Chapter 30 - Battle of Kaiyang (3)
Original by Bro Got a Gun, Translated by James
“Zhongkang, go help them out!” Cao Cao’s gaze grew gloomier by the moment. That golden armored general on the walls not only wasn’t tired at all, he even grew fiercer as the battle continued. Xu Huang and Li Dian, even with their guards assisting them, could only defend themselves and was unable to fight back. Much less of killing Lu Bu, they might instead be killed by him.
[TL: Zhongkang = Xu Chu’s courtesy name.]
Due to Lu Bu’s prowess, some of the Cao soldiers that were already on the walls were scared witless and began fleeing toward the siege ladders. With the fleeing Cao soldiers, the siege ladders that was already packed with incoming Cao soldiers was now blocked by their own people. The Cao soldiers on the siege ladders could neither go down nor up. Finally, the ladders was unable to withstand the weight and began to crumble. Immediately, sounds of screaming resounded throughout the place.
“The most valiant general of the era! The most valiant general!” Old Cao’s eyes flickered with radiance. Suddenly, his murderous aura exploded. “So what if he’s the most valiant general of the era?! To block this Cao’s path, even if you’re the most valiant general, I’d sent you to meet the former emperor! Transmit my order, strike the drums, all army, attack! He who kills Lu Bu shall be rewarded with the title of Marquis, his standing shall be in the Nine Ministers!”
Old Cao really placed his bids. Marquis of the Han dynasty was something really valuable. Although they aren’t granted much territory, their bearing wasn’t something insignificant. For instance, Lu Bu was called the Marquis of Wen even by the people of modern days. The Nine Ministers was also an extremely high standing official position that was only below the Prime Minister.
“The Prime Minister have ordered, he who kills Lu Bu shall be rewarded with the title of Marquis, his standing shall be in the Nine Ministers!” The messengers transmitted the orders with voices one higher than the other. In no time, the order was transmitted through the entire battlefield.
All of a sudden, the Cao army was in an ebullition of fervor. Not only the generals and the officers, even the ordinary soldiers began to have ferocious bloodshot eyes. The will and courage that was broken by Lu Bu’s prowess have returned. As the saying goes, human beings will die for riches just as birds will for food. One by one, the Cao soldiers were advancing dauntlessly in wave upon wave toward where Lu Bu stood. It was as if none of them cared for their lives at all.
“Brothers! No matter how strong Lu Bu is, he is but a single human! With all of us, just by giving him a single bite per person will kill him!”
“That’s right! The title of Marquis! To receive a title of nobility was no longer a dream now! We too can become nobles!” With such a great reward, certainly there will be brave men to undertake the task. One amongst ten thousand, even if the chance was to be one amongst ten thousand, these soldiers would still throw their lives away for that chance.
“Although riches and honor are good, that’s only if you could live and use them!” Lu Bu watched these infuriated Cao soldiers. Instead of cowering in fear, he grew ever more blood thirsty.
“There exist no difference between killing a single man and a thousand men! In that case, let this halberd of mine drink blood to its fullest today!” With the halberd in his arm, a circumference of ten meters around him suddenly burst into emptiness with flesh and blood flying all over. As blood landed on the Poseidon Scale, it radiated a strange beauty under the sunshine.
“Lu Bu, you could stop your savage act for this Xu Chu, Xu Zhongkang, have arrived! Prepare to die!” A robust man of over nine foot have climbed up the city walls. On his hand was a humongous blade. The blade was glittering with murderous intent like the icy snow.
“You again!” Lu Bu remembered the incoming man. This fatty was precisely the fatty that stopped him from killing Xu Huang yesterday. Lu Bu stopped his arrogance. He knew that the strength of this fatty wasn’t low. In the whole world, other than Big Eared Liu’s two brothers and the ugly black faced bastard, there’s only this fatty that was able to withstand a strike from his halberd.
Those arms must have the strength over a thousand jin. That giant blade was certainly no lighter than Lu Bu’s halberd.
“It’s I indeed!” Xu Chu was also full of zest. He too was a valiant general. As for valiant generals, what they cared most of was a worthy opponent! To be an expert means that one must suffer the bitter loneliness of an expert! Originally, there was still a Dian Wei to spar against. However, in the Battle of Wancheng, that big black man died! Thus, Xu Chu have been lonely ever since!
And now, with Lu Bu, Xu Chu rejoiced with exceeding great joy. His giant blade have never been this thirsty for blood before.
“Good!” Lu Bu too love battles. He have long since lost interest in killing those weak soldiers and officers. They were so weak that in his eyes they were like grass straws, cutting down numerous in a strike. Xu Chu, on the other hand, was different. If Lu Bu was to be a fierce tiger, then Xu Chu would be a vicious panther! Both the tiger and the panther are at the pinnacle of the forest food chain! Their encounter was certainly going to be a fierce battle between giants!
“Hou!” From Xu Chu’s mouth came an unhumanly shout. The veins of his arms were bulging. His muscles too were bulging to the extreme. This strike of his was certainly not something that could be taken on easily. Li Dian who was standing on the side was glancing at Xu Chu out of shock.
Fortunately, although Xu Chu was possess first class prowess, he was, like Dian Wei, completely ignorant of the art of war. Thus, he could only become a top guard and not lead soldiers as a general. Otherwise, Xu Chu would certainly be a top general underneath Cao Cao.
“Great blade works!” Lu Bu had an expression of admire. However, that expression soon flash past him and was immediately replaced with killing intent. His halberd soon sway around like a flower. Its path, the giant blade in Xu Chu’s hands.
Lu Bu wanted to meet force with force. He wanted to use his strength to subdue and instill fear upon this vicious panther.
“Hong!” The explosive rumble originating from the meeting of their weapons cause those nearby to have immense pain in their ears. A soldier who was closer to them even had his eardrums burst open and was bleeding from his ears.
“The force of thirty thousand catties!” Li Dian and Xu Huang glanced at each other. From each other’s eyes, they saw astonishment and a sense of fear. Both Li Dian and Xu Huang were standard first class generals. What separated first class generals and the top rated first class generals was a single crucial thing - the force of thirty thousand catties! It was like that those top rated generals have the divine assistance in their arms; every movement they make, they exhibit the force of thirty thousand catties.
“Kakakaka!” The stone platform that Xu Chu and Lu Bu was standing on began to rupture. The splashing cracked stones brought forth rows of blood blossoms as they encountered the face of bystanders.
“Ya!” Xu Chu’s giant blade was struck at a standstill against Lu Bu’s halberd. Xu Chu widened his eyes and poured all his strength into his arms and then into his giant blade. He wanted to use brute force to overwhelm Lu Bu.
“Battle of strength?!” Lu Bu thought that Xu Chu was thinking lightly of him. He was able to bite wolves to death, massacre the Wuwan and even suppress the eighteen warlords in the Hulao Pass! Other than possessing top quality martial abilities, his strength was also top quality.
The warlords of ancients was able to lift cauldrons. Lu Bu too could do that. It’s just that after the Han Dynasty, cauldrons became the symbol of the monarch and was no longer something that regular people could touch. Otherwise, Lu Bu certainly could also lift up a cauldron.
“In that case, come!” Lu Bu’s arms also burst forth an astonishing amount of strength. A contest between the tiger and the panther, a battle bringing rise to a storm!
“En!” The veins in Xu Chu’s arms was already bursting to their limit. A single thread of cold sweat have appeared on his face. “This Lu Bu!” Never did he expect that Lu Bu’s strength was no weaker than his own. In fact, it even surpasses his own strength.
“This Xu Chu!” Lu Bu was no less shocked than Xu Chu. Throughout his life, no one was able to withstand the strength of his arms. However today he have met an individual who could persist for so long. Alas, that stops now.
Lu Bu eyes flashed. He shouted abruptly. “Rise!” and the halberd came down with even greater force.
“Abominable!” Xu Chu was irritated. He was irritated that he lost to someone in what he was an expert in. For him, that was an extraordinary shame and humiliation.
“Zhongkang, you need not enrage. Xu Huang shall join you!” Xu Huang was a general. Although his martial abilities could not compare with Xu Chu and Lu Bu, he was still decent. His gigantic axe came crushing down at Lu Bu’s head.
“Che!” Lu Bu disdained Xu Huang’s actions as beneath contempt. He increased the strength in his arms once again. He forcefully break away Xu Chu’s giant blade and turned around to face the incoming axe.
“Dang!” Only after moving back a couple steps did Xu Huang managed to stabilize himself.
Lu Bu stood there with an indifferent expression. However, his hands was shaking back and forth by bits and pieces. Blood was flowing from his wrist toward the ground.
He was injured. The God of War was actually injured!
Xu Chu’s situation was no better. His hands were also shaking. Had Xu Huang not assisted him earlier, then perhaps he would have suffered deep humiliation from Lu Bu.
Without moving, Lu Bu wiped away the bloodstain on his hand. However, he was seen by the attentive Li Dian.
“He’s injured!” Cried Li Dian.
“Injured?!” Without exception, everyone was shocked. Lu Bu was the God of War with no match in the era. Even in the Hulao Pass when he was attacked by Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei he only fled. However, he was actually wounded now!
“He’s tired!” Xu Chu knew. He knew that Lu Bu was a top rated first class general that was even more powerful than himself. Thus, it was improbable for Lu Bu to be injured from a single blade of his and a single axe from Xu Huang. The only reason that could happen was that Lu Bu was overly tired and weary.
The Cao army’s continuous attack have caused this man who was akin to Gods to be tired. Lu Bu was no longer at his full strength!
“So what if I’m injured?! To kill you all is like killing domesticated chickens and dogs!” After being discovered, Lu Bu decided to stop hiding the fact that he’s injured. He teared open some cloth from his gown and began to bind his wound. The esteem of being the God of War was not something that Lu Bu would tarnish.