Chapter Ten: Green Skin

  Wang Ji and Shen Shi both seemed reluctant to mention that person's name, and the guests in the wine shop also mostly adopted an evasive attitude.

  He seemed to have lost interest in food, drank two cups of wine, and stood up to bid farewell.

  Liu Jian also hastily stood up, but he didn't leave like Shi Zhi did. Instead, he first bid farewell to Wang Ji before leaving.

  "Didn't expect that you, a rough and uncouth little brat, would be so particular about etiquette."

  "It's no big deal if you're polite... Since you just arrived here, it's natural to be more courteous."

  "Haha, really can't tell. You look silly and did something foolish, but in your heart, you're actually very clear-headed."

  Liu Jian knew that what Shi Yu was saying was nonsense, and it still referred to his exchange of Qin currency.

  Too lazy to explain, just a faint smile. When everyone is drunk and I am the only one awake, who is foolish and who is clever, and who can say it clearly?

  "Brother Shang..."

  "Just call me Brother Shi, everyone is so familiar with each other. Brother Shi, it's been a long time. I know what you want to ask about. Isn't it that guy we mentioned earlier at the wine shop? That guy's name is Liu Ji, he lives in Zhongyang Village, Fengyi County, and his courtesy name is San, so everyone calls him Liu Ji."

  But some people also call him Liu Bang... "Bang" is a local dialect here, meaning "older brother", and that guy usually looks like an older brother.

  After all this time, we have also forgotten his real name.

  Those who are idle every day and only know how to fight bravely are called Liu Bang; of course, some people also call him Liu Ji.

  Liu Bang

  It's him after all!

  Liu Quan had already vaguely guessed that it was Liu Bang, but hearing the confirmation from Han Xin's mouth still made his heart skip a beat.

  Han Gaozu Liu Bang...... Indeed it is!

  "Right, you also have the surname Liu, aren't you a relative of his?"

  When he said this, looking at Liu Jian's gaze, it was a bit off.

  Liu Jian said: "How is that possible? My ancestral home is in Luoyang, how can I be related to him? Brother, you seem to have a grudge against Liu Bang?"

  "What kind of thing is he? The eldest son, idle and lazy every day, bragging everywhere. He says he's the son of Red Dragon, and that he'll manage Pei County, it will definitely be better than now. My parents work hard in the fields every day, but he... As for the Red Dragon story, it's even more nonsense. That such a person can survive until now, I really find it quite surprising."

  Shuō zhe, shěn shí qí zhāo sìzhōu kàn le kàn.

  Translation: As he spoke, Shen Shi looked around the four directions of his dynasty.

  Lowering his voice, "Actually everyone knows, he's not Liu Gong's son. Back then, his mother was working outside and got... When Liu Gong found out, to save face, he told people that a red dragon had appeared on her body. But he has many connections in Pei County, with a large group of followers, so no one dares to say it to his face. I heard from someone that the guy is actually doing unscrupulous business, do you understand?"

  "No way!"

  Liu Kan couldn't help but be extremely surprised.

  Not for anything else, in his previous life, he had heard many stories and legends about Liu Bang. In those stories, Liu Bang was a wise and powerful, extraordinary figure. How could the description of Xiang Yu be true? This Liu Bang seemed like a green hornet, a rogue?

  Liu Jian was born into a military family and admired only one person, the first president of the Republic.

  Chairman Mao once commented on Liu Bang: Historians have called Liu Bang "broad-minded and magnanimous, willing to accept remonstrance as if it were a flowing stream", a heroic figure. Liu Bang fought against Xiang Yu for several years, and in the end, Liu Bang won and Xiang Yu lost, which was by no means accidental...

  The chairman's remarks also acknowledged Liu Bang as a heroic figure to some extent.

  Moreover, the Chairman also wrote a poem when the People's Liberation Army occupied Nanjing. The poem reads:

  The wind and rain rise over Zhongshan,

  A hundred million brave troops cross the Yangtze River.

  Tigers and dragons now triumph over past victories,

  Heaven and earth turned upside down, with a sigh of pride.

  We should pursue the defeated enemy with our victorious courage,

  And not seek fame by imitating the tyrant kings.

  If heaven has feelings, it is also old;

  The right path in human society is to endure through the ages.

  In Liu Gong's understanding: The Emperor dislikes Xiang Yu and supports Liu Bang.

  She slightly furrowed her brow, although she didn't show anything, Liu Jian still wasn't quite convinced by Shen Shi's words. Some things, if you haven't seen them, how can you know?

  Seeing is believing, hearing is suspect.

  Everyone has their own opinions, since he thinks this way, there must be his own reasons.

  Liu Jian did not ask further, and it seemed that Liu Bang also did not want to mention him again. The two people fell silent at the same time and walked towards the inn together.

  As they turned a corner, a man suddenly came running out of a muddy little road.

  His clothes had been reduced to tattered rags and his face was still smeared with blood. Behind him, a group of people were hot on his heels, shouting loudly.

  "Stop that guy! Stop that guy!"

  Liu Jian thought something was wrong and took a step forward, wanting to take action to subdue the man. But then Xun Shi Yi suddenly grabbed Liu Jian's arm.

  "What's up, bro?"

  "Mind your own business!"

  He hastened his pace and walked forward, helping up the person who was being chased.

  "Hurtless, you've provoked them again?"

  "It's none of your business... This has nothing to do with you, don't interfere. Otherwise, they won't let you off..."

  "Nonsense! You've been beaten up like this, how can I just stand by and do nothing?"

  As they spoke, the group of people chasing them had already surrounded them. The leader was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, who frowned when he saw Shen Shi.

  "Mind your own business and leave, don't look for trouble."

  This young man was obviously a leader, about seven feet tall, with clear and handsome eyebrows, but his face had a fierce aura.

  It can be seen that he still has some reservations about eating it.

  Shan Shi's voice rose as he stood up, "Xiahou Yan, you've been idle all day, I didn't want to interfere with you. But today, you actually brought so many accomplices and bullied an innocent person. Is this what you call heroic behavior? I'm telling you, I will definitely take care of this matter."

  Xiahou Yuan

  Liu Jian stood by, seemingly lost in thought, as if he too was a figure who would leave his name in history.

  Xiahou Yuan angrily said: "Shen Food, I'm telling you, today whoever comes forward is useless. I must beat this bastard to death. Don't provoke me, if you provoke my anger, don't blame me for not showing mercy. Leave this bastard here for me, do what needs to be done, and pretend nothing happened."

  "What if I don't agree?"

  Xiahou Dun flew into a rage, snatching a wooden staff as thick as an infant's arm from one of his companions by his side. "I'll take care of you too!"

  "Haha, I'd like to see how you're going to deal with me!"

  He looked at her with a mocking expression and said coldly: "Ever since you met that rascal, look at what you've become now?"

  "How dare you call my brother a hoodlum? I'll kill you!"

  Xiahou Dun charged forward, swinging his wooden staff with a whooshing sound, and struck down at Shan Fu's head.

  Shan Shi's eyes turned cold and he hummed a sound, just about to make his move, when suddenly a figure darted out from beside him and threw a punch at the wooden rod. Before Shan Shi could even see clearly, there was a loud "peng" sound, and Xia Houyan's arm-thick wooden rod was actually broken in one punch by that person.

  One end of the wooden stick flew far away.

  Xiahou Yuan only felt his arm go numb. The previous strike was like hitting iron, what kind of person is this?

  Liu Jian smiled and blocked Shi Zhi's path.

  Although Liu Quan didn't interact with Shen Shi for a long time, he quite liked the guy. Especially when seeing Shen Shi standing up for his friends, this kind of loyalty was worthy of praise. Besides, Xia Houyan's words were always arrogant and murderous, which made Liu Quan very disdainful.

  "Killing someone is just a nod to the ground, you've already beaten him up like this, even if he said something wrong, he's been punished. When doing things, leave some leeway, why must you pursue and kill mercilessly? I think this matter should be settled here, let's just consider it as giving his brother some face, how about that?"

  Xiahou Yuan woke up from his initial fright, replaced by boundless anger.

  Ever since he knew the big brother, he couldn't bear anyone to say a bad word about the big brother. Now not only did he fail to get justice for the big brother, but also lost face in front of a group of people. Xiahou Yan was furious and humiliated, "What are you, dare to come out and interfere with my business?

  "Your father killed you both today!"

  In this era, it was a normal thing for people to kill each other with swords over a single disagreement.

  Xiahou Yuan held up the wooden staff that had been broken by Liu Yan and shouted loudly: "You few, come at me! Don't let a single one escape!"

  It was almost at the moment when Xiahou Yan made his move that a companion pulled out a short sword from his bosom and rushed towards Liu Quan with gritted teeth.

  "Ah Jian, be careful!"

  Shan's food was shocked and shouted loudly. However, he did not know that Xiahou Yan's behavior of not knowing how to advance or retreat had already angered Liu Quan.

  Don't blame me for being impolite if you don't know how to appreciate kindness. Although this body can't be fully controlled yet, with the advantage of the body and years of hard training in combat skills, Liu Jian wouldn't be afraid of these dozen or so thugs. A small dash step, a kick-off into the air, a whip-like leg swing, dodged past the guy holding a short sword, and a fierce kick landed on the opponent's head.

  This leg, Liu Jian roughly estimated, had at least 400-500 jin of strength.

  Peng's blow sent that guy crashing to the ground, his body convulsing non-stop, looking like he was in a bad way.

  Xiahou Yuan had just taken a step forward when he saw his normally capable comrades being beaten senseless by Liu Shan's mysterious and unknown moves, and couldn't help but be shocked.

  Hooligans fight with just one guts.

  Ke Liu Kan was deliberately intimidating, and with one blow, everyone was stunned.

  "Dignity must be earned by oneself. Since you don't want it for yourself, I won't be polite either. Whoever dares to make another move will be the next to fall!"

  Liu Kan shouted sternly, his face no longer showing a smile.

  Instead, a cold and murderous intent emerged. Clenching his fists tightly, he looked at Xiahou Yuan and the others, with an air of wanting to start a massacre.

  Xiahou Yuan and others were all stunned.

  ——————————————

  Note: In dialects, "green skin" also means rascal or rogue, such as "green skin hooligan".