Liu Bei: My younger brother is a deity.

Outside Lousang Village, beside the official road.

Two Taoist priests in yellow robes stood on a dirt slope by the roadside, looking into the village.

The man in the lead was a middle-aged man of medium height and slightly overweight. He had a round face with a friendly smile, and looked more like a peddler than a spiritual practitioner.

Beside him was a young man, about twenty years old, tall and thin, with high cheekbones and long, narrow eyes that revealed a shrewdness.

The two stood on the earthen slope, gazing towards Lousang Village for a long time.

The middle-aged man squinted his eyes and made clicking noises.

"I visited Lousang Village when I was young. Back then, it was just an ordinary little village. I never imagined that it would change so much in more than 20 years."

As he spoke, he pointed to the rows of houses with blue bricks and black tiles in the village, to the bustling streets, and to the stone tablet at the village entrance engraved with the three large characters "Lousang Market," his tone full of emotion.

The young man followed his finger and couldn't help but nod.

Although he had never been to Lousang Village, he had seen quite a few villages in Youzhou along the way.

There are very few villages as prosperous as Lousang Village.

"Commander," the young man asked in a low voice, "do you wish to preach here?"

The middle-aged Taoist priest pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"No," he said, "we'll go to Zhuoxian first."

The young man was puzzled: "Commander, Lousang Village is so prosperous and has such a large population, why not preach here? We've seen so many villages and towns along the way, but there are very few that are more prosperous than Lousang Village."

The commander smiled, a smile that carried a hint of the cunning of a seasoned veteran.

"You're right, Lousang Village is a good place. But have you considered that the more prosperous a place is, the harder it is to spread Christianity?"

He paused, then continued, "Lousang Village has developed rapidly in recent years, and there must be a considerable force backing it up. Look at those workshops, those shops... We are newcomers and don't know the details. If we rashly go in to preach, it might infringe on the interests of the local tyrants, which would be disastrous."

The young man nodded thoughtfully.

The chieftain then said, "Zhuo County is different. The county town has a large population, with all sorts of people, which makes it convenient for us to carry out our mission. Let's first establish a foothold in Zhuo County, make a name for ourselves, and then send people to Lousang Village to spread our teachings. That will be a natural outcome."

"Commander is brilliant," the young man complimented.

The commander waved his hand and laughed, "What's so clever about it? It's just that I've eaten a few more meals and traveled a few more miles. Let's go, we still need to get to Zhuo County before dark."

…………

On the official road outside Zhuoxian County, the sound of horses' hooves could be heard in the distance.

Pedestrians on the official road quickly moved aside, those carrying loads put down their loads, those driving donkeys reined in their horses, and several women with baskets hid behind the roadside ditches, peeking out.

Amidst the rising dust, a group of wandering knights rode in on horseback.

The first man rode a chestnut horse with a white spot on its forehead.

The boy on horseback was sixteen or seventeen years old, tall and slender with broad shoulders and a straight back.

The young man was dressed in a very stylish maroon brocade robe, with a black silk sash around his waist and a lacquered bamboo crown on his head. He had a handsome appearance, with large earlobes on both sides, and a heroic air about him.

This person was none other than Liu Bei.

Behind him followed seven or eight wandering knights, all young men under the age of fifteen or sixteen, each dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, full of vigor and high spirits.

Zhang Fei was among them, riding his black horse, with a dark face, bulging eyes, a broad back and a thick waist, wearing a black short tunic, exuding a fierce and menacing aura.

When the group arrived at the city gate, they dismounted and led their horses into the city.

The city gates of Zhuoxian were already open, and the soldiers guarding the gates recognized these wandering knights and greeted them with smiles.

Liu Bei replied with a smile, "My brothers, I'll treat you to drinks when I have time."

Zhang Fei looked around and suddenly saw a conscription notice posted on the notice board at the city gate. Remembering something, he went up to Liu Bei and asked:

"Ah Bei, why didn't Ah Quan let us participate in this conscription? This is our chance to make a name for ourselves!"

Liu Bei glared at him, "You're only a few years old, you won't be eligible for conscription."

He then lowered his voice and said, "Ah Quan doesn't think this battle will go well. He says the imperial court will probably lose. But Ah Quan said that even if we don't volunteer, we can still follow behind the imperial army and maybe we can get some benefits."

"Get a bargain? What bargain?" Zhang Fei was increasingly puzzled.

Liu Bei shook his head. "I don't know about that."

The group walked along the main street of Zhuoxian County for about half an incense stick's time until they arrived at a crossroads.

There is a tavern on the southeast corner of the intersection.

The group stopped in front of the tavern. A young swordsman peeked inside, then turned to Liu Bei and said, "Brother, Jian Yong and the others are here!"

Liu Bei laughed heartily, tossed the reins to his companions behind him, strode to the tavern door, and called out, "A-Yong! Your brothers are here, come out and greet us!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of people poured out of the tavern.

The person in the lead was also seventeen or eighteen years old, of medium build, with ordinary features, but his eyes were bright and clever.

The man was wearing a light blue silk robe, a small bamboo crown on his head, and a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He walked with a swaying gait, exuding a lazy and casual air.

This man was named Jian Yong, and he was the leader of another group of wandering knights besides Liu Bei's group in Zhuo County.

Jian Yong was followed by a dozen or so wandering knights, all eager to fight and clearly not friendly.

"Liu Bei, you haven't won yet. If you want to be my elder brother, you'll have to beat us brothers first," Jian Yong said lazily.

As he spoke, his eyes secretly glanced around, and when he didn't spot the person, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The patrons in the tavern, seeing this spectacle, not only didn't shy away, but instead became quite interested.

Such fights between wandering knights were common in Zhuoxian County, happening every few days, and the people of Zhuoxian had long been used to it.

Holding their wine bowls, they craned their necks, watching the two groups of people at the door as if they were watching a play, and started talking all at once.

"Who do you think will win?"

A middle-aged wealthy merchant stroked his beard and laughed, "Is that even a question? Of course it's Liu Bei and Zhang Fei's group! Liu Bei is known as 'Tiger and Tiger,' and Zhang Fei is even called 'Man Bear.' They are born with superhuman strength, and they are both capable of taking on ten thousand men. Although Jian Yong and his group are not weak either, they are probably no match for them if it really comes down to a fight."

Another young man said, "That's not necessarily true. Jian Yong and his group outnumber each other, so they might win."

A middle-aged man shook his head and said, "What's the use of having more people! Last time a group of thugs caused trouble for Liu's tofu shop, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei took down seven or eight of them!"

In a corner of the tavern, a young man occupied a table alone, with a bowl of wine and a small dish of side dishes in front of him, looking rather shabby.

The young man was extremely strong, his clothes were stretched taut, he had a ruddy face, wore a worn-out cloth shirt, and wore a pair of cloth shoes covered in mud. He exuded an air of being travel-worn.

Hearing the whispers around him, the young man subconsciously curled his lip, revealing a hint of disdain.

He picked up the wine bowl, took a sip, and hummed softly.

A bunch of thugs dare to call themselves invincible?