Chapter 3: Even Someone Named Xiahou Dun Can't Be Used

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Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun disguised themselves and even entered through a different city gate. At last, they successfully blended in.

After entering Luxian County, the two realized that it was even livelier and more prosperous than they had imagined.

Beyond the city gate stretched a broad avenue paved with blue stones, nearly five zhang wide. The ground was clean and smooth, free of filth or trash, with people constantly sweeping along the sidewalks, even picking up every fallen leaf.

Xiahou Dun couldn’t help but ask, “Mengde, are there roads this wide in Luoyang?”

Cao Cao shook his head.

Although Luoyang, the capital of the Han Empire, was far more prosperous than other cities, it was hard for it to have such wide roads paved with blue stones.

Except for some main thoroughfares inside Luoyang, most roads were simply dirt paths, sometimes topped with bricks just to make them passable.

They continued forward, and within a hundred meters, they came upon a bustling marketplace.

The square was filled with the clamor of voices and the constant flow of people. The merchants’ calls never ceased. Looking carefully, the variety of goods was astonishing.

Tea and silk from the south, furs and medicinal herbs from the north, warhorses from the west—everything imaginable was there, including many things even Cao Cao had never seen.

The scale and vibrancy of this marketplace far surpassed those in Luoyang!

Could this really be just a small county town?

Xiahou Dun came from a well-off family and had seen much of the world, yet many things in this market still captivated his interest.

If they weren’t here on urgent business, he would have gladly spent some time wandering through the stalls.

Suppressing the urge to browse, Cao Cao led Xiahou Dun past the market and soon reached a wide square.

Calling it a square was almost an understatement; its spaciousness rivaled that of a military drill ground.

At that moment, a crowd had gathered, and cheers rang out from within.

“County Captain, you’re mighty! What strength!”

“Of course! Our County Captain once drove away a tiger. I say there’s no one else in the world who can match him!”

“Hmm?”

Xiahou Dun was just passing by and didn’t want to stop for the spectacle, but upon hearing that, his curiosity was immediately piqued.

He wanted to see what sort of man could drive off a tiger and dare claim to be invincible!

Did they really think Xiahou Dun was just for show?

Cao Cao immediately sensed Xiahou Dun’s intentions and hurriedly pulled him back.

“Yuanrang, don’t get carried away!”

“Mengde, you heard it too—the man inside is the County Captain. Let’s go see what he’s capable of. That way, we might also gauge the true strength of the county magistrate.”

“All right… but no trouble. Our primary purpose is to find out who this county magistrate really is.”

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“All right, I understand. Don’t worry.”

Xiahou Dun shrugged off Cao Cao’s hand and pushed through the crowd to enter. There, he saw a tall, burly man swinging a heavy stone hammer in each hand, his presence formidable.

Before coming in, Xiahou Dun had been somewhat dismissive, but seeing the stone hammers changed his expression.

Those hammers were not weapons but tools used for strengthening one’s muscles.

Xiahou Dun had practiced martial arts since childhood and had similar stone hammers at home—though theirs weighed only fifty jin each. When training, he could wield both for less than fifteen minutes before needing a rest.

But the hammers this man wielded weighed at least eighty jin each!

Yet the man lifted and swung them effortlessly, treating them almost like weapons.

By comparison, Xiahou Dun knew his strength was no match for this man, and his earlier defiance melted away.

He was destined to be a general, commanding tens of thousands in battle; there was no need to stoop to brawling with a brute.

That was his excuse.

Cao Cao also noticed the man and his eyes gleamed with excitement.

A warrior of such power was truly rare. If he could be recruited, he would surely shine in the campaign against Dong Zhuo!

Moreover, Cao Cao felt a strange kinship upon seeing him, as if fate had sent this man to him.

Straightening his clothes, Cao Cao prepared to approach and recruit him, but the man noticed them first. Setting down his hammers, he strode over.

“You two look unfamiliar—are you here to enlist? If you’ve got the skill, carry these hammers around here once. I’ll recommend you as a centurion to my lord!”

A centurion?

Xiahou Dun burst out laughing with indignation.

Did he think they were beggars?

Cao Cao’s position in Luoyang was that of Chief of the Imperial Agricultural Corps, second only to a general.

Though he had no formal rank yet, it was impossible he would settle for a mere centurion.

This was an insult!

If it weren’t for the hammers, Xiahou Dun would have lost his temper right then.

But Cao Cao just smiled.

“A centurion? Fine! Yuanrang, you try it. I think you can manage.”

Xiahou Dun looked at Cao Cao in surprise.

What are you doing?

Weren’t you telling me not to get involved in this nonsense?

Why are you having me lift those hammers?

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Cao Cao leaned close and whispered a few words, and Xiahou Dun understood.

Cao Cao admired this fierce warrior and wanted to recruit him.

If recruiting such a mighty fighter could help Cao Cao’s cause, it wasn’t a waste of time.

“All right! I’ll give it a try!”

Xiahou Dun removed his sword and handed it to Cao Cao, then stepped into the center of the square, stretching his limbs to prepare for the challenge.

Cao Cao paid no attention to Xiahou Dun’s movements, his gaze fixed entirely on the County Captain.

“County Captain, I am Cao... Cao Man. May I ask your honorable name?”

Cao Cao had been stopped at the city gate when he gave his real name, so he dared not reveal it now.

“My name is Dian Wei.”

The County Captain was straightforward. Seeing Cao Cao volunteer his name, he did not conceal his own.

“Brother Cao Man, do you want to try? Our Lord Lu said the chaotic times are coming soon, and we must recruit more warriors to secure Luxian County.”

“I won’t try. Those hammers are too heavy; I can’t lift them. Let Yuanrang go instead.”

“Yuanrang?”

Dian Wei glanced at Xiahou Dun and suddenly slapped his forehead.

“Ah! My memory fails me—I almost forgot the main point! Hey, wait a moment!”

Xiahou Dun had already prepared himself to lift the hammers with all his strength, hoping to create an opening for Cao Cao to approach Dian Wei. Unexpectedly, Dian Wei called him back.

“What is it?”

“Well, I forgot to mention—our Lord Lu said that while we need to recruit warriors, some people are absolutely forbidden. Tell me your name first; I’ll check Lord Lu’s roster.”

Xiahou Dun frowned. Dian Wei was being annoyingly slow.

“My name is Xiahou Dun.”

“Xiahou Dun? Wait a moment, I’ll check…”

Dian Wei took out a roster. After flipping through it, he closed the book.

“No! You don’t need to try. Our Lord Lu said those named Xiahou Dun cannot be recruited!”