The next day, Gao Shun took over his unit, much to Wei Xu's dismay. He then re-equipped his Formation Breakers with the eight hundred sets of Fish Scale Armor, full-body shields, large sabers, and crossbows that they had captured from the Flying Bear Army.
As Gao Shun watched the eight hundred soldiers with their cold expressions, even Lü Bu was at a loss for words. With a single wave of Gao Shun's hand, the strength of these eight hundred soldiers soared from the Qi Refinement stage to the Qi Condensation stage, without relying on any formations, purely through the power of the Formation Breakers' military soul, which had fully enhanced the entire unit.
"March out," Gao Shun commanded. His soldiers made no sound, simply hefting their shields and sabers, slinging their crossbows over their shoulders, and setting off with cold, emotionless expressions.
Shortly after Gao Shun's departure, Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, and Hao Meng also set off with ten thousand infantry and cavalry.
A few days later, Hua Xiong finally encountered the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans on the border between Jizhou and Yanzhou. By this point, the once-proud Yellow Turbans had been reduced to the state of refugees.
"Brother Feiyan, how did it come to this?" Hua Xiong was not stopped by the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans; instead, he was warmly received by them. However, as he looked at the pale-faced Zhang Yan sitting at the head of the table, Hua Xiong didn't know what to say.
"There's no point in discussing anything else. We, the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans, fully submit to Lord Xuande. You can reorganize us however you see fit. I'll give you my head right now." Zhang Yan spoke without hesitation, and without even furrowing his brow, he picked up a large saber beside him and brought it to his neck.
"Clang!" Startled, Hua Xiong quickly reached out and knocked Zhang Yan's saber away. He was suddenly grateful that he had entered the tent while still carrying his weapon.
"Brother Feiyan, you still need to lead the Black Mountain Army down the road ahead, and you still have a chance to live. When you reach Mount Tai, plead for forgiveness from Lord Xuande," Hua Xiong said. Being one of the few people privy to certain secrets, Hua Xiong knew that Zhang Yan might still have a chance. After all, he often served as a guard for either Chen Xi or Li You, and neither of them hid much from him.
"..." Zhang Yan looked at his discarded saber and sighed. If he didn't have to die, who would choose death? There was a festering wound on his abdomen, already infected. This was a sign that even his internal energy could no longer suppress the infection. Whether he died now or later, he wouldn't last more than a few days.
Silently, Zhang Yan unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a massive wound across his abdomen and chest. "General Hua, don't mock me. I don't have many days left. I've only managed to hold on this long by sheer willpower for the sake of my brothers. To me, it would be better to sacrifice this ruined body to secure a future for them. So, there's no need for you to stop me."
"..." Hua Xiong was speechless. This was the essence of loyalty.
"Let's try to save you first. There's still hope. I have military doctors with me, and we still need you to lead. I'll stay behind to cover the retreat, so we need you to guide everyone to Mount Tai," Hua Xiong said, saluting Zhang Yan. It wasn't out of respect for Zhang Yan's strength but out of genuine admiration for his loyalty.
Hua Xiong then sent his military doctors to Zhang Yan and his men and distributed his excess supplies to them before leading his own troops to set up camp. He needed to hold the line for ten days to buy Zhang Yan some time to retreat.
"They weren't met by Lü Bu's forces but by Liu Xuande's troops. Judging by the banner, that's definitely Hua Xiong," Yan Liang said, stroking his prickly beard as he observed from a distance. He was confident that his strength now surpassed Hua Xiong's, having achieved the Qi Condensation stage a few days after Hua Xiong.
"Should we challenge them?" The Lü Kuang brothers stood behind Yan Liang and asked, "Hua Zijian is a renowned figure. If we kill him..."
"You two aren't his match. Even Junyi wouldn't be guaranteed a victory. Tomorrow, I'll lead the army to challenge him. You two prepare for a surprise attack," Yan Liang said, his strategic acumen having improved after a year under Tian Feng's tutelage. He now had a simple but effective battle plan.
His plan involved a direct challenge to draw attention, defeating the enemy commander with his martial prowess, then launching a full-scale attack in the ensuing chaos, with hidden wings charging in as well. This straightforward approach was highly effective against most opponents.
"Report!" One of Hua Xiong's scouts soon returned to camp, bringing a messenger from Yan Liang's forces along with a challenge letter.
"Yan Liang, huh? Long time no see," Hua Xiong said as he crushed the bamboo slip containing the challenge. He could barely remember Yan Liang's face from their last encounter at Hulao Pass.
"A hunt tomorrow morning, is it?" Hua Xiong looked at his deputy, Du Sheng. "Send word to Yan Liang that we'll meet him the day after tomorrow. Today, the men and horses are tired, and tomorrow we'll rest."
In reality, Hua Xiong's forces hadn't lost much of their combat power, but his main task wasn't to defeat Yan Liang. It was to stall for time, so he didn't want to waste his troops unnecessarily on Yan Liang.
Yan Liang chuckled when he received Hua Xiong's response. Hua Xiong wanted to delay the fight, but so did Yan Liang. He was waiting for Ju Yi and the Xian Deng Dead Soldiers to arrive and crush Hua Xiong. After all, in terms of bravery and skill, Ju Yi was unmatched. As for the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans, Tian Feng and Xun Shen had already taken everything they could from them; any further plundering would be pointless.
And so, the two sides faced off for three days before Ju Yi's Xian Deng Dead Soldiers were just hours away from Yan Liang's position. Finally, Yan Liang broke camp and marched out.
"So, it's finally time. We'll make our move now. Du Sheng, Sun Yan, Li Hu, and Du Yuan, each of you take five hundred cavalry and prepare. Chen Hao, lead one thousand infantry and set up plenty of fire oil and dry grass to fortify the camp. If things go south, burn the camp during our retreat. I've got a bad feeling about this!" Hua Xiong issued his orders without any hesitation.
Hua Xiong's soldiers had discipline and rigor ingrained in them. Even if they knew they were facing certain death, as long as he didn't retreat, they wouldn't either.
Hua Xiong donned his armor and stepped out of the command tent, just as a gust of autumn wind swept through, snapping the Hua character banner planted at the gate. The banner fell directly at Hua Xiong's feet, as if guided by an unseen force.
Hua Xiong didn't even glance at the broken banner, simply stepping over it and continuing forward. Though he didn't understand divination, even he could sense that this was an ill omen. As he stepped over the fallen banner, a chilling sense of dread crept up his spine, making his scalp tingle.
"General, perhaps we should avoid battle today," Du Sheng suggested, feeling the same sense of impending doom.
"Heh, the last time I felt death so close was at Sishui Pass, yet I survived and broke through to the Qi Condensation stage. Now, I feel that same looming threat again. But when facing death like this, you can't avoid it by taking a step back!" Hua Xiong laughed, the sound light and carefree as he mounted his horse and rode toward the camp gates.