Chapter 4: Returning to Camp
The mountain path was treacherous at night, so Liu Zhan had no choice but to rest in the forest until morning. Early the next day, after traveling for less than an hour, he encountered Gao Shun, who was accompanied by someone Liu Zhan didn't recognize.
When Gao Shun suddenly saw Liu Zhan, he froze in surprise, then quickly rushed forward and embraced him tightly. It was clear that Gao Shun had been tirelessly searching, as his eyes were bloodshot. He had faithfully followed Liu Zhan's orders to lead the soldiers back to camp and, despite his exhaustion, returned to search for him. Gao Shun had resolved that even if he couldn't save Liu Zhan, he would at least bring his body back.
"Master Sima, you're alive! Haha!"
"You were hoping I'd die, weren't you? I'm tougher than you think!"
Liu Zhan grimaced in pain as he spoke. In his excitement, Gao Shun had forgotten about Liu Zhan's injury.
Seeing Liu Zhan's pained expression, Gao Shun realized he had been too rough and had aggravated Liu Zhan's wound.
"Hehe, I was so happy to see you alive that I forgot about your injury. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Why did you come back? Did all the soldiers make it back safely?"
"Yes, the soldiers are all safe. I reported everything that happened yesterday to the commander and asked for leave to come and find you. Oh, this is Zhang Liao, also known as Zhang Wenyuan, a close friend of mine and a skilled fighter. The other soldiers couldn't be of much help, so I asked him to come along."
Zhang Liao appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen, slightly younger than Gao Shun, with a somewhat youthful look.
"Thank you, my good brother. I appreciate it, and thank you, Wenyuan."
Zhang Liao stepped forward, clasping his hands in salute. "Master Liu, I've already heard of your heroic deeds. On the way here with Brother Gao, I made up my mind that if we found you alive, I, Zhang Liao, would follow you from now on. Please accept me under your command."
"Very well, with you by my side, Wenyuan, I'll be even stronger."
"Master, how did you escape?"
Liu Zhan recounted the events of the previous day to the two of them, ending with a sigh of relief.
"Sigh, I was as good as dead. I lost so much blood that I finally passed out. If it hadn't been for those noisy Xianbei men waking me up, I might really have met the King of Hell. If they had silently crept up on me and chopped off my head, would it still be attached to my body?"
Gao Shun and Zhang Liao realized just how dangerous the situation had been. A person, no matter how skilled, is helpless when unconscious; anyone could have ended his life.
"Master Sima, you've survived a great ordeal; surely, great fortune awaits you."
"Enough about that. I happened to bring three horses. Each of you take one, and the remaining one can be a gift to the captain."
As military officers, they both eagerly desired their own warhorses. Overjoyed, they each selected a horse, and the three of them mounted their steeds to head back to camp.
When they returned to camp, the soldiers cheered and surrounded Liu Zhan, bombarding him with questions and expressing their concern. Liu Zhan's actions the previous day had left a deep impression on the soldiers, who were genuinely moved. Facing an enemy force several times larger, especially cavalry, if it hadn't been for Liu Zhan's decisive order to retreat and his willingness to sacrifice himself to cover them, not one of them would have survived.
After reassuring the soldiers, Liu Zhan led one of the horses to present to the captain. The sight of him was shocking—he hadn't even removed his armor. His armor, slashed open by a blade, was held together by a makeshift rope, and the bloodstains had dried, covering him from head to toe. He looked terrifying; it was hard to imagine how much blood he had lost.