Chapter 636: The Kind of Teammate You'd Rather Not Have

While Jiang Qi was nearly vomiting blood in frustration, Yan Liang, leading the chariot charge out of the camp, felt victory was within his grasp.

In fact, when Yan Liang, at the forefront, drove the first chariot into the flatlands of Yuan Shao's camp, Ruan Liangyu had already reported this to Guo Jia.

“They’re coming. This move was indeed unexpected. It just goes to show that there’s no such thing as a useless weapon of war, only people who misuse them,” Guo Jia sighed as he turned to Chen Xi. “I’m almost certain now—we’re the ones taking the hit meant for Lu Bu.”

“Of course we are. You didn’t even need to say it—I already knew we’re taking the blow meant for Bingzhou’s wolf cavalry. It’s infuriating. I nearly got killed by Lu Bu before, and now we’re shielding him again. But fine, bring it on. I’m not going to lose!” Chen Xi responded, his expression dark. Even a fool could tell that this was a setup meant for Lu Bu.

“Get ready. Victory or defeat depends on how we handle this. If we time it right, we could not only win but even decide the entire battle in one stroke. But are you really this confident?” Guo Jia asked, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves as he stared at Chen Xi.

“I trust Zilong. He won’t miss that slim chance,” Chen Xi nodded, though internally, he was cursing the situation.

“It’s not just about the timing—it’s also about strength!” Guo Jia sighed, mentally preparing himself for the critical moment when the weather might change.

“Boom, boom, boom!” The frantic drumbeats of Yuan Shao's army couldn’t stop Xu Chu’s Tiger Guards from advancing, nor could they halt Guan Yu’s saber-wielding troops from cutting through the enemy. And they certainly couldn’t deter the White Horse Cavalry from weaving through the battlefield with agility.

Finally, Zhao Yun broke through Yuan Shao’s army, while Guan Yu completely shattered the right flank, causing it to collapse. Xu Chu's Tiger Guards also devastated the right side of Yuan Shao’s forces, and in that moment, the blood-soaked clouds above, which had been suppressing them, split open.

Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Xu Chu quickly regained their full strength. If Yuan Shao’s army had no hidden trump card, the breach in their formation would become the source of their defeat. The clouds above would continue to dissipate as Yuan Shao’s troops were divided and scattered.

If Chen Xi could get just one more round of drums, Yuan Shao’s army would crumble, and although Liu Bei’s forces would become disorganized from the pursuit, their cloud energy would also gradually dissipate.

But at that moment, Yan Liang, roaring with battle cries, led his chariots into the fray. The overwhelming momentum of the charging chariots instantly reignited the fighting spirit of Yuan Shao’s exhausted troops. The cloud energy that had started to disperse now began to coalesce again.

Xu Chu was filled with dread as Yan Liang’s chariots barreled toward the breach they had just created. In no more than thirty breaths, they would reach the battlefield, and the broken clouds above were already starting to close, reapplying their oppressive force.

“This isn’t good!” Zhao Yun realized with alarm, but it was too late to retreat. If they were surrounded, the White Horse Cavalry would suffer the same fate as at Jieqiao, where the sand was stained with blood. Retreat was almost impossible now, given how far they had charged ahead.

“Everyone, get out of my way!” Zhao Yun’s mind was flooded with memories of his fallen comrades from the White Horse Cavalry and the grim description of Jieqiao’s tragedy by Xue Shao. The tragic memories surged back as Zhao Yun recalled Xue Shao’s calm recounting of the battle.

Originally, Xu Chu’s Tiger Guards led the charge, with Guan Yu widening the breach and Zhao Yun breaking the enemy’s spirit. But now that they had penetrated Yuan Shao’s army, Zhao Yun was at the forefront.

With a sweep of his silver spear, Zhao Yun unleashed a wave of inner energy, a silver-blue blossom blooming beside him. In an instant, the surrounding Yuan Shao soldiers were cut down, but as they sensed the powerful reinforcements behind them, they fought on with reckless abandon.

“Charge with me!” Zhao Yun shouted, slashing through the enemy ranks with his spear in one hand and sword in the other. Just before Yuan Shao’s forces could close the encirclement, Zhao Yun broke through, followed by the White Horse Cavalry, and then, a torrential downpour began.

“Strategist, General Zhao has broken through. Commander Chen is leading the crossbowmen to the front. They’ll reach the battlefield in another quarter-hour,” Ruan Liangyu reported from atop the carriage.

“We’ve won,” Chen Xi laughed heartily. “Zilong truly is invincible. Beat the drums and keep up the advance! Chariots may be fierce, but their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness—reckless charging. I don’t know why the enemy acted prematurely, but they’ve played right into our hands. Well done, hahaha!”

“The enemy was too hasty. If they had waited for one more round of drums to scatter our front line and shatter our cloud energy before attacking, we would have been defeated. But instead, they attacked now—perfect!” Guo Jia laughed with a mix of relief and triumph.

As Yan Liang’s chariots picked up speed, the torrential rain began to pour down. It felt as though the heavens were collapsing, but Yan Liang didn’t care. Driving his chariot at full speed, he was confident that once he smashed through, the battle would be over.

In the next moment, Yan Liang saw Zhao Yun break through first, followed by the White Horse Cavalry. But in Yan Liang’s current state of excitement, it didn’t matter. He was confident that he would crush the White Horse Cavalry like ants beneath his wheels.

“Heaven bears witness, the White Horse bears proof!” Zhao Yun was the first to shout, followed by the rest of the White Horse Cavalry. They echoed his words as they veered sharply to the left, their speed incredible.

Yan Liang sneered, gripping the reins tightly. He could already see the White Horse Cavalry crushed beneath his chariot wheels.

“Die!” Yan Liang roared, as all the archers on the chariots fired arrows at the White Horse Cavalry.

Many of Zhao Yun’s soldiers fell, and some were unable to avoid the slippery terrain caused by the rain, falling to the ground. At the same time, several of Yan Liang’s chariots, due to the downpour and poor control, collided and overturned.

But Yan Liang, charging at the forefront, couldn’t see the chariots crashing behind him. All he could see was the path left open by Zhao Yun’s breakout, and the Yuan Shao soldiers being pressed back by Liu Bei’s advancing troops. The passage that Liu Bei’s forces had painstakingly carved out was now closing up again, bolstered by the morale from Yan Liang’s chariot charge.

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