Three Kingdoms Lords: Starting by walking into the mouth of a giant python

Chapter 101 Widow Silk

The chubby boy stood with his knife in hand, but when he saw the stranger opposite him speaking softly and with a friendly attitude, and that what he said about "taking words" had nothing to do with [force], he was taken aback.

The chubby boy was ugly, and ever since he was born and his parents named him "Ugly," he has been subjected to contemptuous and disgusted looks.

He was happy, but people said it was just an ugly person acting strangely and trying to please the crowd. He was sad, but people said it was disgusting and offensive.

When he grew older and became strong enough to subdue tigers and bears, no one dared to discuss beauty or ugliness in front of him anymore.

The chubby boy thought his neighbors had changed, but he still heard people gossiping behind his back, saying he was a mountain spirit impersonating a human or possessed by a ghost. A group of people burst into laughter.

He flew into a rage and chased after those who were discussing the matter, brandishing a cane. A chaotic scene ensued, resulting in numerous injuries.

The villagers tried to take him to the authorities, but he injured them as well.

In the end, it was only after the elders of the village intervened that he bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

After the commotion subsided, he returned home. He was greeted by his parents' complaints, who said he shouldn't have resorted to violence and damaged the relationship with his neighbors.

He was speechless, and from then on, he became even more withdrawn and silent.

Later, a strange person was born and the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" became popular.

Many people came to visit him, and the villagers began to take pride in him.

Tens of thousands of extraordinary individuals gathered here and formed the "Hebei Alliance," wanting to venerate him as their leader.

He shook his head and refused, and lived a secluded life.

He didn't want to pay much attention to the noise outside, and just stayed at home to hone his strength.

Until the [system] voice sounded and he saw the name "Li Yu", he became curious and came here with his knife.

"A courtesy name?" The chubby boy shook his head. "I haven't chosen one yet."

He was born into a poor family and was not yet of legal age, so how could he have a courtesy name?

Although the author of the "Three Kingdoms" describes him as "the bravest general in the army" and a valiant warrior, there is no mention of him in the text.

"How about I give the young master a courtesy name?"

The strange man opposite him was still insisting on the matter of "choosing a courtesy name." But perhaps because of his friendly attitude, the chubby boy didn't seem annoyed. He asked, "You've come for the [bottleneck test], so why do you keep insisting on choosing a courtesy name for me?"

The strange man laughed, "I gained nearly a thousand points of [Intelligence] experience by retrieving characters for others in the [60 Bottleneck Test]. I can't leave empty-handed today in the [70 Test], can I?"

The chubby boy was speechless at this reason.

The strange man then said, "Young sir, let me try to take it. If I find it unsuitable, I can simply skip it, shall I?"

"Well... alright then." The chubby boy thought for a moment and then agreed. "I am Wen Chou, please do as you please."

After he finished speaking, he carefully observed the expression on the other person's face.

Upon hearing his real name, the other person showed no surprise or excitement, but simply asked, "Is it the Chou of Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, or the Chou of You Gui?"

The chubby boy said, "Bring them all and take a look."

The man nodded and then asked, "How many children are you in your family, brother?"

"As the elder," the chubby boy replied.

After pondering for a moment, the man said, "If it's the former, the *Lunheng* (Discourses Weighed in the Balance), in its chapter on 'Shengwu' (On the Nature of Things), says, 'Chou and Wei are both earth; Chou is associated with cattle, and Wei with sheep.' Brother, you can choose the name 'Bo Niu' (伯牛). If it's the latter, well… Chou often carries negative connotations, such as filth or filth. Besides, it also has the meaning of comparison to the same kind…"

The chubby boy watched him mutter to himself quietly.

"I've got it!" the man exclaimed happily. "There's a saying in Mencius, Book 2, Part 2: 'Today, the world is filled with the ugly and the virtuous, none can surpass them.' Brother, how about we name yourselves 'Boqi,' 'Ziqi,' or 'Deqi'?"

The chubby boy didn't answer, but raised his long sword and said, "Brother Yu, if you can defeat the sword in my hand, you can decide the name. What do you say?"

"Alright!" Li Yu readily agreed, drew his Demon-Slaying Spear, and charged forward.

Wen Chou was quite strong, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't withstand the spear's relentless attack.

After a flurry of spear and sword clashes, the chubby boy sheathed his weapon, cupped his hands in surrender, and said, "Brother Yu truly deserves to be the master of [Immortal Abode]. I admire you."

Li Yu laughed heartily: "Brother, you're not bad either."

Then he was asked to choose a character, and the chubby boy sought Li Yu's opinion.

Li Yu said, "It would be better to use Wen Chou, whose courtesy name is Bo Niu."

The chubby boy asked why. Li Yu laughed and said, "Brother, you're not ugly, so don't use that ugly character."

The chubby boy disliked people making fun of his appearance, and frowned, saying, "Brother Yu, please don't make fun of me."

Li Yu replied, "Since we're meeting for the first time, I'd like to offer you something, brother."

Having said that, he took out a few blades of grass from the pot and handed them over.

------

"[System]: The player has passed the [70 Martial Power Bottleneck Test], and their [Martial Power] has been increased to 70."

The light and shadow shattered, and Li Yu returned to the [Fanghu].

When asked about the exam, Li Yu replied that he encountered an ugly-cute chubby boy.

Then continue with the written exam.

The [Intelligence Test] did not give him the opportunity to choose an examiner and started immediately—"[System]: Player initiates [Intelligence 60 Bottleneck Test]—[Name Interpretation]."

Li Yu appeared in a thatched hut.

The desk was complete with writing materials, writing brushes, inkstones, and other essentials.

Behind the desk stood another young man.

Unlike the ugly chubby boy, this one is refined and elegant, with a jade-like and golden appearance.

"Greetings, Lord Xun." Li Yu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"You recognize me?" The boy was taken aback, then shook his head. "I am not Lord Xun, I am Xun Yu, Xun Wenruo."

Having said that, without waiting for Li Yu's response, he began the examination process of [name interpretation]—

"In ancient times, noble men and women had both a given name and a courtesy name. The given name was given shortly after birth, while the courtesy name was given at a certain age. 'Men were capped at twenty and given a courtesy name,' and 'women were capped at marriage and given a courtesy name.'"

"The relationship between a given name and its courtesy name can be categorized as follows: having the same meaning, contrasting meanings, associating categories, referring to specific objects, and distinguishing objects."

"In ancient times, the use of characters in naming often emphasized simplicity, while in the middle and late ancient periods, embellishment was particularly valued. Different eras had different customs, and there were also many variations due to differences in people's status, upbringing, and interests."

"I hope Brother Li can explain each point."

After hearing this, Li Yu cupped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Please, Wenruo, give me the question."

Xun Yu asked, "Jiang Chong, courtesy name Ciqian. What does this mean?"

After a moment's thought, Li Yu said, "Mencius, Book 7, Part 2, says, 'To be full and substantial is beautiful.' And 'qian' is a beautiful term for a scholar, which is also beautiful. The addition of 'ci' means that the two are ranked together."

Xun Yu nodded, then asked, "Wang Yun, courtesy name Zishi, what does that mean?"

Li Yu replied: "The Book of Poetry, Zhou Song, Zhuo says: 'He has an heir, truly a virtuous and just teacher.' And 'son' is a beautiful title, so it was used as an embellishment."

"Yin Ya, courtesy name Mengde. What does this mean?"

"The Book of Poetry, Minor Odes, Praying to Father: 'Praying to Father, you are the king's claws and teeth.' This means that just as fierce birds and beasts use their claws and teeth to defend themselves and protect the royal family, 'fierce virtue' corresponds to 'teeth'."

"Kong Rong, courtesy name Wenju, what does this mean?"

"The first rays of the sun are called 'ming' (明), and the sun shining brightly high is called 'rong' (融). Therefore, 'rong' implies height. And 'ju' (举) means to lift it up. Hence the name 'rong' with the character 'ju' (举). In the Later Han Dynasty, scholars and officials often used 'wen' (文) as an embellishment when choosing their courtesy names. 'Wenju' (文举) means to have exceptional literary talent and surpass one's contemporaries."

"Kong Guang, courtesy name Zixia, what does this mean?"

The Book of Changes, in the Kun hexagram, says: "It contains vastness and shines brightly..."

An hour later, Li Yu solved all the problems perfectly and passed the test flawlessly.

Xun Yu couldn't help but praise, "Brother Yu is extremely learned."

The thatched hut was destroyed, and Li Yu returned to the [pot].

"[System]: The player has perfectly passed the [Intelligence 60 Bottleneck Test] and has received a random reward of 1."

Li Yu smiled with satisfaction. His efforts in collecting the question bank in his [dream] had not been in vain.

There was only one slight pity. Before returning to Hu, he said he was going to visit Yingyin, but Xun Yu replied, "I have already taken my nephew on a trip."

Li Yu opened [Random Reward].

"[System]: Congratulations to the player for obtaining 'Jin·Widow Silk'."

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Widow Silk

[Rank] Mysterious.

[Attribute] When playing a lament, [Music Skill - Touch] +60, if your spirit is lower than the player's, you cannot be exempted.

[Description] Silkworms are most skillful at spinning cocoons, often taking shape from whatever they encounter. A widow once slept alone, leaning against her pillow, unable to sleep. She secretly peered through a hole in the wall at her neighbor's silkworm cocoons, and the next day, many of the cocoons resembled them. Though her features were not clearly visible, she vaguely resembled a sorrowful woman. Cai Yong saw this, bought some at a high price, and used the silk to make strings for a zither. When he played it, it produced a mournful and sorrowful sound. He asked the woman, Cai Yan, about it, and she replied, "This is the silk of a widow." — *Gezhi Jingyuan*

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A lament?

Li Yu recalled the many musical scores he had studied in his dream and selected a piece called "Daolianzi".

The creatures in the pot were very curious when they heard that he was going to play a tune, and they all crowded around him.

The [Snake Princesses] set up a long table, the young ladies lit incense burners, and the maids eagerly offered to dance.

Li Yu calmed his mind and began to play the long zither—

"Meng Jiangnu, wife of Qi Liang, went to Yanshan and never returned."

"If no one delivers winter clothes to us, we may have to send them to the soldiers ourselves."

"The Great Wall road is truly difficult to traverse, and snow blankets the Cheese Mountain; drinking wine causes illness that prevents one from eating, so I wish to return home soon in good health."

The music of the zither seemed to tell a story of "Qi Liang died, Jiang Nu wept, and the Great Wall collapsed in grief."

Several elderly people, unable to bear the sorrowful music of parting from life and death, got up and left.

[Lumin] and [Snake Princess] showed little change. A dozen or so [Pregnant Hairy] were whimpering, and [Queen Hairy], fearing they might miscarry, ordered them to stay far away.

The young woman tugged at Li Yu's sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears.

The little sparrow was dancing the "Mulberry Grove Dance" to pray for rain, but not a single drop of rain fell from the sky. She cried her heart out, as if a torrential downpour was falling.

The most outrageous one was [Thirteen Ants]. She lay on top of Li Yu's head, wailing loudly.

Tears streamed down his face like a stream from his tiny, millet-sized eyes, soaking Li Yu's head.

The latter had no choice but to stop playing, and only then did the atmosphere inside the pot return to normal.

Li Yu dried his hair, picked up [Widow Silk], and went to [Black Steed]'s ant nest to practice the [Puppet] piece he had learned earlier.

Before long, the long-absent queen ant angrily crawled out of the ground—

Yes, yes, yes! Yes, yes!

------

Shanggu in Youzhou, outside Chicheng.

A father and son, weary from their journey, stopped their oxcart to rest by the roadside.

"Grandpa, have you arrived in Chicheng yet?"

A chubby boy of eleven or twelve years old on the bus, holding his bandaged right hand, asked listlessly.

(End of this chapter)