Chapter 4 - Death to Those Who are Discontent
Original by Bro Got a Gun, Translated by James
“Sha!” Although Wei Xu and Song Xian are only second rated generals, they are much stronger than ordinary soldiers. The two of them each killed a Cao army soldier. It wasn’t because they wanted to make amends but rather because the ordinary soldiers did not know that they surrendered to Cao Cao.
Having rushed to the city gate. One of the company commander defending the gate ran over to Wei Xu and Song Xian. He asked “General Wei, general Song! How is the situation underneath the city walls? Is the lord alright? Do you need our assistance?!”
The fighting on the walls was so fierce that every now and then there will be people falling down towards the gate. This was why this company commander is acting like this.
“No need!” Wei Xu thrown a glance at Song Xian.
Song Xian acted as if he understood and then placed his hand on the commander’s shoulder. “The lord is on the city walls, the Cao army can’t possibly break through!”
“Now that you mention it!” The commander nodded. Lu Bu was known as the god of war. This company commander who was in charge of defending the gate was originally from the Bing Province army. He have followed Lu Bu for many years and held him in the highest esteem.
The company commander who just relaxed himself suddenly opened his eyes wide in shock with a face full of pain. “General Song. You, why?!” Appearing on his neck was a line of blood. Blood was rushing out. Clearly, a major artery was cut.
“Brother, do not blame me. Blame yourself for blocking the path of us brothers!” The company commander collapsed. The soldiers defending the city walls was shocked. All they saw was Song Xian and Wei Xu suddenly taking out their blades and shouting their personal soldiers “Prime Minister Cao’s army is right outside. Xiapi is soon to be break through. If you want to survive, open the gate for Prime Minister Cao with me! Sha!”
“Song Xian and Wei Xu, our lord had been good to you guys yet you dare commit such a criminal act! Sha! Avenge the company commander!” This Bing Province company commander was held in high esteem in the soldiers’ hearts. A group of defending soldiers started rushing toward Song Xian and Wei Xu.
Outside of XiaPi, Cao army camp.
A middle aged man was standing in the front of a tent watching soldiers killing each others. He asked a general near him “general Hou Cheng, are you certain that general Wei Xu and general Song Xian will be able to capture Lu Bu?” This tanned middle aged man was the most ambitious person in the whole world, the future Emperor Wu of Wei, Cao Cao . It wasn’t that he had doubts about Wei Xu and Song Xian’s betrayal but rather in their abilities to capture Lu Bu.
Who is Lu Bu? He is a mighty tiger! Cao Cao still remembers the heroics of Lu Bu in the Battle of Hulao Pass. He caused the eighteen warlords to be stuck outside the Hulao Pass, unable to do anything. Could a person capable of such accomplishment be easily captured?!
“Reporting to the Prime Minister, I have already taken the Red Hare away from Lu Bu. This Lu Bu’s combat prowess was reduced by eighty percent. Although my brothers Song Xian and Wei Xu aren’t some powerful generals, against traitor Lu with twenty percent combat prowess, they are more than enough!” Hou Cheng said proudly.
All the people around, whether they be generals or scholars, frowned at Hou Cheng’s words. Selling out his previous master is one thing. However, to even call his previous master traitor Lu. Such a person is indeed of vile character.
Although the scholars are only displeased in their hearts, the generals are much more direct. They collectively step back from Hou Cheng, refusing to associate themselves with him, causing Hou Cheng to be very awkward.
However, the awkwardness disappeared soon.
“Reporting!” A messenger rushed in. “Reporting to Prime Minister, a godly weapon was thrown down atop the walls of Xiapi, crushing to death multiple soldiers.”
“Oh? What sort of godly weapon was it?” A weapon being thrown on siege soldiers’ heads could certainly crush to death a couple people. Afterall, siege soldiers are like ants, proceeding slowly and crowded.
“General Xiahou said it was Lu Bu’s Sky Piercer!” The messenger replied.
The only person who was currently besieging the city was Xiahou Dun. The general Xiahou that the messenger spoke of is him.
“Oh?!” Cao Cao’s eyes flashed with happiness. “Bring it over for me to see.”
Soon, two soldiers came carrying a long Ji giving off a cold glow. The two crescents on top of the Ji was sparkling. On the side was a red rippling tassel. The Ji itself was also engraved with a couple characters, Bing Province Lu.
[TL: Ji is a chinese halberd, Lu Bu’s Sky Piercer is a Ji. http://imgx.xiawu.com/xzimg/i4/i2/T1VLXKXchAXXXUm5va_121450.jpg]
[TL: Bing Province Lu means that the Ji belonged to surnamed Lu of the Bing Province… hence Lu Bu.]
This was most certainly Lu Bu’s Sky Piercer. A Lu Bu without a Sky Piercer. Haha!
“Congratulations Prime Minister. Xiapi is soon to be break through. Perhaps at nightfall we would be able to open up for celebration in the heart of the city!” Hou Cheng immediately started kissing ass.
“Ha ha!” Cao Cao complacently laughed aloud.
Right at this moment, another messenger rushed in. “Reporting! Reporting to the Prime Minister, Xiapi has been broken through!”
“Xiapi has been broken through?!” Cao Cao was slightly surprised. Although it was Yuanrang sieging the city, he did not give Yuanrang a lot of troops because of the deflections of Hou Cheng, Song Xian and Wei Xu. He only told him to feign attack and wait for Song Xian and Wei Xu to capture Lu Bu; how did the Xiapi actually got broken through?!
[TL: Yuanrang is the courtsey name for Xiahou Dun.]
“The gate was opened from within!” The messenger said.
“From within?!” Did someone else betrayed Lu Bu?!
“It’s most likely my two brothers!” Hou Cheng said happily. “Prime Minister, Xiapi was broken through and Lu Bu was arrested, the Xu Province is yours to collect!”
“Transmit my military orders! All troops, besiege Xiapi!” Currently only one of the gates got broken through, there’s still three more.
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“Sha!” Lu Bu took the lead. Although he no longer have the Sky Piercer, his explosive prowess isn’t hindered in a bit. These Cao soldiers cannot even withstand a single bouts. Even officers die upon encountering him.
Song Xian and Wei Xu was lucky. They did not encounter Lu Bu.
On the way down the White Gate Tower, Lu Bu slaughtered no less than a hundred people and gathered around him three hundred soldiers. Under his command, they were like an unstoppable spear.
“Where are we headed to now?!” Liu Mang currently held a bloodied long sword. Within the chaos, no one could protect him. Thus, he must defend himself. On his armor appeared multiple white stains from the countless slashes and stabs of blades and swords. Had he not had the Gold Cloth, he would've been dead multiple times by now.
Enroute, Liu Mang also killed a couple people. Actual living people! Not animals, but people! When blood was splashed onto his face, Liu Mang even tasted the saltiness and metallic taste.
“Province Governor's Mansion in the inner city!” Lu Bu’s eyes was bloodshot from all the killing. Had Liu Mang’s armor not been extra shiny, he might’ve mistakenly killed him.
“Inner city?!” Liu Mang was thinking about how to get the hell out and not getting into the inner city, a place where they would likely be surrounded and killed.
Liu Mang wanted to say something but was stopped by the squad leader alongside him. The squad leader was called Cheng Yu. He said “All the madames are in the inner city!”
“Madames?” Liu Mang finally remembered. How did he forgot that Lu Bu was a family man. To have him leave his family behind, you must kill him first.
A family man as a companion of a deceptive one…
If I followed him into the inner city, these three hundred soldiers might all die!
On the other hand, if I went my own separate way then chances are I’ll be dead too. Either way I’m dead. Can’t there be a fucking survival path?!
“Sha! Sha!” Sounds of killing on the outside of the city steadily increased. With tens of thousands of people battling, their noises certainly won’t be small.
“General, the gate has been broken!” A bloodied Lu Bu army soldier covered in wounds shouted toward Lu Bu in a weeping manner.
“Gate has been broken?!” Lu Bu eyes shocked open and gave off a murderous aura strong enough to cause suffocation. “Which gate?! West Gate?! South Gate?! Or the North Gate?!”
“East Gate, sire!” The injured soldier said weepingly.
East Gate! Wasn’t this the gate that I just came from?! White Gate Tower was located in the east gate! Didn’t I encourage them to open the gates?!
“Song Xian and Wei Xu! Oh how I wish to eat your flesh!” Lu Bu’s eyes were glaring with anger. Although he knew that it was because of Liu Mang’s suggestions that they went to open the gates. However, knowing is different from it actually happening.
[TL: No, he’s not saying he want to be cannibal. Just a phrase saying he’s super angry and wants to kill them.]
A gate has been broken, leaving behind only three gates. It is impossible for the Cao army to not take action. Once the three other gates was to be broken, they would surrounded and certainly die.
Now there was a very serious problem - whether or not to go toward the inner city.
If they don’t go, then Lu Bu’s wives and children will be left to Cao Cao. In that case, god of war Lu’s head will be verdant green. On the other hand, if they do go, all these three hundred people will likely not survive. Chances are, they will be surrounded by the Cao army and be unable to save his wives and children.
[TL: What Liu Mang meant by Lu Bu’s head will be verdant green is that he will be wearing a green hat - get cuckolded by Cao Cao. NTR yo.]
“Abominable!” Lu Bu raged. The god of war was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“General!” The squad leader cried.
Lu Bu’s eyebrows raised. “Attention soldiers, you all protect brother Liu Mang’s break out of Xiapi! Failure is not an option!”
Help me escape? That’s not bad. My life will be saved. But boss Lu’s giving up on his family? That’s not his style…
“What about you, general?” Cheng Yu said the main point.
“This general will go toward the inner city to save his family!” Lu Bu held his pu blade against the wind.
[TL: Pu blade, aka. simple blade… http://www2.nacta.edu.cn/site/jjdj/files/u1/dao.jpg second blade from the left.]
“Just general yourself, how could you rival the Cao army?! General’s safety is hard to guarantee. General, please reconsider!” So what if a person is a god of war? Against human wave tactics, he too will turn into a pool of blood.
“General, please reconsider!” The Lu Bu army on the side shouted in unison.
“Rest assured! Those who can hurt me have yet to be born!” Lu Bu Lu Fengxian - dragon amongst men, a god in war. He never retreat, even if the place is a dragon’s pound or a tiger’s den.
“We will follow general till death!” Cheng Yu was the first one to get on his knees.
“We will follow general till death!” Who is Lu Bu? He is the soul of the army! He is the god of war! Perhaps for other armies, their morale will collapse after suffering heavy casualties and the collapse of the army banner. However, for the Lu Bu army, their morale will not collapse for they have their own god - Lu Bu. As long as Lu Bu is alive, the Lu Bu army too will preserve.
“I have decided. Stop making a clamor!” Lu Bu certainly knew that he might not be able to come back. Tens of thousands of Cao army are outside the city; and the city itself was chaotic with fightings. No matter how strong a person is, he is no match for a group of people. However, Lu Bu does not resign. Even if what he was about to do is already doomed to begin with he will still continue on for it was the responsibility of a man for his home and his family.
These three hundred soldiers, perhaps Lu Bu did not know any of them. However, he knew that they were good men, warriors under him. With subordinates like this, he was without regrets. Thus, how would possibly bring these men to the death with him?!
“General!” Cheng Yu did not give up.
“Whoever continues to speak will be like this blade!” After saying that, he snapped his pu blade in two. Pieces of fragments pierced through Lu Bu’s fingers. However, he did not mind it one bit. The soldiers are silenced with eyes still filled with reluctance and helplessness.
At this moment, the god of war Lu Bu suddenly got softhearted.
“Go now! Safeguard brother Liu Mang! Perhaps we will meet again!” Lu Bu took a spear and proceeded to leave.
“Sigh, why did you...” A long sigh came from Liu Mang. Liu Mang got fucking moved by Lu Bu. Lu Bu, why did you have to say such a speech. So moving, causing me to almost cry.
Liu Mang also knew that although these soldiers will follow Lu Bu’s orders and help him break out of Xiapi; but once the breakout succeed, these three hundred soldiers will be like a bunch of soulless walking corpses.
To save his own life by taking three hundred lives with him; Liu Mang wasn’t able to do it.
“Attention soldiers!” Liu Mang shouted. However, not a single soldier paid attention to him. Rather, they set their sights on that lonely silhouette.
Seeing the attitudes of these three hundred soldiers, Liu Mang got angry. “Were you not soldiers of the Lu Bu army?! Are you refusing to obey Marquis of Wen’s orders?! Are you going to betray the Marquis like Song Xian and Wei Xu?! Now the Marquis have put you all under my arm, you have to obey my orders! Understood?!” Liu Mang had never once roared so loud before.
“Fuck, I quit!” A soldier took off his helmet and shouted “I will follow the general till death!”
“What is your name?!” Liu Mang pointed the longsword in his hand on the soldier. His murderous intent was in his speech.
“I am called Li ErNiu. What you want to kill me? Go ahead!” The soldier stuck out his neck and glared at Liu Mang.
“Someone detain him!” Although these three hundred soldiers was bleak, they still followed the Marquis’s order and detained the soldier called ErNiu.
“Good. Someone tell me what is the punishment for desertion!”
“According to law, death by beheading.” Cheng Yu did not know what Liu Mang is trying to do but still replied.
“Good. Li ErNiu, do you know your crime?!” Liu Mang shouted.
“Kill me. I don’t want to live anyways. I will follow the general in death.” Li ErNiu got increasingly emotional.
“Good. Since you wish to die, I will give you your wish!” Liu Mang also got angry. Although he knew that this Li ErNiu was a man but because this was the army and in a war one cannot just do as one pleases.
“Behead!” Liu Mang shouted. However, none of the soldiers moved, not even those who detained Li ErNiu.
“Good. So you guys won’t do it? I’ll do it myself!” Liu Mang pierced his longsword into the chest of Li ErNiu. Cheng Yu wasn’t fast enough to prevent it. Hot blood spilled out.
“You!” Li ErNiu was grimacing in pain.
“Woosh!” Liu Mang waved his sword and a head fell off. The expression on the head seemed to not believe Liu Mang was actually going to do it.
“Hey!” Cheng Yu knew that it was bad. Originally, the orders from the Marquis had caused the soldiers to be instable. Now Li ErNiu was killed. Amongst these soldiers were his fellow soldiers whom have been through ups and down with him. There might be a mutiny.
Cheng Yu quickly rushed to guard Liu Mang because a few soldiers’ expressions was already starting to shift.
“Why did you kill Li ErNiu?!” Sure enough, there was mutiny. A soldier originating from the same place as Li ErNiu angrily shouted at Liu Mang. If Liu Mang explanation isn’t good enough then he will be met with swords and blades.
“Precisely for which reason?!” Another stood out.
“Why, you ask me why?!” Liu Mang laughed. He laughed very happily. “Come over, I’ll tell you why.”
The two soldiers, after hearing Liu Mang’s words, walked toward him.
“This is why!” A sinister expression flashed through Liu Mang’s face. Again, there was two pillars of blood. Two soldiers with eyes in shock fell down.
Liu Mang was holding the longsword like a demon. He looked toward the soldiers and shouted. “You have been soldiers longer than me. You have more time in the battlefield than me. Military laws, you understand it better than me. Let me tell you, Li ErNiu and those two dead soldiers, I admire them. They were willing to go against the military laws to follow the Marquis. I admire them but I must still kill them! Military law is military law. I don’t care what reason you have to go against it, unless I am dead, you are to die!” Liu Mang’s current facial expression was sinister and unsightly. Coupled with the fact that he just killed three people unwavering, he struck terror in the hearts of the soldiers.
“From today on, you will be my soldiers. You will be faced with an unemotional and unwavering general who follows only the military laws. Anyone who is discontent, stand out. Kill me or I’ll kill you. Understood?!”
“Understood” said sparse and fragmentary and powerlessly.
“What, are you terrified?! Do you not have valor?! Are you a coward?! Speak louder, I cannot hear you!” Liu Mang roared.
“Understood!” This time, not only was the voice in unison, it was also louder.
Cheng Yu could not believe it. He initially thought that this golden armored man was just a idiotic nobility. Who knew that he was this savvy. His killing methods returned order to chaos.
“Good. Now I command the battalion of three hundred twelve people. You, you and you!” Liu Mang pointed three people, one of which is Cheng Yu. “I appoint you as the company commander, in charge of a hundred people including yourself! The remaining twelve people are to be my guard.”
Liu Mang does not understand the army system of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Hence, he could only handle things like his time at the university military training. Thirty three people a platoon, three platoons a company and three companies a battalion.
Like this, maybe we really could break out! Cheng Yi also started to be convinced by Liu Mang.
“You are now my soldiers! Thus you must follow my commands! Now I command, all troops march toward the inner city!” Liu Mang issued his second order.
“What?!” Cheng Yu startled. “Sire, march toward the city?!” What is he trying to do?!
“Did you guys not hear me correctly? Or must I kill two more people?!” Liu Mang said “I want you guys to march toward the city. I am going to save Lu Bu, save your general. Did you not understand? Ah?”
So the reason why he killed those three soldiers was to suppress the untamed soldiers. If the killing before terrorized the soldiers, then the orders given now will obtain the hearts of the soldiers.
“Understood~!” Having heard that Liu Mang’s orders was for them to save Lu Bu, save their general, all of the soldiers who were full of morale, their discontent and hatred toward Liu Mang completely disappeared.
“Onward!”