Liu Bei time-travels to become the Heavenly King Chao Gai

Chapter 40 Subduing the Black-Hearted Tiger

The scar on Meng Zhanpeng's face twitched violently.

A surge of violent rage rose from the depths of his heart.

"court death!"

He roared and, with a burst of speed, his massive body charged toward Wu Song like a cannonball.

He threw a punch, the wind howling and accompanied by a sharp sound that tore through the air.

Wu Song was still drunk, and with a sway of his body, he narrowly avoided the powerful punch.

Meng Zhanpeng's punch missed its mark. Without hesitation, he turned his other hand into a claw and grabbed at Wu Song's throat.

Instead of retreating, Wu Song advanced, stumbled, and suddenly pressed himself against Meng Zhanpeng's chest.

Shoulder bump!

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

Meng Zhanpeng felt as if he had been hit in the chest by a sledgehammer. His blood surged and he staggered back three steps before regaining his balance.

His face showed a look of horror.

What incredible strength!

Before he could catch his breath, Wu Song had already followed closely behind.

His drunken gait remained the same, but his punches and kicks were like a storm.

Meng Zhanpeng roared repeatedly, unleashing all his hidden skills as he fought Wu Song.

The two fought from the main hall to the courtyard, the sounds of their fists and feet clashing like rolling thunder.

Meng Zhanpeng became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

The opponent's moves seem full of flaws, but whenever my attack is about to succeed, the opponent always manages to neutralize it in an unbelievable way and immediately launches an even more ferocious counterattack.

He felt like he wasn't fighting a person, but rather a tiger in human skin!

"what!"

With a roar, Meng Zhanpeng threw out both fists with all his might, trying to force Wu Song back.

Wu Song neither dodged nor avoided the attack, but instead met it with both fists.

"boom!"

The four fists met.

Meng Zhanpi felt an unparalleled force coming from the opponent's fist.

The bones in his arms made a sickening "crunching" sound.

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

Wu Song rushed forward and, before he could land, grabbed his collar and slammed his right knee into his chest.

"puff!"

Meng Zhanpeng spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if his internal organs had been displaced.

Wu Song carried him as if he were a chick.

"Are you convinced?"

Meng Zhanpeng's eyes were filled with fear and resentment. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out two words.

"I refuse to accept this!"

"good!"

Wu Song shouted, grabbed Meng Zhanpeng's legs, lifted him upside down, and slammed him hard onto a bluestone slab on the ground!

"Bang!"

That impact shook the earth.

Meng Zhanpeng's head made intimate contact with the bluestone slab, and he immediately saw stars and felt completely disoriented.

Wu Song picked him up and asked him again.

"Are you convinced?"

Meng Zhanpeng's mouth was full of blood and mud. He struggled and tried to remain defiant.

Without wasting words, Wu Song grabbed him and gave him another hard blow!

"Bang!"

At this point, Meng Zhanpeng couldn't even hum a tune.

Wu Song threw him to the ground, stepped on his chest with one foot, and looked down at him.

"I'll ask you one last time."

"Are you convinced?"

Meng Zhanpeng felt as if his bones were about to fall apart. Looking at the man in front of him, who resembled a demon, he lost all courage.

"I give up... I give up..."

He spoke in a weak voice.

"Hero, spare my life... I surrender..."

Wu Song snorted coldly.

"You give up? This isn't up to you."

"It has to be my brother's word."

Just then, the crowd at the casino entrance suddenly parted to both sides like a tide.

Liu Bei, accompanied by Song Jiang, Wu Yong, and Lei Heng, slowly walked in.

When Wu Song saw Liu Bei and the others enter, he moved his foot away from Meng Zhanpeng's chest.

He pointed to Meng Zhanpeng on the ground and said to Liu Bei, "Brother, I have already beaten this fellow into submission."

The situation is better than people.

Despite the excruciating pain, Meng Zhanpeng struggled and lay on the ground, desperately kowtowing to the group.

"I, Meng Zhanpeng, beg you brothers to spare my life!"

His forehead slammed against the bluestone slab with a loud "thud," and blood soon appeared.

Liu Bei did not immediately help her up; his gaze remained fixed on the main hall facing the entrance.

There is a bronze statue there, about eight feet tall.

The bronze statue has phoenix eyes, silkworm eyebrows, a face like a red date, and five long strands of beard hanging down to its chest. It holds a Green Dragon Crescent Blade in one hand and strokes its beard with the other.

The incense in the incense burner in front of the bronze statue had not yet burned out; three sticks of incense were still burning, and wisps of smoke were rising.

"Second brother..."

Liu Bei looked at the bronze statue.

Eight hundred years later, people actually worshipped him.

"Did you set up this incense altar?" Liu Bei asked.

Meng Zhanpeng struggled to raise his head, swallowed a mouthful of blood, and said in a hoarse voice, "Replying to...replying to Chief Chao. It was I who made this statement."

"Why was it erected?"

Meng Zhanpeng replied cautiously, "I am a rough man, uneducated, but I know that Lord Guan is a loyal and righteous man. He followed Liu Bei and never wavered in his loyalty. Cao Cao offered him gold, silver, beauties, and official titles, but he didn't care for any of it. After passing five passes and slaying six generals, he still went back to find his brother. I don't have any great abilities, but I respect the words 'loyalty and righteousness.' That's why I have my brothers come to pay their respects to Lord Guan during festivals. It's not for money, it's just... it's just to remember that one must be worthy of one's brothers."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head.

The hall was very quiet.

Liu Bei stood in front of the incense altar, his back to the crowd.

After a moment, he turned around, looked at Meng Zhanpeng, and said, "Your name is Meng Zhanpeng?"

"Yes."

Liu Bei approached Meng Zhanpeng and extended his hand: "Get up. From now on, you are my brother."

Meng Zhanpeng stared at the hand, completely stunned.

He turned over and knelt upright, supporting himself with his hands on the ground, his forehead slamming heavily against the bluestone slab.

"Brother! From this day forward, my life, Meng Zhanpeng's life, belongs to you! Anyone who dares to oppose you, I'll be the first to chop them down!"

Liu Bei bent down and gently helped him up. Then he patted the dust off Meng Zhanpeng and said with a smile, "I know you are a good man with excellent martial arts skills. It's just that your talent has been hidden and no one has appreciated you yet."

"What happened today was just a friendly spar between brothers. We became friends after the fight."

He turned and looked at Wu Song.

"Wu Erlang doesn't know his own strength, so don't blame him."

Meng Zhanpeng dared not utter a single word of "strangeness." He was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no! It was I who was at fault first, instigated by others. I have no one to blame but Wu Yingxiong!"

Liu Bei took out several silver ingots from his sleeve and stuffed them into Meng Zhanpeng's hand.

"Everyone's just trying to make a living, so I don't blame them."

"Here is thirty taels of silver. Take half of it to heal your wounds and buy some good medicine."

"The other half, give to your wounded brothers to treat, and also buy some wine and meat to calm their nerves."

"Tell them this is a small token of my appreciation from Chao Gai."

Meng Zhanpeng was completely stunned as he held the silver coins in his hand.

Thirty taels of silver!

You lost a fight, but instead of being punished, you were even given money?

What's the logic behind this?

His voice was choked with emotion: "Brother Chao Gai, this..."

Liu Bei glanced at the street outside the door and laughed, "Since we're brothers now, I'll give you your first task."

"In this Yuncheng County, besides your Black Tiger Gang, there are four other groups of people making a living on the streets."

"Send a few clever brothers to deliver a message to them."

"Tomorrow at noon, I will host a banquet at Zuixianlou and invite the heads of those families to drink."

"Whether you come or not is your own decision."

Meng Zhanpeng immediately understood Liu Bei's meaning.

This is the underground force that aims to unify Yuncheng County.

He immediately replied loudly, "Don't worry, brother, I'll definitely deliver the message!"