Qin Qiong looked around at the soldiers and said, "What's strange is that they let Brother Zhou in without any problem when someone comes to the army looking for someone. Their military discipline is really lax."
Guan Yu said, "Second Brother Qin, you may not know this, but the main force of the troops that called me today is Gongsun Zan's men. Gongsun Zan is not an unrighteous man. My elder brother was captured while trying to save him, and he sent men to challenge us a few times, but he was afraid of Lü Bu's strength and dared not launch a strong attack. His troops all know that I am Liu Bei's brother, so they did not stop me when they heard that someone was looking for me."
I said, "It's good to have a powerful backer. Second brother, hurry up and find us some horses and some useful tools."
Guan Yu hesitated and said, "Do you really want to challenge Lü Bu? This morning alone, several of our generals have fallen to him. If the other lords weren't afraid of losing their generals, they would have already swarmed him."
Luo Cheng said unhappily, "Second Brother, you underestimate people too much. Does Lu Bu really think he can cover up the sky with one hand?"
His words were rather hurtful, essentially implicating Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the eighteen allied lords. Normally, Guan Yu would have likely lost his temper, but with Liu Bei's fate unknown and Luo Cheng there to help, he couldn't afford to lash out. He simply smiled and went to see Gongsun Zan, soon returning with over a dozen fine horses and various weapons.
Qin Qiong didn't have double maces, so he wielded an iron spear. Shan Xiongxin unexpectedly found a suitable weapon for himself—this thing was called a shuo, which looked three parts like a spiked club and seven parts like a dung brush, and it looked particularly fierce.
Luo Cheng tied his long hair up high, dressed neatly and smartly, and held a bright silver spear in his hand. With his handsome face and extraordinary aura, he looked like a god warrior. It seemed that this kid was ready to make a big splash.
The reason the allied forces hadn't challenged the enemy for so long was because each warlord feared Lü Bu. As the saying goes, "A thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a good general is hard to come by." In the Three Kingdoms era, where talent was scarce, no one wanted to lose a key general in the chaos of war. They were more than happy to have us, their outside help, volunteer to join the fray, and thus made way for us. I followed the others to the front of the two armies; to my right was Guan Yu, and to my left was Zhang Fei. Old Zhang was still preoccupied with the worry of his elder brother's capture, and without saying a word to any of us, he spurred his horse forward. Shan Xiongxin said, "Brother Yide, don't be impatient; let me take the lead."
Seeing a hothead suddenly appear out of nowhere, Zhang Fei said to Guan Yu with dissatisfaction, "Second Brother, when did you meet these friends?"
I smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Third Brother, you've always been doing well, haven't you?" Historically, butchers and meat sellers have been a group that produces many talented people. You must be careful to befriend them. From heroes like Zhang Fei and Gao Jianli to local tycoons like Zheng Tu and Jiang Menshen, even the least powerful people like Fan Jin's father-in-law are all rich and influential.
When Shan Xiongxin arrived at the pass, he pointed his spear and said, "You little brat Lü Bu, come out and face your death!"
The soldiers on the gate rose in commotion, and soon the drawbridge was lowered. A general, carrying a large sword on his back, charged out. Guan Yu exclaimed softly, "So that's where he was!"
Before I could even ask, Shan Xiongxin pointed and shouted, "Who comes here?"
The man with the broadsword said disdainfully, "I am Hua Xiong from Guanzhong, a subordinate of Grand Tutor Dong. Who are you?"
I exclaimed in surprise, "This person isn't dead yet?"
Guan Yu said, "Yes, I was wondering about that just now. It turns out he's not guarding Sishui anymore, but has come here to guard Hulao Pass."
"So, does that mean Second Brother hasn't become famous yet?" We know that Guan Yu's beheading of Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm was like a graduate submitting a thesis, and only after that did his treatment improve. It seems that the chain reaction caused by Second Brother's return to the Three Kingdoms was not just as simple as Liu Bei being captured.
Guan Yu laughed and said, "There will be plenty of opportunities to make a name for yourself in the future. What is a mere Hua Xiong worth mentioning?"
Upon hearing Hua Xiong's name, Shan Xiongxin knew he was a renowned general and nodded, saying, "You don't need to ask who I am; you wouldn't know even if I told you."
But Hua Xiong insisted, "No, I will not kill nameless ghosts."
Shan Xiongxin chuckled and said, "Alright, I am Shan Xiongxin, Shan Tong of the Great Sui Dynasty, ranked last among the eighteen heroes." Because of his resentment towards the Tang Dynasty, Old Shan only said that he was from the Sui Dynasty when he signed up.
Hua Xiong asked in confusion, "The Sui Dynasty? I've never heard of it."
Shan Xiongxin laughed and said, "I told you you hadn't heard of it."
Hua Xiong arrogantly said, "What are these eighteen heroes? Let your top hero come out and fight me!"
"I'm afraid you're not worthy to face my spear!" Shan Xiongxin said no more, thrusting his spear forward. Hua Xiong parried with his sword, exclaiming, "Oh, you do have some skill."
A true expert can tell a lot from a single move. These two clashed in a spectacular and evenly matched battle. I initially thought Hua Xiong was no match for Shan Xiongxin; this big guy seemed like an NPC, appearing only to glorify Guan Yu's reputation. But in reality, he was quite capable. Had he not encountered Guan Yu, ranked among the top five in martial prowess, right from the start, he could have become a general like Xu Huang or Xu Chu. Although Shan Xiongxin was a hero listed in the rankings, he was in a foreign land, and his horse and weapon were not his forte, resulting in a fierce and evenly matched fight.
Seeing that Shan Xiongxin was not at a disadvantage, Qin Qiong was worried that the situation might change over time, so he gently pushed Luo Cheng on the back and said, "Cousin, go and help out Shan Xiongxin." He knew his cousin's abilities well, and that he was more than capable of dealing with Hua Xiong.
Luo Cheng remained unmoved for a long time before saying, "It's not worth wasting my energy on Hua Xiong. My purpose in coming here is only for Lü Bu."
Qin Qiong sighed and said to Guan Yu, "Second Brother, Hua Xiong still needs you to kill him. I'll go and lure him over."
Just as Guan Yu was about to stop him, Qin Qiong spurred his horse forward, his iron spear protruding to separate Shan Hua and the other man, and shouted, "Second brother, rest for now, I'll fight him."
Upon seeing that it was Qin Qiong, and not wanting to win with numbers, Shan Xiongxin snorted and retreated to his own lines.
While teasing Hua Xiong with his spear, Qin Qiong laughed and said, "I know your rules, no nameless ghosts die under the blade. My name is Qin Qiong, and I am the sixteenth hero of the Sui and Tang Dynasties."
Hua Xiong roared, "Where's your number one? You're either last or third from last. Are you trying to fool me?"
Qin Qiong laughed and said, "Once you beat me, those ranked higher will come and deal with you."
His appearance with Shan Xiongxin was like a huge advertisement, and the soldiers and generals on both sides began to whisper among themselves: "Who exactly are the Eighteen Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties? Who are they?"
Qin Qiong was much more at ease with Hua Xiong. The second brother teased Hua Xiong with his spear, taunting him while making witty remarks, which enraged Hua Xiong, who roared and swung his broadsword like a torrent. Qin Qiong dealt with him for a while, then, taking advantage of the moment when their horses were in the stirrups, feigned weakness and turned his horse back to camp. Hua Xiong, however, was not about to let him go and pursued him relentlessly. Qin Qiong had been teasing him for so long, and as he rode, he called out, "Second brother, Uncle Bao's gift has arrived! Be sure to check it!"
Guan Yu understood that Qin Qiong was eager for him to gain recognition, so he sighed, dragged his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, and went to meet him. He let Qin Qiong pass, then swung his blade and chopped off Hua Xiong's helmet. Hua Xiong was terrified and fled back into the pass. Guan Yu glared at him and said, "Today we have an honored guest. I will spare your life, but don't you dare to act so arrogantly again."
Seeing Hua Xiong's defeat, a man on the gate coldly looked down. This man was about 2 meters tall, wearing a three-pronged purple-gold crown and a battle robe adorned with flowers. He had his hand on his sword and was giving a slight, cold smile.
Luo Cheng, with his sharp eyes, recognized the man's attire and exclaimed, "Lu Bu!"
Guan Yu then saw his enemy and raised his sword, shouting angrily, "You brat, release my elder brother at once!" Zhang Fei also spurred his horse onto the field and joined Guan Yu in shouting, "If you have the guts, come out and fight your grandfather!"
Lu Bu lay on the city wall with a smile, and said coldly, "You black-headed fellow, you've seen my methods before. Even if you and that red-faced man were together, you wouldn't be a match for me. You'd only be asking for humiliation. I won't play along."
Zhang Fei and Guan Yu blushed simultaneously, but no matter how much they cursed, Lü Bu remained unmoved with a smile. He treated fierce generals like Guan and Zhang as nothing, not even bothering to come out of the pass.
Guan Yu looked up at the pass with a sullen face. Zhang Fei, having suffered this insult, was even redder than his second brother. He pointed at Lü Bu and cursed him repeatedly, calling him a "slut" and a "dog." It seemed that if he continued to curse Lü Bu, he would die of anger first.
Suddenly, a young general rushed to the pass, pointed at Lü Bu on the gate, and shouted, "You traitor who has served three masters, get down here!"
Lu Bu's expression changed drastically. He placed his hands on the city wall and roared, "You...who are you?" Before Luo Cheng could answer, Lu Bu grabbed his halberd and pointed it at Luo Cheng with trembling hands, saying, "Pretty boy, don't run away. You just wait!" With that, he disappeared from the city wall with a crooked nose and mouth.
Luo Cheng said with a smug look on his face, "It seems that you have to hit a nerve when you're trying to insult someone."
"A traitor who serves three masters..." Zhang Fei chuckled at first, then murmured, "Why didn't I think of such a fitting nickname for Lü Bu?"
Luo Cheng asked in astonishment, "Isn't that the nickname you gave him?"