Chapter 75: Cao Cao in Shock

People often say that water and fire are merciless, and this is no exaggeration. In the face of nature’s power, human efforts seem insignificant—this is true even in technologically advanced times, let alone two thousand years ago during the Eastern Han dynasty.

The Yellow Turban army had set up their camp near the county seat of Changshe. Wild grass grew thick around the encampment, and when a raging fire broke out, the wind fanned the flames, and the fire borrowed the strength of the wind. Amid the howling northern wind, the inferno swept through the Yellow Turban camp for miles, transforming it into a sea of fire.

By the time Zhang Jiao realized what was happening, the flames were nearly upon him. At this point, putting out the fire was impossible, so he could only order a hasty retreat.

But would Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun give him the chance?

Of course not. As the fire spread, the two commanders led their troops in a charge from the east into the Yellow Turban camp. Huangfu Song stood atop a war chariot, both hands gripping drumsticks as he beat the war drum with all his might, his booming voice echoing across the battlefield.

“Attack! Attack!”

Spurred by his cries, the soldiers surged forward, shouting “Kill!” as they crashed into the panic-stricken Yellow Turbans, scattering them in every direction.

With their command structure lost, the Yellow Turban soldiers not only lost their will to fight, but all semblance of order as well. Their retreat quickly devolved into a rout.

Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, emboldened by their success, pressed the attack, relentlessly pursuing the fleeing Yellow Turbans, cutting off their escape at every turn. Many, driven to desperation, even fled headlong into the inferno.

Yet, as they watched the enemy crumble, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun could not help but feel a pang of regret amidst their triumph—their own numbers were simply too few.

The Yellow Turban army was massive, numbering in the hundreds of thousands; there was no way they could kill them all. Thus, many still managed to escape.

If only they’d had fifty or sixty thousand men, enough to encircle the enemy from east, west, and south—this battle might have ended the Yellow Turban Rebellion in one stroke.

But, such wishes were futile.

Though disappointed, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun could only continue slaughtering the enemy, doing their utmost to reduce the Yellow Turbans’ fighting force.

They chased the fleeing rebels south from evening until nightfall. As the last of the Yellow Turbans were about to escape, both commanders were anxious but powerless to stop them.

After all, they simply didn’t have enough men.

Just as they were about to order the retreat, they noticed that the fleeing Yellow Turbans abruptly turned back, faces twisted in terror.

At that moment, a thunderous rumble of hooves filled the air.

Looking up, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun saw a line of ironclad cavalry charging toward them from the south—men and horses alike encased in armor.

These heavy cavalrymen did not move as fast as ordinary horsemen—barely half as quickly, in fact—but they were still far swifter than any foot soldier.

Many Yellow Turban fugitives were quickly overtaken, barely able to utter a scream before being trampled beneath the relentless iron hooves.

At the very front rode a knight bearing a white banner with a black wild boar emblem. With one hand he brandished the flag, in the other a halberd, slashing through Yellow Turbans as he shouted,

“Unconquerable in battle, unstoppable in attack—we are the most indomitable army... Indomitable! Indomitable! Indomitable!”

Roused by his call, the armored cavalrymen echoed his shout,

“Indomitable... Indomitable... Indomitable... Indomitable...”

Hearing this, Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun were first taken aback, then overjoyed.

“Excellent! It’s Xu De’s Indomitable Army—they’ve blocked the southern escape!”

“Indeed! This is our chance—attack!”

With only a brief exchange, the two led their troops to cut down the Yellow Turbans driven back by the cavalry.

Now, with fire to the north and enemy troops blocking the east and south, the only escape for the Yellow Turbans was to the west. Yet, to their dismay, that path was also blocked.

Not only were the Yellow Turbans surprised—even Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun were stunned. Where had this new force come from?

As they puzzled over the matter, the opposing general, already in pursuit of the fleeing rebels, rode up and announced his identity.

“Honored Commanders, Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao has come to your aid by imperial decree!”

Both Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun had their banners flying behind them, so Cao Cao immediately recognized them.

Hearing this, the two commanders broke into delighted grins.

“Is that Mengde, son of Ju Gao? Ha, your arrival is most timely!”

“Hold the eastern flank—let not a single Yellow Turban escape! Today we can crush them for good!”

Cao Cao responded with an emphatic “Yes, sir!” and immediately ordered his men to seal off the eastern side, beginning a merciless slaughter of the trapped rebels.

With Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun attacking from the east, Xu Kang’s heavy cavalry intercepting from the south, Cao Cao cutting them off from the west, and the raging inferno to the north, the Yellow Turbans were utterly trapped.

Some, in desperation, hurled themselves into the fire and vanished amid the flames. Most, however, were driven to madness and turned to fight with the ferocity of cornered beasts.

Though some Yellow Turbans had escaped with Zhang Jiao, and others had perished in the flames, tens of thousands remained within the encirclement, determined to sell their lives dearly.

Against such desperate foes, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Cao Cao quickly began to feel the strain, their own men suffering heavy casualties.

The only ones unaffected were Xu Kang’s troops.

With five hundred fully-armored heavy cavalry smashing through enemy lines, two thousand five hundred cavalry providing support on the flanks, and seven thousand Huaihe infantry trailing behind to cut down stragglers, their coordination was flawless and ruthlessly efficient.

Yet the most conspicuous figure of all was not among the heavy cavalry but at their very front—a gigantic, armor-clad beast: the Indomitable Boar.

It rampaged through the Yellow Turban ranks, scattering their formations and providing a clear path for the cavalry charging behind.

Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun had already witnessed its might and were not particularly surprised, but Cao Cao was seeing it for the first time and was utterly astounded.

“What... what is that creature?”

Seeing his shock, Huangfu Song burst out laughing.

“Hahaha, Mengde, fear not! This is merely a pet raised by my nephew Xu De—no different from a cat or a dog!”

“A pet? Like a cat or a dog?” Cao Cao was even more stupefied.

As he stared at the armored beast, its hide stained crimson from the blood of countless Yellow Turbans, he found it impossible to reconcile it with the word “pet.”

At the same time, he became intensely curious about the “nephew Xu De” that Huangfu Song spoke of. “What sort of man could possibly raise such a creature?”

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than a cheer erupted from the soldiers nearby.

“Look, General Xu is here!”

“General Xu has arrived! General Xu is here!”

“Quick, follow General Xu and slay the enemy!”

Following the sound, Cao Cao looked up and beheld a man riding an armored warhorse, himself clad in golden rhinoceros hide armor. Most astonishing of all, he wielded two massive, fearsome hammers, each with a unique design. Every time he brought the hammers down upon the Yellow Turbans, sparks flew in the darkness.

No enemy could withstand a single blow from him. In a matter of breaths, more than a dozen Yellow Turbans had fallen beneath his hammers.

Seeing this, the remaining rebels didn’t even attempt to fight back—they turned and fled straight into the inferno to the north.

Amid the screams of the dying, the warrior raised both hammers high and roared a thunderous battle cry.

“Let the flames purify all!”

At this sight, Cao Cao’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Is that... even a man?”

Such was the heroism of the famed figures of the Three Kingdoms.