Although Dian Wei repeatedly voiced his agreement, he was still unconvinced at heart.
Wang Yan understood this well. After all, among scholars there was no undisputed first, and among warriors there was no undisputed second. Though this was Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it had not entirely departed from reality. There might have been some vague sense of imposing aura, but certainly not to the extent that someone could be so strong that strangers would fear them upon first meeting.
The generals here had all earned their reputations through killing. Lü Bu even more so—his invincibility came from being repeatedly ganged up on by others over a period of time. Yet by the later years, Lü Bu's fighting ability had declined as well. Age, drink, and women had eroded his physical condition. Even so, in Xuzhou, he had still been able to fight Zhang Fei for a hundred bouts. There were reasons for his weakness, and reasons Zhang Fei had become stronger, but Lü Bu's power could not be denied.
Then there were Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Xu Chu, Zhang Liao, Xiahou Dun, and the rest. All of their fearsome reputations had been forged through slaughter. Only when those they killed included people the listener knew would the listener truly grasp how formidable they were.
Dian Wei was different. He had always been quite strong, relying on sheer brute force to run roughshod over others. Back in his hometown, he had killed an official, then casually strolled away holding his twin halberds after the deed. Of the hundred-odd men pursuing him, not one had dared to make a move. How could he not be proud?
So how could he possibly be convinced just from hearing that so-and-so was incredible? The tale of Liu, Guan, and Zhang—the