plumnovel Chapter 55 I, Lü Bu, was invincible under heaven, yet I died at your hands.
Chapter 55 I, Lü Bu, was invincible under heaven, yet I died at your hands.
Lu Bu finally understood why Cao Cao had suddenly stopped chasing him. It turned out that Cao Cao had prepared a great gift for him right there!
"We've only been breaking out for less than an hour. How could Cao Cao have breached the riverbank in such a short time, unless he knew beforehand that we were going to break out from the west gate!"
Zhang Liao, equally alarmed, noticed something suspicious.
Lu Lingqi's bright eyes suddenly changed, and she said urgently, "Could it be that someone has betrayed our father and leaked the secret to Cao Cao?" Lu Bu suddenly woke up and roared, "Which traitor dares to betray me? Who is it?!" The generals around him were terrified and lowered their heads.
Ahead, the floodwaters were rushing in, like the end of the world. "Oh no, Lord Wen, the flood is coming too fast, we must retreat back into the city immediately!" Gao Shun hurriedly reminded them.
Lu Bu suddenly realized what was happening, turned his horse around, and shouted, "Retreat! Retreat back to Xiapi immediately!" Several thousand remaining soldiers fled to Xiapi like ants in a collapsed nest. But it was too late.
The floodwaters surged in, unstoppable, and swept behind them in the blink of an eye. Soldiers without horses were swallowed up in droves, while the hundred or so surviving riders, drowning in the torrent, desperately spurred their horses and fled for their lives. Finally, the city of Xiapi came into view.
However, their horses had already exhausted themselves during their breakout, and by this point, they were completely worn out and were finally overtaken by the flood.
Lu Bu turned around abruptly and saw that the torrent had caught up to him in just ten paces and was still rapidly approaching. "Red Hare, faster!" Lu Bu's eyes were bloodshot with anxiety as he desperately urged Red Hare forward.
With its stamina depleted to this extent, even Red Hare was powerless to shake off the raging torrent's pursuit.
Lu Bu glanced ahead; Xiapi was still some distance away. At this speed, he wouldn't make it into the city before being swallowed by the flood. "Damn it! I, Lu Bu, invincible under heaven, how can I die such a humiliating death in the flood!" "No, I must escape back to Xiapi!" Lu Bu gritted his teeth, looking at his halberd. This halberd was forged from fine iron, weighing a hundred jin (approximately 50 kg), equivalent to the weight of a man. Only by discarding the halberd and reducing his weight could he have a chance to escape back to Xiapi. "So be it. The halberd can be reforged, but if a man dies, everything is lost!" Lu Bu hardened his heart and threw the halberd to the ground. With the weight reduced by a hundred jin, Red Hare's speed suddenly increased, not only leaving his followers far behind but also instantly pushing the floodwaters away. When Lü Lingqi saw this, she was shocked and cried out, "Father, your halberd!" But Lü Bu ignored her and continued to run wildly.
"The Fangtian Halberd has been with Father for decades. It is the divine weapon that Father used to sweep across the world. How could Father bear to abandon it?" Lu Lingqi's beautiful eyebrows furrowed deeply, and her eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.
A strange sense of disappointment welled up in her heart. She abruptly reined in her warhorse and bent down to pick up the halberd.
"Miss, don't pick it up, run!" Gao Shun's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly reined in his horse, trying to pull Lü Lingqi away. But it was too late.
Just as Lü Lingqi struggled to pick up her halberd and was too busy to urge her horse forward, the torrent of attackers swept in from behind. Instantly, she and Gao Shun, horse and all, were knocked to the ground. Ahead, Lü Bu didn't even turn his head, only focusing on fleeing frantically towards the west gate of Xiapi. (West gate ramparts.)
Chen Gong and Hou Cheng stood with their hands behind their backs, both looking smug, waiting to see Lü Bu and Cao Cao drowned by the flood. Suddenly...
The pursuing Cao army, as if receiving a warning, quickly retreated in all directions. Not only did the Cao army cease its pursuit, but all its troops also retreated to higher ground!
The cold smiles on Chen Gong and Hou Cheng's faces vanished, replaced by astonishment and surprise. "Why?"
"Why did Cao Cao suddenly stop besieging and killing Lü Bu? Why?" Chen Gong rushed to the battlements and shouted excitedly. He was completely flustered.
Hou Cheng's face paled, and he stammered, "Prefect Chen, could it be that Cao Cao has actually seen through your brilliant plan?" "Impossible!" Chen Gong waved his hand and said sharply, "My plan is flawless. Even if Zhang Liang were alive today, he could never have seen through it, let alone Cao Cao!"
"Has Governor Chen forgotten? That Gu Cheng might be the extraordinary recluse behind Cao Cao!" "This man is so intelligent he's almost supernatural, comparable to Zhang Liang reborn. Could it be that he was the one who helped Cao Cao see through Governor Chen's plan?" Hou Cheng exclaimed in horror.
Chen Gong shivered and suddenly realized something.
"Cheng Yu doesn't have that ability. Although Guo Jia is full of schemes, he wouldn't be so calculating. Could it really be that Gu Cheng?"
"Could it be that I, Chen Gong, who prides myself on my wisdom and strategy, have been so easily outmaneuvered by an unknown member of a minor clan?" Chen Gong muttered to himself, a surge of inexplicable grief and indignation welling up within him. Just as he was lost in thought, the raging floodwaters swept in.
Lu Bu's few thousand remaining soldiers were swept away in the blink of an eye, and the floodwaters rushed straight to the west gate of Xiapi. "Lord Wen is still alive! He's still alive!" Hou Cheng suddenly shouted in panic.
Chen Gong was startled and quickly glanced down at the city walls, only to be shocked to see Lü Bu alone on horseback, having miraculously escaped. "Gongtai, I am here! Open the gates and let me in immediately!" Lü Bu reined in his horse before the moat and shouted urgently. The soldiers guarding the city walls were momentarily panicked and didn't know what to do.
"Prefect Chen, what should we do? Should we open the gates?"
Hou Cheng was at a loss and could only look to Chen Gong.
Chen Gong's face turned ashen, and he roared, "No one is allowed to open the door! He's not allowed to enter!" Lü Bu's body trembled, instantly terrified, thinking he'd misheard. Then, he suddenly realized that Chen Gong had betrayed him. "Chen Gong, I am your lord, I have treated you well, how dare you be disloyal and unjust, betraying me?!" Lü Bu pointed at Chen Gong, roaring and cursing. Chen Gong's eyes were full of sarcasm as he coldly replied, "I, Chen Gong, am a renowned scholar of Yan Province. If it weren't for dealing with the traitor Cao Cao, would I have welcomed you into Yan Province? You three-surname slave, you dare call yourself my lord!"
Having reached this point, Chen Gong had no more desire to pretend, so he simply tore off the pretense. "Chen Gong, you, you—"
Lu Bu was so shocked and enraged that his face contorted, his eyes blazing with fury. He couldn't believe Chen Gong could utter such words. "What a pity! You are brave but reckless, arrogant and dismissive of everyone, repeatedly ignoring my advice. First you lost Yanzhou, and now you've lost Xuzhou, dragging me down with you to this state!"
"If it weren't for dealing with Cao Cao, I would have eliminated you long ago. How could you still be alive now!" Chen Gong, having exposed the truth, completely turned hostile, his words extremely blunt and sarcastic. Lü Bu was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode, but he couldn't bring himself to curse Chen Gong.
"Lu Bu, let me tell you, my advice to break out through the west gate was just to use you as bait to lure Cao Cao's army here."
"I had already plotted with Song Xian to light a fire as a signal, ordering him to breach the Si River embankment and drown you and Cao Cao together!" "What a pity! My brilliant plan was ruined by that fellow surnamed Gu, allowing Cao Cao to escape by sheer luck, while only you, this traitor who served three masters, were drowned!"
Chen Gong then revealed his plan to flood the city, though his tone was tinged with regret. Lü Bu was stunned. Only now did he realize why Chen Gong had so strongly urged him to break out through the west gate the day before.
It turned out that this treacherous fellow had been plotting all along to eliminate him and Cao Cao. "Chen Gong, you treacherous villain, I will kill you!" Lu Bu roared hysterically as he awoke.
Chen Gong's eyes were already burning with murderous intent. He waved his hand and shouted, "General Hou, what are you waiting for? Shoot him dead!" Hou Cheng was shocked, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and he was at a loss for what to do.
"He already knows the truth. If you don't kill him, are you waiting to let him into the city so he can turn around and kill you or me?" Chen Gong questioned sharply.
Hou Cheng suddenly awoke, a fierce glint in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Archers, fire! Shoot Lü Bu!" Most of the soldiers left behind were Hou Cheng's men, and all obeyed his orders without question. Hou Cheng's order to kill was given, and the soldiers dared not disobey, drawing their bows and nocking arrows. A hail of arrows whistled through the air, heading straight for Lü Bu. In shock and rage, Lü Bu instinctively tried to parry with his halberd, only to find his hand empty. He then suddenly remembered that he had discarded his halberd to lighten his load and escape. "Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" Blood splattered, accompanied by muffled thuds.
Lu Bu was instantly struck by several arrows and fell heavily from his horse. He struggled to his feet, half-kneeling on the ground, gritting his teeth as he looked around. The raging torrent was already approaching behind him, the city gates ahead were tightly shut, and arrows rained down. He was trapped in a desperate situation with no way to escape.
"I, Lü Bu, swept across the land, invincible in the world, never imagining I would die at the hands of a bunch of treacherous villains!" "How pathetic, Lü Bu, you truly are the most pathetic person in the world—"
A mournful howl echoed above the west gate. The next instant, the torrent swept in. Lü Bu, his body riddled with arrow fragments, was instantly submerged in the floodwaters.
West of Xiapi, amidst the raging torrent, Gu Cheng's merchant ships had already sailed out of the breach and were approaching Xiapi with the current. The original battlefield was submerged, and the Cao army's encirclement further away had been scattered and destroyed. The floodwaters were littered with the corpses of Lü Bu's soldiers, but no trace of Cao Cao's troops could be seen. "General Wei, it seems your warning was timely; your troops have escaped the calamity," Gu Cheng said, pointing towards the distant high ground. Cao Ang looked and indeed saw that Cao Cao's army had retreated to higher ground, untouched by the flood. He breathed a long sigh of relief. Then...
With eyes full of gratitude, Cao Ang bowed deeply to Gu Cheng: "Thanks to Young Master Gu's reminder, the lives of countless comrades were saved. On behalf of Commander Cao and all the soldiers of the Cao family, I thank Young Master Gu for his great kindness!"
Gu Cheng helped him up and sighed with a smile, "It was just a coincidence that I stumbled upon Song Xian secretly digging up the riverbank. I must say, your Minister Cao's luck is truly enviable."
"It's my father's greatest fortune to have a son-in-law like you..." Cao Ang thought to himself.
Just then.
Xu Chu pointed forward: "Young master, look! Isn't that pretty boy hanging on that tree, along with his subordinate?" Gu Cheng looked in the direction he was pointing and his eyes lit up.
Leaning against a large branch, Gao Shun was struggling to climb the tree trunk, with Lü Lingqi supporting him beside him. At this moment, he was pale and unconscious.
"These two are really lucky; they didn't drown?" Gu Cheng exclaimed.
Xu Chu asked, "Young Master, should we save them or not?"
"When Lü Bu attacked Xiaopei that day, he wanted to take me to safety. He meant well, so I saved him," Gu Cheng said, waving his hand.
Upon receiving the order, Xu Chu commanded the merchant ships to sail towards the large tree.
At this moment, Gao Shun was submerged up to his neck and was barely able to hold on. He felt utterly desolate and thought he was doomed. In that critical moment, a ship miraculously approached.
Gao Shun was overjoyed, but upon closer inspection, he was shocked to recognize that the young man standing at the bow of the ship was none other than Gu Cheng. "How could he be here?!" Gao Shun was filled with shock and confusion, and didn't even react until the merchant ship approached and Xu Chu reached out to pull him aboard. "Brother, do you want to feed the fish with your master instead of being rescued?" Gu Cheng sneered.
Gao Shun suddenly came to his senses, pointed at Lü Lingqi, and cried out urgently, "Young Master Gu, save her first!" Gu Cheng then called Xu Chu to pull Lü Lingqi onto the boat first. Although she was unconscious, she still tightly gripped the halberd in her hand and refused to let go. It took Xu Chu and the others a lot of effort to drag her onto the boat.
"Is this pretty boy's brain filled with water? He's about to drown, and he's still clinging to this broken weapon!" Xu Chu muttered and complained, forcefully prying her hands open and taking the halberd from her.
Zhou Tai's eyes widened, and he snatched the weapon away, exclaiming in surprise, "This isn't a broken weapon! This is the Fangtian Halberd, Lu Bu's weapon! How did it end up in this pretty boy's hands?"
"Even his personal weapon is gone; it seems Lü Bu is in grave danger." "Even in this state, he's still fiercely protecting Lü Bu's weapon; it seems they have a close relationship." Gu Cheng pondered these thoughts. At that moment, Gao Shun was also rescued and brought aboard the boat.
He knelt down in front of Gu Cheng with a thud, cupped his hands and said, "Young Master Gu, she choked on water and is now unconscious. Please save her."
Gu Cheng quickly bent down, first checking her pulse, then her breathing. "She's stopped breathing!" Gu Cheng frowned.
"She stopped breathing, so isn't that death?"
Gao Shun cried out in surprise and knelt down on the ground.
Seeing this, Xu Chu couldn't help but say, "Young master, should we give him that... adrenaline injection? That's how you saved my mother back then."
"The symptoms are different. His airway is blocked, and he has stopped breathing. He needs CPR and resuscitation." Gu Cheng's words left Xu Chu and the others completely bewildered, unable to understand what he meant. Gu Cheng had no time to explain. He rolled up his sleeves, placed his palms together, and was about to press them against Lü Lingqi's heart. "What are you doing? How dare you be so rude?" Gao Shun's expression changed instantly, and he shouted sharply. He clearly thought that Gu Cheng wanted to take advantage of Lü Lingqi and molest her. "If you want him to live, then shut up!" Gu Cheng glared at him, his tone carrying an undeniable threat. Gao Shun's body trembled, his fists clenched, but he did not step forward to stop him.
Gu Cheng then placed his palm on Lü Lingqi's heart.
He was startled and suddenly realized that something was wrong.
His gaze swept over Lü Lingqi's face again, and he suddenly noticed that she had tiny earlobes. In their previous encounters, she had always concealed them with her hair, and Gu Cheng hadn't noticed. "So, she's actually a woman!" Gu Cheng suddenly realized, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, momentarily lost in thought. "Young Master, weren't you going to perform some kind of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on her?" Mi Huan couldn't help but remind him when she saw him in a daze.
Gu Cheng finally snapped out of his daze. Without thinking, he composed himself and began pressing on her heart. After thirty presses, Gu Cheng pried open her mouth, preparing to perform CPR. "Gu Cheng, you've gone too far! How could I allow you to insult my young lady!" Gao Shun finally lost his temper and leaped forward, but Xu Chu stopped him. "Young lady?"
"This pretty boy is actually a woman disguised as a man?"
Everyone suddenly realized what was happening, their eyes wide with surprise. "How incredibly noisy!" Gu Cheng frowned and shouted, "Zhongkang, hold him down!" Xu Chu obeyed and quickly pinned Gao Shun to the ground, rendering him immobile. Unable to struggle, Gao Shun cried out in grief and indignation.
Gu Cheng ignored his shouting, took a deep breath, and bent down. Cao Ang, Zhou Tai, and the others around him all looked embarrassed.
The beauties, including Mi Huan and Da Qiao, blushed slightly, feeling rather embarrassed.
"Young master, your method of saving people is a bit too strange. Anyone who doesn't know better would think you're taking advantage of someone in distress and harassing the young lady."
Everyone looked at each other, the same thought surging in their minds. "Cough cough cough!" Lu Lingqi, who had been seemingly lifeless, suddenly coughed violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of water, and miraculously regained her breathing. "Young Master actually brought the dead back to life! What kind of divine medical skill is this?" Everyone stared at Gu Cheng in astonishment, dumbfounded. Even Gao Shun was stunned, as if he had seen a ghost.
When Lü Lingqi opened her eyes, she saw Gu Cheng pressing on her heart, performing CPR. Her previously pale face instantly flushed, and she cursed, "You lecherous scoundrel, how dare you take liberties with me! I'll kill you!"