Chapter 141: Fierce Tiger

In terms of raw strength, Song Xian far surpassed Cao Peng. In terms of experience, Song Xian had the upper hand over Cao Peng. In terms of weaponry, Song Xian’s weapon was longer than Cao Peng’s.

In short, no matter from which angle one looked at it, Cao Peng was no match for Song Xian.

Yet, strangely enough, Song Xian found himself thoroughly battered and hard-pressed by Cao Peng. Cao Peng and his horse moved as one, seemingly even more formidable than the Xiongnu nomads who lived their entire lives on horseback. That damn Night-Shining White horse seemed to possess spiritual intelligence, constantly varying its speed during the exchange of blows. Now fast, now slow; now stopping dead, now accelerating. Amidst these ever-shifting speeds, Song Xian completely lost the advantage he held.

Every single clash saw him firmly suppressed by Cao Peng.

Moreover, there seemed to be a strange kind of momentum packed into Cao Peng’s heavy sabre.

It was not merely sheer physical force, but a unique kind of internal energy—a kinetic power that Song Xian could not comprehend, unable to figure out how it was generated. Short-range explosive force, combined with the unpredictable energy humming along the blade’s edge, drove Song Xian to the verge of despair. After barely a dozen rounds, Song Xian had been beaten into a wretched state, completely devoid of any chance to counterattack.

As for Cao Peng, he seemed to have unleashed his inner ferocity, every single strike vicious and lethal!

"All of you, halt!"

A thunderous roar echoed in Song Xian’s ears.

Hearing that familiar voice, an overwhelming surge of wild joy washed over Song Xian.

Of course he recognized whose voice commanded that roar.

*Little brat,* he thought to himself with vicious glee, *you are done for.*

Consequently, he subconsciously reined in his attack, completely forgetting that at this very moment, he was locked in a fierce, life-or-death battle with Cao Peng.

Cao Peng heard that roar as well, but he paid it no heed.

All his focus was pinned squarely on Song Xian. Guided by a light, deft pat from Cao Peng's palm, Night-Shining White instantly understood its master’s intent. Charging at breakneck speed, the horse suddenly surged forward with another burst of power. Yet at this precise moment, Song Xian’s mind had drifted; he seemed to have forgotten to parry.

Cao Peng gripped his heavy sabre with both hands, the blade facing outward. His body leaned sideways in the saddle, holding the broad sabre horizontally at his side.

"Ziyuan, watch out!" Someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

Ziyuan was Song Xian’s courtesy name.

Only then did Song Xian snap back to reality. But Cao Peng was already upon him.

Iron hooves pounded the earth with a rapid clatter.

Cao Peng swept his sabre upward in a diagonal slash. A cold, shimmering arc tore through the air, accompanied by a sharp, piercing whistle as it cleaved toward Song Xian.

This was the finishing blow Cao Peng had been creating distance for. The blade gleamed with a chilling light, its murderous aura biting to the bone. By the time Song Xian recovered his wits, the freezing blade pressure was already pressing against his flesh.

He let out a startled cry, instinctively jerking the reins. His mount emitted a shrill, piercing neigh, rearing up vertically on its hind legs.

At the same time, Song Xian ducked his head, abandoning his spear to tightly embrace his horse’s neck. The blade-light swept past. Night-Shining White flashed by Song Xian’s side like a bolt of lightning. Song Xian let out a long breath and released his grip, only to hear his warhorse emit a final, agonizing shriek. From the horse's chest all the way up to its neck, a bloody mist erupted. That single strike had sliced the warhorse open from chest to belly with brutal efficiency. The horse’s front hooves touched the ground, and it collapsed heavily onto the earth, fresh blood pooling and flowing freely.

Trapped beneath the carcass of his mount, soaked in blood, Song Xian shrieked in terror.

"My Lord, save me!"

In that fleeting instant, he felt as though he had skirted the gates of hell, his soul trembling with lingering fear.

"Little brat, how audacious!"

Cao Peng wheeled his horse around. Just as he reined it in, a thunderous roar crashed against his ears, and a flash of fiery red burst into his field of vision, pouncing toward him like a gale-force wind.

The great general mounted on horseback, wielding a painted halberd in a single hand, smashed it straight down at Cao Peng’s head.

Putting everything else aside, that sheer, crushing momentum alone was enough to nearly suffocate Cao Peng. Who was this?

A thought flashed through Cao Peng's mind as he raised his sabre to block.

Before the weapon and the halberd even collided, an awe-inspiring pressure crashed down upon him like Mount Tai collapsing. This was not tangible physical strength, but an aura—an aura that Cao Peng could neither clearly define nor fully articulate, yet understood with absolute clarity in his heart...

Aura was a deeply mystical concept.

The so-called majestic aura of an overlord was fundamentally impossible to explain in words.

The moment that warrior struck, Cao Peng realized something was terribly wrong. He could under no circumstances meet this blow head-on; to do so would spell certain death. The thought flashing through his mind, he lightly tapped his horse’s flanks with his heels. His previously straight arms suddenly bent into a bizarre, unnatural arc.

*Clang!*

Sabre and halberd met.

That overwhelming, tidal wave of force nearly knocked the steel sabre out of Cao Peng's grip.

He roared, channeling all his internal strength into his lower dantian. At the exact instant of impact, Night-Shining White locked its front legs stiffly while slightly bending its hind legs, as if preparing to sit down. Its body sank downward, and using that brief moment of descent, Cao Peng twisted his body to let the painted halberd graze past him. Immediately afterward, he bellowed, and Night-Shining White pushed off powerfully with its hind legs, launching its body into the air. Leveraging the upward bound of his steed, Cao Peng slammed his feet down into the stirrups, channeled his core strength through his arms, and sprang up from the saddle in a flash. Gripping his heavy sabre tightly with both hands, he brushed past the painted halberd like a flash of light, executing a swift, diagonal upward slash. Lightning-fast, he swept the blade toward that mass of fiery red, his face twisted into an expression of ferocious grimace.

"Oh?"

The formidable general couldn't help but emit a soft gasp of surprise.

Hidden within that sound was a hint of genuine appreciation, accompanied by a trace of anger.

The two horses crossed paths. Cao Peng and the veteran general simultaneously whipped their horses around. Cao Peng’s heart hammered frantically against his ribs, and cold sweat streamed down his back, soaking his undergarments.

Without experiencing it firsthand, one could never comprehend that terrifying sensation.

It was the terrifying feeling of an entire mountain crashing down upon you.

The hands gripping the heavy sabre trembled uncontrollably.

His entire body felt as though it had been drained of all strength in a single split second, shivering faintly and incessantly. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Cao Peng raised his head and focused his gaze.

He saw a towering general before him, wearing a golden crown adorned with pheasant feathers.

He was clad in a hundred-flower battle robe and intricate golden-threaded armor, fastened at the waist with a lion-patterned jade belt, and draped in a brocade cloak with a black exterior and a crimson lining. In his hand, he wielded a painted halberd.

That halberd shaft was as thick as a goose egg and nearly four meters long.

The double-eared crescent blades at the head gleamed with a frosty light, and the blade itself was exceptionally broad, measuring a full twenty centimeters across.

The shaft was forged from hemp steel, dark and lustrous, engraved with coiling dragons... Looking further down, he rode a Red Hare Storm-Chasing Beast, its entire coat ablaze with fiery red hair, without a single blemish. Twelve feet long from head to tail, with robust limbs and a muscular, well-fed frame. Those bowl-sized hooves struck the earth with dull, echoing thuds, the beast frequently snorting, blowing air from its nostrils, tossing its head and whipping its tail. Like a dragon emerging from the sea, it paced back and forth in front of him, refusing to stay still!

The Red Hare was excited...

A fine steed, much like a human, possessed a spirit of its own.

They, too, yearned to encounter worthy adversaries.

However, legendary steeds like the Red Hare Storm-Chasing Beast rarely crossed paths with a match.

Otherwise, such magnificent horses would be dime a dozen, wouldn't they?

Now, the Red Hare had encountered Night-Shining White, and it was as if they had finally met their match on the chessboard.

It wasn't just the Red Hare that was excited; Night-Shining White was equally thrilled. Had Cao Peng not kept a firm grip on the reins, it might have already charged forward to lock horns with the Red Hare.

The two dragon-like steeds intermittently let out low growls, as if issuing challenges to one another.

As for the great general atop the Red Hare, he cut a majestic and imposing figure, radiating a murderous aura. Leaping down from his mount, he stood nearly two meters tall. His physique was robust and powerful, yet unlike Dian Wei or Xu Chu, he wasn't overly broad-shouldered and thick-waisted. A pair of tiger-like eyes burned with brilliant light, slanting upward toward his temples to project an air of heroic valor. His face possessed sharp, chiseled angles, as if carved by a knife or hewn by an axe. His features radiated a masculine beauty that compelled involuntary admiration.

"Little brat, your martial arts are not bad!"

The formidable general barked coldly, his voice exceptionally resonant.

At that moment, the two generals who had followed behind him also charged forward, forcefully cutting through the lines and separating Xu Yi, Dian Man, Wei Xu, and Hou Cheng.

The bodyguards on both sides similarly drifted apart, each standing behind their respective lords with furious, glaring expressions.

Both sides had suffered casualties, but overall, it was Hou Cheng’s men who had suffered a slight disadvantage...

Hou Cheng had lost three bodyguards with over a dozen seriously injured; whereas on Cao Peng’s side, one man was dead and seven were wounded, a situation scarcely any better.

"My Lord!"

Hou Cheng and Wei Xu cupped their fists in salute before the formidable general.

At the same time, Song Xian was dragged out from beneath the horse’s corpse, dripping with blood, limping heavily as he walked over to salute the commander.

Outside the crowd, an elderly man accompanied by a middle-aged gentleman stood atop a carriage, their hands clasped behind their backs as they watched the battle.

"Yuanlong, who are those three youngsters?"

"Uh... I seem to recognize the pale-faced one."

"Oh?"

"When this child previously went to Xudu, I met him at the Yuxiu Tower. At the time, we almost sparked a misunderstanding... The boy is named Cao Peng. His father, Cao Ji, is said to be a descendant of the Mohist *juzi*, and currently serves as the Prefect of the Bureau of Military Crafts under Lord Cao. He crafts exceptionally fine sabres capable of cutting through twenty layers of armor plates. What's most remarkable is that Cao Ji produced over thirty such sabres within three months, an extraordinary feat."

"Cao Junshi?"

The old man nodded. "I have indeed heard of him... Ah, I remember now. This little brat was the one who accompanied that uncle of his to Haixi County, am I right?"

"That should be correct."

"That uncle of his did a rather decent job."

The old man’s tone suddenly shifted, his gaze locking onto Cao Peng.

"Let's go."

"Father, are we not going to intervene?"

"Rest assured. The Marquis is fierce and valiant, but he is not the sort of man to bully the young with his strength."

"Oh... In that case, please return to the carriage, Father."

The middle-aged man supported the old man as they stepped back toward the cabin. However, the old man suddenly paused, turning his head to tell the middle-aged man, "That little brat... is quite good."

"Oh?"

The middle-aged man was startled, wanting to ask further.

But taking advantage of the moment, the old man had already stepped inside the cabin.

"Little brat, who sent you here to cause trouble?"

The general on horseback ignored Hou Cheng and the others. Dragging his halberd in one hand, he reined in his horse and bellowed.

By this time, Cao Peng had managed to steady the turbulent emotions within his chest, urging his horse forward three steps.

Night-Shining White stepped ahead, driving the Red Hare to grow even more agitated as it snorted and paced forward three steps as well. With a sharp command from the mounted general, the Red Hare finally halted.

Cao Peng took a deep breath, resting his sabre across his palm and cupping his fists. "May I ask, are you the Marquis of Wen in person?"

His eyes narrowed slightly.

The general stared at Cao Peng, sizing him up from top to bottom before speaking in a deep voice after a long pause: "Indeed."

Who was the Marquis of Wen?

None other than the tiger among men, Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian.

Cao Peng could not help but sigh in silent admiration: *Truly, Lü Bu among men, Red Hare among horses.*

He cupped his fists once more. "Your subordinate is Cao Peng, Military Bureau Officer of Haixi.

"This trip to Xiapi is by order of the County Magistrate, sent to offer congratulations to the Marquis. Who would have guessed that upon entering the city, I would be targeted by three generals attempting to forcibly seize my mount. Though your subordinate is no legendary hero, neither am I one to be bullied at will. Thus, a conflict arose with the three generals."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu turned his head to cast a cold glance at Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian, letting out a cold snort from his nose.

Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian flushed crimson with shame, collectively lowering their heads.

Lü Bu turned back to look at Cao Peng. "Indeed, it is a fine steed. Since they have taken a fancy to your horse, it is still not too late for you to hand it over now."

Hearing this, Cao Peng's expression shifted.

Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian, however, wore expressions of delight.

The two generals who had previously separated Xu Yi and Dian Man urged their horses forward, intending to speak, but Lü Bu raised a hand to signal them to remain silent.

"Little brat, I will give you two choices.

"Hand over the horse, and I will spare your lives; otherwise, leave your lives behind here."

"Lü Bu, do not be so arrogant!" Dian Man raged, parting his twin iron halberds and urging his horse forward as if to charge.

When Lü Bu caught sight of the twin iron halberds in Dian Man's hands, he paused, a thoughtful glint flashing in his eyes.

Cao Peng raised a hand to stop Dian Man. "Third Brother, do not act rashly."

"Hmph..."

Dian Man gritted his teeth and reined in his warhorse.

"Whose son are you to Dian Wei?"

Just as Cao Peng was about to speak, Lü Bu suddenly roared.

Dian Man was startled, puffed out his chest, and proudly declared, "I am his legitimate son!"

"To think he is the son of Eilai..."

Lü Bu burst into hearty laughter. "This general respects brave and valiant men the most. Back then, your father fought fiercely against me for a hundred rounds without a winner—truly a stouthearted warrior. Very well, for your father's sake, I shall spare your life. As for the two of you, what do you say?"

Xu Yi and Cao Peng exchanged glances and simultaneously spurred their horses forward.

Cao Peng declared, "If the Marquis wishes to forcefully rob me of my horse, let us see if the Marquis possesses the skill to do so."

Xu Yi sneered, "A true man would rather die than suffer humiliation. Spare your breath, Lü Bu; if you want my Black Dragon, you must kill me first."

The two flanked each other—one holding his sabre poised upright in the saddle, the other dragging his blade with a predatory glare.

To be honest, Cao Peng knew he was no match for Lü Bu.

Yet, deep within his heart, there stirred an indescribable impulse to engage in a grand battle against Lü Bu... A true man, how could he bow his head without fighting?

Lü Bu flashed a ferocious grin as he abruptly swung his painted halberd, halting it rigidly mid-air.

The tip of the halberd pointed toward the two of them from afar. "If I do not take your lives within three trades of blows, today's affair shall be wiped clean."

"We look forward to witnessing the Marquis's supreme martial prowess."

As Cao Peng spoke, he held his sabre in one hand, the tip pointing downward.

"Hold on!"

Dian Man urged his horse between Cao Peng and Xu Yi, gripping his twin iron halberds as he stared at Lü Bu, eager for a fight.

"Little brat, for your father's sake, I have spared you once... Do not come back to throw your life away."

"From the day the Eight Brothers of Haixi took our sworn oath, we sought not to be born on the same day and month, but only to die on the same day and month. How could I ever be a coward clinging to life?"