The 24th Move: Powerful and Strong, Sudden Descent

  Under the slogan of "Han Army! Mighty!", fifty "Trap Array Soldiers" moved in silence, maintaining a uniform speed, forming a small cone-shaped array, pressing against the simple circular array of the Heavenly Balance Army!

  Shen Fu, a former county soldier, had bulging veins on his forehead. He had never seen such an overwhelming charge in the Chen Guo Han army before.

  The enemies in front of him, looking like they were charging with great momentum. However, listening to the opponent's neat footsteps and watching their silent approach, Shen Fu felt that what he saw was not a group of people, but a flood, a raging torrent!

  "It's all up to you now!"

  Yu Jin slightly nodded his head, his palm stroking the short knife at his waist. The man leading the charge in front of him was naturally someone he recognized. This person's surname was Hou and his name was Cheng, an old garrison commander brought by Commander-in-Chief Bao Xin from the Northern Army. It is said that as early as ten years ago, this Hou Cheng had already cultivated "War Qi", and in Bao Xin's army, he was widely regarded by all the generals as: The number one martial artist!

  He patted his heart and asked himself, having seen Hou Cheng's strength, he thought that if they were to fight one on one, his current self was still not a match for him.

  However, this does not mean that Yu Jin cannot defeat him!

  The enemy is gradually approaching. The speed is not fast, but it's steady.

  Fifty steps!

  Thirty Steps!

  Twenty steps!

  There are still ten steps!

  As soon as he entered this distance, Hou Cheng's body movements suddenly became more intense. The speed that had been hidden in front of him was now exposed without a doubt!

  For the Libra soldiers who faced Hou Cheng head-on, at this moment, Hou Cheng was no longer a person, but a leopard, a leopard that elegantly yet effectively combined strength and speed!

  But at this moment, the people who moved were far more than just Hou Cheng alone.

  Twenty crossbows fired simultaneously, target: the front row "Pitfall Soldiers" right before their eyes!

  In the Yellow Turban Army, crossbows were a scarce but powerful weapon.

  Due to the complexity of the manufacturing process and the high cost, the production of crossbows in the Han Dynasty has always been tightly controlled by the central court. Even with the ability of "Great Virtuous Teacher" Zhang Jiao, it was impossible to mass-produce crossbows, let alone equip them on a large scale.

  In many cases, the long-range weapon of the Yellow Turbans was mainly dependent on archery, which required a high level of technical skill from the shooter. Compared to crossbows, this alternative had far superior killing power, range and accuracy. The only advantage of bows was that they could be fired at a faster rate.

  However, when facing the fully armored and well-protected Han army, the disorderly multicolored bows and arrows of the Yellow Turbans exposed their insufficient killing power. It was often seen that Han soldiers who were shot by Yellow Turban archers and became hedgehogs still jumped around on the battlefield.

  So, after several battles, if the Yellow Turbans faced not armor-clad strongmen, they would usually not waste their energy using those crudely-made bows and arrows.

  The Tianping Army, although they had many spoils of war in previous battles, the crossbow was a delicate and fragile thing. The Tianping Army lacked craftsmen who knew how to make crossbows. As a result, there were now only over a hundred usable crossbows in their possession. Among them, more than half were spoils from the Longshe night battle. These small-strength hand crossbows were now the main equipment of the Tianping Army's cavalry.

  Such a powerful and rare weapon, of course, must be grasped in the hands of reliable and seasoned warriors. Therefore, under Shen Fu's command, the soldiers using the strong crossbow were all veteran Yellow Turban soldiers who had experienced many battles. In the hands of these seasoned warriors who could calm down and calmly face the enemy, the twenty crossbows exerted a power that made the Han army tremble with fear!

  Within ten paces, even the weakest "two-stone crossbow" has enough power to pierce two layers of leather armor. So, these twenty arrows that were shot with extreme accuracy, fourteen of them actually tasted human flesh and blood!

  "Ahhh..."

  "My goodness..."

  "Ah..."

  Piteous cries rose one after another. Ten "trapped soldiers" wailed as they rolled over, fell to the ground, and struggled to survive amidst the footsteps of those who followed. But this was not the only source of piteous cries...

  Hou Cheng raised his right hand, and a soldier from the Tianping Army in the front row was cut down by the blade, falling to the ground with a blood-curdling scream. Hou Cheng turned his left hand, and the hook on his hand had already caught onto another Tianping Army soldier's long spear. With one slash of his knife, the head of this spearman suddenly flew off!

  Including Shen Fu, Hou Cheng, who was shot by four crossbow arrows, was unscathed!

  Yu Jin watched intently from the side. Just before the crossbow arrows were shot, Hou Cheng first rolled on the ground to avoid two crossbow arrows. Then, with his quick eyes and hands, he chopped one of the crossbow arrows in mid-air. However, the last arrow, personally shot by Shen Fu's powerful crossbow, was incredibly fast and close, and Hou Cheng was unable to dodge it!

  Can't avoid it? Block it then!

  This type of weapon has multiple functions, one of which is being used as a shield.

  Shen Fu's arrow was swift and accurate, hitting the center of Hou Cheng's hook-ornamented shield. At this distance, a crossbow bolt that could penetrate five layers of leather armor was enhanced by the "War Qi" green light, but it still couldn't pierce through the thin iron plate on the surface of the shield!

  Seeing Hou Cheng kill his way into the front ranks, showing off his might among the soldiers, Yu Jin's face was as calm as an ancient well without ripples. He had already seen Hou Cheng's greatest weakness. This was also Hou Cheng's biggest failing: although he possessed the martial prowess to "break a thousand men", he couldn't become a true "breaker of a thousand men".

  Afraid of death!

  With Hou Cheng's skills, he should be using a martial arts routine that emphasizes agility. However, he actually prefers to wear two layers of armor, greatly restricting his strong points.

  Moreover, Hou Cheng's moves are often not seeking to gain an advantage, but rather a safe and stable move that seeks no mistakes. Once the enemy uses a move that could pose a threat to him, Hou Cheng would immediately change his move and neutralize it.

  After fighting until now, Hou Cheng has already killed seven or eight soldiers in the Tianping Army formation, and there is not even a single scratch on his helmet and armor. If he could be more ferocious, willing to suffer some minor injuries, and launch a full-force charge, perhaps the Tianping Army's formation would have been broken through by Hou Cheng.

  From here, Yu Jin saw Hou Cheng's "strong" and Hou Cheng's "weak"!

  Upon seeing this, Yu Jin could no longer wait and prepared to make his move. For if he didn't, their formation would be shattered by these "trapping array soldiers"!

  "Use your spear!"

  Yu Jin turned his head and shouted to the guards beside him. The two guards, without hesitation, picked up two large halberds from among the more than ten weapons placed beside them. These two guards were his subordinates whom he had recruited while in the Han army. The three of them worked together seamlessly, with a set of tactics for dealing with enemies.

  "Charge!"

  Yu Jin finished speaking, but did not immediately take action. He paused for a moment, waiting for the two Imperial Guards to swing their ji before making his move. He didn't use his ji or his trusty long spear, instead opting for the ring-headed knife that could fully unleash its power in close combat!

  Hou Cheng saw in front of him, one on the left and one on the right, two large halberds rushing towards his face, a cold smile in his heart.

  These mobs, don't they know that the design of the hook and tassel is to effectively counter long weapons like spears and halberds?

  With a block from his left hand and a twist, this move that Hou Cheng had practiced thousands of times in his daily life was executed perfectly. With a simple movement, the two small branches of the halberd were already caught by the hook on Hou Cheng's hand.

  Hou Cheng's body, familiar and smooth, was about to surge forward, his hook-like movement pulling him towards the rear, ready to burst into the opponent's embrace. With his right hand holding a large knife, he was prepared to give his opponent a fatal blow. However, a blade flashing in front of him served as a clear reminder that if Hou Cheng continued to charge forward, it would be he himself who would end up being disembowelled!

  Hou Cheng changed his move, wanting to use the hook on his left hand to block the incoming attack. However, as soon as he swung his arm, he realized that two large halberds were caught on the hook, making it impossible for him to swing freely.

  Hou Chengyi gritted his teeth, and with a swift slash of his right hand, the knife shot out, accompanied by a faint sound of wind and thunder. If the knife-wielding man in front of him didn't know better and insisted on trying to strike him down, he would inevitably be injured by his own counterattack!

  However, the knife-wielding hand did not flinch in the slightest, and with one swift slash, there was no hesitation!

  Hou was shocked!

  If his opponent wasn't intimidated, then the one who was intimidated is himself!

  At this critical moment of life and death, Hou Cheng suddenly burst out with an unexpected potential that even he himself did not anticipate. Seeing Hou Cheng resolutely release the hook, his left hand borrowed force on the hook to push it away, while his right hand's ring-headed knife suddenly accelerated its speed, just before the enemy's short knife slashed at his chest, it was blocked by the armor leaf.

  This move finally saved Hou Cheng's own life.

  However, Yu Jin observed for a long time and deliberated carefully before swinging out this one slash; could it be received in such a simple manner?

  After all, Hou Cheng's current military strength is only one or two degrees higher than Jin.

  On that day, Dian Wei was in Zhang Fei's camp, saying that he had only spent three or four rounds to capture Yu Jin, but actually boasting. Although they were fighting head-on, Yu Jin's martial arts were far inferior to Dian Wei's, however, with Yu Jin's wisdom, would he really collide head-on with Dian Wei?

  The actual situation is that Yu Jin made full use of various obstacles in the forest and coordinated with several departments to fight against Dianwei.

  Both sides had been entangled for a long time, and neither was able to gain the upper hand. In the end, Dianwei relied on his superhuman physical strength to exhaust the physical strength of Yu Jin's troops. To preserve the lives of his troops, Yu Jin made Dianwei promise not to harm them, and only then did he reluctantly surrender.

  The intensity of the attack was such that even Yu Jin, who had some reservations about it, was deeply impressed by this blow. The blade seemed to be coated with a deep black ink, giving off an aura of unfathomable depth. When it struck Hou Cheng's sword, the sword broke; when it struck the double-layered armor, the armor cracked; and when it struck the thick waist muscles, blood splattered everywhere!

  If Hou Cheng hadn't retreated in time and his armor wasn't thick and solid, Yu Jin's slash would have been enough to cut him in half at the waist!

  Even so, Hou Cheng was already seriously injured.

  However, he could still move. Even with just a slight movement, the tearing sensation of his wound intensified several times over.

  And he had to move. If he didn't, his enemy's next blow would surely take his life.

  So he was running wildly. Rolling and crawling in a wild run. Running towards his own camp. No matter how embarrassing the action was, being able to escape with his life was victory!

  Character: Hou Cheng

  According to legend, Hou Cheng was one of Lü Bu's brave generals. However, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, where was he?

  The author gives the following settings:

  Hou Cheng originally belonged to the local army of Yan Province. When Lü Bu invaded Yan Province and attacked Cao Cao's base, he followed Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao brothers to join Lü Bu's group. Therefore, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Hou Cheng naturally participated in the battle against the Yellow Turbans as a member of the Yan Province army.