Chapter 140: Raiding Xu Chu

Since Xu Chu had set such a trap that nearly plunged the Shadow Wolf Guard into a crisis, how could he be let off the hook?

Naturally, he could not be forgiven.

Therefore, as for the ongoing battle between Yan Liang and Xiahou Yuan, let it take its course, but as for Xu Chu, that remained to be seen.

Soon after, the Shadow Wolf Guard swung into action.

The force of over seven hundred men broke down into dozens of smaller squads, with a dozen soldiers in each group.

They began to secretly maneuver toward the mountainous perimeter where Xu Chu’s main army was stationed.

Meanwhile, Xu Chu remained utterly focused on watching the clash between Yan Liang and Xiahou Yuan down below.

"General, there still seems to be no news of the Shadow Wolf Guard. Could Lord Cheng Yu have been mistaken?" Seeing that the battlefield showed no unusual activity whatsoever, the deputy general by Xu Chu's side began to voice his doubts.

Xu Chu gently shook his head, maintaining absolute confidence in Cheng Yu’s capability.

Since Cheng Yu had asserted that this tactic would inevitably draw out the Shadow Wolf Guard, he believed it would certainly draw them out.

Yet, judging by the current state of affairs, the Shadow Wolf Guard had yet to make the slightest move.

"What on earth is going on here? Could something have actually gone wrong?"

"No, we cannot remain here any longer."

"Order the main army to follow closely; the Shadow Wolf Guard may appear at any moment."

At present, almost everyone’s attention and focus were riveted on the distant combat.

Probably none of them could have anticipated that the Shadow Wolf Guard was actually closing in on them step by step.

Following Xu Chu’s command, his force of eight thousand men began making preparations in succession, getting ready to catch up with Xiahou Yuan’s army.

However, just as they were fully occupied with their preparations, the Shadow Wolf Guard was already primed and ready.

Swish!

A red signal flare suddenly shot high up into the sky from the summit of a nearby mountain.

This spectacle caught the eyes of quite a few of Xu Chu's subordinates.

"General, look quickly, what is that?" several men cried out.

Xu Chu instinctively raised his head to look, only to see the red flare vanish into the heavens and descend toward the ground.

While they stood there in complete bewilderment, unsure of what was happening, a burst of fierce battle cries erupted.

Immediately afterward, a deafening sound like rolling waves of thunderous hoofbeats echoed from all directions.

Yet, loud as the hoofbeats were, there were no battle cries accompanying them.

They saw that the Shadow Wolf Guard mounted on horseback were not like ordinary soldiers.

Instead of charging forward while shouting at the top of their lungs, they appeared remarkably calm.

In every man's eyes burned a formidable, resolute fighting spirit.

"The Shadow Wolf Guard, it's the Shadow Wolf Guard!" Soon, someone recognized them as the dreaded Shadow Wolf Guard.

At this moment, the Shadow Wolf Guard charged in from all directions with astonishing speed.

It must be known that the mounts beneath the Shadow Wolf Guard were all elite warhorses capable of traveling a thousand li a day, traversing mountains and rivers as if stepping on flat ground.

Consequently, before Xu Chu’s army could even react, the Shadow Wolf Guard had already struck.

Without the slightest hesitation, they plunged straight into the formation, unleashing a frenzy of slaughter.

Wielding curved sabers in their left hands and pure iron long spears in their right, alongside various other pieces of equipment, their weapons coordinated seamlessly in left-and-right synergy. Furthermore, the individual squads of the Shadow Wolf Guard cooperated fluidly amidst the fast-paced combat.

In an instant, Xu Chu’s entire army was thrown into absolute chaos.

Yet all of this had transpired in the blink of an eye.

The Shadow Wolf Guard were already deep within the ranks, fighting fiercely like a blazing fire, while Cao's men—especially Xu Chu—were still utterly stunned, unable to process what was happening.

The Shadow Wolf Guard had charged in from the north, south, and west.

Upon breaking into the Cao army, they did not hesitate for a second.

Instead, they tore straight through the center of the Cao forces, with the northern and southern detachments converging with the western detachment right at the middle of the enemy camp.

luego, the seven hundred men spurred their horses to maximum speed and surged toward the deep mountains on the eastern side.

In merely a short moment, the Shadow Wolf Guard had already broken clean out of the Cao army's perimeter.

Only then did the dumbfounded Xu Chu finally snap back to his senses.

"It's... it's the Shadow Wolf Guard! Truly, it really is them!"

"Quickly, organize the defense! Do not let them escape, hurry!"

It was only now that Xu Chu remembered to rally his army for defense.

But the soldiers had already descended into total disarray, and by the time they managed to pull everything together, the Shadow Wolf Guard had already vanished deep into the mountains.

"Where are they? Where did they go? Where has the Shadow Wolf Guard gone?!" Xu Chu roared furiously, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"General, th-their speed was simply too fast! We... we couldn't react in time at all!"

"Th-this time, our casualties have already reached a thousand men. Our effective strength is now down to seven thousand."

A subordinate hurried forward to report the situation.

Xu Chu’s face turned ghastly pale; the lightning-fast raid by the Shadow Wolf Guard had cost them over a thousand lives in a single stroke.

"What are you standing around for? Quickly, give chase!" Xu Chu bellowed.

With that, he began leading his army in pursuit of the direction where the Shadow Wolf Guard had disappeared.

In Xu Chu's view, if it came to a direct, frontal clash, these Shadow Wolf Guard members might not be all that formidable.

Of course, in a head-on battle, the Shadow Wolf Guard might indeed not be a match for their seven thousand-plus troops.

However, the problem was that the Shadow Wolf Guard were special forces personally trained by Liu Xie.

How could they possibly engage in a rigid, frontal duel with him?

Deep within the mountains, the terrain was treacherous and complex, featuring dense forests, treacherous marshes, and rugged ravines.

The environment here was chaotic, and the Shadow Wolf Guard had chosen this very place to rendezvous and gather.

"Your Majesty, everything has been successfully accomplished."

"This time, our harvest is not small; we eliminated over a thousand of Xu Chu's subordinates."

Zhao Yun appeared quite pleased, feeling that their gains from this operation were substantial.

Liu Xie, however, remained completely calm and composed.

"Zilong, you must understand that these kinds of operations are merely standard procedure for our Shadow Wolf Guard."

"Furthermore, our battle is far from over. If I am not mistaken, Xu Chu will undoubtedly lead his men in pursuit."

"Next, all of you will operate independently."

"Remember, independent operation means all seven hundred-plus men will act entirely on their own, with no mutual assistance or teaming up permitted."

"Every single one of you must roam this mountain range, surrounded by Xu Chu's army, and each person must independently eliminate no fewer than five enemies."

"Moreover, you must survive on your own for two full months."

Liu Xie began assigning the new missions to the Shadow Wolf Guard.

Up until now, the training of the Shadow Wolf Guard had primarily taken place on the training grounds as a collective unit.

Now, Liu Xie intended to scatter them.

Their coordinated team combat capabilities had already reached a satisfactory level.

What they needed now was individual training for every single member of the Shadow Wolf Guard.

Furthermore, they were currently facing Xu Chu's force of over seven thousand troops.

This was a real combat scenario, compounded by the unique and hazardous terrain of the mountainous region, which offered every kind of environment imaginable.

Therefore, Liu Xie believed this place was the optimal training ground for the Shadow Wolf Guard.

It was also the best possible opportunity.

He intended for them to spend a considerable length of time surviving and fighting right here within these great mountains.

Hearing these orders, Zhao Yun and Gao Shun exchanged glances, both wearing deeply solemn expressions.

They could hardly fathom the danger.

Operating entirely alone meant that once discovered by Cao's army, the situation would become unimaginably perilous.

Yet, even though they did not fully understand why Liu Xie demanded such a harsh trial, they knew that Liu Xie unquestionably had their best interests at heart.

With that realization, they offered no further objections.