Chapter 610: Zhang Daosheng's Boldness
Chapter 610: Zhang Daosheng's Boldness
September 25, 2017
Lu Haikong's formidable reputation among the Yellow Turban Army was so great that even he himself was unaware of it.
His fame had actually begun to spread since the death of Zhang Bao, as the Yellow Turbans felt the loss of Zhang Bao more deeply in their bones.
If it weren't for Lu Haikong's slaying of Zhang Bao and burning their supply depot in Liang Qi, they might have already captured Luoyang.
Given this, it's understandable that Lu Haikong would have garnered hatred among the Yellow Turban Army.
Indeed, the Yellow Turbans initially hated Lu Haikong, but as the battles raged on and time passed, their feelings evolved.
After Lu Haikong's series of incredible battles, and before the Battle of Guangping, his reputation among the Yellow Turbans had already grown significantly. Otherwise, Zhang Niu would not have paled in fear upon hearing of Lu Haikong's arrival.
And after the Battle of Guangping, Lu Haikong's reputation reached its peak.
His appearance disrupted the Yellow Turbans' plans to conquer the Han Army, and not only that, he directly killed Zhang Liang, who was in a state of frenzy. More importantly, after the Battle of Guangping, Zhang Jiao, who had been stationed in Guangping, suddenly disappeared without a trace.
It was as if even their spiritual leader was nothing before Lu Haikong. Could Lu Haikong not have an overwhelming presence among the Yellow Turbans?
His arrival caused the city of Guangping to tremble, and even knowing that Lu Haikong's troops were exhausted, they dared not launch a night attack. Lu Haikong's mere formation caused the gates of Guangping to shut tight, and not a single person dared to respond.
It could be said that the only ones who truly believed Lu Haikong could conquer Guangping City were not Lu Haikong himself, but the Yellow Turbans within Guangping City!
Of course, this reputation was not absolute. As long as they fought Lu Haikong in a battle or two, the Yellow Turbans didn't even need to win; they just needed to not lose too badly. Their confidence would return, and they could break the illusion of Lu Haikong's dominance.
Zhang Daosheng was well aware of this, so when a messenger arrived, he stood up and scanned the room, addressing everyone present.
"Did you hear that? Either hand over our master, or slaughter all the Yellow Turbans in Julu County. This Lu Haikong sure has a boldness!"
"I, Zhang Daosheng, have no great abilities or boldness to compare with Lu Haikong, but I know that someone wants to kill my master, someone wants to kill me. But I don't want to hand over my master, nor do I want to die! I want to live! So I can only go and kill Lu Haikong. If any of you still have some blood and courage, follow me!"
After Zhang Daosheng finished speaking, he stood up and left his seat, striding towards the camp.
It must be said that at this moment, Zhang Daosheng demonstrated the responsibility and boldness befitting a Yellow Turban disciple. As he resolutely walked out, his figure seemed to have grown taller than ever before.
Even those who had previously disliked Zhang Daosheng had to admit that he lived up to the title of 'Daozi'!
So, as Zhang Daosheng stood up, not only did Yan Liang from his command follow him, but also the shadows of others, including the Yellow Turbans' greatest warrior, Guan Hai, their current leader Bo Cai, and historical generals like Zhang Yan, rose and followed Zhang Daosheng out of the camp.
Admittedly, Lu Haikong's dominance was overwhelming, but there were still those unafraid to face him in battle. It was just that no one had the confidence to confront Lu Haikong directly, so when Zhang Daosheng took this bold step, the Yellow Turbans with blood and courage, the most elite among them, followed Zhang Daosheng.
Zhang Daosheng had made the right move, truly uniting a portion of the Yellow Turban Army's fighting power.
Jiuzhou, Julu, outside Guangping City.
Lu Haikong's Blood Bath Army lined up outside the city, and Pan Feng, who hadn't seen much action in a while, stood at the forefront, pointing and shouting insults at the Yellow Turbans within Guangping City.
Pan Feng was never one for manners, and now, with orders to curse, he fully utilized his talent.
With his loud voice, he unleashed every foul word he could think of, all designed to provoke anger.
It must be said that Pan Feng had a talent for this, as even Lu Haikong himself felt a tingling in his teeth, suppressing the urge to punch this brat. But the Yellow Turbans let Pan Feng curse for over half an hour without any response.
"Forget it, let that guy stop. It's been half an hour, and there's still no reaction. They probably won't come out today!"
Just as Lu Haikong was getting tired of Pan Feng's cursing, and was about to call him back, the walls of Guangping City suddenly lit up with fire, and the gates opened, releasing a cavalry unit.
Lu Haikong was genuinely surprised to see this, not because he was aware of his overwhelming presence among the Yellow Turbans, but simply due to the situation.
At this moment, Zhang Jiao was gravely injured and near death, while the strongest Zhang Liang had been slain by his own hands. Among the entire Guangping, in terms of martial prowess, none could surpass Guan Hai and Yan Liang, who were barely at 90 points.
Under these circumstances, when Lu Haikong challenged the enemy general, the Yellow Turban Army, regardless of any perspective, had no chance of victory. Thus, they should not have come out, but unexpectedly, they did.
In a moment's time, the cavalry led by Zhang Daosheng arrived a hundred meters before Lu Haikong. However, despite their arrival, seeing only a cavalry unit of less than two thousand, only a few among Zhang Daosheng's several thousand cavalrymen could maintain a relatively calm demeanor.
Not to mention the ordinary cavalry, even Zhang Daosheng himself, who had come out with fervor, was now a bit dazed. He had come out, but what should he do next?
Just as they were bewildered, Lu Haikong's Bloodsoaked Legion split their formation, and Lu Haikong stepped forward with several of his generals.
"This is quite unexpected. I didn't think you'd have the audacity to come out," Lu Haikong said in a calm tone. But to Zhang Daosheng and his men, his words carried an eerie power. Many felt a chill upon hearing Lu Haikong's voice, devoid of any malice, as if it were the low growl of a devil.
In an unseen manner, the one riding on the Little Lu Zi, Lu Haikong, who appeared thinner than the average general, now seemed like a devil hundreds of zhang tall. A terrifying pressure rose, causing even the Yellow Turban soldiers and some of their generals to struggle for breath.
Amidst this overwhelming pressure, a man rode forward on his warhorse, defying the pressure!
In a 1-6-1-9-1 formation, he read the unerring version!
"What a joke! This is our Guangping City. When did we need courage to step out of our own city gates? It's you, Lu Haikong, who dares to bring a mere tens of thousands to our Julu. What great courage you have!"
It was still Zhang Daosheng who stepped forward.
Zhang Daosheng's emergence wasn't due to his fearlessness towards Lu Haikong; he was afraid, perhaps even more so than the average person.
He understood better than anyone the terror of Lu Haikong, this hanging-on-the-edge fellow. He even suspected that by stepping forward, he might be directly killed by Lu Haikong. Yet, he had to do it.
After Zhang Daosheng stepped forward, after he stood before Lu Haikong with a slightly trembling posture, after he scolded Lu Haikong with a slightly quivering voice, Zhang Daosheng's soldiers and generals behind him found their backbone.
Zhang Daosheng could feel the fear in his soldiers dissipating, and a barely perceptible madness appeared on his face.
"Lu Haikong, do you dare to fight me?"
With these words, the Yellow Turban soldiers and generals behind him froze, seemingly not expecting someone to dare provoke Lu Haikong!
At this moment, the madness on Zhang Daosheng's face gradually faded, replaced by determination. The trembling that had appeared due to fear slowly vanished, and by the time he shouted 'dare to fight', Zhang Daosheng was no longer afraid.
His current state of mind was incredibly calm. He knew what he was saying and what he was doing.
He also understood that against Lu Haikong, there was not even a sliver of a chance of victory. Yet, he challenged without hesitation!
His desire was simple: to survive in Lu Haikong's hands, or to live on peacefully.
Zhang Daosheng was well aware that Lu Haikong's overwhelming might was largely built upon the remains of Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao. It was built upon Lu Haikong's unmatched strength. That's why Zhang Daosheng challenged Lu Haikong.
As long as he could survive in Lu Haikong's hands, as long as he could live without disgrace, Zhang Daosheng could prove that Lu Haikong wasn't invincible. Even someone of his caliber could easily escape Lu Haikong's grasp, let alone others.
Once this breakthrough was made, the Yellow Turban Army's fear of Lu Haikong could be shattered like a dream.
Of course, Zhang Daosheng also knew that this battle was extremely dangerous. He might be directly killed by Lu Haikong if he wasn't careful. He was aware that he could have chosen a safer way to resist Lu Haikong from the city walls, but he still chose to do this.
Zhang Daosheng understood that this was his only chance, his only way to establish his authority and truly lead the Yellow Turban Army in this world.
If he could withstand Lu Haikong, he would become the true Yellow Turban Disciple and have the hope to lead the Yellow Turbans in this world!
So, Zhang Daosheng resolutely chose to face the challenge head-on. This was a boldness, a heroic boldness. To some extent, Zhang Jiao's vision wasn't wrong. Zhang Daosheng's heart was worthy of being a Yellow Turban Disciple and the heir to the Yellow Turban Sect!
(End of Chapter)
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