The battle within the city had finally come to an end.

Although Huang Zu had drawn his treasured blade, he had no intention of facing Su Ming alone. Deng Long had just died before his eyes, his tragic end vivid in Huang Zu’s memory. There was no way Huang Zu would go forward to court death; the sword in his hand was merely a comfort.

“Men! Kill him! A reward of ten thousand gold coins and the rank of deputy general awaits!” Huang Zu pointed his blade straight at Su Ming as he issued the order.

As the old saying goes, heavy rewards breed brave men. Ten thousand gold coins—such a fortune! Su Ming had only spent three thousand gold coins bribing Zhang Hu to open the city gates. True, he had asked Cao Cao for ten thousand gold coins as operating funds, but even the middleman must earn a little profit. Cao Cao gave Su Ming ten thousand in funds, Su Ming spent three thousand to bribe Zhang Hu. Seven thousand gold coins, pure profit.

As soon as Huang Zu’s bounty was announced, the soldiers around him seemed injected with a frenzy, their eyes reddened, their voices wild as they surged toward Su Ming. Enormous profit can drown reason—these men were blinded by the lure of gold, caring nothing for whether they could even harm Su Ming.

Seeing Su Ming surrounded by his soldiers, Huang Zu tried to seize the opportunity to flee. But at that moment, Su Ming’s gaze locked only on Huang Zu. Amidst the hosts, Su Ming was like a heavy tank, sending enemies flying wherever he passed. His golden-plumed spear weighed a full one hundred and eight pounds; a casual sweep could send a row of foes airborne. Rampaging through the ranks, Su Ming carved a bloody path toward his target—Huang Zu.

Initially, Huang Zu hoped to escape with his dozen wagons of treasure. Yet he soon realized his followers were mere rabble, utterly unable to stop Su Ming. As Su Ming charged toward him, the distance between them narrowed to scarcely a dozen yards. Huang Zu weighed his life against his wealth; clearly, life was more precious. He forgot his treasure, urged his horse, and tried to flee.

Su Ming knew he could not let Huang Zu escape, no matter what. He had barely two thousand cavalry who had entered the city, plus Qin Qi’s five thousand new recruits at Xiling Ferry. Even these forces struggled to take Xiling. If Huang Zu got away, he would undoubtedly regroup his troops and oppose Su Ming. He had to remember—besides Xiling, Jiangxia boasted twelve counties.

If this battle turned into a war of attrition, it would be most unfavorable for Su Ming. So, under no circumstances could Huang Zu be allowed to escape.

Huang Zu spurred his horse to run, but Su Ming reached down and yanked the tuft of white hair atop the head of his Thunder Leopard mount. The Thunder Leopard had a particular trait: tug that white tuft and it would roar like a wild beast.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, the Thunder Leopard let out a sound like a tiger or leopard, a thunderclap in the quiet night. The roar was aimed at Huang Zu’s horse. The beast shuddered in terror, lost control, and collapsed to the ground, tossing Huang Zu off.

“Hyah!”

Su Ming urged the Thunder Leopard forward; with the speed of the wind, it leaped to Huang Zu’s side. With a swift motion, Su Ming grabbed Huang Zu by the collar and hoisted him up.

What kind of opponent was Huang Zu? In Su Ming’s grasp, he was like a helpless chick, unable to resist.

“Huang Zu is here! Surrender now!” Su Ming shouted, carrying Huang Zu across the battlefield. “Surrender, and you will not be killed!” he cried out again and again.

At the same time, the five hundred cavalry Su Ming had brought shouted in chorus, “Surrender, and you will not be killed!”

Huang Zu’s followers saw their lord captured alive. Hearing the cries for surrender from all directions, unable to tell how many enemies there were, more and more of them lost their will to fight and knelt in surrender.

In such circumstances, surrender was entirely natural. With their lord captured, whom would they fight for?

“General Su, all the soldiers have surrendered. These are the treasures Huang Zu accumulated over the years, and his wives and concubines!” After the battle ended, the soldiers swiftly took charge of Huang Zu’s wagons and reported to Su Ming.

“Seal up all these treasures and guard them carefully.” Su Ming glanced at Huang Zu’s concubines and instructed his men, “This one is too thin—send her to my residence and see she is well cared for. This one is too fat—send her to my residence; I’ll teach her how to lose weight. This one looks sickly—perhaps she’s ill. Send her to my residence; I’ll examine her.”

...

...

Dawn arrived.

The fighting inside the city had ended before sunrise; the defending troops had been disarmed and concentrated in the barracks. At this moment, the city walls, government offices, granaries, and other vital places were all guarded by Cao’s troops. Though manpower was tight, it was barely sufficient.

“Cao Hong, I must go to Xiling Ferry to direct the battle. The city is yours; guard Huang Zu well, and do not let him escape!” Su Ming instructed Cao Hong.

With the defenders all imprisoned, there should be no unexpected trouble. Su Ming’s only concern was that Huang Zu might find some way to escape.

“General Su, why keep Huang Zu alive?” asked Cao Hong. “If you ask me, just kill him and be done with it!”

Hearing this, Su Ming realized Cao Hong was a brash, brainless warrior—no wonder he had always served as deputy to Cao Ren. With such a mind, he could charge into battle, but never command from the rear.

“Huang Zu must die, but preferably not by our hands! He still has his uses; just keep watch over him,” Su Ming emphasized.

Cao Hong did not understand why Su Ming kept Huang Zu alive. Yet the surprise attack on Xiling had shown him Su Ming’s prowess as a commander. With only two thousand cavalry and five thousand raw recruits, he had seized Xiling County with ease. At this moment, Cao Hong was deeply impressed.

“Very well! General Su, rest assured—while I am here, Huang Zu will not escape!” Cao Hong swore solemnly.

Now, Huang Zu was like a turtle trapped in a jar; escape was impossible.

After ordering Cao Hong to guard the city and watch over Huang Zu, Su Ming mounted his horse and rode to Xiling Ferry to oversee the battle.

The fighting in Xiling City was settled, but the tug-of-war at Xiling Ferry continued. Huang Zu’s elite force was his navy. Yesterday, upon hearing the news that Xiling City had fallen, the navy tried to rush to reinforce. However, Xu Chu and Qin Qi had already seized Xiling Ferry, preventing the navy from landing. Both sides were locked in fierce combat at the small ferry crossing.