Chapter 137 - Wounded Cheetah VS Lion King
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
“Father, you’ve returned!!!” Huang Xu who is already pale from being choked by Zhou Tai, suddenly showed signs of hope.
Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng, had entered the building with his gold curved dao and long bow at his back.
Huang Zhong's order was to assault the South Gate. The Urban Army under Huang Zhong's leadership was invincible. The opposite did not have any teeth to bite back, all of them were dead, even Yu Zheng from the Yu clan who just boasted about his achievements was beheaded instantly by Huang Zhong.
After they finished assaulting the South Gate, originally Huang Zhong was prepared to join up with Liu Mang to fight the Zhou clan's Black Flag. But when he arrived at the appointed place, he only found Liu Kai and Liu Neng with their private soldiers along with the disarmed Black Flag soldiers.
The Black Flag was the Zhou clan's private soldiers. If Liu Mang alone were to subjugate them, it will take very big effort as he is not a noble. The same thing cannot be said with the Liu clan however. As they are also nobles, then subjugating Black Flag is the same as changing masters, from Zhou to Liu.
Looking at these elite heavy infantries who had just surrendered made Huang Zhong truly stunned. Every single one of those Black Flag soldiers were truly strong because they were able to lift heavy armor with very little difficulties. Huang Zhong could not believe that his little lord is truly this strong.
The Urban Army’s casualties only amounted to 100 troops and he was able to make these 3,000 elite troops surrender. But now Huang Zhong was unable to find Liu Mang anywhere at their appointed place
Liu Neng quickly told Huang Zhong that Liu Mang went to Administration Office, because Sun Ce had sent assassins to kill his lord Lu Bu’s family. Liu Kai and Liu Neng stayed here because of Liu Mang’s order to put these newly surrendered Black Flag to prison, so they stayed here now. With the request from Liu Neng to assist Liu Mang, Huang Zhong quickly galloped toward the Administration Office.
Even without Liu Neng’s request, Huang Zhong would have also quickly went to the Administration Office. Liu Mang had stationed his beloved son to guard Lu Bu’s family. Huang Zhong was now really worried, so worried that he kept whipping his already tired warhorse.
When he arrived at Administration Office, Huang Zhong trembled a little, because of the casualties at the lobby. Huang Zhong asked an Urban Army who managed to survive the initial attack, Liu Mang’s location. After that, Huang Zhong quickly moved to the West Wing. When he arrived there, his eyes almost fell out of its socket because of shock.
Urban Army’s corpses were littered everywhere. Some of them were torn in half, some of them had bones protruding from their bodies, a great shield split into two and the blue stone for flooring was destroyed.
His little lord was lying on the ground held by his three wives-to-be, his son was choking and can be killed at any time by an armor less young man.
“Father?!” Zhou Tai’s heart was startled. The father of young archer came, this is dangerous. Zhou Tai then thought “It is no use. I don’t care if your father is here, you will die today!!!” Zhou Tai tightening his grip and want to choke slam Huang Xu.
“DIE!!!!” Zhou Tai went crazy again. First he needed to kill this young man and then seize the opportunity to kill the ladies and Liu Mang, ignoring Huang Zhong.
“YOU DIE NOW!!!” Huang Zhong exclaimed loudly. Huang Zhong no longer careded about wealth, no longer cared military authority, no longer cared about his dignity. The only thing that he cared about was his son Huang Xu. Threatening Huang Xu was like inviting Huang Zhong’s wrath. Now there is a man who threatened Huang Xu’s life, Huang Zhong wanted to rip that man open.
However, if he rushed Zhou Tai now, then it will be too late. So Huang Zhong drew his trusty longbow and quickly locked-on Zhou Tai.
In the Three Kingdoms period, the best archer Huang Zhong. Lu Bu’s skill in archery if compared with Huang Zhong’s is slightly inferior.
To explain that, we need to go further to the past, when Lu Bu was still in Xu Province. Two instances show Lu Bu’s archery prowess.
Originally in the Formation Breaker, Gao Shun had a major named Cao Xing who was able to shoot Xiahou Dun’s left eye back in Xiapi from a distance of 150 steps. His archery was taught to him by Lu Bu. After Xiahou Dun ate his eyeball, he quickly charged with all of his might and was able to kill Cao Xing before losing consciousness. Cao Xing’s skill in wushu was actually only a third-class general, even lower when compared to Cheng Yu, but he was able to almost kill a first-class general because of his archery skill.
The second instance is when Lu Bu shot his Sky Piercer in order to force Liu Bei and Ji Ling into a truce. At that time the distance between his Sky Piercer and him was 150 steps, but Lu Bu was still able to shoot his arrow flew toward the tip of his halberd and managed to hit it, thus we can agree that Lu Bu’s archery is also excellent.
But during Lu Bu and Huang Zhong’s duel, he did not use his archery skill because he knows that he is at his strongest when he is using halberd, same also with Huang Zhong with his archery skill. So they can only have showdown with their strongest point.
Now, Huang Zhong had never been so angry in his life, he quickly shifted powered up state, emitting the super-class general aura, similar to when Huang Xu wanted to shoot the Rapid Point-Shot, making people who felt his aura tremble in fear.
“NOT GOOD!!!” Zhou Tai’s instinct as general and beast alerted him. He knows that at the time when this young boy dies, he will also die. Although Zhou Tai came with the determination to die, he had not yet finished his mission. He had indeed killed a lot of Lu Bu’s army but those that he had killed were only soldiers, his mission is to kill Lu Bu’s family in order for his lord Sun Ce’s blood debt to be paid.
So, Zhou Tai has no other choice but put Huang Xu in front of him. If, Huang Zhong shot him, he will kill his son first before he kills him.
“HUMPH!!!” Looking at Zhou Tai put his son as a cover, Huang Zhong became angrier. “This whippersnapper really thinks I do not have any other techniques up my sleeve!!!”
Huang Zhong quickly shot two arrows but not toward Zhou Tai but at a metal shield that the Urban Army soldiers had dropped.
When those arrows made contact with great shield, it suddenly turned its direction toward Zhou Tai’s back shoulder. It was the exact same location where he was shot by Huang Xu’s Rapid Point-Shot earlier and at the shoulder where he is holding Huang Xu.
“Ricochet?!” Liu Mang finally knew what is called master in archery and now in disbelief because he had never ever in his life expected to see a ricochet shot done using a bow and arrow.
TL: Huang Zhong just become Revolver Ocelot.
Zhou Tai only realized it at the last moment and was already too late to avoid those arrows.
“AAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!” Zhou Tai screamed in pain. His wounds are truly hurting now. Those arrows which were shot by Huang Zhong buried deep inside his left heart and his right shoulder where he choke Huang Xu. Blood flowers splashing from his body causing much pain.
Because of that, Zhou Tai lost his arm strength and dropped Huang Xu. Just as Huang Xu was dropped, Lu Lingqi offered her halberd grip for Huang Xu to hold in order to escape.
Huang Xu had been saved, Zhou Tai’s only threating enemy is Huang Zhong. So Zhou Tai ordered the rest of his Black Flag to attack Huang Zhong “STOP HIM!!!”
Zhou Tai’s instinct has painted with fear from this veteran. The young archer almost cost him his life, now the old one comes with a skill much higher. He fears that he will die before completing his mission.
“Oh, not dead yet?!” Huang Zhong’s brow wrinkled.
The second arrow has hit this young man’s left chest. It should pierce his heart and he is on the way to bleeding to death. But he is still standing. Although this man’s wounds are a lot, all of them are not fatal. A person whose strength has reached super-class can control their muscles in order to stop excessive blood loss.
“Still have one heart, eh?!” Huang Zhong sneered already understanding the situation.
Huang Zhong is not Huang Xu. He is experienced. Even though Zhou Tai already had a bleeding wound, he was still standing up; meaning he has two hearts. Huang Zhong quickly raised his bow again. He must kill this general soon but his brow wrinkled when he saw how many Black Flag soldiers are charging toward him.
He quickly released his shot, and two Black Flag soldiers died instantly.
”SHAAAA!!!!” The death of their comrades cannot slow down the remaining Black Flags. They need to kill or hold down Huang Zhong so their commander can restore his strength and make a final charge. So, they revealed killing intent and shoved their long swords toward Huang Zhong.
Huang Zhong just countered the Black Flag soldiers who initiated an attack with his bare hands. He punched him and grabbed the long sword and quickly stabbed him.
Two Black Flags approaching, one of them tried to strike his chest, the other aimed for his belly.
Huang Zhong just used his longbow as shield, and then slashed them with his gold curved dao. In just a moment, both of them are lost their heads.
With The Black Flag buying time for him, Zhou Tai quickly gathered his strength again by hitting his own pressure points. He bit his wrist in order to become beast once again and also to connect certain blood vessel for his last offense. If he cannot become enraged, he has no hope of completing his mission.
Every time he bit his arm, he shivered, because the wound on his arm almost reached his bone. But whatever the cost, it is enough for him to reconnect his blood vessel in order to become beast once again.
Zhou Tai is a predator. In order to make his last stand, he must at least opened his blood flow and reconnect vital blood vessels in order for him to fight again, so he had no choice but to do surgery on himself in order to reconnect his chi.
Huang Zhong, having destroyed the remaining Black Flag soldiers, he also had prepared his long bow.
“ROAAAAWWWH” Zhou Tai screamed.
He leaped toward Huang Zhong fiercely. Doing a long distance battle will only bring him a loss. That veteran’s longbow’s threat is too big. As long as he can fight in close combat, he can had an opportunity to win. So he brandished his serpent spear for one last battle.
“Oh, you want to do close combat? Good, let me witness how powerful you are!!!” Huang Zhong sneered while looking at Zhou Tai who is currently speeding toward him. He put down his long bow and pulled out his gold curved dao. Huang Zhong was not only good at archery, he was also good in close combat.
Yes, Huang Zhong’s top ability is his archery skill. But his strength is in the pinnacle of super-class. Even when Lu Bu fought Huang Zhong, he only able to keep up with him to a draw for 100 bouts before he pulled out his longbow.
Even historically when Guan Yu fight against Huang Zhong in Changsha commandery. At that time, Guan Yu was still in his prime and Huang Zhong was already old, but when they fought, Guan Yu was unable to defeat Huang Zhong in a fair duel. Only after feinting escape, can he defeat Huang Zhong.
At that time, Huang Zhong was already past of his prime, his entire physical quality had already dropped; showing Huang Zhong’s skill in dao.
Zhou Tai wanted fight in close combat in order to kill Huang Zhong and Huang Zhong also want to make Zhou Tai die painfully, an arrow shot is too good for him.
If Zhou Tai is a cheetah trying to pounce on a prey, then Huang Zhong now is a lion waiting for enemy to be exhausted in order to strike.
And final battle against a severely wounded Zhou Tai and Huang Zhong begun.
Huang Zhong just leisurely let Zhou Tai attack him, he wanted to know the depth of Zhou Tai’s skills.
Zhou Tai is leaping again toward Huang Zhong in order to pounce him, Huang Zhong purposely on the defensive; he was even taking a few blows from Zhou Tai.
Zhou Tai was swinging his hand like a mad man, no longer a human.
But each of his strike was deflected easily. Huang Zhong sneered toward Zhou Tai
“Heh, whippersnapper. If this is the extent of your ability, it is no wonder Sun Ce sent you as an assassin. Surely he did not think high of you!!!”
Zhou Tai roared again, angry from Huang Zhong’s insult. But this time, Huang Zhong repelled his attack with all his might making Zhou Tai stumble. As he lost balance, Huang Zhong slashed both of Zhou Tai’s hands and Achilles tendon.
Soon enough, Zhou Tai fell down on his back, unable to stand up anymore.
His arms fell at his side. As he turned his face, in front of him laid two hands gripping a split trident