Chapter 151: Zhao Yun Takes to the Battlefield

"Hahaha, Guan Yu, go to hell!" Lü Bu let out a ferocious laugh, preparing to end Guan Yu's life with the halberd in his hand.

Guan Yu, whose horse had fallen under him, lay helpless on the ground, entirely too late to evade the blow.

Watching the battle from the sidelines, Liu Yao felt a surge of excitement at the sight. As long as Lü Bu eliminated Guan Yu, Liu Bei would be stripped of his remaining leverage. That would single-handedly solve a massive headache for him. However, things rarely went according to plan.

"Second brother, watch out!" At that critical juncture, a figure lunged forward. A longsword in hand intercepted the path of the painted halberd. The newcomer was none other than Liu Bei. Guan Yu could be considered Liu Bei's greatest pillar of support; naturally, he could not stand by and watch Guan Yu die like this.

With a deafening crash, the sheer force of Lü Bu's strike was far more than Liu Bei could possibly withstand. A miserable cry escaped Liu Bei's lips as the web of his hands split wide open. His double-bladed swords were sent flying through the air, and Liu Bei himself was unseated from his horse. Yet, this desperate block managed to deflect the halberd's trajectory by three tenths, skimming past Guan Yu's head by a mere foot and leaving the mighty warrior bathed in cold sweat.

"Eldest brother!" Seeing Liu Bei injured, Guan Yu bellowed with rage. Seizing this narrow window of opportunity, he summoned all his brute strength to haul his fallen horse back up to its feet. He then unleashed a ferocious slash, forcing Lü Bu—who was just recovering his halberd—to step back. Reaching out, he hauled Liu Bei up onto the saddle and brought his blade down mercilessly upon the horse's flank. Stung by the pain, the warhorse let out a piercing whinny and bolted at full gallop toward the allied main camp.

Seeing the two of them escape into the enemy ranks, Lü Bu realized he was too late to pursue. He threw his head back and roared toward the sky to vent his fury.

Guan Yu brought Liu Bei back to the main camp, heading straight to the rear of Kong Rong's formation without uttering another word. His face was flushed crimson, though fortunately, Guan Yu's complexion was naturally ruddy, sparing him from anyone noticing his embarrassment.

Relieved to see both Guan Yu and Liu Bei return safely, Kong Rong offered a few words of consolation before falling silent.

Nearby, Yuan Shao cast a look of envy and regret toward Kong Rong. Although Guan Yu had just been defeated, Yuan Shao could clearly tell that his martial prowess was easily on par with, if not superior to, his own generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou. A profound wave of jealousy washed over him. How could a mediocre man like Kong Rong possibly deserve such a peerless general?

"Is there anyone else willing to come and throw their lives away?!" Lü Bu bellowed triumphantly toward the coalition forces, treating the assembled warlords with utter contempt.

Gritting his teeth as he stared at Lü Bu down on the field, Yuan Shao felt a stifling sense of humiliation, yet he dared not dispatch Yan Liang and Wen Chou. Those two were a notch below Guan Yu; even fighting two-on-one, they stood little chance against Lü Bu. Rather than sending them out only to suffer a disgraceful defeat, it was wiser to keep them concealed and bide his time.

"Alliance Leader, we should perhaps invite the Grand General to intervene. Only his subordinates possess mighty warriors capable of matching Lü Bu," Cao Cao murmured as he stepped up beside Yuan Shao.

Hearing this, Yuan Shao immediately objected, "No, absolutely not. The Grand General has already rendered great service. To ask him for help now would be entirely improper. No, no." As he spoke, he cast a furtive glance toward Liu Yao's direction. Seeing that Liu Yao was not paying attention to him, he breathed an inward sigh of relief.

However, Liu Yao's heightened senses had captured Yuan Shao's every movement, and a cold sneer formed in his heart. All he needed to do was bide his time; Yuan Shao would inevitably come begging for his help. Naturally, Liu Yao was eager to enter the fray. He could leverage Lü Bu's formidable reputation to propel generals like Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong into legendary renown across the land.

"Alliance Leader, what time is it now? We must prioritize the greater good," Cao Cao said with a helpless sigh. As friends of over twenty years, he knew all too well that Yuan Shao was obsessed with saving face. But given the dire circumstances, clinging to pride was utterly absurd. If they failed to defeat Lü Bu, how could they ever hope to storm Luoyang, exterminate Dong Zhuo, and rescue the Emperor?

Yuan Shao furrowed his brows deeply. Weighing the pros and cons, he finally relented with a sigh of resignation and accompanied Cao Cao over to Liu Yao's camp.

"Grand General, our coalition is currently facing a grave crisis. It seems only your subordinates possess the prowess to contend with Lü Bu. I humbly request your assistance." To his credit, Yuan Shao was capable of swallowing his pride when necessary, bowing his head to plead with Liu Yao.

"We all share the noble goal of restoring the Han Dynasty, so it is only natural that I, Liu Yao, contribute my share. Leave the upcoming battle to me," Liu Yao said with a smile. Being able to humble Yuan Shao to this extent was satisfaction enough; pushing it any further would be counterproductive.

"Reporting to my Lord, this subordinate does not wish to take part," Hua Xiong suddenly said, cupping his fists.

Liu Yao understood Hua Xiong's sentiment. After all, Hua Xiong was a former subordinate of Dong Zhuo and still harbored a degree of lingering loyalty; naturally, he wished to avoid facing his old master on the battlefield.

"Hua Xiong, you may remain here then. Fengxiao, command of the army is yours," Liu Yao nodded and instructed.

"Thank you, my Lord," Hua Xiong said with a grateful bow.

"Ding! Sub-quest four of the 'Suppress Dong Zhuo' campaign: Slay (or defeat) Lü Bu. Reward: 100 (or 20) draws. Failure penalty: deduction of 200 draws. Does the host accept?" The system's synthesized voice echoed once more.

Startled, Liu Yao asked, "System, what is the distinction between defeating and slaying him?"

"As long as the host accomplishes either of the two objectives, the quest will be considered complete."

Liu Yao relaxed inwardly. If he had been required to slay Lü Bu, he would have decisively refused, but defeating Lü Bu through a joint effort by Huang Zhong and the others was entirely achievable. Without further hesitation, Liu Yao accepted the quest.

Immediately afterward, Liu Yao led Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, and his personal guards through a path cleared by the allied forces, slowly advancing to the front lines.

Watching the figures approaching him at a leisurely pace, Lü Bu ceased his taunts and demanded, "Are you the General of the Chariots and Cavalry, Liu Yao?"

"Indeed!" Liu Yao replied nonchalantly.

"Good! My fight with that red-faced thief just now was far from satisfying. I have long heard that the Grand General's camp is teeming with fierce warriors, and today I shall finally have a thoroughly satisfying battle," Lü Bu laughed heartily. Such was the boundless arrogance of the undisputed greatest warrior under heaven.

"My Lord, this subordinate requests permission to fight," Ma Chao said, a look of undisguised irritation crossing his face as he watched Lü Bu's swagger.

"Mengqi, you are still young, and your martial arts have yet to reach their absolute peak. You are not yet a match for Lü Bu. Zilong, you go instead," Liu Yao commanded sternly. After all, Ma Chao's martial prowess had not yet hit its ceiling; if anything were to happen to him, Ma Teng might well do something rash and unpredictable.

"Understood," Ma Chao muttered reluctantly, falling silent thereafter. Yet in his heart, he desperately wished he could grow up overnight and battle Lü Bu for three hundred rounds to his heart's content.

"This subordinate obeys the command." Hearing this, a surge of excitement ignited within Zhao Yun. To cross weapons with the foremost warrior in the world was a thrill even he could not entirely suppress.

Without further ado, Zhao Yun urged his horse forward. The two stood facing one another: one clad in pristine white upon a silvery steed, peerless beneath the heavens; the other none other than Lü Bu among men, mounted upon the Crimson Hare. The prelude to an epic clash between titans was about to unfold.

"Hansheng, keep a close eye and be ready to rescue Zilong at any moment," Liu Yao whispered cautiously.

"Understood."

"Zhao Zilong, subordinate to the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Great Han, humbly requests instruction from the Marquis of Wen," Zhao Yun said politely as he reined his horse before Lü Bu.

"So you are Zhao Yun. I have heard my adoptive father speak of your name. No doubt your martial skills are formidable. Come, let us have a truly exhilarating fight!" Lü Bu roared with heroic enthusiasm.

Zhao Yun did not waste breath on idle talk. With a flick of his wrist, his longspear vibrated and thrust straight toward Lü Bu. Recognizing that the horse Zhao Yun rode was an exceptional steed, nearly on par with his own Crimson Hare, Lü Bu knew the trick he had used against Guan Yu would be useless here. He could only thrust his painted halberd forward to meet the incoming spear.

With a thunderous crash, the two flashed past one another. They wheeled their mounts around and engaged once more, trading over a dozen lightning-fast blows before separating to draw breath, concluding their probing exchange.

"The Marquis of Wen had best be careful. Next, I shall unleash the ultimate techniques of my master's school," Zhao Yun said coldly, a brilliant flash of light erupting in his eyes.

"That's more like it! No more holding back, come at me with all your might!" Lü Bu declared without a shred of fear, brimming with absolute confidence in his martial prowess.

"Hundred Birds Courting the Phoenix!" Zhao Yun let out a resonant shout. As his longspear trembled, it split into a hundred blinding spear images, hurtling toward Lü Bu's vital points in a dazzling, dizzying display.

"A magnificent Hundred Birds Courting the Phoenix!" Lü Bu praised aloud. The painted halberd in his hands was no less formidable; mirroring Zhao Yun's technique, it vibrated and blossomed into a hundred halberd shadows, directly intercepting the incoming storm of spear points.