Chapter 46: Gathering of Heroes—Cao the Thief Is Still a Thief

The great army departed from Qiao County, passed through Ningling, Xiangyi, Yongqiu, and advanced to Chenliu for a brief rest.

After moving past Fengqiu, they arrived at Suanzao.

Throughout this journey, only one word came to Chen Cong’s mind—tedious.

His idea of warfare was to fix his eyes on the destination, charge straight ahead, kill the enemy, and be done with it.

In reality, even the marching alone involved endless intricacies.

At the forefront was the vanguard, clearing paths through mountains, building bridges over rivers.

The left and right wings guarded the central army, and every hour, the troops would halt to relay messages to the central command. Only upon receiving the general’s order—Cao Cao’s—would they proceed.

Every camp had to send out scouts for intelligence, all of which would be gathered during halts.

At noon and dusk, the army stopped to rest, set up cauldrons for meals, and pitched camp.

Even camping was a matter of protocol.

It wasn’t just a matter of pitching a few tents to sleep in. Trenches were dug, ramparts raised, earthen mounds built, watchtowers erected, and patrols assigned for the night.

Chen Cong had thought leading the cavalry would be the easiest job, but it turned out to be the exact opposite.

On the march, the cavalry circled the central army like satellites, ready to respond to threats from any direction.

Never mind the exhaustion—the dust was unbearable.

By the end of a day’s patrol, their armor was coated in a thick layer of dirt. If they were lucky, they washed off in icy rivers; if not, they simply had to endure.

The only consolation was that each camp’s general had his own tent to sleep in; otherwise, the stench would be overwhelming.

Fortunately, the distance between the two places was not great; after six days’ march, they arrived at Suanzao.

Any longer, and Chen Cong joked he’d have turned into a sour jujube himself.

As Cao’s army arrived, the herald atop the high platform began to intone the names of the assembled warlords:

Heaven’s Son is in peril, the realm faces calamity, now let the royal army unite to punish the traitors. The righteous coalition is as follows:

First Regiment, Rear General, Prefect of Nanyang: Yuan Shu.
Second Regiment, Inspector of Jizhou: Han Fu.
Third Regiment, Inspector of Yuzhou: Kong Zhou.
Fourth Regiment, Inspector of Yanzhou: Liu Dai.
Fifth Regiment, Prefect of Henei: Wang Kuang.
Sixth Regiment, Prefect of Chenliu: Zhang Miao.
Seventh Regiment, Prefect of Dong Commandery: Qiao Mao.
Eighth Regiment, Prefect of Shanyang: Yuan Yi.
Ninth Regiment, Chancellor of Jibei: Bao Xin.
Tenth Regiment, Prefect of Beihai: Kong Rong.
Eleventh Regiment, Prefect of Guangling: Zhang Chao.
Twelfth Regiment, Inspector of Xuzhou: Tao Qian.
Thirteenth Regiment, Prefect of Xiliang: Ma Teng.
Fourteenth Regiment, Prefect of Beiping: Gongsun Zan.
Fifteenth Regiment, Prefect of Shangdang: Zhang Yang.

Sixteenth Regiment, Marquis of Wucheng and Prefect of Changsha: Sun Jian.
Seventeenth Regiment, Marquis of Qixiang and Prefect of Bohai: Yuan Shao.
Eighteenth Regiment, Colonel of the Vigorous Cavalry: Cao Cao.

After the drums of war sounded three times, Cao Cao was about to take his son-in-law to the central command tent to show him off, but when he looked back, Chen Cong was nowhere to be seen.

"Zixiao, where’s Zining?"

"He’s gone to bathe."

"What?" Cao Cao was stunned. With all the lords emerging to greet him, there was no way he could rely on Cao Ren to keep up appearances—he simply didn’t have the presence!

Glancing around, when he couldn’t pick the most dependable, he chose the fiercest-looking.

"Zhongkang, come with me. The rest of you, set up camp and rest."

"Understood."

...

"Hahaha, Mengde, you kept us waiting. This must be your son-in-law, Chen Cong—Chen Zining, is it not? Indeed… impressive, heroic, no wonder he could drive off Lü Bu alone!"

Xu Chu’s eyes widened with delight.

This middle-aged man was extraordinary—impeccable attire, handsome features, pleasant speech, and keen eyes that immediately recognized his own valor.

"This hero has a sharp eye. Though I am indeed gifted and valiant, able to face Lü Bu alone, I am not Chen Zining. I am Xu Chu of Qiao County."

Yuan Shao breathed a sigh of relief. He had just been lamenting his old friend’s decline, thinking his daughter married such a rough fellow, but it was a case of mistaken identity…

A pity…

Cao Cao keenly caught a flash of disappointment in Yuan Shao’s eyes and seethed inwardly, though he held his tongue before the others.

He clasped his hands in salute. "It’s been years, but, Brother Benchu, you are as distinguished as ever. Greetings, Brother Gonglu, Brother Mengzhuo, and all you heroes."

"No need for pleasantries outside the tent. Come in, quickly! I wish to hear Mengde recount his bold deeds against Dong Zhuo."

...

Meanwhile, unaware of his father-in-law’s embarrassment, Chen Cong was swimming in the great river not far from the camp, scrubbing Jueying clean inside and out.

"If I’d known going to war was this troublesome, I’d have stayed home with my wife. Isn’t that right, Blackie?"

Jueying snorted and shook its mane comfortably, as if replying to him.

"What? You want a wife too? That’s not happening. The Land of Fine Horses is a graveyard for stallions. If your hind legs go weak, how will you carry me into battle?"

Jueying blinked humanly and, with a flick of its hind leg, kicked Chen Cong into the river.

Damn it!

"You’ve gone too far, kicking your master! Take this!"

Just as Chen Cong was about to retaliate, a hearty laugh rang out from the thicket.

"Hey, your horse says it wants to ride, not be ridden! Hahaha!"

Chen Cong’s face darkened.

Pushing aside the bushes, he saw a burly, dark-skinned man with a leopard-like head and ringed eyes, squatting in the woods, holding two leaves as he relieved himself.

Seeing Chen Cong, the man barked angrily, "Go away! Don’t watch your elder at his business!"

His voice thundered through the woods, louder than a tiger’s roar, sending several birds into flight.

"You’re Zhang Fei?"

"You know me?"

Chen Cong shook his head. "No. Never mind, it stinks here."

Zhang Fei was astonished and quickly finished, catching up with him. "You’re an odd one. If you don’t know me, why call my name?"

Chen Cong replied offhandedly, "Just seemed to me that someone as ugly as you ought to be called Zhang Fei."

The legendary hot-tempered Zhang Fei did not explode as one might expect, but calmly retorted, "What do you pretty boys know? This is called heroic vigor."

Ah...

Now he understood what ‘heroic vigor’ meant—all those whose looks defied description were simply called heroic.

"Fine horse," Zhang Fei’s eyes lit up as he sincerely praised Jueying, stepping closer to stroke the horse’s mane.

"Such a divine steed, wasted on a pretty boy like you."

Chen Cong rolled his eyes.

If this black brute cared nothing for propriety, he had no reason to hold back either. Borrowing the words of the God of War, he declared, "When heroes of the world hear my name, their courage fails. And you, black brute, why do you bark?"

Zhang Fei scrutinized him and realized the ‘pretty boy’ was not what he seemed.

This man was not only handsome, but the body beneath his armor was powerfully built. His gaze was piercing, his bearing steady—even after being kicked by a fierce horse, his breathing did not falter.

A true warrior!

"You’re Lü Bu? No, you’re Chen Cong?"

"I am," Chen Cong answered, secretly delighted, especially at the way the fierce Zhang Fei’s eyes sparkled.

Zhang Fei was overjoyed. "Wait here while I fetch my weapon. Let’s have a bout!"

Chen Cong mounted his horse and raised his head haughtily.

"I do not cross blades with nameless men. Come challenge me when your fame echoes throughout the land."

Zhang Fei, ever eager for a fight, was loath to let such a renowned hero slip away.

Clinging stubbornly to the reins, he said, "Don’t go! If you won’t fight me, then at least recommend my brother as leader of the coalition against the traitor, and I’ll let you go."

Annoyed by this black-clad clinger, Chen Cong reversed his spear and struck Zhang Fei’s hand with the butt. Zhang Fei yelped and released his grip.

"No need for my recommendation—your brother is already the coalition leader."

After all, Cao the Traitor is a traitor, nothing wrong with that.

With that, Chen Cong spurred Jueying, whose hooves flashed as he vanished in the blink of an eye.