"General, General… we cannot break through this formation."
The Yuan soldiers who had fled back in disarray were all covered in dust and dirt. Of the vanguard of two thousand men who had entered the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, less than five hundred had managed to escape, and they were all in a sorry state. This had severely dampened the morale of the Yuan army.
"This..."
Gao Lan looked at Zhang He, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
Zhang He's expression was also grim. He was observing, carefully examining the changes in the opponent's Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.
"This isn't right. According to military texts, 'Tian Fu,' 'Jia Xu Ji,' and 'Si Gong' are the life gates. Entering the formation's core, Xuanwu, through the life gates should break the formation! But... but why has 'Tian Fu' transformed into 'Ba Gong,' 'Jia Xu Ji' into 'Ding Xing Qi,' and 'Si Gong' into 'Tian Ren'! This... this is not Xuanwu, this is the 'Jiu Tian' position, the opening gate... entering the opening gate leads to death!"
Zhang He's expression was one of utter astonishment, his words laced with a hint of fear and worry!
The "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation" was created by Guiguzi during the Spring and Autumn period. Many military texts also contained records of it, but these records were superficial, merely explaining the principles of its formation. For example, the orientations of the eight gates, the star patterns, and the terrain in Qimen Dunjia. However, after hundreds of years of evolution, the "Eight Gates Golden Lock" had undergone refinement, discarding the dross and preserving the essence, the false and retaining the true. Even the famous Bagua Formation created by Zhuge Liang was based on this, with countless variations added! If one were to follow the descriptions in books, they would suffer great losses!
Furthermore, Zhang He was an expert in military strategy but only had a superficial understanding of Taoist formations. He knew the 'what' but not necessarily the 'why'. In his subconscious, he would instinctively associate the "life gate" with "Xuanwu" at the formation's core. The "gate of injury" with "Bai Hu" at the formation's core... and the "death gate" with "Teng She" at the formation's core.
Theoretically, it was auspicious to enter through the Life Gate, Splendor Gate, or Opening Gate; entering through the Injury Gate, Astonishment Gate, or Resting Gate would cause injury; and entering through the Gate of obstruction or Death Gate would lead to demise.
However, in the actual breaking of formations, the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation was constantly changing, rotating clockwise and counter-clockwise. This was precisely what Xu Shu had taught Cao Ren.
"Break it again! This time... enter separately through the Splendor Gate and the Opening Gate! Retreat if you encounter the Injury Gate, Astonishment Gate, or Resting Gate! If you meet the Gate of Obstruction or Death Gate, engage!"
Zhang He gave the order again. Time was of the essence, leaving him very little room to maneuver.
Meanwhile, on the battlements of Guandu Fort, a group of Cao's strategists watched from afar. The generals stood in strict formation, their expressions solemn. Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong, in particular, gripped their weapons tightly, ready at any moment to issue orders and lead their troops to battle. In their view, if this "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation" were broken, the next phase would be the most brutal offensive and defensive battle, and they would have to resist Yuan's surging onslaught with their own bodies!
Of course... could a mere formation withstand hundreds of thousands of Yuan troops? It seemed impossible no matter how you looked at it.
However...
"Hahahaha..." Jia Xu, standing on the battlements of Guandu Fort, laughed and tapped his wooden staff. Having studied Taoist classics since childhood, he was no stranger to Guiguzi's "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation." As the saying goes, the layman watches the spectacle, while the insider sees the skill. Jia Xu fully understood the intricacies of it! He couldn't help but exclaim loudly:
"You are mistaken, the Yuan army has gone entirely the wrong way! This Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, set up by Xu Yuanzhi to assist Cao Zixiao, is far more treacherous than imagined! There is no one in the Yuan army capable of breaking this formation!"
Jia Xu's statement was a bit of an overreach. In fact, there was indeed one person in the Yuan camp capable of breaking it: Ju Shou, who was loyal to the country and dedicated to the north! However, at this moment, he had been discarded by Yuan Shao!
"Mr. Jia? Why do you say that?" Cao Hong scratched his head and quickly asked, "Zhang He has sent two squadrons of cavalry to break this formation. They are entering through the Splendor Gate and the Opening Gate respectively, and they are about to reach the 'Tai Yin' and 'Jiu Tian' positions at the formation's core! This formation is about to be broken!"
As he spoke, Cao Hong looked somewhat nervous, his heart pounding in his chest! Indeed, it was visible to the naked eye. These two Yuan cavalry units had already entered the core positions of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. Some military strategists recorded that the eight gates were: Resting, Life, Injury, Obstruction, Splendor, Death, Astonishment, and Opening! The corresponding formation cores were: "Jiu Di," "Xuanwu," "Bai Hu," "Liu He," "Tai Yin," "Teng She," "Zhi Fu," and "Jiu Tian"! As long as one entered through any of these gates and reached the corresponding core position, the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation would be broken.
Cao Hong, watching from his vantage point, could clearly see that these two Yuan cavalry squadrons were very close to the "Tai Yin" and "Jiu Tian" formation cores, which corresponded to the Splendor Gate and the Opening Gate. However...
Cao Hong did not know that a slight error in judgment could lead to a thousand-mile deviation!
"Hahaha..." Jia Xu stroked his beard. "General Zi Lian, do not panic. In your eyes, the two Yuan cavalry squadrons are infinitely approaching the 'Tai Yin' and 'Jiu Tian' formation cores. But in reality, because of the formation's changes, they are no longer entering through the 'Splendor' and 'Opening' gates when they entered!"
"Mistaken, greatly mistaken! In this manner, by the end, they will only have one path, one gate left – the Death Gate! And Teng She, corresponding to the Death Gate, will ultimately devour them."
Speaking of this, Jia Xu couldn't help but lament, "How exquisite! I never imagined that Xu Yuanzhi's formation and General Zixiao's execution would be so seamless. Having this combination is truly a luxury for the Cao camp."
It was not surprising that Jia Xu lamented this. Cao Ren was known as the "Heavenly General" in ancient texts, and Xu Shu was referred to as the "Shield General" in a series of unofficial histories and anecdotes. If they were to discuss offense, this pair might be just ordinary. But when it came to defense, their perfect coordination... let alone Zhang He and Gao Lan, even an upgraded Sun Ce or Lu Bu might not have been able to gain any advantage.
"Let's go..." Thinking of this, Jia Xu stretched lazily. "At the pace the Yuan army is going, repeatedly trying to break the formation, they likely won't be able to break this Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation tonight?"
Speaking of this, Jia Xu reminded Cao Hong, "General Zi Lian, tell the hundred thousand soldiers stationed at Guandu to rest. It is likely that the Yuan army will be trapped in this Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation for half the night. The Eight Gates Golden Lock, unpredictable... truly unpredictable!"
With that, Jia Xu turned and strode away, as if he could now be completely at ease regarding the front-line battlefield!
However...
"Heh heh..." Jia Xu said so, and Cao Hong chuckled. He dared not withdraw these hundred thousand soldiers! If Cao Ren's hundred thousand troops were broken, he would be the last resort. Tonight was of great importance; success or failure would determine their fate!
Half an hour!
One hour!
The time the Yuan army had taken to break the formation had exceeded an hour! The tense atmosphere in Guandu Fort had persisted for a full hour.
But... astonishingly, the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation remained unyielding, and the Yuan army had not managed to break through it. Just as Jia Xu had said.
—A slight error in judgment could lead to a thousand-mile deviation!
It seemed the Yuan army was just a little bit short every time, but ultimately failed, truly by a margin of "one" point...
It was merely an "Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation," yet it had exhausted the Yuan army's forces. In the end, Zhang He had no choice but to order a halt to the advance and a large-scale rest.
"General Zhang, why not launch a frontal assault to break the formation?" Gao Lan questioned.
Zhang He shook his head. "Have you not seen clearly yet? The combat capability of individual Cao soldiers far surpasses ours. Even if the formation is manned by a hundred thousand men, even if we send four hundred thousand to charge, we might not gain any advantage!"
"Then..."
A slight error in judgment could lead to a thousand-mile deviation. "Let's wait... I must find the flaw in this formation." Zhang He tried his best to calm himself down... He had to... he absolutely had to find the flaw in this formation. He was an excellent observer; as long as he was given enough time, he... he would definitely succeed!
...
...
In the administrative office of Guandu Fort.
In stark contrast to the tense preparedness of Xiahou Dun, Cao Hong, and others, Lu Yu appeared quite relaxed. He occasionally glanced at the map, then paid attention to the changes in the sky. The solar eclipse had long passed, and the entire world was bathed in daylight. Beneath this daylight, waves of bloody storms were unfolding.
"Young Master, Yuan Shao has dispatched Zhang He and Gao Lan with four hundred thousand troops to attack Guandu. As expected, they have been held back by the 'Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation' set up by General Cao Ren and Mr. Xu Shu. For two hours... they have made no progress!" Dian Wei, as usual, reported the front-line situation to Lu Yu immediately.
Lu Yu nodded. It was as he had expected... Strictly speaking, this Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation could only delay Zhang He and Gao Lan for a certain period. As for how much damage it could inflict on their troops, that was debatable. To put it simply, in two hours, the Yuan army had not suffered significant casualties. It could be said that the combination of Cao Ren and Xu Shu had fought to a draw against Zhang He and Gao Lan, resulting in neither victory nor defeat. Precisely because of this stalemate, in Lu Yu's eyes, the situation was excellent.
"Young Master? Is the Dragon Hawk Camp still holding its position? Many brothers are already sharpening their blades and cannot restrain themselves." Dian Wei said. The foremost among those who could not restrain themselves was Dian Wei himself. Such a major battle, such a grand display, and "hiding" in the rear felt wrong. Wielding his twin halberds on the battlefield for combat would be much more exhilarating. It could be said that throughout the entire Dragon Hawk Camp... whether it was Cao Xiu's five hundred cavalry, Zhang Liao's three hundred cavalry, or Gao Shun's assault formation wielding Mo Dao, or Le Jin's three thousand spearmen... they were all eager to move, poised and ready! How many soldiers had heard the stories of Cao Xiu leading seven hundred Dragon Hawk Cavalry to defeat the peerless God of War Lu Bu and the Young Hegemon Sun Bofu in the past. These "seniors" had achieved great merit; how could these "newcomers" not yearn to follow the path of their "seniors," prove themselves, and earn supreme merit?
However... they would be disappointed.
"No rush," Lu Yu waved his hand, his eyes blinking. "Tell the brothers not to be so tense. If everything goes smoothly, we likely won't need the Dragon Hawk Camp to take action tonight!"
Ah... ah... Dian Wei was a little stunned, and his mood suddenly felt complicated... Of course, it was fortunate that Lu Yu said this. He believed it unconditionally. If it were anyone else, Dian Wei would surely have thought they were out of their minds! In the current situation? To win? How could the Dragon Hawk Camp not be deployed?
"If there is any intelligence from Commander Cao, be sure to report it immediately." After a moment of contemplation, Lu Yu's expression became much more serious.
"Yes..." Dian Wei agreed and walked out of the office to continue gathering intelligence from the scouts. Lu Yu slowly walked to the window, looking towards the location of the Wuchao fire in the distance. He murmured to himself...
—"Old Cao, Old Cao, the most crucial part of this battle is on your end! Wuchao... must be completely burned clean! This concerns morale, and even more so, human nature!"
With that, a glimmer of anticipation flashed in Lu Yu's eyes. Stern, radiant, dazzling...
...
...
"Dada-da..."
"Dada-da..."
At the entrance of the Wuchao secluded valley, the sound of countless hooves suddenly erupted. Yuan army cavalry had arrived to support. The commander was Zhu Ling, a general under Yuan Shao. The cavalry he led numbered only three thousand. Rather than saying they were here to rescue Wuchao, it was more like Yuan Shao had sent them to appease Zhang He's mood!
However, amidst the billowing flames, hearing the sound of hooves, no one could clearly ascertain how many Yuan troops had arrived. This cast a heavy shadow over every Tiger and Leopard Rider's heart! Cao Cao knew only one thing... there were still three granaries in Wuchao that had not been burned. Each granary was the lifeline of the Yuan army; if even one remained, their morale would not instantly collapse! It had to be said that Chunyu Qiong still had some skill. He had gathered the last of his troops and armor to defend the final three granaries. With such concentration, it was indeed a difficult position to attack and easy to defend!
"Charge, charge..."
"Those who set fire to the granaries will be rewarded with a thousand gold and enfeoffed as a Marquis within the passes!" Cao Cao roared, raising his arms. Countless Tiger and Leopard Riders brandished their battle axes and charged towards the granaries.
Just then...
—"Report... Commander Cao, something is wrong, Yuan army's reinforcement troops have arrived."
"How many?" Cao Cao asked urgently.
—"Unknown!" The armored soldiers did not know; they could only see dust and stones flying at the entrance of Wuchao, and it looked as though they were about to be caught in a pincer movement, like dumplings in a bag. They were clearly terrified.
"Big Brother, should we divide our forces to resist?" Xiahou Yuan suggested. Hearing this, Cao Cao was furious. He knew that at this juncture, success or failure hinged on this moment. He did not know the number of enemy reinforcements. If he took the risk of dividing his forces to resist, the Wuchao in front would not be completely burned, and the rear would be like a moth flying into a flame. They might fail! Cao Cao keenly sensed that the only opportunity was in front, at Wuchao! Only by defeating Chunyu Qiong and completely burning all the grain in Wuchao would there be room for maneuver!
With this thought... Cao Cao immediately berated, "No need to divide our forces. Report again when the enemy is behind us!" With that said! Cao Cao drew his Yitian sword and personally charged towards the enemy. When Cao Cao charged, his personal guards, the Tiger Guards, naturally followed. With the Tiger Guards following, who among the Tiger and Leopard Riders would dare retreat?
"Kill..."
"Kill..."
"Charge!"
The shouts of killing erupted once more. It was this fighting-to-the-death spirit of Cao Cao that instantly infected all the soldiers, igniting everyone's fighting spirit. Every soldier of the Tiger and Leopard Riders knew that if they lost this battle, not only they themselves would die, but their families would also die. If Cao Cao perished, their entire families would be completely ruined.
Under this immense pressure! Cao's army erupted with astonishing fighting spirit. They seemed fearless of death, their combat effectiveness more than doubling. As the saying goes, the weak fear the strong, the strong fear the ferocious, and the ferocious fear those who have nothing to lose!
Chunyu Qiong's soldiers originally had poor morale; their resistance was purely supported by willpower! But now... seeing Cao's army charging, their battle axes swinging wildly, attacking without defense, as if they were determined to die together, the enemy's hearts began to fear by three points. Yes... they saw reinforcements, but they could not wait for them...
The first line of defense collapsed instantly! The second line of defense also collapsed! All the Yuan soldiers began to retreat, wanting to save their own lives and escape, their formations rapidly deteriorating and disintegrating. In contrast, the Tiger and Leopard Riders fought with increasing ferocity... like dark clouds pressing down, like a tidal wave, like a sharp blade piercing directly into the heart of the Yuan army! Subsequently, there was unrestrained continuous bloodshed. Countless heads were severed, turning into military merits. Chunyu Qiong looked with astonishment at Cao's army's scarlet banners, which fluttered in the wind as they charged!
Xiahou Yuan had gone mad. An arrow had grazed his shoulder, but he spat, forcefully pulled the broken arrow from his shoulder, blood gushing out... With his other hand, he drew the sabre from his waist and let out a hysterical roar, "Those who want to eat meat for a lifetime, kill with me!" Finally... finally... the bravery and fearlessness of the Tiger and Leopard Riders completely snapped the last string of Chunyu Qiong's defenders. Chunyu Qiong's soldiers collapsed like kites whose strings had broken, without formation or order, scattered like loose sand!
"Form ranks... form ranks..." Chunyu Qiong was still roaring... But no matter how he shouted, the tide had turned!
Cao Cao, fighting to the death, finally broke through Chunyu Qiong's camp before the enemy reinforcements arrived, killing Yuan generals Zhao Rui, Lu Weihuang, Han Luzi, and Sui Yuanjin, and capturing over a thousand men. At this time, the Yuan army's reinforcements had arrived. Cao Cao immediately ordered, "Brothers, turn your horses and continue killing..."
At the same time... Cao Cao also did something extremely ruthless. He ordered the noses of over a thousand prisoners to be cut off, and even the lips and tongues of the captured warhorses were cut off, and all of them were thrown before the enemy reinforcements. This time, the Yuan army's hearts were in turmoil, their minds shattered, and they were all terrified! They had come merely to observe, and they never expected to witness such a scene. Cao Cao truly killed without blinking an eye! They fled without a fight! The three thousand Yuan troops turned their horses and fled with great speed... bringing the scene here back to the main army camp.
Phew... Finally, after dealing with the enemy reinforcements with almost no fighting, Cao Cao let out a long sigh of relief. He walked alone to the edge of the secluded valley, closed his eyes, as if reminiscing, and also as if to calm his surging emotions! Only by being in the midst of this battle could one understand its peril.
Phew... Cao Cao let out another long sigh. He raised his head and looked up at the sky. Under the scorching heat, his clothes were already drenched. Despite this, large beads of sweat still dripped from his forehead! It was close, very close to failure!
"Yu'er... Yu'er..." he croaked hoarsely, his eyes fixed. "Your father... your father has completed his task. Next, it's... it's up to you... up to your spies!"
"And... Yuan Benchu... will he unleash this ultimate deceptive move?"
...
...