Traveling back in time to Liu Feng, starting with rescuing soldier Guan Yu.

South bank of the turbulent river.

Five li to the west, behind a hill, Liu Feng and his eight hundred carefully selected cavalrymen hid, their mouths gagged and their hooves wrapped in cloth.

Before long, a scout came running back from the shore. He had not ridden a horse, fearing that the sound of hooves would alert Cao Cao's vanguard cavalry.

The scout, panting heavily, pointed towards the south bank and gasped, "General, Cao Cao's troops... Cao Cao's troops have crossed the river!"

A huge weight lifted from Liu Feng's heart, and a confident glint shone in his sharp eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Brothers, the enemy has taken the bait. Mount up and prepare to meet them!"

Eight hundred cavalrymen mounted their horses, gripping their lances tightly. All eight hundred heavy cavalrymen were clad in armor, their horses equipped with stirrups and horseshoes.

"Damn it! It took us a lot of effort to lure that bastard Tian Yu across the turbulent water!"

Liu Feng, unusually, uttered a curse, then continued laughing, "We brothers worked through the night, even building catapults to bombard Rangcheng. Our goal was to make Tian Yu believe Rangcheng was on the verge of collapse! Now, the big fish has finally taken the bait. Soldiers, wait for the enemy's vanguard cavalry to cross the Diao River and head straight for Cao Cao's central army, then unleash your fury!"

The morale of the eight hundred cavalrymen was immediately boosted. Their hooves, studded with iron plates, gently pawed at the mounds of earth, and the soldiers gripped their weapons even tighter.

Qingping Ferry.

Tian Yu personally led his Youzhou cavalry across the turbulent river, and then they formed a well-trained column on the riverbank to cover the crossing of the following troops.

Tian Yu waved his hand lightly, and dozens of cavalrymen on each of the left and right flanks suddenly stepped out from the crowd, each nocking a bow and arrow and firing at the distant dense forest.

Whoosh whoosh!

Tian Yu's Youzhou cavalry were all equipped with strong bows. Taking advantage of the momentum of their charging horses, they released arrows. The arrows whistled through the air with a teeth-grinding sound. Some arrows even went straight into the tree trunks, their fletchings still swaying.

After nearly a hundred cavalrymen fired arrows repeatedly, five volleys of arrows rained down, leaving the cavalrymen with aching arms and the trees large and small riddled with arrows. Yet, there was still no trace of human voice in the dense forest.

Now, even someone who had never led troops before could see that there were no ambushes hidden in the dense forest along the riverbank.

Yin Shu led his cavalry across the river. Seeing Tian Yu's futile efforts, he sneered and mocked, "General Zhenwei's troops have long been stationed in the northern frontier, and his Youzhou cavalry are indeed skilled archers. But do you know that shooting arrows into the dense forest like this is to hunt some rabbits to reward the army's rations?"

After Yin Shu finished speaking, he led his cavalrymen and galloped towards Rang County.

Tian Yu did not take Yin Shu's words to heart. He looked at the open hilly area behind the dense forest, but there was nowhere else to set up an ambush.

Could it be that I was being overly cautious? Liu Feng's troops are intensifying their attack on the city, aiming to capture Rang County before reinforcements arrive.

Tian Yu shook his head. "If they think they can conquer Rangcheng with just that, then Xuande's adopted son is being far too unrealistic!"

Now that it was confirmed that Liu Feng had not set up an ambush at Qingping Ferry, Tian Yu did not hesitate any longer and led the Youzhou cavalry towards the upper reaches of the Diao River.

On a hilly slope somewhere.

Liu Feng sat upright on his steed, clad in a crimson robe and black armor, a long spear in his hand, its tip gleaming like autumn water. Just moments before, the muffled, thunderous sound of horses' hooves had thundered erratically toward Rang County; Cao Cao's cavalry had already crossed the Diao River.

Dust rose in the distance, and a winding army gradually appeared on the horizon. Cao Cao's infantry and archers were marching in an orderly fashion towards the Diao River.

As expected of Tian Yu, who was experienced in military affairs, the troops were able to maintain their formation after crossing the river. The infantry with shields held down the flanks, while the archers and spearmen protected the center.

But... that's all!

Eight hundred cavalrymen began their charge.

First came the dull thud of hooves, like distant thunder rolling by. Then it grew faster and faster, until the thunder seemed to press down overhead. The pebbles on the hills were crushed by the iron hooves, and fragments flew everywhere. Eight hundred horseshoes struck the ground simultaneously, the sound so loud that it made the rushing water ripple.

Cao Cao's infantry were caught between the Tuan River and the Diao River, in a flat plain with rolling hills, with nowhere to hide.

As Tian Yu rode his horse across the upper reaches of the Diao River, he suddenly felt the ground tremble slightly. He reined in his horse and listened intently; the sound came from behind him, growing deeper and more frequent.

Tian Yu's expression changed drastically.

"Cavalry!" Before the words were finished, a black tide surged out from behind the low hills south of Diaohe.

Liu Fengchong was at the very front.

The chestnut horse beneath me galloped on all fours, its iron hooves scattering pebbles. The wind rushed into my ears, making it impossible to hear anything but the sound of hooves behind me, one after another, like a thousand hammers striking an anvil simultaneously.

One hundred steps.

Liu Feng laid down his long spear.

Fifty steps.

Liu Feng could even see the expressions on the faces of Cao's soldiers—their eyes were wide open, their mouths agape, as if they wanted to shout something but couldn't.

Thirty steps.

It's inserted.

Liu Feng pierced a shield with his long spear, sending both the shield and the rider flying. His chestnut horse then crashed into the crowd, its iron hooves pounding against the leather armor with a sickening thud.

Then the second row. The third row.

Eight hundred heavy cavalrymen slammed into the pottery jar like an iron hammer. The Cao army infantry were almost instantly pierced through. Those infantrymen who tried to raise their spears to resist didn't even have time to make a move—the heavy cavalry were too fast and too powerful.

Horseshoes provide terrifying stability on gravel, while double stirrups allow the rider to maintain balance amidst turbulence, enabling them to thrust out a spear with both hands and take a life.

Cao Cao's army was like a rope, torn in two. Liu Feng wielded his spear, felling a Cao Cao captain, blood splattering all over his face. He didn't even wipe it away, and charged back into battle. His eight hundred iron cavalry followed without pause, charging left and right, their hooves trampling broken spears and corpses in their wake.

His inner military instincts were reawakened. Liu Feng, mounted on his horse, surveyed the entire battlefield. Any sign that Cao Cao's troops were gathering in formation would immediately become their target.

Finally, some began to drop their weapons and run towards the south bank. After running a few dozen steps, they were trampled by heavy cavalry from the side. Others ran north, reaching the swift current, where they hesitated, looking at the cold, deep water, wondering whether to jump. The sound of hooves approached from behind, and they no longer hesitated; those who struggled to jump in were like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, splashing everywhere. The river was too swift, and their armor too heavy; they never resurfaced.

Liu Feng looked up towards the north bank of the turbulent river. Cao Cao's supplies and provisions were still on the north bank, not yet crossed the river, and the Cao soldiers stationed there numbered about a thousand. At this moment, chaos reigned, and they did not know whether to support the south bank or defend the supplies.

Then, the ground on the north bank began to tremble. The Shu Han troops, who had been lying in ambush for a long time, attacked from the left and right flanks. Shen Yi was on the left flank and Kou Zun was on the right flank. The two men each led two thousand infantrymen, and charged over the supplies that Cao Cao's army had left on the north bank of the Tuan River.

Tian Yu felt his body sway slightly.

He had been on guard against the south bank of the Tuan River, wary of Liu Feng's army attacking while crossing, and had even ordered his Youzhou cavalry to fire five volleys of arrows into the dense forest. But he hadn't expected Liu Feng to dare set up an ambush on the north bank of the Tuan River—that was the direction from which Cao Cao's army had come, and where their supplies and provisions were located.

This was a gamble with lives. The gamble was that the eight hundred heavy cavalry could strike effectively in one blow, breaking through Cao Cao's infantry square formation and disrupting his formation.

Liu Feng won the bet.

Flames erupted on the north bank as Liu Feng shattered another Cao army formation. His long spear, already dulled, was tossed aside, and he picked up another lance from the ground. His chestnut horse was drenched in sweat, blood trickling down its legs. He patted the horse's neck and glanced around the battlefield—the rushing water was stained red, and the Diao River was also stained red. Cao army flags lay scattered on the ground, trampled underfoot.

Kou Zun set fire to the north bank of the Tuan River. The baggage train caught fire, and black smoke billowed into the sky, visible from ten miles away.

"What a vicious psychological warfare tactic!" Tian Yu sighed inwardly. Liu Feng's army had come from afar to attack the city, and although the Han River made it easier to transport supplies, the amount would still be limited. He had come to aid Rang County with a full three thousand shi of grain and supplies, prepared for a long stalemate, waiting for Liu Feng to run out of supplies and retreat on his own.

But at this moment, the supplies were all stuck on the north bank of the Tuan River and burned to ashes by Liu Feng. The garrison in Rang County saw the fire outside the city from afar, and most of the reinforcements had been swept away, and the grain and supplies had been reduced to ashes. Their morale would undoubtedly suffer a heavy blow.

"General Zhenwei, what are you waiting for! Quickly follow me to organize the cavalry and charge back!" Yin Shu rode up in a fit of rage. The soldiers trapped on the other side were all his veterans, the foundation of his position in Cao Cao's camp, but they were almost wiped out by Liu Feng in a single encounter.

Yin Shu's heart was bleeding.