Chapter Nine: A Powerful Backer

Xu Kang was acutely aware of his own limitations. In this bureaucratic, feudal era of the Eastern Han, to thrive like a fish in water, one needed a powerful patron. Even if he didn't have one, he would have to fabricate one—not necessarily a high official, but one with enough influence to be useful.

This wasn't deception; it was strategy.

Of course, he couldn't just invent something out of thin air—if anyone saw through the ruse, the consequences would be dire, perhaps even fatal. To create a believable and useful patron, without being exposed, tested the breadth of one’s knowledge and adaptability.

Xu Kang excelled in precisely this.

As a gaming enthusiast, he had played nearly every genre, especially countless games set in the Three Kingdoms era. Through these games, he grew familiar with the era’s key figures, and his occasional perusal of biographies made him something of a Three Kingdoms aficionado.

Thus, when he resolved to fabricate a patron, the first name that came to mind was Cai Yong.

Cai Yong, styled Bojie, was a celebrated minister of the Eastern Han, a gifted writer and calligrapher, and the father of the renowned Cai Wenji—later hailed as one of the “Four Great Talented Women.” Cai Yong was most famous for being summoned by Dong Zhuo, who admired his talent; Dong forced him into office as Libationer, and within three days, Cai Yong rose through the ranks of Censor, Literary Censor, Minister of the Interior, Palace Attendant, and Commandant of the Left Cavalry, eventually being ennobled as Marquis of Gaoyang Village.

Hence he was also known as “Commandant Cai.”

Sadly, Cai Yong was an upright man. After Dong Zhuo’s death, he mourned his former benefactor, an act that angered Wang Yun. Arrested and thrown into prison, Cai Yong ultimately died behind bars. As the old saying goes—“Success and failure both rest on the same person.”

Cai Yong was both admirable and tragic—a main reason Xu Kang chose to pose as his disciple.

To claim discipleship under such a man was hardly shameful.

But the most critical factor was that Cai Yong had been exiled to Shuofang and wouldn’t return for years, meaning Xu Kang could impersonate his disciple without fear of exposure. Moreover, the eunuch faction now held sway, and Cai Yong had earned their enmity before his exile; at such a dangerous moment, even Cai Yong’s actual disciples were eager to sever all connection with him. Who would dare pretend to be his disciple? Who would risk retaliation from the eunuchs?

Thus, when Xu Kang introduced himself as Cai Yong’s disciple, the official named Zhang was shocked but did not doubt him; in fact, he looked at Xu Kang with a touch of sympathy.

In his mind, once word got out that Xu Kang was linked to Cai Yong, the Xu family would become prey, doomed to destruction before long.

Originally, Zhang had come to arrest Xu Fu and extort some money, but now he abandoned that plan altogether. He wanted nothing to do with the Xu family—what if he were caught up in the eunuchs’ dragnet by accident?

He was not alone in this. The man who had come with him—the one forced by Xu Fu to buy carpenter slaves—held much the same view. He glanced at Xu Kang, then at Xu Fu, his expression gleefully malicious, as if to say—

“Now that your younger brother is Cai Yong’s disciple, you’re doomed!”

He couldn’t bother arguing with a doomed man. Exchanging a glance of understanding with Zhang, the two men saluted Xu Kang, offered a few polite words, and promptly took their leave.

After they departed, Xu Fu finally understood what was happening and, stunned, turned to Xu Kang.

“Second Brother, are you truly Master Cai Yong’s disciple? When did you become his pupil? Why didn’t I know?”

Xu Kang: “……”

Of course not; it was all a lie. How could you possibly know?

But he couldn’t tell that to his simple-minded brother, or he’d be inviting disaster. So Xu Kang decided on a well-intentioned fib.

“Brother, here’s how it happened. That year, when Master was home to honor his mother’s memory, he happened to meet me playing outside. He found me clever and, pleased, took me as his disciple. He said that when he returned to Luoyang, he’d send for me. But after that, I never heard from him again.”

He paused, tilting his head to gaze at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, and sighed deeply.

“Alas… I thought Master had changed his mind, so I never told Mother or you. Only later did I learn that he had suffered a great misfortune—not only losing his office, but being exiled.”

“What? Is that so?” Xu Fu was shocked, then slapped his thigh in frustration, his face full of anxious regret.

“Second Brother, you were too reckless! If you were never officially his disciple, why admit it now? Don’t you know Master Cai offended the eunuchs? You’re throwing yourself into the fire! We can’t stay here any longer!”

With that, he slapped his hands heavily onto Xu Kang’s shoulders.

“Second Brother, take Mother and leave the city at once. I’ll stay behind to guard the house. If that villainous official comes to arrest you, I’ll cut him down with my sword and rid you of the threat. Now go pack, quickly!”

Seeing Xu Fu’s anxious face, Xu Kang felt a warm glow in his heart.

“Even if Xu Fu is a bit thickheaded, he’s reliable when it counts.”

He smiled again and waved his hand reassuringly.

“Brother, don’t worry. It’s not as serious as you think. Though Master once offended the eunuchs, most of them are now dead or exiled; only a few minor figures remain, and they can’t stir up much trouble.”

“Really? Is that true?” Xu Fu’s eyes widened again. “This is serious business—we can’t afford to joke!”

“I’m not joking!”

Seeing Xu Fu’s disbelief, Xu Kang could only shake his head and explain patiently.

“Master’s main enemy was Wang Fu, the Palace Attendant, but he was brought down by Yang Biao and Yang Qiu and died four or five years ago. Now the Ten Attendants are led by Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, both greedy for wealth. I have my own ways of dealing with them. You needn’t worry.”

“But—”

Xu Fu clearly wanted to say more, but Xu Kang raised his hand, cutting him off.

“That’s enough, Brother. Hurry and take those two carpenters you hired and start building the hundred wooden boxes I asked for. If you don’t, I’ll tell Mother you’ve caused trouble again. See if she’ll forgive you then!”

Xu Fu: “╭(°A°`)╮”

That’s not fair!

For Xu Fu, his mother was his greatest nemesis. Threatened by Xu Kang, he immediately gave in and left with the two carpenters.

Once they were gone, Xu Kang let out a weary sigh and rubbed his stomach.

“Damn, I was barely full before, and now I’m hungry again after all this. If only I could conjure bread like a mage in those games.”

He was only daydreaming, but to his amazement, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, his hands lifted involuntarily, and a soft glow appeared in his palms.

Three seconds later, a piece of sweet-smelling bread and a waterskin of unknown material appeared in his hands.

At the same time, information about these two items surfaced in his mind.

[Magic Bread]: Bread conjured by magic. One piece satisfies an adult’s daily needs, packed with all essential nutrients, and has a healing effect to speed recovery from injuries.
Note: A magical creation, never spoils. If made by a mage, it’s always top quality.

[Magic Fresh Water]: Water conjured by magic. One bag meets an adult’s daily needs, rich in trace elements and minerals, with restorative properties that relieve fatigue and clear the mind.
Note: A magical creation, never spoils. If made by a mage, it’s always top quality.

Staring at the items in his hands, Xu Kang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“This is… the bread and water from World of Warcraft? Was that dream of mine real? Did I actually inherit a mage’s skills?”