Chapter 29 Under Hulao Pass
...
When strands as fine as cow hair streaked through the sky, everyone finally understood that the handsome man following behind Liu Bei was an exceedingly skilled master. The crowd couldn't help but raise their opinion of Liu Bei once more.
"Has Zilong made his move?" Zhang Fei excitedly asked. While others were unaware of what that beautiful thread signified, Zhang Fei, as a great master himself, could clearly feel the power that could cut through metal and break jade flowing in each of those threads.
Zhao Yun shook his head and spoke, "At best, it would catch him off guard and leave him in disarray, but it's impossible to injure him."
Just as Zhao Yun had predicted, although Lyu Bu had not anticipated such a swift counterattack, his intuition as the finest warrior under the heavens enabled him to casually neutralize Zhao Yun's attack when danger approached. Nonetheless, the aftermath of their encounter still reduced part of the wall beneath the tower to dust, leaving behind pinhole-sized round openings in other areas.
"Not a bad attack." Lyu Bu looked towards the direction of the Eighteen Feudal Lords without making another move, standing quietly in his place, waiting for their arrival. Only such masters were worthy of being struck down by him.
Having heard what Zhao Yun said, Zhang Fei realized he had to further reduce his own chances of victory against Lyu Bu. He was very aware that if Zhao Yun's strike were fully unleashed on his head, even if it didn't kill him, it would certainly strip away a layer of skin. And now, Zhao Yun was saying that even a moment of carelessness on Lyu Bu's part would only cause him to be slightly disheveled.
However, Zhang Fei held no great fear in his heart; on the contrary, his will to fight surged. The Serpent Spear in his hand gripped even tighter. Combat with a stronger opponent was the only way for him to grow stronger. It was the destiny of a martial artist to die on the battlefield. If he could battle the most formidable warrior under the heavens before that, what could possibly dissatisfy him?
More importantly, Zhang Fei knew that his battles were always forward with no retreat. If he retreated, losing his original state of mind, he would be stuck at his current level forever. Even if his physical quality improved, his strength might actually decrease.
Clenching his Serpent Spear, Zhang Fei radiated an immense fighting spirit, signaling his readiness. He was determined to challenge Lyu Bu one-on-one, knowing full well he was no match. Defeat was not to be feared; what was truly frightening was not having the courage to even raise a hand against the overwhelming strength of the opponent!
Under Yuan Shao's leadership, the Eighteen Feudal Lords made no attempt to conceal their approach. As they reached Hulao, Dong Zhuo sat atop Hulao Pass with Lyu Bu, wielding the Sky Piercer, standing beside him. After a bout of taunting and insulting each other, both sides confirmed they still needed to use their fists to establish their status.
"Fengxian, it's up to you!" Dong Zhuo gestured grandly with his hand, signaling Lyu Bu, who was already struggling to hold back his eagerness, to go and exterminate the vermin on the opposite side.
Lyu Bu leaped mightily from the nearly twenty-zhang-high city walls and then plummeted down. Any martial artist who had refined Qi to Gang could perform such a feat, but what happened next sent a chill through all the knowledgeable onlookers.
Falling from a height of over a hundred meters after combining his leap with the height of the city wall, Lyu Bu's speed was clearly hastened on purpose. Yet shockingly, such a high-velocity fall did not shatter the earth, but merely caused a slight tremor. The power of the fall was perfectly dispersed over several miles, causing no harm at all.
Zhang Fei was astonished, Guan Yu opened his eyes halfway, Hua Xiong covered his forehead, and only Zhao Yun frowned slightly. They all understood one thing: Lyu Bu was not only immensely strong, but his control over every shred of power was terrifying. Even in the subtlest of movements, he demonstrated his mastery over force.
A long howl pierced the air, and a line of fire swooped toward Lyu Bu with a curve, landing beside him. Red Hare snorted as if it was engulfed in flames. Lyu Bu grasped the Sky Piercer and mounted his horse, looking at the tens of thousands in the opposing army, he emitted a vast aura of intimidation and directly issued a challenge to the large force.
Zhang Fei, in a fit of rage, wanted to charge forward but was held back by Guan Yu. However, by the look of aloof disdain on Guan Yu's face, Chen Xi knew his mood wasn't great either. Turning to look at Zhao Yun, it was evident that he was also displeased. Understandably so, any skilled warrior would feel disrespected by Lyu Bu's blatant disregard, practically saying "come at me all at once." Everyone must have felt slighted, for everyone values their pride, and what Lyu Bu was doing was akin to slapping them in the face publicly and repeatedly.
Being humiliated like this naturally left everyone extremely uncomfortable. Not waiting for Yuan Shao to speak up, Wang Kuang asked loudly, "Who dares to fight?" A man spurred his horse and leaped forward. Upon Wang Kuang's scrutiny, it turned out to be Henei's renowned general, Fang Yue. Before Wang Kuang could utter a word of praise, a tremendous arc blade flashed by, and Fang Yue, who had not even been introduced by name, had vanished from the mortal world.
The generals involuntarily swallowed their saliva. Lyu Bu's ferocity was beyond description, turning a person to ash with a single blow—he was brutally murderous.
Well, before Chen Xi had the chance to speak, another undeterred soul charged forward. This time it was Mu Shun, a subordinate general under Zhang Yang. Rushing ahead, he landed three strikes first, then both he and his horse were cleaved in two. Lyu Bu's horse hadn't even moved.
"I have been favored by Wen Ju for ten years, why not repay him with my life?" The tall man behind Kong Rong gazed at Lyu Bu for a long while before finally licking his lips and advancing on his horse, saluting Kong Rong.
"Be careful, Anguo!" Kong Rong nodded, deciding to let Wuu Anguo enter the battle, his only capable right-hand man.
(Wuu Anguo, by his name structure, should actually be surnamed Wuu and named Anguo—after all, two-character names were abolished in the Late Han period. But both the Mao and Jiajing versions use the name Anguo. Okay, I tend to think that what Kong Rong called him was his courtesy name, meaning his surname is Wuu, his name is Anguo, and his courtesy name is Anguo. However, if his surname is Wuu, that would make him a descendant of Lord Wu'an, Bai Qi, which would be quite a significant background. Dear readers, you decide.)
Wuu Anguo nodded, riding his horse slowly out of the crowd. Unlike the previous two fools, he was aware that he was no match for Lyu Bu. Nevertheless, he meant what he had said about deeply owing Kong Rong and having nothing to repay him with but his life; his life belonged to Kong Rong!
Brandishing a great hammer weighing hundreds of pounds, Wuu Anguo silently charged toward Lyu Bu. His horse was not fast; although it was a fine steed, carrying nearly a thousand pounds didn't allow for much speed. But for him, speed wasn't necessary.
With a sound of heavy strikes and his roar of "Take my great hammer!" the battle between Wuu Anguo and Lyu Bu began. There was no astonishing speed, but Wuu Anguo's strength was so intense that it made Lyu Bu's hands go numb—an uncommon sight to see someone whose strength exceeded his own.
Without the need for excessive skill or speed, Wuu Anguo swung his great hammer, ruthlessly pounding at Lyu Bu. As for Lyu Bu's counterattacks, they were easily blocked by the enormous hammer that could shield half of Wuu Anguo's body. Indeed, he couldn't see through Lyu Bu's attacks, but his hammer, which could serve as a shield, was enough to stop attacks from any angle.
"Now you understand why I despise those with innate divine strength, Zichuan," Guan Yu signaled Chen Xi with his eyes.
"I get it now, this is totally shameless," Chen Xi said speechlessly. It was purely a test of brute strength, no matter the direction of the attack, he would just smash down with that big hammer.
Twenty rounds had passed, and Wuu Anguo was still swinging his great hammer energetically, showing no signs of faltering—it seemed as if he were treating Lyu Bu like iron ore, forging away.