Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Chapter 27 Liu Quan Gifts a Horse

"what!"

Guan Yu let out a loud shout.

The muscles in his arms were almost twisted into steel wires.

Veins bulged from his arms all the way down to his neck, throbbing under his skin.

His ruddy face turned purplish-red.

This is using every ounce of strength one has.

Guan Yu was a man of strong character and self-importance.

He refused to let himself lose to the "skinny" boy in front of him.

However, it was all in vain.

The opponent's arm remained firmly in place, and no matter how hard Guan Yu exerted himself, he could not budge it in the slightest.

Seeing that internal pressure was ineffective, Guan Yu changed his strategy, grabbing Liu Quan's arm and pulling him outwards, pushing him backwards, and lifting him upwards...

No matter what he did, Liu Quan's body seemed to be rooted to the spot, remaining completely still.

Guan Yu's breathing grew heavier and heavier, his back was soaked with sweat, and steam rose from his body, condensing into white mist in the cool breeze.

His arms began to tremble slightly, not from fear, but from exhaustion.

He had pushed himself to the limit; every muscle fiber was groaning, every bone was howling, yet Liu Quan remained calm and collected.

This is because Liu Quan was mindful of Guan Yu's feelings; otherwise, he could have easily tripped and defeated Guan Yu.

Liu Quan understood Guan Yu's character; he was extremely concerned with his reputation.

If he were to be publicly humiliated, this future "Martial Saint" would likely lose face and harbor resentment.

Although he is not good at interpersonal relationships, he still has a sense of propriety.

At this point, Guan Yu was running out of ideas.

Liu Quan spoke up, "Brother Guan, let's call this a draw. Your strength is no less than mine, but you're not in good shape today. Besides, hand-to-hand combat is just a game. In a battle with weapons, Yun Chang might not lose to me."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu's face turned even redder.

He withdrew his hand and stepped back, muttering, "No, I lost. You—"

He paused, then said with some difficulty, "You are more capable than me, I admire you."

Although he was arrogant, he wasn't stubborn; he could tell that the other party had held back.

After saying this, Guan Yu seemed to have a huge weight lifted off his shoulders and let out a long breath.

Liu Bei walked over at the right moment, put his arm around Guan Yu's shoulder, and grinned, his posture somewhat comical.

The main reason was that Guan Yu was much taller and had broader shoulders, so he had to stand on tiptoe to reach him.

"Yun Chang, there's no need to be embarrassed," he said with a smile. "No one in the entire Zhuo County can beat my brother. Everyone who has fought my brother Quan has ended up in a sorry state. Yun Chang, your performance was the best."

Guan Yu's lips twitched slightly, managing a forced smile.

His mood did not improve despite Liu Bei's comforting words. He secretly resolved to work harder in his martial arts training and not be as complacent as before.

Yes, the time spent reading the Spring and Autumn Annals can be reduced appropriately.

"Ah Bei, Ah Quan, are you home?"

A voice suddenly rang out from outside, clear and with a slightly lazy tone; it was Liu Deran.

Liu Bei released Guan Yu's shoulder and called out towards the courtyard gate, "Here! De Ran, come in!"

Liu Deran pushed open the courtyard gate and swaggered in.

The boy is a bit fatter than when he was a child, with a rounder chin and belly, but he still has that same cleverness in his eyes, as if he's always plotting something.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Guan Yu and Han Dang. He immediately dropped his lazy demeanor and respectfully clasped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Brother Guan and Brother Han. Are you both settling in well in Lousang Village?"

Guan Yu and Han Dang returned the greeting with clasped hands.

Guan Yu remained silent.

Han Dang laughed and said, "I'm used to it, I'm used to it. Aunt Liu's tofu is delicious, and A Bei's tatami mat is comfortable. I've been staying here for so long, I almost don't want to leave."

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Then don't leave! Let's practice martial arts and study together, brothers. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Han Dang smiled and shook his head.

To be honest, after spending time with Liu Bei, he was truly moved by the latter's sincerity and enthusiasm, but—

Unfortunately, the Abei family was just a powerful clan; if it were a noble family, he would have pledged allegiance without hesitation.

Han Dang had ambitions for his future, but Liu Bei couldn't give him what he wanted.

Liu Deran chuckled and trotted over to Liu Quan, grinning and asking expectantly, "Quan, did you find me a gentle horse on the grasslands this time? I fell off my horse last time, and Gongsun Zan laughed at me for ages."

Liu Quan nodded. "Yes. It's at the horse farm. You can go get it yourself when you have time."

Liu Deran was overjoyed and kept saying "good, good, good," wishing he could go to the horse farm immediately.

Liu Quan caught a glimpse of Guan Yu and Han Dang's envious expressions, while A Bei winked at him. A thought struck him, and he added:

"Brother Yunchang, Brother Yigong, you may each choose a mount. The horses at my family's horse farm may not be thoroughbreds, but they are still quite decent."

Guan Yu was taken aback, and then tried to decline.

He's just that proud; he's unwilling to accept favors from others for nothing.

Before he could speak, Liu Bei leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Yun Chang, if you consider me a brother, don't refuse. Besides, if Yun Chang doesn't accept, how can I, the Righteous Lord, accept?"

Guan Yu was stunned.

He really hadn't thought of that.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "In that case, Guan Yu will respectfully accept your offer. Thank you, Young Master Liu."

Han Dang, looking slightly embarrassed, clasped his hands in thanks.

These days, a good horse is worth a fortune, so the Liu brothers' gift was no small sum.

Liu Bei waved his hand and laughed, "We're all brothers. My brother Quan once said that brothers should share resources, so there's no need to be polite. In the future, Quan and I may need Yun Chang and Yi Gong's help sometime. You two shouldn't refuse then."

This was a clever way of putting it, allowing Guan Yu and Han Dang to accept the horse without feeling guilty, while also leaving them room for future repayment.

Liu Quan listened from the side, nodding inwardly.

Putting aside everything else, Ah Bei's sense of propriety in speaking and acting is truly innate.

Guan Yu solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Since we are brothers, Guan Yu will never refuse."

Han Dang also put away his smile and said seriously, "Although I am not talented, I dare not forget my promise today. In the future, if A Bei or A Quan ever summon me, Han Dang will certainly come."

Liu Bei laughed heartily.

After finishing his personal matters, Liu Deran remembered the important matter and asked, "Hey, A-Bei and A-Quan, what do you two say? Are you going to study at home by yourselves, or go to Mount Goushi to study with Gongsun Zan and Gao You?"

"Master Lu wrote to my father, saying that he has been too busy to teach recently, and that we should continue to study at home. He also said that if we wanted to go to Mount Goushi to study, that would be fine, but the journey would be dangerous and we would need to travel with a group of people."

Liu Bei frowned.

Lu Zhi.

This name is well-known throughout Zhuo County and even the entire Youzhou.

This man studied under Grand Commandant Chen Qiu and the great Confucian scholar Ma Rong. He was well-versed in ancient and modern learning, and was an expert in the Five Classics. He was a famous Confucian scholar of his time.

Liu Bei, Liu Quan, and Liu Deran spent a lot of money and used connections last year to become his disciples.

But this teacher is really unreliable.

Since becoming his apprentice, this man has been going to Jiujiang to quell a rebellion, then serving as the prefect of Lujiang, and then returning to the capital to serve as an advisor, overseeing the collation of classic texts...

These frequent job changes meant that Lu Zhi had no time to teach his students.

Fortunately, they had Ah Quan privately tutoring them, otherwise they would have been delayed.

"He's too busy to teach again, haha! If you ask me, we should just take back the tuition fees and fire this teacher," Liu Bei said with a hint of resentment.