Chapter 136

Yet, this is Lujiang... The location is all wrong.

"Ziyi, what is the name of this friend of yours?" Li Miao asked in some surprise. Could it be that during the Three Kingdoms period, there were still generals who were reluctant to enter the world, preferring instead to dwell in a thatched cottage?

Our young friend Li Miao had obviously drifted off into wild imaginations. Those who lived in thatched huts were all hermits, and all hermits were strategists. Yet Taishi Ci claimed this was a great general who had galloped across the battlefield?

"A scholarly general? A figure identical to Xu Shu or Zhou Yu?"

Li Miao felt dizzy. Had he lost his mind? If such a figure truly existed in Lujiang, how could that good-for-nothing Liu Xun not have visited his thatched cottage three times to invite this immortal out?

Speaking of which, a little historical background is necessary here.

The "Partisan Prohibitions" disasters at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty (the political events during the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling of Han, where bureaucratic literati were imprisoned for opposing the monopoly of power by eunuchs) had frightened the scholars out of their wits and made them lose their final confidence in the crumbling Eastern Han dynasty.

After Dong Zhuo entered the capital, many scholars abandoned their official posts and returned to their hometowns. At that time, quite a few young scholars simply ceased to concern themselves with worldly affairs altogether. For a time, seclusion became a fashionable trend.

Against this backdrop, a whole slew of Three Kingdoms "hermits" emerged. Among the most famous were the four individuals led by the renowned Jingxiang scholar, Sima Hui, also known as Master Shui Jing (Water Mirror).

Sima Hui, styled Dechao, was given the elegant moniker Master Shui Jing by Pang Degong. Because whenever others recommended famous scholars to him, he would always say, "Good, good, good," he was also dubbed the "Mr. Good-Good."

When Liu Bei entered Jingzhou, he once invited Sima Hui to take up an official post, but Sima Hui did not accept. Instead, he recommended the "Crouching Dragon" and the "Fledgling Phoenix" to Liu Bei.

In the thirteenth year of Jian'an, when Cao Cao led a southern expedition against Jingzhou, he summoned Master Dedechao. Regrettably, however, by this time Master Sima Hui had already passed away due to illness. Although Sima Hui was overflowing with talent, his abilities were never put to use, and his whole life remained obscure and unheralded.

Nevertheless, among the students taught by Sima Hui were many extraordinary figures, such as Xiang Lang, Liu Yi, Li Ren, and Yin Mo. Another person named Pang Degong was also a renowned scholar of Jingzhou.

Liu Biao, the then-Inspector of Jingzhou, had repeatedly invited him to come out of seclusion and take office, but he firmly refused, leaving Liu Biao no choice but to pay him a personal visit. Young master Liu Biao offered him the empire as enticement, but Pang Degong resolutely rejected it with the retort: "How can the swallows and sparrows know the ambition of swans?"

Seeing that it was truly difficult to rope this fellow into his camp, Liu Biao had no choice but to sigh and leave.

Although Pang Degong, as a hermit, was never willing to enter the world, his son married Zhuge Liang's second sister, and his nephew was none other than the illustrious Pang Tong. Moreover, this talented individual had been personally cultivated and highly praised by Pang Degong.

Then there was Hu Zhao, styled Kongming, the famous teacher of Sima Yi. Yes, you read that right, his style was Kongming, the exact same as Zhuge Liang's. However, it remains unclear whether later, during Sima Yi's life-or-death struggles against Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi ever imagined Zhuge Liang as his own teacher, thereby harboring the desire to surpass his master.

He was twenty years older than Zhuge Liang and outlived him by sixteen years, finally dying a peaceful death at the advanced age of eighty-nine.

Sima Yi's eldest son was named "Shi" and his second son "Zhao," which meant to signify studying under Hu Zhao.

Hu Zhao lived in deep mountain seclusion for a long time and served no master throughout his life.

Although records regarding his activities were scarce, judging solely by the sporadic textual mentions scattered across historical records and classical texts, Hu Zhao's talent and wisdom were by no means inferior to Zhuge Liang's.

Initially, he sought refuge from chaos in Jizhou. Li Shao tried to recruit Hu Zhao, but he explicitly refused every attempt, preferring to retire to his home villages.

When Cao Cao served as Excellency of Works and Chancellor, he also invited him multiple times. Hu Zhao had no choice but to answer the summons and meet Cao Cao, but upon arrival, he declared himself a mere wild commoner with no utility for military or affairs of state, and earnestly begged to return home.

Cao Cao's talent-valuing obsession was known to the entire world; didn't he pester and plead time and time again with shameless persistence? Yet in the end, he had no choice but to say regretfully: "Everyone has their own ambitions and different paths in life. I shall reluctantly yield to your elegant pursuits and cannot compel you with righteousness."

From this, one could see just how deeply hidden a hermit Hu Zhao truly was.

Then there was Guan Ning, who originally had a close relationship with Hua Xin, yet cut the mat and severed relations with him. Ever since Guan Ning took refuge from chaos in Liaodong, Cao Cao and even his descendants invited him numerous times, but Guan Ning declined them all. Wen Tianxiang's "Song of Righteous Qi" also records: "Or he becomes the Liaodong hat, his pure integrity whetted like ice and snow."

There were many hermits in the Three Kingdoms period, but Li Miao had truly never heard of one residing in Lujiang. Now that Taishi Ci spoke thus, Li Miao could not help letting his imagination run wild.

"Haha, the General will know once we arrive. The General will certainly have heard of my friend's name," Taishi Ci said, keeping him in suspense.

"I even know him?"

Li Miao stroked his chin and fell into deep thought. Since Taishi Ci was so absolute in his assurance, it meant that this secluded general must have made a mark upon the world before, and was at the very least a highly famous figure. Thinking of this, Li Miao grew all the more expectant.

Who on earth could it be?

"What is General Li thinking about?" After Taishi Ci finished gathering his game and handing it all over to the accompanying guards, he prepared to urge his horse forward, only to see Li Miao deep in bitter meditation.

Li Miao's head hurt from thinking, yet he still could not recall any renowned scholar in Lujiang. He could only sigh inwardly; when the time came, he would just have to deal with whatever arose. From watching television in his later life, Li Miao knew very well that these fierce generals and strategists always liked to test you before deciding whether to pledge their allegiance. Taishi Ci just now was clear proof of this... These guys... were intensely arrogant.

"Sigh." Li Miao sighed. People had to be given the right to choose, didn't they? Yet, he really didn't want to grant it; how wonderful it would be to just kidnap them all.

Li Miao thought to himself that he ought to find some venomous vipers like Jia Xu or Zhuge Liang. Without such strategists playing dirty tricks, even though his brain was packed with two thousand years of extra knowledge, it still wasn't enough to compete. That trick Zhu Ge used back then to trap Jiang Wei was quite good.

This business of trapping people knew no national boundaries, nor did it distinguish between eras.

Ancient people's brains and wicked schemes were generally more abundant. In those days without computers, playing politics meant that a moment of carelessness would get your entire family's necks acquainted with the execution ground. They had no choice but to be cautious and thoughtful.

Thinking this way, we are truly such innocent children.

"Innocent as a blank sheet of paper," Li Miao curled his lip. Whoever calls me lustful or debauched, I will fight them to the death!!!

"I must find someone to handle this kind of dirty work. But as for Yang Hong and Li Yin—though Li Yin has a bit of a cold-blooded killer vibe, it's still not quite the right flavor..." Li Miao pondered secretly.

Liu Ye wasn't bad.

Yeah, him it is.

Just now, Li Miao had wanted to know himself and know his enemy so he could win a hundred battles, but rack his brains as he might, he couldn't figure out which worthy fellow had arrived in Wan City and was living in such an idyllic, utopian location.

"Alright, General Li, no need to ponder. Just come with me for a look and that will be that." Taishi Ci played another card.

Although Taishi Ci's archery skill could not be said to be infallible, it was truly formidable. If one spoke of the best archers in the Three Kingdoms period, there was no undisputed first. Lü Bu shot the halberd at the gate tower, Huang Zhong's peerless archery, and even Gan Ning, Gan Xingba, shooting Ling Cao dead with a single arrow... Heroes emerge in troubled times, and so do famous generals. When it came to martial prowess, Lü Bu being first was naturally beyond question, but regarding other aspects, the gaps among everyone were minimal. "In martial arts there is no second place"—that was precisely what this meant. Taishi Ci's archery was also among the absolute elite of the military generals.

Taishi Ci and Li Miao hunted in the forest, bagging plenty of game, and the accompanying guards were already laden with prey.

"General Li, follow me," Taishi Ci said after securing the game, and then instructed the guards, "You guys head back first."

"Yes! General." The guards acknowledged the order, took the game left over by Taishi Ci, turned their horses around, and departed.

"Alright!" Li Miao snapped out of his thoughts and rode abreast with Taishi Ci. Guided by Taishi Ci, they soon reached the halfway point of a mountain. Here lay a very narrow trail, wide enough for only a single horse to pass. Having no choice, Li Miao and Taishi Ci had to ride in single file. Logically, since Taishi Ci knew the way, he should have led in front, but Taishi Ci actually yielded the leading position to Li Miao.

"What is the meaning of this?" Li Miao felt a surge of excitement. Wasn't this giving him another hint, implying an intention to pledge allegiance to him?

The journey continued in silence. After traversing the narrow path, Li Miao saw a thatched cottage ahead, with wisps of cooking smoke rising leisurely from it.

"Is this the place?"

Li Miao turned his head back to ask Taishi Ci if this was indeed the destination.

"Precisely here!"

Taishi Ci chuckled, seemingly eager to watch some amusement unfold.

"Whoa!"

Learning that this was indeed the place, Li Miao grew even more eager to discover the identity of the person within, and spurred his horse straight toward the thatched hut.

"Halt! This place does not welcome guests!" Just as Li Miao urged his horse forward, a sudden roar burst from the courtyard. Immediately, a meteor iron hammer came whistling out from within, shooting straight toward Li Miao's chest. Li Miao was utterly startled and hastily lashed out with his Dragon-Transforming Spear.

"Clang!"

The Dragon-Transforming Spear and the meteor iron hammer instantly collided, producing a ringing sound like clashing metal and weapons that made Li Miao's ears ache.

Li Miao and the warhorse beneath him were instantly forced back several steps.

Li Miao felt his tiger's mouth go numb. That sneak attack had truly succeeded, and his hand had even begun to tremble.

"Haha. Tenglan, you are still as hot-tempered as ever!" Taishi Ci laughed heartily from behind, finding Li Miao's discomfiture highly amusing.

Li Miao wanted to cry without tears. He finally figured out why Taishi Ci had let him ride in front, but right now he didn't feel like blaming Taishi Ci; instead, his mind raced as he pieced things together.

Tenglan?

What the hell?

Was there anyone in the Three Kingdoms whose style was Tenglan?

"Ziyi, what kind of person have you brought this time?" At this moment, the voice from inside rang out once more. "Since you've come, how about drinking heavily with me for a day?"

A burly, rugged fellow walked out from the courtyard gate. His eyes were as round as copper bells, shining brilliantly, and his thick eyebrows made him look rather ferocious. His face was covered in fleshy rolls, and he wore ordinary coarse cloth garments, making him look just like a peasant farmer from an ordinary household.

Yet Li Miao knew that judging by that hammer blow just now, this man's martial might was definitely not inferior to Taishi Ci's.

Li Miao took two careful looks, still unable to figure out who on earth this person was.

By the looks of it, he didn't look like a strategist either! But among military generals, was there any famous general whose style was Tenglan? Li Miao was completely baffled.

Right at that moment, Li Miao suddenly noticed that the man's left wrist was smooth and flat.

This person actually had no left hand!

"Tenglan, I've come to share a couple of cups with you again today. You won't blame me for crashing uninvited, will you?" Taishi Ci stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with the newcomer. Anyone could tell at a glance that the two of them shared a very good relationship.

Yet who on earth was this? Li Miao was utterly bewildered. How was one supposed to play this game? Dealing with situations as they arose still required getting a familiar face first, but he didn't even know who the person was—what was he supposed to do?

Crying out inwardly that this was hopeless, Li Miao dismounted, walked over to Taishi Ci's side, and asked,

"Ziyi, who is this?"

The man immediately became displeased. He glared at Li Miao, looked him up and down with an expression of utter disdain, and spoke in a deep, booming voice like a great bell.

"I do not change my name when I travel, nor do I hide it when I stay—Wu Anguo is my name!"

Li Miao was startled. Good grief... this piece of goods was a bit explosive!

"I can help you... get your severed wrist reattached!"

Li Miao patted Wu Anguo on the shoulder. This ordinary sentence was just like a sudden clap of thunder on flat ground.

Apart from Li Miao, both of the other men were left completely dumbfounded.

Are you kidding me? Whose severed limbs could ever be grafted back on? Why don't you claim that someone whose head was chopped off could have their noggin sewn back on?

Wu Anguo's copper-bell eyes instantly widened into perfect circles. A severed arm could be put back on? This completely transcended the imagination of the young fellows of this era. He could not help but be utterly shocked, plunging into a temporary state of suspended animation—he was so excited he nearly suffered a myocardial infarction...

Wu Anguo had imagined countless times what it would look like if he ever returned to the battlefield, and whether he would ever have a chance in this lifetime to fight Lü Bu fairly and squarely once more? Even if he could only last twenty bouts, that would be enough...

At this moment, Li Miao's seemingly off-the-cuff remark suddenly sparked a new and very real hope within Wu Anguo.

Ever since hearing Li Miao's speech, Wu Anguo had held high expectations for Li Miao's abilities, and now, even though Li Miao's statement clearly sounded like bragging, Wu Anguo believed it.

Taishi Ci shook his ears. He absolutely did not believe such things; while military generals weren't as shrewd as strategists, they all possessed basic common sense. Yet poor young friend Taishi Ci made the tragic discovery that he actually... believed it a little bit too.

Young friend Li Miao's personal charm skyrocketed like a rocket the moment he turned around and looked back.

Taishi Ci was somewhat intoxicated. Perhaps this Li Miao, whose martial prowess was no less than his own, really could reattach Wu Anguo's severed wrist. As a lord, he surely wouldn't make empty assertions without a basis.

Oh, my sweet goodness.

The main thing was that Li Miao's buildup beforehand had been far too long. He had led Wu Anguo and Taishi Ci step by step right into the trap he had dug. If Li Miao failed to reattach Wu Anguo's severed wrist, then everything Li Miao had said earlier was no different from absolute nonsense. A lord who bragged might make a good lord, but a lord who lied without blinking was definitely not worth serving.

However, if Li Miao could truly reattach Wu Anguo's severed wrist, then Li Miao's image would soar to even greater heights. Taishi Ci's evaluation of Li Miao might even match Sun Ce's or surpass him—making him even more capable than Sun Ce!

Therefore, what Taishi Ci needed right now was to watch, to see clearly what Li Miao was truly going to do.

"General Li, is what you said... true?" Wu Anguo was far too excited. Could his severed wrist, which had been gone for nearly ten years, really be put back on?

"Of course!" Li Miao instantly switched to a familiar, easygoing demeanor. With a smile, he walked straight into the courtyard.

Taishi Ci and Wu Anguo followed closely behind, trailing Li Miao into the courtyard.

"Sit!" Li Miao invited, as if this were his own home.

"Alright." Neither Taishi Ci nor Wu Anguo were overly fastidious people. The few of them took their respective seats at the stone table and stone stools in the middle of the courtyard according to their status and position. Li Miao naturally took the main seat, his aura of regal dominance fully on display.