Mythical Three Kingdoms

As for Da Qiao, she quietly watched Little Qiao's performance without interrupting; there's nothing she could do but listen and observe attentively.

Little Qiao stuck to Zhou Yu all day long, and Zhou Yu was constantly plotting this and that. Over time, Little Qiao effortlessly dealt with Ma Chao, who was, to put it nicely, straightforward, or to put it bluntly, a brainless fool.

Very soon, Little Qiao even found out the name of Ma Chao's fiancée. At this moment, Da Qiao coughed twice to signal Little Qiao to stop, prompting Little Qiao to pout discontentedly.

"Sorry for disturbing General Ma. I believe your body has yet to recover since you just awakened. Please rest as much as needed. If you have any requests, notify Minglan; she will assist you," Da Qiao bowed slightly, gesturing to the maid next to her.

"Lady, please take care," Ma Chao foolishly replied, and only after watching Da Qiao and Little Qiao leave did he remember that he didn't even know their names, more importantly—where was his Lifeisha?

"Where's my horse?" Ma Chao asked frantically, finally coming to his senses.

"General's horse? It's in the back yard." The maid recalled the bald horse flying around and biting other horses, which happened when it got struck by lightning but miraculously survived. Though Ma Chao didn't turn bald, Lifeisha did.

"Oh, good," Ma Chao exhaled deeply; Lifeisha was fine, and that's all that mattered. It was his companion through hardship, barely surviving. Thinking of this, Ma Chao somewhat understood why Lyu Bu hunted him.

"Well, it's because I can't defeat Lyu Bu; otherwise, things wouldn't be like this." Ma Chao shivered at the thought of Lyu Bu's celestial strength, something he had always desired.

"Losing to Marquis Wenn is a common occurrence, don't you think?" Sunx Ce and Zhou Yu, accompanied by Da Qiao and Little Qiao, overheard Ma Chao's words and replied with a chuckle.

"Eavesdropping isn't a good habit," Ma Chao said unsatisfied, looking at Sunx Ce and Zhou Yu appearing together, which made him uneasy—the world seemed dim, and everything revolved around Sunx Ce and Zhou Yu.

"But speaking ill behind someone's back isn't good either." Zhou Yu smiled at Ma Chao. Now noticing that although he too was handsome, Ma Chao's handsomeness was more superficially focused compared to their refined magnificence.

"Thank you for saving my life; I will repay you generously someday," Ma Chao did not dwell on the previous matters but showed pride unlike when talking to Da Qiao and Little Qiao. He held his head high, and though Sunx Ce and Zhou Yu indeed carried the aura of being stars among stars, Ma Chao was no ordinary warrior.

"I've never thought you'd be able to repay me with anything." Sunx Ce laughed genuinely, having not considered any reciprocation from Ma Chao.

"Hmph, I am Ma Mengqi of Xiliang. I suppose you both come from affluent families. When your business expands to Yongliang, my Ma Clan will naturally provide support in all aspects," Ma Chao spoke arrogantly, fired up by the presence of Sunx Ce and Zhou Yu.

"Hahaha~" Sunx Ce and Zhou Yu exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

"If Bofu's business expands to Yongliang, why would we need help?" Zhou Yu laughed; if Sunx Ce's influence could expand to Yongliang, it would mean dominance, even if not it would still divide the world.

Ma Chao was puzzled, looking at the two; since their lady already knew him, surely their husbands must know his family's strength. Though Yongliang's Ma Clan wasn't prominent, it was considerably powerful.

"There's no need for that, General Ma," Zhou Yu smiled, extinguishing the idea of recruiting Ma Chao, who was a significant landlord. His father was the major player in Liangzhou; why bother allying with Zhou Yu?

However, the future was uncertain; Zhou Yu foresaw Ma Teng and Hann Sui clashing with Cao Cao over Yongliang's leadership. Seeing the chance to sow discord later, Zhou Yu didn't mind casting a long-line bait now; this unexpected alignment with Ma Chao could become a trump card later.

"What's more, if my brother Sun Bofu really extends business to Liangzhou, the situation would have been clear. So, General Ma's words only bring a smile," Zhou Yu explained, his words seeming mocking, but Ma Chao detected Zhou Yu's sincerity.

"So rash of me," Ma Chao admitted, known for his straightforwardness, acting without much thought, benign yet prone to mistakes. Understanding Zhou Yu's message, he chuckled at his own short-sightedness.

Zhou Yu maintained a slight smile, despite only brief exchanges, he grasped Ma Chao's character, akin to Sunx Ce's. Sadly, Ma Chao lacked someone like Zhou Yu to support him, leading to likely mishaps from well-intentioned actions.

"By the way, isn't your home in Xiliang? Why have you come to our Jingzhou?" Sunx Ce curiously inquired about what intrigued him the most, "From your earlier words, did Marquis Wenn beat you?"

Sunx Ce admired Lyu Bu greatly, apart from his integrity; Lyu Bu was the strongest military general he had seen. Whether Zhao Yun on the Yangtze or Huang Zhong in Jingzhou, none were as imposing as Lyu Bu!

Ma Chao twitched his lips, elaborating on earlier events. Though bygones, he realized his errors without regretting much as he explained.

"You did well," Sunx Ce praised, showing a thumbs-up in amazement, "you got away from Red Hare and managed to reach Jingzhou alive; surviving Marquis Wenn shows both skill and extraordinary luck."

Zhou Yu too marveled inwardly, although expecting Ma Chao's prowess, given Ma Chao's Inner Qi Manifestation Divine Steed, his combat skills should be impressive. Yet he escaped Lyu Bu—a rare feat in single combat and successful escape!

"Don't mention it," Ma Chao waved, "if not for some unknown reason Marquis Wenn spared me, I'd be dead by now."

Recalling the aerial clash against Lyu Bu in Bingzhou, Ma Chao was perplexed; seeing Lyu Bu chase him along half the Central Plains, then sparing him in the decisive strike filled him with dread.

"Lyu Bu truly is monstrously powerful." Ma Chao was astounded recollecting the perilous times, not realizing his recklessness until now—thinking back, his back was drenched in sweat, "A monster! Yet I aspire to become such a monster!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)

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