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As they exited the great hall, another thunderous BOOM echoed in the distance, closer this time. Stone groaned. Somewhere, a tower collapsed with a scream of breaking masonry. Hongnong was dying. And the Hengyuan army was already inside its throat.
Outside, Hongnong was a vision from a panicked nightmare. The orderly defensive lines had vaporized. What remained was chaos. Smoke from the cannon impacts still curled into the sky, mixing with the dust of collapsed buildings.
The main breaches in the wall were not mere gaps, they were yawning, ragged wounds, and through them poured the Hengyuan army.
But this was not the cautious, probing advance of a siege. This was a flood tide of vengeance and certainty. The Hengyuan soldiers, their own awe at the cannonade transformed into berserk confidence, charged with a unified roar.
They were met not by shield walls, but by pockets of dazed, terrified men and the desperate, isolated efforts of a few brave officers trying to form some semblance of a line.
At the head of this tidal wave was Lie Fan. He was no longer the distant emperor or the strategic mind in the tent. He was the spearpoint of the new age. His dark armor was soon streaked with new grime, his halberd a blur of efficient death.
His two Yellow Ghost Bodyguards were his living bulwarks, intercepting any concerted attack, allowing him to move like a force of nature through the crumbling resistance.
He cut through a squad of Wei infantry trying to block a main thoroughfare. He shattered a makeshift barricade with a kick from his armored boot. His eyes scanned the chaos, not for common soldiers, but for prizes.
And he found them.
Near a collapsing watchtower, trying to orchestrate some semblance of a controlled withdrawal, were Xu Chu and Zhang He. Xu Chu, his ox like strength seeming diminished by the scale of the catastrophe, was bellowing at fleeing troops to regroup.
Zhang He, ever the poised tactician, was directing arrows of retreat with sharp hand signals, his face a mask of controlled desperation.
Lie Fan's smile was a predator's flash in the smoky gloom. He pointed with his halberd. "With me!"
He broke into a run, his guards matching his pace. He crashed into the fray around the two Wei generals like a meteor. A swing of his halberd cleared the space between them.
"Leaving so soon the two of you?" Lie Fan called, his voice cutting through the din. "The party is just starting!"
Xu Chu turned, a roar of pure fury erupting from his chest. He hefted his massive hammer, all thought of retreat burned away by the presence of his emperor's nemesis. "YOU! All of this is your devilry!"
Zhang He, more cautious, fell into a defensive stance, his spear tip weaving. "Xu Chu, no! The order is to retreat!"
"It's too late for that," Lie Fan said, and he attacked.
The duel was nothing like their previous encounter on the wall. Then, Lie Fan had been testing, managing, holding back. Now, he was the embodiment of the victory crashing down around them.
His movements were faster, more brutal, fueled by the certainty of triumph. His halberd was no longer just a weapon; it was the judgment of the new era.
He pressed Xu Chu, using the brute's own overwhelming strength against him, redirecting hammer blows into the ground, into the remnants of the tower, each impact shaking the earth.
He simultaneously kept Zhang He at bay with sharp, precise jabs and feints, never letting the faster general find his rhythm.
The two Yellow Ghosts didn't join the duel directly. Instead, they became the walls of the arena, brutally dispatching any Wei soldier who tried to intervene, creating a isolated pocket of clashing titans amidst the rout.
Lie Fan saw an opening as Xu Chu, enraged, overcommitted on a mighty overhead smash. Lie Fan sidestepped, and as the hammer cratered the cobblestones, he lashed out with the butt of his halberd, catching Xu Chu hard on the side of his helmet. The giant staggered, dazed.
Zhang He lunged to capitalize, spear thrusting for Lie Fan's neck. Lie Fan parried it, locked the spear shaft with his halberd's blade, and yanked. Zhang He, pulled off balance, stumbled forward.
In that instant, one of the Yellow Ghosts moved. Not with a killing blow, but with a massive, shield assisted slam into Zhang He's back, sending him sprawling to the ground, the wind knocked from him.
Xu Chu shook his head, roaring again, and raised his hammer. But the clarity was gone from his eyes, replaced by concussed rage and despair.
"ZHANG HE! GO!" Xu Chu bellowed, planting himself between Lie Fan and his fallen comrade. "TELL HIS MAJESTY… TELL HIM XU CHU, XU ZHONGKANG, HELD THE LINE FOR HIS MAJESTY! NOW GO!"
The sacrifice was clear, desperate, and noble. Lie Fan, for a fraction of a second, felt a pang of respect for the ox warrior's loyalty after all this man always loyal to Cao Cao to the end. But sentiment had no place in conquest.
As Zhang He, coughing, scrambled to his feet and vanished into the smoke and chaos, Lie Fan focused on Xu Chu. The general charged one last time. Lie Fan didn't meet the charge. He dropped, swept his halberd low, and caught Xu Chu's legs. The giant crashed to the ground like a felled tree.
Before he could rise, the two Yellow Ghosts were on him, using their immense strength and weighted nets to entangle him. Xu Chu fought like a beast, but disoriented, outnumbered, and pinned, his struggles grew weaker. A carefully placed blow from a Ghost's shield-pommel to the temple finally stilled him.
Lie Fan stood over the captured, unconscious form of Xu Chu. Another pillar of Wei, fallen. He looked in the direction Zhang He had fled, then back at the smoking ruins of Hongnong's gate.
The city was his. The southern front was collapsing. The cannons had spoken. And the once mighty Wei was now a bleeding animal, fleeing for the last defensible hole in the land, Tong Pass.
Lie Fan the ordered for his Two Yellow Ghost Bodyguards to brought Xu Chu back to camp, and as he watched as his two bodyguards, with the help of a squad of burly infantrymen, hoisted the unconscious mountain that was Xu Chu onto a makeshift stretcher of spears and shields.
Even in his subdued state, the sheer bulk of the man was a testament to his legendary strength. "Use the heaviest ropes we have," Lie Fan instructed, his voice calm amidst the surrounding din of conquest. "If there are any spare chains from the siege engines, use those as well. Bind his arms individually, then his legs, then wrap the whole bundle. He is not a man to be taken lightly, even in sleep."
The lead Yellow Ghost gave a silent nod, his eyes already assessing the logistical challenge. They would truss Xu Chu up like a prized, dangerous boar, ensuring that if he woke, he would find himself encased in a prison of his own muscle.
As the capture team lumbered back toward the safety of the encampment, Lie Fan felt a familiar presence at his flanks. Not the silent, looming guardianship of the Ghosts, but something lighter, more animated.
He turned to see Chao Bo and Chao Bai, the twins from his childhood back in Huai'An, their faces grimy but split with wide, fierce grins that were utterly unchanged by time or rank. Beside them stood Huang Chao, the youngest son of Huang Zu, his expression more serious but with a glint of hard won confidence in his eyes.
The three of them began to cupped their hand to him, but Lie Fan waved a dismissive hand, a genuine smile breaking through his battle cool demeanor. "Enough of that in the middle of this," he said, his voice carrying a warmth reserved for very few. "Save the 'Your Majesties' for the victory banquet."
Chao Bo laughed, a sharp, barking sound. "Old habits, Brother Fan! Can't help it when you're glowing with all that imperial… smog." He gestured at the smoke filled sky.
Chao Bai elbowed his brother, but his grin was identical. "It's good to see you, Brother Lie Fan. Even like this." His gaze swept the ruined street, the signs of their shared, brutal handiwork.
Lie Fan clasped forearms with each of them, the gestures firm, familiar. "And you. I'm sorry," he said, the apology sincere. "The palace… there's always a crisis, a border, a petition. I haven't had you two over to get properly drunk and tell embarrassing stories about each other in years."
Chao Bo shrugged, his armor clinking. "We understand. Warlord was one thing. Emperor? That's a whole different beast. We've kept busy." He puffed out his chest slightly.
"Your army's a good place for ambitious boys who was sons of a servant of prefect of Huai6. Let's just say our strength…" he glanced at his twin, who nodded, "...has reached a point where we give even someone like Ji Ling a decent spar and bcme second rank generals."
Lie Fan's eyebrows rose, impressed. "On par with Ji Ling? That's no small feat." He laughed, a rich, full sound that seemed to startle a nearby soldier. "Second rank generals, wow. Good. Keep it up. When you make first rank, I'll give you each your own division. Five thousand men to shape as you see fit. How does that sound?"
The twins' eyes lit up with a competitive fire. It was the dream of every soldier who had started with a stick and a shared bowl of porridge. They cupped their hand again, this time deeper, the formality now laced with heartfelt gratitude.
"We will not disappoint you, Your Majesty," they said in unison, the title now carrying the weight of a promise.
Lie Fan then turned to Huang Chao. The young man had grown from the sullen, grieving son of a defeated rival into a solid, reliable officer. "And you, Huang Chao. I dragged you from being my personal bodyguards and threw you into the ranks. Do you regret it? Is the life of a general more to your liking than following me around?"
Huang Chao met his gaze steadily. "Yes, Your Majesty. It is… better. More honest. Out here, the enemy is clear. The test is of strength, of nerve. There is honor in it. And there are many strong enemies to test oneself against." A faint, almost reluctant smile touched his lips. "It is exciting."
Lie Fan chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Exciting is one word for it. Just make sure your excitement doesn't get you killed. I didn't have you be thrown t batelfield to only lose you to some lucky spear thrust or sword slash. Be bold, but be smart."
With his old friends and his former personal bodyguard at his side, Lie Fan continued the push into the heart of the dying city. The resistance was sporadic now, more about desperate survival than organized defense.
They fought their way to the central square, where the Governor's Castle, the symbol of Cao Cao's authority in Hongnong, stood. Its gates were already breached, not by cannonfire, but by the relentless press of Hengyuan troops.
Waiting for him at the foot of the castle steps were Huang Zhong and Zhang Liao. Both men bore the fresh marks of combat, but they stood with the calm assurance of veterans who had completed a critical task. They saluted as he approached.
"Your Majesty," Zhang Liao began, his voice steady. "The castle is secured. Cao Cao and his core advisors evacuated before we could reach this sector. They are likely well on the road to Tong Pass by now."
Lie Fan nodded, unsurprised. "I expected nothing less. The moment the cannons spoke, the choice was clear to him: pride or survival. Cao Mengde is many things, but he is no vain fool seeking a glorious death. He will live to fight from a stronger position."
There was a trace of respect, even relish, in his tone. The game was not over, the board had simply shrunk. Huang Zhong on the other hand cleared his throat. "While we did not catch the fox, we did bag a significant cub, Your Majesty."
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 35 (202 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 (+20)
VIT: 623 (+20)
AGI: 623 (+10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0