Chapter 21: The First Fire Attack

In the early hours of the morning, during the hour of the rat, the Yellow Turban Army was deeply asleep. After a day of intense fighting, they were utterly exhausted and sleeping soundly.

The entire encampment of the Yellow Turbans was in disarray. Some slept in tents, while many others had no tents and had to make do with piles of grass or whatever they could find to cover themselves. There were even those who had nothing at all and had to huddle together for warmth.

The night was dark and pitch-black, the darkest moment before dawn.

Outside the northern gate, on the high slope behind the Yellow Turban camp, piles of grass balls were stacked densely. These were prepared by Liu Zhan's soldiers during the day, now arranged and ready to be ignited and rolled down the slope at the hour of the rat.

Everything was prepared, and the soldiers were waiting.

As it was the first fire attack, Liu Zhan was very cautious. He thoroughly reviewed all the preparations and discussed them with Tian Feng and others to ensure nothing was overlooked. Once everything was confirmed, he gave the order.

"Light the fire!"

With Liu Zhan's command, the fireballs were instantly ignited, bursting into flames and lighting up the dark night sky like a dragon of fire.

"Beat the drums!"

The sound of war drums was the signal for the attack to begin. The fireballs rolled down the slope, crashing into the Yellow Turban camp and illuminating the entire area outside the northern gate.

Suddenly, the camp was filled with the roar of drums, flames leaping into the sky, and the deafening sound of battle, startling the sleeping Yellow Turban soldiers. They scrambled out of their tents in a frenzy.

The first thing the waking Yellow Turbans noticed was the blazing inferno. The piles of grass were on fire, tents were burning, and everything flammable was ablaze. The camp was thrown into chaos.

People began to run around in panic, and the entire camp was in disarray.

In the darkness, the sound of war drums was everywhere, creating the illusion that they were surrounded by enemy troops. The disoriented Yellow Turbans could not discern how many soldiers were surrounding their camp.

Outside the northern gate of Qingzhou, where Liu Zhan's troops were truly attacking, Liu Zhan, the school officer, gave the order: "Attack!"

Generals Zhao Yun and Guan Yu led the charge, with their soldiers following closely behind, setting fires and attacking anyone they encountered. The Yellow Turbans, still groggy from sleep, were caught off guard. Some were killed on the spot, while many others, disheveled and panicked, fled.

Liu Zhan's army, fierce and ruthless, was like a pack of wolves invading a flock of sheep, wreaking havoc. The disoriented Yellow Turbans, most of whom were unarmed, either perished or fled in a desperate scramble.

Most of the fleeing Yellow Turbans ran towards the sides of Qingzhou city. Some, terrified, ran straight ahead into the city walls, unaware that they were heading toward a dead end.

The entire Yellow Turban camp was engulfed in flames, turning the night into day. The sounds of battle were loud and far-reaching, creating a chaotic scene. Within a quarter of an hour, the forces led by several generals had thoroughly penetrated the Yellow Turban camp.

With Qingzhou city in sight and no escape route, the fleeing troops scrambled along the city walls, escaping in a panicked frenzy.

Seeing that the plan was mostly successful, Zhang Liao and Zhao Yun took one route, while Gao Shun and Guan Yu took another, splitting their forces to continue the assault along the city walls.

Most of the Yellow Turbans were now awake, but the first thing they saw was the chaos of their comrades fleeing. Following the example, they too began to flee without knowing where to go, only to be relentlessly pursued by Liu Zhan's troops.

The Yellow Turbans under attack rushed to escape, while those who were not under immediate threat did not dare to provide support. The sound of drums behind them and the darkness made them uncertain of how many troops were hidden, unsure of when the next attack might come.

As the number of fleeing Yellow Turbans increased, they were forced to follow the masses, leading to even greater chaos. Those who did not want to flee had no choice but to join the retreat, resulting in a massive collapse of the Yellow Turban forces.

By the time they had fled from the north of the city to the south, people were packed together, and the dead bodies of Yellow Turbans were countless. The Yellow Turban army was in complete disarray.