Chapter 7

Not long after, the big man returned from washing up, just as Ma Chao had finished eating.

"Waiter, the bill!" the big man called out to the waiter, who hurried over. Before the waiter could speak, the big man threw his money pouch onto the table, "Is this enough? If not, I have more. Include the cost of the young brother's noodles!"

"It's enough, more than enough," the waiter quickly replied after checking.

"Good, the extra is for you. You can go now!"

"Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!" the waiter left with a satisfied smile.

It was clear that the big man was generous and had a bold personality. Ma Chao clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, brother."

"There's no need for such formality, brother. Meeting is a matter of fate!" the big man waved his hands and said. "I have a habit of not talking much while eating out. After eating, I can chat freely. Now that we've eaten, we can have a good chat."

"Exactly, I couldn't agree more," Ma Chao said to the big man.

"Let me introduce myself. I am from Lin Tao in Longxi, my surname is Dong, my given name is Zhuo, and my courtesy name is Zhongying. I currently hold the position of Protector of the Western Regions."

Ma Chao was slightly surprised. This is Dong Zhuo? It must be him. What is he doing here? It's quite strange.

"Ma Chao, from Maoling in Fufeng," Ma Chao clasped his fists and said to Dong Zhuo.

"I thought you were from Liangzhou, brother. Since you're from Fufeng, why are you in Liangzhou?"

"To seek a master and learn."

"Whose disciple are you?" Dong Zhuo wondered if it was a famous master.

"My master is Yan Zhong."

Yan Zhong? Dong Zhuo was quite surprised. As a native of Liangzhou, he had certainly heard of Yan Zhong. However, Yan Zhong had never taken disciples before, and it was unexpected that he would start now.

"Wow, brother Ma, that's impressive!" Dong Zhuo praised.

"Why is that?"

"Yan Zhong has never taken a disciple. If he said he wanted to take one, even without a long queue, his door would be trampled by people. Since you are now his disciple, regardless of the reason, it shows your ability!" Dong Zhuo said with a smile.

Ma Chao quickly replied, "Not at all, not at all. What brings you here, Brother Zhongying?"

"Since you asked, there's no reason to hide it." Dong Zhuo had changed his address from "little brother" to "Ma brother."

"I received a letter from home, and my mother asked me to return to Lin Tao. I had to take leave to go home. This place has a unique dish that I haven't had in a long time. I just got home a few days ago and came here specially to eat it." Dong Zhuo licked his lips, seemingly savoring the taste of the noodles and lamb leg.

This guy is indeed a food lover. He came here just to eat noodles, Ma Chao thought to himself.

"Ha ha ha, forgive me, Brother Ma. I only have four loves in life: power, beauty, food, and wine. Life is about eating and drinking. If you don't enjoy it now, you won't be able to after you die. What do you think, Brother Ma?"

"Yes, yes. Brother Zhongying is right!" Ma Chao responded helplessly.

"You're just being polite, I understand. I won't say more. In short, you must visit Lin Tao in the future. Even if I'm not there, my family will welcome you!"

"Sure, I'll visit if I have the chance!"

"Good, it's a deal. Brother Ma, I have to go now. Although it's our first meeting, I feel a deep connection. Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to, but I believe we will meet again. We'll have a good drink together then! Brother Ma, stay here, I'll take my leave." With that, Dong Zhuo left the noodle shop.

Ma Chao clasped his fists and watched Dong Zhuo's departing back, lost in thought.

Dong Zhuo's father had three sons. The eldest, Dong Zhuo, whose courtesy name was Menggao, had passed away long ago. The youngest, Dong Min, whose courtesy name was Shuzhuo, and the second, Dong Zhuo.

In his youth, Dong Zhuo enjoyed being a knight-errant and had traveled to the Qiang territory. Because of his martial skills and bold personality, the Qiang people both respected and feared him. He got along well with the Qiang leaders and gradually cultivated his own loyal followers among them.

Later, Dong Zhuo returned to his hometown of Lin Tao, where he raised livestock and farmed. When Qiang leaders visited, he would slaughter his cattle and sheep to entertain them, essentially winning their loyalty.

The Qiang people, seeing his martial prowess and generosity, were willing to follow him. One time, a Qiang leader found that Dong Zhuo had slaughtered most of his livestock and sent him over a thousand animals as a thank you.

Later, Dong Zhuo became an official, rising from a military commander to his current position of Protector of the Western Regions, all through hard-fought battles. Regardless of what he would become in the future, at least now he was a decent person, at least in Ma Chao's eyes.

As for the future, since Ma Chao aimed to unify the world, he would inevitably have to deal with many heroes, including Dong Zhuo. He didn't think about it further and returned to Yan Zhong's residence after leaving the noodle shop.

Upon returning to his room, he saw Yan Zhong waiting at the door.

"Teacher," Ma Chao hurried to bow.

"Chao, you should return earlier when you go out."

"Yes, teacher." Ma Chao was puzzled. Why did he return so late? He probably left around noon. He went to the blacksmith's shop, then the noodle shop, chatted with Dong Zhuo, and thought about some things, and it was already dusk when he got home. The day passed so quickly.

After giving his instructions, Yan Zhong left without asking what Ma Chao had been doing. He gave Ma Chao some space, as long as he didn't do anything too outrageous. Yan Zhong was a relatively open-minded teacher.

Back in his room, Ma Chao read a book but soon fell asleep on the bed.

The next morning, he got up early. He had no choice; his teacher started classes at dawn, and Ma Chao had to wake up before then. He thought he would have to wake up early from now on.

After washing up, Ma Chao went to the study to meet his teacher and began his studies.

He had two hours of class each day, one in the morning at dawn and one in the afternoon at dusk. The time in between was free, but he had to return before dusk, or he would be heavily punished for being late.

Ma Chao thought, teachers throughout history and around the world don't like students who are late. So he dared not be late, for fear of his teacher.

After the morning class, he rushed out to get the Snow-Drinking Saber.

He arrived at the blacksmith's shop and shouted, "Shopkeeper, is the saber I ordered ready?"

The blacksmith, busy forging, looked up and saw Ma Chao. "Ah, sir, you're here. Your order is ready, just waiting for you to pick it up!"

The blacksmith quickly brought out the saber, which he had to carry, as it weighed forty pounds, not four.

Ma Chao was delighted. The blacksmith had said to come back at noon, but it was only mid-morning, and the saber was already ready. He didn't realize that blacksmiths usually give a later delivery time to avoid complaints.

The blacksmith looked at Ma Chao, wondering how he would carry the saber. A child of five or six couldn't possibly lift it.

Ma Chao thought the blacksmith might want the remaining money. That made sense; in business, you pay first, then get the goods.

He quickly placed the money on the counter and took the saber from the blacksmith. The blacksmith was nice enough to give him a free scabbard.

Ma Chao drew the saber and examined it. To be honest, it wasn't very attractive, black and rough, probably made of steel. But Ma Chao didn't care about its appearance; some beautiful things are not practical, and he was a practical person.

A saber is a weapon, used for killing and self-defense. Does it matter if it looks good? It still has to be used for killing, and its purpose is the same regardless of its appearance. Ma Chao didn't value its looks.

He lightly slashed the saber at the nearby table, and a corner was easily cut off. "Good, good saber! Ha ha!" Ma Chao held the saber, caressing it lovingly.

The handle was inscribed with "Snow-Drinking." Although it wasn't a precious saber, Ma Chao still liked it very much. He looked at the blacksmith, about to speak, but noticed the blacksmith staring at him in amazement.

Ma Chao was puzzled. Was it because he was too handsome? That didn't seem to warrant such a reaction. Was it because of some other reason? He shuddered at the thought. No, it must be because the blacksmith had made the saber and scabbard, and now it was being taken away, and he was a bit reluctant.

"Shopkeeper, don't worry. I'll make this saber famous one day! I won't let your hard work go to waste!" Ma Chao took out the remaining money and placed it on the table, then left.

The blacksmith was left in shock. He was amazed that a child of five or six could lift a forty-pound saber so easily. It was unprecedented. This was truly incredible, and no one would believe it if he told them.

Leaving the blacksmith's shop, Ma Chao looked at the noodle shop next door, where he had met Dong Zhuo. He smiled, thinking that such a meeting might only happen once in a lifetime. He doubted he would see Dong Zhuo again.

Recalling his conversation with Dong Zhuo, Ma Chao had asked why Dong Zhuo didn't eat and drink himself but instead treated him.

Dong Zhuo had explained that it wasn't that he was giving the leftovers to Ma Chao, but that he felt a deep connection and wanted to share the meal. Normally, he could eat and drink more, but he had restrained himself, remembering his subordinate's advice to eat and drink less when traveling.

Ma Chao thought that Dong Zhuo was still quite receptive to advice. He wondered about the future but decided not to think about it and returned to Yan Zhong's residence with the saber.

It was only midday when he returned to Yan Zhong's residence. With nothing to do, he started practicing martial arts, first with the spear, then with the saber.

He realized that although saber techniques were simpler than spear techniques, they were still difficult. He spent from midday to late afternoon but didn't understand much. He needed to study more; haste makes waste.

As the afternoon approached, Ma Chao went to the study for his lessons. Studying with Yan Zhong, he realized how skilled his teacher was. Yan Zhong was proficient in military strategy and tactics. He not only taught from military texts but also shared his own insights, greatly benefiting Ma Chao.

Every two weeks, Yan Zhong took Ma Chao to the outskirts of various counties to study different terrains and landscapes. He taught Ma Chao how to set up ambushes, how to counter them, which troops to use, how to attack effectively, how to defend efficiently, and how to handle emergencies.

Yan Zhong often gave Ma Chao various problems to solve. At first, Ma Chao's answers were not good, but as he spent more time with Yan Zhong, his answers improved.

Sometimes, Yan Zhong was surprised. Was Ma Chao really a child of five or six? He seemed like an adult. Indeed, considering his current age, Ma Chao was nearly thirty, and a child of five or six couldn't compare to a man of thirty.

Outside, there were methods of learning, and at home, there were different methods.

Besides military strategy, Yan Zhong also used a map of the Han Empire to teach Ma Chao. The map itself wasn't the most important; what mattered was that Yan Zhong was a living map. While he didn't know every county in the thirteen provinces of the Han Empire, he was well-versed in the important counties, passages, and fortresses of each province.

Ma Chao was amazed. How many years of travel and study must it have taken to reach such a level? Yan Zhong was indeed a remarkable person, but why hadn't he heard of him before? It seemed that the Three Kingdoms period had many unsung heroes.

Day by day, year by year, the seasons changed, and five years passed. Yan Zhong, who was in his early forties when Ma Chao first arrived, was now forty-five.

Ma Chao, who was five years old when he first arrived, had grown into a ten-year-old boy. Despite his young age, Ma Chao was taller than most boys his age, resembling a teenager of thirteen or fourteen.

The year had also changed from the second year of Xiping to the first year of Guanghe.

On a day in April of the first year of Guanghe, Ma Chao went to the study as usual, but today was special. It was the day he would complete his studies and leave.

Ma Chao looked calm on the outside, but his heart was restless. He had experienced parting before, but that was after only two years with Cui Hong, not the five years he had spent with Yan Zhong.

Ma Chao knew that overthinking was useless. Life is full of partings and reunions, and many things are beyond control. He sighed inwardly and entered the study, where he saw Yan Zhong waiting for him.

"Chao, you have completed your studies and are ready to leave and seek further knowledge."

"Yes, teacher. But..."

"Enough, I know what you want to say. After all these years, I know you have seen the signs of chaos in the world. In times of chaos, heroes emerge. I hope you will be one of them!"

"I will not let you down, teacher!" Ma Chao knelt and bowed to Yan Zhong.

"Chao, here is a personal letter from me. When you meet Cai Yong, give him this letter. He is an old friend of mine and will look after you out of respect for me."

Yan Zhong handed the letter to Ma Chao, who took it and said, "Thank you, teacher."

"Chao, you may go now." Yan Zhong looked at Ma Chao, waved his hand, and then left the study without looking back.