Chapter 535: Restoring the Han Dynasty

Bai Lang never explicitly said he entered CaoCao's service; he claims he stayed in Puyang for a while, living as a friend of CaoCao rather than as his subordinate. Of course, Bai Lang considers his relationship with CaoCao to be merely superficial, and after CaoCao's sack of the city Bai Lang could no longer become a close friend of his.

"I didn't originally plan to stay, but Mengde…" Bai Lang said, looking at the maidservants in the house. "Then I'll stay for a while, but let me make it clear that these maidservants aren't attached to any family; don't think I stayed for the women. It's only that CaoCao's generous invitation is hard to decline."

White Jade Pillar is a dull wanderer; he doesn't understand any of these refined arts— even if he knew a little, how could he show off before the famous "Three Cao's". His entertainment isn't listening to music or watching dance; he has no interest in that. His wanderer's pleasure is limited to training and dueling, fighting and watching brawls with a bunch of similar fellows, laughing heartily.

Bai Lang's residence indeed became a lively spot in Puyang; when Xu Chu and Dian Wei were off duty they usually came here to spar and brawl with Bai Lang's subordinates and even with Bai Lang himself. Of course, Bai Lang was unrivaled in close‑quarters hand‑to‑hand combat, and even if Xu Chu and Dian Wei attacked together, they could not defeat him in foot combat.

Lu Bu eventually defected to Xuzhou, and Liu Xuande took him in, stationing him at Xiao Pei. Bai Lang originally intended to draft a letter for LiuBei to keep an eye on Lu Bu, or perhaps simply expel him, which might have saved Lu Bu's life, but after careful thought Bai Lang did not write the letter: "Lu Bu, in desperate straits, has turned to Xuande, yet his murderous intent has not yet shown. If I write this letter it would sow discord. I imagine Xuande, being benevolent, would think my capacity insufficient."

Lu Bu may be a scoundrel, but even if he commits ingratitude he would not deliberately harm LiuBei, otherwise he would truly cease to be human. Moreover, Lu Bu now may not be as portrayed in the performances. Bai Lang has fought Lu Bu three times and feels that, although the man is cunning and fickle, he possesses his own heroic spirit… "He will probably think it over," Bai Lang thought.

At this time news came from Guanzhong that Li Jue and Guo Fan had turned against each other, slaughtering each other, the emperor and the nobles alike, leaving Chang'an deserted. "What can be tolerated and what cannot!" Bai Lang roared in anger, "Our house here has truly failed the words 'restore the Han dynasty'! Mengde, when I go, I will definitely slay those two thieves and return the Son of Heaven."

Bai Lang roared in fury, his voice carrying beyond the residence; the common folk who heard it trembled as if they had heard a tiger's roar. "Yuzhu has the courage of a fierce tiger," CaoCao said, implying that if we abandon the Han, we might as well follow me… Thus they had to part with Bai Lang reluctantly; the middle‑aged short man even shed tears, quite sorrowful.

Bai Lang rode a green‑feathered horse, leading over a hundred cavalry. Indeed, some of his wandering companions were preparing to seek rank and riches by entering CaoCao's service, and Bai Lang never stopped them. "Those who come are not refused, those who leave are not pursued. That's the wanderer's nature." Bai Lang distributed all the gold and silver treasures that CaoCao had given him during this period to his followers, keeping only a small gold seal for himself.

Bai Lang entered Sili Prefecture from Yanzhou, preparing to march through Luoyang, Hangu Pass and Tongguan to storm into Guanzhong. In the clash between Li and Guo, many of the garrisons at Tongguan and Hangu Pass were withdrawn, and Bai Lang once again stood beneath Hangu Pass. This time he dismounted, carrying a crude siege ladder and rushed forward first, while his over‑hundred cavalry each dismounted, shouldered ladders, and followed him to assault the city.

After Bai Lang set the ladder in place, he sprinted upward, with more than ten short spears strapped to his back; as he climbed he drew spears and hurled them. Anyone who dared to expose a head to throw stones or pour hot oil was instantly crushed by a short spear. After throwing three or five spears, Bai Lang had already reached the rampart.

Bai Lang leapt up with a tiger's roar; he flung the shield on his left arm, smashing three or five men, the shield's edge, hurled with great force, even splitting those men in two. He swiftly hurled all the short spears from his back, impaling several at once, then drew a long spear from his waist and began clearing the Western Liang troops on the wall.

The chaotic era has lasted for many years now; not only the Western Liang soldiers, but also many company and squad leaders under various warlords have let loose their fury, yet even when their morale surged and their formations amplified each other's strength, none could match Bai Lang. Bai Lang brandished his long spear and charged first; the Western Liang troops on the wall formed a spear‑and‑blade array, their fighting spirit erupting, but Bai Lang's spear thrust released a white, sharp qi that surged into the formation like a tiger's pounce.

That sharp qi tore through five or six soldiers along a line, and Bai Lang seized the momentum, sweeping his spear; a single strike cleaved more than ten men in two. Afterwards Bai Lang spun like a spiked top; once he plunged in, it was as if he entered a deserted realm, with flesh and blood flying everywhere.

His soldiers' morale was also extremely high; each seemed to bear the shape of a White Tiger, awakened by the qi of Bai Lang's White Tiger formation. Everyone lost all fear, possessing only a fervent fighting will and the fierce combat power generated by the ignited fighting spirit.

But within the time it took to finish a meal, the Western Liang troops at Hangu Pass collapsed, frantically seizing the pass and fleeing; inside the city walls, Bai Lang killed over a hundred. Bai Lang's own hundred‑plus men lost two, while he slew three to five hundred enemy soldiers. After breaking Hangu Pass, the Tongguan garrison also fled without resistance. Bai Lang led his cavalry into Guanzhong, charging straight toward Chang'an.

Li Jue and Guo Fan each commanded large armies that were still locked in battle, and Bai Lang charged straight into the fray. He circled to strike both formations, breaking into Guo Fan's rear troops. In a slashing thrust he killed a commander, Guo Fan's subordinate Zhu Xue, impaling him on his horse with a spear. Another of Guo Fan's commanders, Huang Jiao, saw this, turned his horse and fled, but Bai Lang's horse quickly caught up from behind and a spear beheaded him.

Guo Fan's rear army collapsed; amid the chaos Guo Fan's subordinates Ma Biao and Chang Mao fell to Bai Lang's spear. Under a hundred cavalry's charge, Guo Fan's rear troops smashed into the central forces, Guo Fan's units lost all control and fled in all directions, even Guo Fan himself disguised himself as a foot soldier and escaped. Seizing the momentum, Bai Lang struck Li Jue's main formation; Li Jue's front commander Yang Yong tried to block Bai Lang, but was speared dead before Bai Lang. The remaining troops broke apart, turning to assault the front line. Bai Lang's covering strike shattered Li Jue's front army, forcing the defeated troops to break through Li Jue's main force.

Li Jue's army contained a number of Qiang warriors; Bai Lang killed more than one of their leaders, such as Gu Du Wutu and several other Qiang commanders who tried to confront him, and within two rounds they were all slain, the Qiang also collapsing. Li Jue, like Guo Fan, disguised himself as a foot soldier and fled; Bai Lang trampled and slaughtered both sides for dozens of miles, the fleeing forces stepping on each other, leaving countless corpses.