New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Liu Bei and Yuan Shu felt a sudden chill run down their spines, a chilling killing intent piercing their bones like an ice pick. Without the slightest hesitation, they turned abruptly. But Yuan Shao was already gone.

On his face, the face of a fierce tiger slowly emerged, the tiger's mouth stretching to the ears, with an extremely eerie smile.

A twisted, black horn bursts from the very top of his head. On his two wrists, a pair of shark-like pectoral fins are prominently displayed, their edges sharp as knives, gleaming with a chilling light in the candlelight, as if they could easily cleave through everything in the world.

Liu Bei's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart trembled violently.

A smiling tiger! A black shark!

He abruptly turned to look at Yuan Shu beside him. Fortunately, Yuan Shu was still in normal condition and had not been implicated by Yuan Shao's strange behavior.

Yuan Shao's eyes had turned a ghostly green, gleaming eerily in the dim light. He stared at Liu Bei and Yuan Shu as if scrutinizing two prey with nowhere to escape.

From that moment on, Liu Bei understood that Yuan Shao was no longer the normal person he had been before; he had become a true monster.

Liu Bei slowly retreated, shielding Yuan Shu behind him. He drew his double-edged sword, its tip pointing directly at Yuan Shao, his face remaining calm, but his voice as deep as iron.

"Lord Yuan, I respect you for your family's four generations of high-ranking officials and your reputation as a benevolent and righteous man. I cannot bear to take your life. Please leave immediately."

"I, Liu Bei, have no other special skills, but my swordsmanship is among the best in the world. Do not force me to use my merciless sword!"

This isn't just him bragging; after his soul transmigrated into Liu Bei's body in the new Three Kingdoms, he felt that this body was exceptionally powerful.

Upon closer reflection, it's not surprising.

Liu Bei is like Ash Ketchum from Pokémon, while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are like Pokémon, and the Soul Chain is like a Poké Ball.

Why was Liu Bei able to bind Guan Yu and Zhang Fei with soul chains in the new Three Kingdoms? Because he himself was exceptionally powerful, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were simply defeated and subdued by him, forced to swear brotherhood in the Peach Garden and establish the soul chains.

However, the strange influence later corrupted Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, making it impossible for Liu Bei to defeat the corrupted Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He had no choice but to back down and rely on the soul chains to control the two.

However, in their non-mysterious state, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were definitely no match for Liu Bei.

Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Yuan Shu's mind was filled with doubt. "Didn't you say at the alliance meeting that you were a mat weaver and sandal seller? If your profession is weaving mats and selling sandals, how come your swordsmanship is among the best in the world? Could it be that you possess some kind of strangeness?"

He didn't know how skilled Liu Bei was with his sword and thought Liu Bei was just trying to scare Yuan Shao.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao not only did not retreat, but instead took two steps forward. Zhang Hu's smile deepened, as if he were enjoying a clumsy performance.

Liu Bei outwardly feigned composure, but inwardly he was in a state of utter panic. Seeing Yuan Shao closing in, in a moment of crisis, he caught a glimpse of the bronze mirror beside him, grabbed it, and smashed it fiercely at Yuan Shao.

He had hoped that this blow would knock Yuan Shao to the ground, and that the two of them would take the opportunity to rush out of the outhouse. However, a piercingly loud crack shattered his illusions completely.

Yuan Shao simply flicked the shark fin on his wrist, and the bronze mirror was cleaved in two like a piece of paper, the fragments clattering to the ground.

Holy crap! Is this even human?

Liu Bei and Yuan Shu felt their hair stand on end and retreated hastily, fearing they would be cleaved into pieces by that sharp shark fin. However, Yuan Shao was not fast. He merely stared at the two with a half-smile, slowly approaching step by step.

The outhouse was cramped, and escape routes were fleeting. The two were quickly cornered in a cold, damp place, with nowhere to retreat and their lives hanging by a thread.

Yuan Shu was filled with fear, like a flood bursting its banks. Seeing Yuan Shao's eerie green eyes still closing in, he finally couldn't hold back and screamed in agony.

"Help! Help!"

"Hehehe!"

Hearing the piercing scream, Yuan Shao became even more excited. He grinned, letting out a chilling, sinister laugh.

"Go ahead and scream, scream all you want. Even if you scream until your throat is hoarse, no one will come to save you!"

At the critical moment, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly rang out from outside the door. Immediately afterwards, a loud shout pierced the air.

"Don't harm my master!"

The three of them simultaneously looked towards the door.

Tang Xiaohu, riding a white horse and wielding a gleaming silver spear, charged forward recklessly. The spear tip was pointed directly at Yuan Shao, who had become completely bizarre.

Liu Bei was initially delighted, but then his heart tightened suddenly. He was delighted because Tang Xiaohu, once on horseback, was invulnerable to swords and spears, and invincible in water and fire.

His worry stemmed from the fact that Yuan Shao's shark-fin-like swords were incredibly sharp; if one strike landed on the horse, Tang Xiaohu would die instantly. He prayed frantically in his heart, hoping that Tang Xiaohu would protect the horse.

Hearing the sound of hooves, Yuan Shao slowly turned around. His pair of eerie green tiger eyes fell on Tang Xiaohu, showing no anger, no wariness, only a chilling curiosity. He tilted his head, as if examining a moth that had flown into a trap.

"Another one coming to die." Yuan Shao's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of condescending pity. "My sharp fins can cleave through everything in the world. You can't stop me."

Tang Xiaohu tightened the reins, his palms sweating profusely as he gripped the gun. Facing this tiger-faced, shark-finned monster, fear gripped his heart like icy vines.

But he didn't back down; instead, he charged even faster. He knew that if he retreated, his momentum would dissipate, and his master would be in danger. He took a deep breath, forced a cold laugh, and tried to bolster his courage.

"I don't believe you! Take this!"

Yuan Shao's pupils suddenly contracted. For the first time, something seemed to have been touched in those deep green eyes.

It wasn't anger, but a kind of bewildered frustration. He repeated the sentence in a low voice.

"You...don't believe me?"

Tang Xiaohu was stunned. Liu Bei and Yuan Shu were also stunned.

No one expected that this hideous monster would react so strongly to a simple "I don't believe it".

Yuan Shao took a step forward. He raised the shark fin on his arm, its sharp edge gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

But his expression wasn't threatening; rather, it held a twisted urgency. Like a child being questioned, desperately wanting to prove himself.

"I can prove it to you." His voice became urgent. "How do you want me to prove it? Tell me. Tell me!"

A thought flashed through Liu Bei's mind. Hua Xiong's weakness was his warhorse, but could Yuan Shao's weakness be his morbid thirst for "approval"? He quickly gave Tang Xiaohu a look.

Tang Xiaohu understood immediately, and with a steely resolve, he brandished his spear, pointing it at Yuan Shao.

"If you're truly capable, then cut me in the stomach. But if you cheat and manage to cut even a hair on my horse, even as a vengeful ghost, I will never acknowledge you!"

This was a trap that put lives at stake. Tang Xiaohu's hands were trembling slightly.

Yuan Shao, however, seemed to see some sacred covenant. He nodded solemnly, the chilling smile on his tiger-like face reappearing, but now with an added air of unyielding seriousness.

"Fine. I'll only cut your stomach. Watch closely!"

He strode towards Tang Xiaohu. Every step he took carried a chilling reverence, as if this life-or-death duel was a solemn ritual of proof for him.

Taking advantage of this moment, Liu Bei and Yuan Shu quickly crept to the window opposite, ready to break through and escape at any moment. Their eyes, however, were fixed on the two figures confronting each other in the middle of the arena.

Tang Xiaohu, riding a horse and wielding a spear, is impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire; he is the world's strongest shield. Yuan Shao, with a tiger's face and shark fins, claims to be invincible; he is the world's sharpest spear.

This was no longer a duel between two people, but a clash between the sharpest spear and the strongest shield. It was unclear whether the spear would break or the shield would shatter.

As the distance between the two drew ever closer, the decisive moment was about to be revealed. Suddenly, an extremely untimely voice rang out from outside the door.

"Gentlemen, sirs!"

"Why aren't you returning to the banquet to drink? What are you doing hiding in the outhouse?"

"Perhaps you find my wine too sour?"

The four men all looked towards the door. There stood Cao Cao, holding a wine cup, his gaze deep and his smile warm as he watched them.

Liu Bei's heart sank, and he knew he was in trouble. He quickly scanned the entire scene, and his mind had already calculated the fatal situation before him like lightning.

Inside the outhouse, Tang Xiaohu and Yuan Shao had both become bizarre and inhuman. The only truly living people were him and Yuan Shu.

Their secret plot was bound to be overheard. And Cao Cao, who arrived uninvited at this moment, was precisely the eavesdropper created by this rule.

Unexpectedly, the moment Yuan Shao saw Cao Cao, his fierce expression changed drastically. The eerie features receded like a tide, and in an instant, he regained his original appearance. He rushed forward, his fawning demeanor bordering on servility.

"Mengde, we were just discussing some trivial matters here. We'll head back now."

As he spoke, he cautiously observed Cao Cao's expression. His anxious demeanor made it seem as if the person standing before him was not a colleague, but a god who might unleash a thunderous wrath at any moment.

Cao Cao ignored him. He bypassed Yuan Shao and focused his gaze on Liu Bei and Yuan Shu. His eyes held scrutiny and skepticism, as if he were judging whether Yuan Shao's words were true.

Following Cao Cao's gaze, Yuan Shao hurriedly turned to look at Liu Bei. His eyes were full of pleading, clearly saying: Brother, I was drunk just now, please forgive me this time.

Cao Cao's gaze, however, was even colder. His eyes, fixed on Yuan Shao's retreating figure, no longer seemed to be looking at a living person. His gaze was clearly that of someone scrutinizing a piece of meat about to be devoured.

Liu Bei saw everything clearly. If he exposed Yuan Shao's lies now, Cao Cao would surely devour him on the spot. But although Yuan Shao was corrupted by the supernatural, he was not necessarily beyond redemption.

His previous mission was to protect the Yuan brothers. Now Yuan Shao has been corrupted, yet he himself has not suffered any punishment.

According to the rules, the monster that devours people becomes an arrogant soldier, and an arrogant soldier is bound to be defeated. Liu Bei speculated that if he could seize that opportunity to kill the monster within Yuan Shao, he might be able to restore him to normalcy.

He exchanged a glance with Yuan Shu, already having made up his mind, and then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Cao Cao.

"Lord Cao, you flatter me. Just now, General Yuan and I were in the outhouse discussing your fine wine."

He paused deliberately. Yuan Shao's back tensed instantly.

"Oh?" Cao Cao raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "So, have you come to a conclusion? Is my wine sour or sweet?"

He spoke to Liu Bei, but his gaze was fixed on Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao was sweating profusely under his gaze and dared not even breathe.

Liu Bei took all of this in and calmly replied.

"Cao Cao's wine is like that of an old hero; the more you drink, the more vigorous you become. Just now at the banquet, I drank so comfortably that I almost died."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Cao Cao let out a low chuckle in a colonel's accent, took a satisfied sip of the fine wine in his cup, turned and leisurely left, leaving behind only one sentence.

"hurry up."

Inside the outhouse, only four people remained, staring at each other in bewilderment.