Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

The army had already been on the march for more than half a month. If not for the infantry slowing them down, they would have already reached Taishan by now. Along the way, Chen Xi had indulged in all sorts of daydreams and was now left with nothing but boredom.

”Lord Xuande, we’re only at Chenliu. At this rate, it will take another half month to reach Taishan’s county seat,” Chen Xi said, sprawled lazily over his horse, completely disregarding his demeanor. After all, Liu Bei already knew of his laziness.

”Yes, it will take another twelve or thirteen days to reach Fenggao. Once there, I will appoint you as the county magistrate. I hope you won’t refuse,” Liu Bei said with a smile. He greatly admired Chen Xi’s abilities. He had heard that those skilled in strategy were also adept in governance and vice versa. In Liu Bei’s eyes, Chen Xi fell into this category. He believed that Chen Xi’s political skills would match his strategic prowess and saw no need for further assessment.

”If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have sought the position myself. After all, compared to military strategy and planning, I am more confident in generating revenue and making the people prosperous,” Chen Xi said without hesitation. He wasn’t one to engage in the act of polite refusal only to accept later with false humility.

”Chen Xi, are you better at governance?” Liu Bei was taken aback, then overjoyed. In his view, Chen Xi was the type to hit the mark with every statement. If he said his governance skills were superior to his strategic skills, it was no joke. At the very least, it wouldn’t be worse than his strategic prowess, which Liu Bei had witnessed firsthand and found terrifying.

”More or less. At least I have more confidence in governance than in strategy and military tactics,” Chen Xi sighed. His strategic planning relied heavily on historical inertia and piecing together character traits. In reality, he had never engaged in such matters before, except in books. Governance, on the other hand, involved making the populace prosperous, a field in which he had some concrete ideas, unlike the armchair strategies he had devised.

”That is very good,” Liu Bei said, not elaborating further. However, his joyous expression revealed his good mood.

”Lord Xuande, let’s head to Yingchuan. With your current reputation, you might be able to recruit one or two of the talents I previously mentioned,” Chen Xi suggested after a period of silence, once again envisioning his dream team. Regardless of the likelihood, chasing dreams was always worthwhile.

”Yingchuan?” Liu Bei looked at Chen Xi, then back at the long marching column, feeling a surge of heroism. ”Let’s detour through Yuzhou. We can even gather supplies from Yuan Shu’s territory, considering I once mediated between him and Sun Wentai.”

”Absolutely. If we reach Yuzhou and don’t manage to recruit talents from Yingchuan, we can head to Qiao County. There resides one of the era’s top warriors, someone Third Brother might struggle against,” Chen Xi said with a sly grin, noticing Zhang Fei eavesdropping.”What? Chen Xi, who do you think I can’t beat?” Zhang Fei’s loud voice drowned out Liu Bei’s words.

Chen Xi looked Zhang Fei up and down, sighed, and said, ”I’m afraid you really can’t. Just looking at your build compared to his, you’re at a disadvantage in strength.”

Chen Xi was deliberately teasing Zhang Fei. He didn’t know what Xu Chu looked like, but historical records described him as over eight feet tall with a waist as thick as ten circumferences, a heroic appearance, and unparalleled strength. Zhang Fei, though robust and muscular, couldn’t compare to such a description.

Standing together, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Hua Xiong presented a contrast. Zhang Fei looked like a solid block of iron, capable of smashing opponents to death. Guan Yu resembled a mighty blade, powerful and forceful. Hua Xiong was similar to Guan Yu but a less potent version. Zhao Yun, on the other hand, if he kept silent, could easily be mistaken for a scholar.

”Tell me where he is and what he’s called. I, Zhang Fei, will make him understand that strength and build are not synonymous,” Zhang Fei said, baring his teeth in a fierce grin after demonstrating his strength with a punch that created a loud pop in the air.

”You’ll meet him in a few days when we pass through Qiao County. He’ll teach you what real strength is,” Chen Xi said casually, turning away. He noticed Guan Yu polishing his Green Dragon Crescent Blade with a silk cloth, Zhao Yun cleaning his spear, and Hua Xiong breathing on his saber. Were they all planning to spar?

”In fact, there’s another great warrior here in Chenliu. Among us, probably only Brother Yun could leave unscathed in a one-on-one fight. Unfortunately, he’s nowhere to be found now,” Chen Xi said wistfully, hoping Dian Wei would appear out of nowhere, perhaps wrestling a tiger or something.

Guan Yu became even more imposing, aware that he and Zhang Fei had been improving constantly. Zhao Yun remained his usual self, seemingly weak but explosively strong when he made a move.

Zhang Fei was still fixated on Xu Chu, determined to pummel him at the first opportunity and prove his superior strength.

Chen Xi, however, had long given up explaining. In pure strength, Zhang Fei might lose even his trousers to Xu Chu. Xu Chu’s strength was overwhelming, enough to make anyone fighting him feel sickened—except for Lu Bu, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei. Lu Bu was a perfect blend of skill, strength, and speed; Zhao Yun combined speed and skill flawlessly; Dian Wei embodied extreme strength and speed.

These three could counter Xu Chu’s abnormal strength. Dian Wei, in particular, might be the only one who could match Xu Chu in brute strength, making Xu Chu feel what it’s like to face his own kind. While Xu Chu relied on his strength to dominate others, his debut match against Dian Wei must have been a shock.

Extreme strength could nullify many techniques, which explained why Xu Chu rarely lost in single combat. However, his lack of speed often prevented him from outright victories. His massive build was a double-edged sword, granting immense power but hindering agility.