Xue Bing was still a bit dazed while in the midst of battle, but after charging out, the jolting of his horse and the cold wind blowing against him cleared his mind somewhat. However, he was completely drained of strength—even the three-pronged spear in his hand was almost too heavy to hold. He knew, though, that they were not far from Dangyang Bridge; as long as he could make it through this stretch, he would be safe. So he forced himself to stay alert and said to David Clark, “I can hold on!” With that, he switched the spear to his left hand, reached back with his right, and gripped the arrow that had been lodged in his body all along. Taking a deep breath, clenching his teeth, he summoned his strength and pulled the arrow out. The intense pain made Ethan Brooks even more clear-headed. He switched the spear back to his right hand, spurred his horse a few more times, and charged toward the two enemy generals at the foot of the hill.

The two men at the foot of the hill were subordinates of Xiahou Dun—brothers Philip Stone and Raymond Stone. Philip Stone, who wielded a large axe, saw that neither of the two had any intention of dismounting and surrendering, so he immediately swung his axe and charged forward, quickly engaging David Clark in combat. The two horses circled each other, exchanging blows for less than three rounds before David Clark thrust his spear into Philip Stone's chest, knocking him off his horse. At that moment, Raymond Stone had just reached Ethan Brooks, and the two had only exchanged a single move.

At first, the pain of pulling out the arrow had cleared Ethan Brooks's head, but it also tore open the wound on his back that had just begun to scab over. As a result, his left arm was nearly useless, barely able to lift, so he could only rely on his right hand to wield the three-pronged, double-edged spear against Raymond Stone. Worse still, after fighting alongside David Clark all this way, he had suffered countless wounds, both large and small. Even if each wound only bled a little, it was enough to wear him down. At this point, he had no strength left to fight. The spear barely clashed with Raymond Stone's halberd before almost flying out of his hand.

Fortunately, after killing Philip Stone, David Clark immediately rode over to help. At that moment, Raymond Stone's halberd was already swinging down at Ethan Brooks; if David Clark's spear hadn't struck Raymond Stone in the back of the neck just in time, Ethan Brooks would likely have lost his life right there.

Seeing Ethan Brooks gasping for breath atop his horse, David Clark knew he couldn't hold on much longer and quickly said, “Go! Just a bit further and we'll see Matthew Bolton!” At this point, Ethan Brooks didn't even have the strength to reply—he just panted, but still managed to nod slightly at David Clark, then spurred his horse to follow behind him.

The two had just galloped a short distance when suddenly the sound of shouting and killing erupted behind them. The noise startled Ethan Brooks so much that his muddled mind became clear again. Looking back, he saw a general of Cao's army leading a group of soldiers in pursuit. Up ahead, David Clark shouted, “It's Harold King! Andrew, hurry!” With that, he urgently spurred his horse again. Unfortunately, the two of them had been fighting and riding since last night without rest, and even their horses hadn't had a moment's respite. Now, the horses were as exhausted as their riders. Moreover, Ethan Brooks's horse was carrying two people, making it even slower. Watching Harold King and his army draw ever closer, the two were at a loss.

Just as they were growing anxious, they saw a figure standing on the bridge ahead. Their hearts leapt with joy—they had reached Dangyang Bridge. David Clark, urging his horse forward, shouted, “Matthew Bolton, help us!” Even as he spoke, he and Ethan Brooks had reached the bridge.

Michael Bolton looked at the two of them. David Clark, aside from being covered in blood and having his clothes and armor in disarray, was otherwise unharmed. Ethan Brooks, on the other hand, had vacant eyes, tattered clothes, and was drenched in blood from head to toe, his body slumped forward, the three-pronged, double-edged spear in his hand already nicked and bent. Michael Bolton could tell at a glance that he was barely able to hold the weapon—it would probably fall to the ground at the slightest touch. His armor was slung over the horse, but for some reason, he wasn't wearing it. Still, Michael Bolton knew this was no time for questions, so he immediately said to David Clark, “William and Andrew, go quickly—I will hold off the pursuers!”

Upon hearing this, David Clark prepared to ride off, but Ethan Brooks suddenly said, “General, if you can drive back the pursuers, be sure not to destroy this bridge!” Fearing Michael Bolton might forget, he added, “Remember! Remember! Do not destroy the bridge!” Only then did he follow David Clark across.

Michael Bolton let the two pass, rubbed his head and wondered, “Why does Andrew not want me to destroy the bridge?” He thought about it but couldn't figure it out, so he put the matter aside, thinking, “Whatever! I'll drive off the enemy first!”...

David Clark and Ethan Brooks sped on, with David Clark frequently glancing back to check on Ethan Brooks. He saw Ethan Brooks's head drooping, silent, not knowing whether he was alive or dead. Worried but unable to stop and check, he could only urge his horse onward. The two rode for over twenty li before finally catching up with James Carter's troops. David Clark saw James Carter and the others resting under a tree, immediately dismounted, and turned to look back, just in time to see Ethan Brooks muster his last bit of strength to rein in his horse. Knowing Ethan Brooks was still alive, he finally relaxed. But just as he did, he heard a clatter, then a thud—Ethan Brooks, having used up the last of his strength and knowing he was out of danger, relaxed and immediately fainted. The three-pronged spear in his hand fell to the ground first, and then he himself toppled from his horse.