Chapter 987: Doubts

Zhang Xiu glanced at the Warrior Ranking and his face darkened—it was all Lü Bu. Then, remembering how he had been knocked out by a headbutt from Dian Wei, his expression became as grim as Zhang Fei’s.

"Well, it doesn't matter if I'm not on the list," Zhang Xiu sighed. "Perhaps it's just as my uncle said: until you reach the Central Plains, you'll never understand what it truly means to face a master."

To be honest, Zhang Xiu was doing quite well for himself at the moment. After Cao Cao entered Chang'an, he didn't strip Zhang Xiu of his official position or title. Even Liu Xie seemed to have forgotten about Zhang Xiu.

Zhang Xiu’s 4,000 elite cavalrymen had not been taken away either. In fact, after Zhang Ji's death, Zhang Xiu restored the Xiliang cavalry to their original pyramid military structure, and only with such a system could the Xiliang cavalry maintain their unparalleled combat power.

Because of the restoration of this structure, figures like Cao Hong and Xiahou Dun no longer ridiculed Zhang Xiu for not understanding cavalry, or for supposedly wasting the Xiliang cavalry's potential. They now realized that their own cavalry couldn't match Zhang Xiu's in generating the kind of overwhelming momentum that made the Xiliang cavalry so fearsome on the battlefield.

"E Lai, take a look at this," Cao Cao grumbled as he glanced at the Warrior Ranking, feeling displeased by the long list of Lü Bu's names. He turned to see Dian Wei behind him and wondered what expression his bodyguard would have after seeing this.

Dian Wei took the list and looked at it upside down for a while before scratching his head, furrowing his brow, and saying in his rough voice, "My lord, I can't read. What does this say?"

"..." Cao Cao was speechless. "This is the Warrior Ranking, but it only lists one person—Lü Bu."

"Oh, him," Dian Wei recalled the hundred-zhang-long halberd formed by Lü Bu's internal energy. He nodded, "If it’s him, I accept it. I can't beat him."

"..." Talking to Dian Wei suddenly felt exhausting for Cao Cao. He started to understand Zhou Yu's frustration.

"Lü Bu, huh..." Wang Yue looked at the list. "Back when I encountered him in Luoyang, we were evenly matched. But now... sigh."

"Zilong, is Lü Bu really that powerful?" Ma Yunlu turned to ask Zhao Yun, who was carrying their shopping bags.

"Yes, he is," Zhao Yun replied, feeling a little irked as he saw the admiration in Ma Yunlu's eyes. "But don't worry, he can't beat me."

"Really? He can't beat you?" Ma Yunlu's bright eyes shimmered with admiration as she looked at Zhao Yun.

"Absolutely not," Zhao Yun said, feeling a bit pressured. "Next time I duel him, I'll make sure to bring you along."

"But didn’t you say that General Guan, General Huang, General Zhang, and even your senior brother are all very strong? And Lü Bu has fought multiple people at once," Ma Yunlu teased with a sly glint in her eye.

"..." Zhao Yun suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Next time, I’ll fight two at once!"

"Don't push yourself too hard!" Ma Yunlu said, her eyes sparkling mischievously while she feigned concern.

"I'm not pushing myself at all," Zhao Yun declared, looking at her innocent, blinking eyes. There was no way he could back down now.

"I'll be there to cheer you on for sure," Ma Yunlu said, slightly excited.

"..." Zhao Yun was starting to feel murderous. Fighting two internal energy masters at once? Maybe, just maybe, he could pull it off.

"Oh, your right hand is free now," Ma Yunlu happily shoved the fabric she was holding into Zhao Yun’s hands, making him feel even more exasperated.

【Xu Zijian, just you wait! When I see you, I’ll make sure you pay for this!】 Zhao Yun cursed silently in his heart, unaware that Xu Zijian was already lying in Hua Tuo's infirmary.

Incidentally, Hua Tuo had been looking forward to the Warrior Ranking as well, but when he saw what it turned out to be, he was less than impressed. When Xu Zijian was brought to him, beaten and swollen, Hua Tuo didn't bother to hide his displeasure.

Of course, Hua Tuo was still ethical in his medical practice, and didn’t misuse his skills. However, when applying medicine, he made sure to use some high-quality herbs that would speed up recovery but also cause unbearable itching.

"Fengxian, you're number one..." Diao Chan, proficient in all the arts of a cultured woman—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—was also literate, although not to the level of Cai Yan. She had no trouble reading the list.

"Hahaha!" Lü Bu laughed heartily and patted Diao Chan, who had now been promoted to his official wife. "Wasn’t your husband always the strongest warrior?"

"General, the strategist is looking for you," came the voice of a messenger from outside, cutting short Lü Bu's playful mood.

"Chan'er, I need to handle some matters. In the meantime, why don't you read to Qiling?" Lü Bu reluctantly withdrew his hand and, looking at the shy-faced Diao Chan, gave her one last affectionate glance before heading out.

Lü Bu and Chen Gong had become quite the formidable duo, and the people of Bingzhou, having seen Lü Bu’s consistent efforts, had accepted him once more. Lü Bu now found satisfaction not just in his spirit but also in his soul. Though he had gained more weaknesses, his heart had grown even stronger.

"Go ahead. The people of Bingzhou still rely on you for protection," Diao Chan rose to help Lü Bu straighten his clothing, tied his cape, and bowed as she saw him off at the door.

"Gongtai, why have you summoned me?" Lü Bu asked upon arriving at the government office, noticing that everyone had already gathered. He was puzzled—could the long-anticipated invasion by the Xianbei tribes finally be at hand?

"First of all, congratulations on being named the number one warrior in the world," Chen Gong said with a smile, and the others followed suit. Without the petty scheming of characters like Wei Xu or Hou Cheng, Lü Bu’s current group was united and harmonious.

"You didn’t summon everyone here just to tell me that, did you?" Lü Bu glanced at Chen Gong with a slight frown. "Haven’t I always been the number one warrior? I just stopped mentioning it for a few years."

"..." Chen Gong rolled his eyes. Did Lü Bu think he had that much free time?

"General, we’ve called this meeting to inform you of something important," Hu Zhao said with a wry smile. Before working with Lü Bu, Hu Zhao had believed all the rumors that painted him as a scoundrel. After working with him, Hu Zhao could only remark on the complexity of human nature.

"What is it?" Lü Bu asked as he took his seat in a chair draped with a black bear hide. The bear had made the mistake of attacking Red Hare, but Red Hare had a powerful protector.

"Yuan Tan has sent a letter stating his intent to cede the Bingzhou region to Cao Mengde. He wants us to act as witnesses, and from now on, all supplies will be handled by Cao Mengde," Zang Hong said with a frown. "I don’t particularly admire Cao Mengde, but we have to attend the meeting between Yuan and Cao as witnesses."

"What puzzles me is why Yuan Tan would abandon Bingzhou instead of Youzhou. I don’t believe for a second that without Tian Yuanhao and Ju Gongyu, Yuan Tan doesn’t have capable advisors who could see that keeping Youzhou is the wiser choice," Chen Gong added, furrowing his brow. He had no objections to attending the meeting, but he couldn’t understand why Yuan Tan would make such a short-sighted decision, even if it was advantageous to Liu Bei.

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