Section 57: The Challenge is Also Pleasant

  Zhang Kuang looked clearly from the top of the city. Although the enemy in front of Zhou Cang had collapsed, however, the enemies around were not affected at all, dozens of people formed a group, and surrounded Zhou Cang's troops. It seemed that they wanted to annihilate Zhou Cang's troops!

  Among these crowds of all sizes, there was one group that made Zhang Kuang pay special attention. On the surface, this group seemed no different from the others. But somehow, Zhang Kuang felt they were different from the crowd.

  It's clear! These people are well-disciplined and each has their own position, obviously they have been trained in military tactics by someone.

  "Sound the bell!"

  Zhang Kuang gave the order.

  Zhou Cang, although not particularly outstanding in terms of martial arts in the current Tianping Army, and not a big reader either, has one advantage - he absolutely trusts Zhang Kuang. As soon as he heard the sound of the golden horn on the city wall, he immediately stopped pursuing and killing the remaining enemies, loudly calling out to his subordinates, and retreated with large strides.

  The surrounding enemies, seeing Zhou Cang's troops start to retreat, hastened their pace, wanting to entangle them. Alas, Zhang Kan saw the opportunity quickly and the withdrawal order was timely. When Zhou Cang led his men to retreat to the vicinity of the city gate, the nearest enemy was still a hundred paces away.

  The pursuers were ineffective, and those who came to attack, although they shouted and scolded in their mouths, also cautiously kept a distance of at least 100 steps from the fort, unwilling to get close. The twenty strong crossbows that Zhang Kuang had ambushed earlier finally did not have a chance to be used.

  The plan to lure the enemy failed. The attacking enemies no longer hid themselves. Whistling sounds rose from some people's mouths, and countless whistles echoed around, responding to each other. Amidst this wave of sharp whistling sounds, groups of men and horses began to gather around the fort.

  Some of them ride horses, while others walk. Some wield guns, and some carry knives. Some wear armor, while others have only cloth clothes. However, they also share some commonalities. That is: these people are all young, with a clear air of arrogance on their faces, all being rustic heroes from the countryside.

  Although it looks grand, the final gathering of the attackers in front of the Wubao Gate is only about 400 to 500 people. However, Zhang Kuang can vaguely see a large group of people from afar on the hills, and judging by their scale, there are probably no less than a thousand people.

  It seems these invaders are still planning to lure us out of our defenses and attack...

  In the midst of the commotion, an enemy general emerged from the crowd. He was of medium build and young in years, but his every move exuded stability. The group of attendants surrounding him were well-organized and disciplined, precisely the ones Zhang Kuang had paid special attention to earlier!

  "Hua County's Zhang Ba, here to pay respects!"

  Zhang Kuang was certain in his heart. He had long suspected that the one who would make such a big noise would be none other than Zang Ba, famous throughout the surrounding counties. Now his guess was confirmed, and Zhang Kuang's mind was also at ease.

  Zang Ba's words had just fallen when, before Zhang Kuang could respond, a voice burst out from the crowd beside them:

  "Liáng Fǔchāng has arrived, and is here to pay his respects!"

  "Ying County Mao Hui has arrived to pay his respects!"

  "Mountain and river far away, come to pay respects!"

  "Mount Tai's Sun Guan has arrived to pay his respects!"

  "Fei County Magistrate Li, has arrived to pay his respects!"

  "Wu Dun from South Wuyang has arrived for a visit!"

  …………

  Every time a voice of self-reporting sounded, Zhang Kuang's eyebrows would tighten up a bit. These characters, although not well-known in the later Three Kingdoms games, were already roughly understood by Zhang Kuang when he chatted with Chen Deng.

  Zang Ba is indeed a hero who will dominate Xuzhou and Qingzhou in the future. With just one call, he actually summoned all the famous light cavalries from Taishan County!

  It's stressful!

  Zang Ba is indeed not easy to provoke.

  Of course, Zhang Kuang just felt the pressure. Such an array, for him now, is not a big threat after all. Zhang Kuang's subordinates are famous generals such as Dian Wei, Yue Jin, Yu Jin, and Zhou Cang. Chang Yi, Xu Hui, Mao Jie, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, and Yin Li, although they are also good, are only second- or third-rate warriors after all.

  However, several hundred light cavalry were quite a big trouble.

  Although these people are not accustomed to military formations and lack discipline, in a head-on confrontation, their combat effectiveness is actually mediocre. However, if they disperse and take advantage of the local geographical advantages to launch continuous surprise attacks on the Heavenly Balance Army, this would be quite a headache.

  It is said that Zhang Kuangji's subordinate general, "Flying Heaven Taoist" He Man, has gone missing and may have fallen into the hands of these light cavaliers.

  "What brings you here so quickly?"

  It came pretty quickly!

  "My father has given an order, I must come at once!"

  Where is my dad?

  "Is it to pay respects to your elderly father that you have come here?"

  Your dad is in my hands, so you'd better behave yourself.

  "Please allow Zhang Gongzi to grant an audience to his elderly father!"

  Cut the crap and let me see if my old man is safe first.

  Zhang Kuang had a number in his mind, and he didn't say much. He sent someone to lead Zang Jie up to the city gate. The father and son met, and they had their own conversation. It was just that one was on top of the city wall and the other was below, so it wasn't suitable for a long talk. When Zang Jie learned that his father hadn't suffered much, he also softened his tone somewhat.

  "Zhang Qiu, I appreciate your kindness and respect towards my father. However, I've taken up too much of your time, so I'd like to take my father home now to show him some filial piety. May I ask for your advice?"

  Come on down! What do you want?

  Zhang Kuang smiled to himself and brought out his usual nonsense again.

  "Xuan Gao, you were destined to be a heavenly star, specifically reincarnated to serve as my trusted aide. However, for now, you still haven't undergone enlightenment and don't understand the cause and effect of things. Therefore..."

  Zang Ba naturally wouldn't respond to such words. He waited a bit and asked:

  "What's going on?"

  Zhang Kuang let out a long sigh and said:

  "You still don't understand, do you? Never mind. I have a general, with bravery and martial prowess rarely seen in the world. If you can withstand twenty rounds under his command, I won't say another word, please ask your father to return home."

  "A promise is a promise!"

  "A gentleman's word is his bond!"

  "Alright! Wait for me to come and take a look, the fierce general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom!"

  Zang Ba's mood relaxed, and his fighting spirit rose again. Although he had never fought with "Taiping Dao's First Master" Guan Hai, he had heard that Cao Jiao had once fought against him. Although he was at a disadvantage, Cao Jiao managed to hold on for over thirty rounds in front of Guan Hai and retreated unscathed.

  Zang Ba had fought with Cao Jiao a few months ago. In the past few months, he has been diligently practicing and felt that his martial arts skills have improved. If he were to fight Cao Jiao again, Zang Ba felt that he would at least have a 40% chance of winning. Even if Guan Hai took action personally, although Zang Ba might not be able to defeat him, he should still be able to hold on for thirty rounds.

  Seeing Zang Ba's confident expression, Zhang Kuang sneered in his heart.

  You still don't know, the powerful enemy you are about to face! Even if Lv Bu, the number one warrior in the Three Kingdoms, is included, Dian Wei can also be ranked among the top five generals in the entire Three Kingdoms!

  And now, Dian Wei has reached the pinnacle of his combat power thanks to Zhang Fei's "enlightenment". The dual iron spears he uses have also become an extension of himself after months of practice. Even if "Jiangdong's Fierce Tiger" Sun Jian were to come back, he would have to retreat in the face of such a formidable warrior!

  Looking at Zang Ba again, regardless of whether he can be promoted to a first-rate general in the future, he is still too young for now. With his current second-rate martial arts skills, going against Dian Wei, who is also one of the top-notch existences among the first-rate generals, the outcome has already been decided before the battle even begins.

  If he wasn't confident, how could Zhang Kuang be so bold as to propose this bet?

  The city gate of Wubao Castle opened again. A team of 200 elite warriors lined up and marched out. Their well-trained actions made the light cavalry on Zang Ba's side feel greatly shocked. Many people secretly compared the two sides, only to find that they, who were used to showing off their prowess in rural counties, were simply a mob in front of the enemy's formation.

  Wearing a helmet and armor, standing in the middle of the troops, he was also secretly pleased with himself.

  He had originally wanted to make a name for himself as a "hero" in the county. Unfortunately, his strict and serious nature made it difficult for him to get along with other heroes. After mixing with them for half a year, he didn't gain any good reputation. In the end, Yu Jin had no choice but to give up on being a "hero" and joined the army as a merchant's son.

  However, Yu Jin was now able to show his abilities and trained a 200-man elite troop, already recognized as the "first in command" among the Heavenly Balance Army. At present, apart from the original 200 men, Yu Jin also served as the training officer for the entire army, deeply valued by Zhang Kuang.

  After the two hundred elite soldiers, a giant emerged from the city gate. He wore a precious fish-scale armor, held two large iron spears in his hands, and took big strides, seemingly slow but actually fast. Seeing this appearance, Zang Ba and others all took a deep breath:

  Is this a man? This is a big mountain that can walk!

  Zang Ba took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart, and shouted at Zhang Kuang on the city wall:

  "What about this strong man?"

  Zhang Kuang smiled complacently and said:

  "This is indeed. This is my number one general, Dian Wei Dianzi Yan. Zi Yan, you'd better be careful with your hands, don't accidentally hurt Xuan Gao by mistake. He's also a heavenly star, and he's your companion!"

  "Somebody knows!"

  Dian Wei's loud voice replied. He swung his twin halberds and struck, making a loud noise, saying to Zang Ba:

  "You little scamp, come and get a beating!"

  Dian Wei's arrogance enraged Zang Ba, who scolded with a straight face:

  "Ugly ghost! Don't say any more! Just look at my big knife, and see how I'll chop you up like a wooden stake!"

  Characters: Chang Fen, Xu Xi, Mao Hui, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li.

  This is the legendary Taishan bandits.

  The Taishan gangsters, mostly from local tyrants. These people are good at fighting in the mountains, and may not be too strong in head-on battles. However, they are extremely skilled in guerrilla warfare in the mountains. They belong to a group of masters who are weak in expansion but sufficient in self-defense.