers and the wolf pack, before they even knew or recognized their new commander, were thrown into battle under his orders. —This commander was said to be quite ruthless, an invincible and cunning general, and, moreover, a Han Chinese.

Chapter 159 Full Appearance

In the afternoon, under the blazing sun, although it was already autumn, the desert grasslands in the west of the steppe were still very hot. Zhao Cheng rode alone on horseback, watching thousands of gray wolves gallop across the grassland. Following Zhong Ping's instructions, after taking over as commander of the steppe wolf legion, Zhao Cheng's first order was to command the wolf legion to quickly advance westward and southward, quietly approaching the Hexi Corridor with a large force.

"Where has Lü Bu's army advanced to?" Zhao Cheng asked coldly, without even glancing at the generals around him.

"Lu Bu's troops are currently rushing south towards Wuwei County at full speed." The general wasn't used to Zhao Cheng's command style; after all, Yesuo was known for his amiable and easygoing approach to military affairs. This Zhao Cheng was always cold and aloof, never revealing his thoughts. They were still fifty kilometers away from Wuwei County.

"Only a day has passed, and they've covered so much ground?" Zhao Cheng raised an eyebrow. The mobility of the Luojun cavalry was indeed legendary. At this rate, they should reach Wuwei County tonight. Although Zhao Cheng preferred night combat, the situation was urgent, and Lü Bu had slipped away too quickly, leaving him no time to take immediate action. "The sentries at the front, keep a close watch! I now order the Grassland Wolf Legion to launch a full-scale attack immediately, their objective being to intercept Lü Bu's cavalry!" Zhao Cheng commanded sharply.

This is the first time the Grassland Wolf Legion has made a full public appearance. It will use this battle to enter the public eye and shed its "top secret" status. As it conquers more places and defeats more enemies, its fame will grow, eventually making it a fearsome and formidable force.

"Report! We've caught a spy!" A rider ran over, holding an old man in his hand.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng became impatient. "Damn it, you come to me with such a small matter? You've spoiled yourselves rotten!" he thought. "Why don't you ask your squad leader to handle this..." Zhao Cheng said impatiently, about to reprimand him, but then stopped abruptly. His gaze lingered on the old man's face.

“This is… Shaha, the old general…” Zhao Cheng paused when he said Shaha, as if he couldn’t find a suitable word to address him, but in the end he still said the old general. This title seemed to best suit his identity—a general of the same rank as Zhong Ping, and another right-hand man of Qiangqu.

“There’s no need to call me old general, I’m just a patrol leader,” Shah said calmly.

“General Shaha…” After a brief moment of surprise, Zhao Cheng quickly regained his composure, his expression becoming somewhat inscrutable, his eyes hesitant. “So… General, what brings you here?” He glanced around at the surrounding wolf legion; large numbers of stragglers and wolves were marching rapidly, giving a clear view of the entire legion's layout. Lord Zhongping had stated that the Steppe Wolf Legion, apart from those attending the meeting that day, was not allowed to have anyone else know of its existence as an organized group. Now Shaha knew… According to normal procedure, if a “top secret” matter was known to someone who shouldn’t know it, that person would undoubtedly die, and Zhao Cheng could execute him on the spot.

However… on the other hand, the Steppe Wolf Legion is about to officially enter the war, which means the Steppe Wolf Legion will soon be publicly revealed—in just an hour or two, it would be somewhat unnecessary for Shaha to see him now and execute him… Moreover, more importantly, this Shaha is the former Grand General of Qiangqu, on par with Zhong Ping. Zhong Ping didn't kill him, so how dare a mere Zhao Cheng kill him so easily? You must remember, when Shaha was a Grand General, I was just a nobody, a mere subordinate officer.

“I’m the patrol leader. I’ve been walking around the western part of the grasslands these past few days,” Shaha said calmly, showing no sign of panic.

"This..." Zhao Cheng hesitated, considering whether to be direct, but decided against it. Zhao Cheng was never one to be in the open; he preferred to wait in the shadows, waiting for others to speak and act. Then, with eagle eyes, he would find loopholes and weaknesses, delivering a fatal blow. "Our army has a major battle to fight, and we hope the old general can rest with the army," Zhao Cheng said with a forced smile. The meaning was clear. Zhao Cheng didn't mention the Steppe Wolf Legion, only "our army," as if this legion were no different from any other army. Asking Shaha, who had no connection to this battle, to accompany the army was essentially a way of detaining him to prevent any complications. Once the battle began, it wouldn't matter whether Shaha knew or not; he could be released then. This was a tactful way of putting it, without offending him. Zhao Cheng was a cunning and cautious man. Who knew if Shaha might suddenly be transferred to his position, becoming his superior? Even—given his political power, military skills, and influence—it wasn't impossible for him to launch another coup.

“Okay,” Shaha said calmly, as if he understood everything. Zhao Cheng thought to himself, this old guy is even better at pretending than he is. You can't tell any emotion from Shaha's appearance alone; he truly is an old fox.

· 0Request flowers····· ··

Zhao Cheng gave a wink to his bodyguard, who immediately understood and summoned a dozen guards to surround Shaha. Clearly, he was instructed to keep an eye on him. Zhao Cheng pointed to his sword, then tossed it to the bodyguard and took another. Based on the bodyguard's years of experience with Zhao Cheng, he understood that Zhao Cheng meant that if things went wrong, the old man could be executed on the spot. All responsibility would fall on Zhao Cheng alone.

It seemed that Shah had witnessed the entire process, yet he also seemed completely unaware. Even Zhao Cheng wasn't sure what the old man was thinking or what he knew... The soldiers remained silent, with only the occasional clinking of armor. Several men mounted their horses and galloped off with the main force.

....... ... 0

"Why would the old general think of coming to the west..." The atmosphere was too heavy, and even Zhao Cheng felt uncomfortable, so he wanted to say something to break the heavy atmosphere.

"Fighting has broken out in both the east and west. During the war, we must be on high alert and keep abreast of the situation." Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng realized that this old fellow, who claimed to be going deep into the grasslands to live a life of peace, was actually quite concerned about the war situation outside.

"General, how is the battle going..." Zhao Cheng asked tentatively.

"The situation is dire. Your soldiers are the only hope to turn things around; otherwise, the whole situation is doomed." Shah's voice was not loud, and even a little hoarse, but every word was chilling.

"Your soldiers"—wasn't that referring to Zhao Cheng's Steppe Wolf Legion? Shaha spoke of this army without any hesitation, as if to tell Zhao Cheng that he knew everything. Shaha even said that Zhao Cheng's Steppe Wolf Legion was the only hope to turn the tide, something Zhao Cheng didn't quite understand.

Shah's words were somewhat somber. Zhao Cheng, a cautious man, didn't press further. Who knew if there weren't other factions present? If Zhong Ping knew he and Shah were discussing military strategy, and were quite pessimistic about it, he would likely be suspected. Zhong Ping had come to power through a coup, making him a highly sensitive and suspicious figure.

For a moment, no one uttered a sound. Everyone silently mounted their horses and galloped, barely managing to keep up with the wolf pack moving at high speed.

Chapter 160 Wolf Pack Attack

The steppe wolf pack galloped for an hour, finally approaching Lu Bu's cavalry, which was rushing towards Wuwei. Lu Bu disregarded everything, adopting a high-speed marching formation. The surrounding patrols weren't as densely packed as in battle formation, and being at high speed, they only noticed the wolves when they were close enough. The patrols frantically shouted, "Wolf attack! Wolf attack!"

As dusk approached, they would reach Wuwei in less than two hours. Lü Bu had thought himself lucky, his division of troops having traveled smoothly. But now, a pack of wolves had suddenly appeared; how could he not be extremely annoyed!

"Halt! Form battle formation! All cavalry commanders, take charge!" Lu Bu shouted.

But how could they possibly act in time? Without Zhao Cheng's orders, the "673" wolf pack, seeing a large number of non-friendly soldiers, seemed excited. Completely disregarding organizational rules, they pounced. The wolf pack's control had been ineffective for days, ever since Yesso left, and had always been barely maintained. The wolf pack's commanding officers were generally worried that, due to General Yesso's departure, his blood might be gradually losing its influence on the pack. If so, an important hypothesis could be derived: the control of the wolf pack was related to the distance between the special bloodline user and the wolves.

The patrolman who had loudly sounded the alarm hurriedly drew his saber, only to be met with a large wolf charging at him. Thinking the wolf would attack him directly, the patrolman held his saber at chest height, waiting for the wolf to leap. Unexpectedly, as the wolf charged, it suddenly ducked two or three meters away and lunged under the horse's belly. Before the patrolman could react, the horse let out a terrifying neigh and lurched violently. The patrolman was startled and nearly thrown from his horse. Fortunately, the elite cavalry were no pushovers; they remained unharmed despite the violent lurching. With a quick movement, they remained firmly on their horses, avoiding being thrown off. The patrolman, alert, glanced at the wolf to his side, pulled on the reins, and, facing the wolf diagonally, his saber gleaming white. Just as the patrolman was about to strike, his horse collapsed to the ground with a thud. The patrolman was thrown to the ground. Only then did the patrolman realize that the horse's belly had been mangled beyond recognition, its internal organs clearly visible. This warhorse had endured until now with immense willpower.

The patrolman instantly spotted the wolf pouncing. The wolf had been waiting for this, and without hesitation, it pounced. So fast was the patrolman's reaction; he had no time to think, and he hurled his saber at the wolf. The wolf easily dodged, and the saber clattered to the sand. In that brief moment of evasion, the patrolman drew his short sword, ready for hand-to-hand combat even before he could get up. The wolf pounced on him instantly, and the patrolman felt the wolf's hot breath—a primal instinct, the skin's sensitivity to the heat of a wild animal. Anyone in this situation would tremble with fear. You don't know where the wolf will bite next, but the skin on your neck already feels the wolf's hot breath. It's like the Grim Reaper's scythe, already chilling your skin. Your skin is pressed against the scythe; the next second will be fatal.

The patrolman cried out in alarm. Without a second thought, his dagger plunged into the wolf's soft belly. His experience from the previous close-quarters combat with over a dozen wolves had already spread throughout the army. The wolf's neck and head fur were extremely tough, difficult to pierce. Only the belly was the softest spot, easily breached. Sure enough, the dagger easily pierced the wolf's stomach. The wolf, however, was swift; its sharp teeth instantly clamped down on the patrolman's throat. The patrolman froze, feeling hot blood rush to his mouth, his air suddenly scarce. If he could still speak, he would have cursed, "Damn it!" This was a fatal blow, swift and decisive. He had thought he could hold onto the wolf and struggle for a while. His dagger was already in the wolf's belly; the outcome was uncertain. Unexpectedly, the wolf bit through his throat with incredible speed, giving him no time to resist. The patrolman slashed deeply with his dagger, instantly cutting open the wolf's belly. This exhausted his last bit of strength, and the patrolman died on the spot. The large wolf also lay on the ground, severely wounded and unable to move.

This astonishing battle ended in just two minutes. A fine warhorse and an elite rider fell dead, while the opposing wolf lay wounded and gasping for breath.

Now that the wolf pack had charged, the riders naturally had to join the battle immediately, without waiting for their superiors to give orders. By the time Lü Bu received the wolf pack's report and issued the command, his riders were already engaged in combat. —Of course, in the brutal melee of a stampede of horses, a wolf wounded and falling to the ground essentially meant it would be trampled to death.

"Split into combat teams! Coordinate your attacks!" the cavalry commanders shouted. But they forgot that a combined attack team could only take down one wolf when they outnumbered the enemy... Now they faced a wolf pack twice their size. Sure enough, when the fallen cavalrymen formed small groups of two or three, they discovered they were facing four, three, eight, or even six large wolves. It wasn't that they had surrounded the wolves; rather, the wolves had surrounded them.

No sooner said than done, three large wolves pounced. Some lunged directly at the rider, whose saber blocked their sharp claws. The wolves' claws immediately snapped at the point of contact with the extremely sharp object. It seemed even wolves felt pain. Others repeated their attack, tearing at the horse's belly. The rider could only stick his head out and hack at the horse's belly with his saber. However, the remaining wolves might seize this opportunity to pounce on the rider.

Before long, the group was gone, and the rider was left to fight alone. And he was facing two large wolves all by himself.

Chapter 161 Lu Bu's Legion Engages in Hand-to-Hand Battle with the Wolf Pack

When two wolves join forces to tear apart a soldier, the soldier's chances of survival are slim. As the wolf pack swarms in, a chaotic battle ensues.

"Send several more messengers to Lord Luo Chen for help!" Lü Bu shouted the order. Although he rarely sought help in battle, when he conquered Yizhou, he only had 30,000 to 40,000 troops, yet he swept southwards undefeated. However, the current situation made him somewhat nervous. Lü Bu's messengers soon encountered Luo Chen's patrol, and the message quickly reached Luo Chen—although Luo Chen had already mostly guessed it.

"What's going on! How did they all get mixed up like this! Where are the commanders of the various cavalry units? Can they even control their troops?!" Lu Bu was immediately displeased to see warhorses and wolves mingling on the sand, with many soldiers engaged in close combat with the wolves. How could he command like this...? Just as he was gesturing wildly, several wolves pounced. Lu Bu was tall and strong, and with a large group of messengers around him, he was a big target and quickly attracted the attention of dozens of wolves. Damn it, they're trying to take down the mobile command post!

Seeing the wolves' ferocity, Lü Bu charged low to the ground. Several wolves carried Xiongnu soldiers, who were shooting arrows at their own men. Enraged, Lü Bu pulled on the reins and pounced. Anticipating the wolves would bite his horse, Lü Bu didn't hesitate; he leaped from his galloping steed and flew directly to the Xiongnu riders riding the wolves. His halberd struck the Xiongnu soldier's head with tremendous force, splattering his brains. The soldier fell dead. In the blink of an eye, Lü Bu landed amidst the pack of wolves.

Several guards cried out in alarm as at least a dozen large wolves halted and pounced on Lü Bu. Lü Bu, wielding his halberd, fought on foot. Once the wolves were within range of his halberd, he executed a 360-degree spin, spun the halberd 360 degrees, and the heavy, sharp blade sliced ​​off half the heads of two wolves. They were simply unlucky, having run right into the blade. The base of the halberd, forged with a small, sharp spearhead, caused the two wolves to howl in pain. The rest were struck by the hilt or the back of the blade, many falling to the ground wounded. The wolves howled, stunned; they had encountered a truly formidable opponent. It was no surprise; the fallen soldiers they had encountered earlier, though elite, were far inferior to someone of Lü Bu's superhuman strength. Against someone like him, even the toughest wolves would have their hides torn to shreds.

The wolves, though stunned, showed no sign of giving up. Before the first few heavily wounded wolves had even retreated, dozens of large wolves charged forward. This time, the pack was smarter; some stayed close to the ground while others leaped. The howls of the wounded wolves attracted even more large wolves, and soon Lü Bu was surrounded by wolves. With all of Lü Bu's messengers and guards involved in the battle, his mobile command post was paralyzed. Since Lü Bu was fighting the wolves, the various cavalry captains simply joined the fray, abandoning any semblance of organized formation among their soldiers.

On Lü Bu's side, he wielded a halberd in one hand and a waist knife in the other. When wolves pounced from afar, he would deflect them with the heavy, sharp blade of his halberd, killing or wounding nine out of ten wolves. If a wolf rushed close, he would slash fiercely with his waist knife in his left hand. Lü Bu was incredibly strong; a single slash across a wolf's back would tear its skin open, blood gushing out, leaving it with no strength to advance. Before long, corpses piled up like mountains around Lü Bu, and blood flowed like a river.

Zhao Cheng, having reached his command post, saw Lü Bu fighting fiercely in the distance. He couldn't help but say to Shaha beside him, "Old General, look, so this is Lü Bu from the Central Plains." Shaha glanced at him and slowly said, "It is said that he was originally Lü Bu's capable lieutenant, but later killed Lü Bu and followed Luo Chen. Now he is a general... When I was leading troops to fight on the grasslands, I heard that there was a fierce general from the Central Plains named Lü Bu who led a mere tens of thousands of cavalry south and conquered the entire territory of Yizhou."

Zhao Cheng turned around, drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at Lü Bu, ready to fire. Unexpectedly, one of Lü Bu's messengers saw this and shouted, "General, watch out for a hidden arrow!" Lü Bu was startled, and sure enough, with a "whoosh," an arrow seemed to fly from his side and behind. Lü Bu didn't have time to turn around; he simply ducked sharply, and the arrow grazed his head with perfect accuracy, embedding itself directly in the red tassel on his head. Lü Bu was shocked. Seeing someone firing an arrow in the distance, he abandoned his fight with the wolves and gave a whistle. His Red Hare galloped towards him, and Lü Bu leaped onto the horse, fiercely parting the wolves with his halberd, charging straight towards Zhao Cheng.

Lü Bu preferred one-on-one duels between his generals, but Zhao Cheng disliked this. Zhao Cheng preferred night raids, though daytime raids were also acceptable. At worst, he'd engage in direct combat, but his forces had to be superior, or at least overwhelmingly stronger. Seeing Lü Bu suddenly pounce, Zhao Cheng shouted, "Protect the commander!" A dozen guards instantly surrounded him, followed by more Xiongnu soldiers and wolves. Lü Bu cursed, "Cowards! Hidden arrows!" He wielded his halberd and struck, knocking away a mounted guard and slicing a wolf in half. However, the wolves were gathering in increasing numbers, and Lü Bu sensed danger. He pulled on the reins and turned to leave. The guards and wolves, knowing the danger, dared not pursue. Lü Bu returned to the sand dune where he commanded, only to find that eight or nine out of ten messengers and guards were dead, and most of the survivors were wounded. Looking into the distance, he saw the wolf pack had fully arrived and was fully engaged in the battle. On the battlefield, many horses lay dead, their bellies mangled, some already breathless, others barely clinging to life. Some of their owners lay buried beside their horses. Others were still fighting desperately. Many soldiers faced two large wolves each, while numerous Xiongnu soldiers used bows and crossbows to hunt down the fallen soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. The fallen army suffered heavy losses.

"Go and urge them on!" Lü Bu roared at the surviving messenger. "Go and urge them on! If reinforcements don't arrive soon, my soldiers will be wiped out!" Lü Bu was heartbroken; when had the Luo army ever suffered such a heavy loss? Judging from the battlefield situation, not only was the Luo army at a disadvantage, but their casualties were certainly higher than the enemy's. The Luo army, knowing full well that their chances of survival were slim, fought with a desperate, death-defying spirit, screaming as they engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Chapter 162 Reinforcements and Blockade

"This Lü Bu... he's really wild... truly barbaric," Zhao Cheng said, still shaken. Lü Bu, riding his charcoal-red Red Hare, was clearly visible on the sand dune, but no one dared to approach. "A general who doesn't strategize and win battles from afar, resorting to this kind of one-on-one duel, is truly pointless..." Zhao Cheng straightened his clothes, which had been askew from fright. "How long will it take you to annihilate the enemy? I'm afraid Luo Chen will hear the news and come over; then things will get complicated."

"The enemy army has suffered heavy losses and has not yet been effectively organized. If this continues, Lu Bu's main force will be severely weakened in one hour, and the enemy army will be completely annihilated in two hours."

"Why so slow?" Zhao Cheng asked, greatly dissatisfied. "You guys were doing a pretty good job, weren't you? Why did it take you two hours to wipe them out completely? How many casualties did you expect on our side?"

"If we annihilate them all, our casualties will be... about one-third." The staff officer who had been with Zhao Cheng for a long time was not familiar with this grassland wolf army and was not very confident. He needed to confirm with the commander of the cavalry unit below.

"One-third? Fifty thousand men?" Zhao Cheng was dissatisfied again. "Isn't this killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of your own? What's going on? Isn't this Steppe Wolf Legion supposed to be very powerful? Why would they lose so many men in a battle of annihilation?"

"This is different..." the staff officer whispered, "This is the Guanzhong Iron Cavalry of the Fallen Army, the elite of the elite. The fact that we've achieved this result is already an astonishing victory. This will be the first defeat for the Guanzhong Iron Cavalry in the world since its inception... These Fallen Army soldiers are not like the rebels we fought before... who would have collapsed or surrendered after a brief charge. But so far, not a single one of these Fallen Army soldiers has surrendered, not a single prisoner, not even a wounded prisoner... So how could we possibly annihilate them all so easily..."

"To be able to defeat such an iron army, the Grassland Wolf Legion truly deserves to be called the guardian of the grasslands," Shaha exclaimed.

"The first defeat of the Guanzhong Iron Cavalry..." Zhao Cheng chewed on the words, "General Zhao Cheng shattered the myth of the Guanzhong Iron Cavalry's invincibility..." He seemed to see this assessment forever recorded in history, forever passed down by word of mouth, and couldn't help but laugh heartily. With such a record, what did it matter if he killed a thousand enemies but lost eight hundred of his own? The most important thing was that of the first thousand enemies killed, he, Zhao Cheng, was the first to defeat the legendary, fearsome Iron Cavalry, while other generals were utterly terrified beneath their feet... However, he still knew in his heart that he had only gotten a great deal; this Steppe Wolf Legion was not created by him, but by Yesuo...

"General! General!" The messenger called out twice before Zhao Cheng noticed.

"Speak." He instantly reverted to his icy demeanor, his face becoming completely expressionless.

"Ten kilometers ahead, a large force of Luojun cavalry has been spotted."

"How many men? What is their marching speed?" Zhao Cheng continued to ask coldly.

"A large force... I don't know the exact number. They march very fast and should arrive here in less than half an hour," the messenger replied.

Zhao Cheng was somewhat troubled. He hadn't expected Luo Chen to arrive so quickly. According to preliminary reconnaissance, Luo Chen's army in Hexi exceeded 150,000, meaning the army he brought was likely around 100,000. If Luo Chen led these troops to a direct confrontation with the Steppe Wolf Legion, both sides would suffer heavy losses. However, if they could create an opening and allow Lü Bu to break through, it would be more than enough. Then Zhao Cheng's plan to severely cripple or annihilate Lü Bu's army would be ruined…

"Send a detachment over there to resist step by step and hold off Luo Chen for an hour," Shaha suddenly said in a hoarse voice.

"That's a good idea... but this Shaha was clearly detained, how come he's now an advisor observing the battle..." Zhao Cheng asked. "Why not two hours? That way we can annihilate Lu Bu's army." "Because that way your Steppe Wolf Detachment would be completely wiped out. They'd have nowhere to retreat and would have to fight to the death against the Luo Army cavalry, resulting in heavy losses. If we extend the time to one hour, your Steppe Wolf Detachment can use the terrain to resist step by step, retreating gradually. This way, the losses won't be too heavy, and we can still hold them off for an hour. After an hour, Lu Bu's main force will be severely weakened, while our losses will be significantly lower than the Luo Army's. This is the best way to achieve a great victory and deplete the Luo Army's manpower."

Zhao Cheng thought it made sense and didn't care about anything else. He just said sternly, "Pass down the order: the Fourth Detachment, with 20,000 wolves and 6,500 riders, shall immediately head south, use the terrain to their advantage, and resist step by step. They must hold off Luo Chen's reinforcements for at least one hour!"

On Luo Chen's side, although they saw many large wolves and Xiongnu patrols, they were too lazy to pursue them. Luo Chen took the lead, charging forward with his troops. The 90,000 cavalry spread their wings and charged wildly in a marching formation. This time, they didn't care about the horses' strength; they just wanted to reach Lü Bu as quickly as possible. Sure enough, their marching speed was extremely fast. Before long, they saw a large wolf army coming towards them, which seemed to have also organized its formation and was waiting in full battle array.

"...This is the enemy army that was ordered to come and intercept us..." Yan Qing muttered as he galloped away on his horse. "It seems things aren't going well on Lü Bu's side; the fighting must be quite fierce."

Luo Chen and his group moved too fast; they were still far away a moment ago, and in no time, they were right in front of them. It was as if they could even see the wolf's blue eyes clearly. Yan Qing drew his saber with a "whoosh."

"Don't get entangled with the enemy! Quickly break through the wolf pack and move towards Lü Bu's forces! Tell Lü Bu to organize a breakout immediately! We will provide support (to Wang Hao) as soon as possible!" Luo Chen gave a series of orders. As he spoke, he took the lead and charged ahead of the wolf pack.

Yan Qing seemed to realize once again that he was the commander of the Imperial Guard, and hurriedly shouted, "My lord, you go to the rear and command, leave this place to us! Barrow, be careful to protect our lord!"

But Luo Chen had already charged forward. This time, he had no time to wait for the army to deploy and hunt down the wolves; instead, he charged alone. Yan Qing was nervous, but he knew Luo Chen possessed considerable explosive power. Sure enough, Luo Chen charged forward while raising his right hand: "Explode!" The two wolves pointed at him were instantly blasted a good ten feet away, their flesh mangled and barely alive. Another large wolf quickly pounced along the ground, trying to attack the horse. Just as it was about to burrow into its belly, Luo Chen pointed with his right hand and shouted: "Armor Protection!" Instantly, the wolf's head slammed heavily into the spiked armor, its head bleeding profusely.

Chapter 163 Yizhou or Jiangdong

I have recently received the Emperor's decree to punish the guilty. With my banners pointing south, Liu Cong has surrendered; the people of Jing and Xiang have submitted at the mere sight of me. Now, commanding a million mighty soldiers and a thousand generals, I wish to meet with you, General, at Jiangxia to jointly attack Liu Bei, divide the land, and forge an eternal alliance.

—Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Meanwhile, Cao Cao, having seized Jingzhou, saw his strength greatly increased and was brimming with confidence. He summoned his ministers to discuss their next strategy. Cao Cao's army had been advancing relentlessly, reorganizing large numbers of troops daily to consolidate their newly acquired territory in Jingzhou. A few days prior, Cao Cao had personally led his cavalry in a relentless pursuit of Liu Bei, determined to kill him and eliminate this major threat. Fortunately, Liu Bei's generals Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei were capable, and Guan Yu's naval forces at Jiangxia also bolstered his position. Although Liu Bei lost his wife, he managed to escape.

Liu Bei and his entourage hastily fled to Xiakou. His army was almost completely annihilated, leaving him with only a hundred guards. He gradually recovered some civilian staff and remnants of the army. In Xiakou, Liu Bei finally breathed a sigh of relief and received a warm welcome. Under the reorganization of Guan Yu and Liu Qi, Xiakou remained unaffected by Liu Cong's surrender. The original Jingzhou soldiers continued to serve Liu Qi and his allies, and the newly recruited troops were even more loyal. Xiakou's military strength reached 103 men.

After defeating Liu Bei's army, Cao Cao's army marched south. En route, Cao Cao heard that Liu Lin, the governor of Jingling, was not entirely obedient, so he ordered Li Dian to deal with him. Upon arrival, Li Dian took over the military and political affairs of Jingling, used sweet words to deceive Liu Lin, and tricked him into leaving, where he was then beheaded. Meanwhile, Cao Cao's army continued south. Xiahou Dun's vanguard of 100,000 troops had already stationed themselves at Wulin, Chibi, and other places, and could see the land east of the Yangtze River across the river. Further east, across the river, lay Jiangxia.

Cao Cao then marched south, leading his main force to Nan Commandery. Nan Commandery held sway over the east and west, so Cao Cao's battle intentions were not yet clear to the other sides. Cao Cao himself was unsure, so he summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.

In the central command tent, Cao Cao sat reclining, beaming with pride. "In less than a month, we've conquered the entirety of Jingzhou, with countless provisions and riches. This place is quite prosperous; Jingzhou's prosperity rivals that of Chang'an and Luoyang in their heyday. The taxes alone can support hundreds of thousands of troops. This is all thanks to the efforts of you all..." He repeatedly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect. The assembled officials were flattered and overwhelmed, all saying, "Your Majesty is wise; we are greatly fortunate." Cao Cao grew even more smug, saying, "The soldiers and officials who participated in the Jingzhou campaign will be generously rewarded according to their rank! Cheng Yu, draft a detailed list and then report it to me."

"Yes, sir," Cheng Yu bowed and said.

Mao Jie said, “Our lord commands respect throughout the land and is renowned far and wide. He has driven out the Tartars, crushed the rebellious ministers and traitors, and protected the country and its people. His achievements are comparable to those of Yao and Shun. Our lord should be crowned king, otherwise there would be no way to reflect his merits and honor.”

Cao Cao was overjoyed. However, this was only Mao Jie's opinion. Mao Jie was merely a spy and intelligence officer, and although he was trusted by Cao Cao, he was not highly respected in the official system and had little influence. The matter of declaring oneself king required a joint appeal from ministers of the rank of Grand Master or above. To bring it up now, before Cao Cao had made any arrangements, was premature. Therefore, although Cao Cao was pleased, he quickly said, "Mao Jie, you mustn't speak nonsense. How can I compare to Yao and Shun? Declaring oneself king is a matter of national importance; you mustn't make irresponsible remarks."

"Yes..." Mao Jie wanted to take the opportunity to flatter Cao Cao, but Cao Cao rejected his proposal. However, Cao Cao seemed quite pleased... That's fine.

"Now that we have taken Jingzhou, what is our next step? Should we advance into Jiangdong, or march west to take Yizhou?" Cao Cao asked.

The ministers naturally believed that the attack should be directed towards Jiangdong, not Yizhou. Yizhou's terrain was treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack; how could they possibly conquer it? Jiangdong, on the other hand, only had the Yangtze River, and its army was not as strong as Luo Jun's. With a million troops, they were certain of victory, which would significantly expand their strength… The ministers were quite puzzled as to why Cao Cao had suggested Yizhou. Moreover, advancing on Jiangdong was a plan approved by Guo Jia in a previous discussion.

Xun You stepped forward and said, "Master Guo Jia left behind a plan for Jiangdong. I wonder why our lord is discussing Yizhou?"