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

Although it was somewhat expected, hearing that Hu Zhen hadn't even blocked a single move still shocked him greatly.

"Useless trash!" Guo Si cursed angrily, hating Hu Zhen for his brainless suicide and even more surprised that Lü Bu's martial prowess seemed to surpass that of the past.

He suppressed his anger and asked, "Who's commanding the vanguard now? How's the battle going?"

The scout reported, "Lieutenant General Li has taken over command. Both sides' cavalry have begun charging and engaging in close combat."

Guo Si breathed a sigh of relief. Although Lieutenant General Li was not a famous general, he was an old captain. As long as he held his ground, he could at least wear down Lü Bu's cavalry by taking advantage of his superior numbers.

However, his expectations were soon dashed.

Before any new battle reports could be received, scattered cavalrymen, their armor and helmets discarded, appeared on the official road ahead. They were panicked and galloping away on horseback; they were the deserters of Hu Zhen's vanguard!

"Stop them!" Guo Si shouted to his personal guards.

Dozens of guards immediately stepped forward, brandishing whips and scabbards, trying to stop the deserters from charging into the main camp.

"Halt! Anyone who dares to charge the central army will be executed!"

"General, spare me! General, spare me!" A deserter, stopped from his horse, cried out, "The Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry are too powerful! Commander Hu is dead, and Deputy Commander Li is dead too! The brothers couldn't hold on, they've all collapsed!"

"Deputy General Li is dead too?" Guo Si's heart sank even further.

Soon, more and more deserters appeared, like a flood bursting its banks, impossible to stop.

The news they brought was worse than the last:

"Lü Bu is no human being; he killed Commandant Hu in a single move!"

"Zhang Liao and Hao Meng are as fierce as tigers; our men simply can't stop them!"

"The Bingzhou soldiers' horses are stronger and their armor is thicker than ours; we can't even cut them down!"

"We can't win, we really can't win, General!"

The news of these defeated soldiers and the resulting panic spread like a plague through Guo Si's central army.

Many infantrymen began to whisper among themselves, their faces showing fear.

Many of them were originally defeated soldiers and bandits gathered along the way. They were good at fighting when things were going well, but their morale was easily shaken when they encountered tough battles.

Guo Si, both angry and anxious at the sight of the chaos, drew his sword and pointed it at the routed soldiers. He said to Fan Chou, "General Fan, what use are these men who are undermining morale? Quickly execute these routed soldiers to uphold military law!"

Fan Chou, however, was more composed and advised, "General Guo, there are many routed soldiers. If we forcefully suppress them, it may lead to a mutiny within the camp. The most urgent task is to immediately send reinforcements to stabilize the battle line and gather the routed soldiers. Only then can we turn defeat into victory!"

Guo Si, knowing Fan Chou's words made sense, suppressed his murderous intent, sheathed his sword, and said bitterly, "Fine, General Fan, immediately lead the five thousand cavalry under the central army to rush to our aid! You must stop Lü Bu's advance, gather the routed troops, and reorganize the lines! I will personally lead forty thousand infantry to quickly follow and reinforce. Today, we will surely surround and kill Lü Bu here, tearing him to pieces!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Fan Chou clasped his hands in a fist salute, immediately mustered his last five thousand cavalrymen, broke away from the main force, and galloped towards the Ba River.

Watching Fan Chou lead his troops away, Guo Si took a deep breath, suppressing his unease, and roared at the messenger, "Order the entire army: infantry, speed up! Supply trains must not lag behind! Anyone who shrinks back will be executed!"

Under Guo Si's orders, the 40,000 Liangzhou infantrymen began to pick up speed with difficulty, like a clumsy giant, stumbling towards the Bahe battlefield in the south.

Guo Si, mounted on his horse, gazed at the dust-filled direction ahead and pondered: Even if Hu Zhen's vanguard was wiped out, Fan Chou could still bring in 5,000 fresh cavalry, bringing the total to nearly 10,000 cavalry. Against Lü Bu's few hundred remaining cavalry after a fierce battle, plus 1,000 infantry, victory seemed inevitable.

He even began to fantasize about personally beheading Lü Bu, reclaiming Dong Zhuo's head, and becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, Lü Bu led the remaining cavalry in pursuit northward.

After a fierce battle with the vanguard cavalry of Liangzhou, the Bingzhou army suffered some casualties, but not many. Moreover, their morale was high, and after a short rest and water, they still maintained strong fighting power.

Nearly a thousand elite cavalry followed Lü Bu, heading towards Baling along the official road to meet him.

After marching only four or five li, a scout reported from the front: "General, a large force of Liangzhou cavalry, about four or five thousand riders, has been spotted ahead, carrying banners with the character 'Fan' on them, and they are gathering up the routed soldiers of Hu Zhen's tribe!"

"Fan Chou?" A glint flashed in Lü Bu's eyes. "Perfect timing! Order a full-scale assault! Target: the enemy's central command flag!"

"assault!"

The Bingzhou wolf cavalry erupted once again with deafening battle cries, charging towards Fan Chou's 5000 cavalry troops like arrows released from a bow.

Fan Chou was currently in the middle of the cavalry, advancing while gathering the fleeing soldiers of Hu Zhen's vanguard.

He saw Lü Bu's army charging towards him from afar. Although the enemy was significantly outnumbered, their overwhelming momentum and the pressure of their charge made his heart tighten.

"Form ranks! Prepare for battle!" Fan Chou shouted, waving his command flag.

However, when the Liangzhou cavalry saw Lü Bu leading Zhang Liao, Cheng Lian, Hao Meng, Song Xian, and others charging like tigers descending the mountain, many of them felt fear. Furthermore, since they were not part of Fan Chou's direct forces, their command was inherently sluggish.

The two cavalry forces rapidly approached each other while hurling arrows. Under these circumstances, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, with their superior equipment, naturally had a significant advantage. The armor worn by the generals at all levels made it difficult for ordinary arrows to cause serious injury, and even the leather armor of ordinary soldiers did not cause much damage unless hit directly in a vital spot!

Lü Bu took the lead, leading his troops straight into the center of the enemy's formation!

His gaze was fixed on the direction of the general in the Liangzhou troops who was surrounded by his personal guards and was carrying a banner with the character "Fan".

"Those who block my way shall die!" Lu Bu roared, his voice like thunder.

Faced with Lü Bu, who was widely regarded as the strongest warrior in the land and charged like a god of death, many Liangzhou cavalrymen instinctively made the choice to give way!

They either slightly turned their horses or slowed down, and very few dared to directly confront their attack!

Lü Bu wielded his halberd with the force of a hot knife through oil, easily tearing apart the seemingly solid formation of the Liangzhou army.

Wherever he went, the Liangzhou cavalry who tried to intercept him were instantly knocked off their horses, unable to slow his charge.

Cheng Lian led dozens of elite personal guards closely behind Lü Bu, acting as a wedge to further widen the gap Lü Bu had created and protect Lü Bu's flanks and rear.

Fan Chou, who was in the midst of the battle, saw Lü Bu charging towards him with unstoppable momentum and was terrified.

The scene of Hu Zhen being instantly killed seems to be right before my eyes!

"Quickly! Personal guards, stop him! Stop him!" Fan Chou's voice trembled as he gave the order, but involuntarily turned his horse to retreat to the small hill to his side, trying to create some distance.

His personal guards were loyal; upon receiving the order, they all stepped forward to try to stop Lü Bu.