Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

”Mr. Xi, you may enter, but this one cannot,” Xu Chu said as he politely gestured to Xi Zhicai while blocking Dian Wei’s way.

”And why can’t I go in?” Dian Wei growled, glaring at the equally massive figure across from him. He felt the urge to smack the guy twice for stopping him. ”I’m here to protect my strategist! How can I ensure his safety if I don’t go in?”

”Hmph, with me here, not even a fly can get in!” Xu Chu pounded his chest with pride, producing a series of thudding sounds.

”With you here?” Dian Wei snorted and marched up to Xu Chu, poking him in the chest. What had appeared to be solid muscle sank in like soft fat.

Xu Chu glanced down at the dent in his chest and was momentarily stunned. He then looked up at Dian Wei, his eyes burning with anger. ”So, you’re tougher than you look. Let me have a try!”

Xu Chu poked Dian Wei’s chest with his finger, but it felt like stabbing an iron plate—his finger couldn’t make a dent at all. He looked up at Dian Wei and saw a mocking grin.

Noticing Xu Chu’s surprised expression, Dian Wei bared his teeth in a grin. ”Try harder if you want. Heck, I’ll even let you take a punch. With your skills, protecting others? Pfft!”

Xu Chu’s anger flared. Relying solely on his physical strength earlier, he now gathered his inner energy into his finger and jabbed it hard at Dian Wei’s chest. This time, Dian Wei’s muscles actually dented under the force.

Both men paused, momentarily shocked—Dian Wei by the fact that this chunky guy had managed to dent his iron-like muscles, and Xu Chu by the realization that the man before him could take his inner-energy-infused strike and only dent slightly. Was this really a human body?

Dian Wei cracked his chest and stretched his back, a series of cracking sounds emanating from his body. ”Kid, you’re not bad. But wherever my strategist goes, I go. That’s my lord’s order. So if you keep blocking me...” Dian Wei twirled his giant halberd threateningly.”This is Taishan. It doesn’t matter who your lord is; you can’t bring your weapons into Lord Liu’s territory,” Xu Chu growled, his aura surging. He demanded that Dian Wei put down his weapon, but Dian Wei simply tightened his grip on his halberd, glaring at Xu Chu with bull-like eyes.

”You dare tell me to put down my weapon? My lord has never asked me to do that, and you want me to? You’re asking for it!” Dian Wei roared, slamming his halberd into the stone-paved path, shattering the solid stone into dust.

Xu Chu drew his large saber, enveloping it in a dark aura. Anyone could see that this opponent was formidable. Typically, any warrior who approached would hand over their weapons to Xu Chu. But this was the first time Xu Chu had encountered someone like Dian Wei, who had no intention of relinquishing his weapon.

As Liu Bei’s personal guard, Xu Chu was resolute. He couldn’t allow someone as dangerous as Dian Wei to approach Liu Bei with a weapon. However, he seemed to have forgotten that Dian Wei viewed him as a similar threat—a beast, just like himself.

Xi Zhicai stepped aside to watch the show. He wasn’t concerned about what might happen. In fact, he found it more suspicious if they weren’t being monitored, considering this was Taishan. Xi Zhicai had faith in Dian Wei’s combat abilities. As long as Dian Wei wasn’t defeated, there was nothing to worry about. He knew that if the situation got out of hand, someone would intervene.

While admiring Liu Bei’s opulent residence as dusk fell, Xi Zhicai couldn’t help but believe some of what Ju Shou had said. This level of extravagance must have been built on burning money. Even Dong Zhuo might not have been this lavish.

Just as Xu Chu and Dian Wei were on the brink of clashing, a middle-aged man with a scholarly aura and short beard stepped out. ”Zhongkang, what’s going on here?”

”Lord Li, just give me a moment to take down this brute, and I’ll report to you,” Xu Chu said loudly after glancing at Li You.

”What did you just call me?” Dian Wei roared, raising his halberd to strike.

”Stand down, E Lai!” Xi Zhicai finally put on a stern face and ordered Dian Wei to stop. ”This is Lord Liu’s residence—such behavior is unacceptable.”

After scolding Dian Wei, Xi Zhicai turned to Li You with a smile and bowed. ”I am Xi Zhicai, strategist under Cao Mengde, the governor of Yan Province. I have come to visit Lord Liu of Taishan. However, I must say, this is not how guests should be treated.”

”Hahaha,” Li You chuckled, his eyes gleaming. ”Yet, sir, your actions hardly befit a guest either, appearing here in such a confrontational manner.”

”My lord and Lord Liu are both loyal subjects of the Han, working for the empire. Treating me this way hardly seems appropriate for a guest,” Xi Zhicai replied with a smile.

”Surely you’ve heard the saying, ’When in Rome, do as the Romans do’?” Li You countered with a smile. ”But since we’re discussing hospitality, how do you explain that brute of a guard bringing such a threatening presence into my master’s residence? Still, let’s overlook this matter. Zhongkang, stand down.”

”E Lai, feel free to relax here. Lord Liu will guarantee my safety; you need not worry,” Xi Zhicai said to Dian Wei before turning back to Li You with a respectful bow. ”May I have the honor of your name, sir?”

”I am Li You, courtesy name Wenru. It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Xi,” Li You replied calmly, already scheming how to deceive this man.

In an instant, Xi Zhicai realized that Ju Shou had been duped by Li You. Through his spiritual talent, Xi Zhicai could clearly sense Li You’s talent. It was obvious that Ju Shou had been tricked to death—quite literally. If anyone was going to fall into a trap, it would be Ju Shou. After all, who else but Li You could pull off such a scheme?

But what did it matter to Xi Zhicai if Ju Shou was tricked? A strong Yuan Shao was far more of a threat than Liu Bei’s relatively small-scale operations. Quickly piecing everything together, Xi Zhicai decided to feign ignorance, intending to later relay his findings to Ju Shou. His plan was to support Taishan’s schemes against Yuan Shao, allowing them to weaken Yuan Shao as much as possible.

Once Yuan Shao was sufficiently weakened, Xi Zhicai planned to position himself as a victim and seek an alliance with Yuan Shao to fight back against Taishan. This, he believed, would best serve Yan Province’s interests.

Having made up his mind, Xi Zhicai put on a clueless expression and followed Li You to meet Liu Bei. He was fully prepared to cooperate with whatever plan Li You had, all while secretly plotting to increase the damage to Yuan Shao.

Li You, unaware of Xi Zhicai’s intentions, wouldn’t have been too surprised if he had known. In the world of intrigue, having one’s schemes uncovered was a common occurrence. Did Xi Zhicai really think they didn’t have backup plans? Liu Ye’s contingency plans were already in place...