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“Lü Bu, escaping with his life, embarks on a path of utter solitude; Zhang Liao, watching him depart, will devote the rest of his days to guarding this legend of loyalty and honor. The years spent following the God of War surpass his entire life.”
Xiapi City.
Cao Cao had meant to approach Lü Bu and personally pronounce his death sentence, but an unexpected assassination attempt left him unconscious, shot by an arrow.
Lü Bu, still tightly bound, was being escorted by several soldiers, on their way to the prison. With no orders from the lord, none dared to make their own decision regarding Lü Bu’s fate.
Moments earlier, Cao Cao had deliberately approached Lü Bu—he valued talent, and sparing Lü Bu wasn’t impossible. But now, two arrows had thrown everything into chaos. No one noticed the third arrow aimed at Lü Bu, which wounded his arm, staining his clothes and ropes with blood. Unbeknownst to all, the arrow had torn a gash in the rope—deep enough to matter.
Xiao Meng…
The party hustled Lü Bu down the prison corridor. Suddenly, the ceiling shook, stones and dust raining down—
Boom—
The roof collapsed. The guards holding Lü Bu were caught off guard. Lü Bu broke free in an instant—before they even realized what had happened, pain exploded in their heads and they lost consciousness, not even aware that Lü Bu had escaped.
Lü Bu snapped the ropes, knocked out a few men, and dodged falling debris—all in one breath.
Escape!
That was Lü Bu’s only thought and desire.
With most of the Cao army outside in the square, and the prison in a remote part of the tower, Lü Bu encountered no one as he raced down the stone corridor.
He sped toward the secret tunnel—his only way out! From the start, Lü Bu had studied the city’s layout and ordered this tunnel dug for exactly such a day.
But rounding a corner, he ran into more than twenty Cao soldiers.
Their leader shouted with glee: “Ha! Lü Bu, you traitor! I knew you’d try to escape in the chaos, so I hurried here—caught you red-handed! Brothers! Seize him!”
As the young officer shouted, Lü Bu had already snatched a torch from the wall and charged forward.
Before he finished yelling, Lü Bu was upon them. In a flash of firelight, six or seven soldiers fell.
Lü Bu grabbed a blade from a fallen man and fought on. He knew: delay meant death. Unless he killed every one of the twenty-odd men before him, he’d die for certain.
He pushed his strength and speed to the limit. Though his arm bled from Xiao Meng’s arrow and old wounds tore open again, he kept going, his life spilling out with his blood.
Six left.
The men were shocked—a wounded beast is even more dangerous.
Only Lü Bu knew this was his last blaze of strength.
Three left.
So close. Just a little farther!
Heaven!
Just as Lü Bu thought, “I’m finished,” a sword flashed ahead. Three soldiers fell. Lü Bu looked up—a black-clad figure, sword in hand, stood before him.
It was Zhang Liao.
He looked at Lü Bu: “Master, this way!”
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The two raced down the corridor. Whenever they encountered soldiers, Zhang Liao stepped in front, dispatching them in a few strokes. At last, they reached the tunnel entrance and slipped into darkness. Only three people knew of this tunnel: the late Gao Shun, Lü Bu, and Zhang Liao.
Lü Bu silently followed Zhang Liao. He knew Zhang Liao had surrendered to Cao Cao, but said nothing—he understood it was a wise decision, and felt guilty for not making better use of Zhang Liao’s talents.
Yet seeing Zhang Liao safe brought him comfort.
If it were anyone else, Lü Bu would suspect betrayal. But Zhang Liao was the one man he could trust with his whole heart—he’d never be betrayed by him.
They emerged from the tunnel outside the city, at a humble farmhouse by a stand of trees. A stable beside the house still sheltered two skinny horses.
Lü Bu quickly treated his wounds and caught his breath.
Zhang Liao dug up a chest hidden beneath the floor, producing clean clothes, medicine, and silver, and handed them to Lü Bu.
After changing, Lü Bu mounted a horse Zhang Liao brought over.
“Thank you, Zhang Liao.”
It was Lü Bu’s first words to Zhang Liao since his capture.
“It’s my duty,” Zhang Liao replied.
He looked deeply at Lü Bu, clasped his hands in salute:
“Master, take care.”
“You too.” On horseback, Lü Bu, now dressed in dark traveling clothes and a bamboo hat, gazed back at him.
With nothing more to say, Lü Bu turned and rode away.
Both men understood—there was no need for goodbyes.
In the pale morning light, Zhang Liao watched Lü Bu’s silhouette vanish into the distance. He never saw him again.
In the turbulent years to come, Zhang Liao became a battlefield legend, feared across Jiangdong, a key general in Wei’s campaigns against Eastern Wu, honored by generations of the Cao family. His feats earned him a place in history—greater, perhaps, than Lü Bu’s.
Yet to Zhang Liao, the days spent fighting at Lü Bu’s side were his life’s true summit. From the day he swore loyalty to Lü Bu to their defeat at Xiapi—a mere ten years—it outshone his entire existence.
Before every battle after Xiapi, he would recall those days: how they fought side by side, discussed strategy, how Lü Bu guided him in martial arts and leadership—even their happy feasts together. It became a habit, almost a ritual.
Time proved that though Cao Cao was the greater ruler, and Zhang Liao met many shrewd and capable men, he never again saw anyone with Lü Bu’s heroic spirit—peerless on the battlefield, defiant before all.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhou Yu—they were all famed generals. But only Lü Bu could be called the God of War.
“…And I, Zhang Liao, was the one Lü Bu trusted and admired most!”
Having just defeated Lü Fan of Eastern Wu, Zhang Liao thought this as he lay on his deathbed.
This was the greatest honor of his life. All the titles and ranks he later gained under Cao Wei meant nothing in comparison.
In his mind, the God of War’s imposing figure and burning eyes appeared again.
“I think I have lived my life without regret.”
On that quiet, starlit night in Jiangdu, a shooting star flashed across the sky.
Thinking of that, Zhang Liao smiled faintly and slowly closed his eyes.
End of Chapter 4
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