Lu Bu

In the year 189, within the city of Luoyang.

Looking back across the distance, the two horsemen had already collided.

With a tremendous roar of steel, after the two riders crossed paths, Hua Xiong was nearly swept from his saddle by Lü Bu’s halberd.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Turning their mounts around, Lü Bu and Hua Xiong clashed once more.

A look of disappointment flickered in Lü Bu’s eyes as the two wheeled their horses to resume the fight.

Clang! Another deafening crash echoed through the air.

This time, Hua Xiong was fully prepared to meet Lü Bu with his utmost strength.

Lü Bu had originally expected to defeat Hua Xiong with that single strike, but Hua Xiong’s desperate resistance filled Lü Bu with a sudden surge of pleasant surprise.

"State your name and title, opposing warrior!"

Lü Bu reined in his horse, holding his painted halberd in one hand as he pointed it toward Hua Xiong.

Hua Xiong snorted coldly and shouted, "I am Hua Xiong of Guanzixi!"

Lü Bu declared with proud arrogance, "So it is you. Come, cross blades with me once more!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Once again, the two horsemen crashed together. Blades flashed and halberds thrust as the pair fought fiercely on horseback, exchanging over forty bouts.

By this time, Lü Bu could sense that Hua Xiong was gradually weakening.

It seemed Hua Xiong was not skilled in defense. To have lasted more than forty bouts against Lü Bu already demonstrated that he had exhausted his full strength, and the vast disparity in their martial prowess was instantly clear.

After all, Hua Xiong possessed a martial rating of only 93+, belonging to an entirely different realm.

At that moment, seizing a lapse in Hua Xiong’s guard, Lü Bu jerked his reins and swept his painted halberd outward, deflecting Hua Xiong’s heavy saber with overwhelming force. The shockwave sent Hua Xiong’s vital energy churning violently.

Coughing up a mouthful of stale blood, Lü Bu paid no further heed to the wounded Hua Xiong.

Instead, he urged his steed forward to charge directly at Dong Zhuo, who stood behind Hua Xiong.

By the time Hua Xiong recovered and attempted to block the charge, it was already too late.

Seeing Lü Bu bearing down upon him, Dong Zhuo was instantly startled.

He immediately ordered his guards on either side, "Retreat! Quickly retreat!"

Without hesitation, Dong Zhuo spurred his own horse and fled first.

Dong Zhuo’s personal mount was none other than the Red Hare, the undisputed king of horses.

Once he turned and fled, Lü Bu naturally could no longer catch him. With Dong Zhuo gone, Xu Rong immediately assumed command, leading the thirty thousand Flying Bear troops in a coordinated retreat while fighting.

Seeing this, Ding Yuan did not issue an order for a pursuing charge.

He merely rode out to the front and shouted, "Dong Zhuo, do you now realize the might of our army? If you withdraw from Luoyang, I shall not bicker with you over your reckless talk of deposing and enthroning emperors. If you do not withdraw, it will take only a strike from my son to separate your head from your body!"

Hahaha! Hahaha!

Ding Yuan was truly a fool, completely ignorant of the military principle not to pursue a desperate enemy too fiercely. He squandered the prime opportunity to slay Dong Zhuo; as expected, minor characters always died from talking too much.

Hearing Ding Yuan’s words, Lü Bu did not pursue Dong Zhuo.

Instead, he merely put on an intimidating display of martial might before the thirty thousand Flying Bear troops.

Thus, Dong Zhuo’s army slowly retreated back into the city of Luoyang.

Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and the others watched warily while maintaining their defensive postures.

Ding Yuan, meanwhile, led his troops back to his own encampment.

The battle between the two armies concluded in such a hasty manner. However, the day’s fierce combat became the primary topic of conversation among the soldiers of both factions for quite some time to come.

Lü Bu’s renown soared to unmatched heights, echoing across the entire realm.

Through this engagement, backed by the formidable combat strength of the Bingzhou army and Lü Bu’s divine valor, Dong Zhuo’s forces suffered a narrow defeat, with Hua Xiong wounded by Lü Bu. Beneath the surface, however, a new crisis was quietly brewing.

This defeat rendered Dong Zhuo much more composed and calculating.

Conversely, Yuan Shao and the others, blinded by their brief victory, gradually lowered their psychological guard. As the saying goes: misfortune may be the doorway to fortune, and fortune may conceal the seed of disaster.

Within Dong Zhuo’s mansion in Luoyang, Dong Zhuo wore a grim expression. "What are your thoughts on today’s events, gentlemen?"

Li Jue stepped out of the ranks and said, "Lü Bu is fierce and valorous, making him nearly impossible to contend with."

"My Lord, Ding Yuan’s army consists of seasoned veterans from the Bingzhou borderlands. Their fighting strength is in no way inferior to our own forces," Xu Rong analyzed cautiously.

Li Ru chimed in, "My Lord, General Xu is entirely correct. If our army were to wage war against Ding Yuan, even a victory would be a pyrrhic one. This course of action is certainly not advisable."

Dong Zhuo sighed, "Ah, how could I not know this? But what alternative do we have?"

While the assembly struggled for a viable strategy, a man stepped forward and proclaimed, "My Lord, this humble subordinate has a strategy that will allow you to defeat Ding Yuan’s army without expending the slightest effort."

The crowd looked toward the speaker and recognized him as Li Su, who had recently sworn allegiance to Dong Zhuo.

Li Su could be said to have brought Lü Bu fleeting glory, yet he also indirectly ruined Lü Bu’s entire life, ultimately meeting his end at Lü Bu’s hands—a true cycle of cause and effect, where karmic retribution is never delayed.

Seeing this, Dong Zhuo inquired, "Oh? What strategy do you possess?"

"Reporting to My Lord, this subordinate is a fellow townsman of Lü Bu, and we have shared a deep friendship since childhood. This subordinate is willing to go and persuade Lü Bu to surrender," Li Su stated with absolute confidence.

Dong Zhuo’s interest was instantly piqued. "Wonderful. Pray, explain it to me."

"Lü Bu holds immense authority within Ding Yuan’s army. The moment Lü Bu surrenders, the morale of Ding Yuan’s forces will inevitably collapse into chaos. By then, My Lord, defeating them will be as effortless as turning over one's hand."

Li Su glanced at Dong Zhuo as he carefully weighed his phrasing.

Dong Zhuo laughed heartily. "Splendid! But how do you plan to persuade him?"

"I have heard that My Lord possesses a steed named Red Hare, capable of traveling a thousand li in a single day. With this horse, gifts of gold and silver, and this silver tongue of mine, I shall certainly convince Lü Bu to surrender."

Li Su hesitated briefly before finally revealing his complete proposal.

Dong Zhuo felt somewhat moved. "Wenyu, is this strategy feasible?"

Li Ru cupped his fists and replied, "If My Lord desires to conquer the realm, why begrudge a single horse?"

Dong Zhuo nodded and ordered his men to fetch the Red Hare, while also preparing a thousand bars of fine gold, ten luminous pearls, and a jade belt. He dispatched Li Su under the cover of night to persuade Lü Bu to defect.

At any rate, dismantling Ding Yuan’s right arm was the primary objective. In life, one inevitably faces numerous temptations; failing to resist them leads to an irretrievable mistake that causes everlasting regret.

Regarding the impending mutiny within the Bingzhou army, Yuan Xi had long since warned Zhang Liao, and Zhang Liao had likewise offered subtle hints to Ding Yuan, urging him to heighten his precautions.

However, Ding Yuan trusted Lü Bu far too deeply. Furthermore, one does not drive a wedge between a close bond based on the words of an outsider, and Zhang Liao’s voice carried insufficient weight. Consequently, the tragedy became entirely unavoidable.

The greatest tragedy in life is being betrayed by the one person you trust most.

To make matters worse, the betrayer often cloaks their actions in high-sounding excuses about having hidden hardships—is that not utterly absurd and laughable?

That very night, carrying gold and silver and leading the Red Hare as a tribute, Li Su arrived at Lü Bu’s encampment, only to be intercepted by the patrolling guards and blocked at the outer perimeter.

Under the guards' stern interrogation, Li Su hurriedly explained, "I am a fellow townsman of General Lü Bu. Please go and announce to the General that an old friend has come to visit."

The guard sneered skeptically, "Oh? Our General has far too many old friends."

Seeing this, Li Su realized he had to part with some wealth. He quickly slipped a handful of large coins to the guards, adding, "Generals, you have worked hard. Please accept these small coins so you may purchase wine in the city later. It is a humble token of my sincere respect."

The guards accepted the coins and were overjoyed. Since the soldiers in Ding Yuan’s army held Lü Bu in the highest reverence, and having now accepted Li Su’s bribe, they immediately went inside to deliver the message.

Hearing that an old friend had come to call, Lü Bu instructed the guards to escort Li Su into his tent.

The guards did not even search Li Su’s person, likely because they believed that given the peerless martial prowess of their general, Lü Bu, he had no reason to fear even an assassin.

Li Su smiled and greeted him, "Elder Brother, I trust you have been well since we last parted?"

"It has been far too long. What wind blows my virtuous younger brother to my quarters today? Pray, enter quickly!" Seeing that the visitor was indeed Li Su, Lü Bu was filled with great joy.

Once Li Su was seated, he steered the conversation toward the main purpose of his visit. "Seeing Elder Brother display such magnificent martial might today stirred my heart deeply, which is why I came seeking you out for a proper reunion."

Lü Bu could not hide his curiosity. "What is your true purpose in coming here today, brother?"

"I am currently serving under Lord Dong as a Commander of the Feathered Forest Guards. Having witnessed Elder Brother’s divine valor today, I specifically petitioned for this assignment so I might come to see you."

Originally, Li Su’s official rank was that of a Cavalry Commandant, but to facilitate his mission of recruiting Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo had promoted him on the spot to Commander of the Feathered Forest Guards.

Lü Bu looked somewhat melancholic. "Ah, so that is how it is."

Seeing his opening, Li Su pressed on, "With my meager talents, I was able to attain the rank of Commander of the Feathered Forest Guards. Elder Brother, your martial arts are truly matchless in this generation. If you were to offer your allegiance to Lord Dong, the high position you would receive would undoubtedly far surpass my own. Why doesn't Elder Brother consider..."

Lü Bu had chosen his companions poorly, ruining his entire future. Of course, it takes two hands to clap, which was precisely the reason why Mencius’s mother moved their home three times.