Chapter Twenty: Hatred as Deep as the Sea

The sudden turn of events on the field caught everyone off guard, and Cao Ren was utterly shocked. In the darkness, he had no idea how many enemies were approaching, and his courage had already been shattered by the previous pursuit. He shouted, “Li Qian, cover the rear, we must retreat at once!”

Shen Chen had noticed that Zhao Yun was already gripping the short sword at his waist, and immediately called out, “Uncle Zilong, now is the moment!”

In an instant, Zhao Yun drew the short sword and hurled it forcefully with his left hand. The blade shot through the night like a meteor, aiming straight for Cao Ren’s back. The distance between them was not far; Cao Ren had only managed to flee about ten zhang, roughly twenty meters.

Cao Ren tried to mount his horse and escape, but horses do not accelerate so quickly. The short sword flew fast, heading directly for the nape of his neck. Perhaps sensing the deadly blade rushing through the air behind him, at a critical moment, Cao Ren managed to twist his head aside.

A scream rang out. In the darkness, it was unclear where the blade struck, but Cao Ren continued to ride furiously, desperate to flee.

Li Qian and his men quickly rallied their soldiers to resist. When they first arrived, their formation was scattered. Driven by his eagerness to save Cao Ren, Li Qian had only brought a dozen cavalry with him, causing their ranks to stretch out like a dragon’s tail. Though he commanded a thousand men, only fewer than a hundred were close by; the rest trailed behind in a long line.

As they hastily formed up, Liu Bei saw an opportunity to break through, brandished his twin swords, and shouted, “Attack!”

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei arrived late; their horses were hardly the finest and struggled under their weight. Upon hearing Liu Bei, they immediately led their cavalrymen in the charge.

Though both sides clashed fiercely, in truth it was Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and a dozen cavalry against Li Qian and about a hundred guards. The local militia and villagers were far away.

This was an open plain, where shouts carried far. Though the voices sounded loud, they could be separated by a mile or more, and neither side could join the fray quickly.

Soon, Liu Bei and his companions drove Li Qian back, but Cao Ren had already seized the chance to escape a hundred zhang away. It was impossible to catch him now, yet Liu Bei and his men still spurred their horses to give chase. Suddenly, Shen Chen’s voice rose from behind: “Lord Xuande, do not pursue.”

Liu Bei reined in his horse, seeing that Li Qian’s main force had arrived ahead, and even with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, pursuit was futile. He shook his head and said, “It’s a pity he escaped. Had we taken Cao Ren’s head, it would have honored the spirits of Xuzhou’s fallen.”

Shen Chen spoke gravely, “No matter, tonight we’ve collected some interest.”

His gaze fell to the ground. In the moonlight, Zhao Yun’s short sword was stained with blood, and nearby lay a severed ear!

Cao Ren’s deranged laughter echoed across the wilderness: “Liu Bei, you are not qualified to kill me. Shen Chen, you were lucky to survive tonight, but next time I will wipe out your clan!”

“Cao Ren, hear me!” Shen Chen roared, “I, Shen Chen, will never stand with the Cao clan. One day, I will take your head and Cao Cao’s, to honor the tens of thousands of souls lost in Xuzhou!”

“Keep dreaming.” The voice faded, while Li Qian’s army drew closer, their footsteps and shouts growing louder.

As Cao Ren’s figure receded, Shen Chen’s