Chapter 848: Fearsome Warriors

Zhang Fei gulped silently. The murderous aura emanating from the charging Xiliang cavalry made him feel like he was facing a peerless warrior. No doubt about it, this was one of the strongest armies in the world. Just their momentum alone was enough to make ordinary people too terrified to even face them.

"I'm not joking—one of them is named Dian Wei, and the other is Wang Yue. Among them, that Dian Wei is truly terrifying," Hua Xiong hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I get the feeling that in a one-on-one fight, I might lose to him within a few dozen moves. As for Wang Yue..."

Before Hua Xiong could finish, Han Qiong suddenly appeared. "Wang Yue is in Guanzhong? That actually makes sense."

"Old man, eavesdropping isn't a good habit." Zhang Fei reached out to grab Han Qiong, always itching to spar with him, but Han Qiong rarely showed up.

"I'm not your match," Han Qiong shook his head. "Even with my secret techniques, if we fought now, I'd still lose to you. You really are the rising star. As for Wang Yue, you don’t need to worry. He’s like me, except I protect Zichuan, and he protects the Emperor."

"Oh? Who’s stronger between you two?" Chen Xi asked curiously.

Liu Ye, watching Han Qiong, frowned slightly. Han Qiong’s earlier words about protecting Chen Xi bothered him. He knew some important figures had experts guarding them in secret, but he hadn’t expected Chen Xi to be someone of such importance.

"Naturally, Wang Yue is stronger. If he regains his youth, his sword skills will be terrifying," Han Qiong replied with a bitter smile before disappearing again.

"As for Dian Wei, even though it was a sneak attack, he subdued someone with a single move—someone who’s probably just slightly weaker than you, or maybe about the same. And by 'subdued,' I mean he captured him alive, not killed him," Hua Xiong said seriously to Zhang Fei.

"That guy’s still that strong..." Zhang Fei’s expression turned grim.

"You know him?" Hua Xiong asked, curious.

"Yes. The first time you went to Guanzhong. But if you see him, don’t be afraid—just fly away. He won’t be able to catch you. But if you try to fight him up close, unless you have skills like Lü Bu, don’t bother," Zhang Fei sighed.

The biggest issue with Dian Wei was his immense strength and incredible speed. Regular inner energy experts couldn’t withstand his power. Unless someone was naturally gifted with immense strength, able to toss a cauldron around like a toy, it was best to flee from him.

"But who’s the fool that got captured?" Zhang Fei asked, curious. In his mind, anyone encountering Dian Wei should just fly away and attack from a distance. Who would be stupid enough to fight him head-on?

"Zhang Ji’s nephew, Bo Yuan..." Hua Xiong grumbled. "He got his spear knocked away and was knocked out cold with a headbutt."

"That poor kid. He was always unlucky," Han Qiong reappeared again. As Zhang Xiu’s martial uncle and the junior brother of Tong Yuan, he felt entitled to comment.

"He’s actually quite strong..." Hua Xiong muttered. He had sparred with Zhang Xiu and could tell that Zhang Xiu had been holding back. Even using the most basic techniques—block, thrust, parry, and bind—Hua Xiong still couldn’t beat him. He had practiced for a while alongside Zhang Xiu but hadn’t made much progress due to his own limitations.

"Did the Marquis of Pingyang leave you any letters?" Chen Xi asked curiously.

"He did, but it’s useless. Bo Yuan doesn’t want to hide under my protection," Hua Xiong replied helplessly.

Zhang Ji had definitely left Hua Xiong a letter. With Liu Bei’s powerful influence and the potential to unify the land, Zhang Ji had made sure to leave Zhang Xiu a way out. During their confrontation in Guanzhong, Zhang Ji had gone easy on Hua Xiong and even left him supplies and cavalry when departing, just to ensure Zhang Xiu would have a safe haven after Zhang Ji’s passing.

"Oh..." Chen Xi nodded thoughtfully. "I heard the Marquis of Pingyang’s wife is quite beautiful?"

"Yes, that's true. But how do you know that?" Liu Ye asked, intrigued. He had met Lady Zou when Hua Xiong visited Zhang Xiu in Chang’an.

"Nothing, just a thought," Chen Xi sighed, wondering if Cao Cao, after gaining more power, would still have the same lustful tendencies.

"Who else is strong?" Zhang Fei asked, eager to know more about potential powerful opponents.

"The Xiahou brothers. They’ve improved rapidly and may not be much weaker than you now. There’s also Cai Yang, who’s stronger than me," Hua Xiong said, mentioning Cai Yang only briefly.

"The other three are Xu Huang, who’s not only strong but also a skilled commander. Then there’s Ma Chao and Pang De. From what I’ve seen, those two might become the leaders of the younger generation," Liu Ye chimed in after some thought.

"You’re overthinking it. When I look at Ma Chao, I think of the first time I saw Lü Bu in Luoyang. That guy could become the second Lü Bu; his potential is extraordinary!" Hua Xiong said seriously. "Though, of course, it’s only potential. As for Pang De, he’ll likely become very strong as well."

"My hands are itching for a fight!" Zhang Fei said excitedly. "If there’s a young warrior who could become the next Lü Bu, I’d love to meet him. But don’t worry, I won’t kill him!"

"When you face him, it might not be so easy to avoid going all out," Hua Xiong said with a smirk, remembering his first encounter with Ma Chao in Chang’an, which had given him flashbacks of Lü Bu.

"Looks like you’ve crossed swords with him?" Zhang Fei laughed.

"Yes, but he was still young. Next time we fight, I might not win," Hua Xiong sighed.

"Oh..." Chen Xi nodded. "I’ll introduce you to someone similar, though even stronger."

"Sun Bofu, that monster!" Fazheng groaned. As the one overseeing the campaign in Yuzhou, Fazheng had heard of Sun Ce’s prowess. In direct combat with Taishi Ci, Sun Ce was already holding his ground—a monstrous talent indeed.

"There’s no helping it. These turbulent times produce great heroes. When you call others monsters, remember that you’re no less monstrous yourself. If Sun Ce isn’t calling you a monster, that would be the real surprise," Chen Xi teased, patting Fazheng on the shoulder.

"Let him call me whatever he wants. But the stronger Ma Chao is, the more satisfying it’ll be to crush him. If we ever cross paths, let me take him on," Fazheng said with a smug grin, quickly turning cold as he added.

It had taken Fazheng a while to realize who Ma Chao was, a testament to how little regard he had for the Ma family of Fufeng. He had thought Ma Chao would be easy to deal with, molding him however he pleased.

"Sort out your personal grudges on your own," Chen Xi said casually. "As long as you win, everything else will fall into place."

"Does Fazheng have a grudge with Ma Chao?" Liu Ye asked, puzzled. Then it dawned on him—being from the same region of Fufeng, Fazheng and Ma Chao were either friends or enemies. The odds of enmity were just as high as friendship.

"A big grudge," Fazheng replied, glaring at Liu Ye, offering no further explanation, leaving Liu Ye in complete confusion.

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