Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Death of Gongsun Zan

"Hmph, since you wish to die, I'll grant your wish," He Man snarled. "Kill them all!"

Without hesitation, He Man and the Yellow Turbans resumed their slaughter.

But just then, a unit appeared a mile behind the Yellow Turban ranks. It was Liu Yao. Having undergone the ancient texts’ strengthening, his senses were preternaturally sharp, and he had heard Gongsun Zan’s thunderous shout. Inwardly, Liu Yao sighed, "Gongsun Zan truly is a remarkable man. For you to die at the hands of the Yellow Turbans is a disgrace to your reputation. But you crossed my line, violated my interests—so let me be the one to send you off. It won’t be a wasted life."

"General Gongsun, do not fear! Liu Yao is here. Assault Battalion—attack!" At his command, five thousand from the Assault Battalion charged into the fray.

"Milord! Reinforcements—our reinforcements have arrived!" a squad leader of the White Horse Cavalry at Gongsun Zan’s side cried excitedly.

Gongsun Zan forced open his blood-caked eyes and saw the great banner bearing the character ‘Liu.’ Joy surged in his heart. "Brothers, Lord Liu Yao, Governor of You Province, has come to our aid! Now is our chance for vengeance!" With renewed vigor, he brandished his spear and thrust it toward the Yellow Turbans.

The Yellow Turban rebels, poorly managed and without even a single scout, only realized an army had appeared behind them when Gongsun Zan’s shout resounded. Chaos erupted among their ranks. By now, the Assault Battalion was less than five hundred paces from the Yellow Turban formation.

Zhang Man saw five thousand cavalry charging his way and the ‘Liu’ banner fluttering above them. Terror seized his soul. The news of Liu Yao slaying Bo Cai and Peng Tuo had already spread among the Yellow Turbans near Guangzong. Now, with barely ten thousand men left on his side, he made a snap decision—he turned his horse and fled, shouting, "Retreat! Retreat, quickly!"

As the Assault Battalion crashed into the Yellow Turbans, beginning a massacre, an arrow flew from nowhere, aiming straight for Gongsun Zan’s chest.

"Milord—beware the stray arrow!" a White Horse Cavalryman had spotted the deadly missile and shouted a warning.

But lost in the exhilaration of escaping death, Gongsun Zan was still venting his fury upon the enemies around him, paying no heed to the warning or the arrow seeking his heart.

There was a sickening thud as the arrow pierced flesh. Gongsun Zan’s breath caught, his hand faltered. Staring in disbelief at his chest, he saw the arrow shaft protruding directly from the vital region near his heart. As blood welled out, he realized this was no nightmare.

"Aaaargh!" Gongsun Zan let out an agonized, defiant roar. "How can Gongsun Zan perish so easily? I still have an empire to carve in this turbulent world. I still…"

But his thoughts faded into a haze. The spear slipped from his grasp, and consciousness fled. His body slumped from the saddle, falling lifeless to the ground, eyes wide open in death.

"General Gongsun!" Liu Yao, seeing Gongsun Zan fall, let out a wail of grief, though a barely perceptible smile played at his lips. "Brothers, avenge General Gongsun! Do not let He Man escape!"

These were not words meant for his own men, but for the surviving White Horse Cavalry. Sure enough, upon hearing Liu Yao’s wail, they discovered their general had been slain.

"Milord!" All the White Horse Cavalrymen cried in anguish. To them, Gongsun Zan was as revered as Liu Yao was among the Assault Battalions. Fury contorted their faces. "White Horse Cavalry, slay He Man! Avenge our lord!"

With grief fueling their rage, the White Horse Cavalry threw away all thought of defense, charging at He Man with reckless abandon, determined to trade their lives for his and avenge Gongsun Zan.

Unbeknownst to them, behind the wall formed by the Assault Battalion, a man in his thirties swiftly stowed his eagle-embossed bow, drew his great saber, and charged toward He Man. The dense ranks of the Assault Battalion concealed his every move from prying eyes.

He Man, oblivious to Gongsun Zan’s death, fled desperately toward Guangzong, believing that if he could reach the city, his life might be spared.

"You cur He Man—where do you think you’re going?" With a thunderous shout, Huang Zhong urged his steed, Blaze, in hot pursuit. How could He Man’s horse compare to Huang Zhong’s? In no time, Huang Zhong overtook him. Had He Man turned to fight, he might have lasted a while, but now, panic-stricken and focused solely on escape, he was quickly caught and decapitated with a single stroke. His head tumbled to the earth while his body, still astride the horse, was carried another hundred paces before it fell.

The Yellow Turbans had been fleeing with He Man, but at the sight of their leader slain, their three thousand remaining men scattered in all directions.

"Do not pursue desperate foes," Liu Yao ordered. Chasing down the remnants would only disrupt his plans, and he would not risk even the slightest chance of mishap.

At his command, his troops ceased pursuit. Of the White Horse Cavalry, fewer than a hundred remained—most had perished.

"General Gongsun…" Liu Yao leapt from his horse and rushed to Gongsun Zan’s corpse, weeping bitterly. "General Gongsun! It is my fault—I failed you! Had I not arrived too late, you would not have fallen to these Yellow Turban rebels!"

He then bowed his head, a familiar smile flickering at his lips, and murmured, "Gongsun Zan, in the next life, do not stand against Liu Yao." With that, he closed Gongsun Zan’s unseeing eyes.

The White Horse Cavalrymen were moved by Liu Yao’s apparent remorse, believing him to be a man of rare righteousness.

Within the reassembled Assault Battalion, Zhou Han wiped away tears. With his great vengeance achieved, his only purpose now was to serve Liu Yao to the last measure of his life.

"Someone, come here! General Gongsun gave his life for the nation; how can we let his body lie exposed in the wild? Take him to Guangzong and let his mentor, Lu Zhi, decide his fate," Liu Yao commanded, sadness etched on his face as he brushed the dust from his legs.

"Thank you, my lord, for your compassion," a White Horse Cavalryman stepped forward, expressing gratitude before placing Gongsun Zan’s body onto a horse.

Huang Zhong now handed He Man’s severed head to that cavalryman, saying with some guilt, "General Gongsun died because of this cur—let this credit go to him." The White Horse Cavalryman accepted the head gratefully, clasping his fists. "Thank you, general." He thought Huang Zhong regretted failing to save Gongsun Zan and so gave him the merit. He did not know Huang Zhong was merely ashamed for having used underhanded means to kill Gongsun Zan.

Liu Yao, narrowing his eyes, took in the scene but did not object. Such was Huang Zhong’s character; if it eased his conscience, so be it. As for He Man, he was of little consequence.

Then Liu Yao turned and gave the order: "The army moves out! To Guangzong!"

At once, the soldiers of the two battalions advanced toward Guangzong, while the remaining hundred White Horse Cavalrymen, faces awash with grief, accompanied their fallen general in silence, following Liu Yao’s army into the distance.