The wind on Pingwu was blowing majestically, blowing up countless weeds and dust.
Zhang Liao raised his head and looked at the sky.
Gloomily...
Just like his mood at this time.
The scene before me seemed familiar.
It reminded him of his hometown.
Bingzhou, Yanmen County.
It was a borderland in the northwest of China. Ever since King Wuling of Zhao named it during the Warring States Period, the greatest value of its existence was just to defend against foreign tribes from the north.
The people there are accustomed to military service and raising livestock in the wild.
The yellow sand is rolling there, forever covering the sky and the sun in turbidity.
This is Zhang Liao’s impression of his hometown since he can remember.
So when he received Ding Yuan's order to lead troops to the capital, Zhang Liao almost fled on the same day and left resolutely.
That day, for the first time, he felt that there was hope in his life.
Zhang Liao swore that he would never come back to this hometown again in his life.
Later, Ding Yuan was killed.
If it were any other person, Zhang Liao, as his former official, would definitely be determined to take revenge just to repay his kindness for taking him away from Yanmen.
However, that person happened to be Lu Bu.
Zhang Liao cannot be an enemy of Lu Bu.
Because from the first time he heard this name, he had been sincerely convinced by Lu Bu and felt even more honored.
Because this man, who is as powerful as a ghost or a god, is also from Bingzhou.
So he eventually became a general under his command.
Zhang Liao himself didn't understand why things turned out like this.
Perhaps, it is really because of the power that the other party represents.
Pure power.
People can't help but believe that as long as they follow this man, they can always be the victor.
Only later, Zhang Liao also understood.
This is still an illusion after all.
How can anyone be invincible on his own?
Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, couldn't do it, let alone Lu Bu?
Thinking of this, Zhang Liao smiled mockingly and recalled the past.
Not long after he followed Lu Bu, he encountered his first disastrous defeat in his life.
After Wang Yun died, Li Jue and Guo Si drove Lu Bu out of Chang'an and fled on horseback.
Then he surrendered first to Yuan Shu and then to Yuan Shao.
It's just that after Lu Bu helped Yuan Shao defeat the Black Mountain Bandits last year, they were ruthlessly expelled again.
This is where I live today, Hanoi Truong Duong...
Speaking of which, this is the second time I have defected.
Not to mention Zongheng Tianxia, his current situation is so embarrassing that he almost has no place to stay.
This experience of rushing around in a hurry made everyone in their Bingzhou Army feel depressed for a long time.
so.
When they heard that there was a Black Mountain bandit near Hanoi County who was ready to attack, before Zhang Yang could speak, the group of people ran out, euphemistically saying that they were protecting the country and the people.
In fact, if they don't let their weapons drink human blood, they will almost be driven crazy.
The wind carrying dust became mockingly fiercer.
Zhang Liao wiped his face and looked into the distance with far-away eyes.
In fact, the most depressing person is probably the general himself.
"How can a man live in the world between heaven and earth and live in depression for a long time?"
The person who spoke such bold words has fallen like this.
The anger can be imagined.
While I was thinking wildly, suddenly there was a rapid sound of hooves behind me.
It seems like a group of people are approaching here quickly.
Zhang Liao looked back with a smile on his face.
When the leader came closer, he shouted loudly, with a hint of joking in his words:
"Look, isn't this our Captain Gao?"
"Didn't you say that chasing bandits and bandits is pointless? Why did you come here again instead of training in the city?"
Zhang Liao spread his hands regretfully: "It's a pity that you came late and were all killed by the men."
The visitor is Gao Shun.
In a sense, he is the one who currently has the closest relationship with Lu Bu in the Bingzhou Army.
Zhang Liao, a fellow villager, was still from Tongzhou, but Gao Shun was from the same county (Wuyuan County).
He is an honest and dignified person, does not drink alcohol, and does not accept gifts or inheritance. It can be said that he has both character and ability.
Zhang Liao also admired him quite a lot, and the three of them had joined Ding Yuan's tent at about the same time, so they were familiar with each other.
The relationship is naturally good.
"Where is the general?" Gao Shun seemed to be quite excited. He ran over and hurriedly shouted: "Take me to see the general quickly. I have something important to report."
As he spoke, he raised the bamboo slips in his hand.
"What kind of big event makes you so anxious?" Zhang Liao asked in confusion and said casually: "I'm afraid the general won't be able to come back for a while."
He pointed to the mountain peak in the distance and said with a smile: "He has just entered the mountain not long ago to hunt down the remnants of Black Mountain."
"What!"
Hearing this, Gao Shun suddenly became anxious and shouted directly: "Zhang Wenyuan! How could you let the general enter the mountain alone?"
"Gao Shun, why are you so crazy? How can a mere group of thieves hurt the general?"
Zhang Liao was sprayed with spittle and Xingzi, and he wiped it at random with a look of disgust on his face, while defending:
"What's more, the general asked us not to follow him, lest we spoil his interest."
But Gao Shun was too lazy to pay attention to him, got on his horse again, and rushed forward like crazy.
...
Gao Shun and his party walked through the rugged and long mountain road in a snaking manner. It was not until the sky gradually became dusk that they finally found the dense forest.
A killing not long ago left more than two hundred corpses. The smell of blood was extremely strong and spread far away, attracting many predators in the mountains and forests.
At this time, tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves all arrived and were feasting.
Seeing someone interrupting their meal, they all roared and roared.
At a glance, Gao Shun was not surprised but overjoyed, knowing that he had found the place.
Most of the corpses in the dense forest are naturally lying down, which makes one of them look weird and conspicuous.
It was a corpse nailed to a tree by an arrow.
He still maintains his standing posture.
Just by looking at his posture and movements and examining the wounds, experts like Gao Shun can roughly reconstruct the scene at that time.
It was clearly an arrow that struck from a distance. It didn't hit the vital point, but it also took the man's entire body away!
Apart from that man, no other person in the world could achieve such a horrific scene!
Gao Shun is convinced of this.
Now that they had found the place, there was no further delay. With Gao Shun taking the lead, dozens of elite soldiers rushed forward together.
In just a moment, they killed or drove away all the livestock that had eaten before.
Immediately, everyone shouted.
"General..."
"General..."
The sound was loud and echoed in the valley. But there was no response.
"Captain, could it be that the general has left here?" A cavalryman was puzzled and suggested:
"How about we disperse and look elsewhere?"
Gao Shun shook his head, he understood the general's temper.
We went into the mountains just for the killing game. Now that our purpose is accomplished, we can either leave or stay nearby to reminisce.
Why would you go anywhere else?
Maybe... I'm too lazy to respond to myself and others.
As soon as he thought this, he had an enlightenment, his luck improved, and he shouted out the key information of the bamboo slips.
"General!"
"Letter from Chen Gong, offering to Yanzhou!"
"hiss!"
Just eight short words were spoken, but something happened immediately.
An extremely clear, high and drawn-out sound suddenly sounded from the front!
"It's the cry of the red rabbit!"
"Right there!"
Gao Shun's eyes lit up and he rushed over with his men.
After walking for a while, the sky and the earth were vast before our eyes, and there was even gurgling water.
But we have arrived at a valley.
In the valley, there are strange peaks showing off, clever rocks lined up, and dense forests, with four-hoofed creatures appearing and disappearing from time to time.
There are also meandering clear streams that wash away stone monsters. Under the sunlight, the water moves and the rocks change, creating endless illusions.
With such a pleasing sight, the eyes of Gao Shun and others were firmly attracted by the two figures by the stream.
One person, one horse,
The man is as majestic as a blue dragon, tall and mighty in stature, and the horse is as blazing as red flames, with long and strong hooves.
When he heard the footsteps, the man who was gently stroking the horse's back turned his head.
His black hair is spread over his broad shoulders, and his hands hanging on both sides are a little longer than ordinary people.
At this time, the other party was wearing regular clothes, and all the exposed skin was pale.
With his black hair and white skin, in stark contrast, he looks like a ghost in purgatory who suddenly broke through the earth and came to the world.
A face with sideburns like a knife, a face like an axe, a nose hook like an eagle, and deep-set eyes.
It gives people a feeling of coldness and ruthlessness.
At this time, the man's cold eyes were deep and unpredictable, shooting at everyone one by one like sharp arrows.
Even though they were several feet apart, everyone felt a slight sting on their face.