Chapter 166: Secret History of the Three Kingdoms

Cao Fu's words left Lu Xin stunned. The name "Lü Bu" is a household name regardless of whether it is in the Tang Dynasty or modern society. He was the God of War during the Three Kingdoms period. When it came to single combat, no one could surpass him; he was the supreme powerhouse of that era. In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Lü Bu was one of the earliest military generals to appear. At Hulao Gate, he fought fiercely against Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei all by himself, instantly soaring to fame and leaving behind a legendary tale. Yet, Lü Bu was also one of the earliest fierce generals of the Three Kingdoms to die in battle. Lu Xin could not understand what this person had to do with the Wu clan bloodline flowing within Cao Fu.

Seeing Lu Xin's shocked expression, Cao Fu seemed to have expected it. He grinned and then turned around. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked up and gazed into the distant battlefield, seemingly waiting for an opportune moment.

"Ordinary people only know that General Lü Bu possessed unrivaled martial prowess and boundless strength, comparable to the Hegemon of Western Chu, Xiang Yu. But few people ever ponder why Lü Bu was able to become the strongest warrior of the Three Kingdoms. Since Daoist Brother has ventured into the Fengdu Ghost Realm, you should know the origin between the ancient ghost clan and the Wu clan, right? The Wu were the race with the most powerful physical bodies in the three realms during ancient times. Among them, some Great Wu who survived from the primordial era possessed physical strength that had reached almost immortal and indestructible realms."

"You mean, the bloodline flowing in Lü Bu's veins belonged to the Wu clan?"

"Correct, and it is not just as simple as the bloodline of the Wu clan. Lü Bu was the reincarnation of an ancient Great Wu. It was simply that his bloodline power and memories had not yet fully awakened before Prime Minister Cao orchestrated a plan to execute him."

As Cao Fu spoke calmly, Lu Xin gasped sharply. This was a monumental secret, and his reaction was definitely not feigned. The Wu clan had once been the rulers of the netherworld, and their status in ancient times far surpassed that of the human race. The Great Wu ruled over all living things in the world, feeding upon all creation. The living beings of the netherworld at that time paid a devastating price to break this deadlock, to the extent that the entire land of the Nine Provinces was shattered into pieces. The Wu were the nightmare that all living creatures were reluctant to mention. Yet, at this moment, Cao Fu claimed that the bloodline flowing in Lü Bu's veins was that of a Great Wu.

"Actually, you do not need to be too surprised. The Wu clan originated from the primordial world and is as ancient as the demon gods. For such a race, once so powerful as to make the entire three realms tremble, how could it be completely annihilated? It is not difficult for some Great Wu to preserve their bloodline power before death. To my knowledge, Nangong Changwan, the God of Killing Bai Qi, and the Hegemon of Western Chu were all awakened individuals of the Wu clan bloodline. Consequently, their strength could look down upon heroes of the world in their respective eras. Especially Xiang Yu—I probably don't need to elaborate on him, do I? Even Sima Qian described him as the peerless supreme powerhouse through the ages. The power of the Great Wu bloodline within Xiang Yu should have been the most fully awakened. Compared to him, Lü Bu actually fell somewhat short."

Cao Fu's voice remained calm, but every word and sentence he spoke compelled conviction. Hearing this, Lu Xin said nothing outwardly, but in his heart, he believed it deeply. Cao Fu had no reason to deceive him with such matters. Moreover, Lu Xin could already more or less guess how the Wu clan bloodline within Cao Fu had come to be.

"You mean... the reason Cao Cao killed Lü Bu was to obtain the Great Wu bloodline within him? Ha, no wonder... No wonder Lü Bu became a three-surnamed servant whom no one dared to kill, yet Cao Cao alone showed no intention of recruiting him and executed him immediately."

"Hahahaha, who said there was no intention of recruitment? Prime Minister Cao was a man who cherished talent, otherwise he could not have made the heroes of the world bow and serve under his banner. He could tolerate even arrogant individuals like Mi Heng, let alone Lü Bu? Your understanding of that history probably stems from the *Book of Wei* written by Chen Shou, right? But in truth, the chaos of that era far exceeded the imagination of later generations, nor could it be explained clearly by one or two tattered books. I can only tell you now that it was Guan Lu who sealed the Great Wu bloodline within Lü Bu into Cao Cao's body, thereby averting many catastrophes. And my Cao family, living up to expectations, won the entire realm and pacified the century-long turbulence at the end of the Han Dynasty."

"Guan Lu? The Sitian Buzhou Inkstone... Master said that this person was the grandmaster of star-plucking and divination arts. His cultivation was so profound, well-versed in yin and yang, that he was even superior to Zhuge Liang. It was precisely with the assistance of this divine person that Cao Wei was able to almost unify the realm in the late Three Kingdoms period!"

Mentioning Guan Lu naturally brought Lu Xin's master, Li Chunfeng, to mind. Furthermore, his initial encounter with Cao Fu was also due to the Sitian Buzhou Inkstone. The tomb owner, Qin Xiao, was Guan Lu's chief disciple. Lu Xin had not expected that the matter, after twisting and turning, would ultimately return to the very beginning. From Cao Fu's words, it could be understood that the Wu clan bloodline within the Cao family had been extracted from Lü Bu by Guan Lu and sealed into Cao Cao. But what was the purpose of doing this? If he was merely afraid that the Great Wu bloodline would wreak havoc upon the common people, why not simply execute Lü Bu once and for all to end it? An yin and yang master proficient in numerology and of profound cultivation could not truly become Cao Cao's subordinate and pave a smooth path for the Cao family descendants. This could be seen from the fact that Guan Lu did not leave the Sitian Buzhou Inkstone to the Cao family descendants. Lu Xin concluded that a heaven-shaking secret must be hidden within this. Since Guo Pu could calculate events two hundred years into the future, Guan Lu, holding the Sitian Buzhou Inkstone, could not possibly have lacked calculations. At the very least, transferring the Great Wu bloodline from Lü Bu to Cao Cao must have been a fallback measure left behind by Guan Lu. Unfortunately, after speaking, Cao Fu ceased to mention the matter further, and Lu Xin naturally found it difficult to pursue the questioning.

---

"Daoist Brother, in telling you all this, I am being completely open and honest with nothing left to hide. You and I met by chance yet joined forces to fend off enemies, and we can now be considered friends through life and death. If Daoist Brother can assist me in pursuing my grand ambition, Cao Fu will surely entrust my life to you! If we lack this affinity, I can only blame my own fortune for being too shallow."

As Cao Fu spoke, he turned once again to gaze intently at Lu Xin. His gaze was firm and sincere, seemingly devoid of any scheming. Had Lu Xin not met him once before, he truly would have found it hard not to be moved. Perhaps this was the most formidable trait of the Cao family—the art of governing people was an ancient and profound discipline.

"Brother Cao..."

Lu Xin hesitated for a couple of breaths, about to refuse, when suddenly, the flames suspended in mid-air in the distance contracted violently. It was as if they had plunged into the depths of the void, vanishing completely in an instant. But the next second, while all the flames disappeared without a trace, a speck of golden light ignited on the surface of the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron, growing brighter and larger. Accompanied by a roar that shook the earth and heavens, a golden dragon tens of meters long appeared around the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron, dancing and coiling with open claws and fangs.

This scene instantly brought the various warring factions below to a halt. Cao Fu turned to look and saw that the golden dragon was lifelike, treading auspicious clouds, radiating an indescribable nobility and majesty. Obviously, he had never seen a true dragon either; he took a sudden step forward and began to tremble.

"The supreme ruler, the Son of Heaven! This cauldron—this cauldron is truly the orthodox artifact of the Human Emperor! Once I obtain it, why should I, Cao Fu, worry that my grand ambition will fail, why should I worry about failing to wash away our national humiliation?"

"Brother Cao, that is likely an illusion, you..."

Roar! Roar!

Seeing that Cao Fu had completely lost his wits, Lu Xin could not help but issue a warning. But before his words faded away, the golden dragon in the sky circled the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron once and abruptly charged toward his direction. The massive dragon body tore through the air, carving a dazzling trail of fire across the void. As the golden dragon dive-bombed, the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron also transformed into a speck of golden light, crashing down toward the same spot. Cao Fu stared wide-eyed at everything before him, his expression filled with excitement and extreme exhilaration.

"Hahahaha, come, come... You are the divine artifact of the ancient ghost clan! And the bloodline of the Great Wu flows within my veins; I am your true master, I am the true ruler of the netherworld, hahahahaha..."

Cao Fu spread his arms, laughing with utter madness. As the golden dragon and red light drew closer and closer, Lu Xin felt a supreme shockwave, one capable of destroying everything. Without time to make any judgment, Lu Xin instinctively retreated, putting distance between himself and Cao Fu at maximum speed.

"The ghost clan was born from the union of the Wu clan and the human race, and they similarly possess the bloodline of the Wu within them. Perhaps sensing the bloodline power within Cao Fu, they resonated in this manner."

---

As Lu Xin retreated, he pondered the unfolding events. From his perspective, the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron was clearly heading toward Cao Fu. Yet two seconds later, Lu Xin realized his judgment was wrong. The speeding golden dragon actually bypassed Cao Fu's head and charged straight at him.

This shock was truly no small matter!

The lightning-fast golden dragon plunged directly into Lu Xin's body, disappearing from beyond his heavenly crown. Meanwhile, the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron, that ancient divine artifact, shrank to the size of a palm, circling around the youth's body. Upon seeing this, Cao Fu's expression changed drastically, and he clenched his fists tightly. Following that, Lu Xin took a long breath, feeling a powerful turbulent current within his body raging like a flood through his meridians and viscera. That power was simply too immense; even though his physical body had long since cleared all its meridians, he still could not withstand this inexplicable shockwave. After a mere three breaths, Lu Xin violently spat out a large mouthful of blood.

"Why, why did the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron choose you, why?"

Cao Fu roared and howled, pulling the Heavenly Halberd from the void. Lu Xin had no mood to argue with him at this moment; he hurriedly wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and bolted toward the exit of the Fengdu Ghost Realm.

"Brother Cao, this matter is bizarre; the Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron can be yours. But I need to keep my life to walk out alive."

Seeing Lu Xin running away without looking back, Cao Fu knitted his brows tightly and turned back to look. Dozens of yin and yang masters from various factions were all running toward his location. He gasped sharply, finally snapping back to his senses. By then, Lu Xin had already sprinted several hundred meters away.

"Hahahaha... The Eight Desolations Fire Dragon Cauldron actually delivered itself right to the door? Immortal, you truly have great fortune!"