Chapter 47: Fulfilling the Wager

Such formidable strength—this was the first time they had ever encountered opponents like these. Merely twenty or so individuals had managed to withstand the might of Cao Cao’s army of tens of thousands. Most astonishing of all, after causing such chaos, not a single one of the twenty was injured in the slightest. Such fighting prowess was something they had neither seen nor heard of before.

Thus, they dashed forward, one group leading and the other following in haste. The soldiers of Cao’s army burst from the city gates in pursuit, but by then Zhang Xiu and the Wolfshadow squad were already far ahead. It was too late to give chase.

Cao Ren slammed his fist against the city wall, his face contorted in rage. “Damn it, damn it! Just who were those people, and how did they appear out of nowhere?” he roared. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his army of over ten thousand would be held back by a mere twenty-some men. It was a humiliation beyond compare, and he had no idea how to explain this to Cao Cao. How could he? Was he supposed to say that a handful of men had withstood their tens of thousands? If he said that, it would be a miracle if Cao Cao didn’t have him executed.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiu, with the few hundred men he had left, rushed into a mountainous region. When they realized the Cao army was not pursuing them, they finally allowed themselves to pause and catch their breath. Soon, the Wolfshadow squad caught up from behind.

Without hesitation, Zhang Xiu and his men dismounted and hurried over. “Gentlemen, I thank you for saving our lives!” Zhang Xiu, visibly moved, clasped his fists in gratitude. The Wolfshadow members dismounted as well, but their demeanor was calm and composed, not the least bit excited. They simply looked at Zhang Xiu with quiet assurance.

“There’s no need for such courtesy, Master Zhang. We were acting on our young master’s orders,” one of them replied softly.

“Your young master?” Zhang Xiu echoed. “Ah, I haven’t yet asked for your names or your origins.” He was eager to know where these men came from and whose forces they belonged to. Beside him, Hu Che’er and Jia Xu also awaited their response.

But the Wolfshadow squad only smiled faintly, offering no further explanation. Their faces hidden behind masks, dressed head-to-toe in black with dark cloaks, their entire presence radiated mystery, leaving Zhang Xiu full of questions.

“Master Zhang, those are questions you should ask our young master,” one replied gently.

“Then, may I ask, where is your young master?” Zhang Xiu inquired, perplexed, his curiosity about their leader only growing stronger.

“He’s here,” one of the Wolfshadow members said, as they all turned to look into the distance.

From afar, a lone rider was galloping toward them. Zhang Xiu and his men waited anxiously, eager to see just who this young master was.

Yet as the rider approached, both Zhang Xiu and Hu Che’er were struck dumb with astonishment. For they recognized the man—it was Liu Xie.

“Liu Shi…?” Zhang Xiu and Hu Che’er blurted out in disbelief.

“Young master!” the twenty Wolfshadow members shouted in unison before Liu Xie.

Now Zhang Xiu and his companions were utterly bewildered. For a moment, their minds were consumed with shock, unable to accept what they were seeing. Was Liu Xie truly the master these people spoke of? Had he been the one who saved them?

Liu Xie approached, smiling, and nodded in satisfaction at the Wolfshadow squad. “You did well this time, but there’s still much room for improvement. No need to rush, you’ll improve with time,” he encouraged them.

“Thank you for your praise, young master. We shall strive to do even better in the future!” the twenty replied in unison.

Liu Xie nodded, then turned to Zhang Xiu and the others. “Before the new year, I told you: Yuan Shu would declare himself emperor, and Cao Cao would turn his armies against you. You would be forced to surrender, and eventually, you would rebel against Cao Cao. The root cause lies with Cao Cao himself. Now, Master Zhang, General Hu, do you recall our agreement?” Liu Xie’s words fell heavily, and Zhang Xiu and his men fell silent.

Gradually, Zhang Xiu’s heart filled with dread. He had dismissed Liu Xie’s earlier predictions about their rebellion, but now every word had come true. Moreover, if it hadn’t been for Liu Xie, they would have died at Xu Chang.

“I must ask, who are you, really? How do you know these things in advance?” Zhang Xiu pressed, frowning deeply.

Liu Xie did not waste words. “That can wait. What matters now is our wager. General Hu, you and I agreed that if I won, you would grant me three requests. Master Zhang, our agreement was that if I won, you would obey my commands from then on. It’s simple. From this day forward, all of you here will listen to me. You will be my subordinates. Well? What do you say?” Liu Xie laid out his intentions without hesitation. His aim was clear: to bring Zhang Xiu and his men under his banner. Indeed, his many actions in Wan City had all been with this purpose.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiu and his men grew silent. To become Liu Xie’s subordinates—truth be told, it was not something they felt willing to accept. If it had been surrendering to Cao Cao, that would have been understandable; after all, Cao Cao was a formidable hero of his age. To submit to him was no shame. But now, to become the subordinates of an unknown nobody—this was galling.

“Very well, it seems you are unwilling,” Liu Xie said lightly. “If that is the case, so be it. We shall take our leave.”

With that, Liu Xie prepared to depart with the Wolfshadow squad.

“Wait!” Zhang Xiu called out anxiously.

Liu Xie turned back, still smiling. “Master Zhang, General Hu, I want you to understand something. To follow me is not to surrender, but to join me. Yes, I have few men now, and you may feel it beneath you to serve me. If that is truly how you feel, then never mind.”

Zhang Xiu’s face had grown solemn. While he was reluctant to submit to Liu Xie, they had made a wager. To break it now would not sit well with him.

“Very well, we will become your subordinates. But I wish to know: what do you intend to do next? What are your plans for us? And most importantly, who are you, really? At the very least, we ought to know the man we are following,” Zhang Xiu demanded, his expression grim.

Indeed, following Liu Xie was not out of the question, but he needed to know who Liu Xie truly was.

“In time, you will learn the answer,” Liu Xie replied. “What I can tell you now is that I am not the nameless nobody you think I am. Of course, you may know my name, but you may also consider me a worthless man.”