My timeless tavern

Chapter 527: The Hongmen Banquet and Xiang Yu's Martial Spirit

Liu Bang spurred his horse and led his men towards Hongmen.

Except for a few confidants, no one else knew about his "immortal fate".

Even few people knew that he was going to attend the Hongmen Banquet.

The war horses galloped wildly, splashing up a cloud of dust.

Everyone's face was filled with surprise and eagerness to try.

Halfway through the journey, Liu Bang suddenly stopped his horse and looked to the side in surprise.

There was a two-meter-wide ditch there, and a white snake was lying across it.

The white snake looked as thick as an adult's calf. It was straddling the ditch with its tail hidden in the grass behind it, while its head and half of its body were already on the road.

It held its head high, as if it heard the sound of horse hooves, and hissed.

The others followed Liu Bang and stopped. When they saw the white snake blocking the road, they all looked surprised.

White snakes are not common, especially such a large one.

Seeing that the white snake was staring at them, Fan Kuai couldn't help himself and wanted to shoot it.

He just raised his hand but was stopped by Zhang Liang beside him.

Following Zhang Liang's gaze, he saw Liu Bang jump off his horse and walk towards the white snake.

"What is the king going to do?" Fan Kuai wondered, but did not say it out loud.

Others, like him, looked over with curiosity.

They were not worried about Liu Bang's safety.

Not to mention a snake, even if it was a dragon, they felt that their king could handle it.

After approaching, Liu Bang looked at the white snake with a body as white as jade, and a look of interest appeared on his face.

He had originally planned to capture a ferocious beast such as a tiger, leopard or bear to tame and bring out his superpowers, but the white snake in front of him gave him some new ideas.

If I tame it and cultivate it, can I make it transform into a real dragon?
Liu Bang's mood became hot.

Seeing him approaching, the white snake seemed frightened and turned around and tried to leave.

As soon as it moved, Liu Bang grabbed its head.

Zhang Liang and Fan Kuai looked at each other, their faces filled with shock.

They only saw a residual shadow, and then they saw Liu Bang had already arrived in front of the white snake.

Such speed is not something that ordinary people can achieve!
Your Majesty is truly a god!
The white snake held in Liu Bang's hand struggled violently, but in just a moment, it regained its composure.

Under the gazes of the crowd, the white snake's body expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye, becoming thicker and longer...

In just a few breaths, it changed from a big snake as thick as a calf to a white python as thick as a thigh.

The scales of the white python reflected dazzling light under the sunlight, and its cold eyes also showed a bit of human brilliance.

It rubbed its head against Liu Bang, and was extremely intimate.

Zhang Liang and others were stunned.

Even though they had already accepted Liu Bang's extraordinaryness, the other party's various performances continued to refresh their cognition step by step.

Liu Bang looked a little tired.

The first time he used his superpowers, he didn't control the strength well, which caused him to be severely mentally exhausted and feel dizzy.

After standing there for a long time, he gradually recovered.

Looking at the white python approaching him, he felt very happy.

He couldn't help but think of Xiaobai in the tavern, and Xu Xian...

"Do you want to find a cultivation method for it?"

After taming it, he and the white python were in tune with each other and were not worried about backlash.

The improvement in the White Python's strength is also of some benefit to him.

Thinking about the value of those cultivation techniques, Liu Bang shook his head secretly again.

“I can’t even afford it.”

His good mood inexplicably faded a lot.

After he recovered some of his energy, he jumped on his horse and continued to rush towards Hongmen.

A lot of time was wasted in total, and he was not sure whether Xiang Yu would attack him as soon as they met.

He didn't want to engage in battle so quickly, but rather wanted to see how Xiang Yu would react after drinking the wine he gave him.

He was more than happy to have a man as unruly and brave as Xiang Yu under his command.

Zhang Liang and his companions looked back from time to time, and saw the white python hanging behind them at a steady pace, which gave them a very subtle feeling.

After the initial excitement, Liu Bang's mentality had long since recovered.

This white python was just his first pet to try out. He estimated that with his current strength, he could control five or six more.

With Liu Bang's longing, the group arrived at Hongmen.

After submitting their visiting card, they were taken to Xiang Yu's residence.

Flags were fluttering all around, and the soldiers were standing with their heads held high and their spirits high.

The great victory in the Battle of Julu not only brought Xiang Yu's reputation to its peak, but also greatly changed the mental outlook of his soldiers.

The high-spirited momentum made Liu Bang nod his head continuously.

These people will soon be under my command.

Zhang Liang and others were also not nervous at all, but were full of anticipation.

They were looking forward to their king's next display of power in front of Xiang Yu.

I wonder how that arrogant young general will react when the time comes.

When approaching Xiang Yu's tent, Fan Kuai and others were stopped, and only Zhang Liang was allowed to go with Liu Bang.

The swords of the two men were confiscated, but Zhang Liang's pistol was not taken away.

Others thought that this powerful weapon from the future was just a strangely shaped toy.

Watching the two men walk away, Fan Kuai and others were filled with regret.

They couldn't wait to go and have a look.

Under the watchful eyes of the surrounding Chu army, they did not care about the swords and shields placed aside, but held the submachine guns in their arms tightly.

This abnormal behavior made the Chu army look at him curiously from time to time.

Liu Bang and his companion successfully entered the military camp.

Xiang Yu had already known the news and was waiting leisurely.

Fan Zeng, Xiang Bo, Xiang Zhuang and others were by his side.

Although Xiang Yu is now in his prime, due to the death of Xiang Liang, he does not have many trusted men under his command.

Before Liu Bang arrived, several people were still discussing.

Fan Zeng insisted that Liu Bang should be killed to resolve this hidden danger.

The other people in the coalition of princes are not worth mentioning, and no one can be compared with Xiang Yu.

Liu Bang was different.

He may be old, but he still has good abilities.

The fact that he was able to march into Xianyang and occupy Guanzhong with great momentum is enough to prove his strength.

His current actions clearly show that he is trying to build up his reputation, and his ambition is self-evident.

Fan Zeng saw clearly that this kind of person would become a serious threat to Xiang Yu.

Xiang Zhuang and others all agreed with him.

Xiang Bo and others did not agree.

Xiang Yu was undecided.

It's not that he didn't see the threat posed by Liu Bang, but he didn't want the other princes to become more wary of him.

What’s more, there was King Huai of Chu.

He was more inclined to get rid of King Huai of Chu, reorganize the power of Chu, and then fight for hegemony over the world.

The invincible main force of the Qin army was defeated by him. Liu Bang is extraordinary, but what is there to be afraid of?
In this situation, Liu Bang and Zhang Liang entered the tent.

Everyone stopped talking and looked over.

When they saw Liu Bang simply bowed to Xiang Yu, said hello, and then sat down with his head held high, everyone's faces changed.

A hint of annoyance flashed in Xiang Yu's eyes.

He originally thought that Liu Bang came to apologize this time, and wanted to go along with it and agree to it. However, he did not expect that the other party's attitude made it seem like he came to call for punishment.

Xiang Bo hesitated to speak, his face looked a little ugly. He had been speaking well of Liu Bang, but the other party's attitude was simply a slap in his face.

Fan Zeng became confused and uncertain.

He knew that Liu Bang was not a fool.

But could it be that the other party's attitude is based on something?

Could it be that those princes came to him and planned to unite to deal with Xiang Yu?

Under the gaze of everyone, Liu Bang took out a glass of wine like a magic trick and handed it to Zhang Liang.

He sat down and turned to Xiang Yu and said, "I heard that you defeated the Qin army. I forgot to congratulate you."

He pointed at the wine in Zhang Liang's hand and said, "This cup of wine was given by an immortal. It can tap into the power of the human body and transform it into a martial spirit. If you practice it, you can be among the immortals..."

Listening to Liu Bang's words, everyone's expressions became strange.

Except Zhang Liang, everyone else thought he was a fool.

Or treat them as fools?
Liu Bang looked around and nodded to Zhang Liang, saying, "Zifang, this cup of wine is presented to the general."

Zhang Liang agreed with a smile.

He walked up to Xiang Yu's seat, handed him the wine with both hands, and said, "General, this is a gift from my king. Please accept it!"

Xiang Yu said nothing.

Xiang Zhuang, however, drew out his sword with a clang and pointed it at him angrily: "Liu Bang, who made you the king?"

Liu Bang smiled and waved his hand, saying, "It's just an empty reputation. The glass of wine is the key."

Zhang Liang also said: "This wine is worth a fortune. My king is willing to give it to General Xiang because he appreciates your bravery."

He held the wine in his hand forward and asked, "General, are you worried that this is a cup of poison?"

Xiang Yu remained silent.

The situation before him was a little confusing for him.

Seeing Fan Zeng's expression changing, he winked at Xiang Zhuang.

After receiving his eye signal, Xiang Zhuang shouted coldly: "How dare you claim to be king!"

He stabbed Liu Bang with the sword.

The two were several steps apart, and the sword reached Liu Bang in the blink of an eye.

Xiang Bo turned his head slightly, unable to bear to look at it.

He regretted listening to Zhang Liang.

Just as the sword was about to hit Liu Bang, Xiang Zhuang was suddenly horrified to find that the sword in his hand was not moving.

He ran forward uncontrollably and almost rubbed his neck against the sharp sword blade hanging in the air.

Xiang Zhuang was shocked!

Looking at the sword that suddenly floated in the air, everyone except Xiang Yu stood up.

"It's just a tiny bit of magic, you don't need to take it seriously." Liu Bang said calmly.

He raised his finger, and the sword hanging in the air suddenly flew back into Xiang Zhuang's scabbard.

Xiang Zhuang stood in front of him, his face flushed and pale.

Xiang Yu's eyes also became dull for a moment.

Liu Bang turned to Xiang Yu and said with a smile: "Don't worry, General. I have no intention of harming you!"

He looked around and said, "If I want to kill anyone here, I can kill them instantly!"

After saying this, he raised his hands.

Swords, armor, utensils...

All the metal products in the big tent floated up.

After circling in the air, they fell back to their original positions.

The surroundings suddenly became quiet and silent.

Everyone had a look of astonishment.

Fan Zeng almost thought he was hallucinating.

He prided himself on being knowledgeable, but such miraculous means were beyond his understanding.

Even gods are probably no more than this, right?
Xiang Bo breathed rapidly and looked at Liu Bang in disbelief.

He still remembered how humble the other party was in front of him yesterday.

Possessing such terrifying power as that of a mortal, why did he still put on that show in front of me?
Xiang Zhuang swallowed hard, feeling his legs were so heavy that he couldn't move at all.

Xiang Yu suddenly smiled, and said, "Thank you for your attention. I am very honored."

He took the wine handed to him by Zhang Liang with both hands and drank it in one gulp without hesitation.

Liu Bang's methods made him feel deeply powerless.

He realized that he had no power to fight back at all.

In this situation, he couldn't think of any reason to refuse the other party.

Even if this was a cup of poison, he had no choice but to drink it.

What's more, what Liu Bang said was right. If he really wanted to kill himself, there was no need to go through so much trouble.

All kinds of thoughts flashed through Xiang Yu's mind one by one, and the wine had already gone down his throat.

He guessed that Liu Bang brought this cup of wine probably to give him a way to submit to him.

He drank the wine, and the staircase...

wrong!

Xiang Yu suddenly opened his eyes wide.

He felt a strange power growing in his body, as if it was about to break out of his body.

That invisible force seemed to make his body even stronger...

Everyone looked at him.

Fan Zeng and others were quite worried, fearing that Xiang Yu would really lose his life because of this glass of wine.

Now seeing Xiang Yu's face full of shock, their worries gradually turned into curiosity.

Zhang Liang stood in front of Xiang Yu and captured the changes in his facial expressions more clearly.

He could feel Xiang Yu's surprise, and the joy and excitement that followed.

This made him surprised, and he wondered if the king's cup of wine could really give people extraordinary powers.

What is that thing called "Martial Soul"?
Only Liu Bang looked calm.

He had already heard other guests in the tavern introduce the Awakening Stone Wine, and he also understood the usefulness of the martial soul.

Seeing that no one spoke, he smiled and said, "General, you should have awakened your martial spirit, right? Why not let everyone take a look? I can also teach you how to practice."

His words gradually calmed Xiang Yu down.

Standing up, Xiang Yu slowly extended his right hand.

Everyone's eyes were focused on his palm.

A spot of black gradually grew larger in his palm, and soon its full appearance was revealed.

When they saw that it was a set of armor and a halberd with a black handle and a silver blade, several people exclaimed in surprise.

"So it's a weapon spirit," Liu Bang took a look and nodded, "Not bad."

Zhang Liang's mind moved, and he asked, "My lord, are there many kinds of martial spirits?"

The others pricked up their ears.

Liu Bang smiled and said, "Of course, in addition to weapon spirits, there are also beast spirits and special spirits..."

He talked about the classification of martial souls and the methods of cultivating martial souls.

When Xiang Yu heard that he could strengthen his martial soul by absorbing soul rings and gain incredible special abilities, his eyes lit up slightly.

He possesses a martial soul, so he can naturally feel the extraordinary things in it.

Liu Bang's introduction solved many of his doubts.

He also heard that if he wanted to become stronger, he would have to rely on the other party.

He suddenly stood up, half-knelt on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "I am willing to follow the king!"

Liu Bang laughed, quickly stood up, and helped him up with both hands: "I have a general, it's like adding wings to a tiger!"

……

(End of this chapter)