Chapter 17 - Got Sold
Original by Bro Got a Gun, Translated by James
In front of Liu Mang and over the vast plains was the countless Cao troops with their spears sticking out, their bright armor dazzling in the wind and their war horses neighing, ready to engage!
Although Liu Mang have came to this era, he yet to experience the actual assembly of a large army. And now, with the view in front of him, Liu Mang was totally frightened. Back in Xiapi, the majority of the Cao troops was besieging the gates and only few managed to get in the city and fight against Liu Mang and his troops. Later, although Yu Jin and Xiahou Dun’s armies arrived, Liu Mang managed to convert their targets to Wei Xu and Song Xian! Thus, he have never once seen the assembly of a large army!
Liu Bu and the rest of them, on the other hand, was acting much more normal. Covered in the golden Poseidon Scale, Lu Bu was glittering under the sun’s ray. Holding the trident in his hand, he appeared even more impressive. Although he wasn’t riding the Red Hare, his mount was still impressive looking horse.
“I suspect there must be at least ten thousand enemies in front of us!” Liu Mang was speechless. In his school, five thousand people could cover the whole sports field. With this many people, they certainly covered more than a single sports field!
“Fifteen thousand or so!” Lu Bu briefly stated the amount of men Chen Deng have.
“Fifteen thousand?!” Liu Mang began to think that this Lu Bu was crazy. He had only some two thousand troops! And now, he was planning to use these two thousand troops to fight against fifteen thousand! Was that not a sign of an idiot?!
Even if all of your subordinates were elites, you can’t fight one against ten! Hell, did you think that they were all Chen Zhen’s and Ip Man’s?!
[TL; google them if you don't know who they are.]
“Hehe!” Lu Bu did not respond to Liu Mang. He chuckled and rode his horse forward.
“All army! In formation!” Gao Shun raised his hands and waved it down.
”Arrange formation! Arrange formation!” The seven hundred some Formation Breakers quickly arranged themselves into formations. Although Liu Mang knew neither of the arts of war or the arts of formations, he could tell that the Formation Breakers have arranged themselves like a huge turtle! Countless shields have arranged into a strong defensive line. Within this defensive line, gleaming in the sunlight was blades.
If the fifteen thousand people on the opposite side instill fear into one’s mind, then the current Formation Breaker, the seven hundred people in perfect formation like a single person, was like a giant!
On the other side, the enemies in red too stopped moving. They began to separate into different groups.
From that large army comes a group of men riding horses.
Leading was a scholarly man, on his sides was a couple armored generals.
“Master, in the front is the Lu Bu army!” A general spoke to the scholar in white.
“Oh?!” said the scholar indifferently. He began to run his eyes over the Lu Bu army, Zhang Liao’s Bing Province Soldiers, Gao Shun’s Formation Breaker and that person in the golden armor.
Isn’t that person in the golden armor Lu Bu?!
“Word of mouth had it that within horses, Red Hare, with men, Lu Bu. Now that I saw, he’s nothing extraordinary!” A general on the side spoke up. “The Lu Bu army currently have but a few thousand people! Seeing our large army, instead of taking shelter, he dated to engage us head on. What arrogance! Master, this general asks to be the vanguard! I shall fetch that insignificant Lu Bu’s head!”
Chen Deng too was confused. What exactly was this Lu Bu thinking?! Having once worked for Lu Bu, he knew of the prowess of the Formation Breaker and the Bing Province Soldiers.
The Formation Breaker was said to be the king of infantries! Although the Formation Breaker numbered but eight hundred, they could rival five thousand!
The Bing Province Soldiers were the Bing Province Armored Calvary. Although they no longer have their horses, they were still soldiers who have been through hundreds of battles!
However, even with these, they cannot possibly win against fifteen thousand! Not to mention, from Prime Minister Cao, it was learned that Lu Bu’s army lacked provisions. According to calculations, he should have ran out of food for a day now!
Perhaps there is a trap?! Chen Deng’s overly suspicious personality caused him to be unable to see through the Lu Bu on the other side.
“Let’s go! We shall try the Marquis of Wen!” Being unable to see through Lu Bu’s mindset, Chen Deng could only try him out!
“Heeyah!” Chen Deng and his men began riding toward Lu Bu.
“Lu Bu, Marquis of Wen, show yourself! Chen Deng of Guangling have came to see you!” Shouted Chen Deng personally.
“Haha haha! What sort of thing is this Chen Deng, Chen Yuanlong? He is but a man who turns his back on his master and abandons his loyalty!” With a bold laugher, Lu Bu came forth riding his horse.
“You dared insult my master!” A general was about to rush forward to engage Lu Bu but was stopped by Chen Deng. To fight against Lu Bu alone is a death wish! Although Lu Bu have neither the Red Hare nor his Sky Piercer, he was still someone that a second rated general could not compare to!
“The Marquis of Wen seemed to be in good health!” Said Chen Deng, holding his fist.
“Thanks to your Chen family’s blessing, I’m still alive!” The trident in Lu Bu’s hands started to buzz, showing its master’s killing intent.
“Hehe, it’s good to be alive, good to be alive!” Chen Deng laughed. “Oh Marquis of Wen, a few days back, Xu Province was still yours and you had seventy thousand men. How come are only left with this few men now?!” laughed Chen Deng.
“Humph! Why I’m left with this few men, how would you, Chen Deng, not know?! If you didn’t, then you won’t have appeared in front of me now!” said Lu Bu with a snort.
“Marquis of Wen oh Marquis, my father and I did it for your sake too!” Chen Deng had an expression like he was thinking for your sake. “Prime Minister Cao was sent on imperial orders to rule over the world. Marquis of Wen, as an official of Han, you ought to lay down your military power and enter the imperial court as an official. When the moment comes, your position would thus ascend a couple ranks and bring splendor shines on your family’s door! To give the Xu Province to Prime Minister Cao is to give the Xu Province to the Emperor!”
“For my sake? Haha. What a great way to do things for my sake! No wonder your Chen family of Guangling could take root in Xu Province for all these years! Fifteen thousand troops! What a large number!” Lu Bu began to held a bit of admiration for the Chen family. They were already here when Tao Qian was still in power. Tao Qian have forgotten about them. Then when Liu Bei and finally he controlled Xu Province, they were still there as the lord of Guangling! Not only were they not harmed at all, they even grew larger!
Fifteen thousand troops was even comparable to a warlord’s!
“What a pity!” Lu Bu continued. “What a pity that your old father, Chen Gui, cannot live till this date!”
Hearing that Lu Bu mentioned his father, Chen Deng frowned. “Marquis of Wen, as the saying goes, one shall not strike the face when beating someone up, one shall not bring forth one’s relative in an argument! Marquis of Wen, wasn’t your speech just now lacking etiquette?!”
“Hahahaha! I understand, I understand!” Lu Bu looked at Chen Deng with a mocking smile. It was exactly as Gongtai said, this Chen Deng still didn’t know of that incident. “I suspect you still didn’t know! No wonder, no wonder!”
“Didn’t know?!” Chen Deng already suspected that Lu Bu had a trap set up. Now, hearing Lu Bu’s words, he grew even more suspicious.
“When did the Marquis of Wen started talking in riddles and rhymes. This isn’t like the Marquis of Wen’s style!” said Chen Deng.
“Sigh! Oh Chen Deng, why bother?! For your Prime Minister Cao to not tell you, he must certainly have his reasons! Say, as an outsider, how could I intrude upon your business?!”
Cao Cao was hiding something from me? Chen Deng glanced at the Formation Breaker and the Bing Province Army. Didn’t Cao Cao said the Lu Bu army ran out of provisions and have staved for a day?! However, no matter how you look at them, they looked to be completely healthy, without any signs of starvation! “Marquis of Wen, if you have something to say then say it!”
If there was something that Chen Deng was unable to let go of then it would be his Chen family’s growth and his father Chen Gui.
“Oh righteous emperor! I, Lu Bu, is inferior! Oh how inferior!” Who says Lu Bu doesn’t know how to scheme? He just never bothered to!
“Stray dog, it goes without saying that you are inferior to my master! What is there to lament about?!” One of Chen Deng’s general already didn’t like Lu Bu for he disdained Lu Bu for being called the number one general under heaven.
“Yuanlong, make sure to close your family’s cage properly so that your dogs won’t randomly bite people!” Had it not been for the fact that Lu Bu wanted to see the Chen Deng’s expression after finding out what happened to his father, he would’ve already killed that man instead of saying this!
“Step down!” Chen Deng was eager to know the information regarding his father. “Sorry to show such a disgraceful scene to the Marquis of Wen! Perhaps the Marquis could inform this Chen Deng of the news of his father?!” Chen Yuanlong wasn’t dumb, the only thing that Cao Cao could try to hide from him would be information regarding his father!
“Well then, seeing Yuanlong’s sincerity, I guess I shall tackle the difficult job of informing you the news! Chen Gui, your father, have already passed away!” Seeing Chen Deng’s marvelous expression, Lu Bu wanted to laugh but had to held his laughter back!
“Impossible! Impossible!” Chen Deng eyes were wide open, his expression showing a refusal to accept the news. “Lu Bu, Deng have treated you with courtesy. Why must you deceive Deng?!” asked Chen Deng.
“What, did you, Chen Yuanlong, see this Lu Bu as the kind of person who speaks of false words?!” Lu Bu’s expression also grew colder.
“Not only did your father passed away, he died at the hands of your devoted Prime Minister Cao!” declared Lu Bu word by word.
“You’re lying! Lies!” Chen Deng was no longer calm and collected. Although Chen Gui might have died, he can’t possibly die at the hands of Cao Cao! Chen Gui dying will not benefit Cao Cao one bit! Cao Cao cannot be that stupid!
“Believe what you want!” Lu Bu didn’t want to bother explaining. “All you have to do is go ask Cao Aman what your father said before he died and everything will make sense!”
“Humph! Regarding this, I will certainly ask the Prime Minister. However, Marquis of Wen is best to return with me to meet the Prime Minister too!” Chen Deng have made up his mind. He was determined to make Lu Bu stay. Lu Bu was too big of a threat. Just by himself, he have caused Chen Deng to have be unable to sleep properly at night. On top of that, there’s his army! Thus Chen Deng was not going to let Lu Bu walk away alive!
“What, you wanted to make me stay?! Then come!” Lu Bu sneered.
“If that’s the case, then I shall meet you on the battlefield!” CHen Deng also didn’t expect Lu Bu to surrender just like that. He was about to return to his army after saying those words.
“To stand in front of I, Lu Bu, did you think that you can come and go as you please?!” Said Lu Bu coldly. “It’s better for you to remain here!” With a clap of his legs, the large horse Lu Bu was on rushed out like the wind.
“You dare!” The generals by Chen Gong’s side cannot bear it any longer. In their view, they considered Lu Bu to be simply a handsome exterior with a hollow inside. To dare rush forward alone!
“Lu Bu, prepare to leave your head! Remember that the person who killed you is Guangling…” One of Chen Deng’s general, before he was even able to say his name, already had his head launched into the sky.
“I don’t need your name! There’s too many people that died under my hands, I cannot remember all these names!” Blood flowed down along the trident’s tip. The trident have finally tasted blood.
“Sha!” Two more generals rushed forward. Within a bout, both of them was dismounted by Lu Bu.
Chen Deng brought with him a total of five generals. Now, there’s only two left. The two generals looked at each other and yelled. “Master, quickly, run away! We shall stop him!”
Right after saying those words, two mode headless corpses dropped to the ground. All of Chen Deng’s five generals were killed.
“Humph!” However, in just this little amount of delay, Chen Deng managed to run back into his army.
“Lu Bu, no matter how strong you are, you are but a single man! Against a whole army, your are but a speck of dust! I advise you to surrender, otherwise you will just throw away your subordinate’s lives!” Chen Deng have entered into the army, safe from Lu Bu.
“Is that so? Then come and try it out!” Lu Bu slashed his halberd across. Under the sunshine, he looked as like a god on earth!
“Good! Since you wanted to die, I shall help you accomplish it! Transmit my orders to have the whole army attack!” Although Chen Deng was a scholar, the scholars during the Three Kingdoms Periods are not one bit bad on the battlefield!
“Master’s orders! Whole army, attack!”
“Master’s orders! Whole army, attack!” The orders was transmitted from one messenger to another. Soon, the large Chen army began to move.
With fifteen thousand people, even if they each spit on you, it’s enough to drown you. Not to mention this uniform motion, the whole earth began to shake and dust began flying all over.
You don’t say, Chen Deng actually really does know his military affair! Pikemen to the front, shielded blade soldiers protecting the flanks, and two thousand archers shooting from the middle of the army.
A sky full of arrows came flying toward the Lu Bu army.
“Attention Bing Province soldiers, all troops pull back!” Zhang Liao wasn’t stupid. His current Bing Province Armored Cavalry current lacked war horses. Thus, they could only be used as infantries. Without large shields like those of the Formation Breaker’s, it was absolutely impossible for infantries to survive a rain of arrow.
As expected of the elites, the Bing Province soldiers moved out of range of the Chen army’s bows.
“Change formation!” Gao Shun did not retreat in the face of all these arrows. Instead, he gave an order and the seven hundred Formation Breaker immediately held their shields up creating a wall of shield blocking the arrows.
“High shoot!” Seeing that the wall of shields have blocked his arrows, Chen Deng decisively ordered for the high shoot.
One must not estimate the Chen army. Being able to occupy Guangling for so long, they naturally have the ability.
The two thousand lifted their bows and started shooting toward the sky. The arrows flew to their peak height and then started falling down. With the help of gravity, the arrows became even more powerful.
“Black Tortoise Formation!” With a order from Gao Shun, the seven hundred Formation Breaker tilted their shields one by one. Like a turtle, they withdrew into the formation of shields.
“Doing dong dong!” With the addition of gravity, the arrows grew a lot stronger. Even though the Formation Breaker had the protection of their large shields, there were still some arrows that managed to shoot through the chinks of the shield and into the formation.
“Pop!” The arrowheads shot through the shields and directly into one’s arms and body. Soon, blood was flowing. Although suffering from intolerable pain, these Formation Breaker soldiers were still dead silent and had their eyes focused on the enemies outside!
“Pikemen, attack!” Chen Deng saw that archers had no effect and decided for a direct attack.
“Sha!” There was a total of eight thousand pikemen. For eight thousand to fight against seven hundred, as long as they’re not all idiots they are certain to win! When one is up against something that is about as powerful as oneself, he would give his all. However, when one is up against something that is weaker than oneself, something that is extremely weak, he will start to loosen up.
For seven hundred men, even if you’re the elite amongst the elite, the king of soldiers, it amounts to nothing. For ten against one, even if you can block them, they are able to pile up and crush you to death!
The enemy was getting closer. The distant way cries sounded as if just next to one’s ears. However, the Formation Breaker was nonmoving and terribly quiet. Without Gao Shun’s commands, none of these Formation Breaker soldier was going to move. Even if a blade was coming at them!
Hundred steps, ninety steps, eighty steps, seventy steps, fifty steps, thirty steps, twenty steps, ten steps.
The soldiers of the Formation Breaker could even see the enemy’s expressions and demeanors. Those with good eyes were even able see the facial hair on the enemy soldiers.
“Did those guys got scared stupid?!” The leading general of the Chen army watched the Formation Breaker and laughed. He laughed very happily. It is of no wonder, against nearly twenty times the troops, being scared was normal!
However, worry not! It’s just a single slash, a single slash and everything will be over!
Soon, this general will be unable to laugh.
As Gao Shun watched the ever approaching enemies, he actually closed his eyes.
“Gao Shun went crazy?!” Liu Mang was dumbfounded. He was standing next to Gao Shun! If these eight thousand pikemen charge over, how would he still be able to live?!
Did you got paralyzed?! Liu mang wanted to run away only to find out that he cannot run away as he is currently within the formation of shields.
“Boss Gao, Handsome Gao! Gao Gao! Fuck! Gao my ass! Send some orders!” Could it be that they are to stand there motionless for people to attack them?!
“Sha!” The first Chen soldier who came over had eyes full of smiles. These enemies were really scared silly. His blade was already enroute to someone’s body. In a couple seconds, there’ll be some blood spraying out and then outstanding military service!
With outstanding military service, he could enjoy the splendors of the rewards!
“Die! Die!” Every single Chen soldier’s face exposed a sinister expression.
Suddenly, Gao Shun opened his eyes. “Open formation!”
The Formation Breaker that was originally like a tortoise shell suddenly opened a gap. Like a giant black tortoise opening its mouth, the vanguard pikemen were swallowed into the formation.
A hundred, two hundred, three hundred, five hundred, a thousand, two thousand!
The giant black tortoise have swallowed a total of two thousand people!
“Close formation!” Gao Shun gave orders again. The gap that was open was once again closed.
“Kill them!” said Gao Shun without a hint of emotion.
“What?!” The general who was swallowed by the black tortoise was dumbfounded. The gap have closed. Their two thousand men was enclosed within the circular formation. Blocked by shields on all sides, their escape route was completely blocked.
“Seven hundred men swallowing two thousand?! Boss Gao, what appetite you have. Careful not to choke yourself!” Liu Mang was roasting from the side.
Gao Shun gave Liu Mang a white eye, without absolute confidence, he wouldn’t do such a thing!
The general who led the two thousand men inside the formation tried to force his way out to no avail. He bit his teeth and said “Brothers! The Lu Bu army wanted to swallow us! A mere seven hundred men wanted to swallow two thousand of us! What great appetite! He is seeking for self destruction! Brothers, follow me and kill the enemies!” They were going to risk their all because if they don’t then they really might die here.
“Ah?” Chen Deng too found out what the Formation Breaker have done. “What appetite. Since you want to swallow my soldiers, I’ll send you more to swallow! Transmit my orders, have the right flank shielded blade troops engage the enemy!”
Eight thousand pikemen, Gao Shun could still resist them. After all, the shielded soldiers are the nemesis of pikemen. However, when encountered with similar type shielded soldiers, it’ll be difficult then. For the opposing side too have shields and could also form formations to directly clash upon Gao Shun’s Formation Breaker. Once the Formation Breaker have been broken up, then they’re as good as dead!
“Turn!” Gao Shun gave orders again.
The whole Formation started moving. Like a top, the rotate around. Each rotation faster than the last and with each rotation came foul wind and bloody rain.
Ever since Chen Deng’s shielded blade soldiers appeared, the Formation Breaker began to suffer casualties. With every clash there would be soldiers of Formation Breaker vomiting blood. This was caused from the impact injuring the internal organs. Whenever someone left the formation, someone else will replace him, maintaining the rotation of the formation.
With pikemen on the inside and shielded blade soldiers on the outside, the Formation Breaker was about to reach their limits!
One by one, the soldiers of the Formation Breaker fall. One by one, the fallen soldiers were replaced by new soldiers only to fall again.
Soon, over two hundred men was lost within the formation.
“Humph! And here I thought you had such wondrous appetite! Seems like you can’t swallow all of them after all! If you can’t swallow them, then spit up what you have swallowed!” Chen Deng sneered. “The left flank shielded blade soldiers, join the fray and send them to hell!”
The right wind shielded blade soldiers also moved. The Formation Breaker, in the end, cannot take on all the enemies. Liu Mang cried. Fuck! In the end, I still cannot escape from death! Boss Lu, you fraud! I sent you food, weapon and armor and in the end you just have to fuck with me like so!
“Sha!” Gao Shun also joined the fray. There wasn’t enough people to rotate!
Seven hundred against eight thousand plus the shielded blade soldiers. That’s thirteen thousand! Brother, did you think you’re some kind of god?!
“Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, just wait for me to kill you!” Chen Deng’s eyes were glittering. He saw the golden armored man within the Formation Breaker and suddenly got frightened. “That’s right! Lu Bu! Lu Bu! Fighting up till now was only the Formation Breaker’s Gao Shun. Where’s Lu Bu and Zhang Liao?! That golden armored man inside the Formation Breaker did not move at all. This isn’t Lu Bu’s style!
“Haha, Chen Deng, were you looking for this Lu Bu? Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian is here! Chen Deng, prepare to die!” From Chen Deng’s flanks suddenly appeared a group of troops. Wasn’t this Lu Bu leading them?!
So, actually, as it turns out that the Formation Breaker swallowing two thousand pikemen wasn’t because they were arrogant and conceited. Rather, it was a performance for Chen Deng. Their goal was for Chen Deng to believe that victory was within his grasp, for him to continue sending out troops! First it was the right flank shielded blade soldiers. Then it was the left flank shielded blade soldiers. Now, both of his flanks were unprotected. All he have left was the archers in the middle of the army. Although they numbered two thousand, they cannot stand up to Lu Bu and the Bing Province Soldiers that he’s leading. Not to mention there’s Zhang Liao there too!