Chapter 137

"General Li, can you truly restore Tenglan's severed wrist?" Tai Shi Ci asked anxiously, seeing Li Miao remain so composed.

"The essence of the father and the blood of the mother must not be cast away." These were the words spoken by General Xiahou Dun when he pulled out the arrow and devoured his own eye. As a friend of Wu Anguo, Tai Shi Ci naturally understood what it would mean for Wu Anguo if his severed wrist could truly be reattached.

Though Wu Anguo was accustomed to wielding a massive sledgehammer, he was still capable of going into battle and slaying enemies in his current state, albeit no longer as a grand vanguard general. One could easily imagine Wu Anguo taking up a battle saber, shifting his fighting style, and serving admirably as a lieutenant general or the like.

Yet Wu Anguo could not reconcile himself to this. A former commander who once stood above ten thousand men—asking him to settle for a lieutenant's role was a disparity not everyone could endure. The crux of the matter was the humiliation. Would he not be laughed to death fighting with only one arm? Would it not mar the dignity of the military? Moreover, to have lost one's own flesh and blood—was that not unfilial?

But if it were reattached, he could make a magnificent return to the stage! Regardless of whether he served under Li Miao's banner, as long as he could return to the battlefield, Tai Shi Ci knew Wu Anguo would gladly trade his life for it.

Such was the dignity of a fierce warrior! Men of this caliber would rather die on the battlefield than live in seclusion and grow old in solitude.

"Of course!" Li Miao understood full well that Wu Anguo's emotions had been completely stirred up; this was the exact moment to apply an even stronger remedy.

"General Wu, is there anyone inside your house?" Li Miao asked.

"My wife and son are both inside!" Wu Anguo hurriedly stood up and said to Li Miao, sensing faintly that Li Miao might be about to treat him.

"Have them come out first. I need to borrow your house before I can reattach your severed wrist." Knowing that the secret of the Nokia could not be revealed to others, Li Miao had to shroud the process in a veneer of greater mystery.

"Good, good. General, I'm going right now," Wu Anguo replied eagerly, overwhelmed with joy to the point where his speech became stammering.

"Still calling me General?" Li Miao feigned displeasure and laughed heartily.

"If my lord can reattach my severed wrist, Anguo will surely offer the loyalty of a hound and a horse!" Wu Anguo said with a solemn voice, then sprinted toward the house, shouting to his wife and children, "Qian Di, Qian Chen, wife, hurry outside at once to pay respects to my new lord!"

"The lord says he can help me reattach my severed wrist!" Wu Anguo rushed to share this wonderful news with his family.

"Really?" Wu Qian Di, Wu Qian Chen, and Wu Anguo's wife were utterly astonished. Wu Anguo's wife's eyes gradually grew misty. For ten years, she had witnessed firsthand Wu Anguo's despondency and decadence. Although she had been willing for Wu Anguo to accompany her in living a quiet and peaceful life, her heart had always ached for his plight.

Wu Anguo was a fierce warrior, a hero, and a hero belonged on the battlefield. One only had to remember how Wu Anguo could exchange dozens of blows with Lu Bu and still return alive to understand just how formidable his capabilities truly were. How many generals had fallen by Lu Bu's hand? Countless.

At this moment, she distinctly felt that Wu Anguo's complexion had grown much rosier, perhaps due to his uplifted spirits.

"Of course it's true!" Wu Anguo urged, "You two little rascals, hurry and help your mother outside to chat with Uncle Tai Shi Ci while I welcome the lord inside."

Wu Qian Di and Wu Qian Chen were of an age, around fourteen or fifteen, slightly younger than Chen Dao, but they appeared far sturdier than Chen Dao, clearly having inherited their father's physique. Both had matured early in appearance, looking very much like young tigers.

The two youths supported their mother as they walked out behind him. Wu Anguo took two steps in one and arrived by Li Miao's side, introducing the family.

"My lord, these two are my unworthy sons; this one is called Wu Qian Di, and the other is called Wu Qian Chen." Wu Anguo then pointed to the graceful woman following behind. "And this is my wife."

Upon seeing Li Miao, the three of them were quite startled. This lord appeared far too young—Wu Qian Di and Wu Qian Chen felt he looked even younger than they were. But this was no time for contemplation. Wu Anguo's wife, supporting her sons' arms, bowed to Li Miao.

"Greetings, my lord."

"No need for mundane conventions or stiff formalities. Rise quickly; I care nothing for such useless formalities."

Li Miao offered a supportive gesture with a hearty laugh, then turned to Tai Shi Ci and said, "Ziyi, in that case, please wait for me a moment. I shall return shortly."

"Mm," Tai Shi Ci nodded. Li Miao had not invited him to watch the medical treatment, and he certainly wouldn't crane his neck to peer inside. Acknowledging the request, he began conversing with Wu Anguo's wife and children.

Ever since Wu Anguo built his hut and retired into seclusion, Tai Shi Ci had been virtually the only person who frequented the place, so their relationship was free from cumbersome etiquette. Wu Anguo's family naturally felt entirely at ease.

"Follow me!" Li Miao said in an unquestionable tone, turning to walk into Wu Anguo's house.

"Yes, my lord!" Tremendously excited, Wu Anguo hurried to keep pace with Li Miao. The two quickly entered the dwelling, and Li Miao turned to shut the door behind them.

***

"Wu Anguo, what follows next may seem utterly fantastical, but you must remember this: aside from the two of us, no one else must ever know. Do you understand?" Li Miao asked with a sudden sternness. Because the deed he was about to perform was simply too shocking, he had to exercise the utmost caution. Furthermore, as an extra precaution, he needed Wu Anguo to close his eyes.

"Yes! Anguo will engrave this in his heart and never breathe a single word of it to the outside world!" Hearing Li Miao's solemn tone, Wu Anguo became even more convinced of his claims. If it were merely boasting, why be so grave about it? Moreover, having already resolved to follow Li Miao, Wu Anguo would naturally never betray his trust.

"Very well. In that case, extend your left wrist and close your eyes." Li Miao let out a long breath, though he felt a flutter of nervousness. Setting aside whether the Nokia would actually work, how was he supposed to explain Wu Anguo's miraculous recovery to the people outside?

"Yes!" Obediently, Wu Anguo held out both hands, closed his eyes tightly, and kept them shut without the slightest peek.

Li Miao lowered his head to check Wu Anguo's closed eyes and even blew a puff of air at them, but Wu Anguo kept his eyelids firmly sealed.

"Damn, he's so obedient?"

Li Miao felt a deep fondness for warriors like Wu Anguo. Such men were endragingly foolish and delightfully naive, almost comically simple-minded—at least from the perspective of their lord. Unlike people like Tai Shi Ci outside, whose cooperation felt like hosting an exalted patriarch. Ah, the mere thought made Li Miao's heart ache.

"Tell me, when I spoke with such fiery passion earlier, saliva flying everywhere, why didn't Tai Shi Ci pledge his allegiance..."

In truth, Li Miao had not considered that since Tai Shi Ci had chosen not to follow Kong Rong back in Beihai, it proved he was a man of independent judgment. Had Tai Shi Ci surrendered immediately, Li Miao might even have wondered if it was a feigned surrender.

Good things take time.

Seeing Wu Anguo standing steadfastly in place like a pair of temple guardian doors, Li Miao finally produced the supreme divine artifact upon which his survival depended.

Ah, there seemed to be a beauty-filter function included.

The mere thought of such software filled Li Miao with mental exhaustion. How many ordinary women of later generations had been transformed into goddesses through such means, captivating countless pure, innocent, and naive young virgins? It was all the fault of this very feature.

Li Miao opened the photo-editing app, took a panoramic snapshot of Wu Anguo, and then snapped a close-up of his severed left arm. A single tap of auto-enhancement wasn't enough; without using online Photoshop, how else could he graft a hand onto the arm? That, however, could not stump our young master Li Miao. He used the mirror function to photograph his own right hand, flipped the image horizontally, spliced it together with the left arm photo, and applied another round of one-click enhancement.

His movements were as fluid as flowing clouds and moving water. Who said shut-ins couldn't change the world? A smartphone could alter history too! Young master Li Miao resolved that the next time he encountered Lu Bu, he would have Wu Anguo scare him half to death.

Looking at the enhanced image on the screen, Li Miao felt a secret thrill of triumph. There were no traces of digital editing whatsoever; everything looked utterly vivid and natural.

At that moment, a prompt suddenly popped up on the interface.

"Confirm" or "Cancel."

Without a shred of psychological hesitation, Li Miao tapped the Confirm button.

Immediately afterward, while Wu Anguo remained motionless, a brand-new hand sprouted directly from his severed wrist, matching the original skin tone flawlessly. Li Miao measured it with his own hand, confirming that the finger lengths were an exact match to his right hand.

It was done.

"Tenglan, you may open your eyes now." Li Miao put away the Nokia and spoke to Wu Anguo.

Obediently, Wu Anguo opened his eyes and instinctively gazed at his left hand. He clenched his fist, then uncurled it. The sensation was intimately familiar...

Wu Anguo promptly dropped to his knees, cupped his fists, and bowed deeply. "Wu Anguo pays respects to my lord!"

He touched his forehead heavily to the ground. Li Miao had completely rewritten his destiny, allowing him to live life with renewed vigor, acting practically as a second parent. What reason did he have left not to pledge his allegiance?

Though Wu Anguo uttered no superfluous words, Li Miao could sense the turbulent emotions within his heart and his heartfelt gratitude. Wu Anguo had been completely subjugated by this young lord in his early twenties.

"Tenglan, my domain is currently suffering from a shortage of troops and generals. I am counting on you to help me pacify the realm and secure the country!" Li Miao chuckled, helping Wu Anguo to his feet.

"Ah!"

Together, Li Miao and Wu Anguo stepped out of the house. Instantly, the gazes of Tai Shi Ci and Wu Anguo's family shifted toward them, and then they beheld Wu Anguo's completely intact left hand.

From the moment Li Miao entered to the time they emerged, barely the time it takes to brew a cup of tea had passed.

Everyone was dumbfounded, yet each possessed enough discretion to ask no questions.

"Tenglan, from this day forth, your meteor hammers can once again display their majestic prowess on the battlefield!" Laughing heartily, Li Miao picked up the meteor hammer that had been tossed aside earlier and rested on a stone stool, hurling it toward Wu Anguo.

"Ha!" Wu Anguo reached out with his left hand and caught the meteor hammer, finding that he could genuinely exert full strength with it!

"Tenglan, are you willing to follow me out of seclusion?" Li Miao asked.

"Since the lord commands, Anguo dares not disobey!" Wu Anguo immediately saluted, pledging his loyalty to Li Miao.

Turning his head, Li Miao looked at Tai Shi Ci. "Ziyi, I'm afraid I must ask you for a favor."

"What is it?" Tai Shi Ci found it difficult to conceal the shock in his heart. Though his emotions were a swirling vortex and he harbored complex feelings toward Li Miao, he managed to mask it well.

Gesturing toward Wu Anguo's wife and children, Li Miao said, "I hope you can help escort the lady and the two children to Jiangting."

Tai Shi Ci was startled.

With a gentle smile, Li Miao looked at him, completely unconcerned that Tai Shi Ci was still nominally a general under Liu Xun, and said slowly, "In Lujiang, I plan to play a very big game!"

***

In Xuzhou, the current domain of Liu Bei.

"Zizhong, Cao the rebel is leading an army of 100,000 to attack us. What shall we do?" A gibbon-like figure with earlobes drooping to his shoulders and arms reaching below his knees summoned Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, and others into the study, asking anxiously.

This man resembling a gibbon was none other than the "Straw-Sandal Expert" and "Running Liu"—none other than the illustrious Liu Bei.

Having previously sought refuge with Cao Cao, Liu Bei had partaken in the "warming wine to discuss heroes" with him, analyzing the grand trends of the world. Liu Bei had been hailed by Cao Cao as the only hero who could match him, yet Liu Bei had ultimately betrayed Cao Cao, slaying his appointed administrator Che Zhou, usurping the nest, and establishing himself as the master of Xuzhou.

Originally, Xuzhou had been ceded to Liu Bei by Tao Qian, but after changing hands several times, Liu Bei had broken away from Cao Cao's camp, striking out on his own with the troops Cao Cao had left behind. That was something Cao Cao could never tolerate.

"My lord, the Cao army numbers no more than 50,000 strong. Furthermore, with Li Shao currently stalemating against Cao Cao, Cao Cao will certainly not dispatch his entire forces to attack Xuzhou," Mi Zhu comforted after a moment of thought.

"By the way, have Sun Youfu and the other envoys sent to Li Shao returned yet?" Liu Bei asked urgently. When Xiahou Dun had led his army previously, Liu Bei had sensed impending disaster. The troops currently under his command were those left behind by Cao Cao; their morale had only recently been reorganized, and the officers had yet to fully submit to Liu Bei. To wage war against Cao Cao under such conditions was tantamount to suicide.

"My lord, Assistant Sun should be returning today. Cao Cao's main forces are about to converge. However, if Li Shao refuses to dispatch troops to attack Cao Cao, my lord must make preparations early," Mi Zhu said, a look of worry clouding his face. Even though they had 50,000 troops to pit against Cao Cao's 60,000, one must not forget that a single stratagem of alienation from Cao Cao could cause these 50,000 soldiers to mutiny—after all, they were not troops Liu Bei had personally cultivated.

"Alas," Liu Bei sighed, slapping his knee, "Xuzhou is a strategic hub. When Cao Cao previously led his grand army to attack Lu Bu, it was precisely because Xuzhou provided direct access to his own vital territory in Yanzhou, posing a constant threat to stab him in the back and plunge him into irrecoverable doom! Moreover, a decisive battle between Cao Cao and Li Shao could erupt at any moment, so Cao Cao will undoubtedly boost his troop morale and strive to drive us out in one fell swoop. Given Cao Cao's temperament, he will likely not allow anyone else to lay a finger on Xuzhou!"

Liu Bei understood that occupying Xuzhou brought immense trouble to Cao Cao, ensuring that Cao Cao's offensive this time would be exceptionally fierce.

"Elder brother, why fear the likes of him? Xuzhou has 50,000 troops; why don't we ride out and catch them off guard?" roared a dark-visaged general with bulging ox-like eyes and a flared nose, looking utterly perplexed.

This man was none other than Zhang Fei.

"Third brother, you do not understand..." Liu Bei began to explain. Zhang Fei possessed a fiery temper and believed in charging headlong without fear, but he was also a tremendously formidable general who often stirred up trouble for Liu Bei, leaving the latter no choice but to be patient.

"Reporting to the lord, Assistant Sun has returned." At that moment, a voice sounded from outside.

"Quickly have him enter!" Just as Liu Bei had inquired about Sun Qian, Sun Qian had arrived.

Speaking of Sun Qian, he had initially been recommended by Zheng Xuan, and when Liu Bei served as the Governor of Xuzhou, he had recruited Sun Qian to serve as an assistant. Ever since, Sun Qian had labored conscientiously for Liu Bei, rendering distinguished service and accompanying Liu Bei through wanderings across the four directions as one of his crucial early advisors.