Chapter 6: Lü Bu Exposes Chunyu Qiong, Yuan Shao Uses Ancient Examples to Critique Contemporary Figures

Yuan Shao laughed and said, "Chunyu Qiong, oh Chunyu Qiong, if you enjoy drinking so much, if only you could spend the time you use for drinking on practicing martial arts, the gap between you and Lü Bu would probably not be so vast."

In the following days, some of the officials' sons who had previously been close to Yuan Shao also sought opportunities to enter the martial arts school. Fortunately, although Wang Yue's reputation was not well-known among the scholars, he was held in high regard by those from military families. As a result, the school quickly divided into two factions. One faction consisted mostly of the sons of military families who came seeking guidance from the renowned Wang Yue. For this group, Wang Yue was indeed serious in his instruction, but in comparison, he soon realized the astonishing talent of Lü Bu. The other faction comprised some bureaucrats' sons who were simply looking for an excuse to spend time outside.

Yuan Shao said: "In ancient times, the Western Chu overlord Xiang Yu was known as the greatest warrior. However, in his youth, his uncle Xiang Liang taught him to read, but Xiang Yu quickly grew tired of it; then Xiang Liang taught him martial arts, and he soon lost interest again. This angered Liang greatly! He said: 'Reading is only useful for remembering names, and learning martial arts is merely to defeat one person. I want to learn how to defeat ten thousand enemies!' Thus, Liang taught him military strategy. Subsequently, Xiang Yu achieved great power, and Sima Qian commented: 'All major policies were initiated by Yu, who was known as the Western Chu overlord, wielding power equivalent to that of an emperor. Although his position did not last, there has been none like it since ancient times.' Even such a heroic figure as the Chu overlord understood that martial arts were only for defeating one person; surely, Lü Bu cannot compare to him."

Chunyu Qiong, however, was unconcerned, and he laughed with Tu Shu, saying: "I, Chunyu Qiong, am naturally strong and have never been defeated. However, I have great admiration for this Lü Bu. At such a young age, he already possesses such abilities. In the future, he is likely to become even more formidable, and he also has the direct teachings of the royal army."

Wang Yue merely provided a brief account of his basic martial skills, supplemented by some common practices used in martial arts schools, which allowed him to pass through unnoticed. In fact, for Wang Yue, the most significant objective was to take the disciples of the Yuan family under his wing.

Lü Bu wanted to laugh but could not, he simply said thank you

In recent days, Lü Bu's strength has indeed improved compared to the past. He is likely to have injured Chunyu Qiong, and thus he sought out a spear, planting its tip on the ground and gripping the tail end, saying: "Come on."

After Lü Bu subdued Chunyu Qiong, he did not wish to remain there. He bid farewell to the crowd and intended to seek a quiet place outside the city.

Although Wang Yue's statements are undoubtedly exaggerated, the fact that he was able to accurately guess the general direction of the matter is a testament to his skill

In recent days, Lü Bu has been assisting Wang Yue with some tasks in the hall, which can be considered as a way to repay him for the meals provided during this time

Lü Bu, seeing the good intentions of Chunyu Qiong, accepted them and began to light a fire to roast food on the side

Chunyu Qiong is now nineteen years old and has secured a leisurely position in the Imperial Guard. Among a group of young men, he is considered one of the older ones. He enjoys the company of bandits and prefers to refer to himself as Old Qiong

Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's backgrounds were considered among the best at that time, and they later gained a notable reputation. There were many exceptional individuals, so there was no need for the two of them to take action personally. Fortunately, Wang Yue was not serious about it; he was not foolish enough to fail to see that the Yuan brothers were not martial arts practitioners. In recent days, these two had often been around Lü Bu, intentionally or unintentionally inquiring about Lü Bu's background. Fortunately, Wang Yue was not serious about it; he was not foolish enough to fail to see that the Yuan brothers were not martial arts practitioners. In recent days, these two had often been around Lü Bu, intentionally or unintentionally inquiring about Lü Bu's background.

Everyone worked hard, catching several wild animals, and sought out a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters. They divided the tasks, some gathering firewood, others washing food, and they were quite cheerful.

When Chunyu Qiong spoke, he kept raising his hand, and that rabbit was skewered on a wooden stick, standing upright right in front of Lü Bu

On this day, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Chunyu Qiong, Cao Cao, Liu Dai, Zhang Miao, Bao Xin, Xu You, Xia Mou, and Lü Bu went for an outing to the north of the city. Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, and engaging with the flying birds and roaming beasts, the young men, being playful by nature, found great delight in the experience. Lü Bu remained on his horse, mostly silent, only occasionally exchanging a few words. Fortunately, over this period, everyone had come to understand that this was Lü Bu's character, which made the atmosphere more harmonious. Later, Wang Yue occasionally shared stories about how he first encountered Lü Bu, recounting how he fought against hundreds of bandits, how he single-handedly defeated them, leading to a significant victory. Unfortunately, his family and fellow villagers had fallen victim to the bandits, which was why he had followed Lü Bu to Luoyang, seeking a better life.

Chunyu Qiong returned happily, although Wang Yue's earlier exaggeration was indeed unusual.

Lü Bu saw the situation and, with his spear pointed to the ground, leaped over and landed behind Chunyu Qiong, turning around to strike with a thrust of his weapon

When everyone began to roast, Chunyu Qiong also brought a cleaned wild rabbit to Lü Bu and said: "Lü Bu, we have too many wild game over there, and it would be a shame to waste it later, so I will give you this one."

Wang Yue, in order to highlight his own prowess, deliberately made Lü Bu the target of public criticism. That group of young men, who usually held themselves in high regard, could not allow such a newcomer to steal the spotlight and unwittingly diminish the reputation of Luoyang. One among them stepped forward, and it was none other than the hot-tempered Chunyu Qiong, who, feeling indignant, declared: "What can this kid possibly be capable of? I, Chunyu Qiong, will spar with you for a few rounds and see what you are made of." The crowd erupted in cheers, for the usually aloof Lü Bu had caused many to suffer in recent days, and his arrogant demeanor had long been a source of their disdain.

Chunyu Qiong then returned to Yuan Shao and the others, casually picking up a wine jar and taking a few hearty sips, feeling comfortable as he said: "This wine is indeed a fine thing; this spicy flavor, once tasted, is hard to forget."

Wang Yue smiled and said, "Since that is the case, Lu Bu, you should spar with Chunyu Qiong for a few rounds, but do not use excessive force."

Chunyu Qiong angrily said: "Who asked him to concede? Lü Bu, if you consider yourself a man, then fight me fairly. Even if you lose, you should lose honorably."

Although these young men were born into wealthy families and are unaware of the hardships faced by the common people, they are still young in nature. Most of them express sympathy for Lü Bu's plight, and thus they become friendly towards him. Among them, Chunyu Qiong, who had been reprimanded by Lü Bu a few days prior, even set Lü Bu as his target and grew quite close to him, often visiting Lü Bu to chat for a few moments. Although Lü Bu does not appreciate Chunyu Qiong's overly mature demeanor, during his time in Luoyang, he has only come to know these young men studying in the martial arts school, with Chunyu Qiong being the one who speaks the most. Therefore, despite his dislike, he gradually begins to converse with Chunyu Qiong and sometimes even offers pointers on martial arts techniques. As for Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, although they also frequently come to talk with Lü Bu, they do not possess the straightforwardness that Chunyu Qiong does.

Chunyu Qiong, due to his tall stature, preferred practicing martial arts in his daily life, thus earning the reputation of being the strongest in martial prowess among the youth. However, he never expected to be defeated by Lü Bu within just a few exchanges, leaving him utterly speechless

However, Lü Bu certainly looked down upon engaging in such matters, and it was not appropriate for him to intervene; he merely observed from the sidelines

Chunyu Qiong fought with great frustration, unable to close in on Lü Bu for several rounds. In a fit of anger, he took a blow from Lü Bu and rolled closer, striking at Lü Bu's knees with his sword.

Lü Bu relied on the length of his weapon to keep Chunyu Qiong at bay, not allowing him to approach, and he used the tip of his spear to poke from a distance

The Yuan brothers were pleased to receive Yuan Wei's agreement, but their primary interest lay in Lü Bu. As for martial skills, they did not find them particularly beneficial.

His name is Lü Bu, and he is only fifteen years old this year. He has only been with me for three months, and what he has learned is merely the surface of my knowledge. However, in my view, none of you here can match him.

Chunyu Qiong let out a loud shout of "Ah" and brandished his sword to strike.

Lu Bu's move was precisely learned from Wang Yue, a technique known as "breaking the surface with a point." At the point where the two weapons intersected, Lu Bu's staff unexpectedly struck the blade, creating a dent in the shape of a circle. The force was so intense that Chunyu Qiong was forced to retreat several steps before he could barely regain his footing, yet his chest was in severe pain.

Everyone nodded in agreement

Chunyu Qiong did not wish to confront the formidable martial skills of Lü Bu, whose strikes were executed with such swiftness. In a moment of urgency, he could only cross his sword before his chest, prepared to block the impending blow.

At that moment, everyone caught a whiff of a peculiar fragrance

Instead, Chunyu Qiong was the first to speak: "Lü Bu, impressive skills, I, old Qiong, admire you."

Lü Bu then turned his attention to Chunyu Qiong, noticing his serious expression. He no longer engaged in banter with Wang Yue, but instead said to Chunyu Qiong: "Alright, choose your weapon."

Chunyu Qiong did not say much, chose the saber he was skilled with, and performed a few sword techniques as a form of preparation

Although Chunyu Qiong felt slightly displeased, he had to admit that what Yuan Shao said was indeed very reasonable

Wang Yue was in high spirits and exclaimed, "With such skills, would you be willing to learn?" Many young men were certainly eager, as galloping on the battlefield was the aspiration of every strong man. Although Yuan Shao and others were not keen on putting much effort into martial arts, they were nonetheless interested in staying for the day. However, after a few days, Yuan Shao and the others lost interest in this and went out hunting and playing with their original friends.