"It's terrible, Commander! The government troops have breached the city gates and are storming in!" A subordinate rushed over, his face and body covered in blood, clearly having just survived a fierce battle.
Hu Cai, still basking in the afterglow of killing his enemies, was shocked by the news. He grabbed his subordinate by the collar and yanked him up. "What! Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could there be government troops?!"
"Cough cough... It's true... Commander... I'm not lying... cough cough..."
Hu Cai tossed the messenger aside, allowing him to gasp for breath, nearly choking to death. "Go! Grab the supplies and come with me! Call everyone! Damn it!"
At this moment, Yang Feng also arrived. The two met outside Jinjiawu Fortress, both clearly shaken by the news of the government attack.
"Brother Hu, the government troops are coming. I sent men to scout; they're not many, only a little over two thousand. We can wipe them out in one fell swoop. Let the court know we're not to be trifled with. Now that our two families have combined, we have seven thousand men; taking them down won't be a problem." Yang Feng sensed an opportunity had arrived. Eliminating these government troops would give them their chance.
He had always dreamed of emulating Zhang Yan, but he didn't realize that Zhang Yan's forces were located deep in the mountains and forests, making encirclement and suppression inherently difficult. A true purge would require a massive investment of time, effort, and resources.
And the court lacked resources; who knew how much it would cost?
Hedong County was also close to Luoyang, the capital. How could they tolerate others snoring beside their bed?
Even if they killed many more government troops, they would still be surrounded and annihilated. This was a matter of principle, not a question of feasibility.
Upon entering the city, Lu Ming saw the red dots on the map begin to appear, knowing the main force of the rebel army was approaching. He raised his hand, gripping his spear tightly. "Prepare to meet the enemy."
The two sides clashed. Lu Ming's side, well-rested, formed ranks to meet the enemy.
Their superior fighting style and coordinated attacks were far superior to the Yellow Turban rebels' individual combat.
Swordsmen and shield-bearers provided defense, while spearmen followed in groups of three, with veterans assisting new recruits in maintaining formation.
The moment the two sides clashed, a cloud of blood erupted. The valiant vanguard was suppressed by the personal guards; even the fiercest rebels couldn't withstand a single slit in the throat.
After the fallen, the courage of the rebels behind them waned, their morale plummeted, and their former ferocity vanished.
"Xu Huang, you go!" Yang Feng sent one of his most capable generals into battle.
Xu Huang, wielding a Xuanhua axe, his face resolute, transformed the axe into a spear-like dragon in his hand.
Wherever he went, halberds and spears shattered, swords and blades crumbled. Xu Huang's valor inspired the Yellow Turban rebels, who, using him as their vanguard, began to break through the enemy lines and charge towards the center.
"Gongyi, go deal with the rest. Don't take prisoners. Slaughter them until they surrender. Leave no one alive!" Lu Ming, spear in hand, stepped forward, watching Xu Huang charge.
He simply felt that the rebels before him were formidable. Such a valiant general—crushing their heads would be incredibly satisfying!
"Who goes there! Take this axe from Xu Huang!" Xu Huang spurred his horse forward, his gaze fixed on Lu Ming.
The axe cleaved through the air, its sharpness seeming to split the heavens and earth in two.
The entire camp of soldiers was no match for him; faced with such overwhelming power, even the most fearless veterans couldn't withstand it.
*Clang!* Lu Ming swiftly thrust his spear, the tip striking the side of the Xuanhua axe, skillfully deflecting it. Then, the spearhead slammed down, killing his warhorse instantly!
*Whoosh!*
The sudden fall of his horse threw Xu Huang off balance. Fortunately, Xu Huang reacted quickly, using the momentum to roll several times on the ground.
Although he suffered minor scrapes, the impact was largely absorbed, leaving him throbbing with blood and qi.
Just as he looked up, he saw a long spear growing larger and larger in front of him. *Thud!*
He was struck on the head, his entire body ringing.
He was knocked off his horse in the first exchange; in the second, he was vomiting blood, seeing stars.
*Bang!*
Lu Ming closed in, delivering a knee strike to Xu Huang's stomach, sending him flying through the iron armor.
Then he slammed Xu Huang to the ground, the impact cracking the bricks beneath him.
Xu Huang coughed up blood again, his eyes filled with it; his internal injuries were severe, and he could barely get up.
"Tie him up! Pathetic!" Lu Ming's humiliation caused Xu Huang to cough up another mouthful of blood and faint.
He had practiced martial arts for many years; if he hadn't been coerced by Yang Feng into defecting to the enemy, he would still be a legitimate county soldier leader.
Having dealt with Xu Huang, Lu Ming turned his attention to the distance.
He charged out with his spear, killing any squad leader he saw commanding.
When he saw a flag being raised, he charged after it, cutting down officers and seizing flags.
Cut down the flags; without visible banners, it meant a complete rout, making any effective counterattack impossible. The Yellow Turban rebels' lines crumbled all the way to the Jin family's fortified village. Hu Cai ordered his personal guards to continuously cut down the fleeing soldiers to maintain the integrity of their own formation.
Otherwise, if they were scattered by the fleeing soldiers, their orders wouldn't be relayed, and his personal guards would also collapse.
"Damn it! Who are these people? I haven't heard of any formidable figures here!" Hu Cai stamped his foot angrily, his expression filled with rage, wishing he could personally charge in and kill all the government troops!
"Xu Huang has been defeated. He couldn't even withstand a single move. Brother Hu, we should retreat." Yang Feng seemed somewhat cowardly, even his strongest general had been killed.
That was a renowned martial artist from Hedong. He hadn't expected that a general could be so terrifyingly strong, even after less than a single exchange!
"Go! Go my ass! If we pull back, the army will surely collapse, and we won't get far. Now we can only fight to the death. Hmph, seven thousand men defeated by two thousand, if word gets out, neither of us will be allowed to remain in the Yellow Turban Army. It's a disgrace!" Hu Cai roared madly, unaware that he was facing Lu Ming, his next enemy.
Jin Kui's death gave him the chance to avenge his enemy, but even though he had mentioned Lu Ming's name before dying, Hu Cai wouldn't let him go.
Yang Feng knew, but he dared not face Lu Ming.
He was a killing machine!
Moreover, his soldiers were strange, complete killing machines, meat grinders. His own soldiers charged in, often killed in moments, falling one by one, seemingly impervious to pain!