An Unavoidable Destiny
“We didn’t leave enough men in ambush on Mangshan. Still, not a bad tactic.”
After securing the Mangshan stronghold, I surveyed the battlefield. Xiahou Yuan was unleashing a devastating cavalry charge that was annihilating Yu Bi’s forces. On the opposite flank, Cao Ren and Cao Hong were driving back Gong Du and Gan Ning’s troops. With Cao Ren and Xiahou Yuan commanding the wings, Yu Bi and Gong Du’s army would be routed unless Guan Yu or Zhang Fei personally intervened. That said, returning to Xudu had changed how I saw the battlefield. Beyond the vigorous nights spent with my wives, I had met many people, shared wine, and discussed military strategy. Yang Xiu always treated me lavishly whenever we met, while Xun You patiently taught both Seo Seo and me the difference between a strategist and a commander. Even Zhang He, though a defeated general who had surrendered after being bested in single combat, never hesitated to share his insights on troop deployment whenever I sought him out. He was an outstanding general in both civil and martial affairs, and a man of true refinement who did not begrudge sharing his knowledge. If we won this battle decisively, I would have to visit him again to review the fight—once the fighting was over, of course.
“Everyone, fall back! You mustn’t meet that charge head-on—!”
KWAAAAAANG!
Xiahou Yuan’s cavalry shattered the final wooden barricade we had left as a last resort. The moment they closed the distance, he traded his bow for an iron halberd and began slaughtering every enemy in sight. Being a master archer did not mean Xiahou Yuan was weak in close combat. Yu Bi’s troops were hardened veterans—former Yellow Turbans who had survived by selling their swords to every warlord. Yet Xiahou Yuan simply smashed through them with raw, relentless force. His confidence had only grown since crushing thirty thousand Xiongnu in Yong Province.
“Uncle!”
“Zisu! Are you all right?”
When Cao Ang arrived leading his men, Xiahou Yuan checked on him even in the middle of battle.
“You don’t have to push yourself so hard. There’s no need for you to keep throwing yourself into the jaws of death. That’s what your uncle and I—and Zilian—are here for!”
“No, Uncle. Am I not also a general of the Cao clan?”
Xiahou Yuan laughed at his eldest son’s burning spirit, smashed through the barricade ahead, and cleared a path.
“Uncle, the enemy forces around Mangshan have been wiped out. Zilie has taken the stronghold.”
“Oh? So we’ve secured at least one position.”
“However, reports from the left wing say Liu Bei’s forces have captured Tangshan. Their commander is Zhang Fei, and he is currently clashing with Colonel Dian Wei.”
“Then we’ll have to deal with the central army ourselves…”
Xiahou Yuan was not a general who relied on clever stratagems, but he possessed a keen eye for the flow of battle. Once Yu Bi’s troops were destroyed, he knew Guan Yu would be waiting beyond them.
Guan Yu… I know you’ll move somehow. In that case, here and now…
Since Cao Ren on the left wing had been ordered by Cao Cao to push straight through to Zhang Fei’s position, Xiahou Yuan decided to do the same.
“Zisu, watch the main army’s banners and cross over Mangshan when the moment is right.”
“You mean I should go help Zilie instead of you, Uncle?”
“That’s right. Once you cross Mangshan, you’ll be able to strike Liu Bei from behind after your father settles things with him!”
Xiahou Yuan had instinctively realized he needed to charge straight down like the left wing. He intended to face Guan Yu himself.
Clang— Clang— KWAAAAANG!
“Damn it! Even this doesn’t work?!”
A fierce battle was raging atop Tangshan as well. Dian Wei had led the three thousand troops Cao Ren had given him in a desperate charge to seize the small hill. He had charged Zhang Fei alone to break the enemy formation, but the man was monstrously strong.
“That bear-like bastard really does have power to spare!”
Zhang Fei swung his iron serpent spear, repeatedly knocking Dian Wei back. Yet Dian Wei, a veteran of countless battles, possessed absolute confidence that his martial prowess was the greatest in Cao Cao’s army. He clung to Zhang Fei with even greater ferocity.
“You bastard!”
KWAKWAKWAKWANG!
Zhang Fei had not fought such a contest of raw strength in a long time. His specialty was seizing strongholds first and then waging guerrilla warfare, but having Dian Wei chase after him and refuse to let go was incredibly irritating. Against any ordinary general, Zhang Fei would have already taken their head and scattered Cao Cao’s troops, but this Dian Wei was proving to be a troublesome opponent.
“I’ll cut off that ugly head of yours and trample every last one of your soldiers!”
“Come on then, you bastard! You think you’re on par with Lü Bu? Not in front of me, you’re not!”
Zhang Fei and Dian Wei, two monsters, clashed atop Tangshan, neither willing to yield an inch.
“Damn it!”
After taking Mangshan, I had tried to join the clash between Cao Cao’s and Liu Bei’s vanguards. The short descent from Mangshan would have been a single step, and with Cao Cao himself wielding his sword at the front, the battle was tilting in our favor. All I had to do was descend and join the pursuit of Liu Bei. But the moment I tried to move, arrows rained down in far greater numbers than before—Liu Bei’s archers had concentrated here.
“They didn’t place archers on the way up, but on the way down? That’s ridiculous…”
Because of them, I could not descend that short distance. A cavalry charge could use momentum to break through, but timing was everything. Liu Bei’s forces were being pushed back steadily. I waited for them to be driven further before charging down in one decisive move to pursue them while supported by Cao Cao’s rear guard. The moment Liu Bei’s vanguard banner finally collapsed, I raised my spear high and led the charge.
“Now! Charge!”
Liu Bei had held out longer than expected, but the gap in generalship and sheer numbers between Cao Cao and himself was simply too great. I had to admit that Liu Bei’s ability to resist this long with so few troops was superior to Yuan Shao’s bluster with his hundred-and-fifty-thousand-strong army. Still, I hoped this would be the last time he got to display that talent.
I risked everything, charging at the head of my men straight toward the enemy archers.
“Follow the Colonel! Attack!”
With five hundred Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, I plunged into the archer formation. Arrows flew straight at us, but we blocked them with shields and spears and pressed forward—
Thwack—
“Kuh!”
“Colonel!”
An arrow had embedded itself in my shoulder. The archer who shot it was right in front of me, so I charged through and crushed him beneath my horse’s hooves.
Crunch!
I broke into the center and trampled the enemy commander to death with my horse rather than my blade.
“Colonel Mi has fallen! Retreat!”
“Colonel of the Mi clan?”
I wasn’t sure whether I had just killed Mi Zhu or Mi Fang… but one general down was one general down. As for the arrow in my arm—
“Colonel!”
“It’s moving fine, so it’s not too bad!”
It might have been poisoned, so I yanked it out and stuffed a silk cloth from my robes into the wound to stem the bleeding. Then, as Liu Bei’s forces finally came into view, I charged straight for Liu Bei himself.
“Imperial Uncle! We meet again!”
“!?”
Liu Bei spotted me while retreating and swung his spear down—
Clang— Clang—
At the last moment, Liu Bei drew his twin swords and deflected the spearhead, then thrust the other blade toward my throat. I barely dodged it. After evading, I attacked again and charged. Liu Bei’s army had already lost its will to fight and was retreating; even if thousands surrounded me, anyone who tried to stop me would be like moths to a flame. If I could first knock one of those annoying twin swords from his hands and then unhorse him—
“!?”
At that instant, an overwhelming killing intent surged from my flank. Even with Liu Bei right in front of me, I reflexively twisted my body to meet the beast’s aura. When I turned my head, a towering eight-chi general on a white horse, wielding a spear, was charging straight at me.
KWAAAAAANG!
A deafening impact that felt like it would burst my eardrums. I nearly gave ground, but I met the blow with raw strength and thrust my spear toward his throat.
Clang— Clang— Clang—
Moving with mechanical precision, he deflected my thrust and began backing his horse away. The way the horse stepped sideways while retreating was extraordinary in itself, but the man riding it controlled the beast with terrifying ease. He was a true monster radiating killing intent.
Clang— Clang— Crunch!
If I dodged, I would die. I had to break through head-on and counter. Clang—
Damn it, this arrow wound… After barely blocking, I counterattacked, but he deflected my strike with sheer power as well.
“Zilong!”
“!”
Before I knew it, Liu Bei had finished rallying his retreating troops. As expected, the man was Zhao Yun—Zhao Zilong—and his skill was no joke. What a shame. If not for Liu Bei, I would have loved to fight him properly. But he was already preparing to retreat.
“We will meet again on another battlefield! Until then!”
With those words, Liu Bei began his withdrawal. Zhao Yun quickly rode alongside him.
“You think I’ll let you escape?”
We had come this far. We were almost upon them.
“Pursue!”
“Colonel, your arm…”
The wound had reopened during the fierce fighting, and one arm was soaked in blood, but I pulled out another silk cloth, pressed it hard to stop the bleeding, and charged. Behind me, I could already see Cao Cao’s cavalry pursuing Liu Bei. We had to catch him. We had to catch him. I could almost reach out and grab him, but Zhao Yun would block me again. If I left it to the cavalry and simply avoided Zhao Yun to isolate Liu Bei and unhorse him—
Just one more step!
At that moment, Guan Yu’s forces began moving toward Mangshan from the side. Liu Bei had already planned for this and slipped away. He was retreating through the valley between the Mangshan and Tangshan mountain ranges while Guan Yu seized the Mangshan stronghold. If Guan Yu attacked Cao Cao’s main force from Mangshan, he could halt our advance—but that meant I had to pursue Liu Bei at full speed instead—
“Colonel! Colonel!”
“What is it?!”
“There are enemy troops on Mangshan.”
“What?”
It was completely unexpected. Cao Ang had apparently climbed Mangshan separately to pursue, but Guan Yu had rapidly ascended and was now slaughtering Cao Ang’s forces. It was dangerous—truly dangerous. Even if Cao Ang was brave, if Guan Yu’s troops charged up like that—
But if I pursued just a little further, I could capture Liu Bei. If I captured Liu Bei… and left Cao Ang behind…
“Damn it, damn it all!!!”
In the end, it had come to this.
“Three hundred—no, even a hundred cavalry will do! Follow me! We’re going to Mangshan to save Colonel Cao Ang!”
“Colonel, what about the pursuit?!”
“Xu Zhongkang is visible in the rear. Go request command from him and keep chasing Liu Bei! I will reward anyone who captures Liu Bei with a thousand taels of gold!”
Even if I had to sell my own house, I would pay that reward to whoever caught Liu Bei. In the end, I turned away from the pursuit and rode back up Mangshan with only a hundred cavalry. From halfway up the slope, Guan Yu’s forces were already slaughtering Cao Ang’s men at a terrifying pace, aiming for Cao Ang’s head. The moment Guan Yu, his Green Dragon Blade dripping with blood, charged at Cao Ang—
CLAAAAANG!!
I barely managed to strike Guan Yu’s flank and turn the Green Dragon’s fangs toward me instead. The sheer force felt like it would tear my arm clean off; my spear shaft trembled violently, and my entire body went numb. Cao Ang… I came all the way here to save you, you little bastard!
“Cao— no, Cao Ang! Join the main force immediately! My men, protect Colonel Cao Ang at once!”
“Zilie!”
“Now!”
Before me, Guan Yu lowered his Green Dragon Blade, radiating an overwhelming aura. How many people in the world could face that head-on and win? In the end, it seemed the fate that had appeared at the beginning of this war was mine to bear after all. I had abandoned the pursuit of Liu Bei to save Cao Ang. I had no idea what consequences this would bring, but Cao Ang, whose vanguard had been annihilated, hurriedly descended Mangshan.
“I—I’ll bring reinforcements right away!”
“The war will be over before then, you fool.”
Liu Bei’s vanguard had already been broken and was retreating. Yu Bi and Gong Du’s forces on the flanks would have been wiped out by now. Their generals had been impressive, but they had ultimately been crushed by sheer force. This was the end.
“Zilie… I told you clearly that I would show no mercy the next time we met on the battlefield.”
“I abandoned the pursuit to save my brother. I’ve already gone as far as I can go.”
“…?”
Guan Yu flinched, but the troops around him were already targeting the few dozen cavalry at my side. Gripping my spear tightly, I charged straight at Guan Yu.