Chapter Four: A Chance Encounter on the Road

When Chen Xi arrived in Chenliu, the ride he had hoped to catch had already left. Cao Mengde had sent out his proclamation, and judging by the current pace, if Chen Xi actually managed to reach Hulao Pass, he would probably encounter the three brothers Liu Xuande, who were still mere passersby at this point.

“Master, where shall we go now?” Chen Lan asked as she stood by after brewing a pot of tea for Chen Xi. As for sitting down, Chen Xi had insisted many times, but to no avail.

“Let’s head to Suanzao. We’re not well-known there, but fortunately, I’m a scholar—and the top scion of the Chen family from Yingchuan. It shouldn’t be a problem to blend in,” Chen Xi said resignedly. His original plan was to follow behind Cao Cao’s army, since as a renowned righteous hero of the land who had not yet turned treacherous, Cao Cao wouldn’t just kill someone hitching a ride with him without reason.

“Oh, Master, shall we leave right now?” Chen Lan tilted her head and asked.

“Let’s go. Let’s see if we can meet a group going our way and catch another ride,” Chen Xi said, downing the tea in one gulp before heading toward the carriage. Before leaving, Fan Liang had given him quite a bit of travel money, enough to get by for three to five years, he reckoned.

He casually cloaked the carriage with a layer of spiritual energy to avoid drawing attention, then settled inside, continuing to explain the theory of spiritual extraction to Chen Lan. Progress was slow, however.

“Master, we might have to sleep out in the open tonight,” the steward Chen said with a wry smile. “We must have taken the wrong turn at the fork earlier.”

“Hah, it’s alright,” Chen Xi said, a hint of embarrassment on his face. He had insisted on going this way. He picked up a rice cake and handed pieces to the two before swallowing it down with cold water. “Well, rice cakes aren’t too bad after all.”

“Hey, Master, look! Isn’t that smoke over there?” Chen Lan bit into her rice cake and glanced northward. Sharp-eyed, she spotted a thin column of smoke rising in the distance.

“Someone’s there. Let’s scrounge a meal. Those rice cakes really are terrible,” Chen Xi said without hesitation, overturning his previous statement. He instructed the steward to head toward the smoke.

As the saying goes, gazing at the mountain tires the horse, and following the smoke proved much the same. From afar, it was just a thin wisp, but as they drew closer, it expanded into a large encampment.

“The scale… could this be a warlord’s camp?” Chen Xi hesitated near the smoke. At this time, warlords varied widely—some were friendly and might offer protection to travelers, others would drive them off, and some might even rob them.

“Master, should we take a look?” Chen Lan asked curiously.

“Let’s see. We’re this close already; it’d be a shame not to. I don’t even know which warlord this is. Well, I’ll use a little magic to scout ahead.” Chen Xi cloaked himself in spiritual energy, blending slowly into the surroundings. Originally, the spell had many flaws, but with Chen Xi’s improvements, it was now highly effective.

Slipping through unnoticed, Chen Xi surveyed the sprawling camp and the rows of white horses. Fixating on the central banner, he rubbed his chin and brightened considerably. It was a pure nationalist—the White Horse General, Gongsun Zan.

“Who goes there!” Just as Chen Xi considered returning to bring his steward and maid to enjoy a feast and perhaps catch a ride, a thunderous roar shattered the air. Chen Xi swore he had never heard a louder shout; his ears still rang.

Before he could react, a broad-shouldered, black-faced man leapt more than ten meters out of the camp and charged toward him.

Boom! Without any weapon, the man’s landing created a pit several meters wide.

Chen Xi’s body was jolted back by the impact, disheveled and off-balance. He frowned at the approaching giant. The moment the man appeared, Chen Xi’s spiritual energy surged violently, every nerve warning him of extreme danger—this was perilous, exceedingly so.

“Who are you to dare spy on our camp?” The voice boomed like thunder, echoing all around Chen Xi. At once, a cavalry unit poured from the camp, encircling him.

“Do you think I’m here just to scrounge a meal?” Despite his fear, Chen Xi steadied himself once surrounded. After all, in this chaotic era, people like him were a kind of resource. As long as he demonstrated his value, the warlords wouldn’t fuss over minor matters.

Before the man could speak, Chen Xi smiled and said, “This area is sparsely populated. I saw smoke from afar and thought it was a household. I came hoping to find shelter for the night, only to find it’s a military camp. I had no choice but to come closer to investigate. After all, armies come in many ranks. Some will protect wandering scholars like me; others—well, it’s better not to mention.”

The black-faced man frowned deeply and asked, “Do you have proof?”

“Just now, you should have noticed that my cultivation differs from yours. If we trained the same way, I’d pose little threat to you. As for spiritual power, as long as I stay near you, given your strength, you could easily control me anytime,” Chen Xi’s eyes flashed with insight. He was betting this man was Zhang Yide. The strength, the physique, the voice, and the location all pointed strongly in that direction.

“That’s true. Since you’re a scholar, tell me where you’re from. Our Liaoxi troops won’t harm you,” the man nodded, accepting Chen Xi’s explanation. He was very confident—his strength made him so.

“Chen Xi, courtesy name Zichuan, of Yingchuan,” Chen Xi said reluctantly. “I suppose you must be Zhang Yide.”

“Oh, you actually know me?” The man was taken aback, then broke into a smile. He had no idea about the Yingchuan part.

“Alright then.” Chen Xi shrugged and fell silent. He had escaped Cao Cao and now encountered Liu Bei—this was another good option. Besides, Gongsun Zan hadn’t yet become the tyrant he would later be; he wouldn’t mind a few followers tagging along.

“Third brother, I heard you caught a spy?” Before Zhang Fei could speak, another voice came from behind.

The man looked ordinary, with large ears and long arms. Chen Xi muttered softly; behind him was a red-faced strongman—no doubt this was Guan Erye. Thinking further, Chen Xi sighed, convinced this world aligned more closely with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

“Scholar Chen Xi, courtesy name Zichuan, greetings to Lord Xuande.” Chen Xi bowed to Liu Bei. No matter what, he was still held captive and couldn’t afford to offend them.