Chapter 042: The Great Upheaval of Wancheng (1/5)
The night had deepened, and the wind howled fiercely.
Cao Peng sat quietly inside his small tent, calmly drawing his long blade. He found a soft, dry cloth and polished the sword until it gleamed. This Han ring sword had never tasted blood since it came into his possession, yet the cold, faint crimson glimmer along its edge hinted at a history steeped in violence.
“Ah Fu, what are you doing?” Wang Mai returned to the tent, preparing to remove his armor and clothing. He rested his iron halberd-serpent spear against the rack, unfastened the hooked shield from his arm, and stretched his weary limbs.
Cao Peng looked up and asked, “Where’s brother-in-law?”
“He’s out patrolling the camp with Wei Tunjiang…” Deng Ji, as the camp overseer, had many responsibilities. Normally, such patrols shouldn’t be his task, but caution drove him to join Wei Yan in inspecting the camp.
The wind had snapped the grand banner—a sign of ill omen. Both Wei Yan and Deng Ji, troubled by this, were especially vigilant.
Cao Peng sheathed his sword and stood beside Wang Mai. “Tiger Head, my right eyelid keeps twitching. People say the left eye twitches for fortune, the right for disaster. I’m worried something may go awry.”
“Disaster?” Wang Mai glanced at Cao Peng in surprise. “What could possibly happen?”
“I don’t know,” Cao Peng admitted, unable to explain his intense unease. He struggled to articulate his feelings to Wang Mai.
Wang Mai chuckled, “Ah Fu, you’re overthinking! We’re a day’s journey from Wan City. It’s perfectly safe here.”
“Perhaps it’s just my imagination,” Cao Peng replied with a bitter smile, moving to the tent’s entrance. Outside, the wind roared louder—seemingly growing stronger. He furrowed his brow, then suddenly turned to ask, “Tiger Head, is there anything odd about Ma Yu?”
“He’s been very quiet,” Wang Mai pondered. “All day, he barely spoke to anyone, but he worked hard.”
“Tiger Head, I must ask you a favor. If anything happens, you must protect my brother-in-law and help him escape. If you can get away, return home at once. Take my father, mother, and sister to Tu Fu Mountain. Before I left, I asked your father to seek help there. Some of his old comrades are there. Shelter my family, go to your father—can you do this?”
Cao Peng’s solemn expression made Wang Mai uneasy.
“Ah Fu, what’s going on? Why are you so paranoid? Everything’s fine—what could possibly happen?”
“Don’t ask, just promise me,” Cao Peng insisted.
Wang Mai hesitated, then nodded in understanding.
“What about you?” he asked, concern in his voice.
Cao Peng smiled. “I’ll stay with Wei Tunjiang. With his protection, I should be safe.”
“Alright. My father told me before we left to follow your lead. Still, I don’t see any danger here.” Wang Mai muttered under his breath, making Cao Peng laugh.
Some things I cannot see clearly either. But it never hurts to be prepared—caution prevents greater error…
——————————————————————————
“Cao Peng, Wang Mai, assemble in the camp immediately!”
Just as Wang Mai and Cao Peng spoke, a junior officer shouted urgently outside the tent.
Neither had removed their armor, so they quickly grabbed their weapons and rushed out. “Brother, what’s happened?” Cao Peng called.
“Wei Dubo—there’s been an incident!”
“What?” Cao Peng was momentarily stunned. Only when Wang Mai pulled him along did he realize Wei Dubo referred to Wei Ping.
Wei Ping—what had happened now?
Cao Peng and Wang Mai hurried to the center of the camp, where Wei Yan was already mounted on horseback. Twenty spearmen stood in formation behind him. As soon as they arrived, Wei Yan barked, “Cao Peng, mount up immediately!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Wang Mai, stay here and assist Deng Jiecong.”
“Yes, sir!”
Cao Peng climbed onto his horse, glancing curiously at Wei Yan. Wei Yan ignored him, instead addressing Deng Ji and Tang Ji at the camp gate. “Deng Jiecong, Old Tang, secure the camp and protect the supplies. I’m heading to the Red Forest. Until I return, do not act rashly—be careful.”
Deng Ji and Tang Ji saluted and acknowledged the order.
Cao Peng was still befuddled. Wei Ping, an incident?
“Ah Fu, lead your men—follow me!” Wei Yan commanded, and with Cao Peng and twenty spearmen, he charged out of the camp.
“Deng Jiecong, what’s happened?” Wang Mai asked.
Deng Ji’s face was grave. “We just received word—while patrolling, Wei Dubo and his scouts were ambushed in the Red Forest…”
“Ambushed? By whom?”
Deng Ji shook his head. “Not clear yet. Wei Tunjiang went to investigate. Tiger Head, stay with me and continue patrolling. Tang Ji, guard the supplies closely—if anything happens, respond immediately.”
Tang Ji departed with his men.
Deng Ji remained anxious, Cao Peng’s earlier warning echoing in his mind.
Like Cao Peng, Deng Ji was deeply worried…
Wang Mai instinctively gripped his serpent spear, tightening the shield on his arm. Taking a deep breath, he could only pray nothing would happen. It seemed Ah Fu’s concerns weren’t unfounded. The situation was indeed chaotic.
——————————————————————————————
Cao Peng followed Wei Yan, galloping at full speed.
The twenty spearmen sprinted behind them, keeping pace surprisingly well, a testament to their training. Though on foot, they were only slightly behind the mounted leaders.
“Wei Tunjiang, what happened?” Cao Peng caught up with Wei Yan, calling out loudly.
Wei Yan slowed his horse and quickly explained. Moments earlier, a bloodied Yiyang cavalryman had returned, reporting that Wei Ping and his men had been ambushed.
Details about the enemy were unclear, and the ambush had been sudden. Wei Ping, with several scouts, was holding off the attackers and sent for reinforcements.
Those who traverse history often face a great flaw: they may grasp the broader currents but lack understanding of the subtle intricacies.
Cao Peng had this same problem.
Even if he could recite classic strategies, he knew little of the era’s nuances. Now, he wandered blindly, like a headless fly. During the Battle of Wan, did Cao Cao ever dispatch troops against Liu Biao?
At this time, in this place…
Who else could be moving troops against them but Cao Cao?
But Cao Cao had just accepted Zhang Xiu’s surrender—could he really attack Liu Biao now?
Cao Peng could not be certain.
The Red Forest lay thirty li northwest of the sunset gathering camp. It was named for the maple trees that, in autumn, blazed like fire from afar.
When Wei Yan, Cao Peng, and their men arrived, they saw a few riderless warhorses wandering mournfully outside the woods. Nearby lay several bodies…
Wei Yan shivered.
Though still some distance away, he immediately recognized the mounts—they belonged to Wei Ping and his scouts.
He spurred his horse and raced to the edge of the woods, dismounting and rushing to crouch beside a corpse. The body lay prone, back exposed, blood pooling beneath it, turning the earth into a muddy red.
“Ah Fu, the torch!” Wei Yan shouted.
Cao Peng quickly dismounted, pulled a torch from his saddlebag, and lit it, casting light over the scene. He hurried to Wei Yan, who snatched the torch and turned the body for closer inspection.
It was indeed one of their own scouts.
The eyes were wide open, the expression strangely contorted.
Wei Yan perhaps saw nothing odd, but Cao Peng, once a police detective, immediately recognized the peculiarity. The dead man's face was frozen in disbelief, as if he had died still unable to comprehend his fate. The wound was obvious—a spear thrust to the throat, leaving a hole the size of an infant’s fist, with blood still oozing.
Cao Peng glanced around, noting clear signs of struggle.
The wounds on the bodies varied. Three had been hacked to death in combat; another scout was slain from behind, the fatal injury also a spear wound.
“Ah Fu, did you find Wenbo’s body?” Wei Yan called loudly from behind as Cao Peng examined the corpses.
The spearmen had reached the Red Forest, breathless and their formation somewhat disordered. Cao Peng turned, and suddenly a chilling fear gripped him—the kind that makes your skin crawl, as though unseen dangers lurk, and wild beasts approach.
“Wei, be careful!” Cao Peng cried.
He threw himself forward just as a volley of bowstrings rang out from the Red Forest. Dozens of sharp arrows whistled through the air, flying in a deadly barrage. Cao Peng tumbled to the ground—the arrows swept just above his back.