Chapter 055: Heroes in Turmoil, Lu Bu Defeated

On the desolate plains outside Xiapi City, Lü Bu was now completely surrounded. In addition to the three sworn brothers—Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei—there were now two more formidable warriors: Dian Wei and Xu Chu. Lü Bu also noticed the ranks of soldiers in black armor waiting in the woods behind him, their presence icy and intimidating.

Suddenly, Lü Bu burst into wild laughter. “So, the mighty tiger has fallen from the mountain, only to be harried by dogs! Even now, you scurrying rats must attack me together—how pitiful your mediocrity is!”

Zhang Fei, enraged by these words, shouted, “If you refuse to yield, then let me be the first to battle you for three hundred rounds!”

But Liu Bei immediately intervened. “Brother, don’t be reckless! Capturing Lü Bu is no trifling matter—it must be done with care!”

With that, Liu Bei drew the Twin Male-Female Swords from his waist, their blades flashing coldly in the darkness. At the same moment, Dian Wei raised his mighty twin halberds, and Xu Chu gripped his massive iron broadsword.

Lü Bu took a deep breath, knowing full well that the battle ahead would be the most perilous of his life. If by some miracle he triumphed, he would live on; if not—well, so be it, that would be fate.

“Come at me together! What does Lü Bu have to fear?!”

With a roar, Lü Bu’s Dragon Halberd whirled like blazing fire, slicing through the air with a piercing shriek. This was the full force of his strength unleashed, so fierce that it seemed even the very air would be cleaved in two. The others had to twist aside, forced to yield before this unstoppable onslaught.

After this devastating attack, Lü Bu’s arrogance only grew. His momentum surged, and his halberd struck with even greater ferocity.

Everyone present knew they could not retreat any further. If they did, his momentum would only build, and soon only Dian Wei would be able to withstand such power. Dian Wei, aware of this, charged forward with his halberds to meet Lü Bu head-on.

With a thunderous crash and a jarring screech, Dian Wei blocked Lü Bu’s blow, but a burning pain seared through his chest—he was far from unscathed. Forced to fall back, he barely had time to recover before a fierce shout split the night.

“Lü Bu—face my blade!”

The shout came from Guan Yu. His Green Dragon Crescent Blade burst forth with a blinding arc of light, cleaving straight for Lü Bu—his signature technique, the Triple Death Strike. This move gathered power as the blade dragged along the ground, only to explode upward in a flurry of strikes, each one heavier than the last.

Even facing just the first blow, Lü Bu could not easily deflect the attack under Guan Yu’s overwhelming presence. Forced to withstand all three strikes in succession, his grip on the halberd nearly failed. Just as he tried to catch his breath, Zhang Fei’s Serpent Spear lunged forth, thrusting relentlessly.

If Guan Yu’s assaults troubled Lü Bu with their explosive speed and power, Zhang Fei’s spear was the embodiment of piercing force, each clash of weapons sending shocks up Lü Bu’s arms, drawing blood from his hands and drenching his brow with sweat.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Dian Wei—any one of them was a formidable opponent alone. Together, they left Lü Bu barely able to cope. Though Xu Chu was not quite their equal, his attacks from the flanks forced Lü Bu into peril time and again.

By now, Liu Bei had withdrawn to the side, knowing he was no match for the intensity of this contest.

While the battle raged on, far away atop a sandy hill, Cao Peng watched with great interest through his spyglass. He mused that, once Lü Bu was dead, he would likely never witness such a clash again. He regretted not having a video recorder to capture this spectacular duel.

As Cao Peng sighed, the fight drew toward its end. Lü Bu, hair disheveled and armor battered, looked utterly spent and desperate. His strength was gone, and his halberd was slipping from his grasp. Like a beast cornered, he fought on by instinct alone, his body covered in wounds.

His four attackers were bloodied as well, their armor cracked and rent—a testament to the ferocity of this final struggle.

“He’s finished! Together, seize him!” Dian Wei shouted, and the others responded at once. Four weapons struck as one; Lü Bu’s halberd finally slipped from his hands, and he fell from his horse, at last captured.

Zhang Fei himself bound Lü Bu, and soon the Cao army closed in. Together, they escorted the defeated Lü Bu back to Xuzhou.