Chapter 102: Slaying Yan Liang, Breaking Through Forty Thousand Yuan Troops

Cao Peng rode the Red Hare forward, his dragon-scaled halberd dragging against the ground, kicking up a trail of sparks. Yan Liang was momentarily stunned; it seemed this young man was more than just a show-off. Yet, he remained confident in his own prowess, refusing to believe that an unknown young general could slay him, even if there was something uncanny about the man.

"State your name!" Yan Liang demanded.

Cao Peng had no intention of granting him that courtesy. "A dead man has no need to know my name."

Suddenly, Cao Peng’s dragon-scaled halberd erupted with force. Beneath him, the Red Hare charged like a raging fire, its hooves pounding the earth as if it were about to take flight. Seeing the halberd crashing toward his face, Yan Liang’s expression shifted violently. He had never felt such overwhelming pressure. As his opponent closed the distance, his face grew pale; the sheer power behind the blow seemed to transcend his own limits.

Impossible! Yan Liang’s eyes bulged like copper bells. At such close range, he finally saw Cao Peng’s face—shockingly young. Yan Liang let out a thunderous roar, a desperate attempt to stave off the crushing pressure, and swung his spear with all his might to deflect the incoming weapon.

Cao Peng sneered. Yan Liang was renowned, and when he shook Hebei, people boasted that his strength was second only to Lu Bu. Now, it was clear that his reputation was merely hollow puffery. These claims had only flourished after Lu Bu’s death; when Lu Bu was alive, no one dared suggest they were his equal.

Empowered by the Body-Refining Golden Pellet he had just consumed, Cao Peng’s strength had reached a new zenith. He was unleashing sixty percent of the power of his Divine Demon Peerless Halberd Technique. His gaze was icy as he spat out a single word: "Die!"

With that word, Cao Peng’s power and speed surged once more. The Red Hare leaped into the air, soaring directly above Yan Liang. The dragon-scaled halberd descended like a whirlwind, twisting through the sky like a dragon in flight.

"Damn you!" Yan Liang cried out, his face frozen in a mask of pure shock.

He was lifted clean off his horse by Cao Peng’s strike. In his widening eyes, he saw Cao Peng, mounted on the Red Hare and wielding his halberd like a god of war, thrusting toward his chest. The dragon-scaled halberd impaled him completely, skewering him like meat on a spit. Blood flowed onto the ground; after a few final, convulsive struggles, Yan Liang breathed his last.

Looking at the corpse hoisted on the tip of his halberd, Cao Peng wondered briefly: if Yan Liang died by his hand, who would fulfill the legend of Guan Yu? *Never mind,* he thought, *let it be whoever it may be.* In any case, he would surely make a name for himself in Hebei today.

A deathly silence fell over the two armies. Who could have imagined that Yan Liang would be slain in a single exchange? Dian Wei, Zhang Liao, and Zang Ba were the first to react, leading their men in a thunderous cheer. The rest of the Cao army soon followed; their general had vanquished the enemy! The roar of approval was like a crashing wave.

In contrast, the forty thousand elite Yuan troops remained in a state of paralysis, unable to accept that their general had been slain. The scene remained frozen until Cao Peng violently flung Yan Liang’s corpse toward the Yuan ranks. Yuan Xi recoiled in terror, and his soldiers were petrified. Yan Liang, the premier general of Hebei, had been killed by this obscure Cao Peng?

Ignoring his rising fear, Yuan Xi shouted, "Enemy general, state your name!"

Cao Peng waved his halberd, pointing forward. "I am Cao Peng, Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition. By the Emperor’s decree, I have come to punish Yuan Shao!"

He locked eyes with Yuan Xi and offered a faint smile. With a gesture, Zhang Liao and Zang Ba led their troops in a pincer attack, while Dian Wei remained in the center to command the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, awaiting further orders. Seeing the ferocious Cao army charging like wolves and tigers, Yuan Xi lost the courage to fight. Yan Liang’s death had been too gruesome; he did not want to gamble with his own life.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Yuan Xi screamed, turning his horse to flee. As the commanding general, he was the first to run.

The forty thousand Yuan troops descended into chaos, breaking ranks and retreating in a panicked rout. Seeing this, Cao Peng was overjoyed. The enemy’s panicked flight had created a perfect killing field for his cavalry.

"Dian Wei, it’s your turn! Charge!"

"Heh, leave it to me!"

Dian Wei, savoring the easy victory, rode at the forefront, swinging his two massive axes. Wherever he went, carnage followed.

"General Dian," Cao Peng shouted from nearby, "those men on the black horses with the distinct armor—take care of them!"

"Consider it done!"

Dian Wei understood and immediately targeted the special units within the Yuan ranks, his axes claiming heads with every swing. Cao Peng, riding the Red Hare, pursued Yuan Xi. He would have captured him already if not for the constant interference of Yuan officers trying to hold him back.

"Don't let him escape! The one in black is Yuan Xi!"

Hearing this, Yuan Xi panicked and ripped off his outer garment, casting it aside. Cao Peng found this amusing and shouted again, "The man with the tied-up hair is Yuan Xi! Stop him!"

"Heh, leave this little lord to me!" Dian Wei had already locked onto him, determined to claim the prize.

Yuan Xi, staring at the terrifying giant who looked like he could scare a child to death, saw the man’s twisted, evil grin. In his desperation, he loosened his hair and shouted to his men, "Whoever stops him will be rewarded by my father with a thousand gold taels and a promotion of two ranks!"

The promise of heavy rewards spurred the men to bravery. Though they were essentially throwing their lives away, they managed to obstruct Dian Wei’s path, buying Yuan Xi precious time to flee. Cao Peng faced the same obstacle, watching helplessly as Yuan Xi drifted further and further away.