Chapter Seventy-Six: Triumphant Return

At that moment, the one brandishing two blazing red hammers and slaughtering the Yellow Turban army was none other than Xu Kang!

Although Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song had previously assured him that he only needed to summon the wind, and need not set foot on the battlefield, after careful deliberation, he decided to come nonetheless. It was not his own desire that brought him, but the fact that without his presence, the other officers beneath him could not be mobilized.

The reason lay in the fact that whether it was the newly established armored heavy cavalry regiment, the cavalry corps, the artillery unit, or even the Huai River troops incorporated from Peng Tuo, every formation was saturated with the distinct imprint of Xu Kang.

Take the matter of ranks, for example: with the surge in his subordinates’ numbers, the original structure was no longer suitable. Yet, his own rank was merely that of Deputy Commander, without the authority to appoint officers above company level.

Thus, he could only add the positions of battalion commander and regimental commander. The battalion commander oversaw five hundred men, akin to a company commander; the regimental commander led three thousand, equivalent to a deputy commander; while Xu Kang himself, with over ten thousand men under his command, occupied a status somewhere between brigade and division commander.

In other words, though nominally only a deputy commander, his actual military structure and authority far surpassed that of a colonel or a major general, reaching the level of a lieutenant general!

Had it not been for the Yellow Turban rebellion and Emperor Ling’s personal decree permitting local officials and gentry to raise their own armies, Xu Kang’s possession of such forces would have warranted execution.

But regardless, he now held real military power, and his newly promoted officers benefited greatly. To protect their interests, they would naturally not heed orders from anyone else.

Consider Zhang Cheng and Zhao Hong: once captains of five hundred men, now each commanded three thousand as regimental commanders, with authority above ordinary deputy commanders, at colonel level—a leap of two ranks.

With changed structure, not only does command become an issue, but even the distribution of battle honors grows complicated!

How, then, could they possibly obey another commander’s orders?

Xu Kang understood their thinking well—or rather, he had orchestrated it himself, and so would not contravene his soldiers’ wishes.

After leaving the altar, he stationed the artillery in Changshe to defend the city, then led the cavalry and Huai River troops directly to the rear of the Yellow Turbans, cutting off their retreat and herding them like ducks into the northern inferno, roasting them like pigs.

Xu Kang now was nothing like the soft-hearted recluse he once was. He knew he bore not only the name of the Xu clan, but the lives and fortunes of a whole county and ten thousand soldiers—there was no room for mercy!

Listening to the anguished cries of the Yellow Turbans ahead, his face remained indifferent. When he saw them begin to resist, he summoned his armored cavalry, took up two enormous Flame Demon hammers, and charged into battle.

The general is the soul of his troops—this was the moment for him to fulfill his duty!

With Pig Steadfast at his side, they smashed the resisting Yellow Turban formation to pieces, slaughtering wildly with overwhelming force.

The benefits of his actions were clear: not only did his own soldiers, but even those under Huangfu Song and Zhu Yi, erupt with fierce morale, driving the Yellow Turbans into a relentless retreat.

In the end, those who tried to resist completely collapsed, either fleeing blindly into the flames, throwing down their weapons to surrender, or even hacking at their own comrades in desperate chaos, dying by the blades of those they once fought beside.

Seeing the victory assured, Xu Kang roared, “Drop your weapons and kneel for mercy!” Instantly, thousands of Yellow Turban troops threw down their arms and knelt.

Witnessing this scene, even before Niu Sheng could lead the rallying cry of “Steadfast,” Xu Kang raised his Flame Demon hammer and shouted,

“Victory or death! Lok039tarogar!”

The cavalry, in a fever of excitement, followed his lead without caring what he shouted, raising their arms and echoing,

“Victory or death! Lok039tarogar!”

The Huai River infantry began pounding their shields and chanting loudly,

“Lok039tarogar!”

“Lok039tarogar!”

“Lok039tarogar…”

With the soldiers’ momentum surging nearby, the captured Yellow Turban troops trembled in fear, while the allied Han soldiers revealed expressions of elation.

“We’ve won!”

“We’ve defeated the Yellow Turbans!”

“Wonderful!”

Seeing the jubilant crowd, Huangfu Song and Zhu Yi exchanged smiles, promptly ordering their troops to clear the battlefield and escort the prisoners back to the city.

By the time they returned to Changshe, dawn had already broken.

After a night of fierce fighting, everyone was exhausted, yet the results were cause for celebration: the Yellow Turban main force was shattered, Changshe’s siege was lifted, and a bounty of grain and prisoners was seized.

But these newly captured Yellow Turban prisoners were not the same as those who had defected from Peng Tuo. The former had received Xu Kang’s promise—they could become soldiers or ordinary citizens in the future. The latter, however, would be slaves, and so would their children thereafter—this was immutable.

Xu Kang did not intend to intervene; for him, letting these people live was kindness enough.

Having handed the miscellaneous tasks to Zhang Cheng and Zhao Hong, Xu Kang joined Huangfu Song and the others at the county office to celebrate the victory and discuss their next move.

Cao Cao, the cavalry captain sent to reinforce Changshe, was present at the feast. As the dishes were served, he immediately raised his cup to Xu Kang.

“General Xu, I am Cao Cao, cavalry captain. After today’s battle, I deeply admire you. This cup is in your honor!”

“Cao Cao?” Hearing the name, Xu Kang was momentarily stunned.

He had assumed this man in his thirties was a subordinate of Huangfu Song or Zhu Yi, but never expected he would claim to be Cao Cao.

To guard against any mistake or homonym, Xu Kang asked again, uncertain,

“Which Cao Cao? Is it the one whose family is extremely wealthy, whose father spent ten million to buy a minister’s post, but only held it for half a year… that Cao Cao?”

“Pfft…”

Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song, mid-drink, spat their wine; even the always stern Zhu Yi could not help but stifle laughter and nodded.

“Yes, the very Cao Cao you mentioned, huff…”

He couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

Seeing this, Cao Cao’s face turned ashen, feeling Xu Kang was deliberately humiliating him. He was about to smash his cup and leave.

Yet before he could do so, Xu Kang strode over, seized his hand warmly and exclaimed,

“Boss Cao, let’s swear brotherhood! Just say the word, and we’ll cut the rooster’s head, burn the yellow paper, and swear before Lord Guan—henceforth, we’ll be brothers!”

Cao Cao: “???”

What was happening? The renowned scholar of the Three Kingdoms…