Chapter 125: Gao Di’s Profound Enigma

After a brief moment of astonishment, Peng Xiaoyu hung her head and walked toward Wei Ba like a bashful young bride. "Young Master, I was wrong."

Peng Heng watched his sister, whose cheeks were flushed and lips curled in a faint smile, for a long while before suddenly letting out a sigh. He pointed a finger at her, wanting to say something but unable to find the words. After waving his hand in frustration for some time, he spat out viciously, "Wei Ba, if anything happens to my sister, I will wipe out your entire family." With that, he turned and left without looking back.

Seeing the pained way Peng Heng walked, Peng Xiaoyu finally snapped out of her daze. She hurried to catch up, grabbing his arm and asking urgently, "Brother, are you injured?"

"It is nothing, just a minor wound." Peng Heng’s face twitched as he reached out to touch the bruise on his sister’s cheek. "Don’t forget to take your medicine. That brat just admitted it himself; he is a lecherous man."

"I know." Peng Xiaoyu nodded repeatedly, her face burning. Remembering something, she quickly added, "Brother, wait here." She scampered back to Wei Ba and pleaded, "Young Master, could you... give me some medicine for his wounds?"

"You wish," Wei Ba retorted, though he reached into his luggage for the Wei family’s medicinal supplies. He took half and shoved them into her arms. "If I had known I would have to treat his injuries, I should have just hacked him to death earlier."

Without arguing, Peng Xiaoyu clutched the medicine and sprinted back to Peng Heng, pressing it into his hands. "Brother, this is the best medicine from the Wei family. Use half externally and take half internally, one dose three times a day."

Peng Heng looked from his sister to Wei Ba, his mouth twitching. He tucked the medicine into his robe, clutched his stomach, and hurried away. Peng Xiaoyu watched him from the doorway, her hands resting on the frame, until he vanished from sight. Only then did she return to the room, dejected.

Wei Ba squinted at her. Peng Xiaoyu stood to the side, head bowed, acting with extreme caution. After a long silence, she whispered, "Young Master, would you like me to... prepare a basin for a foot bath?"

Wei Ba chuckled, beckoned her over, and studied her closely for a moment. He asked with some confusion, "Has this bruise of yours... gotten smaller?"

Peng Xiaoyu looked at him nervously. "Young Master, did you notice?"

"I just have a feeling. It seems lighter and smaller, though it is not very obvious."

Xiaoyu covered her crimson face in embarrassment. She hummed like a mosquito, "My brother has a Taoist priest who knows medicine. He said this is a condition of 'Yin Cold.' He prescribed a formula, but the ingredients were hard to find. My brother had people search all the way to Luoyang, and it took a great deal of effort to gather them. I have only been taking it for half a month, so I suppose it is not very noticeable yet, therefore... therefore..."

"Is that so? That is a good thing." Wei Ba shrugged and laughed, rubbing his hands together with excitement. "Then, in the future, Xiaoyu, you will be a perfect maid."

Seeing Wei Ba’s irreverent attitude, Peng Xiaoyu could not help but smile. Although she was not fond of his lecherous and unprincipled nature, she was, after all, hoping to get rid of this unsightly bruise. Ever since Wei Ba was framed by her brother, she had been consumed by guilt, weeping in secret whenever she thought of him. Now, seeing him standing before her, lively and teasing, her heart warmed, and she no longer cared about his lack of noble character.

"When did you arrive in Chang'an?"

"Just two days ago," Peng Xiaoyu replied happily. "Half a month ago, my brother received orders from Wancheng and we set off immediately."

"Half a month ago?" Wei Ba calculated. Jin Dongliu had left Chang'an two months ago; for Peng Heng to receive orders only half a month ago meant there was a significant delay.

"After the incident with you, Young Master, the pursuit in Hanzhong became extremely tight. It became very difficult for my brother and his men to operate, and several of them were captured. On the journey here from Hanzhong, two more died." Peng Xiaoyu’s face darkened. "My brother suffered heavy losses this time. He will find it difficult to return to Hanzhong soon, so he must be heading back to Wancheng."

Wei Ba nodded to himself. With Prime Minister Zhuge garrisoned in Hanzhong, and Peng Heng having exposed his tracks, it was lucky he hadn't been wiped out entirely. A severe blow was inevitable. Rebuilding such a powerful spy network in Hanzhong would not be an easy task. The Prime Minister was truly a master of hidden schemes; this strategy of turning an enemy's plan against them was brilliant.

At the thought of "turning an enemy's plan against them," Wei Ba’s heart sank. Peng Heng’s words from earlier were like a weed, planted in his mind without him realizing, and now it would be hard to remove.

Outside the city, Peng Heng sat in his carriage and pulled the curtain shut. Only then did he release his clenched teeth and let out a groan. A subordinate named Chen Ming stepped into the carriage and asked with concern, "My Lord, are you alright?"

"It is nothing," Peng Heng exhaled slowly, cursing, "That brat strikes hard. Yougao, is everything arranged?"

Chen Ming nodded, then added, "My Lord, are we just going to leave like this?"

A glint appeared in Peng Heng’s eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Do you have other thoughts?"

Chen Ming was startled and quickly replied, "My Lord, you misunderstand. I only thought that since we are in Chang'an and involved in such a major affair, if we do not send word to the General Who Pacifies the West, in the future..."

Seeing that Peng Heng had no intention of continuing the conversation, Chen Ming stopped, bowed, and retreated. He had just lowered the curtain when he heard Peng Heng say, "Go back to Mount Shu, bring your junior brother’s body back, and ask your master to send an expert. The guard at Wei Ba’s side has high-level martial arts; ordinary people cannot handle him."

Chen Ming looked embarrassed for a moment, then bowed and turned toward the last carriage, which carried the corpse. Inside that carriage, his junior brother’s skull had been split open, white brains oozing from the wound. His eyes, though unfocused, were wide open—he had died with deep resentment.

"Junior brother, rest easy. We will certainly avenge you." Chen Ming reached out to close his junior brother’s eyes, muttering a prayer.

Inside the carriage, Peng Heng leaned against the wall, one hand rubbing his abdomen while the other toyed with the medicine he had obtained from Wei Ba. A smile of hidden meaning hung on his lips. Today’s outcome was unexpected, but it seemed not entirely bad. The only thing that unsettled him was the heavy loss and the low morale of his men. How he would account for this to Sima Shi upon returning to Wancheng, and how he would suppress these desperadoes under his command—that was what truly worried him.

...

Xiahou Hui and Xiahou Mao stood side by side on the city wall, hidden in the shadows of the eaves, watching the carriage fade into the distance in silence.

Xiahou Hui felt awkward. She opened her mouth several times to speak, but gave up each time, twisting her handkerchief around her slender fingers until they turned pale. She knew Xiahou Mao was in a foul mood, but she did not know how to console him.

Xiahou Mao, of course, knew Peng Heng had entered the guesthouse to see Wei Ba. Peng Heng carried travel documents issued in Wancheng and held a command tablet from Sima Yi’s subordinates, which was why Xiahou Mao had allowed him to see Wei Ba. He had been waiting for Peng Heng to report the results of their meeting afterward, but he hadn't expected Peng Heng to just leave.

This was naked contempt.

Coupled with Jin Dongliu’s concealment of Wei Ba’s identity last time, and now Peng Heng’s disregard for him, Xiahou Mao was furious. Had he not been a man accustomed to being overly accommodating, or even just slightly more assertive, he would have sent men to drag Peng Heng back into the city and give him a severe beating.

Xiahou Mao was a kind soul; he could not bring himself to act so tyrannically, but that did not mean he was not angry.

Xiahou Hui wanted to persuade him, but considering her own position, she found it difficult to speak. Thinking of how her marriage into the Sima family was merely a hidden pawn, her heart was in turmoil. She felt it was all meaningless and grew weary of interfering.

This was a man’s world, a war among men. Since I am a woman, I should just be a woman. Regardless of whom I marry, I will simply serve my husband and raise my children. Why must I be dragged into these affairs?

She thought to herself.

Xiahou Mao turned his head to look at her. Seeing her face pale and her eyes dull, he paused. Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Nuo scurried up the city wall. Panting, he saluted: "General, there is one more person at Wei Ba’s side."

"Who?"

"A maid."

"A maid?"

"Yes, it seems she was brought by that man surnamed Peng. Based on how they addressed each other, her name seems to be Peng Xiaoyu."

Xiahou Mao remembered; he had heard Wei Ba mention her. She must be Peng Heng’s sister. His mood soured further. Is Peng Heng trying to plant spies around me?

"Is she still at the guesthouse?"

"No, she just left." Xiao Nuo observed Xiahou Mao’s expression and quickly added, "Please rest assured, General, I have already sent Pi Erding to follow her. Pi Erding is very familiar with Chang'an; as soon as there is news, he will report it to you."

"Good, very good." Xiahou Mao nodded, giving Xiao Nuo an appreciative look. "Watch them closely, but do not alert them. I want to see exactly what kind of tricks they are playing."

"Understood."

...

In a residence not far from the guesthouse, Zhao Su leaned against a low table, gazing at a reproduction of the *Map of the Great River* hanging on the wall. He stroked his short beard with one hand, while the other tapped gently on the desk. Several sheets of cocoon paper lay before him, covered in various inscriptions. In a nearby brazier, a few other sheets had already been reduced to ash.

Footsteps sounded outside. Zhao Su frowned and quickly grabbed a paper with a few characters written on it, tossing it into the fire. The flames licked the paper, brightening instantly as it curled, turned yellow, and then black.

"Senior Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Su glanced at the pile of ash in the brazier before saying, "Is that Mengyu? Come in."

Zhang Wen walked in carrying a food tray. He knelt to the side, placed the tray on the desk, and glanced at the brazier. He poured a cup of wine and handed it to Zhao Su, smiling calmly. "Has Senior Brother deciphered the mysteries within?"

Zhao Su smiled and took a sip. "This River Map is very complex. With my level, I can only grasp the surface. Mengyu, why don't you send this map to Luoyang and ask our Mentor to take a look? His mastery of the Tao is profound; perhaps he can understand more than we can."

Zhang Wen nodded. "Very well. He is rotting away with boredom in Luoyang anyway; it might be good for him to have something to solve."

Zhao Su could not help but laugh, tapping Zhang Wen on the head. "You brat, if our Mentor heard you say that, he would make you copy the *Laozi Xiang'er Zhu* one hundred times."

"What is one hundred times? I have already written it five hundred times in total," Zhang Wen shrugged, smiling bitterly. "But no matter how much I write, it is useless. I cannot see any genuine Taoist arts in this. This River Map... I suppose it is nothing more than that."

Zhao Su blinked. "Do not underestimate this Wei Ba. His Taoist cultivation is quite deep. The iron shovel he invented is the most popular farming tool in Hanzhong now. Last year, because of that shovel, Hanzhong’s grain harvest increased by twenty percent, and it should be even higher this year."

"I believe that. A man who can convince Senior Brother Zhao must be no ordinary person," Zhang Wen shook his head. "But it is a pity. He is a surrendered general now. Even if the General Who Pacifies the West were foolish, he would not heavily employ a turncoat."

Zhao Su sighed. "True. That is why fate is truly unpredictable. No matter how well you plan today, you never know what tomorrow will bring—or even if you will be able to open your eyes tomorrow morning."