New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Upon seeing Guan Yu approach, Lü Bu frowned, exerted force with both arms, and pushed forward with his halberd, causing Zhang Fei and his horse to stagger back several steps. He then tightened the reins, and Red Hare reared up, retreating several feet.

The force of the impact sent Zhang Fei staggering backward, his back slamming heavily against the saddle. His heart was still pounding in his chest. He had barely settled down and was trying to catch his breath when Lü Bu turned his horse around.

Red Hare kicked out with its hind legs, its hoof striking the front leg of the warhorse beneath Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei's horse couldn't dodge in time and was kicked squarely in the front leg. It let out a mournful cry, its two front hooves bent and it knelt down on the ground, its huge head almost hitting the ground.

Zhang Fei was pulled forward by the sudden inertia and stumbled. In his panic, he braced himself against the ground with his spear to avoid rolling off his horse.

The wind howled overhead again, and Lü Bu's halberd came crashing down! Zhang Fei didn't have time to get up, so he held his spear with both hands in his half-kneeling position to block the blow.

At that moment, the warhorse beneath him wobbled and reared up on its forelegs, its four legs shaking like leaves, yet it managed to lift Zhang Fei up again.

Liu Bei, holding the reins in the distance, watched this absurd scene, his lips twitching twice before he managed to suppress a laugh.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that the horse could stand up on its own. But that's how it was filmed in the original movie. If you're interested, you can watch the original movie yourself.

Seeing that his halberd strike had been blocked again, Lü Bu didn't pursue the matter further. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Guan Yu charging towards him on horseback. He swept his halberd back, forcing Zhang Fei back two steps, then spurred his horse, Red Hare, and broke free from their encirclement.

Seeing Guan Yu arrive on horseback, Zhang Fei grinned and shouted, "Second Brother! It's good you've come!"

Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly, glanced at him, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Third brother, didn't you say you were going to poke a thousand holes in Lü Bu? How come it looks like you're the one who's about to get poked?"

Zhang Fei choked up and awkwardly shut his mouth.

Guan Yu snorted coldly, but the corners of his mouth subtly curled up.

He untied the wine flask from his waist and casually tossed it into Zhang Fei's arms: "Go rest over there and have a couple of drinks. Watch me deal with this Lü Bu."

Zhang Fei caught the wine jug, his eyes lighting up. He didn't care about anything else and tilted his head back to drink it down.

Guan Yu spurred his horse straight at Lü Bu, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade slashing down at him. Lü Bu neither dodged nor evaded, raising his halberd to meet the blow head-on. The blade struck the halberd shaft with a muffled thud, and the impact sent a shiver down Lü Bu's spine.

(P.S.: Sorry, while writing this part, I watched the fight scenes in the new Three Non-Humans repeatedly and almost threw up, so I've skipped the fight scenes here. I hope you all can understand.)

The following is roughly the content:

Guan Yu fought Lü Bu for several rounds, but gradually lost ground.

Zhang Fei took a few swigs of wine, wiped his mouth, remounted his horse, and the two joined forces to attack Lü Bu.

Even without activating the "Strange Transformation" ability, the two were still firmly suppressed by Lü Bu, facing numerous perilous situations.

Liu Bei, holding the reins, hesitated whether to charge forward himself when he suddenly caught a glimpse of text appearing on the ground ahead.

The Strange Tales of Lu Bu's Rules.

Liu Bei's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the newly emerged characters on the ground.

[Rule 1: The strange power within Lü Bu originates from the Imperial Seal of the State. This power is extremely pure and unaffected by any rules; therefore, Lü Bu can activate his strange transformation at any time without any prerequisites.]

[However, it should be noted that the Imperial Seal contains immense divine will. While Lü Bu enjoys this power, his mind is constantly under the interference of this divine will, making him extremely susceptible to its influence.]

[Rule 2: Lu Bu's fatal weakness is Diao Chan, Wang Yun's adopted daughter.]

[Rule 3: This rule was personally added by Heaven. In the upcoming battle, Lü Bu is destined for a crushing defeat; this is an unchangeable fate. Whether you choose to stand by and watch or personally engage in the battle will determine Lü Bu's life or death, and your own destiny.]

[Option 1: Stand idly by and do nothing. Lu Bu will be killed. You will receive one 'Ruthless Ghost'.]

[Option Two: Deploy yourself against Lü Bu, creating a three-on-one battle against him. Lü Bu is destined to lose, but you can spare his life. You will receive a pair of "Deception of Benevolence" and "Deception of Righteousness."]

[Ruthless Ghost]

[Awakenable General Skill: Ruthless Sword Technique.......]

[Each time you use this strange power, your human emotions will diminish by one point. After using it a hundred times, you will become completely heartless and incapable of feeling any human emotions.]

[At that time, you will become incredibly powerful. After using it a hundred times, you will never taste defeat again, nor will you ever be threatened by death. In strategy, you will be infallible; in martial prowess, you will be stronger than the bewitching Lu Bu. You will become an invincible, yet forever without a smile, a perfect being.]

The deception of benevolence, the deception of righteousness

[Awakenable General Skills: Swordsmanship of Benevolence, Swordsmanship of Righteousness.....]

These two techniques can be attached to your twin swords, transforming them into the "Sword of Benevolence" and the "Sword of Righteousness." Afterward, if you use these swords to slay the loyal and righteous, their power will be greatly reduced; if you use them to slay the wicked and evil, their power will increase exponentially.

Liu Bei only glanced at the first two rules before memorizing them. But the third rule was like a boulder thrown into a still lake, plunging him into a long silence. This was the choice Heaven had given him.

Ruthless deception, or the deception of benevolence and the deception of righteousness.

Scenes from the past flashed through his mind, and his gaze gradually hardened from a brief moment of confusion. Without further hesitation, he reached for the twin swords at his waist. He had made his choice.

He was going to fight Lü Bu and take those two tricks of benevolence and righteousness!

Just as he took a deep breath, preparing to ride his horse to support his two brothers, the black characters on the ground were refreshed again, with new lines of text appearing.

Liu Bei, can you tell me why you chose the second path?

Have you forgotten that rule? Always maintain a poker face, remain expressionless. Wouldn't it be better to choose the first path, completely eliminating emotions?

It is precisely because you occasionally break the rules and are swayed by your emotions that you are so weak now.

[In the outhouse, facing the semi-monsterized Yuan Shao, you were nearly killed. If it weren't for fate sending Cao Cao to the rescue, you would have already perished under the shark's fins.]

[During the discussion of the feudal lords over wine, Cao Cao's statement, "The only loyal ministers in the world are you, Xuande and I," caused you to lose your composure and reveal your weakness, giving him the opportunity to drag you into an illusion.]

[During the battle against the completely unpredictable Yuan Shao, you became arrogant after your victory and easily ordered Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to attack. However, Yuan Shao caught you off guard with his teleportation ability and nearly killed you. It was fate again that allowed Cao Cao to save you.]

[Just recently, in the battle against Gongsun Zan, you, out of cowardice, sent Zhang Fei to fight alone while leaving Guan Yu to guard you. As a result, they were defeated one by one. If it weren't for fate allowing Zhang Fei to awaken his martial arts skill, you would have perished without a burial place.]

You've suffered repeated defeats. Although you're constantly scheming, your plans always seem to fail. In your own words, your schemes are as laughable as the political maneuvering in the new Three Kingdoms.

Kindness and righteousness will only bind you. Ruthlessness will make you stronger.

After reading the last line, Liu Bei was moved. The doubts and ridicule were like needles piercing his heart, drawing him into his memories.

"Brother, I just caught a pedantic scholar to eat, you should try some too..."

"My third brother speaks so eloquently; we should drink a large cup of wine in his honor..."

"Third brother, didn't you say you were going to poke a thousand holes in Lü Bu? How come it looks like you're the one who's about to get poked..."

"Go rest over there and have a couple of drinks. Watch me take on this Lu Bu..."

Fragmented conversations and familiar tones transformed into vivid images, appearing before his eyes. A look of reminiscence crossed his face.

It was a peach orchard in full bloom. The three knelt on the ground, with a simple incense table in front of them.

"Heaven and Earth, sun and moon, the universe bear witness! Today, I, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, hereby swear brotherhood! In this life and the next, we will work together with one heart..."

"We don't ask to be born on the same day, in the same month, in the same year, but we ask to die on the same day, in the same month, in the same year..."

The vow still echoed in his ears. Liu Bei suddenly smiled. He raised his head, looked at the azure sky, and murmured to himself, as if answering the will of Heaven, and as if answering himself.

"Although my two brothers sometimes do stupid things, they are still my brothers."

"I, Liu Bei, am not a perfect person. As Heaven said, I have suffered repeated defeats, and my schemes, like the political maneuvering of the new emperor, often fail and seem laughable."

"However, how can a heartless and ruthless person stand in the Three Kingdoms? I have been defeated time and time again, but I have never given up. I believe that one day I will be able to defeat Cao Cao and Sun Quan and unify this chaotic Three Kingdoms period."

His smile carried a hint of relief and resolve.

He stopped looking at the words on the ground, gripped his double-edged sword tightly, and gazed at the figure in the distance who was fighting Guan Yu and Zhang Fei on the battlefield.

This time, he didn't hesitate.