Mythical Three Kingdoms

For reasons unknown, Yuan Shao suddenly turned his head, tears streaming down his face. Wen Chou forcibly suppressed the impulse to fight back, grabbed Yuan Shao tightly, and charged forward without looking back. His two brothers were already dead. What he needed to do was not seek revenge but protect Yuan Shao and break through the encirclement.

After Juo Yi perished in battle, the Vanguard recklessly charged at Liu Bei's Army. Not a single man retreated. Until the very last soldier fell, the once-dominant Vanguard Death Squad of the north and the man who single-handedly created this legend—Juo Yi—both came to their end on this battlefield.

Zhao Yun looked at the bow and arrow in his hands. The feud between the White Horse and the Vanguard was thus resolved. Only two members of the White Horse remained, while the Vanguard had been completely annihilated. From now on, the era of the White Horse and the Vanguard was over.

[If it were possible, I would truly wish to lead the White Horse against you in a fair battle. Unfortunately, the White Horse has already vanished without a trace, so I can only use this Precious Bow gifted to me by General Gongsun to end you.]

Zhao Yun slowly wrapped the Precious Carved Bow, which had accompanied him since Hulao Pass, in silk cloth. He feared that he would no longer have any need to use this bow again in the future.

"Charge, the entire army!" Guan Yu glanced back at Zhao Yun, whose expression had returned to normal, and issued the final order. After this, there would only be chaotic fighting and pursuit. Everything else no longer mattered.

Hua Xiong turned his horse around and led the Xiliang Iron Cavalry once more into a battle against Yuan Shao's Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry. Countless Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry fell on the spot. Amid the savage chaos of the battle, some fled, some fought to the death, some deserted in fear, while others chose to die rather than surrender—human nature in all its forms was vividly on display.

Meanwhile, not long ago, Xu Shu and Wei Yan, who had remained hidden after witnessing Hua Xiong's blindingly destructive charge through the enemy lines, finally launched their attack as Yuan Shao seized the opportunity to break free from Guan Yu's encirclement.

A little earlier, one quarter-hour after Gao Lan severed Liu Bei's Army, Wei Yan and Xu Shu, leading their most elite troops, cautiously approached the battlefield. The chaotic situation shocked Wei Yan greatly, and he immediately prepared to lead his troops to protect Liu Bei.

"Wait!" Xu Shu grabbed Wei Yan and said, "Just wait a little longer. Although our army is currently at a disadvantage, it hasn't fallen into complete disarray. Command structures remain intact. Strategist Jia and the others surely have a plan; otherwise, this wouldn't be happening!"

"What? Wait longer? What if something goes wrong?" Wei Yan was visibly alarmed. Given the chaotic state of the battlefield, should they really wait until total collapse to provide assistance? If that were the case, what use would their meager forces be?

"Nothing will go wrong. I saw General Wu'an, and he hasn't moved yet. That means our lord still has reserves, and Strategist Jia is waiting for the right moment!" Xu Shu said calmly. His greatest skill was detecting weaknesses; Liu Bei's Army would not be able to conceal even such a glaring vulnerability from him.

Although Wei Yan still hesitated, Xu Shu's extraordinary performance back in Qinghe had already won him over completely. After pondering for a brief moment, Wei Yan decided to trust Xu Shu, though his concern for Liu Bei lingered. He lay on a hidden slope and continued to observe the battle. What he saw next was a brutal spectacle!

"Is that really General Hua?" Wei Yan felt as if his jaw was about to drop. The Xiliang Iron Cavalry's overwhelming combat style blinded him with its sheer brutality!

The Vanguard, reputed as Hebei's elite and so formidable that even Wei Yan's escort troops—his city guards—had deemed them intimidating, was being beaten head-on by the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. Admittedly, the cavalry wasn't entirely focused on the Vanguard, as a significant portion was still engaging Yuan Shao's Rear Army, but the sight was enough to leave Wei Yan in awe.

Moreover, that massive banner—Wei Yan could only think of Hua Xiong. Yet the ferocious charges and astonishing forcefulness made Wei Yan shudder; this wasn't at all like the Hua Xiong he had once encountered on Mount Tai.

"It has to be him." Xu Shu, who had only met Hua Xiong once in Yingchuan, didn't truly know how he had been before. Watching Hua Xiong now, tearing through enemy lines like a hot knife through butter, Xu Shu could only marvel at the strength of Liu Bei's forces.

"Let's strike while the iron is hot!" Wei Yan proclaimed enthusiastically. With Hua Xiong wreaking havoc behind enemy lines, their assault would lead to a pincer attack, virtually guaranteeing the collapse of Yuan Shao's Army.

"Go and rally the troops quickly!" Xu Shu nodded, recognizing the opportunity. However, Wei Yan's infantry lacked mobility, and by the time he had gathered his men, Yuan Shao's reinforcements, led by Xun Shen, had arrived.

Wei Yan abandoned his initial plan to charge head-on as Xu Shu restrained him. Spotting an even better opportunity, Xu Shu acted decisively. Besides, in the chaos of this battle, Wei Yan's maneuvers would have drawn significant attention under normal circumstances.

In truth, many soldiers from both Yuan Shao's and Liu Bei's armies had already noticed Wei Yan's forces. But it didn't matter much; Liu Bei's men saw them as reinforcements, while the soldiers of Yuan Shao's Army who spotted them either fled desperately or couldn't find their commanders to report the situation.

Wei Yan patiently waited until Yuan Shao's troops burst through Guan Yu's encirclement. He knew the time had come. Just as he prepared to roar and charge forward, Xu Shu pushed him down and whispered in his ear. Then, Xu Shu led his forces forward, cutting off Yuan Shao's retreat, while Wei Yan led his personal soldiers in pursuit!

At almost the same time, Chen Xi, who had been lying in ambush in the west, launched his attack. Given his smooth progress, he might have arrived even sooner had he not ordered Xu Sheng and Mi Fang to deal with some matters en route.

Breaking out of the encirclement was crucial for Yuan Shao's return to the north. After making so many preparations, if they couldn't seize over half of Hebei, all their efforts would have been in vain. Thus, Yuan Shao was doomed to die in this battle!

This was a goal that had to be achieved, no matter how Yuan Shao resisted Liu Bei's attacks or broke out of Guan Yu's encirclement. Endless layers of ambushes awaited to seal his fate!

Even if Yuan Shao were favored by the Mandate of Heaven, unless he summoned a meteorite like Emperor Guangwu of old, there was no chance of his complete escape from this battle.

Anything within human capability had already been calculated by Chen Xi and his comrades over the years. Even with the early launch of the Northern Campaign, even with fighting on multiple fronts, even with only one hand free, the remaining forces were enough to gradually erode Yuan Shao into history!

Although Mi Fang wasn't skilled in commanding troops, he excelled at striking at those already defeated. When Xu Sheng led a large number of forces to swarm the battlefield, Mi Fang also led his personal soldiers into the fray.

Wei Yan and Xu Sheng struck from the left and right, prompting Gao Lan and Zhang He to counterattack. Their hundreds of trusted aides fought desperately to hold off the flanking attacks and secure precious time, retreating northwest once they could no longer hold their ground. Staying any longer would guarantee disaster.

"Die!" Just as Yuan Shao broke through the encirclement, Wei Yan, who had previously feigned death on the battlefield, leaped up, brandishing his great sword as he attacked Yuan Shao!

(To be continued. If you like this novel, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)