Stories and Folktales in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Learn Martial Art at Zhong Shan
When Lu Bu was young, he had really strong muscles and was very brave. He liked swords, cobras, blades, and especially spears. His dad was really happy and sent him to Zhong Shan "Mountain Zhong" to learn more under a Taoist named Shi Kong when Lu Bu was fifteen. Shi Kong was really good at martial arts. He was ninety already but can still play around with swords easily. Especially the Lunar Spear, everybody have to give him a thumb-up for it. When Lu Bu went to him, he was happy to have a disciple who was very brave. So Shi Kong taught Lu Bu everything he knew. Then around a year had passed.
One day, Shi Kong was teaching Lu Bu how to use the Lunar Spear, it contain 72 moves, and Shi Kong already taught him 36. He stopped suddenly and started to worry. He knew the 72 moves of the Lunar Spear is divided up into two. The first 36 moves is great, but it is made up by the people. The last 36 moves is made up by a god which common people couldn't even think of.
The next
day, he called Lu Bu, "you need to do something for me, when you come back,
then I will finish teach you the moves of Lunar Spear, you want to go?"
Lu Bu replied, "Of course."
Shi Kong said, "It is not hard to do. There is a cave in the Southern Peak
in this mountain, and inside the cave, there is one precious jewel called
the rock of Zhong. This rock is perfectly round and flowers are carved on
it. I need that rock so you must go and get it for me. When you go to the
cave, you need to pass a river, climb that mountain and then you can enter
the cave. There is a narrow bridge on the river, a narrow pass behind the
mountain, and a stony window at one entrance of the cave. You need to walk
on the narrow bridge, climb the mountain on the narrow passage, and enter
the cave through the stony window. You can leave now."
Lu Bu hurried down the mountain and went straight to Southern Peak.
When
he reached the bottom of South Peak, he saw the river. It was not wide, but
the water was pretty deep and fast. About the narrow bridge, it was narrow
definitely. In it only a piece of wood connect the two side of the river.
Lu Bu was worried if the wood was strong enough for him to walk on it. Just
then, a hunter around fifty came up to him and said, "Hey, you want to cross
the river, but you can't take this bridge, do you want to stay alive or no?"
Lu Bu was more worried now, he replied, "Thanks, but you don't know. My master
told me to cross the river on this bridge, I can't disobey his orders."
The hunter said, "So, your master is not here, so he won't know if you cross
it or not. You life is more important than some order. Listen, there is a
stone bridge not far from here, I always use that when I hunt. Get across
from there and get back, it is the same thing."
After Lu Bu heard it, he thought "yeah, the hunter does have a point, and
no way master will know it."
So Lu
Bu crossed the river on the stony bridge and kept on going. When he reached
the back of the peak, he saw the narrow pass. God, it was narrow. So steep
and with grass and trees all over it. Lu Bu became afraid again. Suddenly,
a farmer came up and said, "you want to go to the top? Are you crazy for taking
this road? It is not only steep and hard to walk on, there are also poisoneous
snakes, if you get bite, no one can save your life. Even I, who went on the
peak on the time, dare not take this road." The farmer kept on and stopped
Lu Bu from saying anything, "Forget it, take the road on the east side of
the peak, it is wide and very little steep. I always use that road. After
all, you just want to get on top of the peak, so it does not make the difference."
Lu Bu was so happy, he thought, "how come I meet so many good people today?
Or else I will die here." he thanked the farmer and went to the east side.
Sure,
the road was easy to take and in no time, Lu Bu got on the peak. He finally
saw the cave. But he also saw the stony window. While he was staring at the
window, someone beside him spoke, "Hey, want to go inside the cave?"
Lu Bu turned around and saw a beggar around 70 years old. Who saw Lu Bu nodded
and kept on, "I knew it. Why are you staring at the window? There is a tiger
who lived inside the window. Just the day before I saw it. Here, go to the
other entrance."
Lu Bu heard there is a tiger, he sweats badly and entered through the other
entrance. Using a torch, he saw a round rock is place on top of a big stone.
He was so happy and got the rock and left quickly.
When
Lu Bu got back to his master and gave him the rock, Shi Kong said, "did you
really obey all my orders?"
Lu Bu shaked a bit, he thought about telling the truth. But then he thought,
"No, if I tell the truth, master will get angry and he will not teach me anymore.
He won't know it anyway so I will lie." So he said, "Yes, I did follow every
instruction you give me."
Shi Kong asked, "Really?"
Lu Bu replied, "Of course."
"Okay", said Shi Kong, "You have learned everything and you can leave now."
Lu Bu was really surprised, he begged his master to let him stay, but Shi
Kong had his mind made up. So Lu Bu left.
After
seeing him left, Shi Kong went back to his cottage and the hunter, the farmer,
and the beggar were waiting there. Shi Kong sighed, "I never really want this
rock, it is just to test if he is honest or not. Lucky I tested him before
I teach him all the moves of Lunar Spear, or he will definitely cause a turmoil
among the people. I regret I teach him the 36 moves already."
Just like Shi Kong predicted, Lu Bu killed two of his adopted father and until
he was killed, he had never done anything good.