Chapter 4: Lü Bu's branch breaks the arrow feathers, the Yuan brothers win the hearts of the people

During this period, an unexpected danger arose. Lü Bu was fully focused on his training, with his mind and body completely concentrated. Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed from a distance. Lü Bu initially thought that being deep in the woods would prevent any disturbances, but unexpectedly, his solitude was disrupted. Looking into the distance, he saw eight or nine horses galloping towards him, most of the riders being young men, though their riding skills were quite impressive as they maneuvered through the trees in pursuit of their prey. Seeing this, Lü Bu intended to evade, but to his surprise, the prey, in a state of panic, ran directly towards his location. The young knights had not yet noticed Lü Bu's presence, and two of them had already drawn their bows and released their arrows. By the time the youths realized there was a living person ahead, they could no longer control the situation. Someone shouted, "Be careful..." hoping to alert Lü Bu, but even in their hearts, they believed that this person was likely to meet his end here today.

Although Cao Cao was mocked by Yuan Shao, he was extremely angry in his heart, yet his expression remained unchanged. Instead, he smiled and said: "A true man should achieve merit in the world; what use is there for women? When the time comes, one can marry at will, as long as they can carry on the family line."

The young men no longer paid attention to the suddenly appearing Lü Bu and followed the Yuan brothers to drink wine together

This Cao Cao, originally a eunuch's descendant, was surnamed Cao and named Cao Cao, with the courtesy name Mengde. Due to his short stature, although he was considered a friend of Yuan Shao and others, he was often the subject of jokes and playful teasing among the scholars. Yuan Shao initially looked down upon Cao Cao, but upon noticing that they shared similar gestures, he inexplicably asked aloud. Cao Cao laughed and said, "Although this person is young, he possesses a tall and robust physique, which I, Cao Mengde, greatly envy." Everyone burst into laughter. Yuan Shao further mocked, "You, Cao Mengde, why do you always think of such things? I fear it will be extremely difficult for you to find a wife in the future." Someone then asked, "Why is that?" Yuan Shao replied with a laugh, "Naturally, it is because Brother Mengde dislikes women taller than him." Everyone laughed heartily.

Indeed, he is truly sparing with his words. Wang Yue once again commented on Lü Bu.

After finishing their meal and drinks, Lü Bu prepared to go out for training. Wang Yue said, "In the afternoon, do you want to come with me?" Lü Bu paused, thought for a moment, and replied, "Sure, let's go together." Wang Yue smiled and said, "But don't be too late; we have one hour. Otherwise, I won't wait for you alone."

However, the more this was the case, the more Wang Yue wanted to conquer Lü Bu. Therefore, he decided to press him from his strongest point, which was his martial skills

Perhaps I want to witness to what extent he can grow, Wang Yue thought to himself in this manner

Cao Cao's statement about not being as good as Yuan Shu is either true or false. He gathered everything into his embrace and laughed, saying: "Bencu and Gonglu are truly the epitome of talent and martial prowess, while we are merely fireflies compared to the sun and moon, utterly incomparable." The others, at this moment, were like Cao Cao, all laughing and praising Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu profusely. Yuan Shu then said: "Today's splendid occasion has been disturbed by this matter; continuing to fight would be meaningless. Why not return now and enjoy some wine? I, Yuan Shu, will treat everyone to a hearty drink."

The next day, Wang Yue slept for the entire morning in the inn

Chunyu Qiong, upon hearing this, perfectly alleviated the feeling of unease and stepped aside to clear the passageway

Without mentioning that Wang Yue returned to the upper level to rest, on this side, Lü Bu continued to train his "two-inch strength" outside the city

Yuan Shao secretly cursed under his breath, calling him a "wasteful son," yet he smiled and extended an invitation to Cao Cao and the others, as if he were the host.

Another perspective: "Yuan Shu was also in a state of panic"

After a while, Wang Yue came out laughing and said: "What made you think of inviting me to dine together today? Is it because you saw how I was treated lightly yesterday, and thus you couldn't bear it, wanting to come and comfort me?"

Yes

Lü Bu was practicing and did not have his spear with him, only a branch in hand. As the arrows came swiftly, he thought quickly and surprisingly swept one of the arrow shafts with the branch, producing a crisp sound as the arrowhead was shattered by the branch. For another arrow, Lü Bu was quick-witted and agile, catching the arrow shaft with his right hand and breaking it in two. The young knights were all astonished, unable to believe that someone could achieve such a feat, especially someone so young, comparable to themselves. Lü Bu then took a closer look and saw that there were a total of nine people approaching. The first two hurriedly dismounted and stepped forward, saying: "Yuan Shao from Luoyang mistakenly shot an arrow, nearly injuring you, and we truly feel remorse."

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were both puzzled, and began to recall whether they had known this person before.

After Lü Bu walked a dozen steps away, he shouted, "I am Lü Bu; in the future, you will surely know me."

As a renowned swordsman, Wang Yue naturally possesses his own pride. Therefore, he intends to impress Lu Bu in a dignified manner before passing on his secret techniques. When Wang Yue discovered that Lu Bu had mastered the technique of "breaking the surface with a point" in just one month, he could not help but teach him another secret as well

At this moment, Yuan Shao hurriedly stepped forward to mediate, saying to the person, "Chunyu Qiong, why are you so impatient again? It was indeed our fault from the beginning. Since this gentleman does not hold us accountable, how can we act in such a manner? Please, let the young man pass."

Lü Bu tossed the broken branch aside, merely nodded, and prepared to leave. Although the incident was initiated by the group of young men, Lü Bu's attitude did not sit well with some. One of them blocked Lü Bu's path and shouted, "Hey, you have no reason to act this way. We greeted you, yet you choose to leave without a word. Do you look down on us?" The nine individuals were mounted on tall horses, dressed in luxurious brocade armor, while Lü Bu, despite wearing new clothes, could not compare to them. The accusation that Lü Bu looked down on them was clearly just a pretext, stemming from their deep-seated displeasure towards him. Lü Bu noticed that although the man was slightly more robust than himself, he felt no hesitation in his heart. Instead, he met the man's gaze directly, his cold eyes making the man feel as if he had fallen into an icehouse.

Those glorious achievements, those renowned titles, and those peculiar objects could not elicit even the slightest change in Lü Bu's expression, as if all things and matters in the world were already comprehended within this person's mind

Lü Bu directly ignored Wang Yue's lengthy remarks and turned to say, "I have no money left." Wang Yue, infuriated, retorted, "Is this the reason you asked me to go out for a meal?" Lü Bu nodded earnestly and replied, "Yes." Once again, Wang Yue felt frustrated by Lü Bu, yet his heart was warmed. Thus, when they arrived at the dining place, he ordered many dishes. Since that day he woke up, Lü Bu had found it extremely difficult to adapt to the cuisine of this era, as there were almost no other ingredients apart from salt. Nevertheless, his heart felt warm, so when they reached the dining place, he ordered many dishes. Since that day he woke up, Lü Bu had found it extremely difficult to adapt to the cuisine of this era, as there were almost no other ingredients apart from salt. Therefore, although Wang Yue ordered many dishes that he thought were quite good, Lü Bu merely sipped the meat soup. Wang Yue now felt that Lü Bu was like a challenge.

The young men, upon hearing this, displayed a range of reactions: some were surprised, some were sarcastic, and others were astonished. Among them, Yuan Shao gazed at the departing figures of Lü Bu and Tu Shu, thinking to himself: although this youth is still young, judging by his evasive maneuvers from the two arrows just now, his martial skills must be considerable. If I could recruit him as a subordinate, he would surely be of great use in the future. With this thought, Yuan Shao instinctively glanced at his younger brother Yuan Shu, only to find that Yuan Shu was also fixated on Lü Bu's figure without blinking. "Hmph," Yuan Shao snorted coldly, retracting his gaze, but then noticed that, apart from the Yuan brothers, there was indeed another person in the crowd who was equally engrossed. Yuan Shao's heart stirred, and he addressed that person: "Does Meng De recognize that Lü Bu? Why are you watching so intently?"

Over the years, countless heroes and valiant warriors have fallen beneath their own swords, yet they have faced numerous setbacks against this Lü Bu

Lü Bu went outside the city to find a quiet place to practice, but he could never grasp the subtleties of it. It was only when his right hand was extremely sore that he realized the morning had already passed. Lü Bu returned to the inn, intending to eat alone, but for some reason, he went to Wang Yue's door, lightly knocked a few times, and called out: "Wang Yue, come out for a meal."

Yuan Shu, who was standing nearby, noticed that Lü Bu was no longer visible. Hearing the interesting remarks from the crowd, he joined in and said: "In our midst, if we were to count the most charming figures, I fear that Cao Cao would still be the first. His literary talent is such that even I, Yuan Shu, must bow down in admiration."

Lü Bu cast a deep glance at Yuan Shao, then looked at Yuan Shu, and smiled mysteriously

The crowd erupted in a clamor