With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 102, Cao Hong Dies

Cao Cao squinted, looking around as he pondered who should carry out the order.

At this point, there are two options: one is to send someone to cover the rear, simply to block Zhang Xiu's pursuit;

We could also turn the tables and ambush Zhang Xiu again.

In fact, many people are capable of this role. Cao Cao is surrounded by talented people, including Yue Jin, Xu Huang, Yu Jin, and Cao Ren, all of whom are capable generals. Dian Wei and Xu Chu are also brave generals who are difficult to defeat.

Cao Cao's gaze finally fell on Cao Hong, who was listlessly riding his horse, letting the warhorse go on its own.

Cao Hong seemed indifferent to everything, and no one approached him or was willing to chat with him.

Now, among all the members of Cao Cao's camp, Cao Hong has become the most unsociable.

This time, after Cao Cao brought Cao Hong here, he did not assign him any tasks.

Cao Hong followed the group aimlessly, like a lost soul, doing whatever everyone else did.

With his relatives killed and his bank seized, he became a laughingstock throughout Xuchang. All these blows combined made it difficult for Cao Hong, a straightforward man, to remain unperturbed.

The reason why Cao Hong's relatives were killed was because Man Chong enforced the law without showing any mercy. Not to mention Cao Hong's relatives, Man Chong would not be polite to other people's families either.

But Cao Hong didn't think so. He felt that Cao Cao no longer valued him or cared about him, which was why he was so ruthless!
Liu Bei could keep his emotions hidden, but Cao Hong could not.

Cao Cao glanced at Cao Hong with mixed feelings, then waved his hand and ordered the messenger beside him to call Cao Hong over.

"My lord, what are your orders?" Cao Hong rode over and asked weakly.

Cao Cao said, "You and I will stay behind to cover our retreat."

Cao Hong agreed without hesitation.

He would carry out Cao Cao's orders without hesitation.

Then, Cao Cao whispered a few more words of advice to Guo Jia, who then hurriedly left. Before leaving, Guo Jia glanced at Cao Hong one last time.

The group continued its journey towards Xuchang as usual, with Cao Cao and Cao Hong riding side by side.

Cao Cao would occasionally reminisce about the past, about his childhood, and what he and his friends had done together.

Cao Hong had already heard these words when Cao Cao hosted a banquet at his home.

But hearing these words again now, Cao Hong felt a sharp pain in his heart. He didn't respond and listened blankly.

Seeing his expression, Cao Cao gradually lost interest in continuing the conversation and finally sighed helplessly.

For a long time, the two remained silent. Cao Hong's eyes were vacant, and he would look ahead from time to time, hoping to return to Xuchang as soon as possible, and then continue drinking and get drunk.

It seemed that only getting drunk could make him feel better.

Because I'm drunk, I don't have to think about anything!

Zhang Xiu's pursuers failed to appear for a long time, and even Cao Cao was somewhat discouraged, and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Your Majesty is still too inexperienced and has too little knowledge of military strategy.

But half an hour later, suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves rang out behind them, and soon a knight hurriedly caught up.

The knight urged his horse on, shouting, "The pursuers are coming! Zhang Xiu is coming again!"

Cao Cao didn't leave many men behind, and he hadn't instructed them to be vigilant beforehand. He was using these men as bait.

If the pursuers come, that's good; if they don't, there's no loss.

The sound of hooves grew closer and closer, and they had already made contact with the rear of Cao Cao's army. Cao Cao quickly turned around and glanced back.

A large, eye-catching flag fluttered in the wind, with the word "Zhang" written on it in huge characters!
It was Zhang Xiu who arrived!

Zhang Xiu gave chase once, but fell into an ambush and hastily retreated.

They met Jia Xu halfway there. Jia Xu confidently told him that if they pursued Cao Cao again this time, Cao Cao would be completely unprepared, and victory would be assured!

So Zhang Xiu caught up with him again.

Cao's army was thrown into chaos. Shouts rose from all sides as everyone ran in all directions, their eyes filled with fear.

There was only one person who remained the most composed, and that was Cao Cao!

Cao Hong was indeed stunned for a moment, but his instincts as a military general quickly brought him back to his composure.

Seeing the pursuers getting closer and closer, and the troops completely out of control, Cao Hong immediately grabbed his broadsword and shouted to Cao Cao beside him, "My lord, go first! I'll cover the rear!"

After saying that, Cao Hong loudly called out to the soldiers around him, "Don't panic, follow me to kill the enemy!"

At this moment, the decadent Cao Hong was nowhere to be seen!

Cao Hong, who was almost universally ridiculed by the upper class of Xudu, once again displayed his former prowess, riding a horse, sword in hand, his tiger-like eyes wide open, his face radiating a murderous aura.

Cao Cao, who had long been prepared to flee, was suddenly startled. The kinship that had been weighing on his heart was awakened by Cao Hong's words, "My lord, go first, I will cover the rear."

Cao Cao opened his mouth, staring in astonishment at Cao Hong, who was fighting fiercely with the pursuers. He felt his eyes welling up with tears and his throat tighten, unsure of what to say.

No sooner said than done, Zhang Xiu, mounted on his horse and brandishing his spear, had already charged forward.

Zhang Xiu, clad in black iron armor and wielding a tiger-headed golden spear, his eyes gleaming with ferocity, killed more than ten people with each thrust of his spear. The Xiliang soldiers behind him were just as fierce and menacing.

Zhang Xiu took the lead, and upon spotting Cao Cao, he roared excitedly and spurred his horse towards him. As soon as he got close, he thrust his spear forward without hesitation.

Cao Hong naturally wouldn't let him pass. He blocked with his sword, and with a loud bang, the two clashed, sending sparks flying.

Cao Hong roared again, "My lord, let's go!"

Cao Cao gritted his teeth, lashed his horse with the whip, and spurred it off.

Actually, he had wanted to run away just now.

However, he did not expect that after going through so much, Cao Hong would still be willing to risk his life to protect him and stay behind to cover their retreat, just like before.

As he ran, Cao Cao looked back repeatedly, hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help shouting a warning, "Zilian, be careful!"

Zhang Xiu was blocked by Cao Hong and flew into a rage. His spear technique suddenly quickened, and in less than a dozen rounds, he gained the upper hand.

Cao Hong was actually quite skilled, but he had been neglecting his training for days and was constantly drunk, which had made him much slower to react.

Soon, Zhang Xiu pierced Cao Hong's left leg with a spear, and blood gushed out immediately. Zhang Xiu did not want to pay attention to Cao Hong for the time being, and spurred his horse to go around and continue to pursue Cao Cao.

Cao Hong, however, persisted relentlessly, ignoring his injuries and repeatedly slashing at Zhang Xiu with his broadsword.

Even though most of Cao's soldiers around him had been killed or wounded, and few remained to hold off the pursuers, Cao Hong remained fearless.

Cao Hong had only one thought in his mind: he absolutely could not let Zhang Xiu pass.

Dangdang Dangdang!
The broadsword and the spear clashed violently time and time again, a breathtaking sight, the fierce force causing the surrounding air currents to become turbulent.

Zhang Xiu's face was gloomy, and he showed no mercy, unleashing all his skills with the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear.

Gunfire whistled through the air, each strike deadly!
He became a disciple of Tong Yuan and mastered his skills. He shared the same teacher as Zhang Ren of Xichuan and Zhao Yun of Changshan. His spear skills were superb, and coupled with the fierceness and ruthlessness unique to the warriors of Xiliang, he put Cao Hong in grave danger and completely put him on the defensive. Soon, Cao Hong was shot in the chest again.

Cao Hong was unaware that he was being used as bait. He fought Zhang Xiu desperately, ignoring his injuries, only wanting to hold off Zhang Xiu and buy more time for Cao Cao.

Cao Cao spurred his horse on, eager to see Guo Jia, and repeatedly lashed his horse with his whip.

Cao Cao even felt some regret, thinking he shouldn't have left Cao Hong behind to cover the rear.

Because Cao Hong was merely bait.

As for why Cao Cao stayed behind?

He wanted to talk to Cao Hong and see him off on his final journey.

But Cao Cao never expected that Cao Hong would instinctively risk his life to protect him.

They soon encountered Guo Jia, who was about to report the situation and say that he had made arrangements when Cao Cao urged, "Quickly, go and rescue Cao Hong!"

Guo Jia was stunned for a moment, looking at Cao Cao in surprise. Cao Cao shouted again, "Quickly, immediately!"

Guo Jia then realized that Cao Cao was not joking, and hurriedly waved his hand to give the order.

Xu Huang circled around from the left, Yue Jin circled around from the right, and Cao Ren charged in from the front.

Zhang Xiu was held back by Cao Hong, who was covered in blood and had several large and small wounds on his body. Zhang Xiu seized the opportunity and thrust his spear into Cao Hong's chest again.

Cao Hong swayed a few times on his horse, then his eyes suddenly widened. With a thud, he reached out and grabbed the spear shaft that was thrust at him. With a backhand slash, he used his last bit of strength to mercilessly cut Zhang Xiu's ribs with his broadsword.

Zhang Xiu stared in astonishment, never expecting Cao Hong to be so fierce and valiant even on his deathbed.

Cao Hong's eyes were somewhat unfocused. He gritted his teeth and turned to look in the direction Cao Cao had left.

My lord, are we safe now?
The world can do without Hong, but it cannot do without Gong!

As Cao Hong's body crashed heavily off his horse, this once fearless warrior met his end!
Soon, Xu Huang, Yue Jin, and Cao Ren surrounded Zhang Xiu's pursuing troops.

Zhang Xiu only brought a few thousand men, and he couldn't understand how these people could turn the tables and surround him.

There's only one explanation: they were prepared!

After a fierce battle with Cao Hong, Zhang Xiu was also injured. He was blocked from both sides by Xu Huang and Cao Ren, making it impossible for him to break through.

Xu Huang, wielding a mountain-splitting axe, possessed immense strength and was ruthless in battle. Every time he accompanied Cao Cao on a campaign, Xu Huang actively participated and bravely charged into the fray.

He only wanted to achieve more merits and gain more favor from Cao Cao, so that he could better help His Majesty.

Cao Ren was also a fierce general. The two attacked from both sides, while Le Jin blocked Hu Che'er. Everyone fought fiercely together.

Warhorses neighed, swords clashed, and soldiers on both sides fought fiercely, but Cao Cao's army was clearly better prepared and had the upper hand.

When Cao Cao arrived, Zhang Xiu had just had his weapon knocked away by Xu Huang and was captured on the spot.

Most of the Xiliang soldiers surrendered, while Hu Che'er was killed on the spot by Le Jin.

The battle was very successful, and everything went smoothly. Zhang Xiu, who had troubled Cao Cao for many days, was finally captured.

However, when Cao Cao saw Cao Hong's body, he was heartbroken and tears streamed down his face.

Cao Hong's eyes were wide open, still fixed on the direction Cao Cao had just left in.

He was covered in blood, his chest was pierced, and his flesh was churning.

Until his death, Cao Hong protected Cao Cao, which made Cao Cao feel a pang of guilt!
(End of this chapter)