sjar Chapter 1168 Safe Departure, Severing Ties
Chapter 1168 Safe Departure, Severing Ties
Pang Tong, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang were all stunned, never expecting Liu Bei to go to such lengths. The executioners were so frightened that they retreated repeatedly, none daring to move.
Liu Bei's sword was pressed tightly against his neck, leaving a red mark on his skin. Yet, he gave Ma Chao a bitter smile, his voice hoarse with determination: "Go, junior brother. I'll see you out of the city."
He glanced at the axemen around him and said, word by word, "Even if we meet again on the battlefield, where swords and spears have no eyes, and I, Liu Bei, die by your spear, I would never do such a despicable thing as today."
Having said that, he still held the sword across his neck with one hand, and reached out with the other to gently support Xu Huang's swaying body. He then shouted sternly at the axemen in front of him, who were staring at each other in bewilderment, "Get out of the way!"
The ruthlessness in that voice, mixed with the cold glint of light on the neck, caused the axemen to involuntarily retreat, clearing a path to the sides.
Zhang Fei tried to step forward to stop him, and had just opened his mouth to call out "Big Brother" when Liu Bei suddenly turned around, glared at him, and roared, "Get lost!"
The disappointment and determination in his eyes made Zhang Fei's throat tighten, and he swallowed his words back. The veins on his hand gripping the sword bulged, but he didn't move an inch.
Liu Bei looked away from everyone else and naturally stood shoulder to shoulder with Ma Chao. The two of them helped Xu Huang walk step by step towards the gate of the mansion.
The commotion in the front yard had already alerted the inner quarters. Ma Chao's family members, unaware of what had happened, felt a chill run down their spines upon seeing the flashing swords in the front. Dong Bai, Gongsun Rou, and Sun Shangxiang immediately drew their swords, their eyes warily protecting Ma Chao's side. Zhen Mi and Zhang Fubao quickly stepped forward, one supporting Xu Huang's arm and the other pressing on his bleeding wound. The group moved forward in silence, no one uttering a word, yet an invisible force coalesced within them.
Pang Tong watched their retreating figures, anxiously pacing back and forth, stamping his feet repeatedly: "My lord! How can we let such a golden opportunity slip by? When the Xiliang cavalry returns, we..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhuge Liang collapsed to the ground with a thud. The feather fan in his hand had vanished, and his eyes were empty and devoid of any light. He murmured, "Wrong... all wrong..."
Outside the mansion gate, Liu Bei's hand supporting Xu Huang trembled slightly, but the sword at his neck remained firmly in place. He glanced at Ma Chao and saw that although there was still coldness in the other's eyes, there was less hostility. He suddenly whispered, "Junior brother, I owe you an explanation for what happened today."
Ma Chao didn't reply, but simply steadied Xu Huang's hand even more. The group walked through layers of axemen's watchful eyes, as if passing through an invisible purgatory, towards the light outside the city.
Zhang Xiu outside the city never let his guard down. After sunset, he ordered his scouts to increase patrols. Sure enough, not long after nightfall, a scout reported that an unidentified group was quietly approaching the camp from the shadows. Although they did not show any hostility, they exuded a sense of impending doom.
Zhang Xiu's heart tightened, and he slammed his hand on the table: "Something's definitely not right!" Without further hesitation, he grabbed a spear from outside the tent, mounted his horse, and shouted: "Brothers, follow me to Xiangyang! If anything happens to our lord, we'll offer our heads!"
The Xiliang cavalry, already prepared for battle, immediately mounted their horses upon hearing the news. The sounds of rubbing armor and hoofbeats mingled together as they galloped towards Xiangyang City like thunder.
Wen Ping, who was observing from the shadows, saw Zhang Xiu make a move and knew that his plan had been exposed. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "Ambush troops, attack! Stop them!"
The Jingzhou soldiers, who had been lying in ambush on both sides, suddenly charged out, their blades flashing in the night, attempting to intercept the Xiliang cavalry. However, the Xiliang cavalry were known for their ferocity, and Zhang Xiu took the lead, wielding his spear like a whirlwind, tearing a gap in the Jingzhou army's formation.
"Those who block my way shall die!" Zhang Xiu roared, knocking down two enemy soldiers. Behind him, the iron cavalry surged into the gap like a tide, their hooves shaking the ground. Although the Jingzhou soldiers fought hard, they could not withstand the enemy's fearless charge. Their formation quickly collapsed, and they suffered heavy casualties.
Seeing this, Wen Ping personally drew his sword and stepped forward to supervise the battle. Relying on his superior numbers, he held Zhang Xiu firmly in place. The two sides fought fiercely outside the city, leaving corpses strewn across the battlefield. Zhang Xiu was extremely anxious, but Wen Ping held him back. With Xiangyang City within reach, he was unable to advance another step.
Soldiers fell every moment, and after a long stalemate, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the direction of the city. Guan Yu, holding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, shouted loudly, "Stop! All of you, stop!"
He rode swiftly to the front lines, brandishing his broadsword to halt the fighting: "Our lord has ordered that no more fighting! General Wenping, withdraw the troops!"
Seeing Guan Yu arrive in person, Wen Ping knew further obstruction was futile. He glared hatefully at Zhang Xiu and brandished his sword, signaling a retreat. Zhang Xiu also reined in his horse, looking at Guan Yu with wary eyes: "Where is my lord?"
"King Liang is well," Guan Yu said in a deep voice. "You wait here and do not cause any more trouble."
Zhang Xiu snorted coldly, but knew that it was not advisable to clash again at this moment. He turned his horse around and ordered his cavalry to line up and wait for orders. In the darkness of night, the gates of Xiangyang slowly opened, and long shadows stretched out from inside the city. Zhang Xiu squinted and saw that the figure at the head was none other than Ma Chao, the lord he had been thinking about day and night.
A huge weight lifted from Zhang Xiu's heart. He spurred his horse forward, dismounted before Ma Chao, and knelt on one knee, his voice trembling with urgency: "This humble general Zhang Xiu greets my lord!" He glanced up and saw the bloodstains on Ma Chao's clothes, his face turning pale with shock. "My lord, how are you? Are you injured?"
"I'm fine." Ma Chao's voice was hoarse as he pointed to Xu Huang, who was being supported by his personal guards. "It's just that Gongming is seriously injured. We need to take him back to the camp for treatment as soon as possible."
Zhang Xiu quickly responded, and the Xiliang soldiers behind him rushed forward, carefully lifting Xu Huang onto the prepared stretcher and hurrying towards the army formation.
After settling the women, Zhang Fubao, Dong Bai, and the others hurried to the carriages where the children were being placed. Several carriages were quiet amidst the cavalry formation. Dong Bai quickly lifted the curtain of the lead carriage, where a group of teenagers, including Pan Hu, Hu Niu, and Gan Xiang, were huddled together, their little faces tense, but they were protecting Ma Yue in the middle.
Ma Yue gripped the short sword Ma Chao had given him tightly in his hand, the patterns on the scabbard gleaming from his caresses. His small face was tense, his eyes showing no panic typical of his age, only a composure beyond his years.
Dong Bai lifted the carriage curtain and called softly, "Children, don't be afraid, we're here."
When the children saw Dong Bai and the others, their tense nerves suddenly relaxed. Their eyes turned red, and tears streamed down their cheeks, but they still tried their best not to cry out loud.
Ma Yue's face was grim, his small face devoid of tears, but his eyes, which resembled Ma Chao's, swirled with a stubbornness beyond his years. He pushed aside the children surrounding him, his small figure weaving through the crowd, and walked straight to the carriage shaft. He looked up at Dong Bai, who was emerging from behind the curtain, and asked in a suppressed urgency, "Auntie, where's my father?"
Dong Bai's heart softened, and she quickly stepped forward to hug him, gently patting his back to comfort him: "Yue'er, don't be afraid, your father is fine, he's up ahead, he'll come to see you when he's done." Her voice was gentle, but it couldn't hide a trace of worry that was hard to detect.
Ma Yue gently broke free from her embrace, his brows furrowed. "I'm going to find him." Without waiting for Dong Bai to stop him, he jumped off the cart and strode off, his small figure running through the camp and heading straight for the brightly lit front lines.
The night wind ruffled his clothes, and his small figure moved between the tents like a stubborn pebble, trying to find its place in this tense situation. In the distance, he saw his father's back standing in the firelight. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, that familiar posture warmed his heart, and he quickened his pace.
"Father!" he called out, his childish voice particularly clear in the night wind.
Ma Chao turned his head and saw his son. The cold corner of his heart suddenly softened. He squatted down, about to speak, when Ma Yue threw himself into his arms, his little hands tightly hugging his waist, and he called out in a muffled voice, "Dad, are you alright?"
That one word, "Dad," was like a hot iron, burning Ma Chao's nose and making his eyes instantly red. He raised his hand and pressed the back of his son's head, pulling him closer to his chest. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he couldn't utter a single word—no matter how distant the father and son had been, at this moment, this small body pressed against his chest was the most solid comfort.
Liu Bei stood to the side, watching this scene, his eyes also welling up with tears. He stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly: "Mengqi, this...this is my nephew, isn't he?"
Ma Chao, holding Ma Yue, glanced up at Liu Bei, nodded silently, and ultimately said nothing. Ma Yue peeked out from his father's arms and sized up Liu Bei.
Ma Yue peeked out from Ma Chao's arms, his little face full of anger, and stared at Liu Bei, asking, "My father came into the city with you, how did he end up like this?"
Looking at the anger in the child's eyes, Liu Bei felt as if his heart was being pricked by needles, and his voice trembled: "Nephew, it was your uncle's negligence that put your father in danger. Your uncle is sorry."
"Is 'sorry' all it takes?" Ma Yue's eyes blazed with even more fury, his small fists clenched tightly. "One day, I will lead my troops into this city! You all just wait and see!"
These words struck Liu Bei like a boulder, leaving him feeling a tightness in his chest—how could such a wonderful reunion have come to this? He gave a bitter laugh, his voice weary yet unusually earnest: "Good child, if that day ever comes, your uncle will be waiting for you."
Ma Chao stood up, holding Ma Yue, turned and walked to his warhorse, mounted it, and steadily shielded the child in front of him. He reined in the horse, looked back at Liu Bei, and said with a complicated expression, "Brother, you may regret letting me go today."
"Throughout my life, I have always acted with integrity and never stooped to using underhanded tactics to harm others." Liu Bei straightened his back, his voice soft yet clear. "If we meet on the battlefield one day and it comes to the point of drawing swords against each other, I will accept defeat at your hands or death by your sword, and I will have no regrets even in death."
Ma Chao was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Senior brother, I've remembered. If that day ever comes, Ma Chao will never exterminate you all."
Having said that, he said no more, spurred his horse on with his legs, and shouted, "Go!"
The Xiliang cavalry moved in response, their hooves thundering and kicking up clouds of dust. Ma Chao led the charge, his silver armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight, protecting the child in his arms as they galloped toward the distant horizon.