Unknown place, 220 A.D.

Darkness filled the view. Only thoughts could be heard.

Am I dead? I can't feel anything... But... I remember breathing smoke and running... Ughh... I can't move anything. Is this what death feels like...? I guess this is what Zhou Yu, Xun Yu, Cao Cao, and everyone that I have seen die have seen...

Some light finally breaks the darkness as eyelids open and finds themselves staring up at a wooden ceiling. They move to their left to see a small table with a bowl of water and a piece of cloth sitting in it along with rolls of bandages next to it. Another table next to it had clothes folded neatly on the top of it. On top of them was the broken Sword of Eden wrapped in cloth. Huang Shi Er's eyes widen and he sits up quickly. He frantically looks around and looks at his hands. His left hand was covered in crusty bloodied bandages.

"...I'm alive...? Nrragh!" He winces in pain and reaches behind his back to feel it wrapped in bandages. Lying back down, he stares up at the ceiling.

"Heh... I'm surprised Heaven let a man like me live. I am one lucky man indeed..." He moves his head look towards the one door in the room and it slides over to have Fang Yun walk in.

"Oh, you are awake. I will be sure to alert the others about this."

"Who was taking care of me?"

"The people who carried you all took turns caring for your recovery. I was one of them."

"So, it is your turn then?"

"Yes." She walks over to the bed and looks at the table. "I also took care of your things when you were resting. Your scrolls are safe and untouched." She takes a chair and seats herself next to the bed.

"How is... well... Everything?"

"It hurts."

"You ran with a sword stuck in your back and have a crushed hand. You made a good move to not pull out the sword or else you would have bled to death. Who dealt the blow?"

"Sima Yi..."

"You were almost killed by your 'boss' who in the end you deceived. Funny way to go, I must say."

"How classy... Make a joke about me almost dying..."

"You like this kind of humor, no? I am simply accommodating to your tastes."

"Hehehehe... I am glad you are actually considerate of me at this time. A shame I won't be getting this kind of treatment once I'm healthy again." The room stays silent for a while until Fang Yun suddenly says,"I actually thought you wouldn't make it out of there, to be honest."

"Then why did you go along with the plan?"

"Like you said, it eliminated evidence of your existence there. But I didn't expect you to come back. I was wrong mostly. You came back, but with your life hanging on by a thread."

"I thought I was going to die myself. As I ran, I felt my body scream with pain and it getting weaker. It was you and everyone that happened to be there it was possible for me to survive."

"We are all in this together. Remember that." She smiled warmly at him. "Now, let's change those bandages and clean up your wounds."

"Be gentle please." He said playfully.

"You enjoy this, do you?"

"I get to be cared for by a rather gorgeous lady. What is there not to enjoy?"

"Heh... You still maintain that character of yours despite your condition. I wonder what is making you stay like this." She was removing old bandages off of Huang Shi Er and wrapping new ones onto him as she spoke to him.

"When you are alive and well, that is more than enough to be positive about."

"So you keep thinking happy thoughts until someone stabs you in the back?"

"Let's be realistic. I will be thinking of how to survive at that time."

"Hahaha... I suppose so. There." She finishes wrapping new bandages onto Huang Shi Er and he lies back down. Fang Yun looks over to the table with the Sword of Eden and asks him,"What are we going to do with it?"

"Destroy it?"

"It seems wise to do that, but it is a unique piece of technology. We will have to wait for the Mentor's orders on what to do with it."

"But it's a very dangerous thing if it goes into the wrong hands."

"It's broken though."

"It still has some power. I used it and still managed to knock people with some force."

"Cao Cao had that... It explains on how he was able to become so powerful."

"Yes..." The door slides open abruptly to have a few Assassins run in panting. Fang Yun stands up to asks them,"What is wrong?"

"Huff... You won't believe this... Huff..." said one.

"The Mentor never told that many on a certain thing... It was that he had a large organization of us form a scholarly group and we used it to be within the Wei ranks and no one was none the wiser. That is how Huang Shi Er was able to get in the ranks so easily as a scholar. We used our brothers on the inside allow us to become fake members among Wei..."

"Well, that explains it knowing Huang Shi Er's intelligence..." said Fang Yun.

"Please, this is no time to be joking! It's that... It's that..."

"What?"

"Cao Cao had many sons and his heir was his eldest, Cao Pi. He manged to figure out who was a traitor and... and..."

"They were all executed with no questions asked." said another Assassin to finish that last sentence. Huang Shi Er sits up with shock in his eyes.

"How? If those men managed to stay incognito for a long time, how were they discovered now?"

"I don't know..."

"I have to leave!" Huang Shi Er throws off the sheets and tries to get out of the bed, but Fang Yun stops him.

"What are you doing? You are still in critical condition!"

"But that means everyone else is in danger if they managed to catch those men!" One of the Assassins say to him,"She is right. What can you do in your condition? You will open that wound in your back and one of your hands is useless until it heals. We can handle what ever comes our way."

"Nrrgh..." He sits on the bed looking downward onto the floor. Another Assassin said while looking at the wrapped Sword of Eden,"We have to take that back to headquarters. The Mentor will know what to do with it." One of them goes over to the table and takes the sword. Huang Shi Er looks up and gets up from his bed.

"I will escort that sword back there."

"But your wounds..."

"I will be fine! Just go with the sword and I will be catching up to you!" The Assassins looked at him with nervousness in their eyes and they nodded. They run out of the room and Huang Shi Er takes his robes to put them on. Fang Yun says to him,"You are a fool for going out like that."

"Heh, isn't that what you like about me the most?" He puts on the last of his armor and flips on his hood. He grabs the remaining items in on the table and puts it on his person.

"Let's go." He goes out the door with Fang Yun following after him.


Assassin Headquarters 220 A.D.

Walking down into the dark hallway, Huang Shi Er pushes on the gates with only his right hand to enter into the large palace-like headquarters. At the center of the main room, Qin Song stood at its center with the Assassins from before holding the Sword of Eden. Huang Shi Er walks up to them. Qin Song says to him,"You are supposed to be in bed, resting. Why are you here?"

"I can't be sitting by when all of you are in danger."

"Ah, so you have heard of the mass execution of our brothers ordered by Cao Cao's heir."

"How could he do that? Won't this scare the civilians?"

"This was never public. They were all executed within the palace's walls. No one knew about the deaths besides anyone in Wei. I am wondering, do you know what happened after Cao Cao died?"

"No..."

"Cao Pi, his heir, had the Emperor abdicate the throne to him."

"What?" His eyes were widen with shock. "Why?"

"His father is dead, and Cao Pi's brothers are not the type to share power either... Cao Pi must establish that he is the one to rule, so he had to obtain the highest power there is: The Emperor's throne."

"What happened to His Majesty?"

"He is unharmed. Cao Pi simply demoted him to the point where he has no power to oppose him."

"So, what is next?"

"This sword is to be destroyed."

"How?"

"That's what we are trying to figure out. In the meantime, this stays here under close guard. And I am wondering... Do you still keep that skull?"

"Well... Hmm... I think I took it with me..." The gates behind them open abruptly to have Wei Jin walk in holding a crystal skull. Its face was charred black.

"You forgot something, sire."

"Oh... Wait, why do you have that?"

"That army that chased you down found this in the remains of your house and were on their way to give it to their superior, but I simply took it back."

"Crap, I must have forgotten that..." Qin Song sternly says to Huang Shi Er,"You were about to let our enemies have a valuable item... Huff... Oh well, thank you, Wei Jin."

"It has been my pleasure." Wei Jin hands the crystal skull to Qin Song. Qin Song says to Huang Shi Er,"Please do not fret. We will be fine. This place is extremely hidden from the outside and it takes someone here to know where it is. You can go and get some rest. You need it."

"...But..."

"It will be fine. For my sake, please don't do anything reckless. Not until you healed up nicely anyway..."

"Yes, Mentor..."


A few weeks later, Xuchang, 220 A.D.

Huang Shi Er was in full Assassin robes as he walked through the streets to see it was less busy than usual. As he walked, he passes a wall that had an old wanted poster of him with the Chinese characters spelling out "White Devil" under it.

"Heh... Been a while since I was called that..." He rips the poster off the wall."I hated that name anyway." A guard walks by him and stops. He looks at Huang Shi Er and looks at the ripped poster on the ground. He yells,"Eh! You! You're the one in that poster! You're coming with me!" Huang Shi Er turns quickly to punch the guard in the face and runs away from there.

Making to a secluded area of the city, Huang Shi Er stops to catch his breath.

"Wow, they actually take notice for once..." said a voice from behind. Huang Shi Er turns quickly and sees Wei Jin.

"You have to stop doing that."

"It is your fault for letting down your guard. Anyway, why are you here? There isn't much to see."

"Why?"

"Cao Pi's first order as emperor was to move the capital back to Luoyang. Everything that relates to Wei is to be overseen there."

"So what is here?"

"Liu Xie."

"Who?"

"Oh, that's right. You only know him as 'His Majesty' or 'the Emperor'. Well, he is here. I doubt you can do much with him now. Let him live out the rest of his days as the man who let 400 years of Han rule end with him."

"That's rather harsh..."

"You want to visit him, do you not? Fine, but I doubt he is much use to us anymore."

"You know what? I will."

"Heh, good luck wasting your time."


Liu Xie's estate, 220 A.D.

Huang Shi Er climbs over the property's walls and walks to the nearest building to slide open the door.

"Hello? Your Highness?"

"Please do not call me that. I don't deserve to be called that nor be even remind I was someone of absolute power... Or in my case, powerlessness..." said a voice from within the dimly light room.

"You're rather calm for a possible house invasion."

"I don't care if I die. I am of no more use to the Cao family. Now I am expected to lounge about like some fat noble..." Huang Shi Er enters the rom and sees Liu Xie sitting in a table. He was no longer in his golden robes or had the hat he wore. The Emperor is now wearing simple clothing typical for a noble with hair tied into a small bun while some strands hanged down. On the table was a bottle and a cup.

"Drinking?"

"What else can I do...? My family is reduced to petty nobles."

"Isn't that sort of good?"

"Sitting around on my fat bottom waiting for death?" Liu Xie's face was red when some light managed to get into the room and hit his face through the window across from him.

"You are drunk."

"What? No... No... Sit down..."

"Okay..."

"You know what I regret? Cao Cao dying..."

"Huh, because when I first met you, you begged me to kill him."

"That was because I was naive to think there was a way to unite the land using kindness... To be honest... Cao Cao's death made things worse. With Cao Pi pushing me off the throne and reducing me to... this... Heh... Look at me... I sound like a spoiled brat that once he gets something, he hates it... I am old now, and I have finally opened my eyes... There are sacrifices you need to make as aruler and I failed to do such things. Cao Cao did the things I couldn't do. "

"Your-Liu Xie... What do you know about... Well... Everything that has to do with Assassins and Templars? Did you give me that blood vial for nothing?"

"You keep it. It's best when you do... Better than Cao Pi's hands. He is like his father in terms of their blood, but he could never surpass him in his life."

"Why is that?"

"Cao Cao was a genius. A shame I failed to see that when I was young... I was a fool. A poor, naive fool... When I was younger, I compared him to Dong Zhuo out of spite, but in reality, he was not like him at all."

"So I made the wrong choice to kill him?"

"He was already dying. You simply released him from that pain. And before I forget..." Liu Xie slowly gets up from his chair keeping his balance since he was lightly intoxicated. He walks out of the room and comes back from the doorway holding a small box. He sets it on the table and he himself takes his seat.

"What is that?" Liu Xie opens the box in front of him. Huang Shi Er looks in to see a double-headed dragon sitting on top of a square pedestal made entirely of jade.

"Why do you have it? Doesn't it go to...?"

"A replica was made many years ago and I gave that to Cao Pi the day of my abdication. The one he holds will give him no authority over any man, but since no one knows, he might as well have the real one."

"Why didn't you have it before?"

"Cao Cao took it from me and kept it away from me until his death. That was when I switched the replica with it."

"Now what?"

"I trust you to keep it. If Imperial courts find out that one Cao Pi holds is fake, they will come to suspect me. I need someone to take away the seal just until a new proper ruler is placed."

"The Caos are not?"

"Not Cao Pi." Liu Xie closes the lid. "I am not saying he will be a horrible ruler, but he is not exactly an excellent one either. Take the seal and good luck to you. I am afraid this might be the last time we cross paths."

"Now, don't be negative. As long I can be discreet, we can have all the talks as life lets you." Liu Xie sits back down at his seat as Huang Shi Er takes the Seal's box.

"If my life doesn't get cut short, maybe. Zaijian, (Goodbye) Assassin."

"It's Huang Shi Er, by the way."


Chengdu, Zhuge Liang's estate, 220 A.D.

Huang Shi Er is sitting in a table tapping his fingers on the table. He then flips off his hood to swipe back his hair.

"Huff... Zhuge Liang loves to make people wait..." Footsteps are heard and Zhuge Liang comes in the room through the doorway. He takes the chair across from Huang Shi Er.

"Sorry. I had certain matters to deal with. I hope you didn't have to wait very long."

"What are they?"

"Liu Bei is still quite devastated over Guan Yu's death."

"He died?"

"Why yes. He was executed last year."

"Why is Liu Bei still sad over him still then?"

"He considered Guan Yu to be like a brother to him despite of different blood. Zhang Fei as well. You already know him, he is a beast when away from wine and is a even more worse beast when he does have it."

"Wow... If I had siblings like that, I would have disowned them or stop speaking to them."

"Liu Bei attracts an unusual crowd."

"Like you." Zhuge Liang scoffs at that comment and responds,"I was never attracted to him like his sheep do. He was attracted to me. I just simply saw his resources and manpower he had."

"You sound like those women that only marry men that are old and rich now."

"If you would making such absurd comments about me, maybe I could talk about our current business."

"Alright, alright. Gee, not one for fun, aren't you? So, what do you want now? I have waited so many years and all you gave me was a nice new weapon and endless amounts of money. I want information."

"You are still hung up on that... You are more persistent than I thought."

"You know, I can just alert your presence to my order and they will hunt you down and get the information out of you themselves."

"Oh, you wouldn't dare. I never told you back then, but... I know exactly where your little order is stationed at. If you betray me, I can just leak these directions out and everyone you know will be in danger."

"What?! Since when did you-"

"It's rather unusual. Back when I was just a farmer, I came across this abandoned city. I saw hooded men come in and out of it and that was when I piece the clues together. Ah, the Sage was near you people and yet they failed to notice that. But I guess it is all in good fortune for me..."

"You're lying. You are just saying things."

"Oh? Tell me, is your headquarters in Jing Province?"

"You tel me."

"Very well. I will describe every livid detail I remember of that place. Crumbing walls, vines that take over any wall that have not yet eroded, and the fact it is considered 'haunted' by the locals."

"Heh, that could be any old city. There are a lot of abandoned cities in the country."

"I am also quite aware of you having ties within the Wu Kingdom. Why else wouldn't they bother investigating there? If it were anywhere else, you would be found out immediately and be purged or chased out of the commandery."

"Gr!"

"I am right, no?"

"Damn..."

"Now we got that out of the way, I would like to get to our business. We've wasted enough time already. Now, I suppose you already know about Cao Pi forcing abdication from Liu Xie and that he has officially established Wei."

"Yes."

"Well, do you know what he had declared?"

"Um, no..."

"He declared the states of Shu and Wu being illegitimate successors to the Han and that Wei is the true one to succeed the Han."

"What do you think?"

"He is right about the first part, but not the next part."

"Why is that?"

"I have been getting some visions lately and all I can piece together is that Wei isn't the successor to the Han. No, they are the foundation to the true successor..."

"That's it?"

"These visions are beyond to comprehend, even for me..."

"Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"Cao Pi holds the Imperial Seal. That seal is something that he should not have. Take it away from him."

"I don't know... The security will be pretty strong because of what happened with his father..."

"Just simply steal it."

"Um... Even if the Seal is gone, Cao Pi is still the Emperor."

"But the Seal gives complete authority to the Emperor. No one can defy the Emperor thanks to it and its ability to control man."

"It just controls man?"

"That's all I have heard of it. Whether or not it has any other properties is not known to me."

"Can that wait?"

"Why?"

"Nothing. Look, I am still recovering from my injuries and I don't want to push myself."

"Very well. I will assign you something else. Kill Zhang Fei for me."

"What? Why?"

"Why? He is a drunken beast of a man. Name a crime and he at least once had done it, yet Liu Bei pardons him because of his 'bond' with him. It is sickening and I want to get rid of him by other means."

"Well, if he isn't much to me... What's the point of soiling my blade?"

"He committed many counts of murder. Do you want scum like that to roam this earth?"

"If you ask me, I cannot say much since I murder for a lifestyle."

"But you kill the ones who deserve death. Not innocents."

"I suppose so..."

"Hmm... I remember he had killed a merchant he usually got his alcohol from many years ago."

"So?"

"I was acquainted with him for a time and I found out he was connected to the Assassins. I never told anyone nor told him on me being a Sage. What was his name...? Pan Ying, perhaps?"

"Wait, did you say Pan Ying?"

"...You know him? He was a merchant that followed Liu Bei and his followers and offered plenty of merchandise with low prices. The civilians loved that, of course. And this attracted Zhang Fei since he sold wine on the cheap. Unfortunately, he ran out one day and Zhang Fei was not happy to the point he followed him to a secluded place and killed him."

"How do you know all of this...?"

"I have heard Zhang Fei confess all that to Liu Bei. And do you know what he simply did? Liu Bei just forgave him and let him be on his way to a nearby tavern where he gave a man near-death injuries."

"He sounds really horrible."

"Horrible doesn't begin to describe him. He kidnapped a girl from Wei and raped her. He had the nerve to force her to marry him. Zhang Fei abuses his men also. They complain, but Liu Bei would hear it. The fact I have to work with him is infuriating. A person of my kind should not be exposed to such filth! Forgive me for that outburst..."

"You are really hateful towards him..."

"He never liked me at the beginning, nor did I. It was bound to happen that I have had enough of his impure self."

"Now I'm starting to hate him and I barely know what he looks like."

"He is a slightly rotund man with a scraggly beard. Always holding a bottle drunk out of his mind. You have to be blind to miss him."

"But you said he is like a brother to Liu Bei. How do I kill him without him going towards me?"

"Hmm... Ah, I will pose you as a new recruit and get you within Zhang Fei's ranks. Listen to the unhappy soldiers and bring up an assassination plan. Knowing Zhang Fei's abuse towards them, they will not think twice. Then, flee with them to Wu. Of course, you take a detour after you have done your share. Bring all of Liu Bei's hate to Wu."

"Won't it be better if it were Wei I brought the hate to?"

"Wei will destroy him, but too much. The commanders and strategists will tear him apart. Wu, on the other him, will give him a beating, but not enough to fully destroy him. You see what I am going for, right?"

"Yes."

"So we're agreed. Please change out of your robes into something more common and we shall set out. Oh, and if you'd like, visit my wife for more upgrades if you feel like if your artillery now seems a bit insufficient for you."

"This is the first time I met a man that is quite comfortable with letting another man near his wife."

"As much as I love her myself, men here do not like an intelligent woman. They want a dumb beautiful broad that will get on their knees the minute they come home. I know they will not bat an eye to her."

"I do admit she is quite pretty, but I am not the kind of person to sleep with another man's wife."

"I appreciate you being a gentleman about this. But time is of the essence."

"Alright, I'll get to it."

"I will get you some simple clothing for you and in the meantime, you can get those upgrades. You can find Yueying in the building across from this one."


Huang Shi Er slides the door open and walks in to have himself in a room with simple decor.

"Um... Hello?" He hears clanging and things being dropped. "If you're busy, I can come back later..." A voice is heard coming through the room on the left side,"No, no! I'm just moving things around! Come in!"

"Okay..." Huang Shi Er closes the door behind him and walks into the building. As he walked towards the left doorway, Huang Yueying just happened to be standing in that doorway.

"Oh, excuse me. I heard from my husband that you need something from me." The room was evenly lit by the sun coming through the windows. The light drew full attention to the woman's red hair.

"I never seen a woman with natural red hair before... Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to stare."

"It is fine. I get that kind of comment rather a lot around here."

"Where are you from originally?"

"I have lived in this country all of my life. I am guessing my red hair was simply chance. Anyway, you needed something?"

"Yes, um... Well, can I see what you have?"

"I can't process your request if you're not being very specific."

"Well, you see..." Huang shi Er unrolls his sleeves a little to show the two hidden blades he had equipped. They both showed signs of extreme wear and use.

"It looks like one of them is broken and was repaired by a simple blacksmith."

"How did you...?"

"The scratches and small dents on it show a hammer had been used on it. I suppose you didn't ask for a very good job for it."

"Anyway... Can I have a new and improved one? If it isn't any trouble for you..."

"I can study those two old blades and later give you ones with their designs modified for you."

"Is it going to take a while?" Huang Yueying cheerfully responds to him,"Of course, silly! I can't do my work that fast. Oh, don't worry. You can come back within a few days to see its progress. In the meantime, I guess you can use this old hidden blade I worked with years ago. It still works, but a bit dull." She goes back into the room and comes back holding a visibly worn out hidden blade.

"I am sorry to reduce yourself to this dull blade. Unfortunately, I don't have any weapons to let you use..."

"It's fine. I carry a sword just in case if those break and a spear on my arm."

"What? A spear is to large to be kept inside your person."

"This one can." Huang Shi Er unrolls his sleeve again to take out a what seemed like to be a tiny knife, but when he pulled on the handle's bottom, it extends into a spear.

"Wow! Where did you get this?"

"The hidden blades are not what make up all of our weapons. There a few crafty individuals within the order that succeed and expanding the artillery. I didn't create this, but another did."

"That is rather convenient. I would like to look at that, but I'd hate to strip you of your weapons." The entrance door slides to have Zhuge Liang walk holding what seemed like worn-out clothing. He walks into that room and hands Huang Shi Er the clothes.

"Here are the clothes."

"...Uhh... Where did you get them...?"

"The servants' quarters here."

"Uhh... Well... I uh... They look a bit..."

"Hm... I think I'll change the plan. You will be posing as a servant."

"I look at bit out of place to be servant..."

"Aah, it should be fine. People here are not that observant."

"Well, I guess I'll have to go change." Huang Shi Er turns to face Huang Yueying. "Is it alright with you that I use your chambers?"

"Huh?" Zhuge Liang furrows one of his eyebrows and says,"That is rather a bit lewd, don't you agree, my dear?"

"Well, if he is only just changing into those, I suppose it is alright..."

"But do you not feel uncomfortable? You do not need him tainting your private chambers." Huang Shi Er makes a displeased expression when he said that. He reposes his face and says,"Excuse me. Um... How about I just change outside behind the building?"

"That would be best."


After Huang Shi Er changes into the servant clothing, he places his robes in a box to set it into a patch of dirt and covers it. He goes back into the main building. He approaches Zhuge Liang and asks,"Now what am I supposed to do?"

"Right. I will give you the addresses of Zhang Fei's known places to be. His home, the camps, and taverns. You would only need the ones for his camps because that's where you can interact with soldiers more."

"Would soldiers even talk to a servant?"

"Make them have a reason to talk to a servant then. After all, they dislike Zhang Fei and once you let them know you are on their side, you can commence the plan."

"Hm." Huang Shi Er turns to leave the house.