Chapter Fifty-Five: Xu Kang of Yingchuan

For a qualified mystic, occasionally displaying necessary supernatural abilities helps to enhance the loyalty and sense of belonging among subordinates.

However, this trick cannot be overused; otherwise, when people hear his name in the future, they might not think of a "renowned scholar," but rather a "sorcerer."

Therefore, Xu Kang usually kept things veiled, so that when he "accidentally" revealed his abilities, those who witnessed it would feel especially fortunate and elated, as if a scavenger had stumbled upon a golden necklace—pure exhilaration.

Xu Kang played this game to perfection.

For example, this time, although he could have quietly eliminated Peng Tuo and set out immediately, he deliberately called Zhao Hong and Zhang Cheng to his side, slain Peng Tuo in their presence, and then soared into the sky in the majestic form of a giant eagle, riding the wind!

Under the bright moonlight, a giant eagle unfurled its massive wings, circling through the night sky. Sometimes it would dive, its vast wings stirring a gale; sometimes it would ascend, letting out a resonant and piercing cry, as if proclaiming dominion over the heavens.

Witnessing this, Zhao Hong and Zhang Cheng were utterly transfixed, their lips moving after a long while to utter a single phrase.

"Such heavenly skills... Sir, you are truly a divine being!"

To them, this was the most expressive wording for their inner shock.

For the other soldiers, their response was more straightforward: they raised their arms and shouted.

"The general is mighty! Victory to the general! Roar, roar, roar!"

"Roar, roar, roar!"

"Roar, roar, roar, roar, roar..."

Hearing the shouts below, Xu Kang—still acclimating to his flight posture—was startled, nearly causing an aerial mishap!

Fortunately, he had gained enough altitude earlier, so during the descent he managed to adjust in time, circling to regain height, and was met again by a chorus of cheers from below.

This time, he was not affected by their excitement. After circling the camp twice more, feeling confident, he turned and flew toward the county seat of Changshe, leaving the soldiers in camp still shouting in excitement, their voices lingering long after.

For these exhilarated soldiers, it would surely be a sleepless night, but such matters were no longer Xu Kang's concern.

Flying through the sky at great speed, he reached Changshe County in less than five minutes, swept over the towering city walls, and finally landed within the county magistrate's residence.

Upon touching down, he reverted from the druidic eagle form to his human shape—his black official robes marking him as a young man, otherwise no different from any Han dynasty official.

The official attire of the Han dynasty was regulated; though the style was uniform, it changed with the seasons.

Summed up in eight words: "Spring green, summer yellow, autumn white, winter black."

Although, outside the court, there was little strictness about what one wore, standing out from the crowd could still attract attention.

Moreover, with the Yellow Turban army besieging the city, all of Changshe was on alert, and the magistrate's residence, where Lu Zhi and others stayed, was the most heavily guarded of all.

Thus, Xu Kang, in his black official robes, quickly attracted the notice of patrolling soldiers, who surrounded him at once.

Yet, seeing his official attire, the soldiers did not draw their blades, but instead clasped their hands in guarded respect.

"Sir, you seem unfamiliar to us. Might we ask your name?"

"Heh!" Xu Kang smiled gently at the interrogating soldiers, drawing from his sleeve the command token, and showed it to them.

"I am the newly appointed Sima of a separate division under the Grand General, dispatched by the court to bring troops in support of Lord Lu Zhi. Here is my token—take me to Lord Lu Zhi at once!"

"Sima of a separate division?"

The soldiers examining his token frowned and questioned further. "Since you are reinforcements, where are your troops? And how did you arrive here?"

Xu Kang: "..."

Damn, why does this fellow have so many questions?

Xu Kang certainly could not admit he had flown here as an eagle, but fabricating another story would be troublesome, so he impatiently waved his hand.

"Enough—this is a military secret. You need not concern yourselves. If you are uneasy, take this to Lord Lu Zhi!"

With that, he tossed forward the blood-soaked parcel he was holding, landing it with a heavy thud at the soldier's feet.

"The head of the Yellow Turban commander Peng Tuo is here. Once Lord Lu Zhi sees it, he will meet with me!"

"What? Peng Tuo's head?" The surrounding soldiers were instantly shocked.

Peng Tuo was, after all, a commander of the Yellow Turbans, a high-ranking leader with considerable forces. Even their own general spoke his name with gravity.

Yet now, someone had thrown down a blood-stained bundle, claiming it contained Peng Tuo's head—how could they not be astonished?

Immediately, a soldier bent to open the bundle, but before his hand reached it, a booming voice rang out behind him.

"Where is the head of that villain Peng Tuo? Let me see!"

The soldiers looked up to see a burly man clad in bronze scale armor, with a broad face and large ears, a three-inch beard on his chin, leading a squad toward them.

Seeing him, the patrolling soldiers clasped their hands.

"General Huangfu!"

Hearing this title, Xu Kang's expression shifted; he assumed this must be Huangfu Song, and he respectfully clasped his hands in return.

"Xu Kang, magistrate of Changshe, greets General Huangfu Song!"

"Mm!"

Huangfu Song nodded, then pointed at the blood-soaked bundle on the ground.

"You say this contains Peng Tuo's head? Do you know what it means to swear no falsehood in the military?"

"Of course I do!" Xu Kang nodded immediately. "Allow me to open it for you, General!"

He moved to step forward, but Huangfu Song raised his hand to stop him. "No need. I will do it myself. Bring a torch!"

"Yes, sir!"

At his order, several soldiers came forward with torches. Under the bright flame, Huangfu Song eagerly opened the bundle, revealing the bloodied head within.

An ordinary person would have recoiled in horror, but Huangfu Song, upon seeing the head, was overcome with joy and burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha... It truly is the head of the Yellow Turban villain Peng Tuo! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"

He shouted "excellent" three times, then turned to Xu Kang, his excitement barely concealed.

"This villain, like Zhang Jiao, has been a grave threat to the Han. Whenever I thought of him, I could not sleep or eat in peace. Now, seeing his head severed brings me immense relief. May I ask which general slew this foe?"

"You flatter me, General!"

Xu Kang smiled modestly, puffing out his chest in humility.

"The one who killed this villain is none other than myself—Xu Kang of Yingchuan!"