The Battle of Wangshu Inn
The night was as dark as ink, spilling over the mountains, rivers, and valleys of Liyue. Wangshu Inn perched precariously atop a giant tree, its lanterns flickering in the wind like stars on the verge of being snuffed out. On the top-floor terrace, Lü Bu stood leaning against the railing, his scarlet cloak flapping violently in the mountain breeze. His Sky-Scorching Halberd rested slantingly against the ground, its tip glinting coldly in the moonlight, exuding a menacing aura.
"Fengxian, the scouts' report is beyond doubt." Chen Gong's voice was slightly hoarse. He had just ascended from the council chamber below, clutching a crumpled intelligence slip damp with sweat. "That woman Yelan is leading five hundred insurgents toward Qingce Village. Judging by their route, they will launch a surprise attack on Wangshu Inn from the eastern mountain path at dawn tomorrow. Worse still, she has allied with the remnants of the Liyue Army—five hundred men under Yan Huoshan's command. They plan to encircle us from the western valley, pinning us in a pincer attack."
Lü Bu slowly turned around, his phoenix eyes narrowing, violent battle intent churning within them. "Remnants of the Liyue Army?" he scoffed, his voice rough as a grindstone. "At Hulaoguan, the eighteen coalition warlords could not even touch me. Now a pack of stray dogs dares to provoke the tiger?"
"My lord, do not underestimate them." Zhang Liao stepped out of the shadows, the scales on his armor glinting coldly in the moonlight. "Yelan is cunning and resourceful. Though her insurgents are mostly farmers and hunters, they know the terrain well and fight with reckless courage. Yan Huoshan's men, though defeated veterans, are all survivors of countless battles—their strength is not to be overlooked. Five hundred plus five hundred matches our numbers, and with a pincer formation, carelessness could spell disaster."
Gao Shun had stood silently in the corner. Now he finally spoke, his voice steady as bedrock: "The three hundred men of my Trapped Camp can hold the western valley. The terrain is narrow, easy to defend and hard to attack. Block the pass, and not even ten thousand troops will advance an inch."
Chen Gong stroked his beard, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Boping speaks wisely. The west will be impregnable under the Trapped Camp. The eastern mountain path is open—you, Fengxian, may personally lead two hundred cavalry to crush Yelan's insurgents with thunderous force. Wen Yuan will garrison the main inn building with the remaining troops, ready to reinforce either flank, forming a triangular formation that supports one another. Thus, no matter which side the enemy attacks, we shall respond swiftly and strike them from both front and rear."
Lü Bu slammed his halberd sharply against the ground. The weapon hummed, shaking the surrounding air. "Excellent! We shall follow Gongtai's plan! Rest well tonight—tomorrow, I shall teach these Liyueans what it means to be truly unparalleled under heaven!"
The night deepened, yet Wangshu Inn did not fall silent. Under Gao Shun's command, the Trapped Camp silently slipped into the western valley, rolling boulders and setting up barricades, turning the narrow passage into a death trap. Zhang Liao arranged the inn's defenses: archers took to the attics, axemen guarded the staircases, every corner secured flawlessly. Lü Bu, meanwhile, polished his Sky-Scorching Halberd beside the stables. Red Hare stamped its hooves restlessly, as if scenting the bloodshed to come.
At the first light of dawn, a pale glow seeped over the eastern horizon. From Qingce Village came chaotic footsteps. Clad in teal, Yelan crouched behind a boulder beside the mountain path, a longbow in hand. Staring at the silhouette of Wangshu Inn, resolve flashed in her eyes. "Liyue must not fall to these outsiders. Today is their end!" She raised her hand, and five hundred insurgents poured forth like a tide, hoes and sickles raised, screaming toward the inn.
At that moment, an earth-shattering neigh erupted from the inn's eastern side! Carrying Lü Bu, Red Hare burst forth like a crimson bolt of lightning. The Sky-Scorching Halberd swept horizontally, instantly cleaving seven or eight insurgents in two. "Lü Bu stands here! You rats dare to run amok?" His voice boomed like thunder, throwing the insurgents into disarray.
Yelan's heart tightened. She had not expected Lü Bu to be so ferocious, shattering her offensive in one strike. She quickly nocked three arrows in a triangular formation and loosed them toward him. Lü Bu sneered, not dodging at all. His halberd carved an arc before him; three crisp clangs echoed, and the arrows were deflected entirely.
"Courting death!" Lü Bu dug his heels into Red Hare's sides. The steed charged toward Yelan like a released arrow. Insurgents threw themselves at him fearlessly, only to be torn apart effortlessly by the halberd, their blood staining the mountain path.
Simultaneously, deafening war cries erupted from the western valley. Wielding a great axe, Yan Huoshan led five hundred remnants in a fierce assault on the pass. "Brothers! For Liyue, charge!" He split a boulder with one swing and was about to lead his men forward when Gao Shun stood at the pass's center, spear in hand. Behind him, three hundred soldiers of the Trapped Camp stood in gleaming armor, their formation as solid as a wall.
"Loose arrows!" Gao Shun commanded. Dozens of arrows sliced through the air, felling the frontline Liyue soldiers. Roaring, Yan Huoshan swung his axe to deflect the arrows and forced his men to close in. The Trapped Camp advanced instead of retreating, spears bristling like a forest. The two forces clashed instantly. Each soldier of the Trapped Camp fought ten foes, their formation unbroken. Though fierce, the Liyue remnants could not breach the pass.
Standing atop the main inn building, Zhang Liao calmly observed both battles. Seeing Lü Bu dominating the east and Gao Shun holding firm in the west, he immediately ordered: "Left squad, reinforce Fengxian! Right squad, support Boping!" Two contingents rushed out of the inn, like two sharp blades piercing into the eastern and western battlefields.
In the east, Lü Bu, bolstered by reinforcements, grew even more formidable. His halberd whirled in an impenetrable storm, cutting down insurgents by the dozens. Watching her men fall one by one, despair flickered in Yelan's eyes. She knew continuing would mean total annihilation.
In the west, Yan Huoshan's eyes burned red, his axe drenched in blood. Growing frantic at the prolonged stalemate, he roared toward Gao Shun: "Fool! Take my axe!" Gao Shun's gaze hardened. His spear flickered, stabbing precisely toward Yan Huoshan's throat. Yan Huoshan hastily blocked with his axe, only for Gao Shun to shift his stroke— the spear tip plunged downward, piercing his abdomen.
"Aaargh—" Yan Huoshan screamed, his axe slipping from his grasp. Gao Shun's eyes were cold; he twisted his wrist, shredding the man's internal organs. The supreme commander of the Liyue Army collapsed slowly into the pool of blood, unwillingness burning in his gaze.
"The commander is dead!" Seeing their general fall, the Liyue remnants lost all morale and fled in disarray. Gao Shun did not waste the chance, ordering an immediate pursuit. Wails echoed through the valley.
Witnessing the western rout and hearing of Yan Huoshan's death, Yelan fell into complete despair. Staring at Lü Bu's demonic figure, she gritted her teeth and shouted shrilly: "Retreat! Retreat now!" The remaining insurgents lost all will to fight, fleeing chaotically toward Qingce Village behind her.
Lü Bu intended to give chase, but Zhang Liao stopped him. "My lord, do not pursue a routed foe. The enemy is defeated; the main force of the Liyue Army is destroyed. They are no longer a threat."
Lü Bu reined in Red Hare, watching Yelan's group vanish into the mountain path. He snorted, shouldering his halberd. Bodies and moaning wounded littered the path and valley, the stench of blood hanging thick in the air.
Chen Gong stepped forward, gazing at the carnage. "Yan Huoshan is dead, the Liyue remnants scattered. Yelan has only a few hundred soldiers left—she poses no danger. From now on, Liyue has no formal army. This land is ours to control."
Lü Bu looked up at the rising sun. Its light fell on his bloodstained face, highlighting his arrogance. He raised his Sky-Scorching Halberd toward distant Liyue Harbor. "The world belongs to the strong, after all!"
Wangshu Inn's lanterns blazed brighter in the morning light. No longer a flickering star adrift in the dark, it stood like a pillar stabilizing the earth of Liyue—marking the end of an old era. The Liyue Army, once the guardian of the realm, faded forever into the dust of history.