Chapter 9, The Battle of Dreams

Kang Peng was both surprised and delighted, and immediately captured the poor messenger, asking, "Is that young general in white claiming to be Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong?"

"What are you saying?" Kang Peng roared as he seized the messenger by the neck, "General Zhang Liao has been severely injured and is unconscious? You must be joking!" Zhang Liao is one of the top generals of the Three Kingdoms; for someone to be able to seriously injure him, that person must be extraordinary

Zhao Yun replied with a slight gasp: "I am Zhao Yun, also known as Zhao Zilong. Lü Bu, do you remember me?" Although the Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix technique was swift, it was extremely exhausting. Coupled with the fact that entering and exiting the enemy formation had taken a considerable toll, Zhao Yun was already feeling somewhat fatigued

"What are we waiting for? Let's go save him now," Zhang Fei shouted loudly. "Zhang Liao has fought with him before, and his skills are no less than mine. I, Zhang, want to see who can take down Zhang Liao with a single shot. Let's also see if he can take me down with a single shot!"

... ...

Liu Bei pondered for a moment. Although Dong Zhuo's army had many soldiers, the Tiger Prison Pass needed to be guarded. He decided to divide his forces: one part would raid Yuan Shu's main camp, another part would ambush Yuan Shao, and the remaining troops would ambush Cao Cao. After a fierce battle with Cao Cao's army, there would surely not be many left. If he went now, the losses should not be too great. "Alright, my two wise brothers, let us go rescue Zhao Yun"

Zhao Yun just retreated a few more steps than Lü Bu. Aware that his strength was slightly inferior to Lü Bu's, Zhao Yun's greatest advantage was his calmness in the face of adversity, never panicking. Knowing his strength was somewhat lacking, Zhao Yun immediately unleashed his lifelong ultimate skill—One Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix—stabbing a total of one hundred and one times in one breath! With his unparalleled speed, he restrained Lü Bu's unmatched strength

Lü Bu turned his head and, using the light of the fire, saw a handsome young general riding a white horse charging directly towards him. Lü Bu swung his halberd, forcing back the six generals of Cao's camp, and laughed heartily: "So it turns out to be a big girl. Come, beautiful big girl, I, the Marquis Wen, will play with you."

At this moment, Lü Bu shouted loudly, exerting all his strength to fend off Zhao Yun, "You there, young general, state your name." Facing an opponent like Zhao Yun, it was the first time Lü Bu in the battlefield asked the name of an enemy general

In fact, Lü Bu's exertion was no less than that of Zhao Yun. Although the six generals of Cao's camp did not injure Lü Bu, they still consumed a considerable amount of his stamina. Lü Bu gritted his teeth to suppress his panting, "Zhao Yun, I remember you. You should be proud; you are the first opponent who made me, Lü Bu, actively ask for your name, and you are also the first to force me, Lü Fengxian, to use my full strength!" Lü Bu struck the Red Hare and declared, "Zhao Yun, farewell forever!" The Fangtianhua halberd whistled through the air, piercing forward with unwavering determination, accompanied by a howling wind.

Lü Bu was taken aback. Since his debut, he had never encountered such a situation. Even the red-faced man with a long beard today had not given him this sense of pressure. The strength of this young general, resembling a big girl, was something Lü Bu had never seen in his life. However, despite his surprise, Lü Bu felt more excitement. He urged his steed, Red Hare, and exclaimed, "Good lad, you indeed have some skills. Take this spear!"

Zhao Yun struck with his spear in rapid succession, as swift as lightning and as fast as the wind, each thrust aimed directly at Lü Bu's vital points. Lü Bu, setting aside his arrogance and disdain, cautiously defended against this unprecedentedly formidable opponent. Zhao Yun's spear technique flowed like mercury, penetrating every gap; Lü Bu defended as if he were a wall of bronze and iron, impenetrable and flawless. Zhao Yun's assault was like a torrential storm, with fierce winds and drenching rain; Lü Bu's defense was airtight, standing firm like a pillar in the midst of the current, unyielding despite the ferocity of the storm. One was like an indestructible spear, conquering all attacks, while the other resembled an unbreakable shield, solid as a rock. Zhao Yun's offensive was akin to a tempest, with winds battering and rain pouring; Lü Bu's defense remained impenetrable, like a steadfast pillar, unmoved by the ferocity of the storm. One was like an invincible spear, overcoming all challenges, while the other was like an indestructible shield, as firm as a boulder.

The messenger steadied himself and half-kneeled, saying: "Reporting to the Prime Minister, General Zhang led his troops to ambush the enemy forces and had already surrounded the chaotic army's leader, Yuan Shao. It seemed that he was on the verge of capturing Yuan Shao alive, but unexpectedly, a young general in white armor suddenly emerged. In just one exchange, he knocked General Zhang off his horse. Had it not been for the timely rescue by others, General Zhang would likely have lost his life. The young general in white took the opportunity to rescue Yuan Shao..."

As Lü Bu spoke, Zhao Yun sensed that Lü Bu was about to strike and had already taken precautions. When Lü Bu indeed launched his attack, he completely sealed off Zhao Yun's retreat, leaving no possibility for evasion. Zhao Yun then brandished his spear with all his might, ready to withstand the earth-shattering blow of the greatest warrior of the age.

The loud bang caused by the impact made the ears of those nearby buzz. Lü Bu's steed, the Red Hare, staggered back several steps, and his Fangtianhua halberd nearly flew out of his grasp. However, Zhao Yun's white horse remained still, slowly bleeding from its seven orifices before collapsing. Zhao Yun felt a surge of blood and energy within him, and blood began to flow from his tiger's mouth.

At this moment, Kang Peng also realized his earlier lapse in composure, and gently said: "It’s alright, my true self was merely flustered out of concern, I do not blame you. Please explain the details of the situation clearly."

The messenger nodded and said, "The Prime Minister is indeed wise. That young general in white robes does claim to be Zhao Yun, but he does not claim to be Zhao Zilong"

Liu Bei exclaimed: "With a single spear, he struck down Zhang Liao, demonstrating his bravery; riding alone to rescue his lord, showcasing his loyalty; escaping danger only to return and save his allies, embodying righteousness; possessing the three virtues of loyalty, bravery, and righteousness, is there truly such a person in the world?" Upon saying this, Liu Bei noticed that Guan Yu's expression was not favorable. He then added, "Aside from my second and third brothers, I never expected there to be such a hero in the world."

... ...

Zhao Yun fought his way back and saw Lü Bu engaged in a fierce battle with the six generals of Cao's camp. Lü Bu still held the upper hand, easily blocking Cao Cao and preventing his escape. Upon encountering such a formidable enemy, Zhao Yun's fighting spirit soared, and he rode straight towards Lü Bu, shouting: "Lü Bu, treacherous villain, do you dare to engage in a life-and-death battle with me, Zhao Yun?"

Lü Bu closed his eyes, suppressing the chaotic energy within him, and then opened his eyes to say: "Good lad, I Lü Bu am the number one in the world, and you are the second! Quickly change your horse, and we shall fight again"

Jia Xu pulled Kang Peng aside, saying, "If General Zhang knew how much the Prime Minister cares for his subordinates, he would surely be deeply moved. However, the Prime Minister should have him clarify who exactly injured General Zhang."

Hahaha..." Kang Peng laughed heartily for a while. Zhao Yun, oh Zhao Yun, my foremost general and captain of the personal guard, you have finally shown yourself!" Call for help, treat Zhang Wenyuan well, and mobilize the entire army to follow me and capture Zhao Yun!

"My lord," Jian Yong gasped as he ran back to Liu Bei's tent, "I have found out that the person who rescued Marquis Qi is named Zhao Yun. He single-handedly defeated Zhang Liao, who has slain several generals today, to protect Marquis Qi and fought his way out of the encirclement. He may have gone to rescue Lord Cao again."

Kang Peng had forgotten one thing: his current face was no longer the long, thin horse-like visage it once was, but rather the terrifying, bushy-faced countenance of Boss Dong. Now, Kang Peng's appearance could only be compared to that of a man-eating demon crawling out from the depths of the underworld. The poor messenger's legs had gone weak with fear; he wanted to bow and plead for mercy, but his neck was grasped by Kang Peng, leaving him to sob, "Chancellor, spare my life. I dare not lie; General Zhang is indeed gravely injured and unconscious."

Lü Bu was furious and was about to charge forward to fight, when a voice like a broken gong rang out, "My son, hold on, your father is coming." An overwhelming army appeared from nowhere, completely surrounding Cao Cao's and Liu Bei's forces. Accompanied by a troop of well-equipped Xiliang cavalry, a figure less than six feet tall but with a waist exceeding seven feet—looking from a distance like a giant ball of flesh—slowly rode forward. It was none other than the super tyrant, the maniac, the most gluttonous of the Three Kingdoms—Dong Zhuo, also known as Dong Zhongying.

Cao Cao was stunned, completely forgetting that he was amidst the chaos of battle, in a place where arrows and stones were flying. As he watched, a thought suddenly emerged in his mind: if I could use one of these two individuals, who in the world would be my opponent? At least among these eighteen warlords, there would be none.

Kang Peng's goldfish eyes almost bulged out; defeating Zhang Liao is already quite extraordinary, and he only used one move. Isn't this guy too abnormal? Even the highly praised Guan Yu from later generations surely couldn't match this ability. Who could this person be? ... Wait, the young general in white? ... The young general in white!

Zhao Yun was greatly enraged and charged forward on his horse, thrusting his spear at Lü Bu's chest with lightning speed. Zhao Yun was extremely confident in the speed of his attack; no matter how strong his opponent was, they could not match his speed. Even if the opponent was Lü Bu, recognized as the greatest warrior in the world, he would still have to defend himself against Zhao Yun's speed. To Zhao Yun's surprise, Lü Bu also counterattacked with a spear in a flash, and the two weapons clashed, producing a deafening sound. Both Zhao Yun and Lü Bu retreated a few steps, feeling a dull pain in their hands.

Cao Cao, seeing that Zhao Yun was somewhat inferior to Lü Bu, and having developed an appreciation for his talent, would not allow Zhao Yun to take further risks. Cao Cao said: "Lord Lü, Zilong is exhausted, and with the night falling, it would be better for you to fight again tomorrow at dawn." Cao Cao then turned to Zhao Yun and said: "Zilong, the horse I ride is named Claw Yellow Flying Lightning. Although it cannot compare to Lord Lü's Red Hare, it is not far off. I will gift it to you, so you can battle Lord Lü again tomorrow."

Lu Bu arrogantly surveyed the surroundings and saw that the formation of Cao's army had basically stabilized. It would be very difficult to annihilate them all tonight, but the objective of demoralizing the enemy, as instructed by Dong Zhuo, had already been achieved. Just as Lu Bu was about to respond, a thunderous voice rang out, "No escape for the traitors of the three surnames, Yan man Zhang Yide is here." A small army charged out, led by three men: one with large earlobes and shoulders drooping, arms reaching past his knees; another with a five-foot-long beard and a face as red as blood; and the last with ringed eyes and a face like a pot bottom. They were none other than the trio of opportunists turned adversaries in chaotic times—Liu, Guan, and Zhang, the three brothers.

Upon hearing his elder brother praise himself, Guan Yu immediately changed his expression to a smile and rarely complimented, saying: "Elder brother, this person is indeed a remarkable hero. If my brother is determined to revive the Han dynasty, having this person assist him will surely be like adding wings to a tiger"