ATPnovel Chapter 110 The beautiful face that once filled the carriage with fruit has now become a death warra
Chapter 110 The beautiful face that once filled the carriage with fruit has now become a death warra
Moling.
With the inner city completely fallen, Zhou Yu changed into civilian clothes and hid among the common people.
Yuan Tan is known for his benevolence towards the people, surely his army wouldn't make things difficult for a commoner like me?
He was preparing to flee the city with the refugees when he suddenly heard a messenger shouting in the street:
"The general has ordered a city-wide manhunt! Do not let Zhou Yu escape!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu sighed inwardly and slipped into an empty house.
The messenger's voice continued.
"The traitorous strategist Zhou Yu is handsome and has an elegant bearing! The general hereby orders: From this day forward, any man with a fair complexion and outstanding appearance walking on the streets, once discovered, shall be arrested without mercy! Anyone who conceals or fails to report such a man will be punished equally!"
Zhou Yu: "???"
His once handsome face, which had once made women of Jiangdong throw fruit at his carriage, had now become a death warrant.
The light and shadow flickered at the alley entrance, and the footsteps of soldiers were already close at hand.
Left with no other choice, he plunged his hands into the mud by the doorway and smeared the black, foul-smelling filth onto his face.
Then he grabbed a handful of cold ashes from the stove, mixed them with mud, and rubbed them into his hair.
In an instant, the elegant Zhou Lang was transformed into a foul-smelling filthy slave.
Now, I can finally rest easy.
Zhou Yu, feeling smug, was just about to leave the city when he heard messengers running through the streets shouting:
"General, urgent order! Zhou Yu is cunning; I fear you will tarnish my reputation! All suspicious persons must be taken to the water vat, have their faces and heads washed, and then be identified! Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!"
Okay, okay! Is this how you play it?
Zhou Yu abruptly withdrew his foot and pulled a short knife from his waist.
The cold blade pressed against my smooth cheek.
Bo Fu, Gong Jin, I'm afraid I can no longer share a drink with you in the east wind today... The image of my dear friend Sun Ce's magnanimous smile and my betrothed wife's gentle gaze flashed through my mind.
"Well--!"
A muffled groan.
The blade slashed deep into the flesh, and with a horizontal pull, blood gushed out instantly!
The excruciating pain made his vision go black, but he didn't stop. He slashed several deep cuts on his right cheek and forehead, tearing flesh and blood mixed with mud, covering his entire face and completely ruining his handsome features.
The once handsome face of Zhou Yu, who could have captivated even the most errant, was utterly destroyed by the excruciating pain.
He tore off a piece of his clothing and haphazardly covered the wound, the blood instantly soaking through the fabric, adding to the horrifying and tragic scene.
Then he struggled to his feet, trying to blend into the crowd and leave the city again.
However, the messenger's voice rang out again from the street.
"The general has ordered: Zhou Yu is ruthless and has even mutilated himself to deceive others! Anyone found with new sword or knife wounds on their face, especially those with disfigured features, regardless of gender, must be immediately apprehended and severely interrogated! Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!"
"puff--!"
Zhou Yu could no longer hold on. Overwhelmed by anger and frustration, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the bluestone slab in front of him.
His body swayed violently, and he barely managed to stand by holding onto the wall. His ears were ringing and his vision was blurred.
Okay, okay! Is this how you play it?
In his rage, he set fire to nearby houses. He only joined the firefighting team when they arrived.
Can I just stay inside this door?
Yuan Tan! Yan Liang!
One day, I will make you pay the price!
……
The Battle of Ruxukou.
The spear and halberd formation formed by Sun Ce's remaining troops was constantly under fire from Yuan Tan's archers and crossbowmen, and was on the verge of collapse.
Sun Ce leaned on his ancient sword, his chest heaving, broken arrows embedded in his armor. Cheng Pu and Han Dang were covered in blood, and Zhou Tai bore several wounds. Jiang Qin was supported by his personal guards, his left shoulder wound torn open, blood staining half his body red.
Jiang Qin barely opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.
He looked at Yuan Tan's army formation, the gaps between the ranks were neat and orderly.
The archers were still firing a volley of arrows.
But it seems the enemy lacks infantry capable of close combat.
"Archers!"
Jiang Qin roared hoarsely.
"My lord! Look at the enemy's rear! They are mostly archers and crossbowmen! Heavy infantry are scarce, and the front circle formation is their elite melee force!"
This roar made the Jiangdong army, which was on the verge of collapse, look up.
Sun Ce and Cheng Pu, with their sharp eyes, noticed that the majority of Yuan Tan's army was indeed armed with bows and crossbows.
Jiang Qin grinned and said:
"The enemy is strong on the outside but weak on the inside! Though their bows and crossbows are sharp, how can they withstand the blades of Jiangdong? Break through this circular formation, and their bows and crossbows will be nothing but fish on the chopping block! My men, victory is here! Follow our lord and break through their formation!"
"Break the formation! Break the formation!"
The Jiangdong soldiers' eyes turned bloodshot, and they roared as they launched a desperate attack on Lou Ban's circular formation.
Jiang Qin's roar also reached the ears of Yuan Tan's army.
The pressure on the Louban Array suddenly increased, and some soldiers trembled upon hearing this.
Does this mean that no one can help him fight on the front lines?
The morale of the defending Qingzhou Legion was dampened.
Under the central banner, Yuan Tan was furious to hear that Jiang Qin had seen through their scheme.
That bastard, he really knows how to rub salt in the wound! Even if I can't catch Sun Ce today, I'm going to catch you!
……
Just when the two sides were locked in a stalemate, Guan Yu finally came to Liu Bei's aid, following his orders.
Hmph! Liu Bei finally sent someone after all.
Originally, you were my henchman, so you were supposed to help me defend against external enemies.
Otherwise, what's the point of me supporting you?
Although Liu Bei's army was small, they were all veteran soldiers who had fought in many battles.
Extremely strong in combat.
"Form ranks! Defend against the enemy!"
Guan Yu's phoenix eyes widened, his voice booming, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade held horizontally in front of him.
His two thousand soldiers quickly formed a defensive circle around Guan Yu.
This quickly filled the gap in Yuan Tan's army's lack of close-combat troops.
"Liu Bei's army is indeed very strong! It looks like we need to find a way to bleed them dry."
Upon realizing this, Yuan Tan immediately gave the order:
"Since they want to break the formation, let them in."
He turned to Zhao Yun: "Zilong, do you dare to defeat this barbarian?"
Zhao Yun paused, his silver spear trembling. "This humble general obeys."
"Order Lou Ban: Change the circular formation to a 'crescent moon' shape, splitting it in the middle, and let their vanguard fall into the trap. Zilong, lead the elite cavalry, wait until half of them are inside, and then attack them upstream."
At this point, it's no longer time to be distressed about the losses. If the infantry at the front collapses, the battle will be lost.
Commands are conveyed.
The soldiers in the central part of the front row of soldiers contracted and separated to the sides, revealing a gap several feet wide!
Beyond the breach, the heavily fortified Qingzhou army formation could be vaguely seen deeper inside, but no heavy troops were immediately deployed to fill the gap.
"The enemy lines have been breached! Charge in!"
The Jiangdong army captain at the forefront was overjoyed and, without thinking, led his men toward the breach.
Seeing this, more Jiangdong soldiers thought they had finally found a way out and frantically squeezed towards the gap.
The gap widened, and more and more Jiangdong soldiers poured in, causing the formation to break apart.
Just as hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers broke through the breach, and follow-up troops continued to pour in, at the moment when the formation was at its most chaotic—
"Cavalry, charge!"
At the other end of the gap, five hundred heavily armored cavalrymen, who had already formed ranks, suddenly started moving under the guidance of Zhao Yun's silver spear!
Armored warhorses and lance-wielding knights formed a wedge formation, their hooves thundering as they charged against the Jiangdong soldiers surging through the breach!
Speed, weight, armor, spear.
The kinetic energy of the cavalry charge exploded within the narrow gap.
The Jiangdong soldiers who rushed in didn't have time to turn around or form a battle formation.
Spears pierced through his body, and iron hooves crushed his bones.
The blood mist exploded inside the gap.
Zhao Yun took the lead, his silver spear turning into a white light, causing men and horses to fall wherever he went.
Elite cavalry followed closely behind, cutting through the gap like tofu with a knife, crushing the Jiangdong soldiers layer by layer.
The gap became a slaughterhouse.
The hundreds of Jiangdong soldiers who rushed in were almost all killed or wounded in a short time.
The troops that followed were blocked by the horrific scene ahead and the overturned corpses of their comrades, leaving them in a dilemma.
"combine!"
Lou Ban roared.
The soldiers in the circular formations that had been separated on both sides quickly regrouped, cutting off the remaining enemy forces that had been ravaged by the cavalry and the subsequent Jiangdong troops.
Spears thrust out from both sides, and arrows were launched from behind.
Time was running out for Jiangdong Army.