Chapter 9: Entering the Cao Camp

Staring at the golden mace hovering three inches above his forehead, Xu Chu’s brow was beaded with sweat the size of soybeans. The sweat came partly from fear, partly from astonishment. The fear was because he had just skirted the edge of death—had Su Ming applied the slightest force, his skull would have been crushed. The astonishment was due to the fact that Xu Chu could never have imagined that a man so grievously wounded, swathed in bandages like a mummy, could defeat him with such ease.

Such martial prowess—Xu Chu reckoned that only Lü Bu, the peerless Lu Fengxian, might stand as his equal.

“You…” Xu Chu’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “You… you have won.” Though he was loath to admit defeat, Xu Chu was utterly convinced by the outcome.

Whether or not Xu Chu accepted his loss mattered little to Su Ming; what did matter was whether Xu Chu would honor his promise and let them go.

Su Ming’s body was wracked with injuries. If Xu Chu broke his word and rallied his men to attack, Su Ming could not be certain of fighting his way out.

“May we leave now?” Su Ming asked Xu Chu.

Xu Chu was always a man of his word. If he made a promise, he would see it done. “When I, Old Xu, give my word, it is as good as a nail driven into wood. I said I’d let you go, and so you shall go!” With that, Xu Chu waved his hand for his soldiers to stand aside.

“General Xu…” His deputy seemed about to protest.

“Let them go!” Xu Chu barked harshly.

The soldiers, daunted by Xu Chu’s authority, reluctantly cleared a path.

A gambler accepts his loss. Since Xu Chu had lost, whether or not these two were the assassins sent for the Chancellor, he would abide by his promise. And if the Chancellor blamed him, he would answer for it with his head.

“Take your things. Let’s go!” Su Ming called to Sun Shangxiang while Xu Chu’s resolve still held.

Fortunately, the two of them had little to gather—just some travel money given by Xiao Qiao.

Sun Shangxiang quickly collected their belongings and followed close behind Su Ming as they made their way out.

Though Su Ming had bested Xu Chu in the fierce battle just now, his barely healed wounds had split open anew. Blood nearly soaked through his bandages, and the pain was so intense that he hovered on the edge of unconsciousness.

He was terrified Xu Chu would see through his forced composure and change his mind. So, Su Ming gritted his teeth and pressed on.

But as they reached the doorway, darkness clouded Su Ming’s vision, and his legs gave way beneath him. With a dull thud, he collapsed to the ground.

“Brother Su! Brother Su!” Sun Shangxiang threw her arms around him, calling his name as tears streamed down her face.

Xu Chu hurried forward to examine Su Ming’s wounds. “His injuries are too severe. An ordinary physician could only staunch the bleeding, not truly heal him.”

“The finest doctors in Xuzhou are all at the Chancellor’s residence. If you trust me, let me take him there for treatment,” Xu Chu suggested to Sun Shangxiang.

Heroes cherish heroes. His desire to summon a physician was driven partly by admiration for Su Ming’s skill and partly by the hope of introducing him to the Chancellor. If the Chancellor could win such a warrior—one who rivaled Lu Fengxian—what need had he to fear for the empire?

Hearing that the best doctors were at the Chancellor’s residence sparked a glimmer of hope in Sun Shangxiang. Yet the thought of going there made her hesitate—they would be like lambs among wolves.

Xu Chu, sensing her indecision, hastened to reassure her. “Miss, rest easy. My lord the Chancellor would never harm you.”

“Though you tried to assassinate him, you did not succeed, did you? That Zhang Xiu killed Brother Dian Wei, our young master, and General Cao Anmin, and yet my lord still valued him.”

“My lord is not a petty man.”

At these words, Sun Shangxiang’s anger flared. It was this blockhead Xu Chu’s confusion that had mistaken them for assassins and forced Su Ming to fight, aggravating his wounds.

“You big oaf, we’re not assassins! Look—Brother Su’s wounds are all old injuries. Now that they’ve split open again, they’re even more difficult to treat!” As she spoke, she revealed one of Su Ming’s wounds for Xu Chu to see.

Upon seeing the injuries, guilt welled up in Xu Chu’s heart. They were indeed old wounds, all nearly healed, but now torn open once more. Cao Cao had been ambushed only yesterday; Su Ming’s wounds clearly did not match those of the assassin.

Xu Chu realized his mistake.

“If you’re not assassins, all the better! Come with me to the Chancellor’s residence. I’ll find a doctor to save him.” Xu Chu spoke urgently.

For the sake of Su Ming’s life, Sun Shangxiang decided to take the risk. Their identities were indeed sensitive, but as long as they weren’t recognized, all would be well.

Having made up her mind, Sun Shangxiang agreed.

Xu Chu immediately had his men fetch a carriage and personally drove Su Ming to the Chancellor’s residence.

Within the residence was a dedicated infirmary, staffed by the best physicians in Xuzhou, assigned to care for Cao Cao and his generals.

Bringing Su Ming into the infirmary, Xu Chu bellowed, “Bring me the best doctor at once to tend to my brother! If you let him die, I’ll have your heads!”

As one of Cao Cao’s most trusted generals, Xu Chu was not a man to cross. The doctors hurried to treat Su Ming’s wounds.

Su Ming’s injuries were severe and numerous—the treatment would take time. Xu Chu ordered two trusted men to stay and bring him news at once, while he himself rushed to report to Cao Cao.

…

…

In the study.

“So, you’re saying that the man you met today is not inferior to Lu Fengxian in strength?” Cao Cao, having listened to Xu Chu’s account, asked with a hint of surprise.

Cao Cao was not a tall man, his complexion dark, and his features plain, yet he possessed an inborn aura of command—a kingly presence that inspired awe.

Xu Chu thumped his chest in earnest assurance. “My lord, I, Xu Chu, have never spoken a falsehood. That fellow is every bit the equal of Lu Fengxian. Wounded as he was, he nearly dashed out my brains with a single strike!”

Cao Cao, seeing Xu Chu’s conviction, turned to the thin scholar in white at his side. “Fengxiao, what do you think?”

Guo Jia smiled. “To defeat General Xu while so grievously wounded—even if he falls short of Lu Fengxian, the difference cannot be great. I suspect he is fiercer still than the wild stallion in your rear court.”

And who was the wild stallion Guo Jia spoke of?

None other than Guan Yu, the mighty Guan Yunchang.

After taking Xuzhou, Zhang Liao and Guan Yu agreed on the laws of surrender at Tushan, and so Guan Yu yielded to Cao Cao. Since then, Cao Cao had shown Guan Yu nothing but favor, but Guan Yu’s heart remained with his elder brother, unmoved by Cao Cao’s generosity.

(P.S.: I’ve come down with something—three days of a high fever at 39°C. Updates will be slow, but I’ll resume two chapters a day once I recover.)