Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1180 Lü Bu Suffers Casualties and Flees in Defeat

Lu Bu roared and swept his halberd to force Ma Chao back, but his tiger's mouth was split open again, and blood flowed down the halberd shaft: "Don't be arrogant, brat! I haven't lost yet!" But he knew in his heart that Ma Chao's spear was getting faster and more cunning. Those seemingly fierce attacks contained precise calculations, which were used to attack him in the gaps when he was catching his breath.

On the other side, Zhang Liao's spear formation pressed down on Hao Meng like an iron wall. With each thrust of the spear tips, a number of Hao Meng's personal guards fell. Hao Meng parried with his sword, but was forced back several steps by the impact. A spear tip ripped open his shoulder armor, and blood instantly soaked through his armor. "Cheng Lian! The left flank is about to collapse!" he roared, only to see Cheng Lian entangled by Zhang Xiu's short spear squad. The spear shadows were like a forest, forcing him to cower on his horse and barely manage to parry.

If Cao Xing hadn't been hiding behind the chaotic army and firing sneak arrows, these two would likely have been defeated long ago. Cao Xing's archery skills were cunning, specifically targeting the legs of Zhang Liao and Zhang Xiu's horses or their personal guards. Whenever Hao Meng was cornered by the spear tips, a sneak arrow would always fly in from the side, forcing Zhang Liao to retreat and defend; when Cheng Lian was entangled by short spears, arrows would always pierce the air to free him. Even so, the two continued to retreat, their wounds multiplied, and their breathing became increasingly labored.

"Zhang Liao! Take this!" Cao Xing fired another arrow at Zhang Liao's face, but it was deflected precisely by the Zhang Liao's spear shaft. Zhang Liao sneered, and the tip of his spear suddenly turned, aiming directly at the direction where Cao Xing was hiding: "You cowardly rat who dares to attack from the shadows!"

The spear whistled through the air, and Cao Xing hurriedly tumbled off his horse, hiding behind a dead horse, drenched in cold sweat. In that brief moment of hesitation, Hao Meng seized the opportunity to slash at Zhang Liao's back with his sword, but Zhang Liao dodged to the side and was instead struck heavily on the back by the spear shaft, spitting blood onto the horse's mane.

"Hao Meng!" Cheng Lian tried to rush over to help, but Zhang Xiu's short spear pierced his leg guards. His warhorse reared up in pain, throwing him to the ground. Zhang Xiu thrust his spear forward, but Cheng Lian rolled away to dodge, the spear tip digging deep into the ground.

In the chaos of battle, the Xiliang cavalry, though gaining the upper hand, also paid a heavy price. Ma Chao watched his brothers fall one after another, blood dripping from his silver spear onto the grass, spreading into dark red flowers. He knew that if the battle dragged on any longer, even if they won, the Xiliang cavalry would be reduced to more than half its original strength.

"Lu Bu! Prepare to die!" Ma Chao suddenly roared, his spear tip flicking, creating seven spear shadows that simultaneously pierced Lu Bu's seven vital points. This spear thrust concentrated all his strength, the wind from the spear stirring up blood and foam on the ground, carrying a stench straight towards Lu Bu's face.

Lu Bu's pupils contracted sharply, knowing that he could no longer block the attack. He suddenly flipped off the saddle and leaped from the back of Red Hare, sweeping his halberd horizontally and using all his strength to force Ma Chao's spear tip away.

Lu Bu's moves were outdated. He swung his halberd horizontally to parry Ma Chao's golden spear. The instant the two weapons clashed, he felt his arm go numb and weak, his old strength dissipated and new strength not yet generated. Ma Chao, however, used the momentum of his Aurora Horse's forward charge to suddenly bend over and twist his hips. His golden spear, like a serpent's tail, spun half a circle along the parry's trajectory, the shaft carrying a whistling wind, sweeping diagonally towards Lu Bu's side.

The spear thrust was swift and cunning, leaving no room for evasion. Just then, Hao Meng roared and charged from the side, his long sword held horizontally in front of Lü Bu. With a loud clang, the spear shaft struck the back of the sword, and Hao Meng was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting blood as he tumbled from his horse and crashed heavily to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, Zhang Xiu charged in from behind, wielding a ring-pommel sword. He had originally aimed for Hao Meng's horse's head, but seeing Hao Meng fall, he swiftly lowered his blade, the cold light flashing, and cleaved the still-standing Hao Meng in two at the waist. Blood and entrails splattered everywhere, a gruesome sight.

"Ah—!" Upon seeing this, Lü Bu's eyes widened in fury, and he appeared like a madman, with blood and foam in his mouth. His halberd, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, hurtled straight at Zhang Xiu. "Zhang Xiu, you scoundrel! I will make you pay for Hao Meng's life!" The momentum of the halberd as it fell carried a resolute determination to perish together with him.

Zhang Xiu had not expected Lü Bu to be so ferocious in his rage. He hurriedly parried with his sword, but was forced to retreat repeatedly, his tiger's mouth split open, and his ring-pommel sword almost slipped from his hand.

"Your opponent is me!" Ma Chao's voice boomed like thunder. He turned his Aurora Horse around, swung his golden spear backhand, and the tip of the spear precisely struck the crescent blade of the halberd. The force of this spear strike was immense. Lü Bu felt a jolt in his arm, and the trajectory of the halberd was abruptly deflected by half an inch. It grazed Zhang Xiu's shoulder, cleaved through the air, and struck the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Ma Chao! You're courting death!" Lü Bu roared as he swung his halberd in retaliation, his movements as swift and fierce as a storm, each strike aimed at Ma Chao's vitals. He had completely abandoned all rules and techniques, driven only by a beastly rage, wanting nothing more than to tear the man before him to shreds.

Ma Chao, however, remained as steady as a rock, parrying and deflecting with his golden spear, always managing to dodge the halberd's sharp edge at the last second, while simultaneously aiming the spear tip at Lü Bu's weaknesses. The two fought in a whirlwind of horsemanship, spears clashing and halberds flashing, each collision causing the eardrums of the surrounding soldiers to ache.

Cao Xing, dragging his arrow-struck thigh, and Cheng Lian, clutching his bleeding abdomen, practically tumbled and crawled to Lü Bu's horse, their cries laced with sobs: "My lord! Retreat! The strategist's reinforcements have arrived! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"

In the distance, a phalanx of infantry was indeed moving towards them, its banners fluttering in the wind—the infantry sent by Chen Gong to provide backup, as he was still worried. But on the open field, the infantry was like lambs to the slaughter before the cavalry. Zhang Liao had already noticed the anomaly and was leading a flanking contingent of Xiliang cavalry in a fierce charge. Their iron hooves shattered the morning dew, their spear tips like a forest, and they were about to tear a gap in the infantry formation.

“Fortunately, the iron cavalry is holding their ground, otherwise…” Chen Gong stood on a high slope in the distance, looking at the infantry formation, his brows furrowed. He knew all too well the power of the Xiliang iron cavalry. If Zhang Liao hadn’t only been able to divide his troops into several thousand, just three thousand elite cavalry would have been enough to rout those twenty thousand infantrymen.

But Lü Bu was already beyond reasoning. Ma Chao, seeing the infantry formation approaching, knew he couldn't delay any longer. His tiger-headed golden spear suddenly intensified its attack, the spear shadows layered upon each other, crashing down on Lü Bu like waves crashing against the shore. "Lü Fengxian! Today is your death day!"

Lu Bu roared and swung his halberd to parry, the crisp sound of the halberd clashing with the golden spear like popping beans. The purple-gold crown on his head was already loose, and when Ma Chao swept the tassel off, the golden crown symbolizing the glory of "Marquis Wen" fell to the ground with a "clang" and rolled far away, revealing his disheveled hair soaked with sweat.

"You're courting death!" Lu Bu's eyes were bloodshot. He swung his halberd back, the cold light grazing Ma Chao's armor and tearing off half of his cloak, the silk fragments scattering like butterflies in the wind.

In that split second, Ma Chao twisted his body and, using the momentum of his halberd swing, forcefully turned the spear shaft horizontally, the spear tail sweeping out like an iron whip, striking Lü Bu squarely on the shoulder with a "bang".

"Ugh—!" Lu Bu felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, as if his bones had been shattered. He could no longer hold his halberd and it fell to the ground with a clatter. His Red Hare horse reared up in shock, nearly throwing him off.

"My lord!" Cao Xing and Cheng Lian rushed forward like madmen, raising their swords to block Ma Chao's pursuit. Cao Xing had already run out of arrows and could only use the back of his sword to take the hits, coughing up blood as the wind from the spear swept through his mouth; Cheng Lian, on the other hand, clung tightly to Lü Bu's horse's reins, roaring, "Go, my lord!"

The infantry phalanx sent by Chen Gong finally crashed into the torrent of Xiliang cavalry. The shield wall formed by swordsmen and shieldmen teetered precariously under the iron hooves, and the spearmen's formation was scattered. Yet, some brave warriors still clung to their horses' legs, using their bodies to slow the cavalry's charge. On the open field, the infantry's cries of agony mingled with the cavalry's angry shouts, and blood flowed along the ditches, gleaming eerily red in the morning light.

Lu Bu, his hair disheveled and his silver armor stained with blood, looked like a madman. He shook off the excruciating pain in his shoulder and, like a wounded beast, charged deep into the infantry formation. His Red Hare horse had long been scattered by the chaotic battle; he walked barefoot on the blood-soaked ground, each step splashing dark red water, his back view disheveled yet carrying a fierce, relentless determination.

"Where do you think you're going!" Ma Chao roared, spurring his horse to give chase, his golden tiger-head spear pointed straight at Lü Bu's back. Just then, Cao Xing, dragging his broken leg, lunged forward, clutching the spearhead tightly, his nails digging deep into the cold shaft. Blood trickled from his mouth, but his eyes burned with a resolute light: "My...my lord...run..."

Ma Chao glanced down at him and recognized the face as that of the man who had shot him with a sneak arrow a few days ago. A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "So it was you, you coward who used a sneak attack!" He suddenly exerted force with both arms, lifting Cao Xing and his spear high into the air. Cao Xing's bones cracked, and blood gushed from his mouth, but he still gripped the spear shaft tightly.

"Let go!" Ma Chao roared, his wrist suddenly twisting, the spear shaft carrying Cao Xing's body slamming into the ground. With a muffled "thud," Cao Xing's skull hit the ground, and he fell silent instantly. His hands, which had been gripping the spear shaft tightly, finally loosened, but his knuckles were stiff as iron.

In that brief moment of delay, the remnants of the infantry phalanx surged forward like a tide, forming a human wall with their bodies. Lü Bu used the gaps between them to run forward at breakneck speed, with only a few personal guards led by Cheng Lian by his side, all covered in blood, yet still desperately protecting him as he burrowed deeper into the phalanx.

Ma Chao spurred his horse, ramming past two infantrymen and deflecting a spearman blocking his path with the tip of his spear. Just as he was about to catch up with Lü Bu, he was entangled by even more infantrymen. Knowing they were doomed, the soldiers still charged forward relentlessly, some pulling on the reins, others slashing at the horse's legs, severely slowing down the Aurora.

"Lu Bu! You can't escape!" Ma Chao roared, his golden spear sweeping across the battlefield, blood splattering everywhere, but he could only watch helplessly as Lu Bu's figure disappeared into the dense crowd. In the distance, Chen Gong's banners fluttered behind the infantry formation, clearly indicating that he was organizing the remaining troops to cover the retreat.

"We can't catch up..." Zhang Liao rode up, blood still dripping from the tip of his spear. "My lord, there are too many infantrymen. Charging head-on will only result in the loss of our brothers!"

Ma Chao stared in the direction where Lü Bu had disappeared, his silver spear slamming heavily onto the ground, the tip sinking half an inch into the earth. He suddenly looked up, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes, and turned his spear towards the still-resisting Bingzhou wolf cavalry and infantry: "Lü Bu has escaped, then you will pay with your lives!"

"kill--!"

Like a pack of enraged wolves, the Xiliang cavalry pounced on the remaining enemy troops. Spears thrust, swords slashed, horses trampled—the open field became a one-sided massacre. The Bingzhou wolf cavalry fought to the death, refusing to surrender, but they could not withstand the overwhelming odds and fell one by one in pools of blood; the infantry formations had long since collapsed, leaving only scattered resistance, which was quickly crushed by the iron cavalry.

The sun rose high in the sky, shining on the desolate field strewn with corpses, the stench of blood thick and unbearable. Ma Chao reined in his Aurora, gazing in the direction Lü Bu had fled. Drops of blood from his silver spear fell to the ground, mingling with the crimson carpet. He knew that although he had won today, Lü Bu's escape was a thorn in his side, and if left unchecked, it would surely become a major threat in the future.

"Clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded." Ma Chao's voice was weary, yet exceptionally firm. "Send men to keep an eye on the movements of Lü Bu's remaining forces. One day, I will make him pay for today's blood debt!"

Zhang Liao accepted the order and left, while Zhang Xiu directed his soldiers to gather the spoils of war. The remnants of the infantry formation in the distance had long since vanished, leaving only a scene of carnage, a testament to the fierce pursuit and slaughter. The wind swept across the wilderness, carrying with it the stench of blood and the retreating figure of Lü Bu, but it could not erase the unresolved grudges that had been settled at Hulao Pass.