Chương 11: The Oath of the Peach Garden

"The world is in turmoil, the court is corrupt, and eunuchs hold power. I wonder what plans Guan Yu and Zhang Fei have?"

Liu Ce said calmly.

"Guan was in his hometown of Jieliang. He couldn't stand the local bullies who were oppressing the villagers. In a fit of rage, he killed one of them and has been on the run ever since. It has been five or six years now. I, Guan, have all the skills I need, but I can only wander the world and have no way to serve my country."

Guan Yu sighed.

"So what if I kill someone? I, Old Zhang, wish I could kill every evil person and demon in the world!" Zhang Fei said angrily.

"Today I saw the recruitment notice at the city gate. I am interested in enlisting in the army and serving on the battlefield with my sword and spear. Even if I die on the battlefield, it will not be in vain for a man to live a full life."

"Good, that's how a real man should act. I'll go with you to join the army."

After saying that, the two raised their glasses, clinked them together, and drank.

"That's easy, just follow my lord," Dian Wei laughed loudly.

"I don't know, who is your lord?" Guan Yu asked.

"Cough cough."

"To be honest, I have been appointed as the new Prefect of Zhuojun by the imperial court."

"I observe that both of you possess exceptional martial arts skills and are truly pillars of society. I, Liu Ce, aspire to restore order to the nation and cleanse the world of its inhabitants. I wish to treat you with utmost sincerity and work together to achieve great things. I wonder if you two would be willing to serve me?"

Liu Ce laughed.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu knelt on one knee: "If my lord does not despise me, I, Yun Chang, am willing to serve him with utmost loyalty!"

Me too.

Zhang Fei glanced at Guan Yu, then knelt on one knee as well.

Liu Ce was overjoyed and personally helped Guan Yu and Zhang Fei up: "Good! With Yun Chang and Yi De's help, it's like adding wings to a tiger!"

Liu Ce thought to himself, "Liu Bei, Liu Bei, I'll take your two good brothers with me first. No need to thank me, you can go ahead and weave your straw sandals in peace."

"Haha, my lord, I am quite wealthy and am willing to sell my property to train troops for you and serve the country loyally," Zhang Fei said with a fist and a fist salute.

"This is your family's legacy, you..."

"My lord, please don't say anymore. I have made up my mind."

Liu Ce had just begun to persuade him when Zhang Fei interrupted him.

Liu Ce thought to himself, "Damn, no wonder he's Zhang Fei! I'm finally experiencing Liu Bei's joy."

The five of them then drank and talked.

After five courses of food and three rounds of drinks,

"How about the five of us become sworn brothers?"

Liu Ce looked at the four of them and made a suggestion.

"My lord is of noble status, how can we..."

"Noble status my ass, we all have two shoulders and one head, what's the difference?"

Before Guan Yu could finish speaking, Liu Ce interrupted him.

"good!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei laughed and echoed his sentiments.

"There's a peach orchard behind my family's winery, a perfect place to form a sworn brotherhood," Zhang Fei said.

"Today, the five of us will swear brotherhood in this peach grove."

Liu Ce addressed the four men.

"good!"

Immediately, Liu Ce instructed the people from Zhang Fei's winery to fetch the incense, candles, and other items needed for the sworn brotherhood ceremony.

"Our lord is of noble status, a member of the Han imperial family. It is an honor for him to become sworn brothers with us. We cannot be judged by our age."

"Guan Yu wishes to address his lord as elder brother."

Guan Yu cupped his hands in a fist salute to Liu Ce.

Me too.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei offered no rebuttal and instead shouted loudly.

The same applies to Zhao Yun and Dian Wei.

"Big Brother" The four of them said in unison.

The last four are ranked by age: Guan Yu is the second oldest, Zhang Fei is the third oldest, Zhao Yun is the fourth oldest, and Dian Wei is the fifth oldest.

Hmm, Liu Yi, Guan Er, Zhang San, Zhao Si, Dian Wu.

Liu Ce suppressed a laugh, wondering if Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun knew the meaning behind their terms of address.

The five men started calling each other, "Big Brother," "Second Brother," and so on.

"Second brother, third brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, the time is perfect, let's begin our sworn brotherhood ceremony!"

Liu Ce looked at the four of them and said calmly.

"good!"

Five people knelt on the prayer mats.

"Heaven above, earth below, bear witness, today I, Liu Ce, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei, are sworn brothers. We do not ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but we ask to die on the same day, month, and year."

After the five people took their oath, they kowtowed to Heaven and Earth.

Liu Ce thought to himself, "Damn, I almost said the wrong thing. I almost said Guan Yu was above me. If I swore brotherhood with you, what am I?"

Immediately, everyone started calling him "Big Brother," "Second Brother," and so on. Zhang Fei and Dian Wei almost got it wrong.

……

Liu Ce gave a wink to one of his clever servants beside him and whispered the order.

"Go to the manor quickly and bring over the carriage I prepared."

The servant understood immediately and disappeared in a flash.

The large wooden crates on the carriage were taken out of Liu Ce's system space beforehand.

"Goodness!"

Before long, the carriage arrived at the Peach Garden. Liu Ce waved to the four people behind him, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei came to the side of the carriage.

The box contained "welcome packages" prepared for the three of them.

Liu Ce personally lifted the cover, revealing three large wooden crates.

He smiled at Guan Yu first, then opened the first long box: "Second brother, look at this!"

Inside the box lay a long sword, its blade faintly adorned with dragon patterns and shimmering with a bluish light. Liu Ce patted the handle as he introduced it.

"This sword is called the 'Green Dragon Crescent Blade,' weighs eighty-two catties, and makes a whistling sound when it is swung."

Liu Ce slapped the handle of his sword, "One slash, and I'll cleave them all in two, whether they're an army of thousands or an impregnable fortress!"

"If I get the chance, I'll find you a fine horse, and with this sword, you'll be a match made in heaven!"

Guan Yu's phoenix eyes lit up. He took it and tried it out. The sound of it cutting through the air was deep and powerful.

"This armor is called the Qilin Devouring Heaven Armor, a full-body suit of dark blue armor with layers upon layers of plates. The chest is adorned with the head of a Qilin beast, exuding an aura of dominance; swords, spears, and arrows must all give way when they encounter it!"

Finally, Liu Ce drew an ancient longsword.

"This sword is called the Sword of Loyalty and Righteousness. When the blade is drawn, it gleams with a cold light like water."

Guan Yu's lips curled into a smile: "Fine blade! Fine armor! Fine sword!"

Then Liu Ce opened the second box and smiled at Zhang Fei again: "Third brother, it's your turn!"

Inside the box was a long, gleaming black spear with a double-edged tip that snaked like a snake.

"This is called the 'Eighteen-Foot Serpent Spear.' The spearhead has barbs, so it can be used to stab or pull. Once it's in, a twist and a wringer will tear a gaping hole in even the skin of a god! Add to that your booming voice, and the spear's imposing presence, and I guarantee the enemy will be terrified before the battle even begins!"

Zhang Fei grabbed it, swung it around, and it made a whooshing sound as it flew through the air.

"This armor is called the Black Iron Tiger Barbarian Armor. The armor is entirely black, with a roaring tiger's head on the chest. The whole armor exudes a wild and arrogant aura."

"This sword is called the Breaking Army Sword; it cuts through people and armor like slicing tofu!"

He laughed heartily: "Hahaha! What a spear! What a suit of armor! What a sword! The spear will pierce a hole in him, the black-armored warrior will knock him off his horse, and the Broken Army Sword will cut him to pieces! Exhilarating! Just what I wanted!"

Finally, Liu Ce called out to Zhao Yun, "Fourth brother, this is yours."

He took out a bright silver spear and a longsword.

"The spear is called the 'Gentian Silver Spear'. Its sharp point is as sharp as a dragon's tooth, and it is light and swift."

"The sword is called the 'Qinggang Sword,' and it can cut through iron like mud."

"This armor is called the Silver Dragon Reverse Scale Armor. It is lightweight and flexible, and the force of a blade will be deflected by the smooth scales."

"You're meticulous, and this set of equipment is both offensive and defensive, which suits your style perfectly."

Zhao Yun calmly accepted the gift, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Thank you, Brother. I will make good use of it."

"Thank you, elder brother," the three said in unison, cupping their hands in greeting.