The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Lu Bu is good at being filial - Chapter 53



＜ Wolf, Tiger, and (3) ＞

[At that time, Hangu Pass, west of Luoyang.]

“Hey, Guo Si.”

“Why, you rascal.”

“I saw a divination in Luoyang, and it said a lot of people would die at Sasu Pass.”

“Of course.”

Two of Dong Zhuo’s generals, Li Jue and Guo Si, with sullen faces, signaled to the soldiers approaching Hangu Pass.

“Do we have to use our men too?”

“If we don’t, we’ll lose.”

“What a waste.”

“It’s a waste, but there’s no choice. The coalition has many troops.”

The ones entering through the open gate were carrying the flags of Li Jue and Guo Si.

They were the reserve troops that had been waiting in Chang’an, never having entered Luoyang until now.

“There was such a commotion in Hongnong, I wonder if it’s okay to bring the kids.”

The faces of those entering Luoyang with torches were nothing short of ferocious.

Scars on their faces were the norm, and it was common to see someone missing an ear or a finger on the hand holding a spear.

Some had even shaved all their hair under their hoods.

If these people entered the streets of Luoyang, they would probably be mistaken for thugs or ruffians just by their appearance, and trouble would ensue.

In fact, they were such people.

The soldiers mainly handled by Li Jue and Guo Si had such dispositions.

Dong Zhuo had never called them to Luoyang until now.

Because of a certain man.

Nevertheless, the fact that they came to Luoyang meant that the war situation was that unfavorable.

“We won’t all be killed by Lü Bu, will we?”

“Lü Bu? Ha. Do you think our guys would back down just because of one Lü Bu?”

“Not at all. They’d rather risk their lives to kill or bite him.”

Although they laughed while treating their subordinates like beasts, the soldiers who came in one by one showed no change in expression at Li Jue and Guo Si’s words.

“Hey, you guys. Be careful. This is Luoyang, where the great Emperor and high-ranking officials reside. If you act like you did in Tianshui and An Ding, it’s off with your heads, off with your heads.”

Li Jue threatened the soldiers, but they snickered and chuckled.

Because they were an uncontrollable unit?

No.

“Instead, over there to the east, you can kill or plunder the coalition forces as much as you want. Just hold back when passing through Luoyang. Got it?”

“Yes!”

The soldiers giggled and continued into Hangu Pass.

Their number easily exceeded five thousand, and not a single one was poorly equipped.

“Still as ferocious as ever. Nothing’s changed.”

“It’s not us who have changed. It’s…”

“General Dong.”

Li Jue and Guo Si took a deep breath as they looked at the ferocious soldiers.

“Inhale, exhale.”

“These are the men of the wilderness.”

As if absorbing the energy of the wasteland they brought from the west, the two narrowed their eyes as soon as they steadied their breathing.

“General Dong is not the same as before. Even before entering Luoyang, he was like an old beast.”

“Even predators get fat playing with herbivores. How much longer would a tiger live if it ate grass? Tsk.”

“But a tiger is still a tiger.”

Gwaksa opened his mouth and pointed to his front teeth.

“My tooth is still sore from when General Dong broke it.”

“That was because you got drunk and picked a fight, and got punched in the face.”

“What about your finger?”

“At least I lost it in a fight.”

Igak waved his missing pinky finger in annoyance.

“Enough. Whether you lose a tooth or a nail, or get fat, you’re still a tiger, a tiger.”

“But you’ve gotten weaker. …Hey, Igak.”

“You used to call me Iga.”

“General, can’t we take him down?”

“…….”

At Gwaksa’s words, Igak twisted his lips.

“But he’s risen to the rank of Taiwei.”

“Who knows? What if he gets hot-headed again, fights, and loses to the allied forces?”

“If he’s dismissed, won’t we be swept away too?”

“That’s why we need to do something with these guys.”

“Oh, are you planning to attack Luoyang?”

“What nonsense is that?”

Gwaksa approached Igak, put his arm around his shoulder, and chuckled.

“With the allied forces swarming in the east, who has time to worry about the west?”

“Shall we take Yangzhou?”

Igak perked up his ears.

“What about Ma Teng over there in Wuwei? He fought our General Dong.”

“When you’re doing something big, you have to put aside personal grudges for a while. They’d rather come to the central plains than stay in the wilderness. Don’t you think?”

“Hmm… Join hands with Ma Teng and Han Sui to take the west? Are we going to establish another Jin dynasty?”

“If you’re really worried, check the divination again. Hey, Igak. …Are you going to send the boys we raised to fight the allied forces as cannon fodder?”

“That would be stupid.”

Igak grinned and patted the sword at his waist.

“Let the scholars of Luoyang protect Luoyang, and let’s do our own thing. Guys!!”

“Yes, General!!”

“Only those who want to taste the blade right now, follow me!”

The soldiers chuckled and shrugged their shoulders, and Li Jue gnashed his teeth at the soldiers who didn’t want to move.

“Traitorous b*stards.”

“Who, you?”

“You’re a traitor too.”

“Hehehe.”

Guo Si chuckled and pretended to cover his face with his hand.

“Hide the equipment. And go up the mountain for a while. You were never at Hangu Pass today. Got it?”

Nod.

The soldiers passed through Hangu Pass and began to move towards the northwest of Luoyang.

“Li Jue. This area is under Zhang Ji’s control, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll go talk to him. Don’t tattle like the scholars of Luoyang, just keep your mouth shut.”

“Hehe. Hiding troops near the capital? That’s outright treason.”

“Does it matter? The country is in this state anyway….”

Guo Si pointed to the sky.

“It’s the era of great treason.”

“Hahaha! Right. Absolutely. Anyway….”

Li Jue continued, fiddling with the sword at his waist.

“Our General Dong has lived long enough. His teeth and nails have fallen out.”

Northwest of Luoyang.

Unidentified soldiers, passing through Hangu Pass.

* * *

[At that moment, the rebel suppression army – Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition battlefield.]

Clatter, clatter.

In the middle of the grassland, several cavalrymen rode their horses urgently.

“Hahaha!”

A man with a red headscarf burst into hearty laughter, followed by three middle-aged warriors.

“It’s not the time to laugh, my lord.”

“How can I not laugh!”

The man in the red hood, Sun Jian, pulled the reins of his horse.

Neigh!!

The horse, startled, stopped its running.

At the same time, the three generals running beside him also turned their horses.

“How can I not laugh when I’m about to slit the throat of that pig who doesn’t even know he’s running to his grave!”

Thud, thud, thud.

Opposite them, a group was chasing them across the grassland in the darkness.

At the forefront was a giant man, Dong Zhuo, holding a sword several times larger than the one Sun Jian was holding, riding his horse directly towards them.

“Ugh, just looking at his size makes me breathless.”

“This is not the time to be relaxed, General.”

“Alright, Zifu, let’s get started right away.”

At the warning of the stern-looking middle-aged general, Zifu, Sun Jian immediately waved his hand.

“Now! The enemy has come deep enough, commence the counterattack!”

Sun Jian shouted, raising his sharp sword high into the sky.

“Prepare for a volley!!”

“Archers, stand up!”

At Sun Jian’s cry, the general beside him, Zifu, thrust his spear into the sky.

As the red flag wrapped around the spear fluttered greatly, bundles of straw began to rise from the ground on both sides of where they had stopped.

“Ugh?!”

Dong Zhuo urgently pulled the reins.

The soldiers running with Dong Zhuo also hurriedly stopped and pointed their shields forward.

“Fire─!!”

Whoosh.

The archers, with straw tied around their heads, simultaneously fired their arrows.

The arrows flew straight towards their targets, even in the darkness, and hit them accurately.

“Argh!”

Some of the soldiers screamed as they were hit by the arrows.

But that was only a few; most of them protected themselves with their shields.

Tududuk.

Arrows fall helplessly to the ground.

“Ha!”

Even the arrows aimed at the target, Dong Zhuo, fall the same way.

“Do you think you can damage our Yangzhou army with this ambush?!”

Dong Zhuo shouted as he deflected the arrow aimed at his forehead with the flat side of his broad sword.

“Sun Jian! The Grand Commandant himself is out here fighting, and you cowardly run away!”

“Shut up, you pig!”

“Aren’t you ashamed in front of your children?!”

“What…!!”

Sun Jian’s face twisted at Dong Zhuo’s provocation.

“Ah, no! My lord, please calm down…!”

“How dare you bring my children into this?! You pig, whose children must have been born ugly!”

Sun Jian rushed forward with a harsh curse.

“What did you say?! How dare you bring my children into this?!”

“Shut up! Aren’t you ashamed to pass that face onto your children?!”

“You, you…!!”

“General Dong! Let me…!”

“I’ll go!!”

The armed men around Dong Zhuo tried to step forward with their spears, but Dong Zhuo himself took up his sword and aimed at Sun Jian.

“You worm-like b*stard!”

“Die, traitor!”

Ka-ang!

The swords clashed loudly as they aimed for each other’s necks.

“Krrk?!”

It was Sun Jian who swung his sword while riding his horse, but his sword couldn’t push Dong Zhuo back.

“Hmph!”

Instead, Dong Zhuo deflected Sun Jian’s sword and sneered at him.

“You’re so slender, your strength is less than a worm’s!”

“You’re just a big useless lump…!”

“This is what it means to be worth your size!”

Dong Zhuo swung his sword at Sun Jian with a menacing smile.

Kang, Kang, Ka-ang!

“Eighteen warlords?! Aren’t you the first among the eighteen traitors! I will kill you, build my military achievements, and rise to the position of Chancellor!”

“Arrogant…! What a bold dream you have!”

“If I beat all the traitors, I deserve at least that much! Yes, absolutely!!”

Sun Jian retreated.

Under Dong Zhuo’s relentless attacks, he suppressed his trembling arm and turned his horse around.

“Ugh, you pig! I’ll deal with you again shortly! Fall back! Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, Han Dang! Fall back!!”

Sun Jian quickly turned his horse and retreated, and his lieutenants gathered the soldiers and withdrew.

Pababat.

“You…!!”

Even as he fled, he shot arrows, and Dong Zhuo’s eyes filled with blood.

“Another meaningless act!”

Hoodoodoo.

The arrows were blocked by the sword and stuck in the ground.

The arrows aimed at the horse also bounced off the horse armor, and the horse shook its head as if it was ticklish and trampled the arrows.

“Brother!!”

Another general, Dong Min, who was following from behind, shouted.

“It’s too deep!”

“But that guy!!”

“He’s retreating on purpose! It’s an ambush!”

“With the ambush in such a state, what threat does it pose!”

“We need to catch our breath for a moment, brother, you’re sweating…!”

“……Hoo, hoo, hoo.”

Dong Zhuo exhaled roughly.

As he lowered his head for a moment, sweat poured down like rain.

“It’s not like before. …How far have we come?”

“Just to get back, it will take half a shichen at full speed on horseback.”

“Quite far. Hoo.”

“The problem is….”

Dongmin checked the condition of Dongtak and the horse.

Not only Dongtak, but the horse was also sweating under the armor.

“Let’s retreat for now. We’ve repelled the vanguard, and you have shown your might….”

“General─!!”

A deputy came running urgently.

“We’ve spotted enemy troops bypassing towards Sasugwan! General Oseub was captured while responding!”

“What?!”

“Why, why are you telling me this now…!!”

“Well, that is…!!”

The deputy pointed behind him.

There lay a messenger, collapsed against a horse, with an arrow stuck in his back.

“Messenger─! The central army is under attack by the enemy!”

“Damn…!! Retreat!! Return to Sasugwan immediately!!”

Dongtak raised his sword and turned the reins.

“Immediately-“

Waaah──!!

From behind, with a loud roar, more soldiers began to charge.

These were different soldiers from those marked with red insignia.

They were running across the ground, brandishing the banners of Yuan (袁), with yellow epaulets on their shoulders.

“These b*stards, taking turns…!”

“General, now is…!”

“We’re retreating for now! I’ll personally crush these low-level traps with my own hands!”

Ignoring the arrows aimed at him from the soldiers chasing behind, Dongtak ran straight towards Sasugwan.

“Retreat!!”

* * *

It’s an enemy trap.

The moment I realized the information that ‘they disguised themselves as Oseub,’ Hwaung immediately asked me to guard Sasugwan and rode off with the cavalry.

Not our cavalry.

It was his own cavalry.

As soon as Hwa-ung went out, he immediately subdued the fake Osup and his soldiers who had fainted.

All except for Osup and two or three soldiers who appeared to be his lieutenants were dead.

I did not stop Hwa-ung from killing everyone except the informant.

This is a battlefield.

It is a place of slaughter where those who disguise themselves as enemies to deceive the enemy, open the gates, and sneak through might commit any atrocity.

If I don’t kill the enemy, I will be killed.

If I let them go, civilians will be murdered.

Hesitation on the battlefield ended more than ten years ago.

I have seen too many bandits to show mercy.

“Hey, fake.”

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“Ugh, aaah!”

It is my role to interrogate the fake Osup.

“How about just speaking honestly?”

I know well how to make those who do not open their mouths speak.

“Or should I let you go?”

“N-no!!”

The one who was Osup, or rather, the one who came to Sasugan disguised as Osup, was tightly bound with ropes and placed below the castle wall.

“Rest assured, nameless general. At least I didn’t hang you upside down.”

“Can’t you let me go!”

“It’s Sasugan holding you, what do you mean.”

In the past, I used to hold the rope myself against bandits, but now I have to conserve my strength, so I tied it tightly to the castle wall railing.

“Let you go? Do you mean cut the rope?”

“N-no! Are you trying to kill me!”

“You won’t die. Just jump slightly before landing to soften the impact.”

“That’s nonsense!”

The castle wall of Sasugan is higher than expected.

“Maybe not here, but there it should be possible.”

Even if he is a warrior, if he falls feet first, his legs might break, but he won’t die.

“If you speak quietly, I’ll let you off with just cutting off your hand.”

“Hand, hand…?!”

“In Byungju, that’s how they do it.”

First, the hand.

Then, the arm.

Then, the neck.

“I’ll spare you, I’ll spare you.”

“R-rather…!”

“Rather be killed?”

I lightly flicked the rope with my finger.

“Really? Should I cut it?”

Then the fake Oseup soon fell silent.

“General Oseup is already dead, and with just about fifty cavalrymen, you tried to hide your identity and pass through Sasugwan to get to Luoyang. Why?”

“Th-that is….”

“You even tried to deceive us by putting a red bandana on some soldier’s head and calling him Sun Jian. You were Oseup’s lieutenant, right? So Oseup must be dead too.”

“…….”

The general of the Yangju army, Oseup, was dead.

“If you don’t intend to answer, just stay quiet like that. You’ll be of great help to us against those in front of us. Human shield, fake Oseup.”

“Wha…!!”

“They’re here.”

I aimed my bow at a group of soldiers rushing towards us.

“No need to ask for the password. They’re the enemy.”

The armor is different.

Not in material or style, but the color of the epaulets on the shoulders is different.

‘Light green?’

It’s not a color you see often, but it must have been put there to distinguish the soldiers within the allied forces.

“Who are you?”

“If you quietly open the gate, we’ll spare your lives!”

“…….”

From the start, their shouting at me was incredibly arrogant.

“Can’t you see that one of your generals is captured here?”

I pointed below the castle wall.

“Come any closer and I’ll drop it.”

“Go ahead and drop it!”

“H-Hey!!”

At the attacker’s words, the fake Osup urgently shouted.

“I-I’m Yoseop! I’m one of the generals under the command of Wonso, the leader!”

The fake Osup’s name is said to be Yoseop.

It’s a name I’ve never heard before.

“Who is that?”

It seems the man with the light green epaulet doesn’t know either.

“I-I move under the leader’s orders! If you kill me, General Wonso won’t stand still!”

“Dying in battle is an honorable thing. I follow the orders of my lord, not Wonso’s.”

“T-This…!”

“If you die, I’ll report that you died heroically in battle against the enemy!”

The author is saying everything I want to say, but it’s more annoying than I thought.

‘Even though he’s a comrade, he’s grumbling as if it doesn’t matter if he dies while being captured like this?’

This won’t do.

“Hey, you. What’s your name?”

“What kind of person doesn’t even reveal their name…!”

“Hwaung.”

“W-What…?”

“I am Hwaung.”

Hwaung left his position.

“Hwa-Hwaung?”

“That’s right.”

It seems they didn’t encounter Hwaung on the way here.

‘Even though Hwaung left, soldiers keep coming in from other paths.’

This is a deception.

It’s a lie, but an unavoidable choice to gain a tactical advantage in war.

‘I need to hold out a bit longer.’

In a battlefield where lives are at stake, the one who gets deceived is at fault.

‘Moreover, we must hide the fact that Lü Bu is here.’

In many ways, it is advantageous to conceal our identity.

Lü Bu’s achievements?

More important than the personal merit of killing an enemy general is victory.

“Who dares to challenge the pass guarded by Hua Xiong?”

“Ha…! Hua Xiong! Let’s see how strong Dong Zhuo’s top warrior really is!”

A warrior steps forward and points his spear at me.

“I, Zhao Piao, the top warrior of the Dan Yang soldiers, will face you!”

Dan Yang soldiers. Zhao Piao.

I remembered him, though I didn’t know whose subordinate he was.

“I see.”

I took the spear from the soldier standing next to me, lightly broke it, and grasped the middle.

“Zhao Piao.”

Three light steps back.

“Report to your lord in death.”

Two steps forward, throwing the spear.

“What-“

Thud!

“…Huh?”

“The name of the one who killed you.”

The spear was lodged in Zhao Piao’s chest.

“Hua, Hua Xiong…!!”

Thud.

Zhao Piao, dead.

His last words were ‘Hua Xiong.’

“General….”

“It’s strategy, strategy.”

I held the other end of the broken spear and pointed it at the agitated Dan Yang soldiers.

“If they know Lü Bu is here, they won’t dare to come in, but if they think he’s not, they’ll rush in like this.”

“…All troops, prepare to fire!!”

Waaah─!!

Despite Jo Pyo’s death, the Danyang soldiers began to charge.

“Should we have whittled some bamboo like during the Byeongju battle?”

“Shall we ask the engineers to prepare?”

“No need, we’re busy.”

I threw my spear accurately at the captain behind Jo Pyo.

“There are plenty of arrows.”

Whoosh.

Thud.

＜ Wolf, Tiger, and (3) ＞ End

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