011 Cao Cao: I Am Your Father

“Damn, what rotten luck! How did I end up running into that brute Xu Chu?”
“My ass hurts like hell!”
A few days later, when Su Ming woke up cursing, the first person he saw wasn’t Sun Shangxiang, but a short, dark-skinned man dressed like an old farmer.
Upon seeing this man, Su Ming frowned and asked, “Who are you?”
“My son!”
“You’re awake. I am your father!” Cao Cao rushed forward as soon as he saw Su Ming had regained consciousness.
Su Ming: “???????”
Hearing this answer, Su Ming’s face darkened instantly.
Good heavens!
I ask who you are, and you say you’re my father.
Are you trying to take advantage of me or what?
Without thinking, Su Ming retorted, “I’m your grandfather!”
This remark stunned Cao Cao for a moment, but only for a moment.
Cao Cao quickly understood. He had seen the Seven-Star mark on Su Ming’s back and knew Su Ming’s background.
However, Su Ming had no idea who he was.
Thinking this through, Cao Cao asked Su Ming, “Do you know who I am?”
Since Su Ming had been unconscious and only just woke up, he had no idea he was in the Cao camp.
He didn’t expect that the man before him was actually Cao Cao.
Still angry at being taken advantage of, Su Ming replied harshly, “Who you are is none of my business!”
“I am the Prime Minister,” Cao Cao introduced himself.
“Prime Minister?” Su Ming repeated the words, and after a moment, he realized who he was speaking to. Shocked, he exclaimed, “Damn, you’re Cao Cao.”
Now that he knew the man before him was Cao Cao, Su Ming could guess what had happened.
It seemed that after he fainted that day, Xu Chu must have brought him to the Cao camp.
If that was the case, then Cao Cao had surely heard about Su Ming defeating Xu Chu.
Given Cao Cao’s love for talented people, Su Ming figured he wouldn’t be in any danger.
Moreover, when dealing with someone like Cao Cao, you must keep your distance.
You can’t pledge allegiance to him too easily, because what is unattainable always stirs desire, and those favored always act fearlessly.
Look at Lord Guan Yu—he played this trick to perfection.
Joined Han, not Cao?
This is: you have my body, but not my heart.
Once I hear news of my elder brother, I’ll leave at once.
This is: you have me for now, but I might leave any moment.
And the more Guan Yu behaved this way, the better Cao Cao treated him.
Gold when mounting horse, silver when dismounting.
Even the Red Hare horse, won after slaying Lü Bu, was gifted to him.
Therefore, Su Ming was sure that even in the Cao camp, he wouldn’t face any danger.
“Even if you’re the Prime Minister, you cannot insult me!”
“I’m not Lü Bu, who calls anyone with power his godfather,” Su Ming said defiantly.
Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction at Su Ming’s words.
Cao Cao thought, My son has Lü Bu’s courage and Guan Yu’s virtue!
To have such a son—what more could I wish for?
Heaven truly favors me, Cao Mengde. Though I lost my son Ang in Wan City, I have gained this unicorn child!
With this in mind, Cao Cao said solemnly, “Ming’er, I don’t want to be your godfather. I am your real father.”
“Your mother’s name is Su Chan’er, isn’t it? Here’s how it happened back then…”
Cao Cao then recounted the events of years past in great detail.
When he finished, his account matched perfectly with the image of Su Ming’s mother in Su Ming’s memory.
“So… I am Cao Cao’s illegitimate son?” Su Ming felt his mind buzzing.
Although this identity meant he could skip decades of struggle, in the original memories, the resentment for this absent father was intense.
“Ming’er, when your injuries have healed, I’ll have you acknowledge your ancestors and change your surname to Cao.” Cao Cao looked intently at Su Ming.
“Acknowledge my ancestors and change my surname to Cao?”
“What the hell were you doing before? When my mother starved to death, where were you? When I wandered, where were you?”
“Now you want me to change my surname to Cao? No way. My name is Su, and it will always be Su.” Without thinking, Su Ming blurted this out.
Although his soul came from another world, he inherited the original owner’s memories.
Thus, he deeply empathized with the original’s childhood.
After Su Ming’s outburst, Cao Cao stood by the window for a long time, unable to speak.
No matter what, it was indeed his fault.

After shouting at Cao Cao, Su Ming felt a bit guilty.
He feared Cao Cao might say something like, “Better I wrong all under heaven than let all under heaven wrong me.”
“All right, you go now. Let me be alone,” Su Ming waved his hand.
Cao Cao exited the tent, where Sun Shangxiang, Xu Chu, and Guo Jia were waiting outside.
“Lord, not going well?”
“Should I go in and persuade him?” Xu Chu asked tentatively.
The three had been outside the tent and naturally overheard the conversation inside.
Guo Jia glanced at Xu Chu and said irritably, “Don’t make things worse. This was to be expected.”
“Such matters require time; they can’t be rushed.”
Cao Cao nodded, saying, “Sincerity can move even stone and gold. I managed to melt the ice of Guan Yu’s heart; how much easier with my own son.”
After these words, Cao Cao turned to Sun Shangxiang: “Miss, take care of him.”
…
…
Prime Minister’s residence.
Study.
“Fengxiao, have you investigated that young woman’s identity?” Cao Cao asked Guo Jia.
Su Ming was Cao Cao’s son. Whether Su Ming acknowledged him or not, Cao Cao had already accepted him as a son in his heart.
So he needed to investigate the people around Su Ming.
Especially since Sun Shangxiang was close to Su Ming, and it seemed they had faced life and death together.
“It’s been investigated.” Guo Jia smiled at Cao Cao and said, “Lord, you’ll never guess her identity.”
“Fengxiao, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“Speak quickly!” Cao Cao urged.
Seeing Cao Cao’s urgency, Guo Jia stopped beating around the bush and said, “Lord, her father is an old acquaintance of yours, someone you share a bond with.”
“Her father is the Tiger of Jiangdong, Sun Jian, and her elder brother is the Little Overlord of Jiangdong, Sun Ce. Young Master Su Ming in Jiangdong has another identity as well.”
Guo Jia then recounted Su Ming’s deeds in Jiangdong, most admired being his vengeance for his brother—single-handedly causing chaos at Sun Ce’s funeral.
“Lord, Young Master Su Ming has the courage of Lü Bu and the loyalty of Guan Yu!” Guo Jia exclaimed with admiration.
Upon hearing Su Ming’s story, Cao Cao was deeply moved, slapping his thigh and proclaiming, “My son Su Ming, my son Su Ming—he is truly the blood of Cao Mengde, the blood of Cao Mengde!”