Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 14 Gladiator

"Compare what?"

Someone in the crowd asked.

Liu Wu's lips curled slightly upward: "Let's have a gladiatorial contest."

Gladiator combat was the most common form of folk competition during the Han Dynasty. Two people would fight one-on-one in the arena with their bare hands, and the match would end when one of them conceded defeat or lost the ability to fight.

This kind of competition is the most direct way to see a person's martial prowess.

Liu Wu, on the other hand, was recognized as the most capable fighter in the village.

He had even hunted wild boars before, and his muscular physique was the best proof of that.

Li Sheng? He was just a farm boy who had lost both his parents and made a living by doing manual labor.

One of Li Sheng's new followers couldn't hold back any longer and shouted from the crowd, "Isn't this bullying? Brother Sheng is a farmer, and Liu Wu is a hunter. How can you compare them?"

Li Feng, who was standing next to him, tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to calm down.

Liu Wu remained unfazed, even shrugging his shoulders: "I said, whoever wins will be the leader, it's fair and just. If Brother Li Sheng doesn't think it's right, then we don't have to compete, and we can discuss another way."

He spoke frankly, but the confidence and subtle provocation in his tone were obvious to everyone present.

The elderly people exchanged glances, all looking somewhat embarrassed.

Liu Gong originally intended for Li Sheng to be the leader.

But Liu Wu's words were not without merit, and Liu Wu's family also had some influence in the village, so it wouldn't be good to offend them.

Liu was about to speak up to smooth things over, but Li Sheng spoke first.

"it is good."

Just one word, spoken softly, yet the entire room fell silent for a moment before erupting into even louder discussion.

"Li Sheng agreed?"

"Is he crazy? To challenge Liu Wu to a gladiator fight?"

All eyes were on Li Sheng.

The crowd watched the spectacle with interest, while the thirty-odd young men who followed Li Sheng all wore expressions of worry.

Someone quietly tugged at Li Feng's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Li Feng, is Sheng-ge capable?"

"Don't worry, you'll soon see Sheng Ge's amazing abilities."

Li Feng's lips curled into a confident smile.

Li Shi, Liu Lu, and Zhao Hu remained calm, even showing a hint of excitement. They had personally witnessed Li Sheng's skills.

Liu Wu burst into laughter, his laughter filled with confidence.

"Brother Li Sheng is indeed straightforward!"

He took off his coat, revealing his muscular upper body.

He cracked his shoulders, making a popping sound, and waved to Li Sheng.

"Brother Li Sheng, please."

Li Sheng slowly walked to the center of the field, took off his coat, and handed it to Li Feng.

Unlike Liu Wu, he didn't deliberately show off his muscles. He simply moved his wrists and ankles and then nodded slightly to Liu Wu.

"please."

Liu Wu's eyes sharpened, and without saying a word, he let out a low shout and charged forward like a wild beast released from its cage.

He squatted down slightly, opened his arms, and aimed his hands straight at Li Sheng's arms and ribs, which is the most common grabbing stance in folk wrestling.

This pounce was powerful and heavy; if it were an ordinary person, once he grabbed their position, they would never be able to break free.

However, in Li Sheng's eyes, this pounce was full of flaws.

Instead of retreating, he slightly lowered his waist, slowly extended his right hand, and firmly grasped Liu Wu's right wrist. At the same time, his left hand pressed against the opponent's elbow. This is the "locking hand" technique in wrestling.

With his arms clasped together, it was like two iron hoops, firmly controlling half of Liu Wu's body.

"Snapped!"

A muffled thud was the sound of two bodies colliding.

Liu Wu's charge was like hitting a rocky mountain, leaving him completely still.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he tried to pull Li Sheng down with all his might, only to find that his arms were locked, as if clamped by iron pincers, and he could not break free no matter what he did.

He gritted his teeth and held his breath, his legs stomped on the ground, veins bulged on his forehead, and his face turned bright red, but Li Sheng's feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, as steady as a rock.

Li Sheng looked at him, his eyes calm as still water: "Brother Liu Wu, shall we continue?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

The audience was silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped.

Unwilling to give up, Liu Wu suddenly lowered his shoulder and tried to grab Li Sheng's leg with his other hand, hoping to turn the tables with a "leg grab".

Li Sheng remained calm and, taking advantage of the moment when Liu Wu's center of gravity shifted, he stepped forward with his right foot and gently hooked Liu Wu's calf. At the same time, he twisted his waist and hips sharply, using the opponent's momentum to throw him outward.

This series of movements is fluid and graceful, and is the classic "leg-wrapping throw" in wrestling.

Liu Wu felt as if the floorboards had been pulled away from his feet, and he was lifted into the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

"Bang!"

Dust flew everywhere.

The scene was deathly silent.

Zhao Hu was the first to react, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Okay!"

That shout was like a fire, instantly igniting the entire scene.

"Brother Sheng won!"

"My God, he was taken down in one move?"

Cheers and gasps of amazement rose and fell; the villagers who had been worried about Li Sheng were now filled with shock.

Liu Gong's hand, which was holding a cane, trembled slightly, and a glint of light flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

He had misjudged him; he hadn't expected that Li Sheng, besides being a skilled farmer, was also so adept at wrestling.

Liu Wu sat on the ground, his face turning pale and then flushed.

He lost, lost completely, and was utterly powerless to fight back.

Li Sheng stepped forward and extended his hand: "Brother Liu Wu, you flatter me."

Liu Wu hesitated for a moment, then reached out and grasped Li Sheng's hand, and was pulled up.

He patted the dirt off his clothes, his expression extremely complex.

Just then, a voice rang out behind him.

"This isn't fair!"

Everyone's attention was drawn to it.

The speaker was a relative of Liu Wu, a young man in his early twenties.

He shouted, his face flushed and neck bulging, "Gladiator duels are about brute force; the stronger the brute, the better. But what use is brute force when it comes to organizing a local militia and defending against bandits? It requires military tactics! My uncle served in the army and earned merits. Brother Liu Wu learned a lot from him; that's the foundation a local militia captain should have!"

These words sparked another round of discussion among the crowd.

"That...that does make sense..."

"Yes, having strength alone isn't enough if you can't fight."

Zhao Hu was the first to explode: "You're cheating! You were the ones who ordered the gladiatorial combat, and now you're saying it's no good? So you got to say everything?"

The man retorted, his neck stiff, "I'm telling the truth! If you're not satisfied, we can compete in something else!"

"you!"

Zhao Hu was so angry that his face turned green. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to rush forward when Li Feng grabbed him.

Li Sheng raised his hand to stop Zhao Hu, and looked calmly at Liu Wu.

Liu Wu's expression was somewhat embarrassed at this moment, but he did not stop his own people from speaking, which clearly meant the same thing.