Chapter 52: Lost in the East, Gained in the West

...

"Lord Xuande is truly magnanimous. You must know that Xun Yu possesses the talent of an imperial advisor, comparable to Zhang Liang of Liu, while Xun You is a rare strategic mastermind of this era," Chen Xi said with a light chuckle.

"So what? However good something unattainable may be, it cannot compare to what is already in one's own hands. Am I right, Zichuan?" Liu Bei turned his head, looking solemnly at Chen Xi.

Chen Xi was silent for a long time before speaking, "I will not let you disappoint you. At least, I do not believe I am inferior to them. Let us go. Since the aristocratic families do not welcome us, we shall display a strength that makes the noble clans of the realm look sideways in awe. We will make this world tremble beneath our hands and make them regret the choices they make today."

Liu Bei looked at Chen Xi. He could feel the intense self-confidence radiating from Chen Xi—a peerless self-confidence that looked down upon the entire world. An untamed, arrogant aura billowed outward, subtly inspiring the men around them.

"Very well! Let us display a strength that makes the noble clans of the realm look sideways, let the world tremble beneath our hands, and make them regret today's choice!" Liu Bei extended his hand, his voice brimming with heroic spirit. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Hua Xiong all wore expressions of burning zeal.

Chen Xi was well aware that the words spoken at this moment would undoubtedly reach the ears of every single aristocratic family in Yingchuan. However, this was precisely the effect he desired. Since the other party had cast aside all courtesy, and Liu Bei had already paid them a personal visit—even if they were not yet ready to take up official posts, basic decorum dictated a meeting—yet they chose to behave with such arrogance, then those masks of civility might as well be torn to shreds!

Originally, Chen Xi had intended to bear the weight of these words entirely on his own, but he had not expected Liu Bei to echo them and then offer his hand.

"Let us go, Lord Xuande. Yingchuan holds no more room for us to reach out. Since we have spoken thus, the aristocratic families will simply wait to watch our misfortune. Trust me, in three years at most, we shall set foot here once more. But on that day, every single one of them will bow before you." A smile graced Chen Xi's lips, yet it failed to conceal a chilling undertone. The pride of a time-traveler is something you could never understand.

"Very well, let us go!" Liu Bei said no more. He leapt into the saddle, cracked his whip, and galloped toward the east gate of Yingchuan. Since Yingchuan no longer offered him any room to maneuver, he would not waste another moment of effort here.

...

Liu Bei did not even attend the farewell banquet; he departed Yingchuan directly, taking his grand army and his profound memories away with him.

"Lord Xuande, this time it was my fault. Although the great noble families possess ample talent, for now we can only strive to recruit talents from humble backgrounds. To those aristocrats, we simply do not measure up!" Chen Xi said with a cold laugh, though he recalled that Liu Bei had recruited a few scholars in Yingchuan, which was better than nothing at all.

"Oh, now that you mention it, that reminds me of a rather amusing incident. There was a wandering knight who wanted to pledge his allegiance to me, claiming he wished to serve as a Registrar under my command. I tested him a bit and discovered that the fellow knew absolutely nothing. When I inquired among the local elders, I learned that this person dressed in scholar's robes was actually a wandering knight—and a quite notorious one in these parts at that. I don't know what came over me at the time, but I told him, 'Read more books. Once you have thoroughly mastered the *Spring and Autumn Annals* and the military strategies of Sun Wu and Wu Qi, come find me then. When that time comes, I will surely issue a formal summons for you.'" Liu Bei burst into hearty laughter. "Do you know how that fellow reacted, Zichuan?"

Chen Xi raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that it couldn't be such a coincidence, yet he took up the conversation nonetheless, "That fellow must have declared that he would thoroughly master the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, comprehend the military strategies of Sun Wu and Wu Qi inside and out, and asked you, Lord Xuande, to reserve the post for him because he would definitely come. Within three to five years at most, or one to two years at the least, am I right, Lord Xuande?"

Liu Bei was momentarily stunned, looking at Chen Xi with a somewhat peculiar expression. "Were you standing right beside us at the time, Zichuan? How else could you know so clearly?"

"Could that fellow's name be Shan Fu, or perhaps Xu Shu?" Chen Xi said, pressing a hand to his forehead.

"Xu Shu?" Liu Bei asked in bewilderment. "Weren't you absent at the time?"

"So it really is him." Chen Xi rolled his eyes. This was truly a case of losing at the eastern corner and gaining at the western horizon; Xu Shu was precisely the kind of talent Liu Bei needed! As for Xun Yu, Xun You, and Chen Qun, born as scions of illustrious noble families, how could they possibly deign to look upon Liu Bei?

"What is the matter? Is there something wrong with him?" Liu Bei asked curiously.

"Lord Xuande would do well to reserve that Registrar position for him. It is no easy feat for him to abandon the martial path for the scholarly one, having made up his mind to tread a completely different road. This man possesses a resolute temperament; once he sets his mind on something, he will never change it. Since he has already forsaken martial pursuits for literature, a few years from now he will undoubtedly be one of the premier strategists of this era," Chen Xi said with utmost solemnity. He certainly did not want Liu Bei to treat Xu Shu as a mere joke. If that were to happen, and Xu Shu in a fit of pique decided to hand over the likes of Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix to someone else, that truly wouldn't be funny at all.

...

"Hmm? Zichuan is very familiar with this person?" Liu Bei first nodded in agreement with Chen Xi, then asked with renewed curiosity.

Chen Xi felt a wave of inner emotion. Liu Bei had not asked further questions, nor had he demanded to know what would happen if Xu Shu failed to amount to anything in the future; he had simply agreed to Chen Xi's request outright.

"I wouldn't call it familiar. He was originally a wandering knight from Changshe. Previously, he killed a man to avenge a friend, brandished his sword as he walked through the streets, and when he was eventually captured, everyone was so intimidated by his overwhelming presence that not a single person dared to reveal his identity to the yamen runners. Later, someone rescued him, and the matter was dropped without a trace. However, since he has stated his intention to forsake the sword for the brush, he will most certainly follow through. Come to think of it, this man is renowned for keeping his word," Chen Xi said with extreme seriousness.

It was difficult for Chen Xi to explain that this fellow Xu Shu was essentially a ruffian at present. Having laid down his sword in favor of books just days ago, after undergoing at most five years of rigorous study, his temperament would undergo a radical transformation. First, his inherent love for brawling and fierce contention would be completely worn away, and afterward, he would become refined and cultured. Most importantly, it would take this fellow a mere five years to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the top-tier strategists of this world. Such heaven-defying talent was enough to drive one mad.

As a swordsman who spent his days brandishing blades, upon experiencing a sudden epiphany one day, he reached the level of the world's top strategists within a mere few years. Just think about how long it took Guo Jia and Xun You to reach their caliber, and then consider how long it took Xu Shu—then you would understand that Xu Shu's talent was the most terrifying of all. Yet, what a pity for his talent that his awakening came rather late.

One had to admit that playing the ruffian was always a minor path; to truly succeed in the world, one had to master both realms: with a brush in hand, one could pacify the realm, and with a sword at one's side, one could settle the universe. Only then could one twist falsehood into truth and turn black into white, making whatever one said absolute, with no one daring to defy it. One could easily imagine that Xu Shu abandoning the martial path for literature was nine parts driven by this grand ambition.

"Ah, so that is how it is." Liu Bei nodded. "In that case, I shall reserve this Registrar position for him. However, when the time comes and he arrives, I must thoroughly test his capabilities."

"Indeed. When that day comes, you can gather all the civil and military officials under your command to put him to the test, and that fellow will certainly hold his ground," Chen Xi said with a smile. Since they had stumbled upon such a treasure as Xu Shu, nothing else mattered. Although Xu Shu was still an unripened, green fruit, since he was still hanging on the tree, he would inevitably mature in due course. When that time arrived, he would surely belong to them, and he would even drag his two comrades along with him.