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In the Prime Minister's Residence in Luoyang, Dong Zhuo lounged on an intricately carved sandalwood chair, toying with a goblet of fine wine. His gaze was half-dazed, seemingly indifferent to the sounds of the outside world. Li Ru hurried in, clutching an urgent document, his face heavy with concern. Upon noticing him, Dong Zhuo furrowed his brow and impatiently asked, "Li Ru, what brings you in such a rush?"
Li Ru knelt on the ground, presenting the document with both hands. He spoke solemnly, "My lord, there is an urgent report from Si Shui Pass! Sun Jian has personally led his army to attack, and the soldiers defending the pass may not hold out."
Dong Zhuo's previously languid demeanor instantly darkened. He slammed the goblet down heavily, wine splashing onto his fingers unnoticed. He sprang to his feet, furious. "These rabble dare to challenge my authority!"
He surveyed those present and declared loudly, "Generals, I alone am supreme in this world! Those so-called lords are nothing but toads; how dare they invade! Who among you is willing to clear away these treacherous rebels for me today?"
Wen Hou Lü Bu rose from his seat, standing tall with a piercing gaze. He clasped his hands and said, "Father need not worry! The lords beyond the pass are but ants. I am willing to lead a hundred thousand elite troops to Si Shui Pass and behead them one by one, hanging their heads at the city gates to proclaim your might to the world!"
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo's face broke into a maniacal grin as if he had heard the most beautiful music. He patted Lü Bu on the shoulder and laughed heartily, "With Fengxian here, what do I have to fear from Sun Jian! I truly need not worry, hahahaha!"
However, just as Dong Zhuo's laughter faded, a powerful voice resonated from behind Lü Bu: "My lord, such trivial matters do not require Wen Hou's presence. There is no need for a sledgehammer to crack a nut; allow me to take charge. Within three days, I will bring Sun Jian's head before you!"
The crowd turned to see a burly man striding forward from among them. He stood nine feet tall with a slender waist like a wolf and a head like a fierce leopard; his arms were as thick as those of an ape. He cupped his fists in greeting, confidence and arrogance gleaming in his eyes.
Dong Zhuo sized him up and asked, "Who are you?"
The man raised his head proudly and replied, "I am Hua Xiong from Guangxi, willing to serve my lord with all my strength!"
Dong Zhuo was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter that echoed through the hall. He waved his hand and said, "Good! What a fine Hua Xiong! Since you are so confident, I shall let you take the field!"
He then turned to Li Ru and commanded, "Immediately appoint Hua Xiong as Xiaoqi Xiaowei and assign him fifty thousand cavalry troops. Let Li Su, Hu Zhen, and Zhao Cen accompany him to Si Shui Pass. If he achieves victory within three days, he shall be richly rewarded!"
Hua Xiong bowed and accepted the command, his gaze sharp as a blade, his voice resonating through the hall. "I will not fail in my mission!"
Li Ru nodded silently, harboring doubts but unwilling to defy. He spoke softly to Dong Zhuo, "Prime Minister, although Hua Xiong is brave, we cannot underestimate the coalition of warlords. We should prepare contingency plans early."
Dong Zhuo waved his hand dismissively, a look of disdain on his face. "A coalition? Just a rabble. Do they not know that I, Dong Zhuo, command the elite troops of Xiliang and am invincible? What can the likes of Sun Jian do against me?"
He picked up a wine cup and leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of fine wine. His voice was low and arrogant. "Li Ru, this world will eventually be mine. The higher they jump, the harder they will fall!"
In the tent, Bao Xin sat with furrowed brows, lightly tapping his fingers on the table, his eyes betraying a hint of unease and jealousy. He turned to his trusted confidant beside him and whispered, "That brute Sun Jian has already taken the lead. If he claims victory, how can we accept it? Once a mere lowly clerk, he now stands on equal footing with us. If we allow him to achieve great merit today, what face will we have left?"
His brother, Bao Zhong, stood up and clasped his fists. "Brother need not worry. Although Hua Xiong is brave, he may not be able to guard against our surprise attack. If I lead three thousand troops along the back roads directly to Si Shui Pass, we can seize the first victory!"
Bao Xin's eyes lit up at this suggestion as he nodded in agreement. "Good! This matter is entirely in your hands. But remember to act swiftly and decisively; do not let Sun Jian catch wind of our plans."
That night, Bao Zhong led three thousand cavalry quietly out of camp, winding along the narrow path toward Si Shui Pass. As dawn broke, he had brought his troops close to the gate. He raised his sword and shouted, "Hua Xiong! Do you dare to battle? The Bao family army awaits your death!"
The drums of war thundered as the city gates slowly opened. A wave of iron cavalry surged forth like a black tide. At their forefront was a general on horseback, clad in dark armor and wielding a massive blade, his eyes wide with fury. His voice boomed like thunder: "Rebel general! How dare you disturb Si Shui Pass! I am Hua Xiong! Prepare to die!"
Before his words faded, Hua Xiong struck his horse's back and charged at Bao Zhong like a fierce tiger descending from the mountain. The cavalry behind him followed closely with an overwhelming momentum; the sound of iron hooves was deafening. Bao Zhong was taken aback and hurriedly swung his sword to engage in battle, but before he could get close to Hua Xiong, the latter's massive blade came crashing down like lightning.
Bao Zhong hastily raised his sword to parry but heard a sharp crack as his blade shattered. His eyes widened in terror as Hua Xiong followed through with a single stroke that sent him tumbling from his horse, blood splattering across his battle robe.
"The Bao family army! Surrender now!" Hua Xiong's voice rang out like a bell as he pointed his blade around him. Seeing their commander defeated, Bao Zhong's men were already thrown into disarray and fled in all directions. The cavalry under Hua Xiong seized the opportunity to pursue; flashes of blades cut down one Bao family soldier after another. In less than an hour, over half of Bao Zhong's three thousand troops had been routed, with many officers captured one after another.
Hua Xiong waved his hand to halt the pursuit and sneered, "A bunch of insignificant pests dare to cause trouble here. Bring me Bao Zhong's head, and let us return to the Prime Minister's Residence to report our victory!"
At noon that day, Hua Xiong returned to Si Shui Pass with Bao Zhong's head. His armor was stained with blood, yet a contemptuous smile lingered on his face. He presented the head to the messenger and coldly stated, "Tell the Prime Minister that Hua Xiong has fulfilled his duty and has beheaded the rebel."
Soon after, the head and the victory report were delivered to Dong Zhuo's residence in Luoyang. Upon hearing of the great victory, Dong Zhuo slammed his hand on the table and laughed heartily, "What a Hua Xiong! Truly lives up to my expectations!"
He turned to Li Ru, a proud expression on his face as he asked, "Li Ru, how was this battle?"
Li Ru smiled slightly and cupped his hands in respect, saying, "Hua Xiong's might has shaken the front lines; the enemy generals tremble at his name. This is a testament to the Chancellor's keen insight in selecting capable generals."
Dong Zhuo was even more elated and immediately ordered Hua Xiong to be promoted to General and allocated more troops for the next offensive. He laughed towards the heavens, declaring, "These mere lords cannot shake me! What can they do against me?"
At that moment, Sun Jian arrived at Si Shui Pass with four mighty generals riding swiftly. The cold wind carried the sound of war drums as he sat high upon his flower-maned horse, clad in shimmering silver armor, wearing a crimson battle scarf, and wielding an Ancient Coin Blade. His gaze was sharp as he fixed it upon the gate.
Following him were four formidable generals: Cheng Pu from Beiping, wielding an Iron Spine Snake Spear with a steady demeanor and piercing eyes; Huang Gai from Lingling, brandishing a heavy Iron Whip with an imposing presence; Han Dang from Liaoxi, shouldering a Dadao with fierce energy; and Zu Mao from Wu Commandery, holding Dual Sabers with agile steps.
Sun Jian pointed his blade at the gate and shouted like thunder, "You rodents of Guanzhong who assist Dong Zhuo in his tyranny, come down and surrender quickly! Do not bring about your own destruction!"
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