Interrogation
If you have no teeth, you just chew with your gums. Look at what a guy with a measly Martial score of two managed to pull off with nothing but the cunning of a master strategist and Run Away!
"You tied me too tight. I can barely breathe — couldn't you loosen it a little?"
Xu Rong turned her head as best she could, bound hand and foot. I spurred my horse forward with a pleasant smile.
"Sorry, but no. You're a far more dangerous woman than you give yourself credit for."
"Then at least put a bandage on my head? I think I'm bleeding."
She was right — a thin trail of blood was running down from her forehead. The wound had come from earlier, when she'd fallen into the trap, cracked her skull, and blacked out on the spot.
I wiped it roughly with a scrap of my sleeve. It wasn't as if I were Doraemon, conjuring bandages out of thin air. She gave a soft snort of laughter, still perfectly composed.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
"You're far too valuable to kill. I just captured Xu Rong — Dong Zhuo's strongest general."
"So you mean to rape me? Humiliate me?"
"What kind of nonsense is that? Just do as I say and you'll make it back to your main camp without a scratch."
"Don't lie. You're taking me to Cao Cao."
"That part's true. But the part about you not dying and not getting violated? That's also true. So for the time being, cooperate."
"…"
Xu Rong only tilted her head, as if she couldn't bring herself to believe a word of it. Fair enough. She'd just come within a hair of annihilating Cao Cao's entire force — the idea that she might walk away alive must have seemed absurd.
But I meant every word. The reason I was keeping the coalition's single most lethal weakness alive after capturing her was simple: I needed something even more important than her death.
By the time we reached Cao Cao's main camp, the sun was already high overhead. I'd been riding with one eye fixed on Xu Rong the whole way, switching between horse and oar, and I hadn't slept in over two days. I was half-dead. Forcing my eyelids open with sheer willpower, I finally staggered into camp.
The place looked like a ruined thatched hut after a disaster. How many men had even died in that battle?
"Hey! Where the hell have you been all this time!?"
Cao Cao's sisters spotted me from a distance and came running, faces twisted with fury. Seriously? I'd just saved their brother's life, and this was the welcome I got?
"I've been busy, okay? Look who I brought back alive."
"Who's this woman?"
"Who do you think? Xu Rong."
"Xu Rong!? So that's why they stopped chasing us…"
Their jaws dropped. Apparently the enemy side had been thrown into equal chaos by the sudden disappearance of their supreme commander. That was probably the only reason the fleeing troops had managed to cross the river at all. I glanced around.
"Where's Cao Cao?"
"Inside. Talking with Bao Xin."
I left Xu Rong under the sisters' watch and headed for the inner tent. As I reached the entrance, Bao Xin's sobbing voice carried out.
"Kh… I will never forget this grudge! How dare they… how dare they do that to Bao Do… kh…"
"Of course, Bao Xin. This Cao Mengde will not fall so easily. Until the day I avenge Bao Do, Dong Zhuo and I will never share the same sky."
The two friends were locked in grim resolve. Bao Xin had a bandage wrapped around his right arm — clearly wounded himself — and Cao Cao held him, offering deep, quiet comfort. Not a single tear fell from Cao Cao's eyes, of course.
"Lord Cao Cao? It's Do Yeop. I have something to report — may I come in?"
"You bastard! Do you have any idea where you are!?"
Bao Xin exploded, groping for a sword. Wait — was he seriously blaming me for his sister's death?
"L-Lord Bao Xin? I'm truly sorry about your sister, but I don't believe that was my fault."
"Out! If you hadn't bungled the scouting so stupidly, none of this would have happened! How can you not see that?"
"I wasn't even the one who told them where the scouts were—"
Bao Xin had no interest in listening. He just needed someone — anyone — to pour his grief onto, and I was the softest target in front of him.
"Enough, Bao Xin. If it weren't for this guy, I wouldn't have made it back alive either."
Cao Cao finally calmed him and sent him out. But his own expression was sour; the unexpected defeat had clearly hit him hard.
"Haa… So what is it?"
"I came back alive and you don't even look surprised."
"Hm? Oh, well… I figured if it was you, of course you'd make it."
"…"
Or maybe he just didn't care whether I lived or died and had completely forgotten about me. A little hurt, but I pushed past it and got to the point.
"Lord Cao Cao. There's a way to get Miaocai back."
"Impossible. With the troops we have left, we couldn't even handle Xu Rong's vanguard, let alone her main force. I'll have to go back to Peiguo and borrow some money from Father first."
"That's not— I'm not saying we fight again. We're going to do a prisoner exchange."
"Prisoners? In the last battle everyone was too busy running for their lives to take anyone alive. And Xu Rong's no fool — you think she'd trade Miaocai for a bunch of grunts?"
"What if I brought back Xu Rong herself?"
Thud.
Cao Cao had been about to take a drink. The cup slipped straight from his fingers. His eyes went round and his words stumbled over each other.
"W-who did you just say you captured? You? Xu Rong? You didn't grab some lookalike by mistake, did you?"
"Ask her yourself. She's outside right now — I'll bring her in. Then we send an envoy to the enemy camp and trade her for Miaocai."
That was the whole point. Why else would I have gone through hell to drag Xu Rong all the way here?
The battle was over, but Xiahou Yuan was still a prisoner in the enemy camp. And as Cao Cao himself had said — to trade for someone of that caliber, you needed nothing less than Xu Rong.
"So you're telling me Xu Rong is actually here? The greatest beauty of the Liangzhou army? The woman whose body even Dong Zhuo stands at attention for — that demonic seductress?"
"Uh… do you really need to describe her that way? I don't know about the first part, but Dong Zhuo's strongest general is in our hands. First we send an envoy, then—"
"No! Lock her in the storehouse first. I'll interrogate her myself."
"What? This is no time for a leisurely interrogation! Have you forgotten Miaocai is the one who tried to assassinate Dong Zhuo? For all we know she's already being escorted to Luoyang. If we don't exchange her now — while the enemy is leaderless and panicking — the deal itself becomes impossible."
"But it's Xu Rong. Stop arguing and lock her up. I'm going to wash up and then go interrogate her."
"…"
His little sister might be about to have her head displayed on a pike in the streets of Luoyang, and he was this calm? And why did he need to wash up just to interrogate Xu Rong?
I couldn't make sense of it, but I was still bound to Cao Cao's army. Without his permission, I couldn't send an envoy on my own.
I left the tent, drained, and went to fetch Xu Rong again. Then an ugly sound reached me from somewhere nearby.
Thud! Thud! Ugh…
Heavy impacts, and a woman's faint moans. A bad feeling drove me around behind the tent — and there were the Cao sisters, surrounding the bound Xu Rong and beating her without mercy.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"
I threw myself in front of Xu Rong, arms spread wide. But the sisters had already lost all reason; they tried to shove even me aside.
"Get out of the way! Do you have any idea how many people died because of this bitch?"
"You're dead today. I'll avenge Miaocai. Get up, you filthy whore!"
Crash!
With a Martial score of two, I couldn't hold them. I went sprawling. Clinging to Cao Hong's pant leg, I shouted:
"Have you all lost your minds!? Don't you get why I brought Xu Rong here? Prisoner exchange! We're trading her for Miaocai!"
"…!?"
Only then did the situation seem to sink in. They looked at each other, suddenly awkward. I hauled the bloodied, half-collapsed Xu Rong upright.
"Cao Cao says he's going to interrogate her, so don't touch her. If she dies, we never get Miaocai back — ever!"
They backed off, muttering that they understood. I half-carried the nearly unconscious Xu Rong to the storehouse.
"Ugh…"
I propped her against the wall and wiped the blood from her face. When I put a water skin to her lips, she drank greedily, all pride as Dong Zhuo's strongest general abandoned for the moment.
"Cough… Foolish. You really thought they'd trade the Chancellor's assassin for someone like me?"
"Which means you haven't sent Miaocai to Luoyang yet. Did Miaocai really give away the scouts' position?"
"What nonsense are you talking?"
"…?"
The answer didn't match the question. When someone responds to a yes-or-no with a challenge, there's usually one reason: they assume you already know the truth. But why would she think I knew?
"Where does it hurt?"
"I think a rib is broken. Untie me."
"Sorry. Can't. Right now, you're the person I fear most in this entire world."
"You humiliated me twice and still have the nerve to say that? You're going to let me go just to save one woman? You should never have done what you did back there in the first place."
"…"
Of course Xu Rong would have figured it out. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, embarrassed.
"Could you keep that part secret? Not for my sake — for Miaocai's reputation."
"She's never coming back anyway. You think Cao Cao will let me go?"
"Of course he will. Why would he refuse a chance to save his own sister?"
"A village bumpkin content to crawl under someone else's boot forever might. But you already know Cao Cao isn't that kind of man."
"…"
Xu Rong smiled thinly, pressing right on the detonator. I'd roughly sensed it myself during the last attempt on Dong Zhuo's life.
As Xiahou Yuan herself had said — she was just a pawn, a piece. A man aiming for the empire could discard her whenever it suited him.
But even so… was Xiahou Yuan's value really less than Xu Rong's?
"What the hell happened to you?"
Cao Cao's voice came from behind me. I turned at once.
"Ah… Lord Cao Cao. You've changed clothes."
For a second I thought my eyes were playing tricks. This was a defeated general who'd just been thoroughly crushed — and he was dressed like he was about to go boating in full ceremonial robes?
He'd scrubbed himself so clean the fatigue of battle seemed to have vanished; his skin actually gleamed. The tone looked brighter than usual — had he put on a light dusting of powder?
"Got a problem? Lady Xu Rong herself has graced us with her presence. A little courtesy is the least I can do."
"Then hurry up and interrogate her. We need to send an envoy immediately."
"This'll take a while. Get out."
"What? Why do I have to leave during an interrogation? I can stay and make sure you don't miss any important questions."
"I can't concentrate when someone's watching. You haven't slept in days — go get some rest and come back tomorrow."
"…"
What exactly was he trying to do that he needed me gone so badly? An order was an order. I stepped out of the storehouse and shut the door.
But my eyes don't lie, Cao Cao. Something felt off, so I immediately pressed my eye to the crack and watched.
"Haa… Never thought I'd see you here, Xu Rong."
"You know me? We've never met."
"Of course I know you. Today may be the first time I've laid eyes on you, but your reputation has reached me more than once. Greatest beauty of the Liangzhou army. The woman Dong Zhuo cherishes most."
"Ha… Where did you pick up such ridiculous rumors?"
Xu Rong let out a hollow laugh. I was thinking the exact same thing.
Cao Cao — why do you keep saying things like that?
He approached her slowly and dropped to one knee. Then those filthy eyes of his began to travel over every inch of her body.
"Remarkable. Beaten that badly and still sitting with your back perfectly straight. Now that is the true beauty of a warrior."
"Spare me the disgusting talk. If you're thinking of a prisoner exchange, forget it. You will never get your sister back."
"I know. Miaocai… was always destined to die there."
"…?"
Xu Rong and I must have worn the same expression. Cao Cao — are you seriously abandoning Xiahou Yuan?
"Interesting. The other assassin seemed to think differently."
"Do Yeop? Honestly, I don't know much about that one either. If it hadn't been for him, Xiahou Yuan would have gloriously assassinated Dong Zhuo, and this Cao Mengde would have returned to court in triumph."
"I heard you had an eye for people. Just empty rumor, then? Have you forgotten who made it possible for you to be standing here alive?"
"Even without Do Yeop, someone would have saved me eventually. Heaven has always favored me."
If Yuan Shao had said something like that, I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face. Coming from Cao Cao, somehow it just… fit.
Ugh…
Pain must have returned; Xu Rong let out a soft gasp. Cao Cao immediately checked on her.
"Does it hurt badly?"
"A rib is broken. Could you untie the ropes?"
"I was going to anyway."
He reached for the bindings. But the way his hands moved… it looked less like he was untying her and more like he was trying to undress her. Was I overthinking it?
"Haa… I still can't believe it. I'm actually touching Xu Rong's body."
"What on earth have you been talking about this whole time?"
"You don't know much about me, do you? I go crazy for other men's women. And this isn't just anyone — I've got the woman of Dong Zhuo, the strongest man under heaven. How am I supposed to not get excited?"
"…"
This bastard had completely lost it. Cao Cao hadn't gone in there to interrogate anyone.
His goal was Xu Rong herself.
Dong Zhuo was the greatest enemy Cao Cao had to destroy. The joy of possessing that enemy's woman had completely overridden prisoner exchanges, strategy, everything — he was thinking of nothing but violating her.
"Do as you like. Rape me if you want. You still won't get what you're after."
"I love how you keep acting tough to the end. I'm not some low-class man who forces things — but you're so fierce, just indulge me for today."
"Suit yourself. You won't find it very entertaining."
"Heh… Entertainment isn't for you to decide. I'll take you, and then I'll make sure Dong Zhuo knows. How furious do you think he'll be when he learns his woman has become my flesh puppet?"
"He won't be furious at all. Because I'm not the Chancellor's woman."
"…"
And there it was — Xu Rong landed a clean hit. Cao Cao froze, then stammered:
"W-what are you talking about? So you and Dong Zhuo… you've never slept together? No 'play between lord and retainer' or anything?"
"If we had, do you think he would have sent me after you for a mere sixty million?"
"…"
It was the truth. My Intellect-100 brain sent a powerful signal confirming every word.
"Ha! Sorry, but that kind of lie doesn't work on Cao Mengde. The position's a little awkward, but you're going to suck me off."
He yanked his pants down. What now? Any second, Cao Cao's long manhood would be pressing toward Xu Rong's lovely lips—
…Oh.
It was over. The majestic presence he'd once displayed before the Emperor was nowhere to be found. Cao Cao's equipment had shriveled into something utterly pathetic.
"You want me to put this in my mouth?"
"Th-this can't be right. Why am I not getting hard?"
No one was more shocked than Cao Cao himself. But I thought I understood.
The guy had some kind of married-woman radar installed. He reacted brilliantly to women who already belonged to someone else — and because everything Xu Rong said was true, nothing was happening.
"This is impossible… I'll come back tomorrow. Wait one more day."
Burning with humiliation, Cao Cao fled the storehouse. I slipped inside the moment he was gone and stood in front of Xu Rong.
"Sorry. I had no idea Cao Cao was that much of a lunatic."
"Are you joking right now? I need to sleep. Get out."
"No. You're coming with me."
"…?"
I crouched in front of her and looked her straight in the eye, every ounce of sincerity I had.
"I'll set you free. In exchange, you promise to free Miaocai."
"Have you lost your mind? You're releasing me without Cao Cao's permission?"
"Because I'm not Cao Cao's subordinate. I captured you, so your life and death are mine to decide. Promise me. Swear you'll free Miaocai."
She nodded. Once, then again. I immediately cut her ropes free.
Her hands, though — those I bound securely. Leading the newly free Xu Rong, I slipped out of the storehouse and made for the stables in secret.
While everyone else lay exhausted and asleep, I put her on Shadow Runner and rode out of camp. Even after covering a long stretch of ground, no one seemed to have noticed.
We reached the Bian River. I dismounted and found a raft to ferry the horse across. Once the mount was aboard, I held out my hand to Xu Rong.
"Take it."
"…"
She wordlessly offered her bound arms. The instant I reached for her hands, she slipped past my grip like a snake and seized the hilt of the sword at my waist.
"…!?"
By the time I understood what was happening, it was already far too late. Shing! Xu Rong drew the blade in one fluid motion. And then—
Whoosh!
She leveled it perfectly at my throat.