With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 193, Xu Chu Dies

puff!
Xiahou Yuan was struck in the thigh by an arrow. He roared and, ignoring the pain, swung his broadsword with all his might, cutting down a Yuan soldier's centurion.

But the enemy was overwhelming, there were just too many of them!

The battle was extremely fierce. Xu Chu, Xiahou Yuan, and the others were all in a frenzy. Even though the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry couldn't charge, their power was still terrifying!
Cao Cao's soldiers shouted battle cries, tightly surrounding him, wielding swords and spears, and engaging in a bloody battle.

Looking down from their vantage point, Cao Cao's army resembled a giant steel hedgehog. Although they were surrounded by enemies, it was extremely difficult for the enemy to advance even a single step, and scenes of blood and flesh flying everywhere were commonplace.

After watching for a while, Liu Xie turned away, no longer paying attention to the fierce battlefield.

"Gongtai."

"Your Majesty, what do you need me for?" Chen Gong hurriedly replied.

Liu Xie said in a low voice, "From the very beginning, I have been thinking that Cao Cao charged into the enemy camp, intending to burn Yuan Shao's grain supplies, but it didn't work. What do you think about this?"

Amidst the deafening sounds of battle, and faced with such a bloody and intense scene, Chen Gong couldn't help but admire Liu Xie's composure.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Gong said, "I don't think Yuan Shao could have transported the grain elsewhere, but Cao Cao failed. This means that Yuan Shao must have done something beforehand."

Liu Xie frowned. "I also think that Yuan Shao couldn't possibly have hidden the grain elsewhere, but where did the real grain go?"

Chen Gong lowered his head and pondered, his mind racing. Since he began assisting Liu Xie, Chen Gong had not yet shown any outstanding performance, and he was very anxious.

Whether they were scholars or military generals, they all hoped to be able to display their talents and achieve great things.

Chen Gong thought for a while, then suddenly his eyes lit up. "Your Majesty, do you think it's possible that the real grain supplies are at the back of the camp, and Yuan Shao just ordered his men to replace the grain supplies at the front with fake ones to mislead Cao Cao?"

Liu Xie nodded. "It's highly likely. It would be too time-consuming and laborious for Yuan Shao to move the grain elsewhere. I don't think he would do that."

Liu Xie immediately called Gan Ning to his side and instructed him: "Xingba, take a few agile men and, while the Yuan army and Cao army are still fighting, sneak behind the enemy camp and see if Yuan Shao's supplies are there. Make sure you find out."

"Yes, sir!" Gan Ning readily agreed and quickly left.

Next, Liu Xie lay down on the ground, using his hands as a pillow, closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, no longer paying attention to the battlefield.

Chen Gong asked worriedly, "Your Majesty, aren't you worried that Cao Cao might die here?"

Liu Xie laughed, "Gongtai, you underestimate Cao Cao too much. Don't be fooled by the fact that Yuan Shao's army is ten times that of Cao Cao. Killing Cao Cao won't be that easy. Besides, Xu Chu, Xiahou Yuan, and the like will protect him even at the cost of their lives, so there's nothing to worry about. If Yuan Shao wants to kill Cao Cao, at least half of his 50,000 troops will have to be killed or wounded."

Yuan Shao indeed underestimated Cao Cao. He thought that by trapping Cao Cao, he could easily defeat him. However, the more intense the battle became, the more tenacious Cao Cao became.

Although Yuan's army had the advantage, it was unable to quickly annihilate Cao's army.

Cao Cao, wielding the Heaven-Slaying Sword, fought alongside his soldiers. Despite being at a disadvantage, Cao Cao's army did not suffer a collapse in morale.

These men were all elite troops carefully selected by Cao Cao. They were full of fighting spirit and their eyes were filled with murderous intent. Even if they were to die, they would fight to the last moment.

puff!
Cao Xiu staggered as Gao Lan stabbed him in the thigh with his spear. The pain contorted his face, but Cao Xiu did not cry out. Instead, he swung his sword back and slashed fiercely at Gao Lan.

The blade whistled, carrying a terrifying killing intent. Gao Lan was startled and had to dodge to the side.

Despite his leg injury, Cao Xiu gritted his teeth and fought to the death.

Not far away, Xu Chu was also covered in blood, his broadsword still wildly swinging, and the ground in front of him and to his left and right was littered with corpses.

Yuan Bing kept approaching, one fell down as soon as he came, then two more fell down.

Xiahou Yuan stayed close to Cao Cao's warhorse, refusing to leave Cao Cao's side for even a moment, his gleaming broadsword already stained with blood.

Cao Cao continued to wield his Heaven-Slaying Sword, hacking and slashing fiercely, while keeping an eye on the surrounding battlefield, searching for a way to break through.

Although everyone was doing their best to protect Cao Cao, he did not take this protection for granted. As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Cao Cao never forgot his responsibilities.

As the leader of the people, Cao Cao had to constantly unite them, boost morale, and direct them to find a way to escape.

"Kill them! Soldiers, fight them to the death!" Cao Cao's shouts rang out incessantly.

A person can't walk without a head, and a bird can't fly without a head!
Regardless of the circumstances, Cao Cao, as the soul of the group, had to maintain his fighting spirit and remain calm.

If the commander-in-chief is terrified and loses his composure, then everyone will lose their backbone, and no matter how strong their fighting strength is, their morale will collapse instantly.

However, Yuan Bing, under Zhang He's command, was flawless. Cao Cao observed for a long time and tried to break out in different directions, but all attempts failed.

As time went on, casualties on both sides were rising rapidly. Yuan Shao was getting more and more anxious. He watched helplessly as his men dwindled, but he still couldn't break through Cao Cao's tough nut.

Although Cao Cao had fewer men around him, the remaining men still stood tightly together, like a giant iron fist. Anyone who dared to approach would be struck by that fist.

Although Cao's army was small in number, the soldiers were all in high spirits and full of fighting spirit. They were all fearless and fought desperately with their weapons.

Under Zhang He's command, Yuan Jun launched wave after wave of attacks, one after another, trying to break through Cao Cao's formation, but to no avail.

After a long and fierce battle, Xu Chu was stabbed again. He had lost count of how many times he had been injured that day.

He lunged forward, grabbed the thrusting spear, his bloodshot eyes blazing with a maniacal laugh, and with a whoosh, swung his goose-feather saber forward, instantly decapitating the attacker.

Xu Chu drew his spear and thrust it forward with force. *Thud! Thud!* The immense penetrating force pierced the chests of two enemy soldiers in succession.

However, suddenly, a long sword slashed down from the side, and Xu Chu had no time to dodge, so he was struck on the shoulder.

Xu Chu almost had his left shoulder severed. He swayed, and with a soft thud, another Yuan soldier stabbed him.

The battlefield is indeed bloody and cruel!

Seeing that he was in danger, Dian Wei rushed over and smashed his iron halberd down and killed five or six people in a row. The enemy captain who was wielding a long sword was also knocked off his horse by Dian Wei's iron halberd. Xu Chu quickly stepped forward, stared fiercely, and plunged his sword into the man's heart.

How many Yuan soldiers died at the hands of fierce generals like Xu Chu and Dian Wei? Too many to count.

"How are you?" Dian Wei asked, his eyes quickly turning towards Cao Cao, his back to Xu Chu.

Xu Chu snorted coldly and said dismissively, "Don't worry, if they want my life, they'll have to give up hundreds of lives to do it."

Xu Chu spat out a mouthful of blood; after being injured repeatedly, his mouth was full of blood.

The Yuan soldiers who were besieging Xu Chu were secretly alarmed by his bravery.

By now, almost none of Cao Cao's soldiers were unharmed, and even Cao Cao himself had suffered several cuts and scratches from weapons.

The battle grew increasingly fierce, the clash of swords and spears echoing through the sky, a deafening roar. Both sides shouted and fought desperately. Although Cao Cao's army was more determined, Yuan Shao's army outnumbered them, and even with casualties of ten or twenty thousand, they still held an overwhelming advantage.

Cao Cao never dreamed that while he and his men were fighting desperately against Yuan Shao's army, Liu Xie was calmly watching from the sidelines. In fact, Liu Xie's gaze did not linger on the battlefield for very long.

Zhang He kept urging his soldiers to charge forward, trying to break through Cao Cao's army. This battle was also a huge challenge to Zhang He's command ability.

Yuan Shao grew increasingly anxious and couldn't help but sigh, "How could Cao Cao hold out for so long with only a few thousand men?"

Ju Shou turned his gaze away from the battlefield and said, "My lord, so far, our army's casualties have exceeded 20,000. Most of Chunyu Qiong's 10,000 men were killed by Cao Cao and his men. After Zhang He trapped Cao Cao, many more were killed or wounded."

Yuan Shao gritted his teeth. "Judging from the situation, Cao Cao still has about two thousand men with him."

Cao Cao lost nearly three thousand men, but killed nearly twenty thousand of Yuan Shao's men.

This result greatly surprised Yuan Shao.

Ju Shou advised, "However, Cao Cao's army has been fighting fiercely for a long time and is exhausted. It seems they won't be able to hold out for much longer."

However, Cao Cao did not give up. He continued to fight while looking for opportunities. Soon, Cao Cao made a surprising decision.

He suddenly turned around, pointing his long sword at Yuan Shao on the earthen slope, and shouted, "Soldiers, follow me and kill!"

Although Zhang He's encirclement had no blind spots, his goal was always to intercept Cao Cao and prevent him from leaving Wuchao.

Cao Cao's efforts were all aimed at breaking through to the south. Even if he rushed to the east or west, his ultimate direction was still south.

Since Cao Cao's main camp was in the south, breaking out to the south was the only way back.

After fighting for so long, the number of enemies heading south to break through has increased significantly.

Cao Cao suddenly turned around and charged straight towards the earthen slope in the northeast, his target being Yuan Shao.

This caught Zhang He somewhat off guard.

"Kill!"

Cao Cao took the lead, followed closely by Dian Wei and Xiahou Yuan. The soldiers followed Cao Cao without any hesitation.

Wherever Cao Cao pointed, they charged in; this was not only a habit, but had even become a belief.

Cao Cao made a very decisive decision. He was that kind of person; once he made a decision, he would not hesitate at all.

Seeing Cao Cao leading his men charging up the earthen slope, Yuan Shao was startled and instinctively took a step back.

As he retreated, Yuan Shao muttered to himself, "Has Cao Cao gone mad?"

Yuan Shao couldn't understand it. He felt that the worse the situation was, the more desperately Cao Cao should have tried to break through the encirclement. But now he was doing the opposite.

Seeing the unwavering determination in Cao Cao's eyes, Ju Shou was startled and exclaimed, "My lord, his target is you!"

"He...he's completely insane."

Yuan Shao retreated desperately, shouting, "Xuande, save me!"

In fact, Cao Cao had not yet charged over; there was still some distance to go, and Yuan's soldiers on this side of the earthen slope numbered at least several thousand.

But Yuan Shao was terrified, cold sweat pouring down his face. Cao Cao and his men were like wolves and tigers, having already killed nearly 20,000 of Yuan's soldiers. Their fighting power was truly terrifying.

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone Cao Cao when he was cornered.

Zhang He quickly realized what Cao Cao was about to do and hurriedly shouted, "Stop him! Protect our lord!"

Zhang He believed that Cao Cao most likely wanted to capture Yuan Shao alive and then use Yuan Shao as a hostage to escape safely from Wuchao.

If he cannot capture Yuan Shao alive, it is possible that Cao Cao will kill Yuan Shao, which would leave Yuan's army leaderless and in chaos.

Cao Jun charged forward relentlessly. Despite the fierce battle that had raged for so long, these men remained high-spirited, roaring and wielding their swords and spears with unwavering determination, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Jiang Qi rushed forward desperately, blocking Cao Cao's army, and soon he was engaged in a fierce battle with Xu Chu.

The two exchanged blows without exchanging any unnecessary words. Soon, Xu Chu struck Jiang Qi with his sword, and Jiang Qi cried out in pain as he fell off his horse.

As soon as he landed, Xu Chu jumped in front of him and, with a thud, plunged the blade downwards into Jiang Qi's heart.

Just as Jiang Qi died, Xu Chu was also stabbed again. Immediately afterwards, several Yuan soldiers raised their spears and thrust them forcefully.

Xu Chu was covered in wounds, with more than a dozen large and small cuts. If he moved too slowly, *thud!* Both spears pierced into his chest.

Upon seeing this, Cao Cao cried out in distress, "Zhongkang!"

Xu Chu gritted his teeth and desperately hacked the two Yuan soldiers to death. His body swayed and his vision became somewhat blurry.

Just then, with a whoosh, a deadly arrow shot over fiercely. Xu Chu instinctively tried to dodge, but his body was already out of his control.

puff!
An arrow struck Xu Chu squarely in the throat, piercing through it completely. A blood-dripping arrowhead emerged from the other end, a truly horrifying sight.

Dian Wei suddenly turned around and looked in the direction the arrow had come from. Zhang He was holding a hard bow in his hand.

Zhang He was too far away to catch up in time, but that didn't stop him from using arrows to kill the enemy.

Xu Chu fell heavily to the ground, surrounded by dozens of Tiger Guards who refused to leave for a long time.

Dian Wei roared, "Everyone, perk up! Don't forget, your duty is to protect our lord! Kill!"

Dian Wei glanced hastily at Xu Chu's corpse, then charged forward desperately, with the Tiger Guards gritting their teeth and following closely behind, continuing their fierce attack.

Xu Chu's death did not dampen the morale of Cao Cao's army; on the contrary, they became even more courageous and quickly broke through the Yuan soldiers blocking their way, rapidly approaching the earthen slope.

Yuan Shao was surrounded by more than a thousand guards. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both looked at Liu Bei, questioning him with their eyes.

So, what do we do now that Cao Cao is attacking? Should we fight or not?

Cao Cao knew that Liu Bei was Liu Xie's man, but he never dreamed that they would meet under such circumstances!
Zhang He has caught up, but it will take some time. Will Liu Bei make a move?

(End of this chapter)