My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

As the shout faded, Chen Xun spurred his horse's flanks, and the warhorse neighed, carrying him as it charged towards the city gate.

The loud crash of the breaching of the west gate echoed from the city wall. Upon hearing that the city gate had fallen, Wei Yan's expression changed drastically. He immediately grabbed the long sword from his waist and rushed into the city.

He knew that once the west gate was breached, the Liao army would pour in, and Fangcheng would be in imminent danger. Only by stopping Chen Xun could he temporarily slow down the enemy's offensive and buy the Han army a chance to catch their breath.

At this moment, Chen Xun was leading Liao soldiers to break through the city gate and advance deep into the city, his arrogance palpable.

Without a second thought, Wei Yan rushed down the rampart on one side of the city wall, mounted his horse, and with a neigh, the warhorse carried him toward Chen Xun.

Chen Xun was immersed in the ecstasy of breaching the city gate and was completely unaware of the murderous intent behind him until the sound of hooves grew closer and closer, at which point he suddenly turned around.

Caught off guard by Wei Yan's sudden attack, Chen Xun could only hastily raise his spear to passively defend against the unexpected assault, his expression instantly turning serious.

The moment the two met, Wei Yan, with his swift momentum, swung his sword down with tremendous force.

Chen Xun desperately raised his spear to block, and with a crisp clang, the metal clashed, and the tremendous impact traveled through the spear into Chen Xun's arm.

He was jolted awake, as Wei Yan struck him down from his horse, sending him crashing heavily to the ground.

Chen Xun was agile and nimble. The moment he landed, he flipped and leaped up, quickly regained his footing, gripped his spear tightly, and stared warily at Wei Yan in front of him, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

He could sense the fierce and courageous aura emanating from the other side, which was far beyond that of ordinary soldiers.

Wei Yan reined in his horse, looking down at Chen Xun from his elevated position, his long sword pointed directly at him.

"Who goes there? I am Wei Yan!"

Chen Xun steadied himself, straightened his back, and responded loudly:
"I am Chen Xun, Chen Xun!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he gripped his spear tightly, his fighting spirit surging from his body.

At this moment, the soldiers of the two armies who were fighting around them saw that their commanders were about to engage in a duel, and they all subconsciously stopped what they were doing, voluntarily making way for each other, and their eyes were all focused on the two of them.

The battlefield fell silent instantly.

Upon seeing this, Wei Yan dismounted, gripped his long sword, and walked step by step toward Chen Xun.

He was unwilling to rely on the advantage of his warhorse to win; he wanted to confront Chen Xun head-on and determine who was superior.

The two stood a dozen steps apart, their eyes locked on each other.

They gripped their weapons tightly, their bodies tense, silently gathering their strength, searching for each other's weaknesses.

After a moment of silence, the two moved at the same time.

They strode toward each other, closing in on one another in an instant.

Chen Xun launched the first attack, his spear flashing like a venomous snake, aimed directly at Wei Yan's heart with lightning speed.

Wei Yan, not to be outdone, swung his longsword in a sharp arc, slashing towards Chen Xun's spear.

Just as their weapons were about to collide, the two men simultaneously turned to the side, precisely avoiding each other's attacks, their weapons grazing each other's armor.

In their first encounter, the two were evenly matched, and both felt a growing sense of apprehension towards each other.

The two then engaged in combat again, their spears and swords clashing repeatedly, the clanging of metal echoing incessantly.

In their back-and-forth exchanges, the moves were fierce and deadly, and for a time it was difficult to determine who was superior.

After several rounds, Chen Xun felt his arm go numb, his thumb and forefinger split slightly, and the strength in his grip on the spear gradually weakened.

He quickly focused his mind and gripped his weapon tightly, not daring to relax for a moment.

Wei Yan took in Chen Xun's disheveled state, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

Knowing that he had the upper hand, he believed that if he added a little more force, he could suppress Chen Xun, so his offensive became even more rapid.

Soon, the two clashed again. Every time Wei Yan's longsword slashed down, it carried immense force. Chen Xun could only desperately defend himself, but gradually he began to struggle.

In terms of strength, Wei Yan is far superior to Chen Xun.

In terms of agility, Chen Xun was slightly better. He used his nimble body to constantly dodge Wei Yan's heavy blows and barely maintained the situation.

Every time Wei Yan struck, Chen Xun had to fight with all his might to defend against it.

He knew perfectly well that he was not confident of winning with a single blow. If he were to be struck head-on by Wei Yan's longsword, he would surely be defeated instantly, and defeated even faster.

After weighing the options, Chen Xun decided that he could only fight a protracted war with Wei Yan, exhausting his strength before looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

But Wei Yan gave Chen Xun no chance to catch his breath, his attacks becoming increasingly fierce, his long sword flashing so fast that it was impenetrable, each strike aimed directly at Chen Xun's vital points.

Chen Xun's defense was becoming increasingly strained, his body was gradually becoming unsteady, and his stamina was being rapidly depleted.

Just when Chen Xun was about to give up, he inadvertently glanced at the warhorse beside him and a thought of escaping suddenly popped into his mind.

He barely managed to withstand Wei Yan's attack, and using the force of the impact, he staggered back a few steps before quickly rushing to his warhorse.

Chen Xun moved swiftly, mounted his horse, and before Wei Yan could react, he spurred his steed and galloped towards the city, eager to shake off Wei Yan's entanglement and regroup his forces.

Upon seeing this, Wei Yan was initially taken aback, clearly not expecting Chen Xun to desert his post. A flash of anger crossed his eyes, and he immediately leaped onto his warhorse, shouting as he spurred it on, giving chase after Chen Xun in the direction he had fled.
Chen Xun dared not delay for even a moment and immediately sped toward the other city gates of Fangcheng.

In the midst of the chaotic battle, a cold arrow suddenly shot out from the shadows with great force. Chen Xun was only focused on blocking the attack in front of him and failed to dodge in time. The arrowhead pierced straight into his left shoulder.

Blood instantly soaked through his armor, and a sharp pain spread along his shoulder, but he gritted his teeth and did not stop, continuing to advance towards the south gate of Fangcheng.

While Chen Xun and Wei Yan were locked in a fierce battle, Xiao He learned of the situation from the main camp in the city. He knew that once the Liao army broke through the west gate, the entire Fangcheng defense line would collapse.

He immediately issued a stern order, commanding his soldiers to defend the west gate with all their might, to stop the Liao army's offensive momentum and not allow them to advance an inch.

Chen Xun led his Liao army soldiers on a rapid advance, encountering one obstacle after another. The private armies raised by wealthy merchants swarmed in and relentlessly entangled them in fierce battles.

However, these private armies were ultimately just a mob, having never undergone formal military training, and lacking both discipline and teamwork.

Facing the seasoned Liao soldiers, they had no advantage whatsoever. Despite their best efforts, they could only barely kill a few Liao soldiers and were instead driven back by the Liao army.

Ignoring the fighting behind him, Chen Xun led the remaining Liao soldiers on a charge towards the south gate. Wei Yan finally arrived on horseback at breakneck speed.

"Chen Xun, you brat, prepare to die!"

Hearing Wei Yan's roar, Chen Xun caught a glimpse of the outline of the south gate coming into view. He had only one thought in his mind: to break through the city as quickly as possible. He had no time to pay attention to Wei Yan's provocation. He immediately spurred his horse and charged towards the south gate.

Seeing this, Wei Yan's anger intensified. He spurred his horse and chased after Chen Xun relentlessly, his long sword pointed directly at Chen Xun's back, revealing his murderous intent.

Upon reaching the south gate, Han soldiers still blocked the way. Chen Xun's eyes sharpened, and without slowing down, he rode his warhorse straight towards the Han soldiers blocking the way.

The force of the galloping warhorses was unstoppable, and the Han soldiers' originally neat formation was instantly broken. The soldiers cried out and scattered in all directions, with no time to organize an effective resistance.

Chen Xun was overjoyed, thinking that he would be able to reach the South Gate smoothly and open it to let the Liao army outside the city into the city.

But when he rushed close to the city gate, he froze instantly.

Beneath the city gate, a troop of heavily armored cavalry was already in full battle array, ready for action.

Seeing Chen Xun leading his men charging towards them, the leader of the heavy cavalry gave an order, and the entire team immediately spurred their horses into a charge. Sharp lances pointed straight ahead, and they crushed towards Chen Xun and his men with a devastating momentum.

Chen Xun's heart sank. Knowing he was no match for them, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and fight back with his gun.

However, the heavy cavalry was good at both offense and defense. Although the Liao soldiers fought bravely, they still suffered heavy losses, and screams of agony rose and fell.

Chen Xun watched his soldiers fall one after another, feeling extremely anxious. However, he also knew that this was not the time to worry about them. The only way to open the city gates as soon as possible was to let the Liao army outside the city come in to provide support.

He gritted his teeth, abandoned the fighting around him, ignored the pain in his left shoulder, and ran at full speed toward the city gate. After overcoming numerous obstacles, he finally reached the south gate.

Before he could catch his breath, Chen Xun charged straight at the Han soldiers by the south gate with his spear. Caught off guard, the Han soldiers had no time to react and were routed by Chen Xun.

At the same time, the Liao army outside the city had already prepared siege engines and rushed towards the city gate. Under the double attack of Chen Xun's frontal assault and the siege engines, the bolts of the south gate broke with a crash, and the city gate was completely breached.

The moment the city gate shattered, a furious shout suddenly rang out:

"You brat, you're asking for death!"

Wei Yan followed closely behind, his long sword whistling through the air as he thrust it straight at Chen Xun's heart.

Chen Xun reacted extremely quickly, hurriedly parrying with his spear. With a crisp "clang," the enormous impact forced Chen Xun to stagger back several steps, his chest heaving, and he nearly fell to the ground.

After regaining his footing, Chen Xun was about to adjust his breathing when the sound of horses' hooves came from afar.

Zhang Liao arrived at the south gate with his troops, his gaze sweeping over the disheveled Wei Yan:
"Wen Chang, you failed to defend the West Gate!"

Wei Yan's face was ashen, burning with rage, and he pointed at Chen Xun, his eyes wide with fury:

"That guy cheated and rode away in the chaos, otherwise I would have killed him already!"

Zhang Liao's smile vanished, his eyes turned cold, and he said sternly:
"Without further ado, now that things have come to this, let's join forces and kill this brat quickly, lest he ruin everything!"

"You don't need to say anything more!"

Wei Yan roared angrily, and before Zhang Liao could finish speaking, he charged towards Chen Xun with his long sword in hand.

"This boy is mine. You can deal with the Liao army outside the city!"

Before he finished speaking, the long sword, carrying immense force, slashed down towards Chen Xun's head.

Chen Xun's heart tightened, and he hurriedly dodged to the side. However, Wei Yan's blade was fast and fierce. Even though he barely avoided a vital spot, the force of the blade still hit him. He almost dropped his spear, and was knocked off his horse by the force of Wei Yan's blade, falling heavily to the ground.

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Xun rolled around on the ground a few times before quickly getting up.

Wei Yan pressed forward relentlessly, his longsword flashing incessantly, each strike deadly. Chen Xun could only barely dodge and passively defend, his earlier fighting spirit long gone, leaving only one thought in his mind:
He hoped that the Liao army outside the city could enter the city as soon as possible to relieve his pressure and alleviate his current predicament.

Although the south gate had been breached and the city gate was wide open, the Han soldiers stationed at the south gate did not collapse. Instead, they fought bravely and resisted fiercely with their remaining formation, refusing to give an inch.

Seeing this, Zhang Liao knew that the Liao army outside the city was coming in continuously and would become a major threat if not stopped in time. He immediately mounted his horse and led a team of elite soldiers out of the city to meet the enemy.

The Han army's heavy cavalry remained unstoppable. Clad in thick armor and wielding sharp lances, they galloped like an unstoppable iron torrent, leaving the Liao soldiers utterly powerless to resist them.

Li Yi, who was in charge of breaching the south gate, saw that the city gate was wide open and immediately brandished his spear to command the Liao soldiers behind him:

"Charge! Enter the city!"

Before he finished speaking, he led the Liao soldiers in a fierce charge into the city, wanting to seize the south gate as soon as possible and allow the main force outside the city to enter.

Just as the Liao soldiers crossed the trap zone at the city gate and had not yet gained their footing, Zhang Liao led his Han soldiers out from the shadows, his angry roar echoing through the city gate:

"Don't let the Liao army into the city! Charge!"

As soon as the order was given, the Han soldiers rushed towards the Liao army like a tidal wave, and fierce fighting broke out instantly under the south gate.

Amidst the flashing swords and flying blood, the soldiers of the two armies clashed fiercely, neither willing to yield an inch.

The Liao army had no heavy cavalry. Faced with the overwhelming force of the Han army's heavy cavalry and the valiant charge of the Han soldiers, they suffered heavy losses in the first round of fighting. Soldiers fell one after another, their formation gradually broke apart, and their morale plummeted.

In order to break through the blockade of the heavy cavalry, the Liao light cavalry volunteered to charge the Han heavy cavalry. Although they fought bravely, the light armor could not withstand the impact of the heavy armor.

Almost the entire light cavalry unit was wiped out; not a single soldier survived.

Seeing his soldiers fall one after another, Chen Xun was extremely anxious. He gritted his teeth, ignored the pain in his left shoulder, and bravely broke through the blockade of the heavily armored cavalry.

After a fierce battle, they finally broke through the obstacles and headed straight for the inside of the south gate, hoping to stabilize the situation as soon as possible.

Wei Yan, who had been watching closely, saw Chen Xun trying to escape. His killing intent intensified, and he immediately gripped his long sword tightly with both hands, gathering all his strength to sweep it horizontally towards Chen Xun's back.

The blade moved with fierce speed, whistling through the air, giving Chen Xun no chance to catch his breath.

Chen Xun, with his keen hearing, sensed the murderous intent behind him and immediately turned to the side, raising his gun to parry.

With a loud clang, the longsword and the spear clashed violently.

The immense impact instantly spread throughout Chen Xun's body. He was unable to resist it at all and was thrown off his warhorse, crashing heavily to the ground with a trickle of blood escaping from his mouth.

He rolled on the ground a few times, using the force of the rolls to barely get up, rubbed his numb arms, and stared intently at Wei Yan.

Just then, a figure rushed over and shouted sharply:
"I am Li Yi of the Liao army, you Han dog, prepare to die!"

Wei Yan glanced at him, his eyes full of contempt.

Seeing Wei Yan's blatant disdain, Li Yi was enraged, his pride fully ignited. He immediately gripped his spear and charged towards Wei Yan. (End of Chapter)