Chapter 90: Extreme Sprint

Lü Bu fell silent, his expression troubled.

“Your Majesty, if it’s merely a rapid march of seventy miles, there would be no pressure whatsoever,” he began cautiously. “But along the way, there are many obstacles. And these obstacles are fortified cities—not ordinary checkpoints. If we encounter a particularly stubborn city, even four hours might not be enough.”

It was clear that Lü Bu was in a difficult position. Though prideful and arrogant by nature, faced with such an almost impossible task, even he felt uncertain.

Liu Xie smiled faintly. “General Lü, you pride yourself as invincible under heaven. Tell me, is this little matter beyond your ability?”

Lü Bu lowered his head in embarrassment at Liu Xie’s words.

Liu Xie felt a pang of emotion; this was perhaps one of the few occasions where Lü Bu doubted his own strength.

“Rest assured, I will act alongside you,” Liu Xie declared. “Today, I will show you what fast-paced warfare truly means. General Lü, let us go.”

Without hesitation, Liu Xie spurred his horse forward. Though Lü Bu didn’t know what was to come, he hastened to keep up.

From the outset, Liu Xie pushed the speed to the utmost. Fifty thousand troops thundered across the land, hooves striking the earth like rolling thunder. The army swept through every region like lightning.

“Your Majesty, we’re making too much noise. We will surely be detected,” Lü Bu called out loudly as he rode alongside on the Red Hare.

“Yes,” Liu Xie agreed, “but since we are bound to be discovered, we might as well charge openly. This way, we maximize our momentum.”

“General Lü, your Red Hare is swift. Lead your troops into the city. Remember, do not linger in battle—pass through the city swiftly!” Liu Xie commanded loudly.

“Your orders, I obey!” Lü Bu responded, spurring his steed and charging ahead.

The nearest city had yet to notice their approach. By the time they spotted them, Lü Bu and his men had already closed to within a few hundred meters of the city gate.

“Cavalry incoming! Quickly, shut the city gates!” the city’s commander ordered urgently as panic set in.

The gates began to close slowly, but Lü Bu paid no heed. Before the gates could even shut halfway, he was upon them, wielding his halberd in sweeping arcs, instantly cutting down a dozen soldiers.

Behind him, Liu Xie led fifty thousand cavalrymen charging through.

In this manner, before the enemy could fully close the gates, Liu Xie and Lü Bu had already burst inside with lightning speed.

“It’s Lü Bu! How is he here? Stop them—now!” someone shouted as chaos erupted within the city.

Countless soldiers swarmed to block the charging forces, but Lü Bu intended to halt and fight no longer. At that moment, Liu Xie galloped up behind him.

“General Lü, do not dawdle. Push through the city with me!” Liu Xie urged. “Remember, never stop your horses! Move swiftly!”

Despite the enemy’s desperate attempts to impede them, Liu Xie and his forces paid no heed, focusing solely on the path ahead. No matter how many foes appeared, the overwhelming cavalry could not be stopped.

Thus, after bursting in, they made no pause, racing toward the opposite city gate at full speed.

“Quick! Notify the west gate—do not let them escape! Close the west gate immediately!” came the frantic orders.

Liu Xie’s army had entered from the east side, and moving westward would lead them to Hanzhong.

All along the way, they entered through the east gates of each city. Though the soldiers within reacted swiftly and sent messengers to close the west gates, those messengers hadn’t even left before Liu Xie’s troops arrived at the west gates, leaving no time for closure.

They burst out just as swiftly as they had entered, crossing the city like a streak of lightning.

Many city soldiers remained stunned and bewildered after the army’s sudden departure, some caught utterly unprepared, watching helplessly as the cavalry vanished.

“Ha! This is exhilarating!” Lü Bu laughed heartily after leaving the city. “Your Majesty, is this what you mean by fast-paced warfare?”

“Indeed,” Liu Xie chuckled. “I suspect many of them still don’t understand what just happened.”

Lü Bu was so pleased he almost pulled his horse to a halt to rest, but Liu Xie was not inclined to stop.

“General Lü, do not rest! The real fast-paced battle is only just beginning! Onward!”

Lü Bu looked puzzled but obeyed the command and pressed forward.

“Your Majesty, they won’t catch up to us. Surely a rest is justified?” Lü Bu ventured.

Liu Xie turned to him with an unreadable expression. “General Lü, do you still not understand? Yes, they will not catch up. Even if they do, they are no match for us. What we need is not to be pursued.”

“When we break through one city, they will send word to the next to prepare. We must arrive before their warnings, launching another lightning strike.”

“But if their messengers get there first, the next city will be ready—and then we are lost.”

Liu Xie explained his plan clearly.

Indeed, in these times there were no phones or radios—only letters or messengers on foot or horseback, and the beacon towers.

Yet Liu Xie was unconcerned about the beacons, for he intended to seize every city visible before the signal could be seen.

What they needed now was speed—to capture as many cities as possible with unprecedented swiftness, and reach Hanzhong to claim it.

“Understood, I understand now,” Lü Bu said, spurring his horse even faster.

Soon, they approached another city and, just as before, before anyone inside could react, Liu Xie and Lü Bu led their cavalry through the east gate and burst out the west gate like a flash, vanishing into the distance.

Hours passed until, after four hours, Liu Xie finally reined in his horse, turning to look behind at the land they had swept through. Even their mounts were exhausted.

“Your Majesty, we are now less than ten miles from Hanzhong,” Lü Bu reported. “We have passed through six cities. This is exhilarating! I have fought all my life, but this is the first time I’ve felt such thrilling speed and success. Your Majesty’s strategy is truly admirable.”

At this, Lü Bu’s respect for Liu Xie was sincere.

At first, Lü Bu had doubted the very possibility of reaching here within four hours. Yet now, Liu Xie had made it happen, evoking in Lü Bu a rare sense of humility and respect.

Seeing Lü Bu’s changed attitude, Liu Xie was somewhat surprised. He had not expected this ordeal to earn him such esteem. Though Lü Bu had been courteous before, it was mostly out of gratitude for being saved.

But now, in just a few hours, Lü Bu’s attitude toward him had shifted noticeably—a fact Liu Xie keenly felt.

“Well, General Lü,” Liu Xie said, “we still face a great battle. The horses are spent. Let us rest until nightfall, then we will assault the city. Remember to assign men to guard all key routes. The places we passed will surely send messengers to inform Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. We must intercept them all.”

Lü Bu nodded and set about organizing the defenses.

Liu Xie then led the army into a mountainous area to hide until nightfall. Darkness was approaching swiftly.

“Your Majesty, I, Gao Shun, have fought across many lands, but I have never seen tactics like yours. I admire you,” Gao Shun, Liu Xie’s personal guard, said with heartfelt admiration after everything was arranged.

Liu Xie smiled slightly, meeting his gaze. “General Gao, for General Lü’s cavalry, this is indeed a groundbreaking tactic. But for your Wolf Shadow Guards, this is only the beginning. You will face many challenges far more dangerous than this.”

He gestured toward the distant direction of Hanzhong. “For example, the task ahead.”

Gao Shun’s expression turned serious. “Your Majesty, do we have a role in what comes next?”

Liu Xie nodded slightly. “Come, I will explain.”

He leaned close, whispering detailed instructions into Gao Shun’s ear.

At the end, Gao Shun’s face grew grave. “Your Majesty, rest assured, we will fulfill our mission honorably.”

“All but the eighteen Wolf Shadow Guards, follow me,” Gao Shun ordered, leading about eight hundred men away.

Only the eighteen elite guards remained with Liu Xie.

“Your Majesty, where has Gao Shun gone?” Lü Bu asked curiously.

“He has gone to secure further protection for us,” Liu Xie replied calmly.