Babysitter Zhao Yun
People wanted more of this, so here's more babysitter fluff! Let me know if I should add Zhao Yun's recorded kids as well (AKA Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang) into the mix.
I would like to thank the guest reviewer and Mako for their lovely reviews. I hope this chapter is done better and is just as or more entertaining than the first.
Jiang Wei found a strategy book. Yeah, that sounds a little over the top doesn't it? But it's true. He found Fa Zheng's strategy book over traps and decided to play with them for a bit.
All the while, Zhao Yun was busy breaking up Guan Xing and Zhang Bao's fight, Bao Sanniang and Guan Suo were picking flowers, and Guan Yinping and Xingcai were "sparring" with Guan Ping with sticks.
Earlier that day Zhao Yun told them to build up stamina; that meant run around the racetrack or obstacle course he set up for about 3 minutes. It was before lunch so he motivated the eight of them to do well for the cookies he made the night before and the lunch he packed for an outdoor picnic. The training exercises were hard, but a lot of fun.
And the older male did say to bring an extra activity if they wanted when they were cooling down after the run and warm-ups. For Jiang Wei, it was the book of traps he found. An idea crossed his mind and a smile lit his face.
Zhao Yun was glad that the kids easily took up his idea of training them. And they were all for learning the ways of the blade and military strategy. Zhao Yun had to know where all of them were at first, both mentally and physically. And the three minute run earlier that day opened up more possibilities and answers than he would've hoped.
Guan Xing and Zhang Bao were at Guan Ping's level of physical endurance, just as Zhao Yun thought, but the act of competitiveness was there between the two of them. It lead to more blind fights. Zhao Yun had to fight back the urge of rolling his eyes and had to get on his knees again to separate the two boys from raining blows on one another. One of them managed to hit his shoulder before he got the two to calm down and see who they were actually hitting.
"The two of you have a good amount of strength." Zhao Yun praised, heedless of the fact that they were hitting him. "But don't close your eyes when you use your fists, because you could injure someone who isn't your opponent. Plus, you have to see where you're aiming at, don't you?"
Guan Xing and Zhang Bao froze and sheepishly looked away. Their little brawl made Zhao Yun get between them and they hurt him unintentionally. "Sorry sensei." The genuine apology made Zhao Yun smile.
"Next time it will not be me getting hurt, but someone around your age trying to keep the peace between the two of you. The two of you were made sparring partners because, whether you see it or not, the both of you have a bond of friendship that will not be broken. Tested maybe, but never broken." Zhao Yun ruffled both of their hair as he stood up from his position. "If you close your eyes while you're fighting you could be at a disadvantage. Can any of you eight name any of the risks you run when fighting with your eyes closed?"
They all raised their hands and jumped up and down, excited to answer a question.
"Bao Sanniang."
"You can hit a friend instead of a person you're supposed to be fighting."
"That's true. You could injure a friend instead of a foe. That would be disorderly for us if we fight amongst ourselves and that would lead our enemies to an easy victory. Unless there is a reason for you to, you should never have your eyes closed when fighting." Zhao Yun noticed that all eight of them were sitting right in front of him. "Guan Ping, do me a favor and grab the picnic basket, okay."
"But I'll miss the lesson." Guan Ping grumbled. Zhao Yun gave a low chuckle.
"I won't speak anymore of the topic until you get back. Now hurry it's almost time for lunch please." Guan Ping hesitantly went toward the picnic basket. Zhao Yun called back to him, "and never hesitate to follow orders Ping or the advice of your veterans. And most certainly do not hesitate when you're fighting because that could be life or death. If you hesitate you will give your opponent an opening to use against you. Even the slightest second could make the difference of you killing them or them killing you." Guan Ping moved much faster toward the picnic basket to bring it over.
True to his word, Zhao Yun didn't go further into the topic until Guan Ping came back. Zhao Yun opened the basket and pulled out water bottle after water bottle, tossing them to kid after kid. He then put the basket in front of them so they could find their sandwiches.
Jiang Wei was bothered by Zhao Yun's statement about fighting with your eyes closed. Shouldn't that be basic knowledge since you need to see to aim? He raised his hand. "Um, sensei don't you need to see to aim?"
Zhao Yun shook his head. "Not really if you think about it. Right now while you're young your eyes are at perfect vision. When you get older they may fail. I still have my good vision, thank and curse the gods," he mumbled. He also shivered for a split second. "But when you get older you'll learn the other ways of aiming without your eyes. There are some men in our army that will purposely close their eyes to "see" better. They do that by relying on their other senses, which is important when out in the battlefield. Sometimes your eye sight isn't enough to find your opponent. You'll need to hear them. When there's an ambush it's usually reported first, but if that isn't an option then we have to slowly enter an area and try to hear them. A man could be fully blind, or unable to view the world, and they can manage without it just fine by using their other senses."
They titled their heads to the side, munching on whatever sandwich they grabbed. Zhang Bao swallowed and said, "But I see you practicing with a blindfold over your eyes. Are you using your other senses then?"
Zhao Yun nodded his head, with an eyebrow raised. How could Zhang Bao possibly know that he practiced with a blindfold? "I do that to strengthen my other senses. There are times, no matter how rare they are, that the enemy will use methods like blinding their enemy. That could range from a bright light or throwing dirt and broken glass into the eyes. The importance of sight is only as strong to an individual as it is relied on. I practice by blindfolding myself so I can't see and that forces me to rely on my hearing. When you lose one sense, particularly the one you rely on the most, your other senses will grow stronger to compensate the one you lost."
"What about smell, taste, or touch though?" Guan Xing was leaning on his knees, looking at the older man with wide eyes. "Don't they help too?"
"I can smell blood fairly easily." Zhao Yun sat on the ground so he was at face level with the kids. "And the smell of fear is quite a helper when I'm pursuing my opponent. Taste could help… if you're a snake. For us humans it's a little harder to use the sense of taste to use as an advantage. The sense of touch could branch off into instinct, which is the gut feeling you get when you feel something is wrong. Instinct is important to have and you should listen to it." He picked up a rock. "Any more questions?"
"How far can you throw?" Guan Yinping asked. Zhao Yun raised an eyebrow at her, then at the rock he picked up. He never really had to throw a rock before.
"I couldn't tell you. What should I aim for?" He asked.
The kids all looked around themselves for a target. Zhao Yun kept an eye on their movements, so he didn't miss the action Jiang Wei made when he picked up one of his cookies and hid it in his shirt pocket. Jiang Wei looked up to Zhao Yun to see a questioning gaze directed towards him. Jiang Wei put his finger to his lips in an act to say "don't say anything. I'm working on something. Please!"
Zhao Yun just smiled. He noticed Jiang Wei brought Fa Zheng's book of traps. The trickster was looking everywhere for it and Ma Dai was the one blamed for taking it, hence the scene from the other day. Turns out Fa Zheng spooked Jiang Wei by throwing a fake spider at him for taking the book, but ultimately let him keep it to read over.
"Over there! That big oak tree." One of the kids called, pointing toward a tall tree that was a good 30 meters, or 98.4 feet away from them. Zhao Yun stood up and took a minute to figure the angle. Naturally he would have done this faster, but seeing as there was no danger of enemies trying to take his head or kidnappers trying to take the kids, he took his time figuring the perfect angle for aiming at the tree.
"It's a good thing I play sports on my days off." Zhao Yun got into a throwing stance and threw the rock high into the air. It was just a speck to the kids, but Zhao Yun could see the texture of the rock and how fast it traveled down until his sensitive ears picked up the THUD of the rock hitting the tree. He turned toward the kids and almost doubled over in laughter as he saw them still looking into the air for the rock. They looked like kittens eyeing a piece of string. "Did you find it?"
They shook their heads. "You didn't throw it at all," was the chorus that answered.
Zhao Yun chuckled. "Did I now? Because I don't have it in my hands. I threw the rock and hit my mark. I just threw it pretty fast that you couldn't follow it. The thing about using your eyes is that nothing could be as it seems. Like Fa Zheng, it's a double edge sword. On one end you can use your eyesight to aim, but on the other it can cause you to miss as well." He picked up another rock, and proceeded to throw and catch it in the air. "Your eyes have to be fast to see something moving. And your enemies will constantly be moving."
Zhao Yun's eyes went toward Jiang Wei, who was walking silently away from the group, leaving a cookie trail with the left over cookies from Guan Xing to the picnic basket. He joined the group seconds later.
"Okay, we get it." Bao Sanniang said, rather annoyed. She was interested in the topic up until their sensei had to throw a rock. Now it was losing its interest to her. "Can we have more cookies now?!"
"I guess that's okay. Not too many though." Zhao Yun smiled at the group. They cheered and went toward the picnic basket.
"Hey Zhao Yun," someone from behind him called out. Zhao Yun turned to spot Xu Shu coming toward him, waving one arm in the air in greeting while carrying a lot of books in the other.
"Xu Shu, how are you faring today?" Zhao Yun noticed the book edges. "And what's with the chemistry books?"
Xu Shu laughed. "Oh, I'm doing great. Just great. I have a chemistry test tomorrow and I don't want to blow the room up, is that reason enough?"
"I thought you were planning to make a poison that can kill a target. Guess I was wrong." Zhao Yun looked over to the kids just in time for them to notice the cookie trail and them trying to figure out where the rest of the cookies went.
Xu Shu shook his head. "You've always been able to see through hidden meanings. Give me something my lord." Xu Shu looked at the kids as well. "Having fun training our future warriors?"
Zhao Yun laughed softly. "Understatement my friend. I'm having a blast. Jiang Wei got a hold of Fa Zheng's book of traps and now laid one out for everyone. Hence the cookie trail. These kids are brighter than they look, in fact I would call them naturals. They already have impressive stamina and endurance. I just need to mold the basics into them before teaching them anything advanced."
"It's just like you say: you can't learn the good stuff unless you know the basics that are required." Xu Shu picked up the first book from the stack. "Speaking of which, are you going to take them into the field any time soon? They'll learn a lot more from you when they see you in action, and plus you have been chosen for the assassination, as per usual."
Zhao Yun sighed and looked toward his comrade. "I would actually love to, but then I'll have to split my focus in making sure they stay alive while I go after my target. I may be good Xu Shu, but I can't be in two places at once."
"Liar," Xu Shu pointed at him. "You're a liar! You said you were good, but you underestimate your own strength Zhao Yun! Heck not even that, you're too modest to accept any praise nor do you boast about your accomplishments- which in the case of the Five Tiger Generals, you and Huang Zhong are the only ones who don't rub it in the faces of the others. You're an amazing mentor, you know that? I would be banging my head against the wall if these eight were my students."
"You know I'm going have to find room to make a field day for these kids. Instead of me teaching them they'll be with another veteran so they can learn from them as well. I'm not the only one with teachings to past down." Zhao Yun noticed the rock still in his hands. "Hey, give me a calculation of what you know of me so far, and the weight of this rock. How far will I be able to throw it?" He held up the rock.
Xu Shu thought for a second. "Depends what angle you're throwing if from. And the height in which you're standing at and if you're throwing it toward the sky or down to the ground. There's many factors in throwing something." Xu Shu sighed. "I wish I can give you a definite answer."
Zhao Yun just shook his head. "That's just fine Xu Shu. I know the factors. The kids didn't think I threw a rock earlier when I did and hit the mark that I aimed for. I know their kids, but reaction timing is just as important as reaction striking." He tossed the rock up and caught it. "Tell me my target, time duration, the limits, and other handicaps I need to go in as."
"Well, good news, you don't have to pretend you're a woman," Xu Shu smiled. "Well, that's already debatable as it is, but you don't have to put a dress on and act like a timid lady." Zhao Yun made an annoyed sound, bordering on the lines of a soft growl. Xu Shu put one hand in the air, palm facing out. "I know, I know, don't bring that up. Your target is in the south. Many people were complaining of a tyrannical governor down there who would use the army soldiers of their town to harass the commoners and the taxes are pretty high."
"How high are we talking about?" Zhao Yun's eyes were trained on the kids, but they repeatedly went to a tree that was 45 meters, or 147.6 feet away from where they were standing. Every time he would rest his eyes on the kids they would see something out of the corner and be drawn to it. Whatever it was it wasn't sitting right with him.
"The highest was 30% tax return. Right now it's 25.6%. It never goes lower than 17%."
"That's high, not to mention that could drain anyone. What's he spending all that on? I don't remember seeing a spike of progress in the south for a while now." Zhao Yun was now heading toward the tree, motioning the kids to stay there. "Walk and talk Xu Shu, I'll get every word."
Xu Shu was noticing the veteran warrior tense up, so didn't bother arguing. Zhao Yun's eyes were focused on something that he didn't see, but could sense just as well as his comrade. Xu Shu decided it best to follow Zhao Yun's lead. "We don't know. Feel free to investigate if you feel the need to. Zhuge Liang will mention to you to show some mercy, Fa Zheng will say just kill the guy, and Pang Tong and I will be arguing the situation just as much as those two. Nothing new there so it's up to you how you approach the target. He could be sent to jail or striped of his power if that's what you think will be fitting."
Zhao Yun smiled at that. "The four of you are often at odds, but at the same time you agree: this guy has to go. End of story. What's his name, family history, and the reports complaining this guy? And what poison will you give me to use?" Zhao Yun was now seeing a hidden figure next to the tree. He locked on to it. It was a young man with a lean build, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and what appears to be sickly pale skin. Zhao Yun noticed tale-tell signs of a beating on the man. Zhao Yun's steps, from experience, practice, instinct, and ultimately force-of-habit, slowed its steps down to be quieter and near nonexistent.
"His name's Pian Zi. He had one hell of a childhood; his mother died in childbirth, his father was strict in his education, and his father's second wife bore his father 3 daughters- who Pian Zi was fond of and they of him. Pian's wife came from the Dou family and bore him an excellent son who is far more talented than the father, and one hundred times gentler. The people say that he scares both mother and son enough that they have separated rooms. The people complained of unfair tax rates and unfair punishment. The complaints went straight to Lord Liu Bei's ears."
"As they should be, stay here for a bit." Zhao Yun put a hand out to stop Xu Shu's movement as he moved closer to the man.
That said man was against the tree, wrapping his injured leg with a cloth that's seen better days. He had to get to Lord Liu Bei, or he wouldn't be able to go back. His mother was counting on him to bring to light the situation within their town. And he was the only able-bodied man there who could have made the trip.
"Do you need any assistance sir?" The soft voice made him jump two feet into the air. He stood up too quickly for his legs to register and they collapsed underneath them. He would've fallen flat on his face if it wasn't for strong arms catching him before he did. He flinched at the contact. He looked up into a soft face with concerning eyes. He was momentarily speechless in front of the beautiful being before him.
Zhao Yun saw the young man was in a critical condition. The leg he was bandaging was slit open and the skin of the man was much paler than Zhao Yun first saw it. Up close now, having the young man in his arms, Zhao Yun could see the condition of the man much more closely. The man wasn't a threat at all. In fact he was weightless and thin enough that his bones showed. The face of the young man was sunken and dark with worry and fear.
Zhao Yun motioned Xu Shu to come over. "Can you recognize him? I don't remember seeing him around here and he's in bad shape." Zhao Yun moved the young man so he could pick the man up. He was too light for his age.
"Um, I couldn't tell you either my lord. But with his current state we may have to wait on that and get him to a physician."
"Guess I'm making two trips. I'll see you later for the rest of the details Xu Shu. Hey kids, we're leaving sooner than expected!" Zhao Yun called out to the kids and not taking a second look toward Xu Shu he ran across the field to where the group of eight were.
The kids were brought back into reality as they saw their mentor come up quickly to them with someone in his arms. As he neared they noticed that it was a young man in bad shape. And somehow they all grew slightly jealous at the young man, for no definite reason for it.
"Sensei, is something wrong?" Guan Ping looked at the young man, who was struggling to stay awake in the arms of their guardian. "Who is he?"
"No time, Guan Ping. Pack everything up, we need to take him to a surgeon. He's in bad shape, so quickly now." Zhao Yun said.
"Okay, okay, we're moving!" They chorus went. There wasn't much to pack back up other than the empty water bottles and sandwich wrappers. They were up and out of there as fast as the kids could keep up with their sensei.
There was a knock on the door as the kids set the table for dinner that night. Zhao Yun answered it and let the knocker in.
"Nice to see you Xu Shu. Do you have the rest of the details?" Zhao Yun set down the red cloth that was in his hands. "Would you like a drink?"
"No thanks my lord. I have everything with me, but now it's certain that you're going to have to use… extreme measures." To emphasize his point Xu Shu drew a line with his finger across his neck. Zhao Yun knew he meant kill, and could see why he didn't say it out loud. The kids were setting the table right in front of them.
"Let me serve their dinner first. Than we can talk freely in my study. Does that sound okay?"
"As long as I don't pose as a bother my lord." Xu Shu gripped the files in his hands tightly. "But I must ask you to hurry."
Zhao Yun nodded as he proceeded to lay out the dinner for the eight. They all looked over to Xu Shu with questioning looks. Not only did some injured man take away their sensei's attention… but now one of the veterans were here to take it from them. It sparked a new emotion in the children.
"Yun-chan!" Guan Yinping looked up at the older man. "Are you not going to eat with us? Is Xu Shu here to take you away?"
Zhao Yun's movements were stalled for a split second. He looked toward the young girl and smiled. "What, no nothing of the sort. Xu Shu just has a job I have to do for our Lord Liu Bei. But the details are for adults only. I'm sorry, but I will eat with you kids when the meeting with Xu Shu is over, okay?" Zhao Yun smiled gently toward them. "I promise I will not go away while Xu Shu and all of you are here."
"You promise?" Xingcai asked. She looked at him with wide eyes.
"Double promise?" Bao Sanniang chipped in.
"No, you need to triple promise!" This time Zhao Yun raised a slight eyebrow at Jiang Wei. He figured either the kids all had the same thought of him being gone and never returning… or they suddenly got very possessive of him. Zhao Yun's ever observant gaze didn't miss the glares the young man earlier received when heading to a hospital from them. They were jealous!
Zhao Yun smiled, his eyes soft. "Okay, I triple promise I will be right back and Xu Shu will leave when I do." He ruffled Jiang Wei's and Guan Ping's hair before turning to Xu Shu. "Shall we begin this meeting?"
"They're very fond of you my lord. They seem they don't want you to go with anyone, even comrades."
"They don't want me to be alone with anyone but them. They're jealous of the young man earlier today that I had to carry." Zhao Yun took a sip of the Green Dragon Tea beside him. The strong bitterness and the sweet tang of mint quenched the day's stress away and awoken his senses. "You cannot imagine how tired I am Xu Shu. This is the second time I had to watch all eight of them this week."
"And on your days off. It's amazing you're okay with this. I hope you're not setting yourself up to collapse due to exhaustion." Xu Shu handed him the files. "The young man was Pian Zi's son and only child: Pian Qi. He was named Qi when he was born because of his smooth complexion and the youth's beauty."
"Qi means fine jade. He must have looked agreeable, before whatever happened to him. Did you find that out? I couldn't since I had eight jealous kids suddenly wanting my attention." Zhao Yun flicked to the first page. "This is going to take a while. When I do executions by poison I need to infiltrate the housing of the target. I prefer frontline battles, it's just so much simpler. A duel could decide who lives and who doesn't, plus it's a lot more… honorable that way."
"I've always heard from Liu Bei that you never did like your assassin missions under Gongsun Zan. You were honorable back then but he feared too much for your safety to let you go into battle unless he could see it or if he gave you a direct order to attack someone. He constricted you."
"He wasn't a man of reason." Zhao Yun felt a shiver go across his spine. "I wish not to divulge further into my memories with my… former lord… if possible Xu Shu. You didn't answer my question."
"My apologizes my lord. It turns out Pian Qi ran away from the south town he grew up in. I told you earlier that the man was quite… frightening to his own wife and son. Well, the injuries on Qi were done by a metal whip. The poor boy was sent from his mother after the beating to inform Liu Bei of his tyrannical father. Pian Qi mentioned that his grandfather was strict but gentle; reminds you of anybody?"
Zhao Yun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Get on with it Xu Shu, I have eight kids waiting for me." He calmly took another sip of his tea.
Xu Shu cleared his throat. "Um, right. Well he says that he was the only able-bodied person to send, mentioning that the farmers down there are in worse condition than he is. Liu Bei got pretty upset and so put up the order to purge him out of Shu either by sending him to jail or banishing him. It was a hard debate, but the son asked for a favor that Liu Bei couldn't refuse. That's why I brought you the official order for your own notice my lord."
"The son finally avenged, the people's fears lifted, and the mother freed from their tormentor. Is that not poetic justice." Zhao Yun flipped the page. "You wouldn't happen to have any poison on you… would you?"
"As a matter of fact I do. It may be a small dose, but it should get the job done. And no doubt it will with you as the assassin." Xu Shu handed Zhao Yun a bright cylinder with a purple cloth wrapped around it. "Fa Zheng mentioned that it will leave a… lovely trail after it's ran its course."
Zhao Yun sighed. "I'm going to have to wait until late at night when Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others come to pick up the kids. It says the act must be done immediately, but I can't just leave the kids."
"Why not? I know you promised but you're silent enough to walk out of your house without them noticing. What's the problem?" Xu Shu couldn't understand the veteran before him. What could be stopping him from acting out the order given to him?
Zhao Yun took another drink of his tea. "The last time I watched them Jiang Wei came to me at around midnight saying he had a nightmare. It was about me never returning to them. It gave him quite a shock."
Xu Shu was silent at the reason. It made him speechless. It took him a few minutes to reply. "I see. They fear you leaving them, and they get jealous whenever another has your attention. That must put a lot of pressure on your hands."
"Not really. They love dogpiles, especially on older kids and adults. If I leave you with them the little angels you see will become devils. Trust me, they can work as a team when it really counts." Zhao Yun smiled. "They don't know it, but, when they get older they're going to start realizing their own style of fighting, and learn how to handle and improve by themselves. They're not going to need me as long as they think they will."
Xu Shu was almost shocked at the small, sad smile that graced the other man's face. "But, you're the veteran. Everyone still needs you, because they look up to you for answers! Your experience and your wide range of skills are needed still. Why do you view yourself so… unimportant when you really are?"
Zhao Yun laughed lightly. "I thank you for thinking that I'm important. But I'm just saying as it is Xu Shu. It's not my fault I'm naturally modest, nor can I control those kids from being jealous when there's nothing to be jealous of."
Xu Shu thought for a moment. "Um, I'm pretty sure they have a reason for being jealous and wanting your attention my lord. You're the only one who everyone trusts to watch them, and even then the kids themselves will not trust any adult but yourself. You watch and care for them, train and raise them, so you're basically the stay-at-home mom while Guan Yu and Zhang Fei go to battle." Xu Shu stopped talking for a moment. He slapped his face with his hand. "My apologizes my lord. I just indirectly called you a mother hen."
"Just because I killed a kidnapper when he made an action to kidnap my kids does not mean I'm a mother hen!"
"They flock to you like ducklings to their mother duck." Xu Shu stood up to leave. "Is there anything else you need from me my lord, before I take my leave?"
"Yeah, give me your opinion… do you think they all have a child's crush on me… or is that just me?"
Xu Shu stared at the other man in slight shock. "Um, that would make sense now, wouldn't it my lord?"
"I think they're beginning to learn how to stalk a target on their own."
The kids were all waiting on Zhao Yun's bed when the meeting with Xu Shu ended. The kids appeared to be ready for bed, already bunched together like grapes on a vine or kittens in a heap.
Zhao Yun smiled at them. "Okay, I'm sorry, that took a lot longer than expected." He walked over to the bed and sat down on it. Instantly the kids all wrapped their arms around him, locking him in place.
"There, now you can't escape!" Guan Xing and Zhang Bao said in a chorus.
"You can't go anywhere now! You'll have to stay here!" Guan Yinping was holding his arm tightly, while Xingcai had his other arm in an embrace.
"Did you kids practice this?" Zhao Yun tried moving around, but the action made the kids embrace him even tighter.
"It was Jiang Wei's idea." Bao Sanniang had her arms half way around his waist. "We waited, like, forever!"
"We thought you weren't going to show up again!" Guan Suo had his arms around his torso from the back.
"Hey, come on now, I promised I would come back to all of you." Zhao Yun was amazed at their strength. They were just training for two days and now they already had some impressive strength to them. He would just have to go along with it. "Okay, okay, I surrender to you little dragons." He relaxed in their embraces.
"Yeah, we captured a dragon!" They chanted, rubbing their faces against his chest, back, and face.
"Well aren't all of you affectionate." Zhao Yun smiled curling up with the kids on the bed. It took a while, but soon the tight embraces soon loosened, and he was freed from the constrictions. They have all fallen into sleep's own embrace.
Zhao Yun sighed as he stared out the window. He would have to get Pian Qi's side of the story, then, if she was still alive, his mother's. He would have to confirm the reports himself, infiltrate the house of Pian Zi, and do what needs to be done. The poison being used for the assassination is tasteless, and doesn't have a scent to it. The small amount he had going into a drink would be enough to kill 5 healthy adult men. When the poison runs its course, the "lovely trail" would be the crimson life's liquid leaving the body. The scary thing is that the victim would still be moving while the blood is leaving, leaving a trail.
Zhao Yun looked back and smiled at the sleeping faces of the eight on his bed. He silently got up to blow out the candle on his nightstand and leave the room just as quietly.
He couldn't leave them without anyone here to watch them, so he would just have to wait for them to be picked up. But he would have to get ready for the job ahead. He can't be in two places at once, no matter how fast or inhuman his god's speed is. He hardly had to do assassinations, and would only have to if absolutely necessary. His distaste for Pian Zi even before he met the man left a bad taste in his mouth. Being a tyrant was one thing, but being what your son fears worse than death is another. Not even Dong Zhuo went that far.
"He'll have to be executed. I may not like the style of it, but if assassination is what needs to be done, then so be it." Zhao Yun put his hands on his hips in silent reflection. As he did so he felt something in his pocket. He took it out and saw it was the rock he picked up earlier. He put it in his pocket before picking up Pian Qi and getting him to the hospital. He forgot it then, but now its sudden appearance made him remember the children's jealousy over the young man. It just made Zhao Yun chuckle lowly.
"Why use poison when I could see how far I can throw with this little rock? The element can take back what it has sown when I aim for him." He turned the rock over and over in his hand.
In truth he was more of a wind elementalist, so those added factors Xu Shu mentioned earlier that day more or less pointed toward the fact that Zhao Yun could use the wind at any given time to strike. Zhao Yun could attack from quite a distance, whether or not he used a projectile or the wind itself. As an assassin under Gongsun Zan he would attack hit targets with the wind, so a visible wound never showed itself. Instead of the death being ruled out as murder, it was usually ruled as death by illness.
He flicked the rock in the air again and caught it. He would waste less time using the rock than planning out with the poison. And for all he knew, he was going to have to watch the kids tomorrow at the last second. Zhao Yun's eyes were drawn to the oak desk. There was a simple letter with a tiger insignia on the front. May be the children need a little vacation just as much as he's told to have one.