The Fierce Battle for Zhuo County

The next day, Huang Shao, stationed at Baishui, received orders from Guan Hai and learned that the troops from Jicheng had fallen into a trap. He immediately mobilized his forces to head towards Jicheng, having been given only 3,000 men as he was tasked with the surprise attack on an empty city.

Just as Qin Longyang had predicted, Huang Shao's army, moving from Baishui, bypassed Shanggu County and chose a shortcut to launch a surprise attack on Jicheng. By the early hours of the next day, the army reached a treacherous location near Jicheng—the Jumping Tiger Cliff.

"Lord, they've arrived!" After Qin Longyang's forces left Jicheng the previous day, they set up an ambush here. He anticipated that the Yellow Turban army, aiming to save time and conceal their movements, would avoid the main roads, making this small path their best choice.

The slightly trembling ground was proof of Huang Shao's troops' approach. Qin Longyang nodded, saying, "Stay alert. Although our army has only 1,000 men, we need to make it look like we have 10,000!"

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers lowered their voices but were filled with fierce determination.

Soon, Huang Shao's advance party of a few hundred soldiers came into view. The ambushers held their breath, feeling the immense pressure but showing no fear.

"Pull!" Qin Longyang suddenly shouted. Soldiers hidden in the trees on both sides pulled the horse-dragging ropes, causing the Yellow Turban cavalry to fall in chaos, with cries of pain filling the air.

"There are ambushers!" The Yellow Turban army was immediately thrown into disarray, their front lines in chaos. Huang Shao, stationed in the center, was incredulous upon hearing of the ambush.

"How could this be? Didn't all the troops from Jicheng deploy? Has the plan been exposed?"

"General! Enemies have emerged from the ravines on both sides, dressed in official army uniforms. There are towering flames not far off; the number is likely no less than 10,000!" A small soldier with a broken arm, covered in blood, reported from the front.

"Damn it! We've been deceived, retreat!" Huang Shao, helpless, realized that 3,000 men had no chance against 10,000, and with the darkness, there could be more ambushes.

"Retreat! Retreat!" The Yellow Turban army began shouting to withdraw as soon as the battle started.

Qin Longyang wasn't going to let them escape easily. Soon, on the cliffside, Sun Lang and a dozen men appeared, seeing the Yellow Turbans' retreat.

Sun Lang snorted coldly, "Throw! Crush them!"

Several sturdy soldiers immediately pushed giant rocks down the cliff. The retreating Yellow Turbans, hearing the rumble from above, had no time to look up and found themselves crushed into a bloody mess as the rocks grew larger overhead.

Aside from the casualties caused by the falling rocks, the narrow mountain path was blocked, trapping Huang Shao and the remaining troops in the center of the path.

"This is bad!" Huang Shao's heart sank as he realized escape was impossible. However, the enemies on the cliff did not continue their assault, clearly giving them a chance to live.

Soon, pursuing troops arrived one after another, and the remaining thousand or so Yellow Turbans were cornered in a corner, intimidated by the enemy forces ready to take their lives.

"Who is the leader? Step forward!" After a brief silence, two riders emerged from the opposite side. One of them, a larger figure, bellowed in a deep voice. Huang Shao shivered upon hearing the commanding tone.

"It's me, it's me…" Huang Shao, helpless, dismounted and walked forward to kneel in surrender, "General, spare me! I am willing to lead my men to surrender."

"Are you really willing to surrender?" Qin Longyang smiled, "Or are you just pretending under duress?"

"I wouldn't dare, I hope the general will spare me…" Huang Shao repeatedly bowed his head in an attempt to show sincerity, though his true intentions were unclear.

Qin Longyang taunted, "Alright, I won't kill you. If you truly wish to surrender, then I'll ask you, are there any defending troops in Gong County?"

Huang Shao, quick-witted, immediately stood up and answered, "Yes, but not many. Guan Hai left a few hundred guards in the city. The supplies and wealth plundered all the way here are stored in Gong County's warehouse. I'm willing to lead the general there!"

"Hahaha…" Qin Longyang laughed heartily, "You're quite clever. This battle today should show you my methods. If you dare to play tricks again, I have ways to end your life."

"I wouldn't dare… I wouldn't dare…"

"Alright, take your remaining troops back to Gong County and control the supplies in the city. I will come to take over Gong County within two days. If you dare to play tricks, you'll understand my strength after the city falls." Qin Longyang said with a deliberately fierce expression.

"Yes, sir, yes, sir…" Huang Shao nodded vigorously, his legs already trembling with fear. Fortunately, the enemy had given him a chance to live; whether he could seize it depended on himself.

"Here they come! Reinforcements are here!" Shortly after Qin Longyang's ambush on Huang Shao, the reinforcements led by Qu Jing appeared on the west side of Zhuo County. A cloud of dust rose into the sky. Although there were only over 20,000 men, their momentum seemed as powerful as 200,000.

The Yellow Turban army finally saw Qu Jing's reinforcements arrive. As soon as they reached the city walls, Guan Hai personally donned armor and led his troops into battle.

"Hahaha! They've finally arrived. Today, I'm going to wipe out your entire army!"

"The reinforcements have arrived!" The defender of Zhuo County was overjoyed. With support, who would fear the rabble outside? "Guan Yu! Quickly lead the troops out to support and crush the enemies together with the reinforcements!"

"Sir, if I lead the troops out, Zhuo County will become an empty city." Guan Yu reminded with a frown.

"Nonsense! Our allies are fighting bravely outside while we sit comfortably in the city. Isn't that a joke? This is a military order, go quickly!" Faced with the governor's scolding, Guan Yu opened his mouth but swallowed his words, cupping his fists to the governor before leaving.

"Ha, look at these useless sacks," Qu Jing sneered from horseback, pointing his whip at the Yellow Turban army, "Discipline is lax, with no formation at all. Is this the Yellow Turban army that Qin Longyang is so worried about? They're truly just a bunch of empty threats!"

"General, no need to say more. I'll lead the charge as the vanguard, slay the enemy general, and present his head to the general!" The speaker was Jiang Yiqu, who had appeared as a gatekeeper the other day. His words were smooth, much like his appearance, as he looked like an amusing egg on horseback.

Qu Jing nodded, "Good, the whole army will follow me and show the enemy our strength! Charge!"

"Charge!" The army charged forward, and the Yellow Turbans, unwilling to be outdone, surged forward with a roar under Guan Hai's command.

From above, it looked like two giant waves crashing together, the scale of the battle was immense. Qu Jing, known for both his literary and martial skills, wielded his sword skillfully, making the Yellow Turbans wail and lament.

On the other side, Guan Hai was even fiercer, wielding a long-handled blade like a whirlwind, cutting through the official army, causing them to drop their helmets and armor, unable to withstand his strikes.

"Die, thief general!" Jiang Yiqu found Guan Hai in the crowd, who was enjoying the battle, and urged his horse to attack directly.

"Where do you think you're going, thief general! Fight me, He Man!"

He Man, the leader of the soldiers, met Jiang Yiqu head-on, and though Jiang Yiqu's spear was fierce, the outcome was disappointing.

Jiang Yiqu, with a short reach, was struck by He Man's spear before he even reached his opponent. The powerful gust of wind from the spear knocked Jiang Yiqu's weapon away.

He Man followed up with another thrust. With no way to evade, Jiang Yiqu was about to lose his life.

"Clang!" At the critical moment, a burly warrior with a long beard arrived, clashing weapons with He Man and saving Jiang Yiqu.

Jiang Yiqu had no time to thank him and fled in embarrassment. He Man, shaken by the earlier strike, looked up to see it was the defender from the city gate the previous day!

"Die, villain!" Guan Yu shouted, raising his halberd high and striking down, hitting He Man's right shoulder. He Man was immediately cleaved into two parts from shoulder to head.

"Zhuo County's defenders are indeed formidable!" Guan Hai watched He Man fall in battle and could not help but feel wary of Guan Yu.

"Death is imminent; no need for further words!" Guan Yu's phoenix eyes widened, and he wielded his crescent blade with force, striking forward.

Ordinary generals would have been killed instantly, but Guan Hai responded quickly, dodging to the side and countering the attack to avoid the worst.

"Tsk,such formidable bandit generals!" Guan Hai muttered under his breath, realizing that the battle was at its peak, with casualties rising rapidly on both sides. As Guan Yu led the city's defenders into the fray, the pressure on the Yellow Turban army increased significantly.

"Hmph." Guan Hai snorted, making a feint to distract Guan Yu before turning his horse and riding away.

Guan Yu was about to give chase when a swarm of soldiers surged forward to block his path. With no other choice, Guan Yu had to abandon the pursuit.

Meanwhile, a massive cloud of dust rose from the east of Zhuo County, and everyone saw a yellow banner with the words "Heaven is Dead, Yellow Heaven Shall Rise." Qu Jing was shocked, while Kan Hai was elated.

The new arrivals were the reinforcements led by Bo Cai, who had been lying in wait at Juyong Pass. There were as many as twenty thousand of them, and this was the moment they had been waiting for!

"Oh no! The bandits really did have an ambush!" Qu Jing realized too late, but as he looked back, he saw that it was not they who held the advantage. Instead, the Yellow Turban army had been retreating while fighting, drawing them away from the city of Zhuo.

Bo Cai closed the net and trapped Qu Jing and Guan Yu's forces in the center, effectively catching them in a tight encirclement.

"Hahaha!" Seeing the official army trapped and fighting desperately, Guan Hai laughed maniacally, "Victory is assured! Kill them all!"

"Kill!"

Another wave of assault began, and the two thousand men brought by Qu Jing had already suffered heavy losses. Trapped and with their morale shattered, they could hardly withstand another round of attacks.

"General!" Guan Yu fought his way out and finally reached Qu Jing, "There is only one way to survive now. We must concentrate our forces and break through to the north into Zhuo County, or we're done for!"

Qu Jing, in panic, could only nod repeatedly. The remaining troops gathered and, following Guan Yu, began their desperate attempt to break through to the north. Zhuo County was their last hope for saving their lives.

"Report!" At this moment, a small soldier knelt before Guan Hai and reported, "General, it's bad! A force suddenly appeared from the west and caught us off guard. Several of our generals have been killed!"

"What? The west? What army could there be in the west?" Guan Hai roared angrily.

"They appear to be militia, not a large force, only about two or three thousand."

"Two or three thousand people and you call that an army?" Guan Hai cursed, "Where is Liao Hua? Tell him to take a unit and wipe out these scattered soldiers!"

"Yes, sir!"

Two or three thousand people? Qin Longyang's forces number only about a thousand, and the surrendered Huang Shao was ordered back to Gong County. So who could these militia be?