Chapter 29 - Battle of Kaiyang (2) (1/2)
Chapter 29 - Battle of Kaiyang (2)
Original by Bro Got a Gun, Translated by James
“Lu Bu!” Xu Huang's gaze was set on the golden armored general in front of him. “Kaiyang is about to be breached, if you were sensible, then you’d best renounce resistance and follow us together to Prime Minister Cao to surrender. If you do, we shall plea for leniency for you and ask the Prime Minister to spare your life!” Said Xu Huang with a stern voice. The amount of Cao troops that on the frontal walls was constantly increasing. Originally, there was but a couple white clothed soldiers on the walls that was packed with black clothed soldiers. Now, the black and white was completely mixed together.
The Cao army had already taken over half the wall. Their strength was also growing continuously. The Lu Bu army could no longer repel their enemies down the walls, all they could do now was defend themselves.
Lu Bu looked at the constantly increasing Cao troops. With a face void of expressions, he said. “Is that so?!”
“Marquis of Wen! You are an official of Han! Prime Minister Cao was the delegate of His Majesty the Son of Heaven! To dare point your blade at the Son of Heaven, you are seeking your own destruction! It’s best you lay down your weapon, perhaps then His Majesty will spare your life!” Although Li Dian had not battle against Lu Bu before, he had heard of rumors of Lu Bu’s reputation and prowess. Thus, he was speaking to Lu Bu with a respectful tone.
“Surrender?!” Laughed Lu Bu. “Spare my life?!” He laughed with a great display of happiness. “I find your suggestions to be very difficult to accept!” Lu Bu took off his cloak and placed it aside. “Did you know that I, Lu Bu, was born in Jiuyuan county of Wuyuan commandery out in the frontier?! That region was a place of great scarcity and populated by exiled people. In order to survive, I, Lu Bu, entered the prairie alone to find prey. Who would’ve thought that instead of finding prey, I was instead surrounded by a pack of wolves! On the l.u.s.t green prairie, I was surrounded by tens of wolves that night! Foreign cavalries had pa.s.sed by me when I was surrounded by the wolves. They spoke to me. They told me as long as I beg them and become their slave, they will save me! A matter of life and death! I, Lu Bu, was unarmed and defenseless. I, Lu Bu, did not beg for a.s.sistance. Tens of wolves! They wanted to eat me! I too wanted to eat them! I was hungry, very hungry! I knew that even if these wolves hadn't found me, I would’ve died from my hunger on the prairie. Thus, I went insane! I charged into the pack of wolves! I needed to eat them! I needed to eat them in order to survive!” Lu Bu exposed his neck. On his neck was countless bite scars.
“Did you see that? For every bite they gave me, I returned them a bite! Wolves target the crucial locations of others - neck, arm and head! I learned from them, wherever they bit me, I would bite them back at the same location! Finally, I survived via their blood and fles.h.!.+”
Learn From wolves? Bite wolves to death? Survive via wolves’ blood and flesh?! Some nearby Cao soldiers swallowed their saliva. Xu Huang and Li Dian’s guards have surrounded Lu Bu but they dared not move.
Lu Bu continued. “When I grew up, I joined our great Han army. Winter was when foreigners come and plunder us. In the Battle of Jiuyuan, our Han army of a hundred and twenty three strong was trapped by thirty thousand Wuwan in the middle of wilderness! Thirty thousand Wuwan heavy cavalries! In that battle, my weapon broke apart, one after another, I changed my weapons. In that battle, my war horse died, one after another, I changed my horse. My armor was dyed red by the blood, unable to wash off. A hundred and twenty three men, only three survived! Amongst them was I, Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian! Never had I beg for forgiveness! Do you know how many Wuwan died by my hands?!”
Lu Bu extended his fingers. “A hundred and twenty three men. A hundred and twenty died. We defeated the Wuwan cavalry of thirty thousand, killed seven thousand!”
Whenever Lu Bu mention numbers, Xu Huang and Li Dian’s hearts trembled. A hundred against thirty thousand! That’s three hundredfold! Enemies three hundred times as many! Lu Bu also thought that he was certainly going to die too. Who would’ve imagined that because he went berserk and killed so many, the Wuwan grew afraid of him and issued an order to flee. Only then did Lu Bu managed to survive.
“Afterwards, I started working under Ding Yuan, Ding Jianyang. Bing Province Heavy Cavalries, we fought against the Wuwan and the Liaodong! From those foreigners, from those prairie wolves, and from those Han Dynasty officials, I learned of one thing - surrendering meant death! Had I surrender to those wolves, then perhaps I would’ve already become a cl.u.s.ter of bones on the prairie! Had I surrender to the Wuwan, then perhaps I would either be their slave or be killed by them!” Lu Bu smiled as he looked at Xu Huang and Li Dian. “Say, do you still think I should surrender?!”
“Marquis of Wen! Prime Minister Cao is neither wolves nor foreigner! He is our Great Han’s Prime Minister, the representative of His Majesty!” Li Dian didn’t give up on trying to persuade Lu Bu to surrender.