Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Shadow Ascends

After Cao Hong returned to Xiangyi with Cao Cao, he threw himself into the training of Cao Cao’s personal guard camp. There were only twenty days left before they were to head to the front, and as an officer, he still had to make an appearance.

As for the newcomers, Shi A became Cao Hong’s personal bodyguard, while Dian Wei was assigned as an attendant to Cao Cao.

The other commander of the personal guard camp was Cao Chun, whose cultivation had reached the peak of the Refining Energy and Transforming Spirit realm. He was the same age as Cao Hong, and the two addressed each other by their courtesy names in daily life, forgoing any gestures of seniority—a difference of only a few months in age made such formalities unnecessary.

Cao Chun’s martial attainments were outstanding among the Cao family. His mastery of the Thirteen Forms of Literary Brilliance was superb. By the age of seventeen, he had already served as a Gentleman Attendant at the Emperor’s Gate in Luoyang. Though the Han dynasty was waning, there were still many experts within the palace, and through exchanges with these masters, Cao Chun had learned much martial skill. His colleagues in the palace were knowledgeable and well-versed in the ways of the martial world, so Cao Chun had heard many stories of Jianghu as well. This made Cao Hong, eager to understand the era, desire to communicate with Cao Chun. Between drilling the troops, the two would discuss martial arts when talking about the affairs of Jianghu. Cao Hong’s insights, two thousand years ahead of his time, often left Cao Chun marveling in admiration, and their friendship was quickly established.

Cao Hong’s impression of Cao Chun in history was scant—he remembered only that he was the first commander of the most elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry in Cao’s army and that he had died young. History claimed illness was the cause, but considering the era’s love for deadly techniques, it was quite possible Cao Chun had been assassinated—by whom, he could not guess.

One day, after drilling the soldiers until noon, they allowed the men to rest. Taking advantage of the break, Cao Hong led Shi A and Cao Chun to a tavern in Xiangyi for lunch. The tavern belonged to the Wei family, so they did not have to pay; instead, they received a warm welcome from the owner and were shown to a private room upstairs.

Cao Chun was exceptionally gifted in martial arts, and Shi A was fixated on Cao Hong’s technique ‘Xiao Xiang Sword Rain.’ So, even at the table, their conversations never strayed far from martial topics. Cao Hong was happy to explain his insights. He had already observed that Cao Chun was at a bottleneck, seemingly because his inner state had not caught up with his martial cultivation, preventing a breakthrough. As a fierce general of the Cao clan and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry’s first commander, if not for his early death, the Cao family would have had another great elder, making it much harder for the Sima clan to usurp power. Thus, Cao Hong wanted to give Cao Chun some pointers to help him break through.

As the three discussed martial cultivation, Shi A spoke up: “As soon as I take up the sword, my heart moves with the blade, and I can reach the realm of unity between man and sword. My strikes become twice as powerful, enough to match any top master. However, it requires mustering my energy and adopting a stance, which is never as solid as one’s own cultivation. If I am ambushed, I cannot perform it in time.”

Cao Chun replied, “Qingmang’s martial arts come from Sword Sage Wang Yue. Wang Yue was a Tiger Guards Colonel in the palace. When I served there, I’d heard much of his renown. According to insiders, although Wang Yue later lost to Fei Changfang, Fei was also injured, which proves how exquisite Wang Yue’s swordsmanship was. Among the six greatest masters in the realm, the Three Friends are renowned, the Twin Phantoms unrivaled, and only Fei Changfang is spoken of as their equal. This shows that his cultivation must surpass the other five. For Wang Yue to have wounded him is truly remarkable.”

No sooner had Cao Chun finished speaking than a clear, sharp voice came from the next private room: “Bah! What is Wang Yue worth? Even with one hand, I could kill him. Why use him to prove Fei Changfang is superior to the others?”

At this, Shi A was first to anger. “Wang Yue’s disciple is right here! Why don’t you come and try killing me with one hand, little girl?”

Cao Hong and Cao Chun exchanged glances, silent, unable to discern the speaker’s origins. Judging by her voice, she was still young, yet spoke with such wild arrogance—it was truly baffling. The two decided to wait and see how the person would react.

A soft snort, and then a jet-black gleam shot through the wooden wall toward Shi A, moving with incredible speed.

With a shout, Shi A drew his Qingmang sword with his left hand and slashed at the black light. Cao Hong, hearing the sound, turned deathly pale and flicked his chopsticks sharply at Shi A.

With a metallic ring, the black light snapped Shi A’s sword, heading straight for his chest. But Cao Hong’s chopsticks arrived in that instant—one struck the black light, halting it, then with three rapid taps from his other chopstick, the black light’s trajectory changed, embedding itself in the wooden floor beside Shi A.

Everything happened too quickly for Cao Chun to react. When he came to his senses, he muttered, “It’s just a bronze three-legged wine cup... Yet it held such force.”

When Shi A’s sword broke, he thought himself doomed. Yet Cao Hong’s sudden display of skill saved him. Hearing Cao Chun’s words, he looked at the floor and saw, indeed, only a wine cup used for drinking. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and for a moment, he forgot even to thank his master for saving his life.

Cao Hong gazed at the small hole in the wall left by the wine cup. “Miss, your skills are extraordinary. My subordinate, Cao Zilian, spoke out of turn. Please forgive us.” In the martial world, when your skills are lacking, you must accept defeat. With no way to regain face, he could only apologize.

From the next room, there was silence. After a long pause, a low, slightly hoarse yet unmistakably feminine voice sounded, “Zilian’s technique is impressive. Meizhen has a good eye.”

The words made little sense to Cao Hong, leaving him in a fog. The voice was completely different from the earlier one—he had never heard it before, nor could he guess the speaker’s age, which was, to someone as experienced as Cao Hong, most unusual.

Even stranger, the speaker seemed quite familiar with him—and even knew his wife, Sheng Meizhen? Yet no matter how hard he searched his memory, he could not place this person.

While Cao Hong frowned in thought, the youthful voice gave a cold snort and said, “Cao Zilian of Peiguo, will you not pay your respects to your wife’s master?”

At these words, Cao Hong was taken aback. The speaker’s identity was revealed: she was Sheng Meizhen’s master, one of the Six Great Masters of the world—the Phantom Lady, Xu Deng. No wonder when Cao Chun had said Fei Changfang’s martial skills surpassed the other five, the girl had spoken up at once. She was likely another disciple of Xu Deng, unable to tolerate any slight to her master, and responded with a killing move.

Shi A was still in shock and knew nothing of Cao Hong’s wife’s background, but Cao Chun, a kinsman, understood at once and murmured, “It is the Phantom Lady Xu Deng!”

At this, Shi A’s face drained of color, and he quietly counted himself lucky to have escaped with his life.

Cao Hong gave the two a reassuring smile, rose, and left the room. At the door to the next private room, he announced, “Cao Zilian of Qiao County, Peiguo, comes to pay his respects to the elder.”