https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1007-Invite-the-Guest-into-the-Trap/13047446/
Chapter 1006: Post-Battle
Chapter 1006: Post-Battle
September 25, 2017
Below Dingyang City, as they witnessed the intimidating approach and the hasty retreat of Zhang Xiu and his men, like stray dogs fleeing, Yan Liang and Wen Chou heaved a sigh of relief.
Despite their recent combined strike that had knocked Lu Bu off his horse, killed his mount, and shattered his armor, leaving him in a pitiful state, the two of them were not in the best condition at this moment.
Their ability to deliver such a devastating blow to Lu Bu was largely due to luck.
The dual strike they had used was not something they had developed themselves. Instead, Lu Hai Kong, while studying the martial arts of his subordinates, had unexpectedly discovered that these two seemed to have complementary attributes. Reminded of the two main protagonists from a popular TV series in his previous life, Lu Hai Kong's imagination ran wild, and he created the technique known as Maha Wuliang.
Although Lu Hai Kong possessed an extraordinary martial arts talent, his skills were still not at the highest level. As a result, Maha Wuliang was still in its infancy and far from complete. Nevertheless, Lu Hai Kong handed it over to Wen Chou and his men to experiment with.
This was only their third time using the technique, and they were far from proficient. According to Lu Hai Kong's design, it should have provided a comprehensive boost to their strength for an extended period. However, when they executed it, it turned into a one-time explosive attack, with all their power unleashed in a single strike.
This sudden burst of power occurred in two stages. In the first stage, during their initial engagement with Lu Bu, they matched his strength. But in the second stage, their power suddenly surged to over ten times its original level.
This explosive increase in power caught Lu Bu off guard, preventing him from even transforming into his demonic state before being defeated. Yan Liang and Wen Chou's attack had achieved a deity-like effect.
However, after this burst of power, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were left exhausted, and their true fighting capabilities were likely barely at the ninety-level. If Zhang Xiu and his men had charged forward, Yan Liang and Wen Chou would have undoubtedly been reduced to mincemeat.
Fortunately, Yan Liang and Wen Chou's previous strike not only defeated Lu Bu but also shattered Zhang Xiu's morale, forcing them to flee in disarray.
In contrast to the pathetic escape of Zhang Xiu and his men, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, standing tall with their weapons at the ready, appeared as formidable as deities.
"Lu Bu? The War God of Liangzhou? A mere pile of rubble, easily crushed!" Yan Liang and Wen Chou declared coldly before turning around and returning to Dingyang City. With that, the initial exchange of greetings between the two sides had officially concluded.
It was evident that this time, the Dong Zhuo faction's martial generals had been thoroughly humiliated!
...
After Zhang Xiu and his men returned to their camp with a severely injured Lu Bu, the high-ranking officers of the Dong Zhuo army gathered together. Everyone stared at the pitiful sight of Lu Bu, and the atmosphere was as silent as death.
At this moment, the Dong Zhuo army no longer possessed the same determination and vigor they had upon their arrival, intending to defeat Lu Hai Kong with a simple wave of their hands. Instead, they all felt as if they had lost their fathers.
Even Xu Rong had not anticipated such a turn of events. He had expected a joyous occasion, but this unexpected development had occurred.
Weren't Lu Hai Kong's elite troops supposed to be in Youzhou? Weren't they supposed to have only Dian Wei as a capable fighter among Lu Hai Kong's subordinates? Weren't they supposed to have an absolute advantage in their martial general lineup?
Who the hell had provided that misinformation? If that person were to appear before Xu Rong at this moment, he would have the audacity to chop them down.
It was this faulty intelligence that had led to their current embarrassing situation.
Initially, they had planned to rely on Lu Bu to inflict a bloody defeat on their opponents and crush their morale. However, they never anticipated that the outcome would be their own comprehensive defeat.
Especially for Lu Bu, who was supposed to be their military's war god and a show-off, he had been beaten to this miserable state right before everyone's eyes. Not only had he failed to intimidate the enemy, but he had also inadvertently played into the hands of Huang Zhong, Yan Liang, and Wen Chou.
Not only had they failed to dampen the enemy's morale, but they had also severely damaged their own.
At this moment, Zhang Xiu's martial generals were not overly concerned, but Xu Rong was deeply troubled.
For him, the most significant issue was not just Lu Bu's injury but the fact that the intelligence they had gathered before the battle had been completely upended by the events that had just transpired.
Lu Bu's severe injury indicated that Lu Hai Kong's martial generals were not only on par with their own, as the intelligence suggested, but they were even more formidable.
This realization made Xu Rong wary, questioning whether the errors in intelligence were limited to the martial generals' strengths or if there were other inaccuracies.
As he pondered this, Xu Rong's mind raced through the intelligence they had previously gathered. The more he thought about it, the more he suspected that something was amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact discrepancy.
This situation left Xu Rong in a real dilemma.
After glancing at Lu Bu's miserable state, Xu Rong turned his gaze to Jia Xu, whose expressionless face was a stark contrast to his own. With a slight headache, Xu Rong asked, "Mr. Jia, with this situation at hand, what do you think I should do next?"
Jia Xu lifted his head and looked at Xu Rong. A fleeting glimmer flashed in his seemingly ordinary eyes, so quick that even Xu Rong thought it might have been his imagination.
"As the military advisor of our army, I naturally seek your guidance, Mr. Jia."
Xu Rong was not Lu Bu; he held no prejudice against Jia Xu and instead respected him greatly. He was well aware that anyone who earned the respect of Scholar Li must be extraordinary.
Given the current circumstances and Xu Rong's own confusion, he genuinely needed Jia Xu's advice.
Jia Xu glanced at Xu Rong, then slowly withdrew his gaze and said, "Since General Xu asks, I have but one strategy."
Xu Rong's eyes lit up with surprise at these words. "Please enlighten me, Mr. Jia."
A meaningful smile, subtle yet unmistakable, appeared on Jia Xu's face as he softly uttered a single word, "Retreat!"
His voice wasn't loud, but at that moment, it sounded like thunder, stunning the martial generals present. Even Xu Rong stood there with his mouth agape, unable to speak for a moment.
"You, a mere scholar, living off the generosity of our lord, how dare you be so cowardly and fear death!"
Hua Xiong was the first to lose his temper, nearly lunging forward to punch Jia Xu. Fortunately, Zhang Xiu beside him was quick-witted and restrained the man.
In the 169th chapter of the original text, there was not a single mistake!
Although Hua Xiong was stopped, the other martial generals glared at Jia Xu with disdain, wishing they could swallow him alive.
Retreating after just one defeat was unacceptable!
Jia Xu ignored their glares and turned to Xu Rong, fixing his gaze on the general's eyes.
"General Xu, have you noticed that although Lu Hai Kong has deployed a considerable number of troops and martial generals in the State of Youzhou, two of his legions have not appeared on that battlefield?"
At these words, Xu Rong's furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and he exclaimed, "You mean the Black Gale Legion and the Blood Bath Legion?"
"Yes, you're right! Everyone underestimates Lu Hai Kong. I, too, thought that his strategy on the western front was to delay and focus on attacking the State of Youzhou. But today, I've realized that Lu Hai Kong might have planned to defeat all three sides in one go." Jia Xu explained.
"That's impossible!"
Everyone, including Xu Rong, exclaimed in disbelief.
The idea was crazy; how could Lu Hai Kong possibly have such capability? Their forces alone were enough to rival Lu Hai Kong's, so how could he simultaneously defeat all three sides?
However, as soon as they voiced their objections, everyone's gaze unconsciously fell on Lu Bu, and they couldn't help but recall Huang Zhong, Yan Liang, and Wen U. The room fell silent.
After a moment, Xu Rong responded, "We admit that the martial generals under Lu Hai Kong are incredibly powerful, but in terms of army size, we still have the advantage. After all, we command an army of two hundred thousand, and Lu Hai Kong..."
"Hasn't Lu Hai Kong won numerous battles with fewer troops?" Jia Xu's remark left Xu Rong speechless. Recalling Jia Xu's earlier information about the Black Gale and Iron Blood Legions, Xu Rong's heart grew heavy.
However, he was also aware that the current situation might indeed be grim for them, but at this moment, retreat was not an option.
Looking back at history, when had there ever been a campaign like theirs, leading an army of two hundred thousand only to retreat at the first sign of trouble upon reaching the enemy's city?
Retreating now would surely make him famous for all the wrong reasons. Even if he didn't fear the shame, how could he face Dong Zhuo upon his return?
Moreover, Xu Rong didn't believe that their situation was so dire that they had to retreat. Especially after learning about Lu Hai Kong's upcoming move, Xu Rong felt that they still had a chance to turn the tide.
After some hesitation, Xu Rong's eyes hardened with determination. "Retreat is not an option, but we can consider eliminating Lu Hai Kong's two cavalry legions and capturing Dingyang City!"
Upon hearing this, a cryptic smile appeared on Jia Xu's face, a mix of approval and mockery...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
