Free Web NovelChapter 266: Heaven Protects Xuzhou
Meanwhile, atop the high city walls, Tao Qian was filled with worry. Zang Ba, who used to be a bandit chief of Mount Tai, had exceptional skills.
Truth be told, this man was among the strongest in Xuzhou’s army, with Cao Bao only worthy of carrying his shoes.
Yet now, this remarkable figure was being evenly matched by just any general under the command of the treacherous Cao Cao.
This showed that the number of powerful generals under Cao Cao far exceeded that of Tao Qian.
Thus, Tao Qian’s heart was cold with dread.
He didn’t know if Grand General Long Chen would be willing to come to Xuzhou to help him. Without reinforcements, Xuzhou would surely fall within three months.
By then, Xuzhou would truly become... hell!!
On the battlefield, Yu Jin and Zang Ba were still dueling, the clash of their spear and sword creating sparks that illuminated the dark sky.
Zang Ba gritted his teeth and shouted, "Boy, I admit you’re impressive... but in terms of strength, you are still lacking."
"Hah!!!"
A terrifying aura erupted instantly, causing fear among the nearby Cao army.
Cao Cao, sitting on his chariot, merely twitched his eyelid and pondered for a moment.
He turned to Xiahou Yuan beside him and said calmly, "Miaocai, Wenze (Yu Jin’s courtesy name) probably can’t hold on. He’s better at defense than offense. Go assist him!"
Xiahou Yuan, clad in a deep blue sea beast armor, nodded and said:
"Understood. I will capture that arrogant Mount Tai bandit for you, my lord."
Cao Cao laughed heartily, gazing out at his vast army, feeling a surge of pride as if he had climbed to the peak of a mountain.
"With such a massive army, how can I not achieve great things!!!"
Xiahou Yuan, riding a tall steed with deep blue fur, galloped to the battlefield, his long and sharp spear swirling with faint images of angry waves.
If observed closely, one could see the terrifying silhouette of a sea beast within the waves.
The tough armor and fearsome fangs made Xiahou Yuan resemble a demon, charging straight at Zang Ba.
Zang Ba was startled by this sudden attack and froze for a moment.
Though it was just a second or two, that brief pause was enough to determine the outcome among top-tier generals like them.
Boom—
The sea beast, with eyes as big as copper bells, slammed into Zang Ba’s sword. The sword bent in a bizarre way, like a bow fully drawn.
Seizing the opportunity, Yu Jin thrust his spear sharply, sending a massive wave of energy that worsened Zang Ba’s injuries.
Scarlet blood spurted from his mouth, his steadfast eyes filled with unwillingness.
"If... If it weren’t for your combined attack, how could I have been defeated!!!"
"I... am not willing!!"
Yu Jin said nothing extra, his narrow eyes revealing a calm gaze.
Now, he just needed to kill Zang Ba on the spot and cut off his head.
This would surely demoralize the troops inside Xuzhou City, making the subsequent siege much easier.
As a commander, he always considered the overall situation rather than individual moves.
Just as he was about to stab Zang Ba in the chest, a flaming bird with purple-red feathers flew in like lightning, blocking Yu Jin’s spear tip.
The bird saved Zang Ba from the fatal blow.
Zang Ba seized the moment to crawl and roll away from the battlefield, not forgetting to look back to see who had saved him.
Though he was a bandit, he knew honor and shame. This was a life-saving grace that he should remember forever.
Yu Jin, Xiahou Yuan, and even Cao Cao were all shocked by this sudden arrow.
"Impressive archery, but I wonder who shot it."
Cao Cao stood up, his gaze scanning around, searching for the archer.
Beside him, Xiahou Dun pointed to the southeast, and Cao Cao looked in that direction.
They saw a heroic warrior clad in purple armor holding a divine bow, looking calmly in their direction.
"Who is this young general with such remarkable archery skills?" Cao Cao murmured, stroking his beard with great interest as he looked at Taishi Ci.
"My lord, this person is aiding Tao Qian, so he must be part of Tao Qian’s reinforcements," Xun You said, cupping his hands.
"I’d like to see which reckless warlord dares to help old Tao Qian! Truly... they must be tired of living..." Cao Cao said calmly, but behind his calm tone was an endless killing intent.
Just then, a scout rode in swiftly, dismounted, and knelt before Cao Cao, saying:
"Reporting to my lord, five hundred li to the southeast, a large unknown army is marching quickly. To avoid being seen, I only observed from a distance. The soldiers are so numerous that they stretch beyond the horizon. Their numbers must be over one hundred thousand!!!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao frowned even more deeply.
In the current world, there were only a few warlords who could field an army of over one hundred thousand.
One was the northern hegemon, Yuan Shao of Jizhou.
Another was the hegemon of Jingzhou, Liu Biao.
And the last one should be the hegemon of Yangzhou, Long Chen.
Yuan Shao and Liu Biao could be ruled out directly.
Yuan Shao was currently confronting General Gongsun Zan and wouldn’t easily send troops here. Even if he did, Cao Cao would have received news several days in advance.
As for Liu Biao, he was even less likely. Liu Biao only knew how to maintain his domain and had no ambition to compete for the world, merely acting as a local tyrant.
Eliminating these options, only the Yangzhou hegemon, Long Chen, remained.
"Damn it!! I didn’t expect him to stand against me now too!!" Cao Cao couldn’t help but clench his fist tightly, as if trying to crush something.
He recalled his past interactions with Long Chen.
Nineteen lords against Dong Zhuo...
Long Chen had sent generals to save him...
His heart filled with emotion. Was his old friend now becoming his enemy?
While he was contemplating, Long Chen’s army had arrived.
The overwhelming momentum of the army was enough to change the color of the sky and earth.
Moreover, these one hundred thousand troops of Long Chen were all elite soldiers from Yangzhou, with half of them being Danyang elites, whose combat abilities far surpassed ordinary soldiers.
Roar, roar, roar...
Dragon roars spread from a distance, and a blue and white giant dragon several feet long appeared in everyone’s sight.
The most striking feature was the golden horn on the dragon’s forehead, shining brilliantly.
Long Chen sat on the back of the Ice Dragon King, holding a barbed spear and scanning the surroundings.
Seeing that Xuzhou City had not yet fallen, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:
"Just in time..."
On the city wall of Xuzhou, Tao Qian was already drenched in cold sweat, as the power of Cao’s army was simply too terrifying for his Xuzhou to withstand. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Thinking that the city would soon be captured by Cao Cao and the people inside would suffer disaster, he felt extremely anxious.
Unexpectedly, divine soldiers suddenly descended from the sky, and Long Chen had brought his army.
Truly, Heaven was protecting Xuzhou!!!
