New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Gongsun Zan put down his wine bowl, leaned forward, and explained slowly:

"Ordinary people are supposed to be reincarnated after they die. But if they have unfulfilled wishes and linger with resentment, they will become ghosts scattered among the people. The stronger the resentment, the more powerful the ghost."

"Wandering spirits can only disturb people, vengeful ghosts can harm people, but the most ferocious ghosts can kill people. For every person a ghost kills, its resentment grows stronger. When it has killed a thousand people..."

He paused, raised his eyes to stare at Liu Bei, and said, word by word, "It will no longer be a ghost. It will evolve into a monster."

He then abruptly changed the subject, asking in return, "Xuande, a victorious army is bound to be arrogant, and an arrogant army is bound to be defeated. You surely understand this principle, don't you?"

Liu Bei paused for a moment, then nodded.

Gongsun Zan continued:

"Most of these monsters have eaten at least a thousand people, so they are at least capable of defeating a thousand. If you kill a monster capable of defeating a thousand, you will gain a thousand layers of Pride. If it has eaten ten thousand people, then it will gain ten thousand layers of Pride."

He picked up the wine bowl, took a swig, and added another sentence.

"That's why you felt so relaxed when you fought Lu Bu before, and you almost fought him to a draw."

"That's because before that, Lü Bu had already stacked up over ten thousand layers of the Arrogant Soldier state. After he consecutively killed Han Yong, Qu Yi, and Liu Sandao, he was already in the Arrogant Soldier state. And the Arrogant Soldier is destined to be defeated!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei frowned and pressed for an answer: "Why are there over ten thousand layers?"

Gongsun Zan put down his wine bowl and said seriously, "Because that Liu Sandao is a strange creature capable of defeating ten thousand men. Don't be fooled by his seemingly insignificant name; this man's strength is extraordinary."

"According to intelligence gathered by my scouts, Liu Sandao possesses an extremely terrifying passive ability that guarantees a fatal blow. No matter who the opponent is, just three strikes are enough to take their life!"

Liu Bei suddenly realized what was happening, and then felt a deep sense of regret for Liu Sandao, who had been blasted into a bloody mist by Lü Bu's punch.

Gongsun Zan took another sip of wine and continued:

"When Cao Cao later attacked Xuzhou, Tao Qian would constantly lament his weakness. Yet, at the alliance meeting in Chenliu, he was clearly full of vigor and arrogance. Do you know why?"

Seeing that Gongsun Zan was keeping him in suspense, Liu Bei pressed on, asking, "Why?"

Gongsun Zan placed the wine bowl on the table and laughed:

"When the feudal lords met, Liu Sandao was still alive. With this invincible general in charge, Tao Qian naturally felt fearless and walked with his head held high wherever he went."

"But with Liu Sandao dead, Tao Qian no longer had such a formidable general at his disposal, leaving him vulnerable to bullying and without even the courage to fight back. As a result, he became a coward, extremely humble, even treating Cao Song with the respect due to a prince."

Liu Bei suddenly realized what was going on, picked up his wine bowl, and took a thoughtful sip.

As he was pondering this, he suddenly noticed a gaze fixed on him.

He followed that gaze and met Zhao Yun's curious eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Zhao Yun quickly turned his head to the side, a barely perceptible blush creeping up his ears.

Ok?

Liu Bei frowned slightly, but didn't think too much about it. He withdrew his gaze and continued talking with Gongsun Zan.

The two got along very well, and in order to gain Liu Bei's trust, Gongsun Zan revealed many secrets that he should have kept to himself.

Before they knew it, it was already late at night. Gongsun Zan personally led Liu Bei to a magnificent old house, saying that this was his former residence, which he would now give to Xuande to live in.

He handed the key to Liu Bei, but suddenly the smile on his face vanished. He pointed to the depths of the house and solemnly instructed him:

"Xuande, there's something you must remember. You absolutely, positively must not go into that sealed basement."

Liu Bei was already quite drunk. He staggered and leaned against the door frame, mumbled a reply, and then kept those words in mind before turning and walking towards his bedroom.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were already completely drunk and unconscious. They could only be helped back to their respective rooms by several beauties arranged by Gongsun Zan, one on each side.

I don't know how long I slept, but a piercing baby's cry suddenly tore through the thick darkness of the night.

Liu Bei suddenly sprang up from the bed, and almost simultaneously reached for the swords of benevolence and righteousness that were placed beside the bed.

He knelt on one knee on the couch, one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other on the edge of the couch, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings like a sharp blade, his whole body taut like a fully drawn bow.

The room was unfamiliar, with simple and rustic furnishings. On the walls hung a few scrolls that were dimly lit by the moonlight.

He was stunned for a moment, then he remembered that this was the place Gongsun Zan had arranged for him.

The house was large, but only the three brothers stayed there tonight. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were already completely drunk and unconscious, beyond waking. Where did the baby's crying come from?

Liu Bei felt a chill slowly creep up his spine.

He held his breath and channeled the strange power within him to probe his surroundings. In the lingering echo of the crying, he caught a faint trace of an eerie aura.

This is no ordinary baby, it's eerie!

Liu Bei was slightly startled at first, and then the anger aroused by the fright surged up.

What kind of weirdo dares to cause trouble here? They're treating him way too well!

Liu Bei snorted coldly. Now that he held the sword of benevolence and the sword of righteousness, his martial prowess was far beyond what it used to be. Why would he be afraid of a mere night-crying ghost infant?

He took a tinderbox from beside the couch, lit a candle, held two swords in one hand and the candle in the other, and pushed open the door to step into the dark corridor.

He hadn't noticed while he was drunk and confused, but now, with the faint light from his palm, he could see that the walls of the house were covered with murals.

The dim candlelight flickered gently on the canvas, and the twisted lines and intense colors seemed to come alive at any moment in the flickering light.

Liu Bei immediately realized that this was Gongsun Zan's scheme.

Although he is now quite strong, he will never repeat the mistake of pride leading to defeat, nor will he foolishly linger his gaze on those strange paintings for even half a second longer.

He lowered his gaze, focusing only on the path beneath his feet, and followed the sound of crying deeper into the house.

The baby's cries echoed repeatedly in the empty old house, one after another, without end, as if seeping from some corner underground, sending chills down one's spine.

Liu Bei walked through corridor after corridor, finally stopping before a large door sealed shut with countless talismans. The weeping was coming from behind this door.

He raised his twin swords, about to sever the talisman and break down the door, when suddenly he recalled Gongsun Zan's parting words that had been whispered in his ear.

"Whatever you do, whatever you do, don't go into that basement..."

He took a deep breath and slowly sheathed his twin swords.

Gongsun Zan wouldn't have given him such a serious warning for no reason; there must be a secret behind this door that he shouldn't know.

He suppressed the surging curiosity in his heart and was about to turn and leave when a large, cold hand silently reached out from behind him and gently placed on his shoulder.