"Yes, just like with Fazheng back then, they're growing quickly," Chen Xi nodded, watching as Zhuge Liang stepped down from the carriage, with Lu Su quickly moving to greet him, giving Zhuge Liang the respect he deserved.
"It's been a while, Kongming," Lu Su said with a smile, offering a hand to help Zhuge Liang down. Experiencing such high-level treatment for the first time, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
"It has indeed been a while," Zhuge Liang responded politely, maintaining his composure.
"Hey, Zichuan, what do you think Zijing will assign to Kongming?" Jia Xu nudged Chen Xi with his elbow.
"Heh, it won't be a small task. Although Kongming appears calm and unaffected by all of this, he's no different from Fazheng. The only difference is that Fazheng is expressive, while Kongming hides his emotions," Chen Xi chuckled, turning to Jia Xu.
"Zijing is lucky," Jia Xu smiled as well. "Back then, when we were all busy with military affairs, Fazheng had already learned everything he could from Guo Jia and had moved on to working with Zijing. At that time, Fazheng was full of energy, eager to prove himself through hard work."
"I'll bet you a jade pendant that Zhuge Kongming will be twice as diligent as Fazheng. He'll still be working on government affairs even after Zijing has gone to bed," Chen Xi said without hesitation, pulling a jade pendant from his waist and handing it to Jia Xu.
"While it's true that Kongming is low-key and doesn't like to show off, being new, he'll definitely work hard. And given his personality, it's likely he'll put in more effort than Fazheng. But saying he'll work twice as hard is a bit exaggerated. As for outworking Zijing..." Jia Xu trailed off, accepting the jade pendant as he continued explaining.
"You'll understand soon enough," Chen Xi said with a teasing smile.
On the other side, Zhuge Liang and Lu Su were already deep in conversation. Among the civil officials in Taishan, Zhuge Liang admired Lu Su the most and found Chen Xi the most exasperating.
The reason was simple: Lu Su's diligent and hard-working nature perfectly matched Zhuge Liang's ideal image. Additionally, Lu Su's warm and gentle demeanor resonated well with Zhuge Liang.
"Kongming, come to my office tomorrow. I'm short on staff, and you're no less capable than the rest of us," Lu Su said warmly. He had high hopes for the young man before him.
"I'll be counting on you, Zijing," Zhuge Liang replied with a gentle smile, which complemented his scholarly appearance.
"Of course. Come with me now; we'll discuss official matters in the government office tomorrow. Let's not keep Xuande waiting," Lu Su said with a smile.
"Look at them," Chen Xi shrugged and said to Jia Xu, "Don't you feel a bit envious?"
"My teeth aren't aching, but don't you feel it's getting a bit chilly?" Jia Xu asked, turning to Chen Xi.
"Maybe you're just weak. This breeze feels quite refreshing..." Chen Xi started to remark, but then a gust of cold wind snuck into his sleeves and collar. "Achoo! Zijing, you rascal..." he muttered as he hurried into Liu Bei's residence, while Jia Xu simply shook his head.
By the time Chen Xi and Jia Xu had taken their seats, most of the civil and military officials of Fenggao had already gathered. However, compared to last year when the likes of Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Gan Ning, Taishi Ci, Wei Yan, and Chen Dao were present, the military ranks were noticeably thinner this time. However, this time Xu Chu was seated among the military officers.
Chen Xi squinted slightly. Xu Chu was seated in the military section, right next to Zhang Fei. The two were already guzzling wine from large jars like old friends.
"Zichuan, long time no see! Soon, I'm planning to challenge Lü Bu one-on-one!" Zhang Fei bellowed the moment he saw Chen Xi. Then, like beating a drum, he slapped Xu Chu on the back and laughed, "Zhongkang here is also eager to measure Lü Bu's strength. Want to join us?"
Hearing the dull "thump, thump, thump" of Zhang Fei's slaps, Chen Xi couldn't help but grimace. It was fortunate that Xu Chu was the one receiving those blows. If it were anyone else, they'd likely be dead. But Xu Chu, with his thick skin, continued drinking without a care, his hand steady as ever.
"Haha, we'll see. I don't think I'll be going, though. Just be careful," Chen Xi replied with a smile.
"Don't worry, your third brother's got your back. I've been training in Taishan for three years, and now I can lift a giant cauldron with my spear without even using inner energy," Zhang Fei boasted proudly.
The battle at Hulao Pass had left a deep impression on Zhang Fei, giving him much to think about. It had also left a mark on him—Lü Bu's arrogant, confident demeanor had been seared into his memory!
That was Zhang Fei's only defeat, and now he sought to erase that shame. Only by facing Lü Bu head-on could he truly measure his progress!
Zhang Fei wasn't entirely confident that he could defeat Lü Bu. Although his strength had grown to rival that of Xu Chu, he knew that raw power alone wouldn't be enough to overcome Lü Bu.
After the battle at Hulao Pass, Zhang Fei had spent a long time contemplating. Ultimately, he chose to abandon secret techniques and specialized skills. While those could enhance his combat prowess, they were short-term solutions. They might make him invincible against similarly skilled opponents, but Zhang Fei preferred to aim higher.
Before Hulao Pass, Zhang Fei might have believed that reaching the level of projecting inner energy was the pinnacle of martial prowess. He might have thought that such power would allow him to match even Xiang Yu. But after Hulao Pass, Zhang Fei understood that while projecting inner energy might be the limit for warriors, one must actually reach that limit. At Hulao Pass, Lü Bu could have killed him in just a hundred moves!
Now, Zhang Fei had reached his peak, driven by the memory of Lü Bu. Following Lü Bu and Huang Zhong, he had become another super-general who had reached the pinnacle of projecting inner energy. He had surpassed top experts like Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, Tong Yuan, and Wang Yue, who were still striving for perfection in their inner energy projection. Zhang Fei had reached the end of that path!
While Tong Yuan and Wang Yue might still be slightly stronger than Zhang Fei in a fight and capable of contending with Lü Bu, Zhang Fei had ventured further along this path. He had reached the finish line, while Tong Yuan and Wang Yue were still walking it.
Zhang Fei was only vaguely aware of this. At this level, there were no guides—he had to rely on himself. After breaking through the limits of inner energy projection, Zhang Fei had gained a deeper understanding of Lü Bu's strength. But instead of feeling intimidated, he was even more eager. He needed this battle—a battle with Lü Bu!