"Come on," Goku said with a slight smile. "If I'm right, Shaoyu is testing his strength against someone called Da Tiechui."
"Shaoyu? How do you know that?" Tianming stared at him, full of curiosity.
"I guessed," Goku replied, still smiling.
"Hmph! If Big brother Goku feels like it, one pinch of his fingers and nothing in this world escapes his eyes," Yue'er said, clinging to his hand with proud delight.
Dao Zhi flickered forward, blocking a hurrying Mo disciple. "Hey—what's going on? Everyone's rushing. Trouble?"
"Head Dao Zhi," the disciple panted, "a teenager with natural divine strength just beat a bunch of brothers from the forging division. He's even drawn out Iron Chief himself—Da Tiechui—and they're about to compare strength!"
Dao Zhi glanced back at Goku, surprised. Then to the others: "He nailed it. Da Tiechui's about to pit strength against a youngster."
Hearing that Shaoyu might be involved, Tianming bolted like a shot, vanishing down the passage.
"Let's go watch as well," Goku said, amused.
They reached a great hall already roaring with cheers and chatter.
At center stood a burly giant with a sledgehammer strapped across his back, arms folded, looking down at the youth before him—who barely reached his belt—with open disdain.
Shaoyu bristled at the slight.
"Make way! Make way!"
With shouted warnings and the thunder of boots, a dozen men staggered in carrying a massive bronze tripod. They set it down with care, and even that "gentle" landing boomed like a drum, the floor trembling under the weight.
"Twelve men to carry it—heavens, how heavy is that thing?"
"At least a thousand kilograms!"
"No, more. Those twelve are all from Iron Chief's forging crew—every one of them strong as an ox. If it's making them strain, it's definitely more than a thousand."
The dozen porters, each step printing the stone, set the tripod in the hall's center. The floor thrummed again; everyone felt the weight in their bones.
"Well?" Da Tiechui patted the tripod. "Still dare to try?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Shaoyu stepped forward without flinching. Born with a giant's strength, he had absolute confidence in his power.
"Good!" Da Tiechui gripped one ear and one foot of the tripod. With a shout, he cleanly raised the thousand-plus-kilogram vessel overhead. The hall erupted in applause.
"Amazing! Twelve men carried it, and Iron Chief just… lifted it!"
"For ordinary folk," Xiao Li murmured, "it is impressive."
"It's just a big pot. I could lift it too," Yue'er muttered under her breath, pouting.
With a clang, Da Tiechui set the tripod down, dusted his hands, and looked at Shaoyu. "There's still time to give up."
Shaoyu didn't answer. He circled once, gauging the weight with his eyes—then crouched, grasping one tripod foot with both hands.
"What stance is that?"
"Iron Chief split his grip to balance the weight. Holding a single foot with both hands? Even if he gets it up, he'll never keep it steady. If it tips, he'll be pulp!"
"Yaa—up!"
While the crowd debated, Shaoyu barked, and—before anyone could blink—he tossed the tripod into the air. A thousand-plus kilograms of bronze went sailing; the hall gasped as one. If he failed to catch it, the thing would crush him flat.
But in the next heartbeat he slid under the falling weight and received it cleanly, then, to a chorus of gaping mouths, pressed it overhead inch by inch. The flagstones beneath his feet cracked like ice.
"Good! Good! Good!"
The cheers hit like a wave.
"He really is born for this," Goku said, eyes warm with approval. For ordinary men, raising such a tripod at that age was genius bordering on myth.
"Is that kid… human?"
"No—something more."
Mo disciples stood with mouths open, forgetting to close them.
"At this age to wield such strength," Xue Nu said softly. "No wonder you rescued him."
"You're not planning to take him as a disciple, are you?" Nongyu asked, catching the appreciative glint in Goku's eyes.
"Disciple? No. I don't take disciples," Goku replied with a light wave. "But if I'm in a good mood, I might teach him a few moves." He'd long admired the legendary Overlord Xiang Yu. This Shaoyu's nature and temper suited him perfectly. He had no wish to watch the boy meet the Ujiang tragedy of another history. As for Liu Bang—in histories and tales alike, Goku had never cared for him.
That was his personal view; others could think as they liked. Still, he couldn't help wonder: if this world's Shaoyu unified the land, what would follow? Would there still be a Three Kingdoms era?
"That boy is fortunate," Chi Lian said. "Even one or two moves from you could sweep a continent."
With a bang, Shaoyu dropped the tripod before Da Tiechui and grinned. "Well? Keep going?"
"By Yan's reckoning," Da Tiechui said frankly, "that tripod weighs two thousand five hundred kilograms. I couldn't lift it until I turned eighteen. You're fourteen. You win."
Applause exploded; Mo disciples thrust fists into the air, whooping.
Shaoyu bowed repeatedly, a pleased smile sneaking onto his face.
"Hee-hee! My turn!"
A clear, girlish voice rang out. Yue'er skipped forward and drifted down into the ring like a falling petal.
"Miss Yue'er? Then big brother Goku must be here too," Shaoyu said, surprised, then delighted. He glanced over and cupped his hands. "big brother Goku!"
Goku nodded.
"Little girl, you? Lift this tripod?" Da Tiechui frowned. "Don't fool around. It weighs two thousand five hundred kilograms. This isn't something a little lass can toy with."
Yue'er only smiled, eyes bright as stars.
_____
T/N:
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