Ma Chao cut his way through the Wei troops, his spear flashing in the light of the flames. They just kept coming like a flood of water. Suddenly a gong tore through the air. Pang Tong was sounding a full retreat.

"This will turn into a rout! How can he sound the retreat?"

He fought on, slashing through the white clad Wei troops. His spear spun around, hacking away at the raiders. Just then, breaking through the circle of men came one of his guards on a black horse.

"General Ma, quickly! You must escape!"

"No! I must stay and clear the men's escape!

"It's to late my lord! You must go!"

The guard leapt from his horse and began to cut at the oncoming flow of troops. His sword slashed and moved, drawing blood wherever it struck. Ma Chao sighed and leapt on his horse.

"I will remember you!"

"That will help me not sir! Your getting away will be enough to satisfy me!"

Ma Chao sighed and galloped off towards the rest of the retreating Shu army. He rode past the battle lines towards the front to Pang Tong.

"Why are we retreating! We could have held them off, or turned and attacked their camp instead! And where is Zhao Yun?"

"All will be made clear to you in time General."

They rode on through a thick forest when Pang Tong raised his hand and everyone slowed down. Suddenly a gong sounded as the Wei army passed into the forest and Zhao Yun's army burst from the forest and attacked the unsuspecting Wei Troops. With a wave of his hand, Pang Tong ordered his own troops to turn and attack the opposing army. Their shouts echoed off the trees.

"Now do you see the advantage of strategy General Ma?"

"Truly Lord strategist, you are more than human!"

Xu Huang cut at the Shu troops from the top of his steed, but no mater how many he killed, they just kept coming. He swung his pole ax over his head and cut down four troops on each side of him. Then an arrow whizzed from the trees and hit his horse in the neck. The horse screamed and an arc of arterial blood shot from its neck as it toppled to the ground. Xu Huang was able to jump from the horse just in time to avoid having his leg broken.

"Damn you! Where are the reinforcements?"

Just then, directly in front of him he saw a tall long haired warrior dressed in shining white armor break through a line of troops, his trident flourished around him spreading death where he went. He turned his level gaze upon Xu Huang and stabbed his Trident at him. Xu Huang knew he was about to see death. As he knelt down to embrace death he noticed the beauty of the weapon that was to slay him. The blades were gold in color, and where shaped as a phoenix with out stretched wings. He closed his eyes and uttered a prayer.

Lu Zhaon raised an eyebrow and stabbed the minor officer that was running to attacked Xu Huang and tossed his dead corpse to the ground. He glanced at General Xu.

"What are you doing? This is not the time to be fooling around. We are in the midst of a battle! Enjoy it!"

He saw the general open his eye and glance at the body by him. A questioned look appeared on his face. He smirked to himself

"Get off your feet and fight, man!"

Lu Zhaon sighed as the man stumbled about to grab his ax. He rode on so as not to injure the poor man. If this was an example of what Cao Cao had to fight for him, then he had asked for his help not a moment to soon. Up ahead he saw the General Zhang had cut through some troops ahead of him. He moved with a sort of grace that few men had. It was indeed quite beautiful. Zhaon felt himself becoming enchanted by the beautiful way that this man waged war. Everywhere he struck with his golden claws men screamed and fell. The ichor and gore that covered him did not seem to mar his appearance. Truly, if I man looked upon him and decided that he had no skill, he would soon learn his folly. He snapped out of his revere as he saw a powerful looking man flourishing a spear charge for General He. Zhaon kicked his horse forward and parried the blow from the spear just in time to save Zhang He's head.

"Look out my clawed friend. Do not get too absorbed in battle."

Zhang He turned and watched as Lu Zhaon fought, strike for strike with the mighty Zhao Yun. He moved like poetry, his powerful arms swing his beautiful weapon around to parry the blow from Zhao Yun's spear. The two men moved as if they were involved in some sort of enchanting dance. Truly, they were both filled with Martial might. He had saved him from a most certain doom he was most sure of that. Half an hour before they had been enemies and now he was risking his life for his own. This was indeed curious. He swung his claws around and joined his comrade in attacking the guards of the General Zhao.

Pang Tong sighed to himself as he galloped away, Zhao Yun and Ma Chao riding beside of him. In the distance he could here the yells of Lu Zhaon's light cavalry riding to catch up with them. They had been harassing their rear as they fell back from the battle field. The battle was hopeless. Wei had the allegiance of Lu Zhaon, and they would not succeed in taking the province today. If only Lord Liu had listened to him about making General Lu a Lord. He was now going to have to return to the Imperial Uncle and report his lose to him. He had changed his mind about Ma Chao When he had cleared a way fro him to escape.

"So Cao Cao has added a new powerful general to his ranks, as well as one of the richest provinces in China."

The generals nodded. The looks on their faces easily told what they thought about it

"This does not bode well for the kingdom of Shu."

Zhao Yun rode along at the front of the columns. It seemed that the mounted Wei troops had finally finished harassing them, and yet Lord Pang wasn't letting them camp. The men had been traveling at double time for 30 straight hours without rest. Many of them were dropping to the side of the road. He rode up alongside of Pang Tong.

"Sir, we need to camp and rest. The men are tired. We have lost 150 men from exhaustion already. The men and horses need rest."

"General Zhao, the Wei army is pursuing us, and we have Lu Zhaon's light cavalry following us, trying to slow us down so that their main force can catch up. If we camp, it will make it that much easier for them. If we keep up this pace, we will be at our border by dawn tomorrow.

"If we are attacked now, the men are so tired they would likely throw down their weapons and surrender. We should take advantage of the fact that Lu Zhaon has pulled back, and we should set up a defensive camp, and try to get some grain from the surrounding farms."

"I have sent out a messenger. When we get to the Shu border Zhang Fei will be leading a force to cover our escape."

"So then we should set up camp. Zhang Fei will come and back us up here."

Pang Tong thought for a while.

Lu Zhaon will have pulled back because he is planning to hit us at the front up ahead somewhere to stop our advance. If we start to set up camp...

"Then He will be farther ahead! He will have to turn around and come attack our front. Then, while he has set his attention here, Zhang Fei will come behind and strike his open flank!"

Pang Tong thought a little while longer, and then he smiled.

"You are correct Zilong. I was simply testing you to see your knowledge of strategy. I have already sent some men ahead to set up a camp by a spring. It will be prepared for us when we get there. You will take the south end of camp to fight against Zhaon when he gets here. I will command the middle, and you General Chao will protect the rear. Zilong, when Zhang Fei comes, you will charge out from the camp and catch them in a pincer maneuver."

"Yes my lord!" The Generals Chorused together.

Lu Zhaon and Zhang He sat side by side on their horses, looking out onto the main rode from the forest they were in. Lu Zhaon frowned heavily as he glanced down the rode.

"They should have come here by now!"

"Well, perhaps at that ridiculous pace they've been setting, they grew tired and needed to rest."

"We will know soon enough."

As Lu Zhaon spoke this last comment, and scout came up and bowed before them.

"It was as you said my Lords! The Shu force has camped."

"How far ahead?"

"About 3 li (1 li1/3 of a mile) north of here."

Zhang turned to the men. He threw his hand into the air to get there attention.

"Come! We ride!"

Zhaon smiled to himself. He would make Lord Cao proud of the choice he made to accept him into his army. He had made 1,300 of his men into mounted bow men, who were currently firing arrows into the Shu camp, while the remaining 2000 were equipped with spears and were now battling the camp defenders. Yes, things were going good. He turned to his guards.

"Now we shall join the fray! Make your ancestors proud!"

As they were galloping towards the melee, they started to feel the ground thundering. A great yell was heard, and clearing the hill above them in the afternoon light, was a single rider. His eyes were large and filled with fire, his tiger whiskers bristled. One of his guards turned to him.

"My lord! It is just one man! Let us go and cut him down!"

"No, he probably has an aid force behind him, in the shadow of the hill."

His army turned to this new force, while the camp defenders retreated into the camp. Just then the warrior shouted in a loud thunderous voice.

"I am Zhang Fei! Face me and die!"

At the sound of his great and thundering voice and the sight of his anger filled eyes and tiger whiskers the men gave a great cry of fright and began to fall back. Lu Zhaon and kicked his horse towards the mighty warrior, his trident trailing behind him.

"Do not fall back! I will cut this fool down!"

The great warrior rode forth and their spears clashed. The exchanged over 50 passes, his cobra spear snaking out at him, while Zhaon's Phoenix trident swung down at his chest. They continued this fight for another 50 passes, neither tiring, when Lu Zhaon turned and feigned defeat, his trident trailing behind him. He laughed to himself as the warrior followed behind him. Truly this man had no knowledge of the Art of War. He turned around to grab his bow, when he saw two Shu officers on horse back standing facing each other in front of him. A look of question crossed over his face, and then he hit the wire they had stretched between them. He fell from his horse and dropped his trident to the ground. The two majors leapt off their horses and tied the wire around his chest while he lay there dazed, and then tied it to one of their saddles, and rode of, dragging him behind them. He squirmed around trying to break free, till he hit his head on a rock, and all was darkness.