Chapter 545: Chapter 546: After the War

Bai Lang moved a muscle and felt a tingling itch that turned into pain; he circulated Internal Force to suppress the pain, and when he lifted his head he saw two maids whose heads were nodding as if dozing. The sound of Bai Lang's movement instantly startled the two maids, and they immediately called out, "The general has awakened!" This remark alarmed the outsiders, "Do not make such a racket! It will hurt Yuzhu's spirit!" one person led, and the others hurriedly came in.

When Bai Lang looked, it turned out to be CaoCao, Xuande and their companions; as soon as they entered they sealed off the room. "What a tremendous blessing," CaoCao said joyfully, and Xuande was also overjoyed. Bai Lang naturally shared the joy, "How long have I been unconscious? Oh right, Lord Wen should just keep his whole corpse." Bai Lang said outright. CaoCao then said, "Yuzhu is indeed mighty; suffering such a severe wound only takes a moment to awaken, and we have just occupied Xiapi and subdued Lu Bu's entire army."

Upon hearing this, Bai Lang sat up directly; as he breathed, a faint golden light radiated from his body, the bandages snapped apart one by one, and his wounds resembled countless centipedes. "No problem!" the onlookers exclaimed in shock, "As long as you avoid drinking and anger, the injuries won't rupture; within ten days the flesh wounds will heal." Bai Lang said. He stood up, his light robe's wide sleeves were empty inside, for a wounded person simply cannot wear much.

It was fine even in the cold winter month; after a fire pit was lit the room became very warm, and CaoCao ordered the troops under Lu Bu to be brought up. In an instant, they escorted Gao Shun here. CaoCao asked, "What do you have to say?" Gao Shun gave no reply. CaoCao angrily ordered his execution. Bai Lang flicked his finger, a wine cup flew out and knocked the great sword away, "He is loyal and righteous; my family will protect him. Mengde, do not worry." After speaking, Bai Lang's cavalry untied the rope on Gao Shun's body and placed him aside to eat wine and meat.

Next came Chen Gong, a character CaoCao was reluctant to kill; however Chen Gong seemed completely desperate about CaoCao, seeking death yet unwilling to serve him, even voluntarily asking for execution. As for Zhang Liao, one of the Five Elite Generals, he still surrendered to CaoCao, and of course GuanYu contributed a lot; he truly pleaded with CaoCao. Speaking of it, among the generals present, aside from CaoCao's relatives, the external generals seemed to have the best relationship with GuanYu and CaoCao, and the two actually got along quite well.

GuanYu was even more loyal to Liu Xuande; if not, he might have defected to CaoCao… but who can say? At least ZhangFei's relationship with CaoCao was not great; by contrast ZhangFei's ties with Dian Wei and Xu Chu were a bit better. The Xiahou in Cao's camp and the Cao family generals all had good relations with Liu Xuande; it must be said that Liu Xuande was indeed adept at making friends and was magnanimous. Bai Lang, like Liu Xuande, was a fellow everyone liked; his wandering knight temperament suited these generals' tastes, though the schemers under CaoCao were not particularly fond of him.

The other commanders under Lu Bu, some were beheaded and some surrendered, so Liu Xuande's party felt a bit embarrassed, because it now involved Lu Bu's wife, concubines, and daughters. Bai Lang glanced sideways; CaoCao already wore a lecherous grin. Of course this was Bai Lang's subjective imagination; Liu Xuande thought Cao Mengde's expression was still very serious… while CaoCao's gaze at Bai Lang also showed a dangerous cold glint.

Bai Lang saw from CaoCao's eyes an uncompromising resolve: Diao Chan would never be handed over! Bai Lang's gaze also told Cao Mengde, "Go ahead and try! Don't think my long spear is dull!" CaoCao became furious, pushed aside the desk in front of him and left; the people present looked at each other, not knowing why CaoCao stormed out without a word. Bai Lang slapped the desk, "Bad! Let the old thief seize the chance and act first!"

As expected, Lord Cao rushed out straight to the place where Lu Bu's family was detained, riding his horse himself at a gallop, frightening the tiger‑leopard guards whose hearts leapt. Dian Wei stretched his long legs and ran to catch up; soon CaoCao, ignoring everything else, grabbed Diao Chan and left, taking her away. Did Diao Chan resist? A weak woman is not a legend of the Three Kingdoms; she could not possibly resist the force of a man in his eighties like CaoCao…

Bai Lang wasn't good at riding, but he was also a man who wanted a reputation; Diao Chan was certainly given to CaoCao, but he could arrange Lu Bu's wife and daughter. Naturally he could not take in Yan, Lu Bu's wife, who was at least thirty or forty years older than him, nor could he directly take Lu Bu's daughter; he merely ordered his cavalry to guard the house outside Lu Bu's wife and daughter, preventing any un‑reputable folk from breaking in to snatch them.

With Bai Lang's current reputation as the world's foremost warrior, it seemed no one daring enough to pull a tiger's whisker would rise to the top.

Bai Lang, LiuBei and the Cao army returned to Xudu with the spoils; Bai Lang originally wanted to leave but really didn't want to see CaoCao's smug, lecherous grin, a self‑satisfied petty‑man's smile. However, his injuries had not healed, so he could only go to Xudu to recuperate for a while, and he also had his cavalry bring Lady Zou over to Xudu. At that moment, everyone tacitly agreed that Lu Bu's wife and daughter would be under Bai Lang's protection.

Bai Lang had also seen Lu Ying; the girl seemed quite listless, apparently the blow of her supposedly invincible father's death hit her hard. Yet Lu Bu was buried in Xiapi with the rank of a duke‑marquis; although not returned to his hometown in Bingzhou Jiuyuan, he was still interred outside Xiapi City, his own burial ground. Lu Bu was buried on a high mound, given duke‑marquis rites, and the only burial items were his Fangtian painted halberd and his armor robe.

The other valuable items were only the tomb‑guard Beast Bronze Statue and the jade horse representing the Red Hare; outside the tomb, Bai Lang struck with his long spear, leaving the White Tiger True Meaning. Others didn't know, but he knew this true meaning could last a thousand years, absorbing the sun's essence and the moon's brilliance to sustain itself; any tomb‑raiding thief who came would be unleashed to kill, and if many were killed perhaps it could become a spirit…

The person who dared to pull the tiger's whisker appeared, but this one surprised Bai Lang a bit. At this time Bai Lang's injuries had not fully recovered; less than a month after arriving in Xudu he had already visited the emperor once, and usually spent most of his time hanging out with the three brothers Liu, Guan and Zhang, mainly training in martial arts, while LiuBei still had many tasks. The person who came to find him, whom Bai Lang had seen many times at CaoCao's banquets, was CaoCao's eldest son, Cao Ang.

This fellow was indeed unlike CaoCao, more rigid in temperament and more like a scholar, yet in his taste for beautiful women and high‑quality beauties he inherited his father's line. He came to Bai Lang to propose to Lu Bu's daughter, Lu Ying, formally taking her as a wife. Bai Lang of course would not oppose; after all he was only protecting Lu Ying's personal safety, and the rest was beyond Bai Lang's jurisdiction.

CaoCao also shouted, "Truly my son's wife!" He will probably shout the same line in Ye City a few years later for his second son, Cao Pi…