"Quick, quick, protect Consort Zou."
He watched as a vast, dark mass of masked bandits surged from all directions.
Especially seeing the four imposing figures on horseback leading the charge, brandishing their great sabers and fighting their way forward.
A tragic, iron-blooded aura assailed them.
Everyone was stunned, and the five hundred County Soldiers instantly panicked as if facing a formidable enemy.
If not for the hundred Iron Cavalry beside them, they would likely have abandoned their weapons and fled.
One must know, nearly a thousand County Soldiers had been utterly defeated before.
Xiao Huangmen Zuo Feng was also terrified, his high-pitched voice shouting frantically, as a dozen County Soldiers with sabers gathered around the carriage, with Zuo Feng hiding deepest inside, trembling.
The battlefield devolved into chaos.
Aboard Zhua Huang Fei Dian (Yellow Claw Lightning), Zhang Shihao, holding the Sky Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the four fierce and imposing figures leading the charge, a faint smile on his face, which then turned serious as he roared:
"Protect the carriage! Kill!"
The masked bandits rushing from all directions quickly engaged the County Soldiers.
In an instant, Zhang Shihao understood the ferocity of these bandits.
Every one of them fought without fear of death, their moves ruthless and brutal, a desperate fighting style. Moreover, these individuals were exceptionally strong, all seasoned veterans of many battles.
The five hundred County Soldiers were at a disadvantage from the very first clash.
Zhang Shihao did not hesitate, waving his hand, and the hundred Imperial Army Iron Cavalry immediately moved.
The ground trembled; Iron Cavalry were indeed the bane of infantry.
The hundred Imperial Army Iron Cavalry directly unleashed a bloody storm among the fierce masked bandits.
"Zhang Shihao, I'll take your head!"
At this moment, a cold voice filled with killing intent rang out.
The four fierce and imposing figures had all charged to Zhang Shihao's side, their four great sabers encircling him.
The masked Zhang Ji's great saber, however, unhesitatingly slashed towards Zhang Shihao's head.
"Excellent!"
Zhang Shihao laughed loudly, his Sky Dragon City-Breaking Halberd thrusting out with a roar.
Clang!
The clash of weapons exploded. Zhang Ji's great saber, which had come quickly, departed just as quickly, flying away. At the same time, a tearing force caused Zhang Ji's body to shake violently. The next moment, he was sent flying through the air directly from his horse, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and groaning in severe pain as he struggled on the ground.
"What..."
Watching Zhang Ji's weapon fly from his hand, and his entire body being flung away without any resistance, spitting blood, the masked Dong Zhuo, Guo Si, and Li Jue beside him instantly widened their eyes, looking at Zhang Shihao in disbelief.
Zhang Shihao's martial arts were actually this terrifying?
Was he not a eunuch?
That was Zhang Ji!
He was usually a master that even ten strong men couldn't get close to.
Yet he was sent flying and made to spit blood by one of Zhang Shihao's halberd strikes?
Dong Zhuo, Guo Si, Li Jue, and the others were shocked.
Inside the carriage, Zou, who was looking out the window, was also stunned.
Zhang Shihao had sent her fiancé, Zhang Ji, flying with a single halberd strike?
Despite Zhang Ji being masked, Zou Yu'er instantly recognized him.
Zhang Ji, known as the most valiant person in Zuli County of Wuwei Commandery, was actually sent flying and made to spit blood by Zhang Shihao?
After sending one person flying with a casual halberd strike,
Zhang Shihao looked at the three stunned figures before him, especially the fiercest among them, and his smile deepened.
These four individuals were all quite formidable, and they had all gathered here.
Name: Dong Zhuo
Age: 25 years old
Politics: 78 (Strong three-star potential, inclined towards court struggles, still growing...)
Strategy: 79 (Strong three-star potential, inclined towards scheming, not yet at peak, still growing...)
Martial Prowess: 83 (Strong three-star potential, not yet at peak, still growing...)
Leadership: 78 (Strong three-star potential, not yet at peak, still growing...)
【Character Traits】 (Current Traits): Bold and generous, righteous and free-spending, brave and invincible
Talents, Potentials, Characteristics:
【Bold and Righteous * Gathering Heroes】: Has ambitions, understands the importance of recruiting powerful subordinates. Treats military generals with generosity and righteousness, causing their favor towards him to surge, making them easily loyal.
【Usurping Power * Chaos in the Court】: When one's own power expands unprecedentedly, one's ambition will also expand unprecedentedly, vision will become short-sighted, and the entire person will become unprecedentedly irritable and corrupt.
——————
Name: Zhang Ji
Age: 18 years old
...
Martial Prowess: 75 (Weak three-star potential, not yet at peak, still growing...)
...
Talents, Potentials, Characteristics: None!
————
Name: Guo Si
Age: 24 years old
...
Martial Prowess: 76 (Weak three-star potential, not yet at peak, still growing...)
...
Talents, Potentials, Characteristics: None!
———
Name: Li Jue
Age: 22 years old
...
Martial Prowess: 74 (Weak three-star potential, not yet at peak, still growing...)
...
Talents, Potentials, Characteristics: None!
Indeed, these four were Dong Zhuo, Zhang Ji, Li Jue, and Guo Si.
Zhang Ji, Li Jue, and Guo Si might not be too well-known.
However, Dong Zhuo was quite famous.
It could be said that it was this person who exhausted the last vestiges of the Han Dynasty's vitality.
"Don't fight head-on, attack together!"
The fierce and imposing Dong Zhuo looked at Zhang Shihao with unprecedented solemnity and roared.
Immediately, the three of them simultaneously brandished their great sabers and attacked Zhang Shihao.
Zhang Shihao's Sky Dragon City-Breaking Halberd danced, and he immediately engaged the three.
Halberd shadows and saber glints, the clash of weapons exploded.
After only a few exchanges, the faces of Dong Zhuo, Guo Si, and Li Jue turned green.
Despite Zhang Ji's previous example, knowing Zhang Shihao's terrifying strength, they tried their best not to clash head-on with Zhang Shihao, intending to use their techniques to surround him.
However, Zhang Shihao's great halberd was not only heavy, powerful, and ferocious, but his halberd techniques were no worse than their saber techniques.
This forced them to inevitably confront Zhang Shihao's great halberd.
Every time Zhang Shihao's ferocious great halberd touched their weapons, it caused their blood and qi to surge, their blood to rush upwards, their tiger mouths to tear, and their arms to feel as if they were broken.
After clashing twice with Zhang Shihao, Dong Zhuo felt as if his arms had lost all sensation.
Boom!
The heavy halberd tore through the air, the great halberd spinning to strike the head of Guo Si, who held a great saber.
An unprecedented aura of death assailed him. Guo Si's soul nearly fled his body, and he instinctively blocked with his great saber.
Clang!
The clash of weapons exploded.
Pfft~
The great saber flew, and Guo Si, on his warhorse, was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He was thrown directly into the air, crashing heavily to the ground, and passing out.
Aboard Zhua Huang Fei Dian (Yellow Claw Lightning), Zhang Shihao, having sent Guo Si flying with one halberd strike, felt an unprecedented exhilaration; it was incredibly satisfying.
Li Cunxiao's physical talent was already terrifyingly powerful, and coupled with the Sky Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, weighing one hundred and twenty catties, it could be said that no matter what second-rate or first-rate fierce general encountered Zhang Shihao, they would be violently sent flying with a single halberd strike.
On the battlefield, everyone was stunned by Zhang Shihao's god-of-war-like performance.
Inside the carriage, Madam Zou looked at Zhang Shihao, her beautiful eyes wide.
Dong Zhuo looked at Zhang Shihao as if he were a monstrous flood beast, his scalp tingling. He quickly retreated with Li Jue, not daring to fight Zhang Shihao anymore, and at the same time, he looked at the field.
He saw that the County Soldiers, who had originally been suppressed by their side, had, with the deployment of the hundred Imperial Army Iron Cavalry, brought the battle to a stalemate.
"Brothers, cavalry charge! Seize the person, and retreat immediately!"
Dong Zhuo's roar exploded.
Rumble!
Three or forty masked men on Xiliang warhorses, who had been prepared in the nearby forest, instantly charged out.
With the entry of three or forty fierce Xiliang Cavalry, the stalemate was instantly broken.
The County Soldiers collapsed utterly when facing the Xiliang Cavalry. Even the Imperial Army, facing the Xiliang Cavalry one-on-one, were directly suppressed.
Their powerful horsemanship, combined with their desperate fighting style, allowed more than ten Xiliang Cavalry to directly break through the hundred Imperial Army Iron Cavalry and charge straight towards the carriage.
In front of the carriage, a score of trembling County Soldiers, facing more than ten Xiliang Cavalry, collapsed after a bloody storm.
More than ten cavalry immediately rushed towards the carriage.
"The bandits are coming! The bandits are coming! Protect Consort Zou! Zhang Shihao, protect Consort Zou! Help! Help!"
Zuo Feng's high-pitched, anxious, and terrified voice resounded.
"Charge~"
"Get lost!"
A cold voice rang out.
Following this, a white shadow flashed by. It was Zhang Shihao, who had galloped to the front of the carriage at extreme speed, sweeping his Sky Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, sending two Xiliang Cavalry flying, spitting blood.
Zhang Shihao blocked in front of the carriage, and the more than ten Xiliang Cavalry immediately hesitated, not daring to advance.
Dong Zhuo, his arms trembling and blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, commanded:
"Brothers, attack together! Seize the person!"
Upon hearing this, the more than ten Xiliang Cavalry gritted their teeth and collectively surrounded the carriage, attacking.
Zuo Feng had never seen such a scene. He collapsed in front of the carriage wheel, utterly terrified and having wet himself. Inside the carriage, Zou and the four maids were equally panicked.
Boom!
The long halberd tore through the air, two screams, weapons flying, and two more figures were sent flying.
Despite the encirclement of more than ten cavalry, Zhang Shihao, holding the Sky Dragon City-Breaking Halberd in front of the carriage, was like a wall. He stood in front, and wave after wave of attacks came, sending masked black-clad figures flying one after another.
Seeing Zhang Shihao's formidable strength, Zuo Feng's screams lessened, and Madam Zou's panic inside the carriage slowly dissipated.
Zuo Feng gradually calmed down, but a relaxed smile appeared on Dong Zhuo's face.
Because Zhang Shihao was blocking here and couldn't be broken through, the situation on the battlefield was greatly in their Xiliang side's favor. He believed that soon, more people would be freed up to surround Zhang Shihao.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, the ground trembled, and both sides, who were fighting, simultaneously froze.
They saw dust rising in the distance on the official road, and a dark mass of cavalry charging towards them.
Dong Zhuo and Li Jue's pupils suddenly constricted, and they shouted loudly:
"No good! Imperial Army Cavalry! Quick, retreat, retreat!"
Nine hundred Imperial Army Iron Cavalry swept in like a whirlwind. The masked bandits instantly collapsed and fled in all directions.
"Marquis of Yiyang, the bandits are escaping! Chase them!"
Seeing Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and the other masked men, who were clearly the leaders, taking Zhang Ji and Guo Si and riding away, Zuo Feng, who had been terrified and had wet himself, seeing Zhang Shihao still motionless, immediately urged him anxiously.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shihao had not yet spoken when a voice from inside the carriage, delicate with a hint of allure, soft with a touch of charm, at first listen like a nightingale leaving the valley, or a phoenix crying, melodious and gentle yet with a plea, rang out:
"Marquis of Yiyang, Yu'er begs you, can you please not pursue them?"
Zhang Shihao raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the beautiful, mature, and alluring Madam Zou.
He saw her pleading, looking at him pitifully.
"The Zhang family and the Zou family are close friends. Uncle Zhang has been very kind to Yu'er. I beg the Marquis of Yiyang."
Seeing Zhang Shihao look at her, Zou Yu'er quickly explained in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Shihao glanced at the frowning, hesitant Zuo Feng beside him, and then loudly addressed the nearly a thousand Imperial Army Iron Cavalry who were about to give chase:
"Do not pursue a cornered foe. Do not fall for the enemy's ruse of 'luring the tiger out of its mountain lair'. Our mission is to escort Consort Zou back to the Imperial Palace!"
"This... Understood!"
Hearing Zhang Shihao's order, the Imperial Army Iron Cavalry commander clearly didn't understand. Was he giving up the Merit that was almost within reach?
However, despite not understanding, the Imperial Army Iron Cavalry commander still agreed.
Inside the carriage, Zou Yu'er's beautiful eyes brightened instantly when she saw that Zhang Shihao actually wasn't pursuing them. She was overjoyed, her favor towards Zhang Shihao greatly increased, and her eyes were filled with gratitude as she whispered:
"Yu'er thanks the Marquis of Yiyang!"
"Why does Consort Zou thank This Marquis? This Marquis is merely afraid of falling for the enemy's ruse of 'luring the tiger out of its mountain lair'."
Facing Zou's thanks, Zhang Shihao smiled.
Upon hearing this, Zou Yu'er said nothing more.
However, her favor towards Zhang Shihao continued to rise uncontrollably.
Zuo Feng, seeing this, frowned deeply, not wanting Zhang Shihao and Zou Yu'er to interact further, and said:
"Court Attendant, we should depart as soon as possible. This place is not suitable for a long stay."
"Alright, clean up and prepare to depart!"
Zhang Shihao naturally understood what Zuo Feng was thinking, but he just smiled and said nothing more.
After a brief rest, the group set off.
Zhang Shihao truly did not send anyone to pursue Dong Zhuo, Zhang Ji, and the others.
Not to mention that he had already agreed to Zou.
Originally, Zhang Shihao had no intention of putting Dong Zhuo and the others to death.
Otherwise, Dong Zhuo would have had no chance to escape; the Overlord Bow was hanging on Zhua Huang Fei Dian (Yellow Claw Lightning).
Dong Zhuo, as a crucial figure who brought about the downfall of the Han Dynasty and propelled the historical process.
If he were to die now, Zhang Shihao's foresight would probably be largely wasted.
This desperate, dying dynasty might also gain an extra ten or even decades of lifespan compared to history.
This severely contradicted Zhang Shihao's ambitions.
Because a dying dynasty was still a dynasty.
That was still a world controlled by Powerful Families.
And it had nothing to do with Zhang Shihao.
Only when the world was in complete chaos and order collapsed would it be a good opportunity for Zhang Shihao, a non-Powerful Families member, to rise amidst the turmoil.
The one who buried the Han Dynasty needed to, and would inevitably, become the target of all. Death was a must.
However, that person could not be Zhang Shihao, and Dong Zhuo was just right.
On this trip, Zhang Shihao's purpose was to meet Madam Zou.
He had met her.
And he had even gained some of her favor.
...
The mighty procession set off again. Due to the carriage, their speed was not fast, even very slow. Along the way, despite Zuo Feng's strenuous efforts to prevent Zhang Shihao and Zou from meeting and getting involved.
However, Zhang Shihao, as the controller of the entire procession, and holding a higher position than Zuo Feng, how could Zuo Feng stop him?
The journey was long. Zhang Shihao took out some items he had accumulated from daily sign-ins, such as playing cards and Gobang, to entertain Zou. He played cards and Gobang with her in the carriage.
Coupled with Zhang Shihao's handsome appearance, his extensive knowledge, and witty language, as he spent time with Madam Zou, Zou's favor towards him soared.
By the time the convoy reached Luoyang, Madam Zou even avoided Zuo Feng and privately called Zhang Shihao "Brother Shihao."
The news of the heavenly beauty, the alluring Consort Zou, entering the Imperial Palace spread silently, instantly sweeping through all factions in Luoyang, causing them to tremble!