Chapter 82: There Is Still an Assassin

Cao Peng, accompanied by Zhang Liao and followed by several hundred Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, arrived at the outskirts of Xu Field. Immediately, a general stepped forward to greet Cao Peng.

Cao Peng replied with a gentle smile, “I won’t go inside. I’ll just wait here for a while.”

Since Cao Peng had spoken thus, the officer in charge of security naturally did not press the matter further.

Xu Chu had also noticed Cao Peng’s arrival and rode over.

“Anmin, weren’t you training the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry?” Xu Chu asked.

Cao Peng smiled, not intending to share what had just transpired. He simply replied offhandedly, “You’re all gathered here, so I thought I’d come join the excitement.”

Xu Chu, being a straightforward man, didn’t think much of it and after exchanging a few words, returned to his duties.

Though he stood only at the edge of the hunting grounds, the lively atmosphere within was palpable. The soldiers’ shouts filled the air.

As the hunt began, Cao Cao loosed several arrows in succession, each one finding its mark. His generals and soldiers cheered in unison.

Cao Cao’s moment in the spotlight only deepened Liu Xie’s unease. It was only when Liu Bei rode up to him that Liu Xie felt somewhat reassured.

In a low voice, Liu Xie said to Liu Bei, “Imperial Uncle, today you must use your archery to dampen Cao Cao’s arrogance.”

“As you command.” Liu Bei answered humbly with a bow, his face calm and his words deferential.

The opportunity soon arose: several rabbits sprang from the underbrush. Liu Bei immediately drew his bow, and with a whistle, his arrow shot forth and struck its target.

Liu Xie, delighted, cheered, and the gathered ministers and nobles joined him.

Naturally, Cao Cao was displeased by this turn of events. He glanced at Liu Bei and the young emperor, then approached with ill intent.

“Your Majesty,” he said, “though the Imperial Uncle’s archery is impressive, I believe the soldiers would be even more eager to witness your own prowess.”

Sweat formed on the Han Emperor’s brow. Unskilled as he was in riding and archery, he knew his limitations well. He hoped to avoid the challenge, but Cao Cao would not allow it.

Cao Cao raised his voice, calling out, “Gentlemen, would you not like to witness our sovereign’s skill in archery?”

Surrounded as they were by Cao Cao’s trusted generals and their troops, the crowd responded as one, their shouts thunderous: “We want to see! We want to see!”

Such an overwhelming chorus only made Liu Xie’s face turn paler. Cao Cao merely shrugged helplessly, as if to say, “This is the will of the people; you cannot blame me.”

At that moment, a deer emerged from the brush. Liu Xie picked up his treasured eagle-bow, fitted it with golden-tipped arrows, and loosed several shots, each less effective than the last.

The officials’ faces darkened with embarrassment, and an awkward silence settled over the crowd.

Cao Cao burst out laughing, seized Liu Xie’s ornate bow, and with a single golden-tipped arrow, struck the deer squarely in the back. The great stag fell at once amidst the grass.

Cao Cao’s generals cheered loudly, and the troops behind them surged forward, shouting, “Long live our lord!”

Cao Cao rode forward, deliberately blocking the emperor from view as he received the acclaim.

The faces of Dong Cheng and his allies turned ashen, and they muttered curses under their breath. “That traitor Cao is insufferably arrogant—utterly despicable!”

Cheng Yu stood nearby, his gaze sweeping the assembly. He noted the anger of the loyalist ministers, the enthusiasm of those who cheered for Cao Cao, and the hesitation of those tempted to sit on the fence.

Two things especially caught his eye. He quickly tugged at Cao Cao’s sleeve to draw his attention: On one side, Liu Bei held Guan Yu back, whose hand was already on his sword; on the other, Xun Yu’s face was dark with displeasure.

Cao Cao only laughed heartily and, not wishing to spoil his hunting mood, spurred his horse forward. He still held Liu Xie’s ornate bow, making no move to return it, and simply hung it from his saddle.

After cresting a hill, he suddenly spotted a large stag in a thicket. His hunter’s spirit aflame, Cao Cao led his generals in pursuit.

Mounted on the legendary Yellow-Flying Lightning, Cao Cao soon outdistanced them all.

Dian Wei, anxious, hurried after him. He had been warned by Cao Peng to protect Cao Cao with utmost vigilance today.

Cao Cao drew his bow, and his arrow flew like a shooting star, striking the stag. Sweating from the exertion, he looked back—only Dian Wei and a handful of guards had managed to keep up.

He laughed, “Did you see? That little emperor has neither strength nor men. How can he possibly compete with me?”

While Cao Cao reveled in his triumph, Dian Wei’s expression grew grave as he scanned the surroundings. Hardened by countless battles, he quickly sensed something amiss: figures flitted among the trees and undergrowth.

“My lord, I fear we are surrounded!” Dian Wei’s warning wiped the smile from Cao Cao’s face. In his excitement chasing the stag, he had left his main force behind, with only a dozen or so guards at his side.

“Could it be that Cao Peng’s prophecy is about to come true again?” The thought unsettled Cao Cao, for Cao Peng’s foresight was uncanny. For this hunt at Xu Field, he had made many arrangements, even postponing the event. Was fate inescapable after all?

“Back away slowly; don’t let them see our fear,” Cao Cao ordered as he began to move.

But the assassins hidden in the grass had no intention of letting them escape.

“Kill!”

With a hail of arrows, black-clad assassins burst from the undergrowth. Their leader, small and agile, seemed to be a woman in men’s attire, attacking Dian Wei with fierce determination.

Because this was a hunt, not a battlefield, Dian Wei did not have his twin halberds. Confronted by the sudden assault, he drew his broadsword.

Steel clashed in a flurry of sparks as Dian Wei’s blade met the assassin’s short sword. Dian Wei was the stronger by far—on the battlefield, his halberds would have dispatched such an opponent in a single exchange. But now, entangled at close quarters, he could not break free.

“Master, go!” he shouted.

Cao Cao, frowning deeply at the chaos, saw that only five or six of his black-armored guards still fought by his side. He wanted to flee, but the melee ahead blocked his way back to the main force, while behind him lay a sheer cliff. His only hope lay in Dian Wei’s prowess to break through the attackers swiftly.