Just to make it clear, I am going to include the style names of the people in this chapter. I know I use them interchangeably and it may be a little confusing to some.

Cao Cao - Mèngdé
Xiahou Yuan - Miàocái
Xiahou Dun - Yuánràng
Guo Jia - Fèngxiào
Lu Bu - Fèngxiàn
Cao De (Cao Cao's brother) - Jugao

Dun, Yuan and Jia entered the main hall of Cao's home. They looked around at the destruction wrought with a mixture of awe and concern for their lord. None of the men knew what to expect when Lady Bian and Lady Liu searched them out and beseeched them to hurry to Cao's side, but surely it wasn't this. The room was a complete mess. The men stepped over fragments of broken vases and overturned statues to where Cao sat slumped in his seat. He didn't look up to acknowledge their presence. His head hung low almost as if he had fallen asleep in his chair but he was wide awake. At his feet was a torn scroll which Yuan picked up one half of to read. His eyes widened at the words written within. He quickly picked up the other half and tried to fit them together.

"What does it say, Miàocái?" Jia asked as he tried to peer over the man's shoulder unsuccessfully.

"It says that the heavens are trying to test me," Cao answered before Yuan could voice his reply. He lifted his head, finally acknowledging the other men in the room.

"It must be a test for why else would I be made to endure such hardships? If I am to break here, I am not worthy of quelling the chaos in this land," Cao continued. At this point, none of the men were certain whether Cao was speaking to them or to himself. Jia decided that clarification was needed and spoke up.

"My lord, what could possibly break a great man like you?" Cao regarded Jia in silence as if he was mulling over the question asked in his mind.

"A great man I may be, but I am still a man. I bleed like any other...I mourn loss like any other," Cao muttered. After this, he became silent for a few moments. He looked to the two halves of the torn scroll that remained in Yuan's hands.

"Show them, Miàocái."

Yuan gave a small nod before handing one piece to both men and moving out of the way so they could stand next to each other. They put the scroll fragments together and read. Dun frowned and muttered an expletive before he passed his half of the scroll to Jia who rolled them together carefully.

"That is all I have left of them. That scroll stating their deaths. Everything they owned was taken from them and their bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. I cannot even give them a proper funeral. I cannot help their assent to the heavens."

"What do you want to do, Mèngdé?" Dun asked in a tense tone, struggling to keep control of the anger and sadness that were stirring up within him at the sudden revelation of the death of his cousin and uncle.

"My father and brother were unjustly taken from this world. I intend to find out who murdered my them and hunt them down like the dogs they are."

"My lord, if I may?" Jia asked. Though he and Cao were close, he knew his place. He was not as close to him as Yuan and Dun were. He couldn't get away with calling him so casually by his style name.

"Speak, Fèngxiào," Cao commanded.

"You already know who did it," Jia replied as he held up the rolled halves of the scroll.

"I don't get it?" Yuan interjected. "Tao Qian said he didn't know who the bandits that murdered uncle Song and cousin De were."

"Yes, you are correct in that, Miàocái. If you were just to read the words and take them as face value then we do not know who committed this heinous act. However, if we look a little deeper at what was written, we can see that Tao Qian tells us quite clearly who the culprit is."

Cao tapped his chin as he considered Jia's words. He had been so wracked with grief, he had taken the words at face value. He thought over the contents of the letter to see what Jia had seen at first glance. His head snapped up after a few moments of silence and he looked at Jia, with eyes widened in surprise.

"From your look, I would assume you have come to same conclusion that I have, My Lord."

Cao's hands balled into a fist. How could he have missed it before? It was so glaringly obvious. That bastard was going to pay.

"If we confront him, he will never admit it," Cao said. Jia nodded in confirmation.

"I'm certain we can find a way to force him into telling us the truth."

Yuan looked between Cao and Jia. Who were they talking about? He knew he was missing something but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what. Yuan looked at Dun to see he was wearing his normal stoic expression. It was impossible to tell if he knew what they were talking about or if he was just as much in the dark as he was. He nudged Dun with his elbow.

"Who are they going on about?" Dun looked at Yuan and shook his head.

"It's kind of obvious isn't it?"

"It obviously isn't obvious if I am asking you who it is, obviously!" Yuan hissed back. Dun smirked. It was kind of fun messing with Yuan. They always had a more familial bond then he did with Ling. He truly did view Yuan as his younger brother, which is why he would mostly taking his ribbing good naturedly and would indulge in his own from time to time.

"Not my fault you are too stupid to figure it out," Dun whispered back to him.

"I'll figure it out! You'll see!" He muttered. In a louder tone, Yuan interrupted Cao and Jia's scheming. "Fèngxiào, can I see that scroll again?" Jia gave him a quizzical look but handed it over. Yuan quickly unrolled the two halves and read them over and over. All three men watched him as he did this in silence.

"What is he doing exactly?" Jia asked.

"He's trying to see how we figured out that it was Tao Qian who was responsible for uncle Song and Jugao's death," Dun replied. "He's a bit slow at times, you'll have to forgive him."

Yuan shot him an angry glare. He was upset that Dun had told on him and that apparently Dun really did know who was behind it. Just as quickly as his anger had arrived, he let it go. Dun was most likely getting back at him for messing with him Zhuyue first arrived. He'll remember this and he would get him back. Yuan stood and rolled the scrolls back up before handing it back to Jia.

"Revenge will be mine brother," Yuan whispered to Dun who merely shrugged nonchalantly but maintained a grin on his face.

"I will explain it to you, Miàocái," Jia began. "In the scroll, Tao Qian goes to great lengths to point out that he extended every curtsey to lord Cao's family when they arrived in his lands. He also stresses that he has no idea who murdered them."

"Yeah, I read that. Why do you say he did it then?" Yuan asked.

"Mèngdé did not notify Tao Qian of uncle's arrival. If he found out, it was because someone tipped him off or because he pays close attention to who enters and leaves his lands. He took it upon himself to offer hospitality to uncle Song. If he wouldn't have done so, they would have passed through the town. Qian's actions made them stop and stay in town. He knew exactly where Uncle Song would have been staying, yet provided no security to ensure that his guests were safe. Then after they were butchered in their sleep and had everything stolen, he claimed he couldn't find anyone making off with all that loot? It doesn't add up. The more likely scenario is that he got Uncle Song to stop so he would be an easier target. He set Uncle Song up."

Jia stared at Dun in surprise. He was amazed that he was able to figure it out so quickly. Dun always struck him as the type of person that acted before they thought and had no care or respect for thinking a situation through. He was pleasantly surprised to see that he was wrong. Cao noticed the look of surprise on his face and smirked, knowing exactly what Jia was thinking. It was the same thing a lot of people thought of when they were given a brief glimpse of Dun's intelligence. Dun seemed to go out of his way to only show one side of himself to others. Perhaps it was so they would underestimate him. When people finally got to see that he wasn't so one dimensional, the look was always the same and it was the exact same look Jia was sporting now.

"It would be wise not to underestimate my cousin, he is more clever than you think. He will surprise you," Cao said to Jia who nodded in agreement.

"I see that," he murmured, the surprise still evident in his voice.

"Enough of that," Dun growled, feeling annoyed that they were talking about him as if he wasn't there and a bit embarrassed that Cao was speaking so highly of him. "What do you plan to do, Mèngdé?" He asked for a second time.

"Tao Qian will definitely pay for his transgressions. My father and brother will be avenged. However, I do not think he planned this on his own. He is a spineless man that prefers to avoid trouble," Cao replied.

"So you think someone put him up to it?" Yuan asked. Cao nodded.

"I know that he is allies with Yuan Shao and I know that Yuan Shao's influence is far reaching. He could have easily coerced Qian into murdering my father and brother to strike a blow at me."

"So the plan is to get Qian to admit that he was acting on Shao's behalf. If he does so, we have a reason to go to war with Yuan Shao. Due to the nature of the situation, it would be hard for Shao to get allies to assist him in said war making the battle that much easier for us," Jia said.

"And what happens if Qian suddenly grows a pair of balls and refuses to admit that Shao put him up to it?" Dun asked.

"Then we assault his lands until he is forced to call Yuan Shao for back up. We take out a good portion of Yuan Shao's forces which will leave him weaker overall when we turn our focus on him," Cao replied.

Jia added, "We will also be able to spin Yuan Shao coming to assist Qian as proof that he orchestrated the event. It will be a bit harder to prove but it will be doable."

"And what if Shao never comes to help?" Yuan asked.

"Then Qian will have to pay the toll for his deceit in blood alone. His lands will become ours and then we turn our attention to Yuan Shao. It will be a harder battle but one that we will win," Cao replied.

"Well. It looks like we have a fight on our hands then. Don't think you are leaving me behind this time, Mèngdé," Yuan said with a grin.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I need you now more than ever," Cao said. He shifted his gaze to Dun. "Would it be safe to assume that you will be by my side in this as well?" Dun shook his head and let out a small laugh before turning around and heading towards the exit.

"Like you even need to ask," he said over his shoulder. "I'm going to get packed. Let me know when you are ready to move."

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Lu Bu surveyed the battlefield, the crumpled body of Zhang Yan lay at his feet. He barely broke a sweat during this last engagement. They had been working under Yuan Shao for months now. Being under the fool's thumb made him furious but they had nowhere else to go. Every time the buffoon spoke, he wanted to run his halberd through his gut.

Yuan Shao of course was excited to use Lu Bu whenever he could, even in battles that were ridiculously easy and did not require a warrior of his stature. Lu Bu knew that it was Shao's way of flexing, showing that he had the mighty Lu Bu under his thumb. The current battle he sent them on was in Changshan. Yuan Shao sicced him on the Heishan bandits that were encroaching on his territory. They were led by the now dearly departed fool once known as Zhang Yan. The battle didn't last more than an hour and Lu Bu was fucking bored.

Things between the two men were getting tense and Bu knew that his time with Yuan was coming to an end soon. He noted when he fought alongside Yuan Shao's men, they whispered behind his back when they thought he wasn't looking. They gave him and his people a wide berth and the looks in their eyes clearly told them that they did not trust them. Lu Bu ordered his men to pillage the civilians home in the area so they would have supplies when they would be forced to leave. Unfortunately, Bu had no idea where they would go next.

The issue of his daughter also still plagued him. He worried about what Guo Si and Li Jue might be doing to her while she was trapped in Chang'an. He regretted leaving her. He bemoaned the decision to not search for her on his own. There was nothing that could be done about it for now. He did not have any forces or supplies to launch an assault on Chang'an. They didn't even have a stable home for themselves. Before he could mount a rescue for Lingqi, they had to get a base of operations. The rest would follow.

Lu Bu heard someone approaching him. The person was making enough noise to ensure that he wasn't startled. He looked over his shoulder to see that it was Zhang Liao. Bu was actually surprised he stayed with him this long. He truly did not have any reason to. The answers he promised him have not forthcoming thus far and Bu wouldn't have blamed him for leaving. Yet he stayed and Bu was grateful that he had at least one competent warrior that stood by his side.

"Yuan Shao is looking for you. He wants to congratulate you personally in front of the troops for a battle well fought," Liao said.

Bu scoffed. "A battle well fought. This battle bores me, no matter how many times I might fight it."

Liao knew the feeling. This battle felt meaningless to him and he knew that Shao was using them to show off. "In that case, perhaps it's time that we leave. It is clear that we aren't wanted here and it is only a matter of time before Shao decides we are more trouble than we are worth."

"And go where?" Bu asked, his voice was harder than he intended but Liao had brought up a topic that he had thought about endlessly and had no answer to. To hear it brought to him again just served to piss him off.

"We received a message. It was from someone named Chen Gong. It says he has a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. A chance to take control of your destiny and...well actually the message is ridiculously long. He's very...wordy. Point is, it sounds like he understands your plight and wants to serve you. He is offering you an opportunity that is supposedly fortuitous to you and he wants to meet with us. He's waiting for us near Puyang in Yan Province. If we are going to go though, it apparently has to be now because there is a small window of opportunity for this offer. "

Lu Bu considered this. It was true that they were in a shit situation with Yuan Shao that was volatile but they still at least currently had some place to stay. Would it be wise to just pack up everything and leave to an unknown possibility from some man they didn't even know? At this point, a very agitated Yuan Shao makes an appearance with his entourage in tow. He grew tired of waiting for Lu Bu to arrive and decided to find him. Shao took a moment to compose himself before speaking. He flipped his fringe which had fallen over his eye and walked over to Lu Bu and Zhang Liao with the grace and poise of a noble.

"Lu Bu, I sent for you but it seems that instruction was a bit too complex to be followed," Shao said as he sent an annoyed glance Liao's way. Liao didn't react to it, not caring enough to give the pompous noble a response. Shao's gaze lingered on Liao for a few moments but noticed the he wasn't paying him any mind. This annoyed him but Liao was an insignificant person and not worth his attention.

Shao returned his focus to Bu. "Lu Bu, I wanted to formally congratulate you on such a immaculate victory. Your might is without equal in this land. There has been some...concern amongst the men about having you with us, but if you keep performing like this, they will come to see you as one of their own."

Shao's voice grated Bu's nerves. Everything about this man annoyed him. That unnecessary speech just helped him make up his mind. Lu Bu lowered his halberd which he had hefted on his shoulder and walked past Yuan Shao. Liao followed behind him. He did not look back to Yuan Shao as he spoke.

"I'm through with you. I'll fight my own battles from now on."

Shao's eyes went wide. He couldn't believe this. Lu Bu was leaving him?! How dare he!

"H-how dare you! I gave you shelter when no other would and you turn your back on me? You get back here this instant!" Bu stopped walking, he turned around a leveled Shao with a glance that made his blood run cold. He balked and took a few steps back, making sure to put his entourage between himself and Lu Bu. Bu smirked and continued to walk away leaving a very flustered Shao behind.

"You rally the men," Bu said to Liao once he was out of view of Shao and his people. "I will go get Diaochan. Make it quick."

Liao nodded and ran off to do what was requested of him.

Lu Bu found Diaochan back at the main camp in the tent Shao had given to him for this expedition. As soon as he entered, she was on him, placing gentle kisses on his face and running her hands along the breastplate of his armor. She had been incredibly affectionate to him as of late and it has made his disposition towards her and her father a bit better. What Bu did not know was that her heightened affection was at the behest of her adopted father. He figured that Bu would be distracted in his anger at them if she was more free with her affections and his gamble paid off. Diaochan did not mind the command he gave her however, as she truly did care for Lu Bu and mostly enjoyed being touched by him, even though at times he was a little rough.

"I missed you, my love. I am so glad you are back, though this battle seems to have been much faster than the last," Diaochan said as she moved to help him out of his armor as she has done so many countless times before. Bu grabbed her hand lightly to stop her administrations.

"We're leaving," he said before letting her hand drop. She gave him a quizzical look but did not question him any further, instead choosing to start packing up the tent. Diaochan still felt guilt over what she and her father had done to Lingqi and her mother. Even though Bu hadn't given her any reason to suspect he doubted her, she felt that he did. Because of this, she did not want to give him any reason to be angry with her. She followed any order he gave her with enthusiasm, hoping that he would never learn of what they did.

Bu stepped out of the tent and took a look around the camp. Shao's men apparently heard about how Bu snubbed him and they were giving him disgusted looks. Bu smirked, he knew that none of these cowards would step to him to avenge the bruised ego of their lord. They could only look. Still, it would be best to get out of here as soon as possible before they all decided to gang up on them. Bu would be damned if he had to fight his way out of another place again.

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Li Dian spurred his horse faster. They were about to embark and he needed to get to Xiahou Dun as quickly as possible. He came upon Dun's home and hopped off his horse. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he broke off into a run. He banged furiously on the door to his home. A servant answered and Dian pushed his way past, not wanting to waste time explaining why he was there. The servant chased after him. Dian spun around and grabbed the servant by the shoulders, shaking him.

"Where is master Dun?!" He exclaimed. The servant yelped, startled by the sudden action and tried to pull away. He would not tell this madman where his master was. He needed to get away from him and warn them as soon as possible. Dian was confused by the servant's fear. He was so worked up, he failed to notice that his frantic behavior was startling to everyone but him. The servant steadily tried to pull away from Dian who held fast, now shaking the servant as he asked where Dun was. Dian felt someone poke his side and looked down to see Xiaolian. Momentarily distracted, he let the servant go who fled as fast as his feet could carry him away from the mad man that held him.

"Oh, it's you, Xiaolian. Do you know where Dun is?" She nodded and walked away from him. Dian took this as in invitation to follow her so he did.

Xiaolian led him to the inner courtyard where Dun was gathered with his parents, Yuan and his family as well as Zhuyue. They had informed their family that they were about to leave and they gathered together to say their goodbyes. Dian also saw the panicked servant there animatedly telling his master about a madman that had broken into the home. He rubbed the back of his head and gave the group a sheepish grin as they stared at him in confusion. Remembering his manners, Dian bowed to everyone quickly before hurrying to stand in front of Dun. He cast a quick glance to Zhuyue before asking Dun to speak with him privately. Dun noticed the glance and looked back and forth between the two of them. He didn't understand what that look was about but something within him didn't like it. He couldn't exactly place the emotion, but at the moment he felt like snapping Dian's neck. He shrugged the thought off and led Dian away from everyone else so they could speak.

"Mind telling me why you came barging into my home like an idiot?" Dun asked.

"Yes, sorry but it was important. I had to get to you before we set off," Dian replied.

"Are you seriously going to make me pry the answers out of you? I am already in a bad mood so do me a favor and just spit everything out without me having to prompt you."

"Yes. Of course, yes," Dian replied quickly. "Um okay, this is going to sound stupid but I think you should leave Zhuyue here. I have a feeling that she needs to be here. I can't explain it but I just know that she really shouldn't come with us. If she does, something bad will happen."

"Something bad would happen to her?"

"Yes? No? I'm not sure exactly," Dian replied. Dun leveled him with a disbelieving gaze. Dian held up his hands defensively. "I know, it sounds stupid but believe me, she really needs to stay here. Please. I know you have no reason to trust me but um...trust me?"

Dun stared at him for a long time in silence. Dian shifted nervously under Dun's scrutinizing glare. Finally Dun walked away from him and went back to the courtyard with his family. Dian frowned, feeling as if he did not sufficiently plead his case. Defeated, he followed behind Dun.

"Zhuyue...," Dun called. Zhuyue looked up to Dun at the sound of her name. "You're staying here."

"What?" Was reply from Zhuyue. The disbelief was evident in her tone.

"You heard me."

"Yes I heard you," She hissed. "I just don't understand you. I worked my ass off. I got better! You know that! You even told me that I had."

"Yes...you have," Dun agreed.

"Then why are you leaving me? I should be fighting at your side!"

"Because, I said so," was Dun's simple reply. Zhuyue stared Dun down, her anger boiling within her. This moment was a testament to how far she had come. The old her would have already reached for one of her hidden daggers and attempted to gut him. Instead, she considered that his family was all around her and it wouldn't make the best impression to his parents if she attempted to disembowel him in front of them. So instead she took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down. Her eyes shifted to Dian who was standing behind Dun looking incredibly guilty.

"You did this!" Zhuyue hissed at Dian. Her previous attempts at reposing abandoned as her anger flared up again.

"I did this. Now quit acting like a child. This just shows how much farther you have to go if you are getting this upset over not getting to fight. You are just proving that my decision is the right one," Dian said, answering before Dian even had a chance to open his mouth.

He could see that Zhuyue was seething. He was actually impressed that she hadn't attacked him yet. He understood her anger. She truly had come far and he knew that she was eager to put all that she had worked so hard for to use in battle. He was denying her the opportunity to test herself, to see just how much she had truly improved. He would have been pissed off too if the situation was reversed. Even so, he would prefer her to stay. As odd as they may be, Dian's predictions haven't been wrong yet. If he thought that Zhuyue should stay, he would rather be safe than not. Of course he could have told her that. It probably would have taken the sting out of being forced to stay. Unfortunately, being the emotionally stunted man that he was, he took the easy road and flexed his authority over her and antagonized her unnecessarily. He knew this would piss her off and he knew that she would make him pay for it later.

Zhuyue gave a quick bow to Dun's mother and father and turned on her heels, walking quickly back into the home. He could see that her hands were balled into fist and they were shaking. It was easy to see that it took everything she had to not attempt to strike him.

"Woah...you are not getting any for a long time brother," Yuan said with a grin. Dun shot him an angry glare before shifting his gaze to Dian.

"You better be right about this," he growled. Dian let out a nervous laugh and prayed to the heavens that he was.

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Cao's horse slowed to a trot before coming to a full stop. It would be night soon and it would be best if they made camp. They had been riding hard for the past few days but their perseverance paid off as they were almost upon Xu Province. Even though it was likely Tao Qian had gotten wind of their arrival, it was very unlikely that he had much time to prepare for it.

His sons Cao Zhang and Cao Chong came to a stop beside him. Cao decided to bring them to give them experience in battle. After all, they were the two front runners for succeeding him. He noted that Cao Pi was unhappy about being left behind when he notified all of them about his decision, but he did not make any complaints about it. Dun and Yuan reached Cao and hopped off their horses. They barked orders to the men to get the camp ready so they could rest for the night. Cao slid off his horse and stood beside Dun and Yuan as they watched the men work.

"When we arrive at Xu Province, I will meet with Tao Qian to give him a chance to tell me the truth about what happened to my father and my brother."

Both men turned to look at him.

"And if he does?" Yuan asked.

"Then I will execute him and anyone else who was involved in it."

"Is it bad that I'm kinda hoping he doesn't? I haven't had a good fight in ages," Yuan said as he stretched the muscles in his legs which had grown tight during the long ride.

"You will most likely get your wish, Miàocái."

All men turned to see Jia walking towards him, flanked by Li Dian and Cao Ren.

"Report," Cao commanded.

"We delivered the message as you requested," Cao Ren said. "He agreed to the meeting."

"But he is terrified. It is easy to see that he plans on pleading his innocence," Jia added.

"Understood. Double the guard for tonight in case Tao Qian decides to make a preemptive strike," said Cao. The three men bow and go off to carry out his will.

Cao turned his attention back to his cousins.

"Zhuyue is not with us," said Cao. It was a statement rather than a question.

"No she is not."

"And she is pissed about it," Yuan added. Dun gave him a swift hard punch to the shoulder. Yuan laughed while rubbing the bruised spot.

"Your wedding night won't be much fun if the bride is upset with you," Cao said in an amused tone. Dun, already pissed off with this entire situation decided to walk off instead of entertaining his two cousins as they poked fun at him. If he stayed any longer, he would not be held accountable for his actions.

Yuan called out to Dun as he walked away, "Don't use your right hand too much tonight, Brother Dun. You'll need it for the battle tomorrow."

Dun responded with an obscene gesture over the shoulder as Yuan laughed loudly.

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To say that Tao Qian was panicked would be an understatement. Cao had wanted to meet with him. He had no doubt in his mind that despite how much he proclaimed his innocence, Cao Cao would not believe him. That man wanted blood. Why else would he have come here? The note he sent should have been the end of it. Why did he insist on coming here? He began pacing as he fretted over what his next action should be. Damn it all. This was all going so badly. How had he figured out the truth so easily? He made sure the letter was written meretriciously. He even sought the council of his advisors and they all assured him that it sounded sincere. Qian gave a bitter laugh. It was sincere alright. Sincerely bullshit. Cao saw through the letter and suspected him of foul play.

Perhaps he was over reacting. Perhaps Cao just wanted to meet him to thank him personally. Or maybe he wanted to search for his father's killers on his own and wished to seek permission to enter his lands. It was wishful thinking and he knew it... The army that Cao was traveling with showed that it wasn't as simple as that. As soon as Qian had heard of Cao's approach he had rallied his troops. Unfortunately, when he did learn of Cao's approach, he was already two days away from Xu Province and now, his army was camped on the outskirts of his lands! Qian had no idea how Cao was able to travel with such a large force undetected for so long. He ordered his men to get the traps they had ready in case Cao attacked. It would slow his forces down, but he knew it wouldn't stop them. He needed reinforcements. He hoped that the letter he sent out to Yuan Shao would reach him soon and that he would respond with reinforcements quickly. If he did not, Xu Province would surely fall into the hands of Cao Cao. The only solace he had was that he sent his family away earlier that night to spare them whatever fate was about to befall him.

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Cao and Qian met the day after around midday. Upon the instructions of his advisors, Qian had set the meeting to take place just within Xu Province. They advised him that it would be unwise to allow Cao to enter the heart of the Province at this time. He had his people set up a tent so they could conduct their meeting. Cao sat across from him with two young men which Qian had assumed were his children, three larger men that he was informed by his people were his cousins Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren respectively and one smaller man with handsome features, fancy dress and a whimsical smile on his lips that honestly did not look like a warrior by any means. By comparison, the force Qian chose to bring with him was much larger but that fact did not make him feel any safer. Acting as his bodyguard was Zhang Kai, the man he had lead the terrible massacre. Zhang Kai assured him several times that he would not let any harm befall him but his assurances did nothing to quell the unease in his heart.

Qian noted that the men had a chest in front of them. He found this curious. Did Cao bring him a gift? Perhaps he truly had been overreacting.

"To meet me out in the fields...it is a rather inhospitable way to treat a man who is grieving over the deaths of his family. Deaths that happened within your province and under your watch," Cao said.

Qian gave a nervous laugh. "Please, do not take any offense to this. My home is undergoing renovations at the moment. It is not fit to host someone as grand as you."

Cao smiles. That was bullshit and they both knew it. The more likely answer was that his advisors had warned him against letting Cao come deeper into Xu Province than he had to. They were right in that assessment though in the long run it didn't matter. There would be nothing to stop Cao's vengeance.

"I assume you know why I am here," Cao said.

"A-actually, no I do not. I thought the missive I sent had all the information you needed regarding that unpleasant situation," Qian replied.

"Yes...your missive," Cao said as he folded his hands and rested them on the table in front of him. "Here is the problem I had with your missive. While there were a lot of words in it expressing deep sorrow and regret about what happened, it didn't tell me what I needed to know. It did not tell me who slaughtered my father, brother and their entire household."

"Had I know who did such a heinous act I would ha-," Cao raised his hand silencing Qian.

"Do you know that my father and brother's entire household travelled with them?"

"Yes...I heard that."

"Do you know that included their families as well? Women and children?"

Qian frowned and nodded his head slowly. He knew that as well.

"Over forty people get butchered in your lands and you sit across from me telling me that you have no idea who did it? Either you are lying or you are woefully inept at your job as governor," Cao concluded.

Qian stood and slammed his hand against the table in anger. He was more than ready to put distance between himself and the man sitting across from him. "I am sorry for your loss but I will not sit here and be insulted. I will forgive your transgression just this one time because I know that you are grieving and are not in your right mind but I suggest you go back home before I consider your presence here a threat."

Cao gave off a loud laugh at this.

"Not in my right mind? I assure you that I am, but you are right. This game is getting old so I ask you, who put you up to this? Who gave you the order to have my family killed?"

"I told you that I had nothing to do with this. I do not know who slaughtered your family and you insult me by insisting that I do!"

"Very well," Cao replied. The expression on his face became a somber one as he stared Qian in the eye. "Tell me, have you ever known the loss of someone near and dear to you? To have someone you love ripped away from you in a cruel fashion that they were completely undeserving of?"

"I have known loss but I admit that I do not know it on the level that you have recently experience. For that I am sorry."

Cao nodded. "I have a present for you."

Cao gestured to the men standing behind him. Dun and Ren picked up the chest. Zhang Kai's hand flew to the handle of his sword as he warily watched them set the chest down in front of Qian. Once the chest was set, they went back to their positions behind Cao. Qian stared at the chest quizzically. He looked from it to Cao.

"What is it?"

"Open it and find out," Cao said with a smile.

Qian gestured for Zhang Kai to open the chest. He did so, flipping the lid back so its contents could be seen to Qian. Qian peered inside the box and let out an anguished moan. The lifeless eyes of his wife and two children were staring back up at him. He fell to his knees and cried out in disbelief, unwilling to accept what he had just seen.

"Cao!" He cried out, shaking with anger. "You bastard! How could you! They were innocent! They had nothing to do with this!"

"And my nieces and nephews did? Were they not innocent as well? At least I have given you the common courtesy of having something to bury. That is far greater than what you afforded me!" Cao's words held truth to them but Qian broken heart put him in no mood to listen.

"GET THEM! KILL HIM! BRING ME THAT BASTARD'S HEAD!" Qian cried out.

Zhang Kai sprang in front of Qian and swung his blade toward Cao, intent on lopping off his head. His blade was blocked by a massive black blade. He looked up to see the angered eyes Xiahou Dun. Dun pushed up with his sword, forcing Kai to stumble backward.

"Get the governor out of here!" Kai screamed to the men behind him. He heard a cry in response and saw one of his men fall by his side, an arrow protruding from his throat. He heard a laugh and the whistle of another arrow as it flew past his ear and imbedding itself into a man standing just behind him. Another arrow flew through the air at him this time and he was barely able to block it.

Cao stood calmly as the sounds of Qian's reinforcements from outside of the tent bore down on them.

"It is time to retreat," he said as he took his own sword in hand. Yuan notched two arrows and released them quickly. They found their targets in two men helping Qian escape. Cao raised his hand in front of Yuan who was notching another arrow.

"Remember, Qian isn't to die...yet."

Yuan shrugged and turned his bow to another target. "You're the boss."

Jia, Ren, Zhang and Chong secured their escape route while Dun, Cao and Yuan took out the rest of the people in the tent. In his cowardice, Zhang Kai managed to run away in the confusion.

Cao stood over a cowering Qian who was surrounded by the fallen bodies of his allies.

"You have one last chance. Tell me and your people will be spared, who put you up to this? Who told you to kill my father?"

Qian considered himself to be man of honor. While that honor was sometimes for sale, he prided himself on his honor. When he accepted Yuan Shao's request, anonymity of the dealings between them was part of it. What kind of man would he be if he broke that vow? What was the worse that Cao could do to him at this point? Kill him? What did he care? He slaughtered his innocent wife and children. Dying now wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Qian looked defiantly into Cao's eyes.

"I have nothing to say to you!"

Cao held his gaze, his face unreadable.

"Very well. Everything that happens from this point on is on your hands," said Cao. He turned his back on Qian and headed out of the tent leaving Qian to wonder why he left him alive and what exactly did he mean by that cryptic statement.

=#=

Lu Bu approached the meeting spot with Zhang Liao in tow. Awaiting them was a shifty looking man wearing the robes of a strategist with his own flamboyant flair. As soon as he spotted Lu Bu and Zhang Liao, he rushed toward them, obviously pleased that they accepted his offer.

"Master Lu Bu! I would like to thank you for coming," he said, making dramatic gestures with his hands as he spoke. Lu Bu looked the man up and down and instantly felt as if he was wasting his time. Still, they had no other prospects on the horizon, especially since he had turned his back on Yuan Shao the way he did.

"What is this opportunity you speak of?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"A man straight to the point! I appreciate that. first allow me to formally introduce myself," he clasped his hands together and bowed before Lu Bu. "I am Cheng Gong. I am honored that you would utilize my strategies to further your cause."

Lu Bu found Chen Gong's hand gestures to be annoying. It was as if he was putting on a theatrical performance during a simple conversation. He resisted the urge to strangle the man out of pure annoyance.

"What are you talking about?" Bu asked.

"Did you not read my letter?" The look on Bu's face told Gong that he clearly did not. He frowned but quickly hid his displeasure.

"Well, allow me to explain myself then. I am currently a strategist under the employ of Cao Cao-"

"Hmph!" Bu stated, effectively cutting Gong off. "What use would I have for one of Cao Cao's underlings?" Gong recoiled dramatically as if he has been struck.

"I am no underling," he hissed. He paused, regaining his composure. "Even Cao Cao himself was incapable of assassinating Dong Zhou. As such, he does not have what it takes to seize power. However, you are a man with the ability to conquer the land."

Gong began to get more and more animated as he spoke, excited by the very prospect of working with the mighty Lu Bu.

"Therefore," he continued. "I would like to use my wisdom to help you accomplish that goal."

Gong ended his speech with a deep bow. Liao shook his head at the man's antics. He was certainly a character. He looked towards Lu Bu to gauge his reaction. Bu stared at the man thoughtfully for a few moments.

Bu said, "Hmph...words are meaningless to me. I am a man of action. Prove your worth."

"Prove it I shall!" Gong exclaimed as he stood from his bow and gestured off into the distance. "To prove my worth, I give you Puyang!"

"What are you talking about?" Liao asked.

"Cao Cao is not here. He went on some fool's crusade in Xu's Provience. He took most of his men with him. There is only a token force that still remains within those walls. Also, I happen to have a secret weapon!" As Gong spoke those words, another man came into view. Bu looked him up and down and scoffed. Yet another weakling.

"Allow me to introduce my ally. This is Ling, formally of the Xiahou clan."

Ling bowed to both Lu Bu and Zhang Liao "It is a great honor to be in the presence of one so mighty, Master Lu Bu. I look forward to serving you in whatever capacity I can. To prove my worth, I will tell you of a secret entrance into Puyang. We can infiltrate and seize control before they are even made aware of our presence. I only ask one thing in return."

Bu looked down to the man. He idly wondered what this little insect could have possibly done to be disowned from his family.

"What?" he asked, his tone blunt.

"Several members of Cao's family as well as the Xiahou family reside in these walls. I want you to wipe them out. Do what you will with the women, I could care less, but the men, every single one of them must die. I want their bloodline to end."

Bu gave a hard laugh. "I was planning on doing that anyway. I don't need you to tell me."

Ling bowed deeper, the sleeves of his robes obscured his face enough that neither of the men standing before him could see the manic smile on his lips. He could not wait for his vengeance to come. He wanted to personally be there to see his father's face as the mighty Lu Bu brought down hell upon them.

"Now, let us set forth into the land of Puyang! This is but a stepping stone in our grand path. Together! Together, we shall scale the summit of power and influence!" Gong said impassionedly as he reached towards the heavens. Lu Bu ignored the man and stared off into the horizon. This was just the beginning. Today would be the day he started on his path of conquest. Everyone will know without a shadow of a doubt that Lu Bu is and always will be the mightiest warrior in the land.