Chapter 8, The Yellow Sparrow is Behind

The two men were evenly matched in their fight, but Hu Zhen's Xiliang army had already been slaughtered to the point of disarray, fleeing in panic. Hu Zhen watched this unfold, his heart filled with terror, and he had no mind to continue the fierce battle with Zu Mao. He attempted to escape several times, but was firmly blocked by Zu Mao. In his desperation, Hu Zhen shouted, "Hua Xiong, save me!"

I am afraid it is not that simple

General? Hua Xiong rode up to Hu Zhi's side and bowed, saying: "That Sun Jian seems to be unprepared"

However, the soldiers at the rear were suddenly attacked, causing chaos. At this moment, as they turned around, the army was already in disarray, and how could they continue to engage in fierce battle with the enemy?

The voice was deep and resonant, echoing through the mountains like a muffled thunder, as the Jiangdong army that had been pursuing slowly halted and formed ranks.

The fierce tiger of Jiangdong, is it only capable of bullying the few with its numbers? Just at the moment when Hua Xiong was in despair, a rather arrogant voice echoed through the valley, and Hua Xiong, who had already thought he was destined to die, suddenly felt a glimmer of hope rise in his heart

Hua Xiong, accompanied by the remaining hundreds of Xiliang soldiers, slowed his pace and stopped at a narrow path. He turned his horse around, raised his blade, and shouted angrily: "Hua Xiong of Xiliang is here, who dares to fight me?"

At this moment, the sky was just beginning to brighten. The archers quickly gathered, drawing their bows and nocking their arrows. After a brief pause, they swiftly released the arrows in their hands. One by one, the cold arrows fell towards Hua Xiong, causing the soldiers of Xiliang to fall one after another. Hua Xiong's warhorse was also struck by an arrow, forcing him to dismount and take cover behind the mountain wall. However, as he watched the Xiliang soldiers continuously collapsing around him, Hua Xiong smiled bitterly, realizing that today he was likely facing inevitable doom

However, behind them, Sun Jian was furious that the two had killed his beloved general, and he relentlessly pursued them. As he was about to catch up, Hua Xiong said to Hu Zhen: "Lord Protector, you go ahead; I will hold them off for you!"

"General, do not panic, Hua Xiong is here!" Just as Hu Zhen was deeply surrounded, Hua Xiong, who had charged through the enemy lines, rushed over upon hearing Hu Zhen's cry for help, catching Han Dang, who was blocking Hu Zhen, completely off guard.

Hu Zhi sat on the horse, striving to see more clearly, but in the faint glow emitted by the distant lights, he could only discern the glimmers of light reflected from the armor.

It must be that Lü Bu, worried that I would steal the credit, secretly sent a warning! Hu Zhen walked while secretly resenting, gritting his teeth as he spoke

"My lord, I will go meet him!" Huang Gai brandished his sword and charged out. He had the closest relationship with Zu Mao and had witnessed with his own eyes the murder of Zu Mao by this man. His heart was filled with hatred, and he only wished to personally slay this individual.

"Alright!" Hua Xiong responded, and the two of them each led a group of soldiers to separate and circle around to the sides of the main gate. Hua Xiong approached the main gate first, shot and killed the soldiers stationed there, and easily opened the gate. Sun Jian's defense was unexpectedly lax, which gave rise to a bad premonition in Hua Xiong's heart, prompting him to quickly lead his men to attack the surrounding camps.

After Hua Xiong rescued Hu Zhen with a single strike, he dared not linger any longer. He immediately urged Hu Zhen, saying: "Great Protector, the enemy has long been in ambush; we must break through quickly!"

Looking up at the sky, Hu Zhen noticed a faint light appearing on the horizon. If they did not take action soon, they would likely miss this excellent opportunity. At that moment, he looked at Hua Xiong and said: "You and I will each lead a contingent of troops and charge in from both sides of the main gate. Remember, if you encounter Sun Jian, do not show any mercy; you must be sure to take his head."

Before the expedition, Hu Zhen had boasted that he would definitely behead a green sash official. Now, on the battlefield, only Sun Jian qualifies for this. If he cannot kill Sun Jian, he will return to face his colleagues with shame... especially regarding Lü Bu... If he can slay Sun Jian, he must report Lü Bu for disrespecting military orders to alleviate the hatred in his heart.

Upon seeing this, Hu Zhi quickly swung his sword to block. Although he was being led around in command, his martial skills were not lacking. In the land of Xiliang, where the Qiang and Han people coexisted, there had been constant rebellions for many years. Those who grew up in that land may not understand military strategy, but they are mostly brave and skilled in battle. The general of the Sun family was Zu Mao, one of the four great generals under Sun Jian, wielding a spear known as the Dragon Sparrow. His martial arts were commendable, yet he could not gain the upper hand against Hu Zhi.

On the other side, Hu Zhi did not possess the same quick reaction speed as Hua Xiong. As the sounds of battle cries erupted from behind, his first instinct was to turn around and retreat, breaking out of the main camp

In Hua Xiong's mind, the figure of Zhao Cen flashed by. If one were to say who understood their plan the best, it would probably be Zhao Cen. On the contrary, Lü Bu had gone to rest early. Even if he were to send a warning, at that time they had not yet decided whether to launch a night raid outside the city. In comparison, Zhao Cen had a greater chance.

At this moment, Hu Zhi could no longer afford to be polite. Upon hearing the words, he feigned a look of gratitude and nodded towards Hua Xiong, then rode off even more frantically, urging his horse onward.

The early spring night remains cold, with few lights visible in Sun Jian's camp as the sun sets.

"General, it is all empty camps!" a soldier rushed over and shouted

One ancestor has already been lost, and he certainly does not wish for Huang Gai to encounter any mishap either

"Haha, your general is probably already dead by now, how can I save you!" Upon hearing this, Zu Mao let out a loud laugh. Taking advantage of Hu Zhen's momentary distraction, he slashed a huge wound across his chest with a single stroke of his knife, blood gushing out. Hu Zhen let out a miserable scream, turned his horse around, and attempted to break through, but Zu Mao was not willing to let him go.

Hu Zhen nodded slightly, thinking that it made sense. They had come from Yique Pass, and no matter how skilled Sun Jian's scouts were, it was unlikely they could gather information about the movements behind Yique Pass.

"Xiliang bandits, why do you not surrender!" In the midst of the chaotic army, a general from the Sun family, upon seeing Hu Zhi's distinct armor, took the lead and brandished his weapon to charge forward.

Hu Zhen and Hua Xiong chose opposite directions. Since their side had been ambushed, Hua Xiong could not believe that Hu Zhen's side would be free from such an attack. Without taking the time to consider how Sun Jian had guessed that they were planning to raid the camp, he immediately spurred his horse and galloped away, intending to rendezvous with Hu Zhen

However, that is a matter for later; for now, it is more important to think about how to survive and escape from here.

Slow down! Sun Jian grabbed Huang Gai and said with a cold smile: This is a battle between two armies, not a contest of strength. Where are the archers? Shoot these Western Liang barbarians down for me!

Hua Xiong said in a deep voice: "All troops, do not panic, follow me to break through from the front and join the Grand Protector!"

Hua Xiong, leading the charge, leaped over the sea of flames, descending like a war god from the heavens. Meanwhile, Zu Mao was in hot pursuit, but suddenly the world before him darkened. When he looked up, he saw Hua Xiong's great blade descending upon him. Before he could react, his head was severed by Hua Xiong's strike.

Da Rong! The surroundings were originally mocking as they watched Zu Mao brutally kill the Sun family generals, but in the blink of an eye, it was Zu Mao who was struck down. One by one, they were filled with rage, and Sun Jian, in particular, was furious, brandishing his sword and preparing to battle Hua Xiong

Not good! Hua Xiong's expression changed, and he instinctively wanted to retreat. However, at that moment, the sound of gongs came from behind, followed by a rain of arrows pouring down from the sky towards this side. It was clear that the escape route had been completely blocked.