In Han Sui's Army, a boisterous banquet was in full swing, with the soldiers reveling in the joy of victory, their laughter echoing in the air.
Successive victories, like blazing flames, had boosted the morale of Han Sui's allied forces, filling them with passion.
Each of them was in high spirits, their faces beaming with confidence and pride.
Buoyed by victory, the soldiers of Han Sui's allied forces seemed to have become an unstoppable power.
They walked through the camp with their heads held high and firm steps, each stride filled with anticipation and confidence for the future.
They talked and laughed loudly with each other, sharing the joy of victory, as if they had already seen ultimate triumph beckoning to them.
Inside the tent, cheers rose and fell, as the soldiers celebrated their hard-won victory to their hearts' content.
They raised their wine cups, drinking heartily, transforming the joy of victory into boundless heroism.
All their past fatigue and worries were cast aside at this moment, replaced by an infinite anticipation for future battles.
The victory on the battlefield made the momentum of Han Sui's allied forces soar.
They believed that as long as they maintained such morale, they would surely overcome all difficulties and achieve final victory.
Inside Dong Zhuo's tent, however, there was a deathly silence.
A pall of low morale hung over the entire camp, as if even the air had become heavy.
Since the campaign began, the small victories achieved elsewhere in Wuwei Commandery had now been overshadowed by these successive defeats.
The defeat of the first vanguard had cast a shadow over everyone's hearts; the failure of the second duel had made everyone feel even more frustrated; and today, even Hua Xiong, reputed to be the first fierce general under Dong Zhuo, had been defeated in battle, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Dong Zhuo's Army.
Dong Zhuo stood there with a gloomy expression, his gaze sweeping over his subordinate generals.
These generals all hung their heads, their faces full of shame.
They knew they were not skilled enough in martial arts, failing to bring glory to their master on the battlefield and instead losing face completely.
At this moment, they were as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to make a sound, fearing they might anger Dong Zhuo.
Dong Zhuo sighed helplessly, discussing with Li Ru how to restore morale.
Li Ru also frowned deeply, racking his brains for a solution, but for a moment he couldn't think of anything good.
He understood that successive defeats in three battles, all due to the defeat of generals, had indeed led to low morale, which was a very tricky problem.
If morale continued to be so low, the prospects of this war would become extremely bleak.
Dong Zhuo paced restlessly inside the tent, his heart filled with worry and helplessness.
He knew that if he couldn't find a solution quickly, his army would face a huge crisis.
And his subordinate generals also felt Dong Zhuo's anxiety, secretly vowing in their hearts that they would fight hard in future battles to restore Dong Zhuo's face and boost the army's morale.
But at this moment, they could only wait for fate's arrangement in this low atmosphere.
In that solemn atmosphere, Ma Chao, leading Pang De, Zhang Xiu, and over a thousand elite Flying Bear Army soldiers under his command, finally arrived at the rendezvous point with Dong Zhuo after countless hardships.
Ma Chao strode into the main tent, keenly sensing the heavy atmosphere within.
Dong Zhuo forced a smile, praising Ma Chao's heroic performance along the way.
However, Ma Chao's gaze was fixed on Dong Zhuo; he noticed Dong Zhuo's distracted demeanor, and so he asked directly, "Dong Gong, our army has been unstoppable, with victory in sight, why do you look so worried?"
Dong Zhuo showed a bitter smile, and Li Ru interjected with a bitter expression, saying, "Little General, you do not know, since we raised our army, we have recovered many lost territories, until we came here to fight Han Sui decisively.
But unexpectedly, we have suffered successive defeats.
That Yan Xing in Han Sui's Army is truly an unparalleled fierce general; even Hua Xiong, the first fierce general in our army, was wounded by him.
Alas, Hua Xiong is renowned among all the generals, yet he has fallen to such a state now."
Upon hearing this, Hua Xiong showed a look of shame, stepped forward, and said, "This humble general has just arrived and could not assist my lord, please punish me."
Dong Zhuo stepped forward, helped Hua Xiong up, gently patted his back, and said, "Hua Xiong is incredibly brave; although this battle was lost, he has done his best.
You should rest well."
All of Dong Zhuo's generals also looked ashamed, filled with self-reproach.
Upon hearing this, Ma Chao frowned slightly, and a wave of worry surged in his heart.
He looked around, seeing the solemn expressions of Dong Zhuo's generals, whose morale seemed to have suffered a great blow.
Ma Chao knew that at this moment, morale must be boosted, otherwise it would be difficult to achieve victory in the upcoming battles.
He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Dong Gong, victory and defeat are common in warfare; there is no need to worry too much.
Now that we have met, we should regroup and discuss strategies to defeat the enemy.
Although Yan Xing is brave, our army is not to be underestimated.
As long as we work together, we will surely find a way to defeat the enemy!"
Pang De also echoed, "Dong Gong, this humble general is willing to confront Yan Xing again and avenge our previous shame!"
Zhang Xiu also refused to be outdone, loudly saying, "My lord, this humble general is also willing to go into battle with General Pang De!"
Dong Zhuo looked at Ma Chao, Pang De, and Zhang Xiu, feeling a little relieved.
He knew that these three were all exceptionally brave, and with them, perhaps they could truly turn the tide of the battle.
He nodded and said, "Good! Generals, it is excellent that you have such determination!
Then let's fight again tomorrow, and we must let Han Sui's Army see the might of our army!"
The atmosphere inside the main tent eased slightly, and the generals began to discuss the battle plan for tomorrow.
Everyone was holding back a surge of determination, wanting to avenge their previous shame on the battlefield and restore military prestige.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xiu looked at Ma Chao from the side, his eyes filled with admiration.
He leaned over to Dong Zhuo and whispered, "My lord, that Ma Chao is truly a fierce general!
His bravery and strategy are outstanding; he is truly a blessing to our army!"
Dong Zhuo also nodded slightly; he too greatly admired Ma Chao's performance.
Just then, a commotion suddenly came from outside the tent.
A soldier rushed into the main tent, saying in a panic, "This is bad! My lord, Han Sui's Army has launched a sudden attack; our camp is under their fierce assault!"
Dong Zhuo's face changed dramatically, and all the generals also showed expressions of alarm.
Ma Chao, without hesitation, shouted, "Quick! Follow me to meet the enemy!"
Everyone quickly picked up their weapons and rushed out of the main tent, following Ma Chao.
Outside the camp, flames shot into the sky, and shouts of killing rose everywhere.
Han Sui's Army surged in like a tide, and the situation was extremely critical.
Ma Chao charged at the forefront, wielding his long spear, and plunged into the enemy formation.
Pang De and Zhang Xiu followed closely behind, fighting bravely.
The three of them were like three sharp blades, tearing open gaps in the enemy formation.
Dong Zhuo's generals were also inspired by the bravery of Ma Chao and the others, and they all rose up to resist.
For a time, the battlefield was filled with thunderous shouts of killing and flying flesh and blood.
During the fierce battle, Ma Chao discovered that there was an exceptionally brave and unbeatable general among the enemy.
A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes, and he spurred his warhorse, galloping towards the enemy general.
Yan Xing also noticed Ma Chao; he brandished his long spear and charged forward.
The two instantly engaged in battle, their spears clashing, emitting loud roars.
Ma Chao's spear technique was powerful and overbearing, each move containing immense strength.
Yan Xing was not to be outdone; his spear technique was cunning and exquisite, engaging Ma Chao in a breathtaking contest.
The two fought for dozens of rounds, with neither gaining the upper hand.
Seeing that he had not broken through Dong Zhuo's camp, but had inflicted considerable damage on Dong Zhuo's Army, Han Sui sounded the gongs for retreat, and Han Sui's allied forces swaggered away.
After Han Sui sounded the gongs for retreat, the battlefield was filled with smoke and the smell of blood.
Dong Zhuo's Army watched tiredly as Han Sui's allied forces swaggered away, their hearts filled with helplessness and frustration.
Dong Zhuo's Army had already suffered considerable damage from previous battles, and this surprise attack made matters even worse.
The soldiers were all dejected, their morale extremely low.
Inside the main tent, Dong Zhuo sat on the main seat with a gloomy expression.
He frowned deeply, his heart filled with worry.
This defeat made him realize the severity of the situation; he knew that if he couldn't quickly boost morale, the upcoming battles would be even more difficult.
At this moment, Ma Chao inquired about the identity of the local general he had just fought.
Li Ru, who had not participated in the battle, had only watched Ma Chao's thrilling duel with Yan Xing from a distance, and he spoke, "That is Yan Xing, the top fierce general under Han Sui.
I wonder how the Little General felt engaging him?
Do you have a firm grasp on victory?"
As soon as Li Ru finished speaking, all the generals, like stars surrounding the moon, turned their gazes towards Ma Chao, their eyes filled with fervent hope, and even Dong Zhuo was full of anticipation.
Upon hearing Li Ru's words, Ma Chao couldn't help but frown slightly, then said loudly, "This Yan Xing indeed has some ability; he is truly a fierce general.
Fighting him did make me feel a lot of pressure.
But if I were to go all out against him, my chances of victory should be above sixty or seventy percent."
As soon as Ma Chao said this, all the generals felt a surge of excitement in their hearts.
Dong Zhuo, upon hearing this, was overjoyed and burst into laughter, saying, "Haha, Little General is indeed the Qilin of the Ma family!
If you can defeat Yan Xing, then Han Sui's allied forces can be broken in a few days!"
Dong Zhuo arranged for the generals to go back and rest, awaiting tomorrow's battle.
After receiving their orders, everyone dispersed.
Ma Chao also returned to his own tent, secretly pondering his rematch with Yan Xing tomorrow.
Dong Zhuo, on the other hand, stood at a high vantage point, looking at the departing generals, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.
He firmly believed that in tomorrow's battle, they would surely achieve victory and crush Han Sui's allied forces.
Night gradually enveloped the land, and the military camp was silent, awaiting the rekindling of the flames of war tomorrow.
