sjar Chapter 1179 Iron Cavalry Showdown: A Fierce Battle
Chapter 1179 Iron Cavalry Showdown: A Fierce Battle
The wind swept past, swirling withered grass. Lü Bu tightened his grip on his halberd, his knuckles turning white. He gazed at the Bingzhou wolf cavalry standing solemnly before his tent. The men chewed on dry rations mixed with wheat bran, their cheeks bulging, but not one of them spoke. Only the soft rustling of their armor echoed in the wind.
"Feeling aggrieved?" Lu Bu suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but like a stone thrown into still water. "That night, the Xiliang people sneaked into the camp and burned the grain supplies. Did you feel aggrieved?"
No one answered, but the hands gripping the reins tightened, and the warhorses beneath them seemed to sense their master's anger, pawing restlessly.
Lu Bu abruptly raised his halberd, pointing it towards Hulao Pass. The morning light danced on the tip of the halberd: "I, Lu Bu, have roamed the world, slaughtering my way from Yanmen Pass to the Central Plains. No one has ever survived my advance! What are the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry? They are the iron hooves that make the lords tremble! They are the elite warriors that strike fear into the hearts of the world!" His voice suddenly rose, making people's eardrums vibrate. "That night we lost, but we lost because we were caught off guard, not because our swords and spears were inferior!"
"Our lord is right!" Someone shouted first, and then a chorus of low roars followed, like muffled thunder rolling across the wilderness.
A fierce glint flashed in Lü Bu's eyes: "Does that brat Ma Chao think that by occupying the pass and exhausting our supplies, he can make the Wolf Cavalry bow down? He's wrong! The Wolf Cavalry's bones only grow harder with each challenge!" He leaped onto Red Hare, his halberd pointing straight ahead. "Today, we'll show him who the number one rider in the world truly is!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
A roar tore through the morning mist. The wolf riders swallowed the last bite of their rations, brushed the crumbs off their hands, and mounted their horses. Most of their armor was wounded; some were missing shoulder guards, others had blood-soaked bandages wrapped around their waists, yet each of them had eyes as fierce as wolves, fixed on the direction of Hulao Pass. The half-portion of rations they had just been given now transformed into a warm current flowing through their limbs—they knew that this battle was not for survival, but for the name of the Wolf Riders, and for the unparalleled general before them.
Chen Gong stood outside the tent, watching Lü Bu's retreating figure as he rode out of the camp, then glanced at the wolf riders following closely behind. His brows furrowed, but he ultimately didn't try to dissuade him. He knew the temperament of these northwestern men all too well; they could die, they could be defeated, but they would never back down. Just as Lü Bu had said, if a warrior is cowardly before the battle even begins, he will never be able to stand tall again when they meet again.
Red Hare trotted forward with light, quick steps. Lü Bu glanced back at the wolf cavalry behind him. Though numbering less than ten thousand, they were far more menacing than when he commanded tens of thousands of elite troops. He suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with fierce courage and resolute determination: "My lads, today we won't attack the city. We'll just roam the open fields with the Xiliang iron cavalry! Let's see if their hooves are harder, or our swords and spears are faster!"
"Here!"
Amidst the echoes, the Bingzhou wolf cavalry surged like a black tide towards the open ground before Hulao Pass. Sunlight pierced the clouds, illuminating their blood-stained armor and reflecting a cold, hard light. This was not a breakout, but a march towards a long-awaited decisive battle—to wash away the shame of the night raid, to prove the wolf cavalry's prowess, and even more so to let that silver-armored general know that Lü Bu's pride would never be crushed by provisions or strategic passes.
Ma Chao gazed at the moving black cloud and gripped his tiger-headed golden spear tightly. Hearing the roar coming from afar, he suddenly laughed: "That's more like Lü Bu."
Zhang Liao said from the side, "My lord, they're here to fight to the death."
"It's better to fight to the death." Ma Chao's gaze fell on the wolf cavalry formation. He was too familiar with the eyes of those men; it was the ruthlessness that only the iron cavalry of the Northwest possessed. "Brothers, today we will settle our differences fair and square on this open field."
The wind howled, whipping up two large banners—one bearing the character "吕" (Lü), its crimson ripples in the morning breeze; the other, the character "马" (Ma), its silver sheen gleaming with an unstoppable sharpness. Two packs of fierce tigers from the northwest were about to clash in a fateful battle on the open plains before Hulao Pass.
The thunderous hoofbeats of Red Hare rolled across the wilderness. Lü Bu lay prone on its back, his halberd pointing diagonally at the sky, its cold light cleaving through the morning mist. Behind him, the Bingzhou wolf cavalry surged like a black tide, the clanging of their armor forming a torrent, their hooves trembling the ground and sending dust billowing into the air.
Opposite them, Ma Chao's Aurora steed galloped with all four hooves, its silver armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, its tiger-headed golden spear gripped tightly in his hand, its tip pointing directly at Lü Bu. The Xiliang cavalry formed a wedge formation, with Zhang Liao and Zhang Xiu each leading a squad on the flanks, spreading out to both sides along the arc of the open field, the dust kicked up by their hooves drawing two arcs of light in the morning light.
"A hundred zhang away!" Zhang Liao shouted from the flank, brandishing his spear. The knights around him drew their bows and nocked arrows, the arrowheads gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
Seeing this, Lü Bu laughed loudly, his halberd drawing a semicircle in the air: "You brats dare to divide your forces! Do you think my Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry is made of clay?" He suddenly reined in his Red Hare, and the horse reared up, its long neigh piercing the sky, "My men, follow me! Crush their formation!"
"kill--!"
The black tide and the silver stream collided with a deafening roar in the middle of the wilderness. Red Hare and Aurora Horse reared up almost simultaneously, their halberds and golden spears clashing fiercely in the air. A crisp clang rang out, making one's ears ring, and sparks flew as both steeds staggered backward.
At the most intense point of the collision, the muffled thuds of warhorses colliding echoed one after another. Some horses had their necks broken, others had their bellies pierced by spear tips, and riders tumbled from their saddles, instantly trampled to pieces by the chaotic hooves. The Xiliang cavalry unleashed a continuous barrage of arrows as they maneuvered, raining down on the wolf riders like locusts, but many were deflected by the enemy's iron armor—those who could follow Lü Bu into battle were all veterans who had fought countless battles, their flesh beneath the armor long since worn down to iron by the years.
"The left flank has reached its designated position!" Zhang Liao's roar pierced through the sounds of battle. His cavalry suddenly turned, slicing towards the wolf riders' flank and rear like a scimitar. Zhang Xiu's troops also tightened their grip at the same time. The two groups of men, like two pincers, were actually about to encircle Lü Bu's more than 10,000 cavalry.
"My lord! They're making dumplings!" Hao Meng slashed a Xiliang soldier with his sword, his helmet splattered with blood, his voice filled with urgency.
Lu Bu laughed even harder, sweeping his halberd to force Ma Chao back. Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the iron cavalry closing in on both flanks, his eyes flashed with even greater ferocity: "Ma Chao! You think you can trap me with such tricks?" He whirled around, his halberd pointing directly at Zhang Liao, "Wolf Riders! Follow me and cut through the left flank!"
Upon hearing the commotion, the Bingzhou wolf cavalry changed formation, their original horizontal line quickly twisting into a sharp spearhead. Red Hare took the lead, charging headlong into Zhang Liao's ranks. Amidst the clanging of metal, Zhang Liao's spear formation was forced back, and several knights were struck by halberds, flying through the air and crashing heavily to the ground.
"Wen Hou, what skill!" Ma Chao's voice came from the side, his golden spear following like a shadow, aiming straight for Lü Bu's ribs. This spear came quickly and cunningly, precisely at the moment when Lü Bu's strength had just been exhausted.
Lu Bu roared and parried with his halberd. In the instant the two weapons clashed, he suddenly used the momentum to flip over, his halberd sliding down the spear shaft, the tip aimed straight at Ma Chao's face. "Well done!" Ma Chao neither dodged nor evaded, his left arm clamping the spear shaft tightly, his right hand drawing a short sword from his waist, a flash of cold light as he slashed at Lu Bu's wrist.
In a flash, the two changed their moves simultaneously, Red Hare and Aurora Horse passing each other, each leaving a trail of blood beads in their wake.
"Flanking maneuver? Today we'll show you who the prey is!" Lu Bu turned his horse, his halberd pointing at the gap torn open by the wolf cavalry. "Men, charge with me! Smash their encirclement!"
Like wild beasts unleashed, the Bingzhou wolf cavalry charged through the gap, scattering Zhang Liao's left flank formation. Zhang Xiu attempted to provide support from the right, but was relentlessly pursued by a small squad of wolf cavalry, their short spears clashing with sabers, sparks flying, making it difficult for him to get close.
On the open field, two cavalry units clashed, silver-armored and black-armored soldiers falling one after another, their blood staining the withered grass red. Zhang Liao's spear formation, though broken, quickly regrouped, like a pack of tenacious wolves, relentlessly biting the tails of the wolf riders; Zhang Xiu, on the other hand, discarded his short spear, drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist, and led his men in close combat with the enemy cavalry, each strike of his blade sending up a shower of blood.
"Ma Chao! Do you dare to fight me one-on-one?" Lu Bu's roar echoed intermittently through the chaotic army. He used his halberd to knock away a Xiliang soldier and charged towards Ma Chao.
Ma Chao pierced the wolf rider's throat with his spear, blood dripping from the silver blade. He looked at Lü Bu charging towards him, a glint of fighting spirit in his eyes: "What is there to be afraid of!"
Aurora and Red Hare clashed once more, the crisp sound of their spears and halberds clashing echoing across the wilderness like the tolling of bells. This time, there was no evasive maneuvering, no skillful maneuvering, only a real, hard collision—the spear tip pierced the crescent moon of the halberd, the halberd blade cleaved the middle of the spear shaft, each clash sending numbness through their arms and blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
"That's more like it!" Lu Bu laughed wildly, wielding his halberd with even greater ferocity. "Back then, you were evenly matched with me, and now you want to defeat me!"
"Lord Wen is old!" Ma Chao's voice was panting, yet sharper. "Your strength can't withstand this spear of mine!"
Suddenly, Jin Qiang changed tactics, abandoning a direct confrontation and instead coiling around the halberd like a serpent, the spear tip sliding along the shaft towards Lü Bu's wrist. Lü Bu abruptly withdrew the halberd, but it was too late; the spear tip grazed his armor, sending sparks flying.
Just then, Zhang Liao and Zhang Xiu's troops finally regrouped, completely blocking the wolf cavalry's retreat. Hao Meng roared and led his troops in a charge, but was blocked by the dense spear formation, sustaining several wounds on his body.
"My lord! We're surrounded!" Hao Meng's voice was filled with despair.
Lu Bu seemed not to hear him, but stared intently at Ma Chao, and swung his halberd again: "Even if I die today, I will take you down with me!"
Ma Chao charged forward against the wind whistling through the air, his spear tip clashing with the halberd blade for the third time. This time, neither of them retreated; their two prized horses reared up on the spot, emitting a deafening neigh.
The battle on the open field had long since become a meat grinder. Silver armor and black armor were intertwined, the mournful cries of warhorses, the clashing of weapons, and the dying roars wove together an impenetrable net, even the sunlight was stained blood-red. Ma Chao's silver spear grew increasingly rapid, its tip piercing Lü Bu's vital points like a torrential rain, each thrust carrying the force to shatter stone—he knew that to capture Lü Bu and his ten thousand wolf cavalry, mere encirclement was far from enough; he had to quickly cripple their core fighting force.
Lu Bu's halberd swung heavier and heavier. At first, he could still counterattack with his fierce courage, but gradually, parrying became the norm. Red Hare's breathing became heavier and heavier, its hooves kicking up mud on the spot, but it could no longer gallop as freely as before. The old wound in his left arm was throbbing with pain, and the blood foam from his clash with Ma Chao still clung to the corner of his mouth. With each swing of the halberd, he felt as if his muscles and bones were being torn apart.
"Lu Bu! Where is your strength?" Ma Chao's spear tip grazed the halberd, the force of the wind stinging Lu Bu's cheek. "With such meager skills, you dare to call yourself the best in the world?"