Chương 345: The Moment of Hua Xiong: Hua Xiong is Back Again.

Hua Xiong was waiting, and when he saw another one come out, he grinned and said, "Another one coming to die! Good!"

The two fought fiercely...

Thirty rounds...

Forty rounds...

Fifty rounds...

Wu Anguo was indeed skilled, fighting Hua Xiong to a standstill. Hammers and swords clashed, sparks flew, and the soldiers on the camp gate were dazzled by the spectacle.

But as the battle progressed, Wu Anguo gradually lost ground.

Hua Xiong's blade grew faster and faster, while Wu Anguo's hammer grew slower and slower.

finally......

With a loud clang, Wu Anguo's hammer was sent flying!

He dared not fight any longer and turned his horse to flee!

Hua Xiong chased after him for a while but couldn't catch up. He reined in his horse and laughed loudly:

"You run fast! Go back and tell your alliance leader to send a few more capable fighters! Stop sending these useless trash!"

Wu Anguo ran back to the camp, his face full of shame, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yuan Shao, saying, "This humble general... this humble general has been defeated."

Inside the large tent, all was silent once again.

The feudal lords looked at each other, shrank back, and no one dared to speak again.

Yuan Shao sighed, looking helpless.

In a corner of the large tent, Liu Bei sat quietly with Fang Yue and Wang Shuang.

Wang Shuang leaned close to Liu Bei's ear and whispered:

"Big brother, that Hua Xiong is too arrogant! Shall we go for him?"

Liu Bei glared at him and said:

"Why would we go? There are only a few hundred of us. Are we just going to go up there and die?"

Fang Yue also whispered:

"Big brother is right. We're new here, so it's best to keep a low profile."

Wang Shuang retorted, unconvinced:

"But Hua Xiong's insults outside are so awful, it makes me angry!"

Liu Bei sighed and said:

"What's the use of getting angry? Didn't you see? Even those powerful lords don't dare to go. What are we, with our small arms and legs, doing here?"

He paused, then said in a low voice:

"However, this Hua Xiong is indeed quite skilled. If we could find an opportunity to..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Fang Yue and Wang Shuang both understood.

...

Outside the camp, Hua Xiong waited for a while, and seeing that no one came out, he shouted loudly again:

"Anyone inside who can fight? If not, you'd better stay put! You bunch of useless trash, you dare to come and demand Dong? Go back and take care of your children!"

After hurling his insults, he led his men back to Sishui Pass triumphantly.

The sound of horses' hooves, the laughter, the arrogance—it could be heard from miles away.

Inside the main tent, the feudal lords looked at each other in bewilderment.

Who's going?

Who dares to go?

Sun Jian was defeated, Yu She died... and Wu Anguo fled.

Who else can fight?

Yuan Shao looked at Cao Cao.

Cao Cao lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought.

Yuan Shao looked at Liu Bei.

Liu Bei sat in the corner, expressionless, while his two sworn brothers, Fang Yue and Wang Shuang, stared intently at him...

But Yuan Shao glanced at them and then looked away.

What use are a captain who doesn't even know how he got the position, and two unknown military officers?

Forget it.

"It's getting late, let's call it a day for now," Yuan Shao said weakly as he stood up.

"We'll discuss it again tomorrow."

The feudal lords rose and returned to their respective camps.

The atmosphere was like a funeral.

......

Outside the tent, Hua Xiong's curses still lingered in the wind, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

...

Zhuo County, Youzhou.

Liu Ce listened to Lu Bing's report on the battle situation.

Upon hearing of Sun Jian's crushing defeat, Hua Xiong's successive slaying of generals, and the widespread panic among the warlords, he laughed and said:

"Hahaha! I knew this would happen! These guys, attacking Dong Zhuo? They'd be more likely attacking their own people!"

After laughing, he asked, "How's Liu Bei? How's he doing?"

Lu Bingdao said, "Liu Bei is currently serving under him, but he has not been given any important positions. His two brothers wanted to volunteer for battle, but Liu Bei stopped them."

Liu Ce nodded and smiled:

"Liu Bei, Liu Bei, your ability to endure is truly remarkable..."

...

Outside Sishui Pass, the Allied Forces' camp.

The weather was nice that day; the sun was shining warmly.

But the atmosphere inside the Allied forces' camp was as cold as an icebox.

Because Hua Xiong has come again.

Ever since he beat Sun Jian so badly last time, and then killed Yu She on the battlefield and drove away Wu Anguo, this guy has been so arrogant he's practically flying high.

Every day, after eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they would take their men for a stroll at the entrance of the Allied Forces' camp. After the stroll, they would start cursing, and then go back to drink. Their lives were even more comfortable than in Luoyang.

Today is no exception.

Hua Xiong, mounted on his horse and carrying the large sword that had chopped off several heads, stood at the entrance of the allied camp, cleared his throat, and began to speak:

"Are all those cowardly rats from Northeast China dead? Look who's got the fighting skills! Grandpa's big knife's getting hungry!"

"Hey! Is there anyone else who can fight?! Aren't you nineteen warlords? Didn't you want to attack Dong Zhuo? Didn't you want to storm Luoyang? Why are you all cowering in there like turtles?!"

"If you're so capable, come out and fight your grandpa Hua for three hundred rounds! If you're not, then hurry back to your hometown and take care of your kids! Don't embarrass yourself here!"

After finishing a tirade, he paused to catch his breath and continued cursing:

"Yuan Shao! You illegitimate son, born from an affair between your father and a maid, how dare you call yourself the leader of the alliance? Bah! Your Yuan family has held high office for four generations, and you're the only good-for-nothing you've produced?"

"And Yuan Shu! What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty? Where's your subordinate Yu She? With his pathetic skills, he dares to come and die?"

"Sun Jian! Aren't you the fierce tiger of Jiangdong? How come you've turned into a cowardly cat?"

"And Cao Cao! You, the descendant of a eunuch, dare to sit here? Show yourself if you dare!"

......

In the end, Hua Xiong even dragged Liu Bei into the insults: "And that Liu Bei who sells straw sandals! You, a penniless weaver of mats and seller of shoes, dare to sit in this grand tent? Go back to your stall and sell straw sandals!"

The insults were incredibly vile, using every possible word and swear word imaginable, cursing the nineteen warlords from their ancestors to their unborn grandchildren.

The Xiliang soldiers around him also joined in the commotion, throwing all sorts of foul language into the camp.

The allied soldiers inside the camp were red-faced and their hands trembled as they listened, but no one dared to go out. Those who went out a few days ago had their heads hanging on Hua Xiong's horse's neck.

Inside the allied forces' camp, the feudal lords were gathered in the central command tent for a meeting.

The messenger rushed in, scrambling and stumbling, shouting, "Reporting to the Alliance Leader! Hua Xiong is here again! He's shouting insults outside the camp! And the insults he's hurling... they're really nasty!"

The messenger had just finished reciting Hua Xiong's insults, and by the last few words, his voice was barely audible.

"Snapped!"

Yuan Shao's face darkened, and he slammed his fist on the table, shouting, "Outrageous! That brat Hua Xiong has gone too far! Who dares to fight him? Kill Hua Xiong!"

No one said a word.

Yuan Shao glanced down at the crowd.

Yuan Shu looked down at his fingernails, as if military strategies were engraved on them.

Sun Jian sat in the corner, expressionless, his eyes vacant, lost in thought.

Cao Cao held the teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and slowly took a sip.

Kong Rong stroked his beard, his face bearing the expression of "I'm too old to fight."