Disclaimer: I do not own ROTK, Dynasty Warriors. This story is a request made by SilentNinja. The story is set in AU universe.
Title: Romance of the Dragon and the Phoenix
Zhao Yun, styled Zilong, was a young man from Chang Shan. He learned spear martial arts from his father and uncle. When he finished his training, he bid farewell to his mentors and left Chang Shan. After days of journeying, he rode on his white steed and entered Ji Province. He entered the provincial capital, Jizhou, with ease as the guards were slacking off. He walked along the town and found it to be so prosperous and so filled with life and it was a bustling place.
He entered an inn and found that there were many townfolks surrounding a particular lady…She was captivating, beautiful and enchanting. She was apparently playing her flute, which generated lots of melody. He listened carefully and noticed that there was sorrow in her tune. To his amazement, the lady continued sitting on the wooden chair at the table and played her flute. When she finished, the crowds cheered in joy and threw bronze coins into her wooden box.
"Wonderful melody! We love your music, Lady Zhen Ji!" One of the young men in the crowd cried out in joy. "Here is something of our appreciation! Thank you for trying to raise money and rice for our recent famine's victims!"
"What an elegant and kind noble lady!" Zhao Yun thought as the crowds dispersed. He approached the noble lady and was met with resistance from the guards who appeared suddenly, blocking his path.
"Halt, not any commoner can approach the lady this close." Warned the guard. "Back off, lad."
"I am no commoner. My name is Zhao Yun, and I am nicknamed the Dragon of Changshan. I am attracted by the lady's music." Explained Zhao Yun.
"Let him pass. I want to see who dares to speak up like that." Said Zhen Ji in a haughty tune.
The guards backed off and Zhao Yun went forth to bow and greet the lady. Zhao Yun did not dare to look at Zhen Ji in the eyes so his eyes shifted down. Zhen Ji then used her flute to lift Zhao Yun's head up so he can look up and straight into her eyes.
"Her eyes…looked cold...as though she was filled with sorrow." Thought Zhao Yun as he looked upon Zhen Ji's eyes.
"Hmm…what a handsome young man…Few men understood my music. I am filled with sorrow because I, the noble lady of the Yuan family, have been sent to this place to help the people. Those poor commoners…" said Zhen Ji. She stood up and turned to leave the inn. The guards then escorted her out of the inn. Zhao Yun followed behind.
"My lady, I have just joined Master Yuan Shao as a sergeant in his noble army. Would you like me to escort you to wherever you are going?" said Zhao Yun as he kneeled on one knee and bowed.
"There is no need for one such as you to escort me. I have my own personal guards. Besides, my husband Lord Yuan Xi will get jealous if I allow a handsome young man such as you to be seen with me in public. Farewell." Said Zhen Ji as she turned to leave the city of Jizhou and towards the countryside.
"What a magnificent lady!" thought Zhao Yun. "I do hope she stay safe…" Zhao Yun then decided to go to the training ground to train Yuan Shao's troops, where he encountered Zhang He, an officer under the ranks of Yuan Shao.
"Ah…if it isn't Master Zhao Yun. I was about to teach these uncouth boys how to do a magnificent dance formation. Would you do me the honor of showing them?" said Zhang He.
"I am sorry, Master Zhang He. I am afraid I only know how to do battle using my spear, the Fierce Dragon. I don't know how to dance…Watch how the Dragon do battle!" replied Zhao Yun as he feigned a stab towards Zhang He with his spear. Zhang He dodged his feign before swiping Zhao Yun with his claws, the Phoenix Talon. Zhao Yun blocked the attack before they entered into a deadlock.
"Ah, so you wish to spar with me?" said Zhang He. "Very well… I, Zhang Junyi, shall entertain you with a beautiful dance of mine!"
Suddenly, a messenger arrived with a report.
"Report! Lady Zhen Ji and her escorts have been ambushed by the Black Mountain Bandits, Zhang Yan! They were captured and taken to their hideout!" said the messenger.
"What? Master Yuan Shao and Master Yuan Xi would be furious! Zhao Yun, we must mount a rescue immediately!" said Zhang He as he turned to his troops.
"There is no need for Master Zhang He to mobilize and rally our troops. I, Zhao Zilong, of Changshan, shall rescue lady Zhen Ji alone and return with the head of Zhang Yan!" said Zhao Yun confidently as he wore his battle armor and armed himself with his spear, and left.
"Master Zhao Yun is so charming… but he is reckless nevertheless. I shall lead a small unit of cavalry and follow him behind silently!" thought Zhang He as he turned to gather his troops.
An hour later, Zhen Ji was found in a jail cell, lying on the haystacks with her hands folded behind her back and tied by brown thick ropes. Her weapon, her flute, was taken away from her. She was unconscious after being attacked on the way to distribute money and rice to the needy. She woke up to find herself restrained. She tried to struggle and wriggle out of her bonds only to realize the knots on her hands were too tight. She tried to speak…only to find her mouth stuffed with white cloth.
"Whmmimmmph…(Where am I? How could you treat a noble lady such as I in this manner! I will have my husband get you for this!)" Zhen Ji could only produce low muffled sound.
A bearded middle aged man with a black turban on his head appeared and remove her gag.
"Ah, so the lady of the Yuan house has woken up! Aye…my patience is running out, lady. Tell me where you hidden your money and food!" this man is called Zhang Yan, and his men helped Zhen Ji up before dragging her to a nearby wooden chair and tied her to the chair.
"I will tell you nothing! You inhuman bastards!" Zhen Ji then spit her saliva onto Zhang Yan's face.
"Trying to act tough, eh… Boys, rough her up! Until she cracks! Haha…" said Zhang Yan before his men slowly creep up to Zhen Ji steps by steps, which made her very frightened.
"Oh no…Help…somebody! " thought Zhen Ji as she tried to stay calm. Her mind flashed an image and that was Zhao Yun, whom she had met earlier. "Help! Zhao Yun!" screamed Zhen Ji at the top of her lungs.
Suddenly, there were cries of pains and deaths as the Black Mountain bandits were slaughtered. Zhao Yun, single handedly, has arrived before Zhang Yan as he broke the jail cell door.
"What? How did you find this place? No matter, you will be a corpse in a moment!" said Zhang Yan, trying to act tough.
"I, Zhao Zilong, of Changshan, shall rid the villain off this earth! Fear not, my lady, I shall defeat this foe." Said Zhao Yun as he tried to calm Zhen Ji down. Zhen Ji was relieved to see her savior as she prayed to be rescued soon.
"Zilong…be careful!" said Zhen Ji. Zhang Yan leapt towards Zhao Yun with his Black Wind Saber and was met with Zhao Yun's spear tip near his throat. Zhang Yan parried Zhao Yun's spear away before he stopped attacking Zhao Yun.
"Watch it, young man! This noble Yuan lady will die if you don't surrender!" warned Zhang Yan as his men held their swords against Zhen Ji's throat.
"Zilong, just leave me here! Don't surrender! You will die!" cried Zhen Ji as she was helpless like a damsel in distress.
"No! Don't hurt the lady! I surrender!" said Zhao Yun as he dropped his spear onto the ground.
"Good, now tie him up!" ordered Zhang Yan, as his men secured Zhao Yun to another wooden chair with brown thick ropes.
"You shall never get away with this! Now that lady Zhen Ji and I are prisoners, Master Yuan Shao will soon send troops to destroy your bandits' hideout!" warned Zhao Yun.
"That's right! My husband and my father-in-law will soon rescue me! They will send troops to trample over your bandits' hideout soon!" said Zhen Ji.
"What?!" exclaimed Zhang Yan as he heard of the word "Yuan Shao" "If they wanted to rescue you, they would have arrived…by now…"
"That is correct! I, the beautiful Zhang He of the Yuan Shao's forces, have arrived!" said Zhang He as he landed before Zhang Yan gracefully.
"I have captured your men! Now surrender gracefully, and I shall spare your life!" threatened Zhang He. Zhang He's cavalry units surrounded Zhang Yan and his bandits and held their blades against the bandits' throat. Zhang He, with a swipe of his claws, freed Zhen Ji and Zhao Yun from their bonds. Zhen Ji then found her weapon, her flute on a nearby weapon rack. She hit Zhang Yan's face with her flute, then played a deaf sounding melody until Zhang Yan's ears bled.
"This is for my people of the Yuan family! This is for humiliating me! This is for trying to rob us!" said Zhen Ji as she extracted her revenge onto Zhang Yan by torturing him.
"My lady, that was beautiful!" commented Zhang He as he cheered Zhen Ji on. Zhao Yun then kneel on his knee to try to persuade Zhen Ji to stop.
"Lady Zhen Ji, that's enough! You are killing him!" said Zhao Yun.
"Well, okay, I have enough fun." Said Zhen Ji as she stopped.
"I shall remember this!" Zhang Yan then took his men and fled the bandits' hideout with his tail between his legs.
"Thank you for saving us, Master Zhang He." Said the grateful Zhao Yun.
"I thank you too, Zhang Junyi with all my heart." Added Zhen Ji.
"There is no need for formalities! After all, we all serve under the noble Yuan family" replied Zhang He.
The trio left the bandits' hideout with their men, along with Zhen Ji's guards. On their way back to the city, Zhen Ji had doubts in her mind, so she then tried to clarify with Zhao Yun.
"Lord Zhao Yun, how did you manage to find me and my guards? We could be anywhere outside the city…" asked Zhen Ji.
"I followed the bandits' trace when I found your guards' weapons on the ground 15 miles away from the city. They always left traces of their campfire, which led me to their hideout." Answered Zhao Yun.
"I see…You are bold and resourceful. Here is a token of my appreciation…" Zhen Ji then kissed Zhao Yun on his cheek, which made him blushed.
"My lady…what are you doing?" exclaimed Zhao Yun.
"Hehehe…Don't tell anyone of this, especially not my husband, or you will face my wrath." Said Zhen Ji as she smiled.
Zhao Yun gulped and sweat drops dripped down his forehead as he saluted.
"Yes, my lady! I shall tell no one of this matter. " said Zhao Yun.
"Ah, the essence of youth! This will be a Beautiful moment to mark on this day!" commented Zhang He.
The trio were on their way back to the castle, when they were greeted by a young woman holding the hand of a young boy. The young boy was shy as he passed a meat bun to Zhao Yun.
"Thank you for subjugating the Black Mountain Bandits, heroes!" said the young boy.
Zhao Yun dismounted from his white steed and he received the meat bun with both hands.
"Thank you, young boy. What is your name, might I ask?" asked Zhao Yun.
"My name is Jiang Wei, and I wish to grow up and become a hero like you!" said Jiang Wei.
"Ha…such great aspiration! Good! I shall rise up to your expectation and restore the Han empire to its former glory!" replied Zhao Yun. The young woman simply smiled at him silently and left with Jiang Wei.
Little did the trio knew…that the young woman was Diao Chan, who had left her lover, Lu Bu, and was on her way to Tian Shui to live in seclude as she changed her surname to Madam Jiang. Could the young boy, Jiang Wei, be Lu Bu's son? Well, that shall be another tale to speak.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading this. Please read and review and tell me what you think of this story!