Puyang of Blood and Fire (4)
Lu Bu charged straight toward me.
Could I possibly stand against this mad tiger? No—I had to.
At that moment, Xu Shu surged forward ahead of me.
Clang—!
He deflected Lu Bu’s first ferocious charge, then brought his sword down in a follow-up strike. Lu Bu dodged it with contemptuous ease and thrust his halberd forward.
“Ugh!”
The weapon screamed toward Xu Shu’s torso. He barely managed to parry it. I didn’t waste the opening. I charged in, sword arcing toward Lu Bu’s throat. This was no honorable one-on-one duel. We had to drive this monster back.
“!”
While Xu Shu kept him occupied, I brought my blade down at his skull. Lu Bu simply turned his head a fraction and let it whistle past. Since the blow had missed, I reset my stance and aimed for a vital point—
Crack—
“!?”
I whipped my head toward the sound. Xu Shu had taken the halberd’s shaft directly to the face and was sent flying into the distance.
“You bastard!”
Lu Bu immediately turned his weapon on me. I raised my sword by reflex, but—
“Kgh!”
Boom!
…What an absurd monster.
The instant I pushed off the ground and regained my feet, the crescent blade of his halberd flashed before my eyes. I twisted my body on instinct. The earth shattered beneath the missed strike, trembling violently. I swung my sword, but it clanged uselessly against the halberd’s thick shaft.
“Regret the day you crossed Lu Fengxian!”
As he swung for my neck, a cold voice cut through the chaos from behind.
“Duck.”
“?!”
I dropped low instantly. A spear blade hissed over the back of my neck, aimed straight at Lu Bu.
Clang—!
In that razor-thin window I regained my balance.
“Lu Bu! I’ll be your opponent!”
“I wondered who it was. So it’s one of Cao Cao’s dogs who chased us all the way to Chang’an. Haven’t you already lost to me and Xu Ying once before?”
Lu Bu recognized Xiahou Dun and mocked him openly as he whirled his halberd.
“Hmph!”
Xiahou Dun blocked every strike, answering with thrusts at Lu Bu’s throat whenever an opening appeared. Yet even my uncle was slowly being pushed back.
“Fighting you is boring.”
“Shut your mouth, you boar!”
While the two of them clashed with ferocious intensity, someone grabbed me from behind. It was Xu Shu.
“Cough—cough! Hrrk!”
“Yuanzhi!”
His body was a wreck. Every cough brought up fresh blood. He was in critical condition.
“Our lord is safe. Lu Bu’s troops have us surrounded, but… they haven’t broken through.”
With a trembling hand, Xu Shu pointed at the peerless warrior.
“We only need to kill him. Just Lu Bu…”
When he tried to lunge forward again, I stepped in his way.
“I’ll do it.”
“Wenyue…”
“While he’s occupied with Uncle Dun, I’ll look for an opening and drive a blade home.”
Honestly, charging into that whirlwind to target Lu Bu might be suicidal. But this was the final gate. I was ready to risk everything.
At that exact moment, Lu Bu powered through with raw strength. Xiahou Dun staggered, balance broken. The instant Lu Bu committed to a killing blow, I planted my feet and thrust.
He had already swung at Xiahou Dun. This was the gap.
Shiiing—
“!?”
Lu Bu twisted at the last second. My sword glanced off his chest and stabbed empty air.
“This brat has been annoying me since the beginning!”
Clatter!
“Kgh?”
It happened in the blink of an eye. The moment Lu Bu turned his weapon on me, another sword flew in. He barely knocked it aside. Xiahou Dun and I attacked together, exploiting the opening.
“Bastard!”
Xiahou Dun’s spear stabbed for the throat. Lu Bu simply turned his head and let it pass. But my sword flew true—aimed directly between his eyes. He ducked at the last possible moment.
Clatter—
The thrust still landed. Because he had ducked, the blade caught the ornament on his head instead of his face. His topknot was severed cleanly. Lu Bu’s long hair exploded outward in every direction.
In the next instant the world flashed white.
My body forgot gravity and flew backward. The sickening sound of breaking metal rang in my ears.
When I regained my senses I was rolling across the ground again. I lifted my head by reflex. Xiahou Dun’s spear had been snapped in half and hung crooked. Lu Bu, triumphant, was striding toward Cao Cao on horseback.
“Cao Cao. Now only you remain.”
“…”
“Damn it…”
I had to push myself up again. My entire body throbbed as though I had been beaten with iron clubs. My skin burned like it had been held to a forge, but I could not stop.
As Lu Bu leveled his halberd and advanced on Cao Cao, I rose once more, retrieved my fallen sword, and prepared to fight to the end—
Swooooosh—
“Hm?!”
Crunch!!!
A massive spear screamed out of the sky. Lu Bu spun away at the last second, but when he saw the enormous weapon embedded in the south gate wall, quivering, his eyebrows twitched for the first time.
“…Whose spear is that?”
“You there. Are you the one they call Lu Bu?”
The voice boomed like thunder, strong enough to shake the entire city. I turned to see who could display such spirit before Lu Bu and found a muscular giant even taller and broader than the Flying General himself.
Under the moonlight the giant carried an iron halberd identical to Lu Bu’s and walked forward with absolute confidence.
“My lord! Are you unharmed!”
Behind the giant, Cheng Yu arrived leading the remaining guards. In perfect timing, the spear embedded in the gate shuddered violently. The locking bar shattered and the gates swung open.
“Waaaaaaaah—!”
“Save the Inspector of Yan Province!”
“Leave none of the traitors in Puyang alive!”
It was perfect timing. The south gate had finally been breached. Our troops outside poured in like a tidal wave, instantly encircling Lu Bu and his men. No matter how monstrously strong Lu Bu was, in this situation any reckless move could cost him his life.
“Lu Bu, I acknowledge your valor. Unfortunately, you grew far too complacent.”
Cao Cao remained motionless atop his horse, never taking a single step back. Victory was already in his grasp.
Lu Bu gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“Heng. Just one move short. A shame. Still, catching you, Cao Cao, can wait for another day. Shall we meet again on the battlefield in a few days?”
A few days? So he had already positioned troops nearby.
My vision was beginning to blur, but I had to stay on my feet until he withdrew. Lu Bu stroked his halberd and smirked.
“Before I go, shall I at least cut down one general?”
In the blink of an eye he was charging at me, halberd raised high. I tried to lift my sword—
“!?”
A black shadow filled my vision. A deafening roar slammed into my ears as a massive body stepped between us.
“Ah…”
“You bastard—Lu Bu!”
BOOOOM—!
The giant warrior charged with a thunderous battle cry and swung his iron halberd. Lu Bu barely deflected it and retreated.
Cao Cao leapt down from his horse and ran forward, shouting at the man who had shielded me.
“Yuanrang… Xiahou Dun!”
Uncle Yuanrang?
When I finally steadied myself and looked, Xiahou Dun’s condition was horrific. Blood poured down a face so ruined it was unrecognizable. Shards of shattered metal were embedded in his flesh.
“Xiahou Dun!”
Cao Cao cradled him, body trembling, then roared with bloodshot eyes.
“Kill Lu Bu! No—wipe out every last armored rebel inside Puyang!”
Fury burned in Cao Cao’s voice. Even as I supported Xiahou Dun’s body, I could scarcely believe what I was seeing.
“Uncle… Uncle!”
Then—
“Aman… Wenyue…”
“!!!”
“Xiahou Dun!”
“I’m not… dead yet.”
Xiahou Dun weakly lifted his hand. Cao Cao seized it at once.
“If I hadn’t been wearing a helmet… my skull would have been smashed into a thousand pieces.”
“Xiahou Dun, say no more. I’ll summon the military physicians immediately.”
“Aman, worry about your own body first.”
“Stop talking, you fool!”
Moments later the doctors arrived. I personally supported Xiahou Dun and carried him to the command tent.
The longest night in Puyang Castle finally passed.
I retrieved my spear from outside the walls and used it as a crutch while patrolling the city.
“Collect the corpses. Clear away every burned remnant.”
“Double the guard at the gates. We cannot predict when the enemy might strike again.”
Officers moved everywhere, restoring order. I, too, walked the streets of Puyang, overseeing the grim cleanup after battle.
“Huu…”
When I reached the marketplace where I had hidden Cao Cao and repelled every assassin sent after him, I finally collapsed onto a bench.
I wanted nothing more than to sleep, but if I closed my eyes now I doubted I would wake for days.
“Young master.”
“Hm?”
I looked up. Cheng Yu approached cautiously and offered a wooden container.
“Please drink.”
“Thank you.”
Warmed wine filled the container.
“It is fortunate our lord is safe. Both Yuanzhi and Yuanrang suffered heavy wounds, but the physicians say their lives are not in danger.”
“Huu… Truly a relief.”
Knowing both men were receiving proper treatment eased my heart. Especially Uncle Xiahou Dun. He had always been kind to me, yet last night he had thrown himself in front of Lu Bu to save my life. That debt could never be repaid.
I had to keep my wits until his treatment was complete. I would go to him the moment I could and offer my deepest gratitude.
“We have secured Puyang. The rebel forces fled east. A few counties rose in revolt, but we can crush them quickly.”
“We must deal with the remnants of the Zhang clan and Lu Bu’s survivors.”
“Our lord says he will reorganize the army and sweep them away at once.”
“As he should. I have no intention of letting those bastards escape either.”
I gripped my spear tightly, fresh fighting spirit blazing in my chest. The rebellion in Puyang had failed. For those who had fled, only bloody vengeance remained.