Chapter 609: Lu Hai Kong's Power
Chapter 609: Lu Hai Kong's Power
September 25, 2017
Lu Hai Kong's army took only half a day to pass through Qu Liang and advance into Julu.
After the Battle of Guangping, the Yellow Turban Army had retreated to Guangping, and even though the Han army had withdrawn to Qu Liang, the cities previously captured by Huangfu remained unrecaptured by the rebels.
Thus, when Lu Hai Kong entered Julu, he encountered no significant resistance.
Lu Hai Kong did not stop at those cities and instead spent a day marching his army directly to the gates of Guangping!
Upon reaching Guangping, Lu Hai Kong did not immediately launch an attack.
From the start of their preparation to their arrival at Guangping, Lu Hai Kong's army took only five or six days.
With tens of thousands of troops covering hundreds of kilometers in a few days, it was evident how determined and eager Lu Hai Kong was to annihilate the Yellow Turbans.
However, after days of marching, Lu Hai Kong needed a brief rest at Guangping. After all, they had been on the road for days, and even if Lu Hai Kong himself wasn't tired, his soldiers were exhausted. How could they fight effectively without proper rest?
As Lu Hai Kong rested outside Guangping, inside the city, the Yellow Turbans were in disarray.
After the Battle of Guangping, Zhang Jiao had not been seen again. Although Zhang Daosheng was the nominal supreme leader, he could not truly lead the millions of Yellow Turbans.
Initially, it was manageable, and Zhang Daosheng still had some authority; his words carried weight. But as time passed, his influence among the Yellow Turbans diminished.
When he first received news of Lu Hai Kong's attack, his initial reaction was not fear or worry but joy!
What did the Yellow Turbans lack the most? It was the sense of crisis right before their eyes. Only the strongest sense of crisis could reunite the scattered Yellow Turban forces.
Therefore, in Zhang Daosheng's view, if handled properly, Lu Hai Kong's arrival might be an opportunity for him.
As soon as Lu Hai Kong's army camped outside Guangping, Zhang Daosheng immediately gathered all the Yellow Turban leaders to discuss a plan to counter Lu Hai Kong!
According to Zhang Daosheng's plan, with Lu Hai Kong as a threat, he could establish his authority during the meeting, and indeed, that was the case.
The three words, "Lu Hai Kong," held immense power among the Yellow Turbans.
When these three words were mentioned among the rebels, one could sense the emotion of fear. In the vast Yellow Turban camp, with over a dozen historical generals and dozens of Yellow Turban outsiders, not a single word was spoken when they heard the name "Lu Hai Kong."
Even knowing that Lu Hai Kong's army numbered only in the tens of thousands, no one dared to say that he was overestimating his strength. No one dared to say that with just a few tens of thousands of troops, he dared to come and exterminate their Yellow Turban Army.
The entire camp fell silent, including the Yellow Turban Saintess, whom Lu Hai Kong had met in the Realm of Heavenly Peace not long ago, and Bo Cai, one of the historical Yellow Turban generals.
Those who used to cause trouble openly or secretly were now subdued. The entire camp seemed oppressed by a heavy force, and a suppressed atmosphere spread.
When Zhang Daosheng witnessed this, the joy of establishing his authority was instantly scattered to the ends of the earth.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that his opponent was Lu Hai Kong, a demon-like existence. He was the one who had slain Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, those two abnormal brothers. He was the one who had resurrected from the dead. He was the one who could rout a thousand men with a mere thousand. He was the one whose name alone could silence the Yellow Turban generals.
He could feel that at this moment, his authority was finally established, but with it came immense pressure, a pressure that might crush him like meat paste.
Lu Hai Kong, a formidable force, was a terror to face.
But Zhang Daosheng had to confront this terror. Who was he? He was a Yellow Turban disciple, and no one could be fearless except him!
He always shouldered the responsibility of the Yellow Turbans, even though many within the army did not have high hopes for him and secretly disobeyed him. Still, he persisted in carrying this burden, day after day, and at this critical moment, he had no reason to abandon it just because it felt heavy. Or rather, precisely because it was heavy and no one else could bear it, he should carry it even more diligently, shouldn't he?
"What's the matter? Are you all afraid just because Lu Hai Kong is here?"
Zhang Daosheng banged the table and looked at the people below, speaking as calmly as possible.
As soon as Zhang Daosheng opened his mouth, everyone's attention was on him. Nearly a hundred people in the entire camp were high-ranking Yellow Turban officials!
This was not the first time Zhang Daosheng had been scrutinized by these people, but this time, it was the most shocking for him.
Those eyes, which used to express various emotions, now revealed mostly bewilderment, tension, and distrust towards Zhang Daosheng, but there was still a hint of expectation.
The appearance of such a gaze was merely due to the arrival of Lu Hai Kong, a figure akin to a demon god in the eyes of the Yellow Turban Army.
"Your eyes tell me that you are afraid, and there's no shame in that. After all, he is a formidable opponent!"
"But fear won't help us! That person won't show us any mercy because of our fear. We still have to face what's ahead, no matter how powerful or terrifying he is. If he wants us dead, does that mean we should just die according to his wishes? I, Zhang Daosheng, refuse to accept that! Why should we die? Why can't we let Lu Haikong die instead?"
Zhang Daosheng's words resonated with conviction, causing a stir in the entire camp.
After all, ever since Zhang Jiao's disappearance and Zhang Liang's death at the hands of Lu Haikong, only Zhang Daosheng dared to speak such words.
Normally, such words would only invite ridicule. What abilities did Lu Haikong possess? And what abilities did Zhang Daosheng have? Even Zhang Liang had died at Lu Haikong's hands, so how could Zhang Daosheng possibly have the ability to make Lu Haikong die?
However, the current situation was different. Lu Haikong had arrived, and the threat to their lives was imminent. At this moment, they needed a strong voice to rally them, but Zhang Daosheng's voice seemed to fall short of that standard. Nonetheless, he had spoken up, and in their fear, they naturally clung to this voice.
"Daozi, tell us what to do. We'll follow your lead!"
As Guan Hai slammed his fist on the table and stood up, the atmosphere in the camp finally ignited. One by one, historical warriors and Yellow Turban outsiders rose to show their support for Zhang Daosheng.
In a 1691 book, a glance revealed no mistakes in this version!
As these voices of support gathered, courage rose within Zhang Daosheng's heart.
He began to feel a sense of delusion, imagining that with dozens of historical warriors and Yellow Turban outsiders with strength above 80 under his command, and hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers at his disposal, what could a single Lu Haikong possibly do?
With this boldness, Zhang Daosheng's spirit soared.
"Good! Since everyone is confident in following me, let me share my plan!"
"Lu Haikong and his troops covered the distance from Handan to here in just six days, with tens of thousands of soldiers marching over a hundred kilometers daily. Such a long journey must have exhausted his soldiers, and this presents us with an opportunity. We can launch a night raid tonight and give Lu Haikong a warm 'welcome'!"
Zhang Daosheng's enthusiasm led him to reveal his plan, assuming that the entire camp would echo his proposal, especially since the atmosphere had been so supportive just moments ago.
However, Zhang Daosheng had not anticipated that as soon as he finished speaking, the entire camp fell silent again, except for a few individuals. The gazes that had been fixed on him now began to shift away.
No one dared to respond to Zhang Daosheng at this moment. Everyone was afraid. What if someone agreed and Zhang Daosheng sent out to attack Lu Haikong, what would we do then?
They had been shouting for Lu Haikong's death, but when faced with the reality of confronting him, everyone was scared. No one wanted to face that demonic figure.
At this moment, the situation before them seemed like a bucket of cold water poured over Zhang Daosheng's head, clearly telling him that he was being overly ambitious in thinking that these useless individuals could defeat Lu Haikong.
The rapid shift from disappointment to hope and back to disappointment was overwhelming, leaving Zhang Daosheng feeling like he was on a rollercoaster.
It was then that Zhang Daosheng realized the weight of this responsibility was even heavier than he had imagined, and more importantly, when he took on this burden, there might not be many people left to support him.
The Yellow Turban Army had always been Zhang Jiao's, not Zhang Daosheng's. They had united under Zhang Jiao and were now on the brink of collapse due to his disappearance. Before Lu Haikong's arrival, Zhang Daosheng couldn't, and didn't know how to unite the Yellow Turban Army. And even after Lu Haikong's arrival, Zhang Daosheng still lacked the ability to do so.
As Zhang Daosheng stood there, watching the hundreds of people in the camp averting their eyes, a messenger entered the camp and knelt on one knee before him. "Daozi, Lu Haikong's Blood Demon Legion is challenging us at the city gates. He said..."
The messenger's sudden news shocked everyone in the camp, and in that instant, they could feel the fear within the camp reaching a boiling point. Only Zhang Daosheng maintained a semblance of calm.
"What did Lu Haikong say?"
"He said that we have one day to hand over General Tian Gong, or he will exterminate every Yellow Turban in Julu County!"
The messenger's words, heavy with the scent of blood, left many in the camp pale with fear...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
