Chapter 96: Zhang Sanye's Two Falls from Horse
Zhang Fei, Zhang Yide, stood firm in the formation. Su Ming opened the system and examined Zhang Fei's attributes.
[Name: Zhang Fei.]
[Courtesy name: Yide.]
[Combat prowess: 98]
[Leadership: 92]
[Wisdom: 88]
[Politics: 86]
[Main weapon: Eight-foot Snake Spear]
[Mount: Wuzhui Horse]
[Hint: Zhang Fei is prone to exceptional performance and possesses immense endurance, able to sustain peak combat effectiveness for prolonged periods.]
Upon viewing Zhang Fei's attributes, his combat value stood at only 98, a fraction below Zhao Yun's 99. Yet Zhang Fei excelled as a warrior capable of enduring long battles and easily surpassing his peak form. This set him apart from Guan Yu, whose strength blazed brightest in the first three strikes but faded quickly, while Zhang Fei maintained steady consistency without faltering.
Su Ming urged his Hulei Leopard onward and rode into the fray, appraising Zhang Fei from crown to heel before uttering slowly, "You are the Yan man Zhang Yide?"
"Unknown—how does your martial skill compare to your second brother, Guan Yunchang?"
"If your martial skill cannot match your second brother Guan Yunchang's, then step down and spare me the injury."
Su Ming's words caused the Guan Yu positioned behind the lines to flush crimson. Yet Guan Yu could offer no rebuttal, for he had lost the Yellow River crossing battle fairly and squarely. After hearing Su Ming's declaration, Zhang Fei blazed with fury. He could not answer this question!
To claim superiority over his second brother would tarnish Guan Yunchang's honor. To admit inferiority would mean abandoning the fight outright. Moreover, since even his second brother had fallen to Su Ming, how could he hope to prevail?
"Insufferable!"
"Insufferable!" Zhang Yide roared, berating fiercely, "You insolent youth, merely by fluke defeating my second brother once, you dare prattle on about it daily."
"In my view, you possess no genuine talent. That day, my second brother must have been unwell or starved, otherwise you could never have bested him."
Guan Yu, overhearing Zhang Fei's reasoning, felt his face burn even hotter. Yet Guan Yu was naturally red-faced, so his blush went unnoticed.
He knew full well how he had lost that day—uncomfortable, well-fed, defeated solely by Su Ming's superior strength and skill. Zhang Fei's words now left him mortified. Inwardly he resented his third brother Zhang Fei: Why dredge up old grievances when we fight?
Zhang Fei pondered instead: This callow youth, even if he practiced from the womb clutching his umbilical cord, how far could such training carry him? What strength could he muster? Today I shall see how I vanquish him. Should I defeat this youth, I would reclaim honor for my second brother.
Without further words, Zhang Fei raised his Eight-foot Snake Spear high and charged on his Wuzhui Horse like a thundercloud straight at Su Ming. This steed descended from the same lineage as the Wuzhui Horse of Chu Overlord Xiang Yu; it was indeed a noble mount. In an instant the horse bore Zhang Fei to Su Ming's presence.
Zhang Fei harnessed the horse's momentum, lifting the spear to strike with Huashan-splitting force. The Eight-foot Snake Spear's power, bolstered by the steed's speed and his own might, rivaled a truck ramming into its target.
Frontal clash? By raw strength, Su Ming had never feared a rival. Having inherited Yuwen Chengdu's martial soul, he possessed innate divine power; even a thousand-jin bronze lion trembled in his grasp like a ball. Against strength, not one Zhang Fei but two would prove insufficient.
Zhang Fei thundered forward on horseback. Su Ming remained motionless, countering with his Fengchi Liujin Spear.
"My lord, beware!"
"This black brute's strength is monstrous!" Xu Chu cried from the rear. Xu Chu had clashed with Zhang Fei on several occasions and knew his opponent's power well. Now, with the horse's momentum and Su Ming unmoved, the contest reduced to pure strength versus the impact of horse and rider. Xu Chu feared Su Ming's oversight and warned urgently, yet the warning came too late; the two spears met in collision.
"Boom!"
A thunderous impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, flinging a sandstorm around the combatants. Spectators discerned nothing amid the haze. Whether from the Cao camp or the Yuan Shao–Liu Bei alliance, hearts raced as they pondered the victor.
When the dust cleared, the sight stunned all. Zhang Fei's Wuzhui Horse still stood near Su Ming, yet Zhang Fei himself had vanished. Upon closer inspection, he lay sprawled more than ten zhang behind the horse, still clutching the Eight-foot Snake Spear. The hand gripping the spear had split open at the tiger's mouth, blood streaking the shaft.
Su Ming, however, sat astride the Hulei Leopard without stirring a muscle. In a single move, Zhang Fei had been hurled from his saddle, tumbling over ten zhang. Though only superficial wounds, the scene was humiliatingly one-sided.
"Ah!"
"Careless—trapped by your ruse!"
"Young rascal, let us continue!" Zhang Fei summoned his Wuzhui Horse, mounted once more, and charged again, spear raised. This time he avoided hard clash, instead circling and evading Su Ming in a slow, measured dance.
Su Ming studied Zhang Fei and thought: This hulking black fellow's most resilient part is surely his tongue. Su Ming's combat value exceeded one hundred; Zhang Fei's stood at 98. Such a gap in prowess, multiplied by several points, left little room for doubt. Once, the three heroes had only drawn against Lu Bu; Su Ming now surpassed that benchmark, rendering Zhang Fei no match.
After another twenty or thirty exchanges, Zhang Fei clearly fell behind. Then Su Ming seized a strand of white hair atop the Hulei Leopard's head—a unique trait: pulling it elicits a beast-like roar. The sound roared like dragon's fury or tiger's howl, terrifying even the strongest beasts, let alone a horse.
"Roar!"
The sudden bellow startled the Wuzhui Horse. It reared wildly, braked sharply, and sent Zhang Fei flying. Zhang Fei crashed to the ground, face-down in the mud, mouth full of dirt.
(Chapter complete)