NOVPUB"Mr. Xi, you may enter, but this one cannot," Xuu Chu said, bowing to Xi Zhicai.
"Why can’t I, Old Dian, enter? I’m here to protect our military advisor. How can I ensure the safety of our military advisor’s life if I don’t enter?" Dian Wei looked dissatisfied at the burly man opposite him, who had a waist size similar to his own, feeling an urge to slap the man a few times.
"Hmph, with me here, not even a fly could get in!" Xuu Chu said arrogantly, thumping his chest with a thump, thump, thump.
"With you here?" Dian Wei snorted and ran up to Xuu Chu, pointing his finger on Xuu Chu’s chest. The solid muscle dented like poking into lard.
Looking down at the small pit on his chest, Xuu Chu was taken aback, then glared at Dian Wei with flames in his eyes, "I underestimated you. Let me try!"
As he spoke, Xuu Chu’s fingertip also pressed against Dian Wei’s muscle, but the feeling was like poking iron, and he simply couldn’t make a dent. He looked up at Dian Wei only to find contemptuous amusement on Dian Wei’s face.
Perhaps noticing Xuu Chu’s astonishment, Dian Wei revealed his big white teeth in a taunting manner, "Try a bit harder. If you can’t, I’ll let you punch me. With your level, you’re still trying to protect others, tsk tsk tsk."
Xuu Chu became furious. Originally relying only on his own bodily strength, he lashed out with a burst of black Inner Qi on his fingertip and fiercely poked Dian Wei’s solid muscle, which dented like lard.
Both Dian Wei and Xuu Chu were clearly stunned; Dian Wei was surprised that this fatso could dent his solid muscle, and Xuu Chu was shocked that the man before him took a strike with Inner Qi without anything but a dent in the muscle. Could this really be a human body?
Dian Wei stretched out his chest and then shook his waist. A crackling sound burst from his body, "Kid, you’re not bad. But wherever my military advisor goes, I must follow. That’s the command of my Lord, so if you try to stop me..." Dian Wei swung his Great Halberd a couple of times.
"This is Mount Tai, no matter who your Lord is, it’s not a place for barbarians like you to enter. Be sensible and lay down your weapons, or don’t blame me for being rude," Xuu Chu said coldly, his aura bursting forth, demanding that Dian Wei drop his weapon. Yet Dian Wei, oblivious, gripped his weapon and glared at Xuu Chu.
"How dare you ask me to relinquish my weapon? Even my Lord has never asked me to do so. You’re courting death!" Dian Wei roared, striking his halberd on the courtyard’s bluestone pathway laid out in Liu Bei’s residence, turning the solid bluestone into dust.
Xuu Chu drew his Great Sword, a dark Inner Qi enveloping him, anyone would know that the one opposite was a formidable opponent. Xuu Chu had never seen a military general like Dian Wei who had no sense of handing over his weapon when coming to this place.
But as Liu Bei’s trusted aide, Xuu Chu firmly stated he absolutely couldn’t let Dian Wei meet Liu Bei with a weapon in hand, no, it should be said that a super-dangerous beast like Dian Wei couldn’t meet Liu Bei. However, Xuu Chu seemed to forget that when calling Dian Wei a beast, in Dian Wei’s eyes he looked like a beast as well.
Xi Zhicai had already stepped aside to watch the fun. He wasn’t worried that any problem would arise. Frankly speaking, it would be strange if there weren’t people watching him, especially since this was Mount Tai, and Xi Zhicai had great confidence in Dian Wei’s combat power. As long as Dian Wei was not defeated, there was nothing to worry about; if the other side showed weakness, someone would naturally intervene.
Looking at Liu Bei’s residence shining with a bright radiance in the dusk, Ju Shou’s words made Xi Zhicai believe a bit. This place must have cost a fortune to build, even Dong Zhuo probably wasn’t this extravagant.
While Xi Zhicai was admiring Liu Bei’s residence, Xuu Chu and Dian Wei were both getting impatient to make a move. And at that moment, a middle-aged scholar with a short beard and a refined temperament came out, "Zhongkang, what’s going on?"
"Minister Li, please wait a moment. After I take down this Black Barbarian, I shall report to you," Xuu Chu said loudly after glancing at Li Youu.
"What did you say?" Dian Wei, furiously swinging his Great Halberd, charged at Xuu Chu.
"Elai, stop!" At this moment, Xi Zhicai finally showed an angry expression and reprimanded Dian Wei, "How could you act like this outside Governor Liu’s residence?"
After scolding Dian Wei, Xi Zhicai turned to Li Youu with a smile and a bow, "I am Xi Zhicai, an aide to the Governor of Yanzhou, here to meet Mount Tai’s Governor Liu. However, this does not seem like the proper way to welcome guests at Mount Tai."
"Hahaha," Li Youu’s eyes flickered, "This is hardly the way for a guest to act either, showing obvious defiance!"
"My lord, Lord Cao and Governor Liu are both Han Officials, exerting themselves for the Han Dynasty. Such treatment by Governor Liu is hardly the proper way to welcome guests," Xi Zhicai said with a smile. 𝚗o𝚟pub.𝚌𝚘𝚖
"Have you not heard that a guest should suit his host?" Li Youu said with a smile, "Nevertheless, since Minister Xi speaks of the way to treat guests, do you think that Han brute’s actions upon entering my home were fitting? We shall not fuss over this matter. Zhongkang, stand down."
"Elai, you can also relax and enjoy yourself here; Governor Liu will certainly guarantee my personal safety. You can be at ease," Xi Zhicai said, smiling at Dian Wei, then turning to Li Youu with a bow, "I have yet to learn of your name, brother, and would ask for your guidance."
"I am Li Youu from Mount Tai, Li Wenru. I have met Brother Xi," Li Youu said, his expression neutral as he considered how to bamboozle the man.
In an instant, Xi Zhicai realized that Ju Shou had been duped by Li Youu. With Xi Zhicai’s Spiritual Talent, Li Youu’s Spirit clearly revealed itself, which was as good as openly saying that Ju Shou had been trapped! To treat such a talent merely as an entertainer, if not Ju Shou, then who else would be duped? It seemed that the unaware would inevitably fall into the trap!
But then again, what did it matter to Xi Zhicai if Ju Shou had been tricked? The powerful Yuan Shao posed a greater threat than Liu Bei in Qingzhou. In the next moment, Xi Zhicai sorted everything out without hesitation, choosing to feign belief and communicate with Ju Shou, then assist Qingzhou in setting up Yuan Shao for defeat.
Ultimately, if he could weaken Yuan Shao considerably, Xi Zhicai thought he would decisively form an alliance with Yuan Shao as a victim and then ragingly battle Qingzhou, which was in line with Yanzhou’s interests.
With this in mind, Xi Zhicai promptly made an innocent face to meet Liu Bei with Li Youu, then prepared to cooperate with Li Youu’s plan. No matter what scheme Mount Tai had prepared, he planned to significantly increase the level of deception against Yuan Shao.
Xi Zhicai, not having the reservations of Chen Xi and others, was naturally more ruthless. If the goal of Chen Xi and his peers was to secure time for stable development, then Xi Zhicai’s aim was to ensure that Yuan Shao didn’t secure a complete grain-producing region and a complete horse-producing region, fully aware of how dangerous cavalry could be. Thus, his goal was to decrease Yuan Shao’s Combat Power by about thirty percent.
Clearly, Xi Zhicai was ready to plot a murder using someone else’s hand, and he was determined to play the victim. He was now eagerly anticipating Qingzhou’s plan to succeed, after which he would also pretend to be a victim to cheer on Yuan Shao.
Li Youu, for his part, was oblivious to Xi Zhicai’s thoughts, but even if he knew, he wouldn’t be too surprised. It was common for conspiracies to be revealed, and do you really think there wouldn’t be a contingency plan in place? Liu Ye’s incomplete second, third, and fourth layers of contingency plans had long been ready...(to be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote and support it. Your backing is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
