Upon seeing the newcomer, Zhang Fei revealed a smile.
“Brother Guan, you don’t know, I went back to my lodging to get some money. I was just about to go out to find you when they bumped into me as soon as I opened the door. They insisted that I bow down and apologize to them. I refused, so I had no choice but to go out of the camp and fight with them.”
Upon hearing this, Guan Yu looked up and saw Xiahou Yuan's swollen forehead. He then stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute.
"My lord, perhaps it was a misunderstanding just now. Please forgive me. I would like to offer you all a banquet on behalf of Brother Zhang to apologize. Would that be acceptable?"
Thanks to the implementation of the new policies of the imperial court, the economy of the Sili region has improved and the administration has become more efficient. As a result, Guan Yu, who was born in Hedong County, came from a relatively well-off family and did not commit any crimes or become a wanderer. This year, he passed through layers of examinations and came to the Imperial Guard.
When Guan Yu first arrived at the Imperial Guard, he was quite proud. It was inevitable that there would be some friction between a group of elite young men who had been carefully selected.
Soon, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stood out among the new trainees thanks to their martial arts skills.
The belligerent Zhang Fei also frequently challenged Guan Yu, wanting to establish himself as the leader among the new recruits.
However, no matter how they fought, they could not determine a winner. Over time, they developed feelings for each other and became good friends.
After several months of training together, coupled with the political education from the instructors, Guan Yu's arrogant personality had been greatly tempered. He had become closer to his classmates who had sworn allegiance to the emperor and often did his best to help them.
Therefore, Guan Yu's reputation rivaled that of Yuan Shao in his prime, and he was deeply recognized and respected by the new recruits.
Therefore, after learning about the misunderstanding between Zhang Fei and the Xiahou brothers, Guan Yu took the initiative to step forward and try to mediate.
"Hmph, who do you think you are? You think you can get away with hitting me like this by throwing me a drink? He has to beg for forgiveness..."
Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yuan stepped forward, clutching his forehead, and looked at Guan Yu with disdain.
Guan Yu frowned: "I see that your injuries are not serious. Offering wine to apologize is enough to show your sincerity. Asking someone to bow down seems a bit excessive."
We were classmates; such aggressive behavior might damage the reputation of the Imperial Guard.
Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yuan, who was about to launch an attack, immediately swallowed back the words he was about to say and turned to look at Xiahou Dun beside him.
It should be noted that bowing is generally only done when facing a monarch, elder, or superior. Their demand that Zhang Fei bow and apologize just now did indeed seem a bit like abusing their power.
Xiahou Dun realized he had misspoke in his haste, so he stepped forward and asked Guan Yu, "May I ask your honorable name, sir?"
"My name is Guan Yu of Jieliang, courtesy name Changsheng!" Guan Yu said.
"So you are Guan Yu. You are indeed extraordinary. I am Xiahou Dun, courtesy name Yuanrang."
Xiahou Dun then clasped his hands in a salute. He had heard of Guan Yu, who was quite famous among the new trainees, and his attitude softened considerably.
"So it's Senior Brother Xiahou, my apologies!"
Guan Yu was also very familiar with the Xiahou brothers' reputation, and he felt a greater sense of respect for those who had participated in the disaster relief efforts.
After exchanging greetings, Xiahou Dun turned to Zhang Fei and said, "Today, I'm giving you face, so you don't have to bow and apologize. However, I really can't stand your arrogance. Want to have a go?"
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "Alright, I've been wanting to learn from you, senior."
With that, Zhang Fei strode out of the camp.
Xiahou Dun: "There's no need to leave the camp. Let's just go to the martial arts arena in the training ground!"
"good!"
Zhang Fei nodded without saying anything more, then turned and walked towards the training ground.
Guan Yu was about to speak again, but then he thought about it and shut his mouth. In fact, he also wanted to see the true strength of the trio known as the scourge.
Soon, everyone arrived at the training ground. Zhang Fei was the first to jump onto the dueling platform, and then turned to look at the Xiahou brothers.
Xiahou Dun's lips twitched: "Zhongkang, go!"
"oh."
Xu Chu gave a soft "oh" and stepped onto the dueling platform.
Upon seeing Xu Chu approaching, Zhang Fei's expression hardened. His intuition told him that this big guy was a troublesome opponent.
Immediately, the two got into position, and Zhang Fei made the first move.
Zhang Fei clenched his right fist and slammed it straight at Xu Chu's cheek, while his left hand was poised to strike with the move "Black Tiger Steals Heart".
When Xu Chu saw Zhang Fei's punch coming at him, which also carried a faint gust of wind, he knew that the punch was quite powerful. He quickly leaned back to dodge, but unexpectedly, he fell right into Zhang Fei's trap and was hit in the chest by the opponent's left fist.
"Ta-da!"
Xu Chu, struck, staggered back several steps before regaining his footing. His gaze toward Zhang Fei became more serious.
Seeing that he had landed a blow, Zhang Fei rushed forward and threw his right fist at Xu Chu's abdomen.
Having just suffered a loss, Xu Chu immediately lowered his strength, did not dodge, and prepared to take the punch head-on before launching a counterattack.
"Bang!" Zhang Fei landed a straight punch on Xu Chu's abdomen. Before he could even feel triumphant, he felt a gust of wind rushing towards his cheek. He quickly raised his left arm to block it, barely managing to deflect the blow.
"Thump thump thump~!" Zhang Fei, who caught Xu Chu's attack, staggered back several steps before finally standing still.
Feeling a sharp pain in his left arm, Zhang Fei looked at Xu Chu with a hint of excitement, and then attacked again, with Xu Chu also stepping forward to meet him.
On the dueling platform, Zhang Fei and Xu Chu launched fierce attacks, completely abandoning their defenses. They exchanged punches and kicks, each blow landing with a resounding thud.
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