Chapter 35

Guan Yu ordered the scouts outside the city to keep watch on Lu Bu's main camp outside the city, while several scouts saw the shouts of killing from Lu Bu's camp outside the city shooting up to the heavens, and during the siege Xiahou Dun even employed fire attacks, but the assault battalion soldiers in the camp were truly brave and fierce, and Xiahou Dun's organized attacks repeatedly came to nothing.

When the gate of Lu Bu's main camp caught fire, the scouts hurriedly sent a signal into the city, and Second Brother finally unfurled his silkworm eyebrows on the city wall.

"Someone, muster the troops in the city; Cao Bao and Mi Fang, follow me out to kill, and you two gentlemen lead the remaining Danyang troops to guard the city."

Cao Bao and Mi Fang assented and went down; subsequently Second Brother ordered the drawbridge lowered, leading the twenty thousand Jing'an troops to rush and slaughter toward Lu Bu's main camp.

Che Zhou led his troops charging toward the outskirts of Xuzhou, while Second Brother also led his twenty thousand great army to slaughter toward Lu Bu's main camp, and thus they met each other right beneath the gate of Xuzhou!

Che Zhou saw a fierce general clad in green robe armor, with a red face and long beard, leading his troops charging over, and for a moment he felt dazed, while Second Brother had the same mental activity.

But when Second Brother saw the opposing troops raising that Cao-character great banner, he instantly realized—Cao Aman this scoundrel actually still wanted to send people to swallow my Xuzhou city!

In a moment, Second Brother's heart blazed with furious anger, Cao Mengde, you really are too contemptuous of me, Guan Mou! To let such an unknown nobody come and seize my Xuzhou, even if you sent a Xiahou brother it would be better.

Che Zhou's thoughts turned, and he hastily ordered his troops to form up, then Che Zhou shouted at Second Brother:

"General, you are indeed Guan Yu, courtesy name Yunlong, who guards Xuzhou; upon seeing you today, your aura is truly extraordinary!"

Second Brother stroked his beard and gave a cold smile, then turned and ordered Mi Fang and Cao Bao:

"Mi Fang, Cao Bao, after I behead the opposing enemy commander, you two each lead a cavalry unit to flank them."

The two clasped their fists in assent; Second Brother didn't say another word, steadied his stirrups, gripped the horse's belly, and charged straight at Che Zhou not far away. Seeing Second Brother so disregarding martial virtue, Che Zhou was momentarily panicked and at a loss.

"Fire arrows! Stop that red-faced scoundrel!"

The archers and crossbowmen in Cao's army readied their bows and shot a sky-covering rain of arrows at Second Brother; Second Brother strained his face red with effort, wielding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade like a great windmill, and blocked every arrow.

Che Zhou also secretly fired a cold arrow from the shadows; this arrow's angle was extremely tricky, directly hitting Second Brother's shoulder, and Second Brother, taking advantage of the stirrup, flipped his body to hang on the side of the warhorse.

Che Zhou thought his arrow had felled Second Brother, and seeing the sweat-blood treasure horse continuing to charge toward his own formation, Che Zhou burst out laughing.

"Everyone, halt fire; this is a fine horse, do not wound it—I intend to bring it back as a tribute to my lord."

Thus the archers ceased firing arrows to block, and in the blink of an eye Second Brother had spurred his horse to charge before Che Zhou; thanks to the protective black-gold silk armor bestowed by Liu Bei upon Guan Yu, Che Zhou's arrow caused no harm to Second Brother.

When they were within a few steps, Che Zhou also sensed something amiss—this horse, how does it look so sturdy? Its belly seems to have something extra!

Just as Che Zhou was puzzled, Second Brother suddenly sprang up, leapt high into the air, and slashed his blade toward Che Zhou.

Che Zhou had no time to mount any defense; the eighty-two-jin Green Dragon Crescent Blade, carrying unmatched power, directly severed Che Zhou's head and shoulder in one stroke.

The half-body of Che Zhou fell heavily to the ground, his eyes still seeming to hold deep reluctance and regret.

Several company-level officers of Cao's army stepped forward to surround Second Brother; after Second Brother cleaved Che Zhou in half with a single blow, he flipped back onto his horse, half-opening his phoenix eyes, and gazed mightily at the Cao officers.

"Your commander is dead; do you still wish to make a futile resistance?"

At this moment, Mi Fang and Cao Bao saw that the enemy formation had fallen into chaos, so they led troops to completely encircle Che Zhou's remnants; the Cao troops saw that the Xuzhou forces outnumbered them several times over, and with their commander already dead, they simply laid down their weapons and surrendered en masse.

"What? You want us to keep resisting until death?"

"You're joking!"

"Who can withstand a single blow from this red-faced brute!"

"Originally transformed from the Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army into the Yanzhou Army, naturally in this chaotic world they have their own survival philosophy."

"Xiahou Dun originally wanted to send someone to ask Che Zhou for help, but then thought it would be too embarrassing, after all the troops in Xuzhou surely outnumber those in Lu Bu's camp, right?"

Just as Xiahou Dun hesitated whether to also summon Che Zhou's troops, soon a soldier who had escaped in the chaos brought him an unfortunate report—Old Che Zhou had been killed, and most of his men had been escorted to Xuzhou.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Dun widened his sole remaining eye, the intense pain also making his mind exceptionally clear at this moment; under this clarity, Xiahou Dun decided to lead the remaining troops in withdrawing from Xuzhou.

After all, it's better to retain what we can; moreover, my brother Xiahou Yuan's side has had no news for such a long time, likely also more misfortune than fortune.

Second Brother, together with his younger brothers Mi Fang and Cao Bao, quickly surrounded Lu Bu's main camp, while inside Lu Bu's camp had already been burned to a wreck by Xiahou Dun's fire attacks.

Mi Fang rode his horse around Lu Bu's main camp for a week of observation, then rode up to Guan Yu's presence and said to Guan Yu:

"Second General, give me eight thousand troops, and I will surely take this stronghold within a day!"

Second Brother stood on a hillock, scouting, and upon hearing this he instantly gave Mi Fang a white-eye look.

"Mi Fang, you can't rely solely on brute strength; I've told you to read more of the Spring and Autumn Annals in your spare time, and you've seen the combat power of that Iron Men Army—any troops sent up in a short time will surely die in equal numbers."

Mi Fang scratched his head and said, bewildered:

"Then we just won't attack Lu Bu's camp?"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and said proudly:

"Mr. Yuanlong already has a plan; he advises us to besiege without attacking, you go and have people set up antlers and dig moats, and I'll have these little iron men run about everywhere—they can't go anywhere! Given time, they will collapse without being attacked."