My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

On the official road north of Luoyang, eight hundred heavy cavalry of the Jingnan Army were galloping at full speed.

However, although heavy cavalry were fierce and brave, with excellent armor and weapons, they carried a much heavier load than ordinary light cavalry, which ultimately limited their speed for long-distance raids.

Ji Xuanyuan reined in his horse and looked back. His gaze pierced through the deep night, and he could already see the faint flickering torchlight on the horizon behind him.

Those are pursuers.

The distance is closing.

"Brother, this can't go on." Xiang Yu urged his horse closer.

"Heavy cavalry is not our forte for long-distance raids. Yuan Shao and his men must have mobilized light cavalry from the Northern Army, which are far faster than us. If this continues, we will be caught up within ten miles."

Ji Xuanyuan frowned.

How could he not know?

However, at this time, it was still more than ten miles away from Mengjin Ferry, and it would take more time to find a boat to cross the river.

If you are caught off guard and attacked while searching for a boat to cross the river, the damage will be even greater.

"Brother, I have a plan." Lü Bu rode forward, his halberd pointing diagonally behind him.

"It would be better to divide our forces to cover the rear. I am willing to lead a hundred cavalry to set up an ambush here and hold off the enemy for a while. Brother, you can quickly cross the river at Mengjin."

"That's not appropriate." Ran Min shook his head.

"There are at least four or five thousand pursuers. How long can a hundred cavalry hold them off? Once surrounded, the entire army will be wiped out. To cover their retreat, we will need at least half of our forces."

"Half?" Yang Zaixing gripped his iron-clad spear tightly.

"Wouldn't those crossing the river be in even greater danger? The situation at the ferry crossing is unclear; what if there's an ambush on the other side?"

The generals discussed amongst themselves, but they all knew that they were in a dilemma.

"My lord, look ahead!" Dian Wei suddenly pointed northeast.

Looking over, everyone could see faint lights flickering in the darkness in the distance—the fishing lights at Mengjin Ferry!

We are less than five miles from the ferry crossing!

However, the torchlight of the pursuing troops behind them was already clearly visible, and the distance was only seven or eight miles.

"Brother!" Xiang Yu suddenly reined in his horse and turned to face Ji Xuanyuan.

"You lead the troops across the river first, and I'll bring the rest to cover your retreat!"

Ji Xuanyuan's heart trembled: "No! We must go together, or stay together! How can I let my brothers die for me?"

"Now is not the time to act impulsively!"

Xiang Yu's voice suddenly rose, "Youzhou needs you! And the hundreds of thousands of people who depend on us for their livelihood need you too!"

He paused, his voice lowering, "Brother, you always taught us that a general must know when to choose and when to abandon. In today's situation, our only option is to cover the retreat. If the pursuers catch up, even if we manage to kill them all, the imperial court can continuously reinforce them. If they also manage to contact the local forces on the other side of the Yellow River, and are attacked from both sides, whether we can even return to Youzhou will truly be uncertain!"

Ji Xuanyuan's lips trembled, but he could not utter a word.

He certainly understands this principle.

"Respectfully!" Xiang Yu turned to look at Li Cunxiao.

"Do you dare stay behind with your second brother to hold off the pursuers?"

Li Cunxiao grinned almost without hesitation: "Why wouldn't I dare? I've been so bored in Luoyang these past few days, my bones are practically rusting from lack of exercise! It's a good opportunity to stretch my legs!"

He held a spear and rode his horse, standing side by side with Xiang Yu.

"Good brother!"

Xiang Yu patted Li Cunxiao heavily on the shoulder, then turned and shouted sternly at the eight hundred Jingnan soldiers: "Those without wives, children, or elderly parents, step forward!"

The sound carried on the night breeze.

After a brief silence.

"This humble general is willing to go!"

"I am not home!"

"The person's parents died early, leaving them with no family ties!"

One, two, three...

Finally, twenty-six soldiers rode out of the ranks.

These twenty-six men were all elite soldiers who had fought in the Jingnan Army.

Thirteen of them were centurions, five were veterans of the border army, and eight were local men from Zhuojun, who were the earliest to follow Ji Xuanyuan.

Their faces showed no fear, only determination.

Xiang Yu's gaze swept over the twenty-six faces, and he slowly nodded: "Generals, are you willing to stay here with me to delay the pursuers?"

The twenty-six men roared in unison, their voices echoing across the surrounding area:

"We are willing to live and die with the general!"

The night wind howled, stirring the torches and casting long shadows of the twenty-eight figures.

Ji Xuanyuan's eyes welled up with tears as he watched this scene.

These were his soldiers, his brothers.

"Don't speak lightly of life and death!" Ji Xuanyuan spurred his horse forward, his voice hoarse but resolute.

"I want you all to live!"

His gaze was piercing as he swept over every face: "I want you to remember one thing: regardless of victory or defeat, I want you to return to Youzhou alive! I will prepare a victory banquet in Zhuojun, with the finest wine and meat, waiting for your return!"

"You are the soldiers of my Jingnan Army! You are the proud Jingnan Army, the tenacious Jingnan Army, the invincible Jingnan Army!"

He paused, his voice softening slightly but becoming even more forceful: "I know you are not afraid of death. There is indeed nothing to fear in death. Cowards die a thousand times over before ending their own lives, but only heroes live on forever!"

"All soldiers!" Ji Xuanyuan reined in his horse, turned around, and pointed north.

"I'll be waiting for you in Youzhou!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the twenty-six soldiers were all red, but not one of them shed a tear.

They simply straightened their backs and gripped their weapons tightly.

Xiang Yu took a deep breath and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Take care, brother!"

He then looked at Ran Min, Lü Bu, Yang Zaixing, and Dian Wei: "Yongzeng, Fengxian, Zongxing, and Elai, escort our good brother!"

"Second Brother..." Ran Min gritted his teeth, his hands gripping the double-edged spear so tightly that the veins bulged.

"Go quickly!" Xiang Yu shouted.

Then, he abruptly turned the horse around:

"Walk!"

Xiang Yu looked at the approaching torchlight, his double pupils blazing with fighting spirit.

"Jingsi, are you scared?" he asked.

Li Cunxiao grinned: "Afraid? In my entire life, I've never known how to write the word 'afraid'!"

"Good!" Xiang Yu laughed, pointing his Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd diagonally forward.

"Today, let the young masters of Luoyang see what a true warrior capable of taking on ten thousand men looks like!"

"Brothers!"

"Follow me, form ranks!"

Twenty-eight riders lined up in a row in the middle of the official road.

Like twenty-eight cast-iron statues, they silently await the arrival of the torrent.

on the official road.

Five thousand pursuers surged in like a tidal wave.

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu rode side by side through the army, both looking grim.

"Report!" A scout on horseback galloped up to report.

"General! We've spotted over twenty horsemen blocking our road five miles ahead! Judging by their banners... they bear the character 'Xiang'!"

"Xiang?" Yuan Shao frowned.

"Xiang Yu?"

"Only twenty or so riders?" Yuan Shu sneered.

"Is Ji Xuanyuan so desperate that he can't even send out rearguard? Sending twenty-eight men to hold off my five thousand troops? What a joke!"

"We must not underestimate our enemy," Yuan Shao said in a deep voice.

"Order the entire army to be on high alert."

Soon, the 5,000-strong army approached.

Under the torchlight, twenty-eight riders stood silently in the middle of the official road.

The leader was a man of imposing stature, as strong as a mountain, holding a long, jet-black halberd with its tip pointing diagonally at the ground.

The firelight reflected on his face, making his double pupils appear like an abyss, inspiring awe in those who beheld them.

It was Xiang Yu.

Beside him, Li Cunxiao carried the Yuwang Spear, grinning with eager fighting spirit in his eyes.

The remaining twenty-six riders were all dressed in black armor, their face shields removed to reveal only pairs of cold eyes.

An atmosphere of grimness and desolation swept over us.

"This is Xiang Yu?" Yuan Shu squinted at him, his tone contemptuous.

"Did Ji Xuanyuan send you here to die?"

Xiang Yu did not answer, but just looked at them coldly.

Yuan Shao spurred his horse forward a few steps and said loudly, "General Xiang! Ji Xuanyuan has left the capital without authorization, intending to commit treason, and has even forged an imperial edict. His crime is tantamount to rebellion! You are a hero of our time, why follow such a traitor and ruin your future?"

He paused, then his tone became enticing: "If General can abandon the darkness and embrace the light, and capture and kill Ji Xuanyuan, my Yuan family will surely guarantee that General will be ennobled and appointed as a general, bringing glory to our family! What do you say?"

This was Yuan Shao's usual tactic: first offer persuasion, then resort to force; recruit those who could be recruited.

However, Xiang Yu merely snorted coldly: "My elder brother left the capital to return to Youzhou on the emperor's orders. How can you claim he left the capital without permission or forged an imperial edict? It is you who, without authorization, mobilized a large army and pursued the imperial cavalry at night; that is the real treason!"

"Second Brother, why are you wasting so much time talking to them?" Li Cunxiao interrupted impatiently, pointing his Yuwang Spear at Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu.

"Just kill them all!"

His eyes gleamed with a fierce light, like a tiger ready to devour its prey.

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu felt a chill run down their spines when that gaze swept over them.

"Stubborn to the end!" Yuan Shao's face darkened, and he completely gave up on the idea of ​​recruiting him.

"Since that's the case, don't blame this general for being ruthless!"

He suddenly waved his hand:

"Archers, fire!"

Upon receiving the order, hundreds of archers in the front ranks drew their bows in unison.

"Whoosh whoosh-"

Arrows rained down, swarming towards the twenty-eight riders like locusts.

However, what happened next left all the pursuers dumbfounded.

Xiang Yu, Li Cunxiao, and twenty-six riders did not flinch or dodge!

They simply raised their arms to protect their faces.

The arrows struck the plate armor with a crisp "clanging" sound, but most were deflected. The few that pierced the gaps in the armor plates only penetrated an inch into the flesh due to insufficient force, and did not cause any fatal wounds.

Their warhorses were also clad in horse armor!

The arrows struck the horse's armor, but to no avail.

"This... what kind of armor is this?!" Yuan Shu exclaimed in disbelief.

Yuan Shao's pupils also contracted.

He had heard that the Jingnan Army was well-equipped, but he never imagined that it was so well-equipped!

These twenty-eight riders were practically twenty-eight mobile iron fortresses!

"Charge—" Xiang Yu's roar exploded the moment the rain of arrows subsided.

The twenty-eight riders moved.

His twenty-eight warhorses simultaneously reared up and charged straight at the five thousand-strong army formation!

"Hold on! Hold on!" Yuan Shao shouted sharply, but he subconsciously spurred his horse backward.

Yuan Shu turned pale and retreated several steps.

The spearmen and swordsmen in the front row hurriedly formed ranks.

however--

"boom!"

Xiang Yu took the lead, his Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd sweeping across the battlefield!

Where the halberd blade passed, three shields shattered instantly, and the three soldiers behind the shields were sent flying backward by the immense force, knocking down seven or eight people behind them.

Li Cunxiao followed closely behind, and Yu Wang's spear was like a storm, with each swing shattering shields and killing people.

The twenty-six knights of the Jingnan Army, though lacking the terrifying divine power of the two, were equally fierce and brave.

They formed a group of three, supporting each other from all sides, thrusting with spears and slashing with swords, leaving a trail of blood and flesh in their wake.

Five thousand pursuers were actually torn open by twenty-eight horsemen!

"Is...is this even human?!" a soldier exclaimed in a trembling voice.

"Ghosts! They are ghosts!"

Panic spread like a plague.

Yuan Shao's face turned ashen as he watched the twenty-eight riders rampage through the army formation as if they were nothing.

What alarmed him even more was that the direction Xiang Yu and Li Cunxiao were charging towards was right in the center of the army where he and Yuan Shu were!

"Block them! Block them for me!" Yuan Shao roared hoarsely.

"They only have twenty-eight men! We can wear them down! A reward of ten gold coins will be given for each head taken!"

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

The previously somewhat scattered army formation regrouped.

Countless soldiers rushed forward, one after another, toward the twenty-eight riders.

Swords and spears were like a forest, and arrows were like a rain.

However, Xiang Yu and Li Cunxiao were like two true gods of war.

Xiang Yu's double pupils widened, and his Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd danced into a ball of dark light, leaving severed limbs and remains flying everywhere it passed.

With each swing of his halberd, three to five people would perish; the momentum of his halberd was like the Yangtze River, flowing endlessly.

Li Cunxiao was even more ferocious. With a single swing of his spear, men and horses were reduced to mincemeat. As he swept across, seven or eight people suffered broken bones and tendons.

The twenty-eight riders were like a sharp knife, piercing the chest of the five thousand-strong army.

But after all, the difference in numbers is too great.

Even the bravest of the twenty-eight riders were still made of flesh and blood.

After a quarter of an hour of fierce fighting, three Jingnan Army knights had fallen from their horses, not from battle, but from exhaustion.

Two more men were pierced in the legs by spears, fell from their horses, and were then hacked to pieces.

The remaining twenty-three people were all injured.

"Second Brother, this can't go on!" Li Cunxiao smashed three enemy soldiers away with a single thrust of his spear.

"There are too many people! We can't kill them all!"

Xiang Yu gritted his teeth, his double pupils fixed on Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, who were fifty feet away.

The distance is already very close.

But every step forward comes at a price.

Yuan Shu, his face pale, watched as Xiang Yu and his companion slowly advanced despite being heavily surrounded by the Tiger Warriors: "Brother, I think we haven't even had a chance to wear them down before these two killing gods are already upon us!"

Yuan Shao was also terrified.

He originally thought that 5,000 against 28 would be an overwhelming victory.

But I never expected it to be so tragic!

Those twenty-eight people were simply inhuman!

It's a monster!

"I don't believe they can really kill through five thousand men!" Yuan Shao gritted his teeth, but he was already considering retreating.

"Order the archers to concentrate their fire on Xiang Yu and Li Cunxiao! Shoot them down at all costs!"

The order was given, and the archers regrouped.

However, at that moment, in the center of the battlefield, Xiang Yu suddenly roared!

The Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd swept away seven or eight enemy soldiers around it like a black dragon swinging its tail. Then, with a flick of the halberd tip, it lifted up the corpse of an archer on the ground, bow and arrow still attached!

He tossed the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd to Li Cunxiao, then caught the bow with his left hand and grabbed the arrow with his right.

The movements were fluid and swift as lightning.

The bow is drawn to its fullest extent, the arrow points to the heavens.

The target was none other than Yuan Shao, who was fifty feet away!

"Not good!" Yuan Shao's hair stood on end, and he almost instinctively ducked to avoid it.

However, the next moment...

"Whoosh!"

The arrow pierced the air, but it was not aimed at Yuan Shao.

But...

"puff!"

A muffled thud.

The flag bearer beside Yuan Shao was shot in the throat, his eyes wide open, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The large flag bearing the character "Yuan," representing the central command, tilted accordingly.

"The general has been shot by an arrow!"

"The banner has fallen!"

Exclamations erupted from all sides.

The already panicked army was thrown into chaos in an instant!

"Now!" Xiang Yu discarded his bow, gripped his halberd once more, and his double pupils blazed with a fierce light.

"Jing Si, follow me to slay generals and capture flags!"

"kill!"

The twenty-odd riders, as if infused with new strength, launched another charge!

This time, the momentum was even more unstoppable!

Yuan Shao's face turned deathly pale as he watched Xiang Yu charging towards him like a demon god, and he finally panicked completely.

"Retreat...retreat! Retreat now!"