Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

At that moment, General Liu Zhenzhen, dispatched by Xu Gong, led a massive reinforcement force, galloping towards Lou County. The clatter of their hooves was like the pounding of drums, shaking the earth slightly. The dust they kicked up covered the sky, like a giant yellow dragon galloping across the land. Unbeknownst to him, Lou County had already fallen.

When Liu Zhen finally arrived in Lou County, the sight before him left him transfixed. Atop the city walls, the Shanyue flags fluttered wildly in the wind, mocking his late arrival. The city gates were wide open, and the pungent smell of blood filled the air, occasionally accompanied by faint moans. "This... How is this possible!" Liu Zhen's eyes widened in disbelief, his face filled with rage. His entire body trembled with rage, and he gripped the whip so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the strain.

He drew his sword, pointed it at Lou County, and roared at the top of his lungs, "Charge in and recapture Lou County! Don't spare a single Shanyue person!" His soldiers shouted in unison, their voices filled with fear and unwillingness, and bravely rushed towards the city gate. However, what awaited them was a deadly trap carefully laid by the Shanyue people.

Liu Zhen's army surged towards Lou County's open gates like a surging tide. But as soon as they entered, a dense hail of arrows rained down from hidden spots on both sides of the city wall. "Hide!" the soldiers in the front row cried out in terror, but they had no time to react. In an instant, countless soldiers were pierced by sharp arrows, falling screaming in agony, and their blood instantly dyed the ground near the city gate red.

"Charge! Don't stop!" Liu Zhen roared in frustration from the rear, attempting to use his superior numbers to break through the defenses. Just then, the roofs of the houses on either side collapsed, sending countless boulders, mixed with sharp wooden spurs, tumbling down upon the unsuspecting soldiers. Some were struck by the boulders, their skulls shattered and their brains splattered; others were pierced by the wooden spurs, their screams piercing the air. The ranks instantly fell into chaos, with soldiers shoving and scrambling for their lives, completely disorganized.

Amidst the chaos, Shanyue warriors burst forth from every corner. Wielding short swords and nimble, they moved like ghosts, weaving through the Xugong army. One Shanyue warrior leaped high, his blade slicing through a soldier's throat with pinpoint precision. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and the soldier died before a sound could be uttered. Shamoke, mounted on a towering warhorse and wielding a massive battle axe, charged into the enemy ranks. Each blow of his axe cleaved several soldiers in half, armor and all. The surrounding Xugong soldiers retreated in terror, but were trapped by the throng behind them, unable to advance or retreat.

Seeing this, Liu Zhen's eyes widened in anger. He personally led his elite guards towards Shamoke. "Die, you thief!" he roared, swinging his sword at Shamoke. Shamoke calmly parried the blow with his axe. The immense force numbed Liu Zhen's arm, and he nearly lost his grip on the sword. "You think you can kill me?" Shamoke sneered, then launched a fierce counterattack. The axe, with a whirring sound, danced around Liu Zhen like a whirlwind. Liu Zhen could only desperately resist, struggling to keep it together. He soon suffered several cuts on his body, and the blood seeped out, staining his armor red.

By this time, the morale of Xu Gong's army had plummeted to its lowest point. Soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons and fled in all directions. Seeing the situation hopeless, Liu Zhen began to consider retreat. After a feint with his sword, he turned and tried to break through the encirclement. However, Shamoke would not let him go so easily. He clamped his legs against his horse's belly and, like an arrow from a bow, pursued him, catching up with Liu Zhen in an instant. "Want to escape? Save your life!" Shamoke shouted, raising his axe high and slashing fiercely at Liu Zhen's back. Liu Zhen felt a chill run down his spine and tried to dodge, but it was too late. With a scream, he was split in two, his body collapsing to the ground with a thud.

With Liu Zhen's death, Xu Gong's reinforcements collapsed. The Shanyue pursued their victories, annihilating the remaining enemy forces one by one. After this battle, Lou County fell completely into Shanyue hands. This victory had a profound impact on the subsequent war, dramatically altering the balance of power in Wu County.

In the afternoon, Xu Gong was in his study, frowning as he studied the Wujun military map, trying to find a way out of the complex situation. At this moment, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar, breaking the silence of the study.

The door was slammed open, and a messenger rushed in in panic. He fell to his knees with a plop, his face pale and his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Sir, this is bad! Lou County... Lou County has been captured by the Shanyue people! General Liu Zhen... has also been killed by them!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Gong froze as if struck by lightning. The brush he was clutching dropped with a clatter, leaving a large ink stain on the spread-out map, a perfect reflection of his turbulent state of mind.

"What did you say? Say it again to this general!" Xu Gong's eyes were wide open and bloodshot. He stepped in front of the messenger, grabbed his collar and shouted angrily.

The messenger was so frightened that his whole body trembled. He stammered and repeated, "Lou... Lou County has fallen. General Liu Zhen was killed in the battle. The Shanyue people... occupied Lou County."

Xu Gong suddenly let go of his hand, and the messenger collapsed to the ground. Xu Gong stumbled back a few steps, and with a "thud", his back hit the desk hard, and the bamboo slips and documents on the desk were scattered all over the floor.

"Liu Zhen, Liu Zhen, you have followed me for many years. I trusted you so much and gave you soldiers and horses, but you are so incompetent that you lost Lou County and even your life!" Xu Gong gritted his teeth and roared angrily.

His eyes were red as he paced frantically in the study, cursing non-stop, "How dare those Shanyue barbarians be so bold! And that Sun Ce, I think he did it on purpose, colluding with the Shanyue to seize my territory!"

"Come here!" Xu Gong suddenly stopped and shouted, "Immediately gather all the generals and staff, and gather in the meeting room within half an hour. Anyone late will be subject to military law!"

The messenger tumbled out. Xu Gong stared out the window, his eyes filled with resentment and anger. After a moment, he clenched his fists and said viciously, "Shanyue people, just wait! I will make you pay for your blood debt with blood! And this Wujun will be mine sooner or later!" At this moment, Xu Gong was so overwhelmed with anger that he didn't realize that he was stepping into a deeper crisis.

In Linshui County under Wang Lang's rule, the dawn should have brought peace and tranquility. But beneath the calm, a storm was quietly brewing.

Gan Ning, leading his Jinfan bandits, quietly reunited with the elite Shanyue troops in the dense forests outside Linshui County. Gan Ning, clad in black, a long sword at his waist, his eyes shone with unruly ferocity. Beside him stood the Shanyue leader, a tall and burly figure with a unique totemic pattern painted on his face. He clutched a great axe, exuding a wild aura.

"We must make quick and decisive decisions in this siege." Gan Ning said in a low voice, "Wang Lang's defenders probably haven't expected that we will join forces." The Shanyue leader nodded, a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes.

They split into two groups. Gan Ning led the Jinfan bandits, skilled in naval warfare, in a stealthy approach via water. Their boats, like black ghosts on the river, silently approached the water gates of Linshui County. Meanwhile, the Shanyue people advanced by land, using the dense vegetation as cover as they gradually approached the city gates.

As the Jinfan pirates' ships approached the water gate, the guards finally noticed them. "Who are they?" one soldier cried out in terror. But it was too late. Gan Ning, leading the charge, leaped onto the city wall like a cheetah, his twin halberds brandishing, instantly dispatching several guards. The Jinfan pirates followed closely behind, scaling the walls and engaging the defenders in fierce close combat.

On land, the Shanyue also launched an attack. They rushed toward the city gates, shouting, their weapons flashing with a cold gleam. The soldiers guarding the gates were frightened by the sudden onslaught and momentarily panicked. The Shanyue seized the opportunity to ram the gates with huge battering rams, the "bang bang" sounds terrifying.

Wang Lang's commander, upon learning that both the city gate and the water gate had been attacked simultaneously, turned pale. "Quick, organize your forces to resist!" he hastily ordered. But before the soldiers could assemble, Gan Ning had breached the water gate. The Jinfan bandits poured into the city like a tide, killing anyone they encountered.

On the Shanyue side, the city gate finally collapsed under the fierce impact. The Shanyue warriors shouted and rushed into the city, forming a pincer attack with the Jinfan bandits. The streets of Linshui County were instantly filled with shouts and screams.

Wang Lang's soldiers tried to resist, but were gradually overwhelmed by the fierce attacks of Gan Ning and the Shanyue people. Gan Ning galloped through the city, his halberds striking the enemy as they fell. He spotted a defender commanding his men to resist, and with a glint of ruthlessness in his eyes, he charged forward. The defender, horrified, looked at Gan Ning and tried to draw his sword to block, but Gan Ning was too fast. With a single swing of his halberds, he slew the defender from his horse.

The Shanyue people searched the city for the aristocratic families. Filled with hatred for these oppressive families, they mercilessly slaughtered them one by one. Ordinary people hid in their homes, listening in terror to the sounds of fighting outside. However, they found that as long as they did not join in the resistance, the Shanyue people and the Jinfan bandits would not harm them.

After a fierce battle, the Linshui County defenders were completely routed. Wang Lang's banner was torn down, and the banners of Gan Ning and the Shanyue fluttered high on the city walls. Linshui County, once considered impregnable by Wang Lang, was captured by the combined forces of the Shanyue and the Jinfan bandits, dealing a heavy blow to Wang Lang's forces and further complicating the situation in Wu County.

The atmosphere in Wang Lang's study was suffocating, as if the air were ignited by his rage. Upon learning that Linshui County had been captured, he paced back and forth in his study like a mad beast, cursing non-stop.

"How can this be! Linshui County is as solid as a rock, yet it was easily breached. Are the defenders all good-for-nothings?" Wang Lang stopped abruptly and slammed his fist on the table. The pens, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table jumped up, and the inkstone rolled down, spilling ink all over the floor, staining it black, just like his terrible mood at the moment.

At this time, an aide walked in cautiously. Seeing Wang Lang's rage, he hesitated for a moment, then mustered up the courage to say, "Sir, this matter may not be that simple. I hope you will be more careful."

Wang Lang turned his head, his eyes blazing with fire as he roared, "What do you mean? We've already lost Linshui County, and you're still spouting useless nonsense!"

The staff member quickly bowed his head and said respectfully, "Sir, please calm down. Gan Ning's Jinfan bandits have always been a threat on the river. They operate in different areas from the Shanyue people and their style of operation is also very different. They have suddenly joined forces this time. Perhaps there is a deeper plan behind this."