Chapter 064: Discussing the Future at the Temple of the Ancient Lord

Ahem, Old Xin is here to discuss something serious with everyone. Two updates, eight thousand words—please, I ask for your recommendation votes!

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The rain was falling harder and harder.

Across the main road, two or three dozen corpses lay scattered in disarray, their deaths rendered more tragic by the relentless downpour. Torrents of rain struck the earth, producing a constant, crackling sound. Rain splashed everywhere, mingling with the blood on the ground, making the earth soaked in crimson even more muddy.

A troop of cavalry braved the rain, galloping at full speed.

At the front, a burly man sat astride his horse, clad in a black cross-collared tunic, over which he wore red lacquered armor. Everyone had a rain cloak draped over them, covering most of their faces. The big man dismounted and strode quickly to the corpses, tossing aside his rain cloak and squinting as he surveyed the scene. He spotted a human head! Not far away, it sat alone, submerged in the rainwater. The man stepped forward, grabbed the head, wiped away the mud and water, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. The corners of his tightly pressed lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.

"Ah Fu, you're back!"

He murmured, the smile on his face deepening.

"Chief, who were these heroes responsible for this?" asked a burly, bearded man, approaching and speaking quietly. He examined the battlefield, noting the intact corpses with blood streaming from every orifice, and sensed something unusual. "These people are no ordinary lot!"

"Indeed, not ordinary," the chief replied, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

He too realized that those who had carried out this rescue were likely not common men.

Where did Ah Fu find so many skilled hands?

"Chief, we've found another corpse in the woods ahead—it seems to be an imperial soldier."

"Show me," the chief said, immediately striding over.

Soon, by the roadside, they saw a warhorse standing silently. Behind it lay a corpse, a rope looped around its neck with the other end tied to the horse. The man had clearly been strangled, but before death, he had been dragged at a wild gallop, leaving his body unrecognizable. Parts of his body were exposed bone, with clear signs of fractures.

The chief did not recognize him, but the bearded man at his side did.

"This fellow looks like the one who caused trouble outside the county jail yesterday… Chief, your friend's helpers are truly ruthless! Though this man was strangled, he suffered plenty. Without deep hatred, ordinary people wouldn't do such things."

The chief nodded.

Ah Fu was indeed a ruthless man!

Back in Zhongyang Town, he had killed Cheng Ji without anyone knowing and then acted as if nothing had happened. If not for catching him in the act, that child would never have betrayed himself.

He had glimpsed Ma Yu, but only in passing; he never saw Ma Yu’s face clearly. Besides, Ma Yu had been dragged beyond recognition—he wouldn't have recognized him even if he stood intact before him.

Just then, distant thunderous hoofbeats echoed.

"Chief, imperial troops are coming!" the bearded man hurried over and whispered in his ear.

"Withdraw!"

Without another word, the chief ran over and mounted his horse. But astride the saddle, he hesitated and turned to the bearded man. "Old Zhou, judging by the battlefield, Old Cao and the others shouldn't have gone far. Let's try to lead the imperial troops on a detour and give them time to escape. I'll take a few men north with Zuo Qiu, you take a few east—we'll scatter the imperial troops. Once we shake them off, let's regroup at the Temple of the Old Lord. If I don't return by nightfall, head back to Fuyang."

"Chief…"

"No more words. We'll act separately," said the chief, leading a dozen men galloping toward Jiyang.

Old Zhou hesitated, turned his horse, and shouted, "Brothers, let's go!"

Splitting into two groups, they vanished quickly into the vast curtain of rain… About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, a troop of cavalry appeared outside the battlefield.

Leading them was none other than Chen Jiu.

He had received word in the Nine Maidens City camp and immediately mustered his men and rushed over.

He had drawn a whole company of cavalry from the camp—over three hundred riders. Normally, a company should be about five hundred strong, but cavalry was different from infantry. Besides, Jingzhou was short of horses, and even if it weren’t, the Nine Maidens City camp couldn't sustain many cavalry units. The expenses were staggering; fielding three hundred was the camp’s limit.

Chen Jiu's face was gloomy as he surveyed the corpses, fury flashing in his eyes.

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"These bandits must not be spared—they are far too arrogant… If word spreads, won’t others laugh that Jingxiang has no men?"

Truth be told, Chen Jiu had little desire to hunt them down, but he knew the Cao Ji family was a target that Huang She was determined to seize. He still didn’t know why Huang She bore such deep hatred for this family, but since he ate their bread, he had to do their bidding.

The Cao Ji family seemed unremarkable. Rumor had it that Cao Peng was favored by Pang Degong of Deer Gate Mountain, who intended to take him as a disciple. But so what? Would Deer Gate Mountain really turn against the Huang clan of Jiangxia over a mere Cao Peng?

Chen Jiu felt no pressure at all!

But the current situation was clear: Huang She was determined to eliminate both the Cao family and Deng Ji.

If Chen Jiu couldn’t even accomplish this, he could forget about standing firm in Jiangxia… Thus, he led the troops himself, vowing to annihilate the Cao family.

"Chase them! I won’t rest until these villains are dead and my rage is spent!"

Chen Jiu ground his teeth and roared fiercely amid the rain. Thunder rumbled on the horizon, the rain grew heavier, and the thick clouds brewed with lightning.

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At the foot of Phoenix Ridge stood a temple, also known as the Temple of the Old Lord.

It was perched at the edge of a secluded valley, at a relatively high elevation. Standing within, one could overlook the road, the view clear and unobstructed.

But the temple’s incense offerings were poor.

Especially since the Yellow Turban uprising, when the temple had served as a refuge for the rebels and suffered the army’s wrath. Now, it was dilapidated, its walls collapsed, almost a ruin. Still, it offered shelter from wind and rain.

The Cao Peng family gathered in the Temple of the Old Lord and reunited with Deng Juye and Lady Hong.

Lady Hong clung to Madam Zhang and Cao Nan, unable to restrain her tears.

"Aunt, you’ve suffered so much!"

Lady Hong and Deng Juye cleaned the temple’s main hall thoroughly and brought thick dry grass for bedding.

It is said, three women make a play.

Lady Hong, Madam Zhang, and Cao Nan sat together, and once they started talking, they couldn’t stop. Especially Madam Zhang and Cao Nan—after days of fear and anxiety, their spirits were stretched to the limit. Though they seemed strong on the surface, they were on the verge of collapse. Having witnessed firsthand a slaughter not grand in scale but terrible in violence, their nerves could take no more. Now, seated atop dry straw, hearing familiar voices, they couldn’t help but cry aloud.

Laughing and crying alternately…

It lasted a full half-hour before they gradually calmed.

Deng Ji sat beside Cao Nan, holding his wife tightly. After crying and laughing, Cao Nan fell asleep in his arms.

Meanwhile, Cao Peng produced medicine for wounds and bleeding and tended to Cao Ji.

Cao Ji’s injuries were all superficial, not serious. He himself was unconcerned, but he couldn’t refuse Cao Peng’s filial piety, so he sat quietly and let him treat the wounds.

"Brother, you truly are blessed!" Dian Wei exclaimed, filling Cao Ji with pride.

"Ah Fu, how have you managed these days? What about Uncle Sun’s arm…?"

Cao Peng lowered his voice and recounted everything that had happened since the gathering at Sunset.

He spoke with some shame: "It’s all trouble I’ve brought upon us. If I hadn’t grown close to Miss Huang, our family wouldn’t have suffered this calamity."

Cao Ji frowned slightly, then sighed gently after a long pause, "You can’t be blamed. But after all this, we are left with nothing—utterly destitute. Even your Uncle Juye and Aunt Hong’s family are now forced to wander with us. Peng’er, have you thought about what we’ll do next? And your Uncle Meng—still no news. Who knows what’s happened to him."

Dian Wei, listening nearby, burst out laughing.

"Brother, what’s there to worry about? Come with me to Xuchang. I may not be much, but I can guarantee you’ll want for nothing. Besides, your family is full of capable people—Uncle Sun is steady in adversity, and young Ah Fu is no ordinary man. My lord is eager for talent and has lamented many times that he lacks able men. When the time comes, I’ll gladly introduce you, and secure a future for your family. I can’t promise great wealth, but it’ll be a hundred times better than staying in this little place, Jiyang."

Though Xuchang lacked the storied history of Luoyang or Chang’an, it was the new imperial city of the Han emperor, far superior to Jiyang. During the Yellow Turban uprising, Nanyang was a disaster zone, plagued by bandits. But the region around Xuchang, in Yuzhou, was spared, thanks to King Liu Chong’s strong defense in Chen State, which prevented the Yellow Turbans in Runan from joining up with Bo Cai and others.

So, Yuzhou’s disaster zones were limited to southern Runan and Yingchuan.

Xuchang, therefore, remained relatively intact, unlike war-torn Luoyang and Chang’an. In this respect, Xuchang was not far behind them.

Cao Ji still hadn’t figured out Dian Wei’s true identity.

Listening to this, he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Dian, may I ask, what do you do in Xuchang?"

He was a mere commoner, naturally unaware of Dian Wei’s name.

Cao Peng quietly replied, "Brother Dian is appointed Martial and Fierce Captain, part of the guard for Minister Cao, and is held in high esteem…"

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"Ah?" Cao Ji was taken aback.

Martial and Fierce Captain? What kind of rank was that?

"Ah Fu, how does Brother Dian’s captaincy compare to Magistrate Kuai?"

Cao Ji’s question made everyone burst out laughing. Deng Fan was much the same, ignorant of what the Martial and Fierce Captain’s rank meant. Seeing everyone laugh, he joined in, figuring it was safer to follow the crowd.

At this point, Deng Ji gently placed Cao Nan in Madam Zhang’s arms and walked over.

"Father, Martial and Fierce Captain and the Magistrate of Jiyang can hardly be compared—the difference is vast!" He sat down, smiling, and explained, "Brother Dian’s position isn’t really an official post, but a title. He guards Lord Cao, responsible for his safety. In battle, this title allows him to command troops as a general; Jiyang is a minor county, and Magistrate Kuai’s rank is only equivalent to three hundred bushels, while Brother Dian’s title is two thousand bushels in actual rank. They’re different in nature, hard to compare. But in terms of salary, Brother Dian’s Martial and Fierce Captain is even higher than the Prefect of Nanyang, whose rank is also two thousand bushels."

There is a difference between equivalent and actual rank, though only a word apart.

"Higher than the Prefect?"

Madam Zhang and Lady Hong, listening closely, cried out in surprise.

Heavens, higher than the Prefect—what sort of official is that? As for Deng Ji's earlier explanation, neither of them heard a word.

"I knew it, Ah Fu’s fortune is boundless—look at his friends, all capable… Aunt, you truly are blessed!"

Madam Zhang’s mind was blank.

A month ago, she had been abused by a local tyrant in Zhongyang Town, forced to leave her home.

Now, she was sharing a room with someone greater than a prefect? It felt like a dream…

The two women were stunned!

Cao Ji and Deng Juye, too, were bewildered.

Fortunately, they managed not to lose composure, though it was obvious they felt uneasy.

"Father, don’t be nervous. Brother Dian…"

Before Cao Peng could finish, Cao Ji covered his mouth.

"You child, how can you be so lacking in decorum? Brother Dian—or rather, Captain Dian—is such a figure, how can you call him brother?"

Dian Wei didn’t mind at all, scratching his head. "Brother, why worry? Ah Fu is my savior…"

"No, absolutely not!" Cao Ji shook his head like a rattle-drum, saying sternly, "He’s just a child who doesn’t know any better. Aside from everything else, by seniority, he should at least call you uncle—not brother. Otherwise, people will laugh."

Uncle?

Cao Peng and Deng Ji both coughed.

Yes, Dian Wei called Cao Ji brother, Cao Ji called Dian Wei brother, and Cao Peng called Dian Wei brother too… It sounded confusing.

But to call Dian Wei ‘uncle’?

Cao Peng and Deng Ji couldn’t quite wrap their heads around it.

"Father, is that necessary?"

Cao Peng glanced at Dian Wei, who, after a moment’s surprise, grinned widely, his round eyes fixed on him.

Damn, surely not!

"Of course it is! Or do you want to be on equal footing with your father?"

Wei Yan was crouched nearby, sipping mixed-grain bun soup with relish. Hearing this, he choked, spraying a mouthful onto Xiahou Lan’s face. The bun clung to Xiahou Lan’s handsome face, his cheeks flushed as he glared at Wei Yan, muttering to himself: If only I could beat you, I’d make you look like a pig today!

"Old Wei, we’re equals, but from now on, you should show more respect to your Uncle Dian."

Deng Ji and Wei Yan had worked together for some time, so he knew him well. Seeing Wei Yan put down his bowl to protest, Deng Ji quickly interjected, foiling his little scheme. If he could pull someone else in, he would. Dian Wei’s seniority was rising inexorably; Deng Ji wouldn’t allow another ‘Uncle Wei’ to emerge, or disaster would truly strike.

Dian Wei couldn’t help but laugh aloud…