The guards stood rigidly before the heavily fortified gates of the Luoyang School Affairs Bureau. As Lu Yu approached, they knelt in unison, their movements precise, yet they remained silent.
From the moment he entered the premises, Lu Yu’s expression gradually grew stern, his gaze sharp and solemn. He strode in and took his seat in the hall.
Xu Shu, Guo Jia, and Ju Shou were already waiting.
Upon seeing Lu Yu enter, Guo Jia called out loudly, “Report!”
More than ten School Affairs officers were already lined up outside, all clad in identical black martial attire. Each carried a stack of bamboo slips, which they meticulously placed on the desk before Lu Yu. Guo Jia personally handed Lu Yu a cup of water.
He added a reminder.
“The School Affairs Bureau does not serve alcohol; that was your rule.”
Lu Yu looked up at Guo Jia, drank the water in one gulp, and then uttered two words—
—“Report!”
A leader replied, “An hour ago, we received a letter from Jiangdong. Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao did not return to Wu Commandery but stayed in Chibi. The entire Jiangdong region, in awe of ‘Zhang Wenyuan’s’ reputation, remains in a state of great apprehension. It is said that if a child cries, the women will speak the name ‘Zhang Wenyuan,’ and the child, terrified, will cease crying!”
As he spoke, he unrolled a handscroll. The painting depicted Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu seated in Chibi, as well as the tranquil Jiangdong and women scaring children.
The second leader reported, “It has been confirmed that Ma Yunlu reached Rangshan and searched for three days without any trace. She has since altered her course and is heading northwest. As per the Nan Shou Marquis’s instructions, she is surrounded by the School Affairs Bureau’s hidden sentinels to ensure her movements are reported back immediately!”
The handscroll was unrolled, showing a depiction of Ma Yunlu riding west.
However, as this report was spoken,
Lu Yu gently extended his hand and added, “Also ensure his safety.”
“Understood!” the School Affairs leader acknowledged.
The third leader reported, “The criminal whose skull was opened with Hua Tuo’s axe has now survived for the third day…” The scroll was unrolled, depicting Hua Tuo bending over to examine the criminal’s skull.
Lu Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the desk…
It seemed he was also highly anticipating Hua Tuo’s “surgery.”
Just then… a leader rushed in, entering the School Affairs Bureau without delay. He cupped his hands and reported, “We just received an urgent dispatch. The Xiliang troops who had occupied Tong Pass have retreated… These Guanzhong warlords have abandoned Tong Pass and Chang’an, retreating to Anding… It appears they intend to confront the Great Wei’s cavalry in Anding City!”
As it was an urgent dispatch, there were no accompanying visuals.
Following this urgent report, Lu Yu’s gaze lingered on “Tong Pass” at the border of Sili and the Sanfu region, and then moved to “Anding City,” further northwest of Chang’an.
Naturally, it wasn’t just Lu Yu; this urgent report stunned Xu Shu, Guo Jia, Ju Shou, and the others.
What was going on?
What in the world was happening?
Abandoning Tong Pass to engage the enemy in Anding City? What were these Xiliang warlords thinking?
Lu Yu, after a brief moment of contemplation, seemed to have figured it out. “Heh, to persuade Xiliang to abandon Tong Pass and deploy such a stratagem, one must be a genius, heh…”
With a slight smile…
Lu Yu immediately asked, “Is General Xiahou ready? Can we dispatch troops tomorrow?”
Xu Shu replied slowly, “Xiahou Yuanrang is fully prepared, only awaiting the departure of our Dragon Soaring Battalion.”
“Good!” Lu Yu nodded, his finger tracing across the map. Finally… he forcefully swept his hand from the direction of Chang’an, pointing towards Anding City.
He raised his head, as if already envisioning this Xiliang battlefield, this plain where cavalry would truly be tested.
And this place was about to erupt in a storm!
Lu Yu murmured to himself, “It is time to let the Great Wei’s cavalry intimidate Xiliang and make their name known throughout the world.”
“The Xiliang Iron Cavalry, renowned for their bravery and invincibility, heh, it’s time they witnessed the vast difference, the insurmountable chasm!”
With that thought…
Lu Yu suddenly recalled something. “Fengxiao, has that matter been arranged?”
“Rest assured! Everything is in order!”
“It concerns the overall situation; it must be foolproof.”
“I know!”
Despite the brief exchange, everyone listened as if in a fog, but only Guo Jia understood… this matter was of great importance!
…
…
The night was as dark as ink, a night where one could not see their hand before their face.
At the foot of Rangshan, at Cai Zhaoji’s mountain villa… a fine drizzle suddenly began to fall, causing a thin layer of mist to rise from the ground.
Some of the Dragon Soaring Battalion soldiers guarding the perimeter were drenched by the rain…
After a while, a voice sounded. Finally… the straw hats arrived. The soldiers hurried into the house to change into them, leaving only a few behind.
However, under the rain, the remaining guards seemed somewhat distracted.
Just then…
A dark figure stealthily infiltrated the villa. He moved lightly and expertly pried open the door.
Candlelight…
A bed…
Books, and orchids by the window!
This was the arrangement in Cai Zhaoji’s room, but strangely… Cai Yan herself was nowhere to be seen?
“Not here?”
The dark figure softly murmured.
A chilling intent struck from behind him. The dark figure reacted swiftly, drawing his sword to block… and a single sword strike met the dual halberds!
Unexpectedly, the burly man behind him burst into laughter, “We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
As he spoke… swish, swish, swish…
Countless torches lit up outside the entire pavilion. Who else could the person clashing with the dark figure be but Dian Wei!
As for the dark figure… seeing that he had fallen into an ambush, he remained calm. He spread his arms and spun before the window, then smashed through the window and leaped out.
The second-floor window sill was not far from the ground, only three or four meters. However… the dark-clothed man moved with effortless grace, landing with only a soft sound.
Dian Wei’s cold gaze appraised him.
The dark-clothed man also stared at Dian Wei. Their equally sharp eyes met in the air. Although no sparks flew, the temperature of the surrounding air seemed to condense.
Immediately after, the imposing Dian Wei moved with lightning speed, leaping from the window as well…
In the courtyard, countless Dragon Soaring Battalion soldiers had already surrounded the area.
“Hmph…”
The dark-clothed man snorted, “I have long heard that the Nan Shou Marquis has a ‘primeval fierce warrior’ skilled in dual halberds. You must be this ‘primeval fierce warrior,’ aren’t you!”
“Today, your life will be left beneath my dual halberds!” Dian Wei’s gaze was as if it could kill!
“Heh…” The dark-clothed man raised his head. “You cannot catch me…” His eyes were filled with infinite confidence. At this moment, in this scene, he even smiled, curling his lips. He surveyed everyone present and shook his head, “They won’t be able to either!”
“You fellow, speaking too presumptuously!” Dian Wei stepped forward…
Speaking of which…
The dark-clothed man was not short, but compared to Dian Wei, he looked like a mere chick. However… his face showed no sign of panic, only a smiling nod. “If I can kill the ‘primeval fierce warrior,’ I imagine the Nan Shou Marquis will grieve for a long time!”
Indeed…
Before Dian Wei could take two steps, the dark-clothed man bowed and charged towards him with lightning speed. Even the battle-hardened Dian Wei was startled.
He had underestimated this opponent somewhat…
When he was still three steps away from Dian Wei, the dark-clothed man swayed his shoulders, revealing the “Zhongxing Sword.” Then, with a sharp flick of his right wrist, the Zhongxing Sword thrust out, flying directly towards Dian Wei’s chest.
“So fast!”
Dian Wei exclaimed.
He prided himself on having encountered countless sword masters, but the oppressive feeling from this opponent’s swordsmanship was unprecedented. Moreover, the sword was fast and the distance was close, leaving him no time to think, only instinctive reactions based on years of experience.
Dian Wei’s body shifted sideways, and with a whistling sound, the long sword, carrying a cold wind, flew past Dian Wei’s chest.
Then, it was embedded in the wall behind him.
Crack!
The Zhongxing Sword was also a treasured sword that could "shred iron like mud"!
Piercing the wall, half of its blade sank into it.
And… before Dian Wei could recover…
The dark-clothed man’s sword swung again… accompanied by the grinding and clashing sound of the sword against the wall. This strike was aimed directly at Dian Wei’s throat.
Dian Wei had no way to dodge, not even time to raise his arm to block…
With no other choice, he had to retreat.
Shaking out his long legs, Dian Wei retreated backward with all his might, his speed astonishingly fast.
However.
He was fast, but the dark-clothed man’s sword was faster, the sword in his hand always staying within three inches of Dian Wei’s neck.
They moved in a back-and-forth pattern.
In the blink of an eye, they had covered more than ten steps. At this point, the surrounding Dragon Soaring Battalion soldiers let out gasps of surprise.
They intended to help Dian Wei…
But unfortunately, the opponent’s sword was too fast and too fierce. The relentless onslaught of attacks made everyone realize… their intervention in a duel of this caliber would be futile!
Dian Wei was running towards the courtyard wall on the other side…
Without looking back, he already knew he would have to brace himself against this side of the wall.
But under the opponent’s sharp swordplay, he could not change direction. Knowing there was a wall behind him, he could only grit his teeth and charge straight into it.
Boom!
Dian Wei’s massive body crashed into the courtyard wall with a dull thud. The impact was so great that the entire courtyard wall caved in significantly.
The dark-clothed man’s smile deepened, and he applied more force, stabbing down viciously.
Just then, Dian Wei finally found an opportunity. He forcefully opened his raised palm and grabbed the opponent’s wrist with all his might.
The dark-clothed man’s swordsmanship was superb…
But Dian Wei’s strength was easily over a thousand catties!
The two engaged in a contest of strength… truly a confrontation between needle and magnet!
The sword tip stopped just as it pierced the skin of Dian Wei’s neck…
Dian Wei gritted his teeth, desperately pushing the opponent’s wrist outwards.
The latter also exerted all his strength, pushing the sword tip forward.
They struggled for about five breaths. The dark-clothed man, seeing he was at a disadvantage in strength, and with the Dragon Soaring Battalion soldiers watching intently…
He immediately withdrew his long sword!
Using the force of Dian Wei pushing him, his body moved like a whirlwind, spinning around Dian Wei and sliding out of the courtyard wall.
In the darkness, his figure was agile…
Escaping in the rain, he was like a phantom!
Whoosh—
As for Dian Wei, he felt as if he had been drained of energy.
In the confrontation between the two, the winner and loser were clear.
Watching the enemy’s retreating back, the Dragon Soaring Battalion soldiers were about to give chase, but Dian Wei raised his hand to stop them.
“I miscalculated.”
“If I had known, I should have prepared the ‘Zhuge Divine Crossbow’!”
The Zhuge Divine Crossbow was designed by Lu Yu and developed by Zhuge Jun, a type of hidden weapon…
It was precisely because of this that Ma Yunlu had escaped unharmed years ago.
Someone of Dian Wei’s status would naturally be equipped with such a weapon, but who was he? The primeval fierce warrior… how could he carry such hidden weapons!
This was a lack of confidence in his dual halberds and fists!
Hmph…
He gritted his teeth, looking at the bloodstain on his shoulder, a sense of frustration welling up in his chest.
Dian Wei sighed, “Another… another Tong Yuan!”
“It’s a shame I couldn’t kill him this time!”
Looking back at the dwelling…
There was no trace of Cai Zhaoji anymore. Cai Zhaoji had been secretly transferred beforehand, but the operation was very covert. However, recently, Cai Zhaoji had become pregnant, and news had spread that the Nan Shou Marquis intended to marry her.
Therefore, Lu Yu was certain… the person who assassinated Ma Teng would definitely choose to abduct Sister Zhaoji!
This was why he had set this trap…
However, Dian Wei had been careless. He hadn’t expected that the opponent’s swordsmanship would surpass his dual halberds…
Indeed, in this era, there was someone with such mastery of swordsmanship.
Shaking his head.
Dian Wei knitted his brows, his eyes converging with an infinite killing intent.
He had been careless this time; next time… it would be a fight to the death, a decisive battle!
…
…
In Luoyang City, the Wei King’s Palace.
Cao Cao sat enthroned in the main hall, while Cao Ren paced back and forth incessantly… Finally, he spoke.
—“Elder Brother… I heard that the criminal whose skull Hua Tuo opened with an axe is in great pain tonight, with a persistent fever, as if he cannot hold on!”
—“I said, how can anyone survive after having their head cut open! Even though Lu Ziyu supports it, I still feel that opening the skull with an axe is improper… improper!”
Cao Ren vehemently opposed it.
For the sake of his elder brother’s safety, he could not stand idly by…
Of course, this was perfectly normal.
Opening the skull with an axe was a method that indeed went against the medical principles of this era and clashed greatly with the established knowledge of this time!
However…
With one miracle after another in medicine, it was enough to support Cao Cao in trying this.
“Zixiao, stop pacing and sit down.”
“Elder Brother…” Cao Ren still wanted to persuade him.
Cao Cao, however, waved his hand. “Even if the criminal whose skull was opened with an axe can only live for three days, so what? At least it proves that the person was fine immediately after the skull was opened, doesn’t it? Hua Tuo is a divine physician, and Ziyu is so knowledgeable about medical theories. Shouldn’t we be more tolerant and give them more time?”
Speaking of which…
Cao Cao continued, “Zixiao, please draft a royal decree in my name, sending it to all prefectures and counties, ordering that all death-row prisoners during this period be escorted to Xudu City.”
A ray of light, bright and dazzling, shone in Cao Cao’s eyes.
“If one is not enough, then two; if two are not enough, then three, even ten or a hundred… It may be hard to find a three-legged person, but is our Great Wei lacking several hundred death-row inmates? I am willing to wait, and Ziyu and Hua Tuo are worth my waiting!”
This…
Since Cao Cao had said so much, Cao Ren didn’t know how to persuade him further.
Alas…
He sighed helplessly. Regardless, he still felt that this went against common sense, that it greatly deviated from his established knowledge.
Just then.
“King of Wei…” Xu Chu rushed into the palace. “Just now, someone went to Miss Cai Yan’s villa at the foot of Rangshan, seemingly intending to abduct Miss Cai Yan!”
Hmm…
Cao Cao’s narrow eyes narrowed.
Cao Cao knew about this matter… He also knew that Yu’er had already secretly transferred Cai Yan away and had set up an ambush in the villa at the foot of Rangshan, even dispatching the foremost warrior under the Dragon Soaring Battalion, “the primeval fierce warrior” Dian Wei, to capture this person.
He estimated…
Before Cao Cao could ponder further.
Xu Chu’s words followed. “Dian Wei was injured, and that thief… escaped!”
Upon hearing this…
Cao Cao’s pupils suddenly widened.
—“What?”
…
…