Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 20 The Red-Faced Man

The discussion in the tavern continued.

The young man continued, "I heard that Liu Bei had a younger brother, what was his name again? Liu Quan? I heard he was an even more formidable figure than Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. It's a pity he's not here today."

The wealthy merchant nodded and said, "You're right. Although Liu Bei is brave, he's still far inferior to his younger brother Liu Quan."

Then he suddenly laughed, "These Liu brothers are quite interesting. Although they are both exceptionally brave, they are not most famous for their bravery. You may know that there is a saying in Zhuojun: 'When Liu Bei smiles, men fall in love; when Liu Quan smiles, women are heartbroken.' Haha, that's what these Liu brothers are all about. The elder brother, Liu Bei, is good at making friends, while the younger brother, Liu Quan, is good at... hehe."

A chorus of "hehe" sounds immediately filled the tavern.

One person said, "That Liu Quan is known as a 'dragon among men,' I really want to see what kind of person he is!"

A young man nearby retorted, unconvinced, "Really? Is it that exaggerated?"

Another person said, "This is absolutely true! I went to Lousang Village on business last month and saw that young man with my own eyes at Liu's paper mill. Guess what? I'm over thirty years old, and this is the first time I've ever known what 'handsome and elegant' or 'handsome and graceful' means. That young man, just standing there, was guaranteed to attract everyone's attention."

The crowd remained skeptical, and the murmurs grew louder.

Hearing this, the red-faced youth in the corner of the tavern showed even more disdain.

He put down his wine bowl, reached up and stroked his short beard, and gave a cold snort.

"A dragon among men?" he thought to himself. "These people from Zhuoxian are really good at bragging; they don't even care about ruining that phrase!"

He was originally from Jieliang in Hedong. He had killed someone in his hometown and fled here, enduring wind and rain and sleeping in the open along the way, living a life of hardship and displacement.

Although the journey was somewhat chaotic, he felt that he had met many people and experienced a lot along the way.

To him, the terms "a match for ten thousand men" and "a dragon among men" were nothing but arrogant and ignorant talk.

But he still couldn't help glancing towards the door.

Despite my disdain, I was still curious.

Let's talk about Jian Yong next.

This person may seem carefree and unserious, but he is actually more shrewd than anyone else.

He knew well how brave the Liu brothers and Zhang Fei were, and he also knew that his group was no match for them, yet he still dared to accept Liu Bei's challenge, because he had already found out that Liu Quan was not in Zhuo County.

Secondly, he recently recruited a skilled person.

This man's surname was Han, his given name was Dang, and his courtesy name was Yigong. He was from Liaoxi Commandery.

Having spent all his travel money on his journey to Zhuoxian, he accepted Jian Yong's invitation to temporarily become a member of his small group.

At that moment, Han Dang was standing in the crowd behind Jian Yong.

This man was about eighteen or nineteen years old, of medium height, neither fat nor thin. His square face was tanned bronze by the winds and sands of the frontier. He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, a high nose, tightly pursed lips, and a short beard on his chin.

He was wearing a worn-out leather robe, an old leather belt around his waist, and a pair of dusty boots. He didn't have a single decent item of clothing on him.

But his aura was completely different from that of the wandering knights around him.

Those wandering knights were all eager to fight, their very bodies screaming "I want to fight!"

Han Dang, however, stood there quietly, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, his gaze fixed straight ahead, exuding a sense of relaxation.

Liu Bei and Zhang Fei were both extremely experienced in fighting, and they noticed this person immediately.

Liu Bei: "This is a master."

Zhang Fei: "I'll go test him later."

Liu Bei: "Be careful."

Zhang Fei: "Don't worry, in this area of ​​Zhuo County, I'm not afraid of anyone except A-Quan."

Jian Yong was already eager to try, and with a wave of his hand, he shouted, "Everyone, let's go!"

As soon as the melee began, Zhang Fei lunged at Han Dang.

"Well done!"

When Han Dang saw the dark-faced youth whom Jian Yong had specifically warned to be careful of rushing towards him, he didn't dodge but went to meet him.

The two attacked simultaneously, their four arms joined together, and with a muffled "thud," it sounded like two pieces of cast iron colliding.

Zhang Fei was startled and his eyes widened.

What incredible strength!

This black charcoal bear is naturally strong; otherwise, it wouldn't have earned the nickname "Man-Bear."

In terms of strength, he was second to none except for Ah Quan, but he never expected that the person in front of him could be his equal.

Han Dang was even more horrified.

Jian Yong said this kid is only thirteen years old, is he trying to fool me?!

He was also known in Liaoxi County for his great strength and outstanding martial arts skills; five or six ordinary strong men could not get close to him.

But this dark-skinned kid in front of me could actually match my strength!

For a time, both regarded each other as a formidable enemy, and they began to fight back and forth.

On the other side, Jian Yong temporarily held off Liu Bei's group's attack by relying on his superior numbers, but he was retreating step by step, and his eyes involuntarily glanced towards Han Dang.

But then he saw Han Dang and Zhang Fei locked in a fierce battle, and his heart skipped a beat.

He had assumed that Han Dang would be able to defeat Zhang Fei in a few moves and then come to help him.

I never imagined that Zhang Fei was even more powerful than I had thought.

"Lord Yi!" Jian Yong couldn't help but shout, "Hurry and finish off that brat! I can't hold out much longer!"

Han Dang gave a wry smile.

He thought this trip would be an easy job, but he didn't expect the thugs in Zhuo County to be so troublesome.

Inside the tavern, the red-faced man held a wine bowl, but his gaze remained fixed on the door, and the disdain on his face had long since disappeared.

This dark-skinned kid is really quite capable.

This technique of antagonism is truly exquisite.

His moves were methodical and skillful, demonstrating a good sense of timing and tact; many of his techniques caught his eye.

He had just thought that these people from Zhuoxian were too boastful, calling them "Pihu," "Manxiong," and "Enemy of Ten Thousand Men," but they were just frogs in a well bragging.

But after seeing Zhang Fei's skills, he had to admit that this dark-skinned kid was indeed quite capable.

"Although his strength is far inferior to mine," he thought to himself, "his mastery of wrestling techniques is far beyond my reach."

Judging from what the people around him are saying, this kid is only thirteen years old!

Gee!

He may very well grow into someone capable of defeating ten thousand men in the future.

He then turned his gaze to the other side, looking at Liu Bei.

Upon closer inspection, they were stunned once again.

Liu Bei, accompanied by seven or eight wandering knights, was engaged in a fierce battle with Jian Yong and his dozen or so men, both sides wielding short sticks.

Despite being outnumbered, Liu Bei's side maintained their formation throughout the entire operation.

Liu Bei stood at the forefront, holding a jujube wood stick, parrying and deflecting Jian Yong's attacks one by one.

The men behind him formed two small square formations, flanking Jian Yong's troops from both sides.

This is not how you fight in a street brawl.

This is... a military tactic!

Although the red-faced man was poor, his ancestors had once been wealthy. His grandfather, Guan Shen, was "devoted to Taoism," well-versed in the Book of Changes and the Spring and Autumn Annals, and used these to instruct his descendants.

So he started studying from a young age.

As he grew up, he developed a love for martial arts and often went to watch soldiers drill near the military camp in his hometown, so he was no stranger to military formations.

The formation set up by this guy named Liu Bei, though simple, is actually in line with military strategy.

The front line defends against the enemy, while the two flanks encircle and flank. The advance and retreat are well-coordinated, combining offense and defense.

"These thugs from Zhuo County," the red-faced man muttered to himself, "are not to be underestimated!"