Transmigrating to the Three Kingdoms as Lu Bu: I Have a Pseudo-Apocalypse System

On the morning of June 29th, just as dawn broke, Lü Bu's army camp on the south bank of the Ba River was already bustling with activity.

Smoke rose early as the soldiers ate millet rice with hot soup seasoned with salt and lard, and each of them even received a small piece of dried meat.

"Eat your fill, everyone!" Officers of rank 1 and above, clad in tube-sleeved armor, marched through the ranks, shouting, "The Liangzhou traitors are coming! Eat your fill so you can fight them!"

"Lord Wen has decreed that anyone who kills the enemy and performs meritorious service today will be richly rewarded!"

The soldiers silently chewed their food and checked their weapons and equipment.

Ordinary soldiers wore tanned leather armor, while corporals and sergeants were issued two-piece armor, and officers of the rank of squad leader and above were equipped with tube-sleeved armor for better protection.

The ring-pommel swords were sharpened to a fine point, and the tips of the spears gleamed coldly in the morning light. The archers checked their bowstrings and the arrows in their quivers.

Lu Bu stood on a high ground in the camp, with generals Zhang Liao, Hao Meng, and Wei Xu standing beside him.

They were all wearing the Bright Armor that Lu Bu had taken from the system rewards and laundered under the guise of procurement, making them particularly conspicuous in the crowd.

"Report..."

A scout galloped into the camp, dismounted, and knelt on one knee. "General," he reported, "Guo Si's vanguard cavalry has left Baling County and is heading towards the Ba River!"

Lu Bu's expression remained unchanged; he simply nodded.

Subsequently, scouts would report back every so often.

"Report—The enemy's vanguard is ten li from the Ba River!"

"Report—The enemy's vanguard is five li from the Ba River!"

"Report—The enemy's vanguard is two li from the Ba River!"

Around noon (around 11 a.m.), the billowing dust raised by a large cavalry force finally appeared on the northern horizon.

"Form ranks!" Lü Bu, who had already led his troops to the north bank, gave the order in a deep voice.

As the deep, powerful bugle call sounded, the two thousand Lu Bu soldiers, who were already prepared, quickly formed a mixed formation on the north bank of the Ba River, with their backs to the Ba Bridge, which was both offensive and defensive.

One thousand elite cavalrymen from Bingzhou were positioned in the center and on both flanks of the formation, commanded by Lü Bu, Zhang Liao, and Hao Meng respectively.

These cavalrymen were Lü Bu's core force. Ordinary soldiers could wear leather armor or double-layered armor, and their horses were protected by leather felt on their vital parts. The soldiers carried long spears or ring-pommel swords, and bows and arrows were hung on their saddles. They were full of energy and spirit.

The other thousand infantrymen, mainly commanded by Wei Xu, were arranged in several solid square formations, positioned behind and on the flanks of the cavalry.

These infantrymen were well-equipped, with the front-line soldiers carrying long shields and ring-pommel swords, the rear line consisting of densely packed spearmen with spear tips like a forest, and further back were archers and crossbowmen.

Although Gao Shun is not yet under his command, Lü Bu has tried his best to build this heavy infantry force according to the standards of the Trapped Camp, based on his memory and the equipment obtained from the system, and handed it over to Wei Xu for command.

The remaining troops stayed at the main camp on the south bank, keeping watch for enemy forces that might appear on the trails in the surrounding mountains and forests.

The thunderous sound of hooves grew louder as five thousand Liangzhou cavalry, led by the vanguard colonel Hu Zhen, stopped about five hundred paces in front of Lü Bu's army and began to reorganize their formation.

Hu Zhen was about forty years old, with a rugged face and a thick beard. He wore a well-made tube-sleeved armor and an old battle robe over it. His eyes swept arrogantly over Lu Bu's army formation opposite him.

He saw that Lü Bu's army was significantly smaller than his own, and although their formation was well-organized, he couldn't help but underestimate them.

"Hmph, that bastard Lü Bu, with his meager infantry and cavalry, dares to form an array to meet my five thousand Liangzhou iron cavalry? He's just courting death!" Hu Zhen said to his adjutant beside him. "It seems that after the defeat at Chang'an, this fellow hasn't learned his lesson and is still trying to stop a chariot with his bare hands."

The lieutenant warned, "Captain Hu, do not underestimate the enemy. I have heard that Lü Bu's archery skills have recently become divine, and he has killed many of our soldiers from a hundred paces away."

Hu Zhen scoffed dismissively, "So what if his archery skills are superb? In a battle between two armies, the key is to fight honorably! Besides," he gestured to his personal guards holding large shields beside him, "why would I give him the chance to launch a sneak attack?"

Even so, Hu Zhen remained cautiously within the protective circle of his personal guards' shields, not moving too far forward.

He spurred his horse forward a short distance, gathered his strength, and shouted loudly towards Lü Bu's army formation: "Lü Bu, you traitor who has served three masters, you who betrayed your master for personal gain, do you dare to come out and answer me?"

The sound echoed between the two armies, and both sides could hear it clearly.

Lu Bu was not angered. He gently spurred his horse, Red Hare, with his halberd, and Red Hare slowly walked out of the formation with elegant and powerful steps.

"Hu Zhen!" Lü Bu's voice clearly reached everyone's ears, "Li Jue and Guo Si attacked the capital, held the emperor hostage, and allowed their troops to plunder the surrounding area, causing the people to be displaced and starving to the ground. Such acts are truly those of remnants of Dong Zhuo and traitorous officials! You, Hu Zhen, have aided and abetted this evil, and according to the laws of the Han Dynasty, your entire family should be executed!"

His gaze, sharp as lightning, swept over the somewhat agitated Liangzhou cavalry opposite him: "If you repent now, dismount and surrender, I, Lü Bu, will spare your life out of a shred of conscience, and petition the Emperor! Otherwise, this very bank of the Ba River will be your burial ground!"

Hu Zhen blushed after being rebuked by Lü Bu's righteous and stern words, especially the words "extermination of nine generations of relatives," which made his heart skip a beat.

He forced himself to remain calm and retorted sharply, "Lu Bu, stop talking nonsense! We are avenging Lord Dong! Lord Dong treated you well, even adopting you as his son, yet you conspired with Wang Yun to murder him. Such disloyalty and injustice is universally condemned! If you know what's good for you, quickly return Lord Dong's head, and I might, out of consideration for our past relationship, grant you a proper burial!"

Both sides stuck to their own versions of events, accusing each other of their shortcomings and exchanging insults for a while.

Seeing that Hu Zhen remained hidden behind his personal guards' shields, Lü Bu knew it would be difficult to launch a sneak attack with arrows, and thus devised a plan.

He suddenly sneered, interrupting Hu Zhen's taunts: "Hu Zhen, stop wasting your breath with empty words! Since you call yourself a fierce general of Liangzhou, do you dare to fight me?"

He paused, then raised his voice to ensure both armies could hear: "If you can survive three rounds under my halberd, I, Lü Bu, will immediately return Dong Zhuo's head to you so you can claim credit and reward yourself. What do you say?"

These words caused an uproar on both sides of the battlefield!

Hu Zhen was deeply shaken.

A one-on-one duel with Lü Bu? He knew he had absolutely no chance of winning.

But, if it's just about blocking the three halberds?

It does not seem impossible to accomplish.

Although Lü Bu was brave, Hu Zhen had also fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He was confident in his martial arts skills and believed that if he defended with all his might, he should be able to withstand three moves without much trouble.

A tremendous temptation lay before them—if they could retrieve Dong Zhuo's head without bloodshed, it would be an unparalleled achievement!

Moreover, it can also dampen Lü Bu's arrogance in front of everyone!

His mind raced, fearing Lü Bu might renege on his promise, so he immediately challenged him, "Lü Bu, is this truly the case? In front of both armies, do you dare swear an oath? After I block your three halberd strikes, you must immediately cease fighting and return Dong Zhuo's head! Moreover, you must not use arrows to ambush him!"