readytorunbook Chapter 744: Rescue Chang'an Guan Yu Blocks the Road
Chapter 744: Rescue Chang'an Guan Yu Blocks the Road
As time passed, Pan Feng's strength gradually faded, and his movements slowed. Lü Bu seized the opportunity and delivered a powerful kick to Pan Feng's chest. Pan Feng stumbled back a few steps, falling to one knee, but managed to stand up, propping his axe on the ground and glaring at his enemy. Zhao Yun seized the opportunity and thrust his spear, piercing Pan Feng's chest. Pan Feng spat out blood but let out a wild laugh filled with disdain and arrogance. Gathering his last bit of strength, he hurled the axe at Lü Bu, who narrowly avoided it. Finally, Pan Feng slowly collapsed, his massive frame crashing to the ground with a thud, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Urged on by the crowd, Ma Chao, tears streaming down his face, galloped towards the Chang'an city gates, closely followed by Dian Wei, Wu Anguo, Lieutenant Li Tong's men, and his few remaining guards. Behind him, Pan Feng was gradually overwhelmed by the enemy, but his earth-shaking roar and axe-wielding figure were forever etched in the hearts of Ma Chao and the others.
Pulled back by Wu Anguo, Ma Chao and his companions reluctantly abandoned Pan Feng and galloped away, finally breaking through the imperial city. They stormed through the streets of Chang'an like a gust of wind, the thunderous clatter of their hooves instantly shattering the city's tranquility and sending the populace fleeing in panic. Stalls were overturned, goods scattered across the ground, and cries of pain and curses mingled, plunging Chang'an into chaos.
Lü Bu, Zhao Yun, and the others would not give up and quickly pursued Ma Chao. Knowing Ma Chao's formidable strength, they dared not slack off. They galloped on horseback, shouting loudly, alerting the guards everywhere to come and block the way. In an instant, the city guards rushed out, weapons in hand, pouring out from every street and alley, gradually cutting off Ma Chao and his men's escape route.
Ma Chao reined in his horse and looked around, seeing the enemy approaching like a tide, yet he felt no fear at all. He turned to Dian Wei, Wu Anguo, and Li Tong and shouted, "Brothers, even if we die today, we must fight our way out!" Their voices echoed in unison, resounding through the air, revealing a resolute determination to face death head-on.
They quickly found horses on the street, mounted them, and engaged in a fierce battle with the pursuing guards. Ma Chao wielded his tiger-headed golden spear, its tip gleaming with a cold light, sending enemies falling wherever he struck. Dian Wei, wielding a bronze crane lantern, possessed immense strength, each blow carrying a tremendous force, sending foes careening off their horses. Wu Anguo swung his iron hammer, sending the ground ablaze with dust, forcing the enemy to retreat. Li Tong, not to be outdone, wielded his spear like a dragon, weaving freely among the enemy hordes.
However, as the enemy gathered in ever-increasing numbers, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for Ma Chao and his men. They fought and retreated, their wounds mounting, their clothes stained red with blood. But even so, they refused to give up. With their superb martial arts and tenacious will, they persevered through the chaos of Chang'an, searching for a chance to break out.
While Li Tong was struggling to resist the oncoming enemies, he shouted to Ma Chao at the top of his voice amid the noisy shouts and cries: "Sir, let's charge towards the South Gate! My brothers who have shared life and death with me are there at the South Gate. They will definitely come to support us. We will break out from there!" When Ma Chao heard this, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes. Before he could respond, Wu Anguo excitedly said: "Good suggestion! This is a great plan!" As he said that, he swung the hammer in his hand and knocked an enemy who tried to get close to him back.
Wu Anguo then shouted loudly: "Once we reach the South Gate and leave the city, Wenyuan and others outside the city will hear about the civil unrest in Chang'an and will surely lead their troops to support us. In this way, we will have a chance of survival!" After hearing this, everyone's originally exhausted bodies seemed to be injected with strength again, and their spirits were lifted.
Ma Chao shoved his horse under him, and with a neigh, his horse, Aurora, charged like an arrow from a bow towards the South Gate, shouting, "Brothers, follow me and kill!" Dian Wei, brandishing a bronze crane lantern, followed Ma Chao like a fierce demon, leaving bloodshed everywhere he went, and the enemy remained at bay. Li Tong, brandishing his spear, charged left and right, clearing a path for the others. Wu Anguo, at the rear, remained vigilant against any sneak attack from behind. He struck with his hammer, each blow carrying immense force, striking fear into the hearts of his pursuers.
They charged through the enemy horde, blood dripping from their weapons, staining the streets of Chang'an red. Despite the enemy's siege, they held a single conviction: to fight their way out of the South Gate and escape. Along the way, they repelled wave after wave of enemy attacks, gradually approaching the South Gate, the gate that held their hope for survival.
Outside the city, Jiang Jiong's face suddenly changed when he heard the shouts and screams coming from Chang'an City. He immediately gave a decisive order: "Jiang Xu, you go and report to the general quickly. I will lead the cavalry to support them first!" After that, he jumped on his horse, waved his hand, and the cavalry under his command rushed towards the city gate like a black torrent. The sound of horse hooves shook the earth slightly.
Jiang Xu didn't dare delay and galloped towards the camp. Inside, Xu Huang and Gan Ning were already passed out, their bodies slumped to the ground, empty wine jars scattered about. Guan Yu and a still-drunk Zhang Fei had already left the camp, leaving Zhang Liao pacing restlessly in the tent, preoccupied.
Zhang Liao felt vaguely uneasy from the beginning. Although Xu Huang and others repeatedly urged him to drink, he remained sober and only drank a little.
At that moment, Jiang Xu rushed into the tent. His breath was still catching from the galloping, and his chest heaved violently. He shouted in a trembling voice, "Something terrible is happening! There's chaos in Chang'an. General Jiang Jiong has led the cavalry to support them. I've been ordered to report this quickly!"
Zhang Liao stopped abruptly, his eyes, once gloomy and worried, suddenly sharp as an eagle, a cold gleam in their eyes. Without hesitation, he thundered with the command, "Quick, beat the drums, gather the troops, and assemble them. All troops must be ready within a quarter of an hour. Follow me and charge into the city!" Just as the messenger was about to move, he replied with a troubled expression, "General, Xu Huang and General Gan Ning are both drunk and unconscious. We can't wake them!"
Zhang Liao, terrified, looked at the two drunken men lying on the ground, his brows knitted into the shape of a "川" character. Jiang Xu's face was also filled with anxiety. At this moment, one of Gan Ning's personal guards stepped forward and said, "Don't worry, General. I'll fetch some cold water and splash it on you two. Perhaps we can still wake you up in time!" Without waiting for Zhang Liao's response, he rushed out.
In the blink of an eye, the guards returned with a bucket of cold water and, without hesitation, poured it over Xu Huang and Gan Ning. With a splash, the cold water doused them, and the two shuddered, abruptly waking from their drunken dreams. They stared blankly at the tense crowd around them.
Zhang Liao stepped forward quickly and shouted, "Chang'an is in chaos, and our lord is in danger. Get up quickly, beat the drum to gather the generals, and follow me to rescue him!" Xu Huang and Gan Ning woke up instantly, and without even bothering to wipe the water droplets off their faces, they crawled towards the place where the war drum was placed.
The sound of passionate war drums suddenly rang out, piercing the silence of the night sky. Outside the tents, soldiers hurried about, torches flickering and illuminating tense and serious faces.
Soon, outside the tent, cavalry formed a battle array, their horses' hooves dug into the ground, and people shouted and horses neighed.
Zhang Liao leaped onto his horse, raised his spear, and shouted, "All soldiers, follow me and charge into the city to save our lord from danger!" With that, he led his cavalry like a black torrent, charging towards Chang'an. But soon after they had left the camp, dust suddenly rose up in front of them, and a massive army surged forward, blocking their path.
Zhang Liao reined in his horse and took a closer look, his heart sinking. He saw the opposing general's flag fluttering, Guan Yu, wielding his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, standing majestically at the front. Behind him stood Liu Bei's vast army, surrounding their twenty thousand soldiers. Swords and spears flared, their glare flashing, and the atmosphere instantly reached a fever pitch.
Zhang Liao quickly deployed his troops and stood in front of the formation. He shouted anxiously to Guan Yu, "Yunchang! There is chaos in the city right now. I am extremely anxious and worried that my master is in danger. Please get out of the way quickly. We are going to rescue him!" He frowned, his eyes were full of anxiety and eagerness, the reins in his hands were tightly grasped, and his warhorse pawed its hooves restlessly.
Guan Yu looked at Zhang Liao with a complex expression that was difficult to discern: helplessness, respect, and even a hint of reluctance. He slowly clasped his fists together, his voice low and solemn: "Wenyuan, what happened today was absolutely not my intention, but we each serve a different master and have different positions. The Emperor, wary of General Mengqi's excessive power, has decided to take action against him, attempting to strip him of his military authority. This is the cause of the unrest in the city. I hope you will not insist on entering the city again, lest you become embroiled in this courtroom strife and cause further casualties." He sighed softly, his eyes filled with admonition.
Zhang Liao's face was as cold as ice. After hearing what Guan Yu said, he not only did not retreat, but became more determined: "Yunchang, my lord is in danger now, on the verge of life and death. As his subordinates, we can only be loyal to him by risking our lives to rescue him! Since you know that my lord is in trouble, why do you still stop him?" He looked directly into Guan Yu's eyes, with flames of anger and unwillingness burning in his eyes.
Guan Yu lowered his head slightly, a trace of embarrassment flashed across his face. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Wenyuan, my brother is here to ensure Mengqi's safety. You don't have to worry too much." Although his voice was gentle, it carried an unquestionable meaning.
These words reached Xu Huang and the others behind him, and even they, still drunk, instantly perked up. Xu Huang's eyes widened, and he took a step forward, demanding, "Yun Chang, why are you still stopping us? We need to rescue our lord! How can we trust you?" His face was filled with anxiety, and he unconsciously clenched his weapon.
Gan Ning was even more irritable and yelled directly at Guan Yu: "What nonsense! That is my lord. If we don't save him, what use are we subordinates? If you don't get out of the way today, don't blame us for being rude!" His face flushed red and he exuded a desperate aura.
Guan Yu looked guilty, but still remained firm: "Guan is here, and I will never let you go. Brothers, please calm down for a while, and I will give you an explanation when the situation becomes clear." After that, he held the Qinglong Yanyue Sword horizontally, and the soldiers behind him also followed suit, the atmosphere was tense, and a battle was about to break out.
Zhang Liao was extremely anxious at the moment, his eyes were red with anger and anxiety, he stared at Guan Yu, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Guan Yu! Do you really want to disregard the friendship between brothers in the past? Since you knew in advance that there was a change in the city, you still deliberately led my brothers to drink, which led to mistakes. Now you are blocking us from rescuing our lord here. I, Zhang Liao, am really blind to have made friends with someone like you! If you insist on not giving way today, then we will break off our friendship! Either you die or I die!" His chest heaved violently, and the big knife in his hand was gripped with blue veins, as if he was going to rush up and fight Guan Yu to the death in the next second.