Chapter 12: The Thunderbolt Leopard

Su Residence.

The Stables.

These days, Cao Cao had treated Su Ming exceedingly well. Not only had he gifted Su Ming a residence, but also beautiful maids and untold amounts of gold and silver.

At this moment, Su Ming was washing his horse in the stables—a truly magnificent steed! Compared to Guan Yu’s Red Hare, it was even more spirited and striking. The horse measured nearly ten feet long, stood about eight feet tall, its entire coat a glossy blue-black. Atop its head grew a fleshy lump, from which sprouted a tuft of white hair.

Ordinarily, the beast was silent, but if one tugged that tuft of white hair, it would unleash a roar like a tiger or leopard. Most remarkable of all, this horse did not eat grass or feed. Like a man, it drank wine and ate meat.

Sun Shangxiang returned from the marketplace, searching the residence for Su Ming but unable to find him. A servant informed her that Su Ming had brought home a fine horse and was tending to it in the stables.

Thus, Sun Shangxiang made her way to the rear courtyard’s stables.

As a general’s daughter, Sun Shangxiang could recognize a prized horse at a glance. The moment she saw Su Ming’s mount, she realized it surpassed even her elder brother’s famous steed, the Fiery Sun Horse.

What a generous gift from the Prime Minister!

In Sun Shangxiang’s eyes, this horse was surely another present from the Prime Minister.

“Brother Su, the Prime Minister gave you this fine horse?”

“This horse is no less than the Red Hare bestowed upon Lord Guan!” Sun Shangxiang reached out, attempting to stroke it.

As she approached, the Thunder Leopard bared its teeth, ready to bite.

“If you dare bite, you’ll be tonight’s supper!” Su Ming scolded.

Magnificent as the Thunder Leopard was, in Su Ming’s heart, a thousand or even ten thousand such steeds could not compare to Sun Shangxiang. Had she not abandoned everything to help him escape from Eastern Wu, he’d likely be long since buried, grass sprouting over his grave.

The Thunder Leopard was a clever beast, able to distinguish between a full meal and danger. Chastised by Su Ming, it ceased its resistance and allowed Sun Shangxiang to touch it.

“What a handsome horse! The Prime Minister is indeed generous,” Sun Shangxiang said, stroking the beast’s mane.

Her words were meant to encourage Su Ming to accept Cao Cao. In her mind, having a father—even an adopted one—was surely better than being alone in the world.

“This horse wasn’t a gift from the Prime Minister,” Su Ming replied with a laugh.

Sun Shangxiang was taken aback. “Not from the Prime Minister? Then did you pick it up off the street?”

Naturally, Su Ming could not reveal the truth about the system, so he simply chuckled, “That’s right, I just picked it up.”

Hearing this perfunctory answer, Sun Shangxiang wrinkled her delicate nose and huffed, “Brother Su, you’re such a liar! If you’re so capable, pick up another one!”

—

Su Ming babbled nonsense, “Finding things like this depends on the right time, place, and people—it’s not something you can do just any day.”

Sun Shangxiang, of course, didn’t believe him. Eyeing the Thunder Leopard, she asked, “Brother Su, can I ride it?”

Su Ming thought to himself: You’re riding my horse today, but someday you’ll let me ride you, won’t you?

“Of course you can!”

“Let’s go, I’ll take you for a ride around the city,” Su Ming said, inviting Sun Shangxiang to mount.

The Thunder Leopard was enormous, like a dragon’s steed; there was more than enough room for two.

Su Ming and Sun Shangxiang rode out together, wandering the city streets.

...

As they turned into an alley, a familiar raspy shout echoed—Xu Chu’s unmistakable voice.

“Catch the thief! Quickly, catch the thief!”

No sooner had Xu Chu’s words faded than Su Ming saw a black-clad figure racing toward them, clutching a halberd with a crescent blade.

Without hesitation, Su Ming yanked the tuft of white hair on the Thunder Leopard’s head.

With a thunderous roar, the beast let out a sound like a tiger or leopard, shaking the very air.

Startled, the black-clad man faltered, losing his grip on the halberd, which clattered to the ground. As he tried to retrieve it, several crossbow bolts blocked his path. Survival being paramount, he darted down a narrow alley and vanished.

Moments later, Xu Chu arrived with a squad of soldiers.

“Xu Chu, what’s going on?” Su Ming asked.

Xu Chu picked up the fallen halberd and replied, “That thief snuck into the Prime Minister’s mansion and stole this halberd. It once belonged to Lü Bu himself—a priceless treasure.”

He turned to Su Ming, “Did you see where the thief ran?”

Before Su Ming could answer, Sun Shangxiang pointed, “He ran into that alley.”

With the thief’s escape route clear, Xu Chu thrust the halberd into Su Ming’s hands. “Hold this for me—I’ll come for it once I’ve caught the thief.”

With that, he and his men hurried off in pursuit.

Seeing Xu Chu depart, Su Ming did not intervene further and returned home with Sun Shangxiang.

...

Xu Chu returned, crestfallen. “Master, the man escaped,” he reported, his voice dispirited.

Xu Chu had felt his pride wounded of late. He’d failed to capture the assassin who attempted to kill the Prime Minister, and now the halberd thief had slipped away as well.

Yet Cao Cao was always gracious with Xu Chu, never blaming him for these failures.

“No matter. Whether it’s caught or not, the halberd is merely a trophy,” Cao Cao said magnanimously.

Such a weapon was of little practical use; since Lü Bu’s death, Cao Cao had kept it as nothing more than a spoil of war.

“But Master, although the thief got away, the halberd wasn’t lost,” Xu Chu hastened to add.

He then explained how, in pursuit of the thief, he’d encountered Su Ming, whose steed had let out a bestial roar, frightening the thief into dropping the halberd.

Hearing that Su Ming had such a remarkable horse, Cao Cao mused: a divine steed deserves a legendary weapon. Perhaps this halberd was destined to be Su Ming’s.

With that, he said to Xu Chu, “I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Go and tell Su Ming that the halberd is his—he need not return it.”

...

At the Su Residence, Xu Chu arrived bearing two jars of fine wine.

He had been the first in Cao Cao’s camp to befriend Su Ming; their bond, forged in conflict, was strong.

“Brother Xu, Brother Su’s wounds haven’t healed and you’re here to drink with him again?” Sun Shangxiang frowned.

Xu Chu waved the wine jars. “No matter—wine’s the best remedy for wounds, a true elixir for men!”

Su Ming regarded Xu Chu with warmth and said to Sun Shangxiang, “A little won’t hurt. Prepare some food and wine for us.”

With nothing further to say, Sun Shangxiang sent a servant to arrange the meal.

As soon as she left, Xu Chu got down to business. “By the way, Brother Su, the Prime Minister says the halberd is yours now. You don’t need to return it.”