Chapter 122: A Cold Reception in Haixi County

In September of the second year of Jian'an, Cao Cao launched a campaign against Yuan Shu.

Initially, this should have been an extremely effortless military engagement, but due to weather conditions, the situation on the battlefield took an unexpected turn.

Since late autumn, continuous rain had plagued the regions along the Huai River.

The supply routes were completely paralyzed, plunging Cao Cao's army into a severe food crisis.

With no other choice, Cao Cao ordered the large measuring containers to be replaced with smaller ones to alleviate the grain shortage. However, this maneuver caused dissatisfaction among the soldiers, nearly triggering a mutiny in the camp. Fortunately, Cao Cao acted promptly to adjust the situation and executed the supply officer, Wang Hou, thereby stabilizing the morale of the troops. At the same time, Cao Cao sent envoys to Sun Ce to borrow grain, successfully weathering this crisis... It was precisely because of this that Cao Cao resolved to seek a swift and decisive victory. Consequently, he ordered his forces to step up their offensive, launching a fierce assault against Yuan Shu. Meanwhile, Sun Ce, Lü Bu, and Liu Bei also took action, each dispatching forces to conquer Yuan Shu!

As early winter arrived, a chain of rolling hills stretched across the eastern part of Haixi County.

Four horse-drawn carriages were winding their way through the mountains, traveling at a leisurely pace toward the city.

In the first carriage, Deng Ji sat with his back against a book chest, resting upon a rolled-up bedding pack. Cao Peng leaned against a bundle of cloth, dozing with his eyes half-closed.

The journey from Chenliu to Haixi was long and arduous.

Furthermore, with the unceasing winter drizzle across the Huai River region, the roads had become treacherous and steep.

Cao Peng was deeply scarred by the miseries of this bumpy journey. After traveling for several consecutive days, everyone began to feel an indescribable exhaustion. If within the borders of Yuzhou or even Yanzhou, there were still post stations where one could rest and recuperate, once they entered Xuzhou, not a single post station could be seen for a hundred miles, and many areas presented a desolate aspect.

At times, one could travel for half a day without even catching sight of a village...

Lifeless!

This was Cao Peng's impression of Xuzhou.

And understandably so; people often said that Xuzhou was rich in wealth and grain, a land of abundance.

During an era of peace, this place would indeed be a fine destination. But in a time of chaos, Xuzhou was far from a safe haven. Commanding the two Huai rivers, linking the north and south, and serving as a thoroughfare in all directions, it was a battleground fiercely contested by strategists. Precisely because Xuzhou was wealthy, it easily invited the covetous gaze of others. Ever since the first year of Zhongping, Xuzhou had known no end to warfare. When bandits passed, government troops arrived; when government troops left, the bandits returned. They fought and scrambled, locked in an endless cycle of mutual destruction.

It was not until Tao Qian took command of Xuzhou that the situation improved, to a greater or lesser degree.

Yet, because of the incident involving Cao Song, Xuzhou once again suffered the ravages of war. To avenge his father, Cao Cao vowed to wash Xuzhou in blood, leaving neither chicken nor dog alive wherever his armies passed. Cao Cao's slaughter was merciless, forcing the people of Xuzhou to abandon their homes and flee elsewhere. Afterwards, Liu Bei obtained Xuzhou, and Lü Bu came to seek refuge. Yuan Shu attacked Liu Bei, and Lü Bu seized Xuzhou... Through such endless repetitions over the years, a prosperous land had been reduced to utter ruin.

Since both Lü Bu and Liu Bei were assisting Cao Cao in the campaign against Yuan Shu, the guards under Xuzhou's jurisdiction were not particularly strict.

Deng Ji and his party easily passed through Xiapi and entered the territory of Guangling Commandery.

Yet the relentless jolting left everyone feeling utterly exhausted. To say nothing of the others, take Dian Man and Xu Yi for instance. Under normal circumstances, how full of vigor and life were they? Yet now, even they drooped like wilted plants!

Fortunately, before entering Xuzhou, Cao Peng had instructed his men to purchase three more carriages.

Together with the original four, there were a total of seven vehicles. Whenever anyone felt fatigued, they could climb into a carriage for a nap and rest a while.

Although it did not make a massive difference, it still helped to alleviate some of the weariness. At least for Cao Peng, that was the case. His body was still somewhat frail, so he could not afford to be overly fatigued. Having a carriage following along was, by any measure, a welcome perk...

However, his draped curtain carriage could not accommodate anyone at the moment.

Dian Man, Xu Yi, and Wang Buy were piled together inside the vehicle, covered with quilts, eyes closed, snoring like thunder as they slept soundly.

Tied to the rear of Cao Peng's carriage was a fine steed with snow-white hair.

The horse was over a zhang in length, plump-muscled, and extraordinarily majestic. Its hooves were the size of bowls, and its four limbs were robust. However, the mane on the horse's neck had a slightly yellowish hue. It was not a sickly yellow, but rather naturally so. When it ran, its mane fluttered in the wind, presenting a magnificent sight.

This horse was originally Xiahou Yuan's beloved mount.

Yet, for reasons unknown, he had chosen to present it to Cao Peng.

The horse was named "Zhaoyebaud," belonging to the same lineage as Xu Yi's Black Dragon. But purely in terms of bloodline, it even surpassed the Black Dragon.

Cao Peng was naturally overjoyed!

Born in the Three Kingdoms period, to live without a fine steed—wouldn't that be making the trip in vain?

In this era, a prized horse was like the Mercedes-Benz or Ferrari of later generations, a symbol of status.

Cao Peng also grew very fond of this horse, and without exchanging formal pleasantries with Xiahou Yuan, he kept it directly. Along the way, this made Dian Man and the others green with envy.

However, even such a spirited Zhaoyebaud appeared somewhat listless at the moment.

"Huban, how much longer before we reach Haixi?"

Deng Ji suddenly put down the book scroll in his hand, picked up a bamboo staff, lifted the curtain slightly, and called out.

The young man driving the carriage was none other than the horse thief from Gaoyang Pavilion, Huban. After the affair with Lei Xu concluded, Deng Ji had not reported Huban and Xiao Wu's misdeeds to the authorities. Logically speaking, since the matter was dropped, Huban should have been free! Yet he had conceived the desire to follow Deng Ji. Remaining in Gaoyang Pavilion offered little hope of making anything of himself. Better by far to follow Deng Ji and seek his fortune in the wider world.

Hu Hua also strongly approved of his idea, while simultaneously worrying that if Huban lingered in Gaoyang Pavilion, he would eventually stir up trouble.

He had been lucky this time; Deng Ji had chosen not to press the matter.

But what about next time?

Huban could not expect good fortune to follow him forever.

Once his luck ran out, disaster would strike... Following Deng Ji away, although it meant moving far from home, might secure him a promising future.

Therefore, when Huban broached the subject, Hu Hua had pleaded earnestly with Deng Ji until the latter finally nodded in consent.

Though this Huban was a vagabond, he was not entirely without use.

He drove a carriage with great skill and was exceptionally quick-witted. Deng Ji figured that once he arrived in Haixi County, he would need capable hands to assist him.

As for Cao Peng... Deng Ji would never let him take risks again.

Though capable men like Zhou Cang and Xiahou Lan were present, some matters were inconvenient for them to handle publicly.

As for Dian Man and Xu Yi, Deng Ji could not command them; Wang Buy and Deng Fan were available, but having Huban around to run errands was always a distinct advantage.

By this time, the sun was sinking toward the western horizon, and the evening mist was growing heavy.

"Master, once we crest the mountain ridge ahead and cross a river bend, we will be in Haixi."

Huban snapped the reins and turned his head to reply.

"If the carriage wheel hadn't broken on the road, we'd probably already be inside Haixi County city by now!"

"How much longer will it take?"

Cao Peng opened his eyes and yawned.

"An hour?"

Huban hesitated slightly. "If things go smoothly, we can arrive in less than an hour."

Damn, another whole hour!

Cao Peng's mood grew somewhat impatient; he straightened his body, lifted the carriage curtain, and clambered out.

"A-Fu, where are you going?"

"To relieve myself!"

Without looking back, Cao Peng leaped down from the carriage.

***

Deng Ji could tell that Cao Peng was truly exhausted!

When a person was thoroughly worn out, their temper easily grew irritable. In truth, how could Deng Ji be any different?

"Huban, pull over and let everyone rest for a moment."

"Understood!"

Huban acknowledged the order and hurriedly called out to the animals.

The riders at the front of the convoy reined in their horses.

Zhou Cang urged his mount forward and said in a low voice, "Young Master, are we stopping?"

"Let's rest for a moment, everyone can eat some dry rations and drink some water... We should have about an hour left, and we can rest properly once we reach the county seat."

Zhou Cang furrowed his thick brows, feeling somewhat reluctant in his heart.

Yet he could see that everyone was genuinely exhausted. Even Xiahou Lan was listless, to say nothing of the others. Moreover, they had eaten nothing since noon. Resting briefly was entirely normal. But as he looked around, Zhou Cang felt a growing sense of unease.

The roadside was choked with dense, overgrown thorn bushes, presenting a desolate and neglected scene.

Overhead, the dense canopy of pine and cypress trees cast deep shadows, their twisted boughs dancing in the gloom. The already difficult road became even more obscure.

What was Zhou Cang's background?

This kind of environment was precisely where trouble easily arose.

He scratched his head, turned around, and shouted, "Xiahou, light the torches!"

Xiahou Lan acknowledged the order and ran off with Deng Fan to prepare the torches.

Zhou Cang wanted to urge Deng Ji once more to avoid lingering in such a place if possible. Just at that moment, he saw Dian Man tumbling down from the carriage, rubbing his eyes in a daze.

"Young Master Dian, what are you doing?"

Dian Man answered listlessly, "Aren't we resting? I need to relieve myself, wash my face, and grab a bite to eat."

With that, he ambled toward the nearby woods, muttering under his breath as he walked, "Damn it, what kind of lousy road is this..."

In all his years growing up, this was the first time Dian Man had suffered such bone-jarring hardships.

It was utterly agonizing!

Dian Man grumbled to himself as he walked over to stand beside Cao Peng.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Cao Peng, he unfastened his belt, pulled out his equipment, and opened the floodgates toward the bushes.

This felt rather bizarre...

Cao Peng had a strange sense of déjà vu; he subconsciously glanced sideways, curled his lip, then pulled up his trousers and fastened his belt!

"Third Brother, I told you long ago not to come. You insisted on joining in the fun, and now you know what it's like."

"Bah!" Dian Man turned his head and said, "I'm just looking out for my little brother."

By his "little brother," he meant Cao Peng. However, for Cao Peng, who had traveled through time, the phrase "little brother" carried entirely too many hidden meanings. Cao Peng's face twitched, and just as he was about to retort, a faint cracking sound reached his ears.

The sound was very soft; had Cao Peng not possessed exceptionally sharp hearing, he probably would not have noticed it.

Come to think of it, Dian Man's martial arts skills were superior to Cao Peng's, but having just woken up, his mind was still foggy.

Added to the fact that he was relieving himself with such blissful focus, he failed to notice this nearly imperceptible sound. Goosebumps erupted across his skin as Cao Peng was instantly seized by a sense of impending danger.

Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a fleeting starlight flash within the woods.

"Third Brother, watch out!"

Cao Peng lunged forward without hesitation, knocking Dian Man tumbling to the ground.

An arrow brushed past his back, striking dead-center into the shaft of the carriage.

"Ambush!"

After tackling Dian Man, Cao Peng shouted at the top of his lungs.

Before he could finish shouting, two figures darted out from the woods, holding long spears and lunging directly toward Cao Peng and Dian Man without a word.

Clutching Dian Man, Cao Peng rolled across the ground.

The two long spears missed their mark, striking the earth instead...

"Third Brother, protect my brother-in-law!"

Crying out, Cao Peng suddenly flipped around and rolled back the other way. Before the two assailants emerging from the woods could pull their spears free, Cao Peng rolled right into them. With a sharp snap, he broke their spears under his weight, and utilizing that momentum, executed a carp leap to spring to his feet. Simultaneously, from the woods on both sides of the road, dozens of figures surged out. Every single one of them wore black cloth masks and carried weapons.

One of Xu's retainers was mounted on a horse, and before he could react, two men leaped forward, grabbed his legs, and dragged him tumbling from the saddle. Immediately after, two ruffians wielding long spears rushed forward and thrust downward. The retainer failed to dodge in time and was pierced through the thigh by a spear.

"Aah..."

A shrill, agonizing scream echoed through the air.

Shouts of men and the neighing of horses instantly plunged the mountain trail into utter chaos.

"Form ranks! Form ranks to meet the enemy!"

Xiahou Lan shouted at the top of his lungs.

By this time, Deng Ji's retainers had all snapped to their senses.

Some leaped from their horses, while others burst out from the carriages. Having snapped the enemy's spears and steadied his stance, Cao Peng was instantly lunged at by two bandits brandishing broken spear shafts. However, Cao Peng could tell at a glance that these two possessed no real martial arts skill; their movements were entirely clumsy brawling techniques. Thus, remaining calm, he shifted his feet in a yin-yang stance, slipped past the two broken shafts, and closed in on the pair. He let out a soul-shaking low roar from his throat, causing the two bandits to freeze mentally, their movements naturally slowing down as a result.

In the blink of an eye, Cao Peng launched double fists, striking fiercely against the chests of the two ruffians.

Just as he prepared to step forward for a follow-up blow, the twang of a bowstring sounded by his ear. Startled, Cao Peng frantically ducked aside as an arrow hissed past his ear.

"Damn it, where did these highwaymen crawl out from?"

Dian Man roared angrily.

With both hands clutching his damp trousers, he hastily retied his heavy belt.

His face contorted with unmitigated fury as he roared without stopping. He had been tackled to the ground by Cao Peng right in the middle of relieving himself, ruining his trousers. In all his life, he had never suffered such an embarrassing ordeal... Dian Man snatched up a broken spear from the ground and charged into the enemy ranks like a gale. Whirling the broken spear with a whistling wind, he beat the bandits into a panicked, scattering retreat. Meanwhile, the retainers and followers had also regained their composure, swiftly establishing a defensive formation by circling the carriages.

Deng Ji poked his head out. "A-Fu, what kind of bandits are these?"

"Brother-in-law, get back inside!"

Cao Peng shouted, and Deng Ji hurriedly pulled his head back.

The very instant he withdrew, an arrow came whistling through the air, striking dead-center into the wooden pole beside the carriage curtain.

"There are archers in the woods!"

Xu Yi and Wang Buy also disembarked from the carriage. Hearing Cao Peng's warning, the two men dashed straight into the forest without a second thought.

***

Deng Ji broke out in a cold sweat.

Yet he knew that stepping out at this moment would not help matters.

Therefore, pressing against the carriage window from within, he shouted, "A-Fu, be careful!"

Unable to spare any attention elsewhere, Cao Peng called out to Xiahou Lan and Zhou Cang, "Uncle Zhou, Xiahou, don't kill them! We need captives, we need live prisoners!"

"Young Master, rest assured."

Like two fierce tigers, Zhou Cang and Xiahou Lan plunged straight into the crowd.

The retainers scattered rapidly in a fan shape, quickly encircling the enemy. These highwaymen possessed no combat capability; they had relied solely on surprise and sheer numbers to appear formidable. Once deprived of their archers' cover, the bandits instantly collapsed into disarray. Dian Man and the others struck down a dozen men, while the rest were subdued by the retainers and guards, bound with ropes, and forced onto the ground, where they wailed incessantly.

Seeing the situation stabilize, Cao Peng let out a gentle breath.

From the depths of the forest came two sounds of clashing steel, followed by complete silence.

"Brother-in-law, Scholar Puyang, you can come out now!"

Deng Ji and Puyang Kai slowly stepped down from the carriage, while Deng Fan directed the men to light torches for illumination.

"A-Fu, this should already be under Haixi's jurisdiction, shouldn't it?"

Deng Ji knitted his sword-like brows and asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, it should be considered Haixi's territory."

"Do you suppose this could be..."

Knowing what Deng Ji wanted to say, Cao Peng waved a hand dismissively. "Brother-in-law, these people have no discipline or strategy; they're just a mob of rabble."

"This place is truly chaotic!"

With that remark, Deng Ji turned his gaze toward Puyang Kai.

"Master Puyang, I am truly sorry to have dragged you into such trouble and subjected you to this fright."

Puyang Kai merely smiled and shook his head.

"Shusun, since you and I are traveling companions, why bother with such polite formalities? Heh, I have seen far more terrifying sights than this; what do these petty bandits even amount to?"

Puyang Kai was certainly not boasting!

Back during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he had been forced to join the rebels.

He had witnessed the gruesome aftermath of villages slaughtered by outlaws and had experienced firsthand the ruthless cruelty of government troops executing people en masse.

To tell the truth, Puyang Kai had crawled out of piles of corpses; such small-scale skirmishes truly did not register in his eyes.

Deng Ji could not help but smile. After exchanging a few words with Puyang Kai, he stepped forward, pulled the arrow out of the carriage frame, inspected it under the torchlight, and casually handed it to Puyang Kai.

"Is this official-issue wild-goose feather?"

Hearing this, Cao Peng hurried over.

Arrow shafts in the Han dynasty were divided into two categories: official-issue and privately manufactured.

As the name implied, one was legal, the other illegal... Official arrows uniformly featured red shafts and white feathers. The arrow in Puyang Kai's hand was a typical official weapon. Cao Peng took it, weighed it in his hand, and returned it to Deng Ji.

"Uncle Zhou, what are the casualties?"

"Six men are wounded, one of them seriously."

Having inspected the battlefield, Zhou Cang walked over. He was carrying a ring-pommel saber, which he handed to Cao Peng.

"Official-issue saber?"

Upon taking it and examining it, Cao Peng's expression grew even gloomier.

It weighed eight catties, a typical official standard-issue weapon. The spine of the blade bore an inscription: *March of the Guiyou Year, Made by Lu in Xutai.*

Xutai—Xutai again!

Cao Peng took a deep breath, just as he was about to speak.

Xu Yi and Wang Buy dragged a man out from the forest.

"A-Fu, this fellow was truly troublesome to deal with!"

Xu Yi shouted loudly, "He was as slippery as a ghost; if Tiger Head hadn't helped, he almost got away."

In his hand, he carried a bow and a quiver of arrows, which he walked over and tossed onto the carriage board. Meanwhile, Wang Buy threw the man onto the ground and gestured for two retainers to step forward and tie him up. Evidently, this bandit had been knocked unconscious and remained completely motionless.

Cao Peng picked up the bow and arrows, drew the string slightly, and murmured, "A four-stone bow; this fellow's archery skill is not bad at all."

"Yeah, when we first entered the forest, he almost got me."

Wang Buy said, displaying a tear in his clothing to prove it. It had clearly been grazed by an arrow.

Deng Ji could not help feeling deeply worried as he said softly, "A-Fu, it seems the situation in Haixi is even worse than we imagined!"

Cao Peng nodded silently.

"Shusun, this is no place to linger. In my view, we had better press on and talk once we reach the city."

"What about these people..."

"Tie them up and throw them onto the carriages."

Having weathered this upheaval, any lingering drowsiness had been completely swept away from everyone.

After pondering for a moment, Deng Ji followed Puyang Kai's advice: the bandits were secured under guard, and everyone mounted their horses once more to continue along the mountain road.

Looking out over the misty, hazy mountains, Cao Peng felt a growing heaviness in his heart.

They had not even reached Haixi yet, and already such an incident had occurred. It seemed that this small county town of Haixi was indeed concealing treacherous undercurrents!

"Young Master, mount up."

Huban led Zhaoyebaud over to Cao Peng's side.

Without further ado, Cao Peng swung up into the saddle. "Huban, catch up quickly!"

The convoy crossed the mountain ridge and traversed the river bend.

Before long, the crenellations of the Haixi North City gate tower, silhouetted against the night sky, came faintly into view.