Chapter Fifty: Peng Tuo and the Indomitable Pig

After driving away the crowd of idlers who did nothing but gossip, Xu Kang returned to his tent once more, his gaze settling on Peng Tuo, who lay prostrate on the floor.

The agony of despair lasted only fifteen seconds; once time elapsed, the pain faded away. No longer feeling any pain, Peng Tuo ceased his cries, but the torment had left him utterly exhausted. Sweat soaked his brow, and though he tried several times, he could not rise, forced instead to kneel in terror before Xu Kang.

Xu Kang recognized that expression well; he had seen it before when intimidating He Jin at the Grand General’s residence.

“How nostalgic that look is!” he mused, a faint smile curling his lips as he waved dismissively at Peng Tuo.

“All right, Peng Tuo, there’s no need to be so frightened. I am hardly a fiend. It’s just that people don’t understand me; in truth, I’m a very easygoing person. Since you cannot stand, you needn’t force yourself. Just kneel and speak to me.”

Peng Tuo was speechless. Easygoing? He cursed inwardly, a thousand expletives bubbling up, yet the memory of pain kept him silent. He could only kneel, his gaze stubborn and unyielding as he looked at Xu Kang. Yet the posture drained him of any sense of dignity, and after a few seconds of meeting Xu Kang’s eyes, he turned his face away.

Xu Kang was unperturbed, pacing the tent with his hands clasped behind his back. After a few circuits, he addressed Peng Tuo again.

“Peng Tuo, I suspect you have things you wish to tell me—such as the Yellow Turbans’ defensive positions in Changshe County, their numbers, and their commanders. Surely you want to share this information with me, don’t you?”

Peng Tuo said nothing, stubbornly turning his head to the side in silent refusal.

Xu Kang smacked his lips and sighed deeply.

“Tsk... Ah, it seems you’re unwilling. Well, I don’t like forcing people, so I’ll give you a few breaths to reconsider. Agony of Despair!”

As his words fell, the unbearable pain returned to Peng Tuo, sending him sprawled on the ground, screaming in torment.

“Ahhhhhh...”

The pain surged and receded swiftly; after fifteen seconds, it ebbed away like the tide. Cold sweat poured down Peng Tuo’s face, soaking his temples and beard. He gasped for air, staring at Xu Kang as though he were seeing a demon.

“Who... who are you?” he stammered.

Xu Kang sighed once more, shaking his head.

---

“Ah! Chief Peng Tuo, it seems your memory fails you. I told you my name just now. For three days you’ve been chased by me like a stray dog—do you still not know who I am?”

“It’s you!” Peng Tuo finally realized, pointing at Xu Kang in shock.

“You’re Iron Will Pig!”

Xu Kang was dumbfounded.

What nonsense—how did he become Iron Will Pig? You’re Iron Will Pig! Your whole family is Iron Will Pig!

Furious, Xu Kang jabbed a finger at Peng Tuo’s forehead. “Seems you haven’t had enough—very well, I’ll oblige you. Agony of Despair! Agony of Despair! Agony of Despair!”

“No—ahhhhhhh...”

Perhaps the pain was too much in too short a time; this time Peng Tuo couldn’t withstand it and passed out.

When he awoke, a huge wild boar’s face loomed before him.

“Ah—” Peng Tuo’s hair stood on end, fear jolting him as he scrambled away from the beast.

Xu Kang burst out laughing at his terror.

“Hahaha—look at you! Didn’t you want to meet Iron Will Pig? Now that you have, shouldn’t you be happy? Why are you so frightened?”

“Iron... Iron Will Pig?” Peng Tuo stared at the enormous wild boar in disbelief.

“This wild boar... is it... is it Iron Will Pig?”

“Yes!” Xu Kang nodded, patting the boar’s massive head. “Come on, Little Strong, say hello!”

Iron Will Pig snorted softly.

Peng Tuo was flabbergasted.

All this time, the opponent he’d cursed a hundred times daily, Iron Will Pig, was actually a wild boar?

---

What kind of joke was this?

But the boar was enormous—could it be a monster? Was the sorcery wielded by the Han army not by humans, but by this pig demon?

Peng Tuo’s composure crumbled, his expression shifting from shock to numbness. Xu Kang, observing the change, was unsurprised; ever since he’d tamed Iron Will Pig and brought it back to camp, he’d seen that look on countless soldiers’ faces.

In truth, before Iron Will Pig, such a reaction was only natural.

Even he had to admit that with Iron Will Pig present, the troops’ morale was always at its peak.

Take the battle before dawn, for instance: though he commanded the artillery with a stoic face, watching thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers charge, he would have been lying to claim he felt no fear. If even he, with his strong nerves, felt anxious, the common soldiers surely did as well.

Yet, thanks to Iron Will Pig standing nearby, even as the Yellow Turbans came within fifty meters, the soldiers remained calm, steadily loading and firing their cannons without a hint of terror.

It was only then that Xu Kang realized the confidence he’d tried so hard to instill in his men had, unbeknownst to him, been accomplished by a wild boar.

With a trace of reluctance, he reached out to rub Iron Will Pig’s head.

“Little Strong, well done. No wonder I chose you... Have you been eating too much magic bread lately? You seem to have grown again!”

Iron Will Pig snorted contentedly.

Xu Kang laughed.

After exchanging a few affectionate gestures with his pet, Xu Kang turned his attention back to Peng Tuo.

“All right, Peng Tuo, time is short. I’ll ask you one last time: the Yellow Turbans’ defensive positions in Changshe County, their numbers, and their commanders—you must answer truthfully!”

He patted Peng Tuo’s shoulder gently, his manner almost kindly.

“I should explain the Han army’s policy to you: confession leads to leniency, resistance to severity. This is your chance to redeem yourself—make the most of it!”

Peng Tuo was bewildered.

When did the Han army ever have such a policy?