Chapter 2: Growing Stronger Begins with Undermining Others

“Zixiu, Anmin, today Zhang Xiu has invited us to another banquet. You two come with me,” said Cao Cao. As soon as Cao Cao finished speaking, Cao Peng immediately grew alert; perhaps the calamity was about to unfold. He knew he must not sit and await his doom; the only option was to act according to circumstances.

Following behind Cao Cao, their group brought along just a handful of guards—no more than a dozen. From the rear, Cao Peng surreptitiously observed the man known as the cunning hero of troubled times—Cao Mengde. With a full, bristling beard, his visage was imbued with a heroic aura. This image was indeed much like the Cao Cao he had imagined in his mind.

Behind Cao Cao strode a burly man whose presence was like a wild beast. He stood well over nine feet tall, with the build of a tiger and the strength of a bear; his bulging muscles seemed ready to burst through his armor. His long, tousled hair was yellow and wild, complementing his fierce features and adding to his savage air. This was Dian Wei, the Commandant under Cao Cao, later hailed as the ancient E Lai. The era of the Three Kingdoms was a time when martial stars shone brightest, and Dian Wei was among the most dazzling of all. Later generations would rank him third among all the great warriors, after Lü Bu and Zhao Yun—testament to the fact that Dian Wei’s valor was unmatched in this world.

During the Battle of Wancheng, Dian Wei, commanding only a handful of soldiers, defended the tent’s entrance against enemies numbering dozens of times his own force; he fought with desperate courage until his body was covered with wounds and only then, spent at last, did he fall. Without Dian Wei at Wancheng, Cao Cao would have had no chance of survival.

“Young General, why do you keep staring at me?” Dian Wei’s voice rumbled like distant thunder in Cao Peng’s ears, startling him. In truth, Dian Wei had long noticed Cao Peng’s furtive glances and, filled with suspicion, finally could not help but ask.

“I see a dark shadow over your brow, General. I fear misfortune may befall you soon…” Cao Peng blurted whatever came to mind.

In fact, it wasn’t entirely nonsense. If history unfolded as it should, Dian Wei was indeed fated to die at Wancheng.

Dian Wei scratched his sparse hair, at a loss for how to respond.

Cao Peng said nothing more. Only one thought now filled his mind: how to prevent Cao Cao from taking Lady Zou for himself.

Though he possessed the foresight of a transmigrator, he was still just an ordinary man. He had neither the might to sweep aside armies nor the reputation to rally followers at a word. What little he could rely on seemed woefully insufficient…

As he stewed in frustration, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind—ding!

Having read countless webnovels, Cao Peng instantly understood: this was the unique golden finger of the transmigrator—a system!

Sure enough, the next words caused his spirits to soar: “Congratulations, Host. System successfully activated. Would you like to bind now?”

Cao Peng was briefly stunned, then overjoyed. At last, the transmigrator’s golden finger had arrived!

“Bind the system!” he said without hesitation; he was desperate to know what kind of system he had acquired.

All of this transpired within his mind, unnoticed by Cao Cao and Cao Ang, who were chatting and laughing up ahead.

Cao Peng prayed fervently for something extraordinary—perhaps the strength of a Conqueror, or the valor of Li Cunxiao. With such gifts, he could sweep across the land, crush his enemies, and embark on a grand, world-conquering adventure.

Alas, fate had other ideas…

“Congratulations, Host, system binding complete!”

“System name: ‘Homewrecker System.’”

“System function: Whenever the protagonist steals away what rightfully belongs to another, an appropriate reward will be granted.”

What in the world was this?

A Homewrecker System?

He, radiant and upright in bearing, was not suited to such underhanded means!

“System prompt: The ‘Homewrecker System’ requires the host to steal from real historical figures ahead of time, and successfully and plausibly complete the scenario. Change the outcome of historical events, and you will receive generous rewards.”

Though the system’s mission left Cao Peng stamping his feet in frustration, he had no way to uninstall it.

Acceptance was his only recourse.

Wait a moment…

Suddenly, enlightenment dawned: wasn’t this Homewrecker System perfectly suited to the current predicament?

Cao Peng mused to himself: “As long as I win Lady Zou’s heart before Old Cao does, stealing her away, won’t all these crises be resolved?”

With a trusty pickaxe, no wall is unbreakable!

With this conviction, Cao Peng seemed to find purpose in his new life. With this realization, the future suddenly looked much brighter.