Chapter 103: Provocation—One Strike to End It! [Please Subscribe]
“Then let us settle this with a battle!” Zhao Fan responded firmly.
He had actually been quite angry earlier upon hearing that Taishi Ci had surrendered to Sun Ce. Back then, Sun Ce had nearly killed him; if fate hadn’t favored him, he would have died long ago.
“My lord, I shall go and—” Zhao Fan was about to volunteer for the fight when he noticed Chu Feng’s strange expression. “My lord, why do you look at me with such eyes?”
“Are you the young general from Qu’a?” Chu Feng asked curiously.
Ah, so the young general from Qu’a really existed, and Zhao Fan himself was that general. No wonder his valor was so high, yet he was not recorded in the historical texts.
“What do you mean, young general from Qu’a?” Zhao Fan was puzzled. Why did his commander suddenly say something that sounded like he was meeting him anew? More importantly, why was he called the young general from Qu’a?
“Ahem, never mind. Go ahead. I will personally arrange the battle formation for you!” Chu Feng cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment and immediately led his troops out of the city.
As the long-closed city gates opened, Sun Ce’s army grew eager and excited.
“My lord, the Chu traitor finally dares to come out and fight. I volunteer to kill Chu Feng!” Dong Xi clasped his fist, a fierce expression on his face, his excitement palpable.
“My lord, I volunteer as well!”
“Hold your horses!” Sun Ce raised his hand. “This man’s martial skill is formidable. Let Ziyi fight him first. Ziyi, be careful!”
“My lord, rest assured!” Taishi Ci nodded.
Although this man was skilled, what did he fear?
The war drums began to beat, and the troops shouted in unison.
At this moment, the two charged forward on horseback.
Chu Feng raised an eyebrow and glanced over.
Taishi Ci
Martial prowess: 105
Leadership: 92
Strategy: 79
Administration: 42
A martial prowess of 105, equal to Zhao Fan. They must be evenly matched. If Zhao Fan were at his peak, he might even surpass him. No wonder he dared to confront men like Cheng Pu.
Sun Ce
Martial prowess: 106
Leadership: 103
Strategy: 86
Administration: 64
Chu Feng then looked at Sun Ce’s stats and was impressed. Martial prowess of 106 was already formidable, but leadership of 103 was truly remarkable.
It seemed the father and son, Sun Jian and Sun Ce, were extraordinarily powerful.
Had Sun Ce not died by an assassin’s hand, it would have been difficult for Cao Cao to win at Guandu. Sun Ce had never lost a battle from the moment he took up arms until his death.
Of course, Sun Quan was far inferior to his brother. Fortunately, Sun Quan maintained a careful balance of power, stabilizing Jiangdong for decades. But when it came to military affairs, it was a sore sight to behold!
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At this moment, their battle cloaks billowed in the wind.
Their eyes met. Zhao Fan lifted his spear and shouted, “Taishi Ci, hear me well. My name is Zhao Fan!”
As his words rang out, the warhorses beneath them whinnied.
In an instant, they both moved, spears aimed directly at each other.
They closed the distance swiftly.
Zhao Fan’s spear struck like a dragon’s tail, thrusting violently. Taishi Ci was slightly slower, sweeping his spear diagonally. A sharp clashing sound rang out as Zhao Fan’s spear grazed Taishi Ci’s.
Their horses crossed paths, and almost simultaneously, they elbowed each other, both emitting muffled groans. The battle was evenly matched. As their horses began to pull away, both men’s eyes flashed with fierce light. They spun around, swinging their spears.
Clang!
Another metallic ring sounded.
Now separated, their brows furrowed deeply in solemn concentration. Clearly, they recognized each other’s strength and knew they had met a worthy opponent.
“Zhao Fan, I have held back for you once or twice just now, as if out of respect. From now on, show me what you’ve got, or I will slay you and then your lord!” Taishi Ci shouted, pointing in anger.
“Heh, and you think you have the right to kill my lord?” Zhao Fan sneered coldly, his gaze icy. The two spurred their horses and clashed again.
Their spear techniques were nearly identical, evenly matched as they parried and thrust.
Thirty rounds of fierce fighting passed.
Neither showed any sign of yielding.
Sun Ce’s expression grew serious. He had not expected such a formidable general under Chu Feng’s command—one whose skill might even challenge him.
“My lord, the enemy general is alone and isolated, and Chu Feng has just barely come out to fight. We must seize this chance to defeat them swiftly. Even if we cannot kill Chu Feng, we must shatter their morale,” Yu Fan said with narrowed eyes.
“What do you mean?” Sun Ce frowned.
“My lord, Chu’s army has only one brave general—Zhao Fan. You might invite Chu Feng to battle. Should he accept, keep him occupied, while our generals sneak around to ambush Zhao Fan. If he refuses, our morale will soar, and with such spirit, tomorrow’s siege and mountain assault will be as easy as flipping a hand!” Yu Fan stroked his beard, smiling lightly.
“Reasonable. But Chu Feng alone is not worth deploying many generals to kill. I will personally slay him!” Sun Ce claimed confidently, clenching his fist.
Yu Fan wanted to remind him that if he went alone, Chu Feng might flee, but reconsidering, he said tactfully, “Your lordship’s overwhelming might will surely capture Chu Feng.”
“However, my lord, beside Chu Feng stand two other great generals: Xu Chu and Gan Ning. Both are renowned for their bravery and should not be underestimated.”
“If you ride alone, these two will not hesitate to aid Chu Feng when he is in danger. Even your lordship’s valor might not suffice to defeat them swiftly!” Yu Fan hinted delicately.
Sun Ce nodded slightly in agreement. He was proud by nature and valued his honor. To overwhelm the enemy by numbers was shameful in his eyes. When he faced Taishi Ci before, it was the same. And now, once again, he would stand alone.
With this thought, Sun Ce spurred forward, spear extended, and shouted, “Chu Feng, I have heard of your unmatched courage. Today, shall we fight it out and see who prevails? Do you dare?”
“Sun Ce, you dare challenge my lord with such skill? I, Xu Chu, will accompany you for a few moves to see if you are worthy to face my lord!” Xu Chu’s fierce eyes glared at Sun Ce as he growled.
“Heh, interesting!” Sun Ce sneered. This burly man seemed strong; killing him first wouldn’t be unthinkable!
“Zhongkang, stand down. I will go!” Chu Feng said calmly.
“You scoundrel! How dare you insult my lord? I will fight you!” Lü Fan drew his spear angrily, shouting as he charged forward.
At this, the generals murmured in admiration.
Unexpectedly, Lü Fan seized the initiative, a golden opportunity to win glory by slaying an enemy general!
Xu Chu ground his teeth as he looked toward Chu Feng. His duty was to protect Chu Feng’s safety.
“Go, kill this man!” Chu Feng waved his hand. He knew his own prowess well. If an ordinary general could kill him, he wouldn’t have won over seventy battles.
Besides, if he insisted on breaking through, who could stop him?
“Traitor! Watch as I, Grandfather Xu Chu, sever your head!” Xu Chu’s eyes blazed as he charged, brandishing his great blade.
Lü Fan was undeterred, gripping his spear and charging with a fierce yell.
Without exchanging words, the two clashed.
They closed in swiftly.
Lü Fan’s courage was no match for Xu Chu’s, but his spear was faster, striking first with a violent thrust.
“Hmph!” Xu Chu’s eyes narrowed. His great blade swung fiercely.
Clang!
Lü Fan felt a numbness in his right hand, nearly losing grip of his spear. Before he could react, Xu Chu raised his blade in a furious chop aimed at him.
“Break it!” Xu Chu roared.
Startled, Lü Fan raised his spear quickly to block.
Clang!
The great blade smashed against the spear shaft. Lü Fan felt an overwhelming force bearing down, his right hand splitting open, and the spear slipped from his grasp, flying toward his chest under the impact.
At the same time, the mighty blade descended!
SPLASH!
Silence fell.
Blood dripped from the blade’s tip.
In a single stroke, Lü Fan was slain!