Chapter 61

The blue waves crash across the battlefield. The golden silk cloak embroidered with Lanling flutters as the cavalry charges with the thunderous sound of hooves.

The charge of the heavy cavalry brings courage to allies and despair to enemies. A soldier consumed by fear is nothing but a scarecrow.

Crash!

Before the Wei general could even rally his troops, a cavalry unit dashed through the formation like lightning.

With each swing of the spear, a spray of blood soared into the sky. Before the enemy could regain their composure, their morale was utterly shattered.

The spear that beheads the enemy cuts the thread of hope, and the hooves trampling the fallen crush the sprouts of will.

“Do not falter! The second line, gather towards the enemy cavalry! The first line, retreat gradually and reform the formation! Trap the enemy cavalry inside! Cavalry that loses speed can be defeated by infantry!”

Even with the formation broken, the enemy general burns with fighting spirit.

Though his face is unseen, he does not appear ordinary. This is Cao Wei. Even the enemy generals I don’t know possess such skill.

No matter how exceptional a single enemy general is, the soldiers’ abilities don’t suddenly improve. Reality isn’t a game. No matter how much you inspire them, their stats won’t increase.

The spear whirls. Gracefully spinning, it sweeps aside all obstacles.

Slash! Crash! Thud!

Flying heads. Shattered armor. Rolling bodies. Such was the fate of those who stood in the path of our troops.

Dozens, hundreds of soldiers fall into the abyss of death. The enemy, witnessing this horrific scene, is consumed by terror. Some even drop their weapons, overwhelmed by helplessness.

Beyond that, it was a wasteland. The Wei soldiers, swallowed by fear, watched as the cavalry passed by, unable to even raise their spears, and died in a daze.

The enemy general is close. His figure, clearly visible, is not that of a coward fleeing in fear, but of a true general burning with resolve even at the edge of a cliff.

That’s why he must die here.

“Bu Chuan! Guard the surroundings! I will strike the enemy general!”

With the formation broken, the Wei army’s resistance is nearing its limit. If we take down the enemy general here, the tide of battle will turn completely in our favor.

Clang!

The spear tip precisely targets the gaps in the enemy general’s armor and helmet, but he deflects it with his sword. The spear barely grazes him, and he immediately counters with a second and third strike.

A flurry of spear strikes rains down. On the sixth strike, the enemy general’s sword is knocked away, and the seventh strike slashes his arm.

Blood stains the battle robe beneath his armor. With his right arm severed, wielding a sword is no longer possible. This marks his end.

My spear grants no mercy, ruthlessly slashing the enemy general’s throat. Even in death, his eyes remain wide open, glaring at the spear that took his life.

Only as he falls from his horse does the enemy general turn his back. For a moment, I regret not learning his name.

“General of the North has slain the enemy general!!”

Bu Chuan’s shout spreads like ripples across the battlefield. But this is not the end.

I immediately turn my gaze. The center of the enemy formation. There stands Xu Huang.

‘If I go after him myself, will he retreat, or will he try to capture me for a turnaround?’

With a joyful heart, I grip the reins to find out.

§

“General Zhu Ling has fallen.”

As soon as Zhao Yan saw Xu Huang returning to the center, he rushed to report.

Xu Huang had gone to support the other side when the enemy struck. No, they must have planned it. From the attackers’ perspective, it’s logical to strike where the defense is weakest.

The enemy is not someone like Lü Bu, who relies solely on brute force. They enjoy frontal clashes but also know how to exploit weaknesses.

Zhao Yan sensed the crisis. Once a hole is made, more will follow. It was time to rally the troops and prepare for retreat.

“General, you must retreat. The enemy’s morale is high, and our troops’ spirits are low. Continuing to fight will only result in more losses.”

Xu Huang, staring at Chang-ran charging towards him after slaying Zhu Ling, said:

“All we need is to capture Chang-ran. Their troops follow her more than Liu Bei. Capturing her will turn the tide.”

“General, be rational! Chang-ran is a fierce general, just like her father! Remember what happened to General Zhang He!”

At Zhao Yan’s earnest plea, a twitch appeared at the corner of Xu Huang’s eye.

Zhang He. Once considered one of the Five Elite Generals alongside Xu Huang, he met his end at Chang-ran’s spear.

But Xu Huang was confident he was stronger than Zhang He. In personal combat, at least, he believed himself superior.

To defeat her, they would need Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, the legendary generals. Even then, victory without injury would be unlikely.

Xu Huang had once sparred with Guan Yu when Guan Yu was under Cao Cao’s command. Though it was just a practice match, Xu Huang had held his own against the mighty Guan Yu.

That arrogant Guan Yu had respected Xu Huang and Zhang Liao, considering them equals.

Chang-ran? He acknowledged her. Once might be luck, but twice is skill. Many of Cao Wei’s generals had fallen to her spear.

Cao Hong, Zhang He, Cao Zhang—all had fallen. Chang-ran’s strength was real.

But Xu Huang did not believe he would lose.

Reading Xu Huang’s confidence, Zhao Yan quickly added:

“Of course, General, you can defeat Chang-ran. But how long will it take? Can our troops hold out that long?”

“Fights between the strong can be decided in a single exchange.”

Xu Huang recalled the duel he had witnessed between Zhang Liao and Guan Yu.

Unlike his own prolonged battles, Zhang Liao and Guan Yu had exchanged only a single blow before Zhang Liao conceded defeat.

At the time, Xu Huang hadn’t understood, but now, more experienced, he knew why they had decided the match in one exchange. Xu Huang had reached their level. How could he lose to Chang-ran?

But Zhao Yan wasn’t wrong.

If Xu Huang were to be caught by Chang-ran, the Wei army would be annihilated. And if Xu Huang fell, the reinforcements gathering from across Wei would face the same fate.

“We shouldn’t have come out to Wan in the first place.”

“General…”

“You’re right, Zhao Yan. We will retreat. Inform Niu Jin and Feng Xi as well.”

Xu Huang couldn’t gamble the entire Jing Province. He was not the ruler but a general tasked with defending the territory.

If victory wasn’t assured, not fighting was also a virtue of a general. Xu Huang set aside his personal pride and chose the greater good.

“Next time, it won’t end like this.”

§

The clash between Chang-ran and Xu Huang at Zhaoyang ended in Chang-ran’s victory.

Of the over 10,000 troops under Xu Huang, less than half returned to Wan unscathed. Key officers like Zhu Ling and Niu Jin were killed, and the losses were significant.

This was only achieved through the desperate efforts of Xu Huang and Zhao Yan. Wang Ping had accurately blocked Xu Huang’s retreat path, but Zhen Ye was a step ahead.

Chang-ran pursued Xu Huang, but it was more for show. The Lanling Army, exhausted from the rapid march and relentless battle, needed rest.

Thanks to Chang-ran’s decision to prioritize recovery over pursuit and Zhen Ye’s cooperation, Xu Huang managed to return to Wan.

However, the fact that Xu Huang’s troops were mostly new recruits, while Chang-ran led the seasoned Lanling Army, or that retreating under such conditions was a feat, didn’t matter.

All that spread was the rumor that Chang-ran had defeated Xu Huang.

Following Guan Yu’s campaign in Yangfan and Nanyang, Cao Wei had effectively lost control of Jing Province south of Wan.

Moreover, after abandoning pursuit to recover, Chang-ran and the Lanling Army began to wreak havoc in Nanyang.

Defeating Xu Shang and Lü Jian in succession, Chang-ran achieved her tactical objectives.

Yet, Cao Cao and the Wei army silently gathered their forces, preparing for the next battle. Despite the dire situation for Zhao Yun and Man Chong trapped in Yangfan, they chose war over negotiation, confident in their secret alliance with Sun Quan.

The betrayal by Sun Quan was the key.

On the very day Sima Yi met Sun Quan as an envoy, Sun Quan accepted the secret pact.

Coinciding with Guan Yu’s unauthorized raid on Xiangguan for supplies, Sun Quan used this as a pretext to mobilize his forces.

Lü Meng was cunning.

He used the unknown Lu Xun to flatter Guan Yu, lowering his guard, and disguised warships as merchant vessels to enter Jing Province.

This was to deceive the observation posts Guan Yu had set up along the river, wary of Sun Quan’s betrayal.

But their plan had been exposed from the start.

From a high vantage point overlooking the river, a man watched as the observation posts fell to Lü Meng.

‘Mingjing, as expected, our judgment was correct.’

His name was Pang Tong.

Pang Tong had always believed that if Liu Bei were to fall, it would be at the hands of Sun Quan, not Cao Wei.

This belief had solidified through conversations with Chang-ran.

‘Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lü Meng. They were no less capable than me or Zhuge Liang.’

Pang Tong had kept a close eye on Lü Meng.

Zhou Yu was a prodigy but died young. Lu Su, while highly capable, was too noble to betray an alliance.

But Lü Meng was different.

‘He’s like a wolf. Sharp enough to bite the neck of a stumbling tiger and kill it.’

Some might call Sun Quan’s betrayal foolish, cutting off his nose to spite his face, but Pang Tong saw it as inevitable.

It wasn’t just because Lü Meng, a hawk, held military power. From Sun Quan’s perspective, Liu Bei’s unchecked growth was perhaps a greater threat than Cao Wei.

With Guan Yu even developing a navy, the land-weakened Southland faced a real crisis.

‘Moreover, Sun Quan knows Zhou Yu’s plan to divide the world.’

Zhou Yu’s grand strategy to split the world north and south, aiming for northern expeditions, was something Sun Quan remembered. Liu Bei’s rise couldn’t be ignored.

At least once, Sun Quan must have felt the need to alter the flow favoring Liu Bei.

“But it’s too late. If you were going to act, you should have done so while we were fighting in Hanzhong.”

Everything had already been set in motion.

Pang Tong was confident.

This was the grand plan he, Pang Tong, and Chang-ran had devised together. Even if errors occurred, success was assured.

“This Jing Province will be the trap that ensnares you.”