Chapter 22

Cao Cao was completely stunned, what was going on!

The colorful lights reflected on his face, making it impossible to discern the changes in his expression.

Some of the officials in the audience looked at him with a hint of amusement and mockery.

Cao Cao, the son of a eunuch, had never held a position higher than the Commander of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden. Now, he had risen to the position of the Commander of the Imperial Guards, commanding the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden and the palace guards, a force of nearly eighty thousand troops.

Several officials had submitted memorials to Emperor Liu Bian, stating that the Commander of the Imperial Guards should not hold the military power of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden and urging Cao Cao to relinquish his military authority. However, the young emperor had ignored these requests. Could it be that the Grand State Preceptor was deliberately embarrassing Cao Cao? For a moment, many people felt a surge of excitement.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Cao Cao moved. He calmly put down the roasted lamb leg in his left hand and the red wine in his right, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and walked up confidently.

From the way the banquet was conducted, he could tell that Zhou Yang was not a conventional person. Moreover, he had just assigned Cao Ren and the others to the Cavalry Camp. If this was a show of both kindness and authority, it was too crude, and Cao Cao naturally did not believe it.

Taking the microphone from Xiaogui, his eyes showed a hint of curiosity as he recited the poem "Yellow Bird" from the Book of Songs with great emotion.

"Yellow birds chirping, perched on the thorn. Who will follow Duke Mu? ... "

Accompanied by music, he even started to sing, displaying a natural talent for singing. Then, he walked down somewhat reluctantly, secretly regretting that he should have recited his own poetry.

"Clap! Clap! Clap! ... "

Zhou Yang clapped his hands, making a loud sound. Cao Cao was indeed different.

This was the end of the Han Dynasty, a time of strict hierarchy. Actors and entertainers were at the bottom of society.

Although friends would occasionally sing and recite poems at banquets, asking Cao Cao to recite the Book of Songs in public might have had a humiliating connotation.

Fortunately, Bulma had arranged for Cao Cao to be the first. If it had been someone else, they might have stormed out.

Although the audience did not know what Zhou Yang's applause meant, seeing Bulma and Wulong behind him clap, they all followed suit. It took a while for the applause to subside.

"Now, please welcome the Left General, Lord Lu Bu, to demonstrate his invincible halberd." Xiaogui, now sweating, gradually calmed down.

Lu Bu, who lived on the border of Bingzhou, had been in constant conflict with the Wuhuan and Xianbei, and had naturally adopted some of their customs. He had no aversion to performing the halberd in public.

On the stage, Lu Bu drank a cup of white wine in one gulp, then pushed off the ground with both feet, causing the ground to slightly sink. Using the rebound, he leaped into the air like a bird, covering a distance of about ten meters and landing steadily on the high platform.

"Daddy is the best!"

A clear female voice rang out. Somewhere in the garden, a row of beautiful girls had gathered, and among them, a tall, spirited girl was jumping the most joyfully. She was Lu Bu's daughter, Lu Qilin.

Zhou Yang was also surprised by Lu Bu's explosive power. He could easily do the same with the power of the Nine Yang Manual, but Lu Bu was relying purely on physical strength.

Without any run-up, he had leaped over eight or nine meters, reaching a height of two or three meters.

Was he even human?

The generals in the audience watched Lu Bu on the stage with solemn expressions, none of them believing they could do the same so easily.

On the high platform, Lu Bu picked up a halberd that had been prepared. A fierce aura suddenly burst from his body.

Buzz! Buzz! ...

The sharp halberd moved like streaks of light in the sky. Lu Bu's figure moved gracefully on the platform, as steady as a mountain. The deadly weapon in his hands seemed to take on an artistic quality.

"Overlord Halberd Technique, Ghost and God Dance!"

Lu Bu's strength flowed into his hands, his veins bulging, and his face turning red as he shouted.

At that moment, the halberd in Lu Bu's hands transformed into a flurry of light, as if he were holding not one but several halberds, each move containing numerous variations.

"Crack!"

With a sharp sound, the audience saw Lu Bu's halberd break into two pieces. A halberd made of fine iron could not withstand the violent force and was snapped in two.

Everyone's faces changed, clearly shocked by the violent power contained in Lu Bu's not particularly muscular body.

"Good!"

However, this shock lasted only a moment, and everyone became excited.

"Next, please welcome the Governor of Bingzhou, Lord Jia Xu, to recite a poem." After Lu Bu left the stage, Xiaogui gradually adapted to the rhythm and shouted loudly.

Jia Xu, with no choice, went up and recited a very obscure but beautifully written poem, earning applause from the literati.

"Next, please welcome Lord Wulong to perform a transformation trick."

Wulong, who was not shy, especially with the attention of a group of beautiful girls, performed with great enthusiasm, transforming into a handsome man and eliciting gasps from the audience.

One performance after another, even Bulma eventually went up to sing a beautiful song.

"Is there anyone else?" Xiaogui felt that this was the most exciting day of his life. The feeling of being the center of attention was truly exhilarating.

"I'll go."

With a delicate huff, Lu Qilin, dressed in green, ran up to the stage, grasped a halberd, and began to dance. Although not as skilled as her father, she had a certain charm.

Just as Lu Qilin left the stage, another stunning girl in white, holding a guqin, walked up.

She played a piece that Zhou Yang did not understand, but the melody was beautiful and captivating.

After the two girls performed, some young men could not resist coming up. Among them, Cao Cao's son, Cao Ang, recited the "Guanju" to Lu Qilin, causing her to glare at him.

"Grand State Preceptor, how about we spar?" At some point, Lu Bu had walked up to the stage and said solemnly to Zhou Yang, who had been watching from below.

"Sure." Zhou Yang was slightly taken aback but, seeing the intense fighting spirit in Lu Bu's eyes, did not refuse.

With a leap, Zhou Yang soared into the air like a flying swallow, gracefully landing on the stage.

"Zhou Yang, go for it!" Bulma, looking like a love-struck fan, shouted excitedly from below, drawing the attention of the surrounding officials, who secretly thought that the fairies of the immortal realm were indeed bold.

As soon as Zhou Yang landed, Lu Bu's eyes became sharp. He stepped forward, his body propelled by the force, and punched at Zhou Yang with a whistling sound.

Facing Lu Bu's punch, Zhou Yang did not retreat. To the surprise of the audience, he stepped forward, slightly turned his body, and quickly extended his right palm, grabbing Lu Bu's fist. With a sudden push, he sent Lu Bu's fist flying.

As soon as his fist was deflected, Lu Bu's body shifted, dodging Zhou Yang's palm. He then clenched his hand and began a furious barrage of punches, each one following the other in a relentless assault that left the audience in awe.

Zhou Yang moved lightly, his figure elusive. Under the storm of attacks, he was like a small boat, steady and unshaken by the raging waves.

"Roar!"

Just as Zhou Yang and Lu Bu were engaged in a fierce battle, the already full Sun Wukong suddenly looked up and saw the full moon in the sky.

A deafening roar echoed through the garden, filled with boundless savagery and a strong killing intent. The entire city of Luoyang seemed to tremble, and countless insects and rodents shivered and fled to the outskirts.

"This performance is truly spectacular..." One of the officials, trembling, looked at the now several meters tall Sun Wukong and laughed nervously.

"First Form of the Buddha Palm, Buddha Light Appears!"

Hearing this, Zhou Yang's face changed. In an instant, he disengaged from the fight with Lu Bu and leaped off the stage.

He rushed towards Sun Wukong, his true qi surging into his right palm, forming a massive palm several meters wide that tore through the air and struck Sun Wukong's tail before it could fully expand.

Under the massive palm, the ground crumbled, and a loud boom echoed. The ground turned to dust, and a large palm print appeared before everyone.

Zhou Yang quickly looked into the palm print and found that Sun Wukong had transformed into human form, sighing in relief.

Lu Bu looked at the large palm print on the ground, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and realized that the Grand State Preceptor had been playing with him all along.

"Alright, the performance is over." Zhou Yang said calmly, having used up most of his true qi. It had been a close call. If Sun Wukong had fully transformed, the entire Han Dynasty would have been destroyed. He could not be so careless next time.

All the officials looked at Zhou Yang with admiration, enthusiasm, and fear. They had previously feared his mysterious power, but now they revered his terrifying strength, clearly seeing him as a divine being. Those who had harbored ill intentions secretly rejoiced that they had not acted.

Zhou Yang knew that the effect had far exceeded his expectations. From now on, his words would be as powerful as the emperor's.

The banquet lasted late into the night, and everyone was drunk and bloated. They were carefully carried back to their homes by their servants, fearing that their stomachs might burst. Zhou Yang also arranged for Wukong, Bulma, and the others to stay at the Grand State Preceptor's residence.

Many of those who attended the banquet recalled it as the most exciting event of their lives. They had enjoyed the most delicious food, the finest wine, and the most spectacular performances...

As well as the most thrilling and wet moments.

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