Chapter 84: A Name Beyond Words
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Actually, it was quite awkward for Dian Man to return now. Bringing back a funerary suit and coffin to the family had almost become a subject of ridicule among others. Everyone had assumed his father died in battle, but unexpectedly, a month later, he came back!
This made Dian Man’s previous actions seem somewhat inappropriate and out of place.
From a moral standpoint, Dian Man had done nothing wrong. But since his father was still alive, when Dian Man received the news, he was momentarily at a loss about what to do with the funerary suit and coffin. Should he burn them? That didn’t seem right. But shipping them back to Xudu also seemed improper. In the end, having no other choice, Dian Man removed the funerary garments from the coffin and handed the coffin over to the Governor of Dong Commandery, Cheng Yu, to deal with.
Dian Man, meanwhile, took a group of retainers and returned to Xudu overnight.
After arriving home, Dian Man learned about the Cao Ji family’s situation from Dian Wei.
To be honest, Dian Man was quite grateful to the Cao Ji family and at the same time filled with curiosity about Cao Ji’s sword-making.
However, Dian Wei advised him, “You should spend more time with A-Fu. That child is extraordinary; his future achievements will surely be immeasurable.”
Dian Man was fifteen years old, full of youthful arrogance.
Upon hearing Dian Wei’s words, he felt somewhat resentful.
Still, he was no fool and not a spoiled son of privilege. Though inwardly dissatisfied, it would not affect his gratitude toward the Cao family.
So, now that he had some free time, Dian Man came over.
He wanted not only to see how Cao Ji forged swords but also to meet Cao Peng, the one Dian Wei praised so highly.
Dian Man was a bit disappointed.
Cao Peng looked like nothing more than a small child who hadn’t quite grown up.
Although Cao Peng and Dian Man were about the same age, their stature and build were vastly different.
Dian Man inherited Dian Wei’s genes: tall, nearly 180 centimeters at fifteen, sturdy and broad-shouldered, with a bronzed complexion and soft facial hair along his lips, making him appear far more mature than his peers.
Standing next to him was like a small mountain, evoking an indescribable sense of pressure.
“Are you A-Fu?” Dian Man asked, lowering his head to examine Cao Peng.
In terms of height, Cao Peng had indeed grown a lot recently, about 163 centimeters.
He was stronger than before, but in appearance, he didn’t seem particularly robust—his slender frame and delicate features made him appear quite fragile next to Dian Man. Yet Cao Peng seemed unaware of this contrast.
He stepped up onto the platform, almost matching Dian Man in height.
“I’m Cao Peng. Are you Uncle Dian Man?” he asked.
Dian Man felt a bit displeased.
True, Dian Wei was born into a poor family, but ever since becoming Cao Cao’s bodyguard, his family’s status had risen accordingly.
Dian Man had suffered hardship in his youth but later grew up in relative comfort.
He recalled that, aside from Dian Wei and his uncle Dian Xun, even his mother never addressed him by his childhood nickname in his presence.
This boy was quite lacking in manners.
Suppressing his irritation, Dian Man said, “A-Fu, I came today to thank you for using my father’s name. From now on, if anyone in Xudu troubles you, come to me. This fortress was recently granted to my family by Lord Cao—make yourself at home. If you need anything, don’t hesitate.”
Though he thought his words were proper, his tone carried an air of haughtiness.
Cao Peng remained composed and smiled, “Naturally, I’ll count on Brother Man to look after me.”
This boy knew his place!
Dian Man muttered inwardly, then softened his demeanor considerably.
Father told me to listen to him more and said his future was limitless… Hmph, from what I see, he’s nothing special.
“I hear your father makes swords. Can you take me to see?”
Cao Peng scratched his head. “The forge is in the next courtyard. You’ll see him once you enter.”
“You won’t take me there?”
Dian Man’s face darkened slightly.
Cao Peng smiled, “We still have lessons to attend. It’s hard to get away.”
“Lessons?” Dian Man paused, glanced at Cao Peng, then Wang Mai and Deng Fan, and sneered, “In that case, I’ll visit Uncle Cao first.”
At least in terms of manners, Dian Man was fairly considerate.
Cao Peng cupped his hands and took leave, then led Wang Mai and Deng Fan toward the training ground.
Within the fortress was a small training ground where Cao Peng regularly led Wang Mai and Deng Fan in practice. After a day’s forging, they would rest briefly before training here. Wang Mai had reached the level of Bone Refining, while Deng Fan had just begun his Hundred-Day Foundation Building practice.
Recently, Cao Peng sensed he was close to breaking through the Foundation Building stage.
After over four months of training, he clearly felt his Qi and blood had reached a bottleneck. His stances were smooth, and his hand techniques proficient. These days, he focused mainly on figuring out how to surpass this plateau.
The training ground had a circular open space with dozens of hanging sandbags.
After stretching, Cao Peng stepped into the formation, following Tai Chi steps, weaving among the sandbags. Using palms, elbows, shoulders, back, and hips, he pushed, rubbed, struck, and collided with the bags. At first, the sandbags barely swung, but as his strikes grew stronger, their sway increased. The irregular swinging reduced his evasion space, yet he moved fluidly, punctuated by strong thuds increasing the bags’ momentum.
Wang Mai and Deng Fan watched, amazed by Cao Peng’s butterfly-like movements among the bags, cheering loudly.
“Brother Hǔtóu, Brother Dàxióng, memorize my steps. Once I’m done, it’s your turn.”
“Not again? More of this?” Wang Mai’s face fell.
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He clearly remembered when Cao Peng taught him a few days ago, he was battered by the sandbags, black and blue all over.
This technique didn’t become perfect overnight, and both Wang Mai and Deng Fan were large men prone to being hit.
To be honest, neither of them saw the point.
Cao Peng practiced among the sandbags for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then slipped out, breathing somewhat heavily, sweat glistening on his brow in the sunlight.
“Brother Hǔtóu, your turn!”
“A-Fu, I’m an eighth-level warrior. What good is this?”
Cao Peng only smiled without answering.
“Alright, alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Wang Mai entered the sandbag formation. Unlike Cao Peng’s technique, Wang Mai struck with fierce punches, producing dull thuds. The sandbags’ swings grew larger, and soon he struggled to keep up.
Cao Peng rarely used brute force; he relied on redirecting energy, dodging nimbly.
Wang Mai, however, swung wide and hard—strong but lacking finesse. The stronger he hit, the stronger the bags retaliated. Before long, a flying sandbag caught him off-guard and knocked him down hard, unable to get up for a while.
Meanwhile, Deng Fan practiced beside them with a two-meter-long bamboo tube filled with sand and stones, about ten centimeters thick.
He squatted in a horse stance, rolling and shaking the tube over his arms, level with his shoulders, using arm muscle strength to move it. This exercise built raw power.
Deng Fan set the tube down and laughed heartily at the disheveled Wang Mai.
“So this is the so-called training?”
Cao Peng turned and saw Dian Man standing at the gate of the training ground with Xia Houlan, wearing a contemptuous smile.
“What’s wrong? Looking down on us?”
“What use is this training anyway?”
“Try it yourself and you’ll understand…”
“Fine, I’ll try!”
Dian Man laughed heartily as he approached, shedding his brocade robe to reveal a tiger-striped single-layer garment beneath.
“This kind of training isn’t deadly!”
Cao Peng said, “If you can’t even handle this, how can you talk about killing others?”
“Hmph!”
Dian Man strode forward defiantly.
Wang Mai, grimacing in pain, ran to Deng Fan, who was immediately grabbed by Xia Houlan around the neck.
“Betting on how long he lasts?”
“One hundred breaths!” Deng Fan blurted.
Wang Mai sneered, “Nah, that killing formation is tough. A-Fu seems to have increased the weight again. I think he won’t make it past eighty breaths.”
Xia Houlan’s ears twitched, but his eyes stayed fixed on Dian Man.
He was no longer depressed.
Accepting bets and losses—that was only right.
Judging by the current situation, the old Cao family seemed genuinely promising.
Xia Houlan was different from Dian Wei; Dian Wei was clear-headed in major matters but slow in minor ones, whereas Xia Houlan excelled in details.
Deng Ji had quietly eliminated Cheng Yao in Runan without causing a stir.
Though he now cared deeply for Cao Nan’s unborn child and declined Man Chong’s invitation to return to Xudu, he was still favored by Man Chong and might rise to prominence at any time.
As for Cao Ji, he seemed wholly dedicated to sword-making. But why the elaborate displays? Clearly, the old Cao family, along with Dian Wei, was working together to build Cao Ji’s reputation.
Once that momentum was established, who could say what Cao Ji’s future would be?
Moreover, Wang Meng, who joined the Tiger Guards with Dian Wei, was now a Tiger Guard Captain with a 600-stone salary.
Though Deng Juye and his wife hadn’t yet shown their talents, who could guarantee their family wouldn’t rise one day?
Though they served the Cao family, the Cao’s treatment of Xia Houlan was extremely courteous.
If these people prospered, Xia Houlan would rise with them and wouldn’t fight alone.
With his mindset adjusted, Xia Houlan quickly recovered.
He had also tried hanging the sandbags a few days ago and understood the difficulty.
Outside the ring, Dian Man stretched his legs and feet, then let out a fierce shout and suddenly charged into the sandbag formation.
“Fifty breaths!” Xia Houlan declared decisively, “The bet is on.”
“Deal!”
Cao Peng suddenly spoke, “A reckless man won’t last fifty breaths. I bet thirty.”
Thirty breaths?
Xia Houlan and the others looked at Cao Peng: At least give Master Dian some face! Thirty breaths mean just thirty breaths.
Though skeptical of Dian Man, none believed he’d fail before thirty breaths.
Bang!
With a loud crack, Dian Man struck a sandbag with a fierce tiger’s punch. Then he stepped aside, raised his elbow, and knocked another bag flying. Just as he prepared to slip through the gaps, a black shadow suddenly swung at him.
Without hesitation, Dian Man punched up.
His boxing skills were impressive.
Dian Wei’s tiger-style was learned from chasing tigers across mountain streams—powerful, heavy, and ferocious. Dian Man’s punches and kicks echoed through the ring. Even Cao Peng and Xia Houlan watching couldn’t help but nod in approval.
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“The harder he hits, the faster he loses.”
Cao Peng shook his head, “Thirty breaths. I bet two guan.”
With that, he turned and moved to the other side of the training ground. Standing firm, he began practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade stance, reciting the Eight-Character Mantra.
As for Dian Man… he no longer cared.
Within the sandbag ring, Dian Man unleashed his full fury. For the first twenty breaths, he maintained composure, but as he struck more bags, he gradually faltered. Wild beast-like roars issued from his mouth, while his punches and kicks became increasingly erratic. By the end, there was almost no order. One misstep sent a sandbag flying, but Dian Man was struck by another flying bag.
He staggered, and another bag slammed into his chest with a “puff.”
Dian Man shouted and retreated three steps, only to be hit from behind by another bag, collapsing face down and unable to rise for a long while.
“Twenty-eight breaths!” Wang Mai shouted angrily, “You were so boastful earlier and couldn’t even last thirty! You made me lose the bet.”
Dian Man was dazed from the blows but clearly heard Wang Mai’s roar.
Enduring the soreness, he got up and pointed at Wang Mai, “You black bastard, how dare you bet on me?”
Deng Fan sneered, “Master Dian? I can last eighty breaths… pfft.”
“You guys…”
Dian Man shouted in frustration but couldn’t argue sensibly.
Xia Houlan approached with a wet towel, handing it to Dian Man with a look of disappointment, “Master Dian, you’ve really let me down. I thought you could last fifty breaths, but you couldn’t even make twenty-eight. Here, wipe your face.”
Dian Man’s face flushed red.
“I refuse to believe that a few sandbags can stop me.”
He turned back, eyes blazing like a tiger’s, stared at the dozens of sandbags for a moment, then roared and charged in again.
However, this time Wang Mai, Deng Fan, and Xia Houlan clearly lost interest and busied themselves elsewhere.
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Xudu, Tiger Guard Headquarters Hall.
Deng Ji politely addressed the two men before him, “Gentlemen, Captain Dian is not here now. If you need to find him, you may go to the Carriage Commandery. If there’s nothing urgent, you may wait here. He should return before nightfall.”
The older man smiled gently, “May I ask your names?”
“I am Deng Ji, a refugee. Captain Dian kindly took me in, so I am temporarily residing here.”
“Deng Ji?” The younger man frowned, “I think I’ve heard that name before…”
“May I ask, sirs…”
The older man smiled again, “I am Xun Yu, courtesy name Wenruo.”
Upon hearing this, Deng Ji shivered and immediately stood, “Are you the legendary Eight Dragons of Yingchuan, Xun Wenruo, Attendant Minister Xun?”
Xun Yu nodded and bowed.
The Xun family of Yingchuan was a great ancestral clan in Yuzhou with immense power.
Over two generations, many of their descendants were famous—especially eight men, known as the Eight Dragons of the Xun family. Xun Yu was one of them.
From a young age, Xun Yu was recognized for his kingly talents.
After Dong Zhuo entered the capital, he resigned and returned home, leading his clan to migrate to Jizhou. But over time, Xun Yu judged Yuan Shao incapable of greatness. After the feud against Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao established himself in Dong Commandery. Xun Yu went there and pledged allegiance to Cao Cao. Cao Cao highly valued him, likening him to Zhang Liang and appointing him as military strategist. At twenty-nine, Xun Yu was Cao Cao’s first true intellectual under his banner. Since then, Xun Yu earned many merits and recommended numerous talents to Cao Cao. In Jian’an’s first year, when Cao Cao welcomed the emperor, Xun Yu advised him. After moving the capital to Xudu, Cao Cao appointed Xun Yu as Attendant Minister and Secretary of State.
This was perhaps the only renowned scholar Deng Ji had met since growing up.
The young man beside Xun Yu smiled, “I am Guo Jia, honored to serve as Military Advisor to the Minister of Works.”
“Guo Jia? The so-called ‘Ghost Talent’ Guo Fengxiao?”
“Ghost Talent?”
Guo Jia was taken aback and looked at Deng Ji in surprise.
The nickname ‘Ghost Talent’ was mentioned by Cao Peng when speaking of Cao Cao’s strategists.
In a discussion of Cao Cao’s chief advisers, Cao Peng named four: Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, and Xun You. Later historians called them the Five Great Strategists of Cao Cao’s camp, the fifth being the unaligned Jia Xu.
It was during that discussion that Cao Peng introduced the nickname ‘Ghost Talent.’
Xun Yu laughed heartily, “Mr. Deng, that nickname is truly apt. Fengxiao has great vision and unmatched talent, a rare genius. Yet, this genius is no more fitting than your calling him ‘Ghost Talent’... Our lord says, were Fengxiao born in the era of Chu and Han, he might not lose to Chen Ping.”
This remark left Guo Jia embarrassed, his handsome face flushing.
Deng Ji wondered why Captain Dian had any connection with these two men.
Before he could ask, Xun Yu said, “I heard you have a rare helper, so I came with Fengxiao to pay respects. Please don’t take offense; we did not come for Captain Dian, but for you.”
“For me?” Deng Ji hurriedly waved his hands, “You are too kind, gentlemen. Deng Ji is but an unknown commoner, unworthy of your regard.”
Xun Yu replied, “Please, no need for formality. Actually, I have a question to ask you.”
Deng Ji’s heart skipped a beat…