Author's note: It's finally here, Raleigh!! It's long, it's thought out!
I know you'll like it! There are even some juicy details, but there'll be
more of that that in the next chapter! I hope Y'all like it!
Enjoy!
Part 3
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 39
A Secret Strength
The Lady in Black suddenly vanished with no sign of smoke or magic. Zhang He's heart was hammering wildly in his chest and for a second he still didn't know what to do. Who was in danger? Sima Yi? Diao Chan? Should he ruin the moment? Maybe this wasn't true, but then again . . . The Lady in Black never lies. Zhang He shot to his feet, and quickly placing a hand on Diao Chan's back to make sure she didn't get carried off or something of the sort, called out to Sima Yi and Sun Shang Xiang.
"WATCH OUT!" He bellowed, making them both recoil and stare in his direction.
"Zhang He?" Asked Sun Shang Xiang, looking angry and confused at the same time. "What are you do-" She was about to say 'doing here?' But she was cut short by something whizzing past her face and striking the tree by her. An arrow wobbled threateningly, stuck fast into the bark, just inches fore Sun Shang Xiang's nose. Sima Yi grabbed her hand and pulled her out of danger's way just as another arrow flew into the tree, exactly where she was standing moments ago.
Then, without warning, someone burst through the bushes, flailing around with a long bow in his hand. A quiver of arrows clacked noisily at his side and he was yelling and wailing something inhuman. After a few seconds of listening to the furious wailing, Zhang He realized he was speaking.
"Damn kids, making trouble! Always coming where you're not supposed to! I should have all of your head's for that!" He whined. The man was about 5'2" with shocking white hair and a long elegant moustache.
"Who do you think you are? You can't just shoot at people because they're walking around in the forest!" Zhang He objected, crashing through the bushes, Diao Chan being towed by his hand, as he went out to confront the intruder.
"I can if they're on my property! Up there is a sign that clearly says 'No trespassing and you are all doing exactly wha-" He began angrily, only to be interrupted by Sima Yi.
"Grandfather?" He asked incredulously "Is that you?" Everyone sat in astonished silence for a moment until the old man spoke again.
"Sima Yi? Is that really you?" He let out a long, wheezy laugh. "Why, the last time I saw you were only as tall as my waist!" Sima Yi flushed.
"I was eleven . . ." He said softly.
"Were you, now?" The elderly man went on. He wore expensive looking silk robes with a rich hue of royal purple. A tiny hat was placed upon his head, and now that he was attacking mindlessly, he looked quite weak and thin. He hunched over and talked in a pleasantly mild voice. "Who're these folks, then? Not new acquaintances, I hope?" He added with a ominous tone.
"Oh, no, no! Of course not!" Sima Yi said warily, sending each of them a silent message to keep their mouths shout no matter what he said. "T-this . . ." Sima Yi gestured to Zhang He. "Is my sworn brother."
"Sworn brother?" Sima Yi's grandfather asked disapprovingly.
"He's practically my brother! Infact, were probably going to live together as brothers, with my other two brothers, who are also just like family!" Sima Yi said in a rather scatterbrained manner. Sima Hua eyed Zhang He carefully and then gave him a little nod, as if approving him in some sort.
"And who are these young ladies?" Sima Hua asked, now sending fierce look towards the two girls.
"These girls? Oh . . . well, this is Diao Chan!" He said, hastily point at Diao Chan, then back to his grandfather. "She is . . . Zhang He's wife." Sima Yi ended uncomfortably. Diao Chan blushed and looked over, surprised, at Sima Yi. Zhang He avoided her gaze, but smiled secretly. Sima Yi gave them a quick, apologetic look, the returned to his previous conversation.
"Oh, good, good, good. A who is that little red-haired woman?" Sima Hua asked, looking almost fiercely at Sun Shang Xiang.
"Sun Shang Xiang? She . . . well, she's . . . M-my w-w-wife. . ." Siam Yi forced out, his face turning scarlet. Sun Shang Xiang put two fingers over her lips and looked at her feet.
"Oh, how wonderful, you are all family! Now I suppose we can - Wait a moment . . . When did you get married?" Sima Hua asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Um, just recently." Sima Yi lied without looking his grandparent in the eye. "W-we sent an invitation to you, but you obviously didn't receive it!" Sima Yi laughed a high, fake laugh with a hand on the back of his head.
"Well, this is spectacular, then!" The old man replied, his tone audibly warming. "Everyone's in the family! You all must come into my house and stay for a while!" He welcomed.
"Actually, we did come to see you, but it's for business. The rest of our party is back at the camp, we must collect them before we go on." Sima Yi informed. Sima Hua's expression sharpened.
"What people?" He asked harshly.
"Well, there's my other two sworn brothers, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, their wives, who are sisters, Zhou Yu's father, and . . . Gan Ning who is Zhang He's cousin and Mitsuko who is Diao Chan's long lost sister, all the way from Japan!" Sima Yi said.
"All related! Well, go and fetch them! I'll be waiting inside, you can find the way, right?" Sima Hua asked, looking back at them as he made his way back.
"We'll manage." Sima Yi said, ushering Zhang He, Diao Chan and Sun Shang Xiang, back onto the path. Once they were out of earshot, an explanation was requested.
"So, why are we all joined in holy matrimony all of a sudden?" Zhang He asked.
Sima Yi sighed. "My grandfather is nuts, as you saw before. He thinks anyone who isn't in the family is a mortal enemy. Sorry, but I couldn't think of a better excuse fast enough." Sima Yi apologized.
"You know what this means. . . we have to act like we actually are related or married." Diao Chan said.
"Yup. . ." Zhang He said nonchalantly, his heart dancing joyfully.
"And we've got to make that idiot Gan Ning doesn't open his big mouth." Sima Yi said bitterly.
A few minutes later they arrived back at camp and told everyone the (not the entire story, however). They all agreed to uphold the lie, even Gan Ning whom they had force into paying attention. Zhang He was particularly glad that Sun Shang Xiang had not asked why Zhang He and Diao Chan had been snooping. Zhang He decided she must have forgot, or received the incident as a blessing in disguise. Everyone grudgingly packed up the tents once again and headed back into the forest.
Once they arrived at the threshold that led to Sima Hua's front yard, Zhang He and Sima Yi stepped forward. They pushed open the bamboo gate, which was laden with tiny mounds of snow, and walked into the garden. Everyone else followed warily as Sima Yi walked up to the front door and pushed it open.
Inside it was warm and cozy. A large fireplace was ablaze with several logs that gave off a sweet and smoky pine fragrance was placed at the end of the hall. The large entrance hall was painted red with gold trimming and the carpet beneath them was a rich green, upon which Chinese bellflowers were depicted.
"Welcome in, my family! Make yourselves at home!" Sima Hua said and he floated into the room, smiling and holding his arms out. After everyone was properly introduced and everyone's things were put away safely, Sima Hua got down to the important matters.
"Now, you said you had some sort of business to discuss with me?" he asked, now that they were resting comfortably in a spacious sitting room.
"Well, it's about a certain type of magic we thought you'd know about." Sima Yi ventured.
"Magic? Well, you've come to the right place! What is it? Black Magic, White Magic, Fire Magic, perhaps you want a good curse?" He asked in a spunky manner.
"Actually, Dobutsu magic. We want to know exactly how to use it, and, well, anything you have to tell us about it, in fact." Sima Yi iterated.
"Ahh, yes, Dobutsu magic. It originates from Japan, I believe." He said, rubbing his moustache thoughtfully.
"Yes, it means to 'Animal' in Japanese." Mitsuko put forth.
"Oh, correct you are. Let us see . . . It is a rare and phenomenal type of shape shifting, where an individual's primal spirit is shown in a spectral form, often giving the individual special powers." Sima Hua made clear.
"Yes, we know. It's happened to Zhang He and Sun Ce." Sima Yi said to his grandfather as he pointed to the people mentioned.
"Oh, has it? You must have amazing spirit power! Only the strongest of men can use that power." He explained. "What manner of beast came over you?"
"In the incident surround myself, a Phoenix possessed me, and Sun Ce's was a lion."
"Excellent, excellent, two very strong creatures indeed. Now, I suppose you want to know how to use this power at will?" Sima Hua guessed successfully.
"Exactly. In fact, if any one of us can use it as well, we'd like to know for them, too." Sima Yi said excitedly. Sima Hua was silent for about a whole minute as everyone watched with bated breath. Finally, he leaned forward and took a deep breath.
"I won't tell you." He said plainly. Sima Yi made an indignant noise, but Sima Hua raised his hand up to stop Sima Yi's upcoming argument. "Not yet anway."
"Why not?" Sima Yi said grudgingly.
"Because, such valuable information should not just be given away for free! I want something in return. Just because you're my grandson, doesn't mean you get all the spells you want for free. I want you to do something for me, first." Sima Hua clarified.
"We'll do anything. What is it?" Zhang He asked desperately.
"I want you, any number of you, to slay the fiend Yu Ji. He lives in this area and is spreading bad rumors about me. He is an evil sorcerer who uses the worst of black magic." Sima Hua said.
"He can't be any worse than Zhuge Liang. . ." Sima Yi said snidely. Siam Hua's eyebrows rose.
"Zhuge Liang? My little student? You . . . know him?" The old man asked amazedly.
"Y-your student? You taught Zhuge Liang?" Sima Yi demanded, eyes wide.
"Why, of course! Don't you remember? He was such a smart boy, he had such great potential. He learned faster than any student I ever met. In fact, I taught him all I knew in only three years. That boy was a genius. You two used to know each other, you know. I remember he accompany me when I'd visit your father and you two were friends. But you were very little then, he was about five or six years older." Sima Hua reminiscenced fondly.
"That isn't possible! Zhuge Liang is evil! He possessed me and tried to kill my friends!' Sima Yi contradicted. Sima Hua shook his head sternly.
"Oh, no, no, no. Zhuge Liang might've had power, but he was never evil. Not in the slightest." Sima Hua said all knowingly.
"I simply cannot believe it. After all the things he did?" Sima Yi asked, looking stubborn.
"There is a floor beneath the river's surface, my grandson. I know a spell to show us what Zhuge Liang is doing, we will see if he is evil or not. But this is not the time for spells. You all must be very tired; I'll show you to some rooms. You should get a good sleep, for tomorrow, you shall eliminate that bad Yu Ji for me, hm? That's right, off to bed with you." The little old man cooed, pushing them all gently up the stairs. As the walked down the warm hallways he stopped at the first door on the right. He looked at Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao.
"I expect you two will want to share a room?" He asked. Zhou Yu looked down at the tiny female at his side and blushed. He nodded shallowly and led Xiao Qiao, whom was too busy studying the painting on the wall with her eyes to notice, inside. Into the next room Mitsuko was left, then Gan Ning and Zhou Tai were left to the twin room. Zhang He smiled to think what horrors Zhou Tai would bestow upon Ning if he 'Ninged' during the night or bounced upon the mattress. Sun Ce and Da Qiao left them next, and Sima Yi and Sun Shang Xiang afterwards. Finally, Diao Chan and Zhang He came to the last door in at the end of the hall.
"You two have a nice night." Sima Hua said in a cheerful voice as he opened up the door to let them inside Diao Chan trotted in and Zhang He bowed to Sima Hua and stepped in himself.
This inside of the room looked comfortable and lived in. Several fluffy mats were place around an urn with burning logs in it and a bamboo shade covered the window. Outside the window it was snowing steadily, but none of the flakes found their way inside. A large, comfortable looking futon with a heavy red and gold painted blanket was placed on a lacquered black stand. To the right were two paper shade floor lamps and on the right side of the bed was an elegant, golden shougi screen. Another paper shade lamp, lit with a candle, hung from the ceiling and the walls were adorned with wood block prints and scrolls.
"Wow, this is . . . nice." Diao Chan said, looking around and inspecting all the little things in the room.
"Would you look at this bed?" Zhang He said happily as he sat down on the futon and tested it with his hand. "So comfortable." Diao Chan sat next to him and sighed in delight. She let herself fall back onto the soft folds of the blanket.
"It's nice not having to sleep outside for now." She said jadedly. "I'll have a good rest for a change." She continued, nuzzling her cheek into the softness. Zhang He lowered himself down on the bed carefully and shut his eyes with a sigh when he was finally relaxing.
"I know what you mean . . ." He said happily. Diao Chan looked around at the room and it's décor and smiled a bit. She reached for her shoes and tossed them in the corner and then let her hair down. Zhang He copied her and undid the ponytail in his hair and removed the more uncomfortable or metallic articles of his outfit.
"I had a room like this when I was back with Dong Zhou. It was a nice place, but . . ." She left off.
"Was it bad there?" Zhang He asked, now looking at her. She nodded her head and a worry line appeared between her brows.
"It was awful." She said with a bit of woe. "Dong Zhou is such a pig. He had no respect for women. Wait, no, scratch that. He has no respect whatsoever. He is the lowest form of human life on this planet." Diao Chan said bitterly.
"What sort of thing did he do? Besides killing innocent people, I mean. . ." Zhang He added.
"Well, I don't know about the other girls. We were all kept in separate rooms so we couldn't think of escape plans or such things. There were about twenty of us, including myself, and at any given time, night or day, we would be called out of our rooms to cater to his every whim. Oh, and he smells awful and his teeth are yellow and he's always eating! And at time he needed us to help him guzzle as much food as possible. Oh, it was revolting. And if we flinched or gagged he'd have us executed. My poor friends . . . He'd also make me sing all day until it hurt to talk, because I was his favorite toy. There were other things too, but let's not go into detail. My only friends there were Ro Sai, Jei Ka, Wei Ni, and Ying Chang. Ying Chang was executed right there in the throne room. They didn't even clean up her body for a week or something. It was the worst; sometimes Lu Bu would come in for a little 'partying' as well. I hate them both, I hate everything about them. I wish they would die slowly and painfully after being humiliated." She ended spitefully.
"I wish I could get back at them for you, but that's way out of my league. Perhaps with an alliance with Shu and Wei and we could eliminate that villain." Zhang he said strategically.
"I'm happy that you took me away form there, Zhang He. You really are my hero." She said affectionately, resting her head on his stomach. "I was dead before I met you." Zhang He reached down and put his hand on top of her head and lightly fingered through her hair. "But . . ." She continued. "I feel like I've betrayed my father. I promised him I'd slay Dong Zhou and Lu Bu, but now I'm sitting here, running from my duties."
"I could start a campaign this spring to get him, if that's what you want." Zhang He offered, but Diao Chan shook her head.
"I shouldn't have brought it up, I don't want you getting hurt. I'll just never return to my father. He'll think I was killed." Diao Chan shrugged it off.
"What if you ever want to get married?" Zhang He couldn't help but asking. Diao Chan fingered her bottom lip and looked bewildered.
"I never really thought of that. . ." She said earnestly.
"You can't get married without you father legally giving you over to the groom's family, and unless you never want to get married, I'd say you have a problem." Zhang He said softly, still playing with her hair.
"I don't want to think about it now . . ." Diao Chan gave up. She got up on her knees and crawled over to the head of the bedding and threw back the comforter. She crawled between the warm blanket and the mattress and covered herself up. "I'm tired . . ." She yawned. Zhang He moved in beside her and put an arm around her slender waist and she moved p against him. They lay there for a long time and Zhang he lost track of really everything. He was just about to nod off when he heard Diao Chan mumbling beside him. At first Zhang He ignored it, thinking she must e talking in her sleep, but when he listened to her words he felt more alarmed.
"She's . . . in the ground . . . still waiting. . . the . . . the. . . ropes . . . the blades . . ." She garbled in a way that struck fear and wonder into Zhang He's heart. "The waters . . . the flames. . . Coming for me . . . But she's lost . . . in . . . the dark . . .in . . . the . . . ground . . ." Zhang He's heart was almost pounding. He leaned over and brought his lips next to Diao Chan's ear.
"W-who's in the ground?" He whispered almost not wanting to know the answer.
"I can't . . .remember . . ." She sighed. Zhang He waited for her to resume mumbling, but she grew silent. He lay back and rested again and soon fell asleep. He dreamt once again of the woman with the long black hair and the blank eyes. There was nothing really clear in this dream, but he distinctly remembered her face.
He awoke feeling very cold and sore. When he stretched his joints creaked and felt like they hadn't been moved for ages. As he sat up he groaned and his back cracked a little. After massaging his sore joints and muscles for a couple of minutes, he shook Diao Chan awake. After being out of sleep for a few minutes, Diao Chan discovered she had the same ailments as Zhang He.
"Did you have weird dreams, as well?" Zhang He asked, helping her out of the bed and onto the harshly cold floors.
"As a matter of fact, I did. Have you seen my shoes?" She said incredulously, searching around for the missing articles. Zhang He spotted them in the corner and went to retrieve them for her.
"Were they about a girl with long black hair?" Zhang he asked as he handed them to her.
"No, they were about you actually. Well, sort of. It was like you had cut your hair and wore it without a ponytail." She said, fitting her delicate feet into the pale purple shoes. Zhang He grabbed his shoes next and sat beside her to put them on. Inspired by her words, he grabbed the purple ties and did up his hair in a matter of seconds.
"What was I doing?" Zhang He asked, recalling the look alike himself in his own dreams.
"Being hurt . . ." She said a bit darkly. "It was a horrible dream. You were bound with ropes, there were cuts all over your face, your skin was looked like when you're in water for too long, and there were scorch marks everywhere. I keep having that sort of dream, except sometimes it's me, and sometimes it's these four ladies I can't recognize." Diao Chan said in a sort of frightened voice. "I don't like them one little bit."
"Odd . . ." Said Zhang He, putting the golden hairpiece back on his head. "I wonder what that could all mean."
"I don't know, but I really don't want to find out, either." Diao Chan said as she stood up. "Now, let's get down and start on that mission." She said heading for the door.
Everyone else, including Sima Hua, were already downstairs and speaking with one another in the sitting room.
"Ah, Zhang He, Diao Chan!" Sima Yi said cheerfully, he turned to his grandfather. "Now can we go over the maps?" Sima Hua nodded and produced a long, rolled-up scroll form his robes. He laid it on the table in front of them all and slowly unraveled the yellowed paper. On it was a general map of the area they we're in, and though probably accurate, not very legible.
"This is the Shu-Gong mountain area, and this little dot here," He moved his finger to a location on the paper and tapped it once. "Is my home. Your job is to go to this area," He made a circle on the map with his finger around a place that looked about three or four inches from the dot. "Where Yu Ji lives. He's a vicious little bastard, you should all be careful."
"Why again is it you want him dead, Grandfather?" Sima Yi inquired. Siam Hua narrowed his eyes.
"He's making a nuisance of himself. During the summer he steals my sheep and uses them in his own evil magic, he spreads bad rumors about my status, and me, and he steals my spells that I invented all by myself. And he's not nice." He ended childishly.
"Right, we'll get on it right away." Sima Yi said standing up affirmatively.
"Wait, Sima Yi." Zhang He said, halting his movements. "I don't think all of us should go."
"What? Why not?" He asked, sounding indignant.
"Because, we shouldn't just barge in if we're on an assault mission and it will be easier to sneak around with less people." Zhang He explained cool headedly. Sima Yi considered for a moment.
"I suppose you're right." He said thoughtfully. "But then, who will go?"
"I think I should choose the stealthiest, quickest, most powerful, and perhaps the most distracting if turns out to be harder to sneak than we thought. So I think I shall choose Zhou Yu, Sun Shang Xiang, and Xiao Qiao."
All at once everyone broke into a chorus of protesting of why he or she was the best one to choose, and how they would do a better job, and 'how could you leave me behind?', and this and that.
"Quiet!" Zhang He interjected. "That's who I'm taking! You'll all get over being left behind, I guarantee it."
"My Lord . . ." Growled Zhou Tai. "Please allow me to accompany you. My son might need protection." Zhou Yu flushed, crossed his arms and looked away angrily, breathing through his nostrils audibly. His lips were pursed, but he managed to looking only remotely annoyed.
"I . . . suppose . . .alright, you can come with us. Yes, and that way I can leave Xiao Qiao behind when we sneak in if we need to call for backup." Zhang he said a bit slowly. He heard a tiny sigh from Zhou Yu and Zhou Tai bowed and went to retrieve his Katana.
"Hey, Ning!" Zhang he said energetically to Gan Ning who perked up at once and rose to his feet with a small 'ning' of understanding. "Want to go get our weapons? The Talons, Double Fans, Chakrams, and big long sword. You got it?"
"Got it, NING!" and he raced up the stairs as fast as his powerful legs would take him. Minutes later everyone was standing outside in the snow, Xiao Qiao, Zhou Yu, Sun Shang Xiang, and Zhang He dressed in attire suitable for trudging around in snow.
"I wish you all good luck." Sima Hua said, shivering in his thin robes.
"Thank you, Sima Hua." Zhang He replied, bowing respectively. Suddenly Xiao Qiao trotted quickly past him and kneeled in the snow a couple of feet away.
"Ooh! What are these pretty things?" She asked enchantedly. Zhang He and everyone else craned their necks to what it was she liked so much. Sima Hua ambled slowly to where she sat and peered slowly over her shoulder. About two feet in front of her were a collection of identical round things, poking out of the snow, that had darker gray lines going up them.
"Ohh, those are Snow Flower buds. They grow all over the place around here." He explained.
"What do they looked like when the bloom?" Xiao Qiao asked excitedly. Siam Hua laughed a bit and patted her on the head.
"To be honest, I've never seen one for myself. You see, the snow flower is a rare and beautiful magical wonder. Thousands of buds will grow every winter, but only one will bloom out of them all. The product is said to be the most gorgeous flower in existence that only a handful of people have ever seen. They survive only where it's cold and wilt completely about twenty-four hours after being picked. The legend goes that if any man presents a snow a flower to his girl of choice, they are destined to fall in love, if he keeps it for himself he shall have the best of good luck for ten years, and if he gives it to his Lord he shall be blessed by riches. Naturally, many have looked for it, but I'd say only one out of a hundred actually finds it."
"Wow, I sure would like to see that! Flowers are so nice!" She put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment. "They're nice, but not as good as puppies!" She said happily. Sima Hua laughed again and helped her to her feet and pushed her along gently.
"You'd better get along now." He said. Zhang He knew it was time to leave to he walked up to Diao Chan and embraced her. She hugged him back and nuzzled her head on his chest.
"I'll be right back, don't worry." He said in her ear. "Love you . . ." She slowly broke away.
"Come back soon." She said affectionately, looking into his eyes. He smiled, but his gaze strayed over to Sun Shang Xiang and Sima Yi, who were also holding one another. He smiled and gestured to them with his head to Diao Chan.
"A job well done, I'd say." He said grinning. She nodded as well and smiled. To their left the Qiaos were bidding one another goodbye and Zhou Yu and Zhou Tai were standing expectantly on the path. Zhang He sadly let go of Diao Chan's hands and strayed down the path. She waved a final goodbye, her face wearing a melancholy smile. As Sun Shang Xiang walked beside Zhang He, brandishing her shiny Chakrams and humming slightly he padded along the snow covered path. He kept looking back over his shoulder until Diao Chan and the rest of them were out of sight.
"So, what kind of house are we looking for?" Sun Shang Xiang asked cheerfully.
"Any house. There's not much else except for trees, so any building at all could be it." Zhang He said thoughtfully.
"Keep on your guard. He sounds like a madman to me . . ."Zhou Tai snarled, fingering his blade.
"He's not going to pop out of the bushes, screaming and flailing around, father . . ." Zhou Yu said harshly. Zhou Tai eyed him severely but said nothing. Xiao Qiao was busily checking all the bushes and clearing around them, searching relentlessly for the fabled Snow Flower.
"I bet it's the prettiest thing EVER!" She said happily as she ran by Zhang He to investigate the bushes to his right. Zhang He looked after her for a moment.
"You mean you don't care about the luck, love or riches? All you want to do is see it?" Zhang He asked, walking up to her side. She put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment.
"I guess I could use one of them, but I'd like to see it most of all." She pondered.
"I'd go for riches. Then I could buy a big house for Diao Chan and myself to live in. But I don't have a lord . . .I wonder how that would work." Zhang He said, sharing his opinion.
"Would you let Sima Yi live with you? And Zhou Yu? And Sun Ce?" She asked, trotting briskly to keep up with his wide steps.
"Of course. I would also let you and you sister and Sun Shang Xiang and everyone of Shi come live with us." Zhang He smiled, taking the preconceived plan between his brothers and him and altering so it wouldn't seem obvious. Xiao Qiao laughed at the idea.
"That'd be pretty crowded house." She giggled. "Would there be a pond with orange fishes in it? And could we adopt puppies?" It was Zhang He's turn to laugh.
"Sure, why not?" He said in a carefree way, breathing in the fresh mountain air.
By that evening there was no sign of Yu Ji's lair, or the elusive Snow Flower. The temperature was harsh and everyone huddled close around the measly fire. Zhang He thought it was much darker and colder here than before, but he concluded it must be his own mind playing tricks on himself. Every twig that would break in the distance or every bit of snow that fell from the trees made him jump. After the tent had been set up (They decided to all sleep together because the body heat from everyone would make it more comfortable) everybody wrapped up in a warm wool blanket and sat as close as possible to his or her neighbor, listening to the sounds of the soft wind outside.
Zhang He went dreamily over every dilemma in his life and realized there were a lot more than he thought. Would they ever find Yu Ji? Would everyone be all right when they came back? Would he ever resolve this war? Find Guo Tu again? Yuan Shao? Would Diao Chan ever defeat Lu Bu and Dong Zhou? Would the Qiao sisters ever find a new home? Would Sun Shang Xiang ever cook well? Would Zhou Yu ever say what his past was? Would Sun Ce ever get over his maturity issues? Would Sima Yi ever find true happiness? What about Wei? Was Cao Cao infuriated at Zhang he for betraying him? And what about Xiahou Dun? Was Zhuge Liang as evil as they assumed he was? Zhang He remembered him to be quite rude and prying, but he also recalled and pained sadness behind his features, as if he was forced to be the way he was. All this thinking made Zhang He's head hurt and he moaned in discontent. He lay back against the side of the tent and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind completely. In a few moments he fell into a drowsy sleep.
He dreamed he was climbing a silver ladder against a black stone wall to the sky. Just above his reach was something shiny that hovered quickly zipping around near his fingertips. Every time he took a step up to catch it, it just moved farther ahead. He was just about to give up hope when suddenly everything froze. There was no wind, the clouds stood still, and Zhang He leaped up a step and his fingers started moving in around it. They were just about to clasp, just above to touch when. . .
"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Zhang He awoke with a start to find Xiao Qiao being yanked roughly out of the tent. There was some blood around her lips and she was struggling and fighting relentlessly. Zhang He sprang to his feet and grabbed her other arm before she could disappear through the mouth of the tent. "Help me Zhang he! Don't let him get me!" She yelped hysterically. Zhou Yu was suddenly at Zhang He's side, pulling Xiao Qiao in as well. Soon Sun Shang Xiang and Zhou Tai were helping as well, but for some strange reason, Xiao Qiao would not come free. An arm cloaked in a white silk sleeve suddenly burst into view and barred around Xiao Qiao's neck. Zhang he noticed the hand was bleeding and there were bite marks on it, showing why Xiao Qiao had blood on her mouth.
"Let her go or I'll kill her!" A sharp voice said from the other side. Zhang He begrudgingly released his grip, as did the rest of them. Xiao Qiao, looking terrified, was pulled slowly through the tent and away. Zhang He, followed closely by the rest of them, grabbed their weapons and raced outside.
There, a pernicious looking man with a sharp face and pointed black beard stood, holding Xiao Qiao captive. The night sky was dark, save a few bright stars and a crescent moon, but Zhang He could make out his feature quite well. He smiled cruelly, stepping backwards into the snow, taking the frightened girl with him.
"Hold it, right there!" Zhang He warned, readying the Metal Talons. The man stopped, but he looked rather amused instead of willing to leave.
"Who are you, little men?" He asked languidly, his voice being as sharp as his complexion.
"We are from the Kingdom of Shi. We are running an errand for Sima Hua and mean you no harm." Zhang He said, thinking he could perhaps avoid violence this time around.
"Sima Hua? That old windbag? HA! You're nothing but a league of fools! And since you are trespassing on my property I think you are the villain, here! Now, I shall be very kind to you. I have pined for a wife for a long while, and this one shall do nicely. I take the girl; you keep your lives and leave this place at once!" The man demanded.
"Fat chance, you pompous moron! Who do you think you are anyway?" Zhou Yu growled much like his father as he grasped the sword handle, making his knuckles white.
"I don't think I am anyone, I know I am the mighty Yu Ji! Depart, rubes!" He commanded, bringing Xiao Qiao, who was struggling, down the path with him.
"It is you whom we have been sent to slay!" Zhang He shouted. "Stand and fight, you coward!" Yu Ji turned slowly, a wicked smile forming on his lips.
"You wish to battle, stupid man? You wish to face me, knowing nothing of my magic?" He cackled a high and cold laugh. "As you wish! Bear witness to the great and powerful magic of Yu Ji!" Zhang He rushed at Yu Ji, bringing his Talon back for a long, strong swipe. Even when Zhang He was a few feet away, he could tell something was wrong. Yu Ji was making no attempt to dodge, he just stood smiling, when Zhang He was closing in, he pushed Xiao Qiao out of the way and opened his guard even more. Just as Zhang He was about to sink the cold metal into his flesh, his entire body froze in midair.
"What?" He said, astounded and bit frightened.
"Oh, you got stopped . . . Poor, little boy. . ." Yu Ji cooed mockingly, holding his hand out, keep the magic steady. "Don't worry, I'll let you down . . . after you go for a little ride!" Zhang He's body was suddenly free, but he had no time to react a he was suddenly wrenched forward into the sky. He went higher and higher, watching his friends below him get smaller and smaller. All at once he stopped and for a spilt second hovered in midair, before he plummeted down towards earth. His heart raced with fear as he neared the crash and all to soon his fell down in the snow, landing on his back. His head snapped back in the impact, nearly knocking him out. Zhang He moaned in pain, and grasped his head nearly missing cutting himself with his own weapon. Sun Shang Xiang ran to his side as Zhou Yu stepped forward.
"Are you okay?" She asked, supporting Zhang He's upper body into a sitting position. Zhang He fought back the urge to faint and nodded limply, relying entirely on Sun Shang Xiang.
"A nice trick, Yu Ji, but you won't get me that way." Zhou Yu said, frowning fiercely as he tried to round Yu Ji and get Xiao Qiao, but Yu Ji was too fast. He seized her by the wrist and pulled her to his side once again.
"Yes, I can see by your aura you know white magic . . ." Yu Ji said, closing his eyes. He snapped them open again. "A good counter, but not enough to save you, I'm afraid. Try this one out for size!" There was a puff of smoke in which no one could see. After everyone's coughing had subsided and the smoke cleared, a strange sight met their eyes. Yu Ji was gone and in the area where he stood were seven Xiao Qiao's, each identical to the next. One of the screamed, then so did another and another.
"Zhou Yu, help me!" One cried.
"Don't believe him, Zhou Yu, I'm the real one!" Another said.
"You big, fat, mean, liar!" One said from the left. One from the middle started crying. They all suddenly went into different outbursts, all sounding exactly like Xiao Qiao.
"Which one do I strike?" Zhou Yu asked, looking around at all of them. Suddenly, one jumped at him from the back and started to choke him. Zhou Yu gasped and managed to hit it with the sword. It stabbed into her and she screamed, blood leaping from the wound. A few second later, she disappear in another puff of smoke. Another smoke explosion and Yu Ji reappeared, holding Xiao Qiao.
"Fun, isn't it?" He smiled evilly. "I can be anyone I want!" A puff of smoke. Six Zhang He's. Another puff. Six Zhou Tai's, complete with Katanas.
"Come on, son! Don't you know your own father?" The front one growled realistically. The real Zhou Tai, who was behind Zhang He, clasped his fist.
"That's a dirty trick . . . I'll make you pay." Quick as lightening Zhou Tai whipped out his Katana. With speed that could match the wind, he was in the middle of the Zhou Tais, slashing wildly, but as it turned out, they were just as fast as he was. Soon, he was lost in the fray. Puffs of smoke and rivers of blood here and there signaled one of the fake ones had been taken down, but it was still just as confusing. Suddenly, Zhou Tai cried out and fell to the floor. His shoulder sported a nasty gash and was bleeding freely into the snow. The remaining Zhou Tais stepped back and transformed back into Yu Ji. Zhou Tai retreated back next to Zhang He, putting pressure on his shoulder.
"Two down, two to go!" He said happily. "I can make this fun. . ." he transformed into ten Zhou Yus this time but made no attempt to attack.
"Which one, which one?" One in the back chorused as they grouped around Zhou Yu. Suddenly one tired to strike another with the sword but they guarded. Another pair copied this move. Soon, Zhou Yu was lost among them.
"Come, little girl. Find the real one!" A Zhou Yu challenged. Sun Shang Xiang carefully laid Zhang He down and stood up, collecting her Chakrams.
"This will be easy!" She said, almost smiling. "Only the real Zhou Yu would know the names of his sworn brothers." She said.
"Sima Yi, Zhang He, and Sun Ce!" They all said simultaneously. Sun Shang Xiang recoiled suddenly.
"B-but that's impossible! Can you read minds as well?" She said, astounded. "Oh, well. I'll just have to break your stupid little trick, the slice you into little pieces!" She rushed forward, viciously attacking the first Zhou Yu she came upon. His shoulder severed and for a moment, everyone thought she'd killed the real one. When he disappeared in smoke, they all let out a sigh of relief.
"Sun Shang Xiang, don't use killing blows! Zhou Yu is in there somewhere!" Zhang He warned, venturing to stand. Xiao Qiao was behind all the Zhou Yus, and every time she tried to move, one would block her.
"That one can't be real!" Sun Shang Xiang screeched as she charged for the one blocking Xiao Qiao. She jumped up and came down, cleaving his arm off before he dissipated. Zhang he's stomach was churning, even though he knew it wasn't really Zhou Yu, the image of him being mauled was still disturbing. Sun Shang Xiang appeared to have no problem though, as she severed heads and chopped limbs. Soon, only four remained. As she made a clean cut along one's torso, Zhang He suddenly noticed the secret. The fake ones showed no fear before they were terminated.
"Sun Shang Xiang! The fake one's don't-" He began, but suddenly his body and lips were frozen again. He caught a quick and tormenting smile from one Zhou Yu as he turned to fight Sun Shang Xiang. She obviously realized that there was secret, for she only made a tiny cut along one of the nearest Zhou Yu's leg and he disappeared. Only three left. She looked nervously from one to the other. No one made a move; all the Zhou Yus wore identical expressions of tension.
"Zhou Yu! Where are you?" She cried in fear, her eyes darting among them.
"It's me, Sun Shang Xiang!" One said earnestly.
"Don't fall for it! I'm the real one!" Another said truthfully.
"How can you believe that liar?" The last spat bitterly. She stood, looking at them all, knowing the difficult situation and daring not make a move. One was a copy, one was Yu Ji, and another was Zhou Yu. It was a win, lose, draw situation . . . Suddenly, Xiao Qiao made a break for it and two of the Zhou Yus ran at her. Sun Shang Xiang acted quickly, stabbing the first brutally in the spine and shortly after he was gone. Xiao Qiao froze, putting her hands over her eyes.
"THAT'S YU JI!" She yelled triumphantly at the other who ran for Xiao Qiao, preparing to strike. He cringed and fell back covering his face with his hands.
"Sun Shang Xiang! NO!!" He yelled in a terrified way. She slashed a line across his side and stabbed near to his knees. He fell on the ground, screaming in pain as the churned up snow around him was stained red. Sun Shang Xiang panted, still wearing her satisfied grin. She looked over at the remaining Zhou Yu and grinned. But suddenly Zhang He's heart turned to ice as the Zhou Yu gave a cruel, malevolent smile in return.
"Oh, Gods, no . . ." She yelled, sinking to her knees with a detached and horrified expression. She crawled over to the injured Zhou Yu next to her and fell gently over him. "I'm so sorry Zhou Yu, oh I'm so sorry. . ." She sobbed. Xiao Qiao crawled over to him and hugged him around his neck, on the brink of tears as well.
"Why do I love the sound of a crying woman so much?" The standing Zhou Yu said, ambling over to Zhou Yu's crumpled form. He grabbed her by the arm and tugged her off Zhou Yu, but her legs refused to move. She wailed and screamed and kicked her legs just like a baby having a tantrum.
"Zhou Yuuuuuuuu . . ." She screamed, flailing violently, wrenching Yu Ji around. " I hate you, bad man! Horrible mean nasty man!" She got up and kicked him fiercely in the shin and beat her fists on his chest. He cringed for a moment, then regain his stance.
"Shut up, you spoiled brat." He said harshly, turning back into Yu Ji. He put his arm around her neck again and started to walk off with her. Xiao Qiao sunk her teeth mercilessly into his arm and moved her head vigorously from side to side. Blood appeared on his sleeve and he dropped her onto the ground with a shout of pain.
"Why, you little!" He said, seething with anger. "You shall be punished severely!" She tried to scurry away, but he picked her up by the waist and slung her over his shoulder. She wriggled and fought, but couldn't get free. Zhang He tried to get up but he fell down as soon as he got to his feet. He noticed Zhou Tai was at Zhou Yu side, talking in a soft tone.
"Leave, or I'll come back and destroy you all!" Yu Ji warned, before making a circle in the air with his finger and teleporting away. With great difficulty, Zhang He crawled over to where Zhou Yu lay. Zhou Tai had produced bandages from somewhere and was dressing Zhou Yu's wound.
"Zhou Yu, are you alright?" Zhang He asked, rubbing his back.
"I t-think so. . ." He said, his eyes scrunched closed in pain. "Where's Xiao Qiao?"
"That creep got her." Zhang He said softly. Sun Shang Xiang had her hands clapped over her mouth and her eyes were still moist, puffy and red.
"No! I'll kill him, I -" Zhou Yu tried to rise and burst of blood stained the bandages.
"Stay right there!" Zhou Tai scolded harshly. "You're already hurt badly as it is! Come here, help me get him inside." Sun Shang Xiang hoisted Zhou Yu's shoulders up and Zhang He got unsteadily to his feet and hobbled into the tent.
Once they were inside, Zhang He and Zhou Yu were laid side by side. Zhou Tai craned over Zhang He and started fingering his belly.
"You took quite a nasty fall. I'm just checking for any signs of internal bleeding. Does you head feel hot on the inside?" He asked.
"No, but my mind feels a little fuzzy." Zhang He said.
"Doesn't sound like a brain hemorrhage . . . You'd have probably been dead in five minutes if it were, anyway . . ." He said, moving over to Zhou Yu.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know so much about injuries?" Zhang He asked.
"My wife studied under her father, who was a excellent healer." He murmured without looking at Zhang He.
"Where . . . Where is your wife?" Zhang He couldn't stop himself from asking. Zhou Tai didn't answer for a long moment.
"She died years ago, my Lord." Zhou Tai replied in a toneless voice.
"Oh . . . I'm sorry . . ." Zhang He said, his heart giving a tiny leap.
"You'd better get some sleep, we'll get the girl when you've healed . . ." Zhang He felt a heavy blanket be lain on top of him by Sun Shang Xiang.
"She'll be okay . . ." She said as she put one on Zhou Yu as well.
"I hope . . ." Zhang He added in an undertone.
more of that that in the next chapter! I hope Y'all like it!
Enjoy!
Part 3
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 39
A Secret Strength
The Lady in Black suddenly vanished with no sign of smoke or magic. Zhang He's heart was hammering wildly in his chest and for a second he still didn't know what to do. Who was in danger? Sima Yi? Diao Chan? Should he ruin the moment? Maybe this wasn't true, but then again . . . The Lady in Black never lies. Zhang He shot to his feet, and quickly placing a hand on Diao Chan's back to make sure she didn't get carried off or something of the sort, called out to Sima Yi and Sun Shang Xiang.
"WATCH OUT!" He bellowed, making them both recoil and stare in his direction.
"Zhang He?" Asked Sun Shang Xiang, looking angry and confused at the same time. "What are you do-" She was about to say 'doing here?' But she was cut short by something whizzing past her face and striking the tree by her. An arrow wobbled threateningly, stuck fast into the bark, just inches fore Sun Shang Xiang's nose. Sima Yi grabbed her hand and pulled her out of danger's way just as another arrow flew into the tree, exactly where she was standing moments ago.
Then, without warning, someone burst through the bushes, flailing around with a long bow in his hand. A quiver of arrows clacked noisily at his side and he was yelling and wailing something inhuman. After a few seconds of listening to the furious wailing, Zhang He realized he was speaking.
"Damn kids, making trouble! Always coming where you're not supposed to! I should have all of your head's for that!" He whined. The man was about 5'2" with shocking white hair and a long elegant moustache.
"Who do you think you are? You can't just shoot at people because they're walking around in the forest!" Zhang He objected, crashing through the bushes, Diao Chan being towed by his hand, as he went out to confront the intruder.
"I can if they're on my property! Up there is a sign that clearly says 'No trespassing and you are all doing exactly wha-" He began angrily, only to be interrupted by Sima Yi.
"Grandfather?" He asked incredulously "Is that you?" Everyone sat in astonished silence for a moment until the old man spoke again.
"Sima Yi? Is that really you?" He let out a long, wheezy laugh. "Why, the last time I saw you were only as tall as my waist!" Sima Yi flushed.
"I was eleven . . ." He said softly.
"Were you, now?" The elderly man went on. He wore expensive looking silk robes with a rich hue of royal purple. A tiny hat was placed upon his head, and now that he was attacking mindlessly, he looked quite weak and thin. He hunched over and talked in a pleasantly mild voice. "Who're these folks, then? Not new acquaintances, I hope?" He added with a ominous tone.
"Oh, no, no! Of course not!" Sima Yi said warily, sending each of them a silent message to keep their mouths shout no matter what he said. "T-this . . ." Sima Yi gestured to Zhang He. "Is my sworn brother."
"Sworn brother?" Sima Yi's grandfather asked disapprovingly.
"He's practically my brother! Infact, were probably going to live together as brothers, with my other two brothers, who are also just like family!" Sima Yi said in a rather scatterbrained manner. Sima Hua eyed Zhang He carefully and then gave him a little nod, as if approving him in some sort.
"And who are these young ladies?" Sima Hua asked, now sending fierce look towards the two girls.
"These girls? Oh . . . well, this is Diao Chan!" He said, hastily point at Diao Chan, then back to his grandfather. "She is . . . Zhang He's wife." Sima Yi ended uncomfortably. Diao Chan blushed and looked over, surprised, at Sima Yi. Zhang He avoided her gaze, but smiled secretly. Sima Yi gave them a quick, apologetic look, the returned to his previous conversation.
"Oh, good, good, good. A who is that little red-haired woman?" Sima Hua asked, looking almost fiercely at Sun Shang Xiang.
"Sun Shang Xiang? She . . . well, she's . . . M-my w-w-wife. . ." Siam Yi forced out, his face turning scarlet. Sun Shang Xiang put two fingers over her lips and looked at her feet.
"Oh, how wonderful, you are all family! Now I suppose we can - Wait a moment . . . When did you get married?" Sima Hua asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Um, just recently." Sima Yi lied without looking his grandparent in the eye. "W-we sent an invitation to you, but you obviously didn't receive it!" Sima Yi laughed a high, fake laugh with a hand on the back of his head.
"Well, this is spectacular, then!" The old man replied, his tone audibly warming. "Everyone's in the family! You all must come into my house and stay for a while!" He welcomed.
"Actually, we did come to see you, but it's for business. The rest of our party is back at the camp, we must collect them before we go on." Sima Yi informed. Sima Hua's expression sharpened.
"What people?" He asked harshly.
"Well, there's my other two sworn brothers, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, their wives, who are sisters, Zhou Yu's father, and . . . Gan Ning who is Zhang He's cousin and Mitsuko who is Diao Chan's long lost sister, all the way from Japan!" Sima Yi said.
"All related! Well, go and fetch them! I'll be waiting inside, you can find the way, right?" Sima Hua asked, looking back at them as he made his way back.
"We'll manage." Sima Yi said, ushering Zhang He, Diao Chan and Sun Shang Xiang, back onto the path. Once they were out of earshot, an explanation was requested.
"So, why are we all joined in holy matrimony all of a sudden?" Zhang He asked.
Sima Yi sighed. "My grandfather is nuts, as you saw before. He thinks anyone who isn't in the family is a mortal enemy. Sorry, but I couldn't think of a better excuse fast enough." Sima Yi apologized.
"You know what this means. . . we have to act like we actually are related or married." Diao Chan said.
"Yup. . ." Zhang He said nonchalantly, his heart dancing joyfully.
"And we've got to make that idiot Gan Ning doesn't open his big mouth." Sima Yi said bitterly.
A few minutes later they arrived back at camp and told everyone the (not the entire story, however). They all agreed to uphold the lie, even Gan Ning whom they had force into paying attention. Zhang He was particularly glad that Sun Shang Xiang had not asked why Zhang He and Diao Chan had been snooping. Zhang He decided she must have forgot, or received the incident as a blessing in disguise. Everyone grudgingly packed up the tents once again and headed back into the forest.
Once they arrived at the threshold that led to Sima Hua's front yard, Zhang He and Sima Yi stepped forward. They pushed open the bamboo gate, which was laden with tiny mounds of snow, and walked into the garden. Everyone else followed warily as Sima Yi walked up to the front door and pushed it open.
Inside it was warm and cozy. A large fireplace was ablaze with several logs that gave off a sweet and smoky pine fragrance was placed at the end of the hall. The large entrance hall was painted red with gold trimming and the carpet beneath them was a rich green, upon which Chinese bellflowers were depicted.
"Welcome in, my family! Make yourselves at home!" Sima Hua said and he floated into the room, smiling and holding his arms out. After everyone was properly introduced and everyone's things were put away safely, Sima Hua got down to the important matters.
"Now, you said you had some sort of business to discuss with me?" he asked, now that they were resting comfortably in a spacious sitting room.
"Well, it's about a certain type of magic we thought you'd know about." Sima Yi ventured.
"Magic? Well, you've come to the right place! What is it? Black Magic, White Magic, Fire Magic, perhaps you want a good curse?" He asked in a spunky manner.
"Actually, Dobutsu magic. We want to know exactly how to use it, and, well, anything you have to tell us about it, in fact." Sima Yi iterated.
"Ahh, yes, Dobutsu magic. It originates from Japan, I believe." He said, rubbing his moustache thoughtfully.
"Yes, it means to 'Animal' in Japanese." Mitsuko put forth.
"Oh, correct you are. Let us see . . . It is a rare and phenomenal type of shape shifting, where an individual's primal spirit is shown in a spectral form, often giving the individual special powers." Sima Hua made clear.
"Yes, we know. It's happened to Zhang He and Sun Ce." Sima Yi said to his grandfather as he pointed to the people mentioned.
"Oh, has it? You must have amazing spirit power! Only the strongest of men can use that power." He explained. "What manner of beast came over you?"
"In the incident surround myself, a Phoenix possessed me, and Sun Ce's was a lion."
"Excellent, excellent, two very strong creatures indeed. Now, I suppose you want to know how to use this power at will?" Sima Hua guessed successfully.
"Exactly. In fact, if any one of us can use it as well, we'd like to know for them, too." Sima Yi said excitedly. Sima Hua was silent for about a whole minute as everyone watched with bated breath. Finally, he leaned forward and took a deep breath.
"I won't tell you." He said plainly. Sima Yi made an indignant noise, but Sima Hua raised his hand up to stop Sima Yi's upcoming argument. "Not yet anway."
"Why not?" Sima Yi said grudgingly.
"Because, such valuable information should not just be given away for free! I want something in return. Just because you're my grandson, doesn't mean you get all the spells you want for free. I want you to do something for me, first." Sima Hua clarified.
"We'll do anything. What is it?" Zhang He asked desperately.
"I want you, any number of you, to slay the fiend Yu Ji. He lives in this area and is spreading bad rumors about me. He is an evil sorcerer who uses the worst of black magic." Sima Hua said.
"He can't be any worse than Zhuge Liang. . ." Sima Yi said snidely. Siam Hua's eyebrows rose.
"Zhuge Liang? My little student? You . . . know him?" The old man asked amazedly.
"Y-your student? You taught Zhuge Liang?" Sima Yi demanded, eyes wide.
"Why, of course! Don't you remember? He was such a smart boy, he had such great potential. He learned faster than any student I ever met. In fact, I taught him all I knew in only three years. That boy was a genius. You two used to know each other, you know. I remember he accompany me when I'd visit your father and you two were friends. But you were very little then, he was about five or six years older." Sima Hua reminiscenced fondly.
"That isn't possible! Zhuge Liang is evil! He possessed me and tried to kill my friends!' Sima Yi contradicted. Sima Hua shook his head sternly.
"Oh, no, no, no. Zhuge Liang might've had power, but he was never evil. Not in the slightest." Sima Hua said all knowingly.
"I simply cannot believe it. After all the things he did?" Sima Yi asked, looking stubborn.
"There is a floor beneath the river's surface, my grandson. I know a spell to show us what Zhuge Liang is doing, we will see if he is evil or not. But this is not the time for spells. You all must be very tired; I'll show you to some rooms. You should get a good sleep, for tomorrow, you shall eliminate that bad Yu Ji for me, hm? That's right, off to bed with you." The little old man cooed, pushing them all gently up the stairs. As the walked down the warm hallways he stopped at the first door on the right. He looked at Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao.
"I expect you two will want to share a room?" He asked. Zhou Yu looked down at the tiny female at his side and blushed. He nodded shallowly and led Xiao Qiao, whom was too busy studying the painting on the wall with her eyes to notice, inside. Into the next room Mitsuko was left, then Gan Ning and Zhou Tai were left to the twin room. Zhang He smiled to think what horrors Zhou Tai would bestow upon Ning if he 'Ninged' during the night or bounced upon the mattress. Sun Ce and Da Qiao left them next, and Sima Yi and Sun Shang Xiang afterwards. Finally, Diao Chan and Zhang He came to the last door in at the end of the hall.
"You two have a nice night." Sima Hua said in a cheerful voice as he opened up the door to let them inside Diao Chan trotted in and Zhang He bowed to Sima Hua and stepped in himself.
This inside of the room looked comfortable and lived in. Several fluffy mats were place around an urn with burning logs in it and a bamboo shade covered the window. Outside the window it was snowing steadily, but none of the flakes found their way inside. A large, comfortable looking futon with a heavy red and gold painted blanket was placed on a lacquered black stand. To the right were two paper shade floor lamps and on the right side of the bed was an elegant, golden shougi screen. Another paper shade lamp, lit with a candle, hung from the ceiling and the walls were adorned with wood block prints and scrolls.
"Wow, this is . . . nice." Diao Chan said, looking around and inspecting all the little things in the room.
"Would you look at this bed?" Zhang He said happily as he sat down on the futon and tested it with his hand. "So comfortable." Diao Chan sat next to him and sighed in delight. She let herself fall back onto the soft folds of the blanket.
"It's nice not having to sleep outside for now." She said jadedly. "I'll have a good rest for a change." She continued, nuzzling her cheek into the softness. Zhang He lowered himself down on the bed carefully and shut his eyes with a sigh when he was finally relaxing.
"I know what you mean . . ." He said happily. Diao Chan looked around at the room and it's décor and smiled a bit. She reached for her shoes and tossed them in the corner and then let her hair down. Zhang He copied her and undid the ponytail in his hair and removed the more uncomfortable or metallic articles of his outfit.
"I had a room like this when I was back with Dong Zhou. It was a nice place, but . . ." She left off.
"Was it bad there?" Zhang He asked, now looking at her. She nodded her head and a worry line appeared between her brows.
"It was awful." She said with a bit of woe. "Dong Zhou is such a pig. He had no respect for women. Wait, no, scratch that. He has no respect whatsoever. He is the lowest form of human life on this planet." Diao Chan said bitterly.
"What sort of thing did he do? Besides killing innocent people, I mean. . ." Zhang He added.
"Well, I don't know about the other girls. We were all kept in separate rooms so we couldn't think of escape plans or such things. There were about twenty of us, including myself, and at any given time, night or day, we would be called out of our rooms to cater to his every whim. Oh, and he smells awful and his teeth are yellow and he's always eating! And at time he needed us to help him guzzle as much food as possible. Oh, it was revolting. And if we flinched or gagged he'd have us executed. My poor friends . . . He'd also make me sing all day until it hurt to talk, because I was his favorite toy. There were other things too, but let's not go into detail. My only friends there were Ro Sai, Jei Ka, Wei Ni, and Ying Chang. Ying Chang was executed right there in the throne room. They didn't even clean up her body for a week or something. It was the worst; sometimes Lu Bu would come in for a little 'partying' as well. I hate them both, I hate everything about them. I wish they would die slowly and painfully after being humiliated." She ended spitefully.
"I wish I could get back at them for you, but that's way out of my league. Perhaps with an alliance with Shu and Wei and we could eliminate that villain." Zhang he said strategically.
"I'm happy that you took me away form there, Zhang He. You really are my hero." She said affectionately, resting her head on his stomach. "I was dead before I met you." Zhang He reached down and put his hand on top of her head and lightly fingered through her hair. "But . . ." She continued. "I feel like I've betrayed my father. I promised him I'd slay Dong Zhou and Lu Bu, but now I'm sitting here, running from my duties."
"I could start a campaign this spring to get him, if that's what you want." Zhang He offered, but Diao Chan shook her head.
"I shouldn't have brought it up, I don't want you getting hurt. I'll just never return to my father. He'll think I was killed." Diao Chan shrugged it off.
"What if you ever want to get married?" Zhang He couldn't help but asking. Diao Chan fingered her bottom lip and looked bewildered.
"I never really thought of that. . ." She said earnestly.
"You can't get married without you father legally giving you over to the groom's family, and unless you never want to get married, I'd say you have a problem." Zhang He said softly, still playing with her hair.
"I don't want to think about it now . . ." Diao Chan gave up. She got up on her knees and crawled over to the head of the bedding and threw back the comforter. She crawled between the warm blanket and the mattress and covered herself up. "I'm tired . . ." She yawned. Zhang He moved in beside her and put an arm around her slender waist and she moved p against him. They lay there for a long time and Zhang he lost track of really everything. He was just about to nod off when he heard Diao Chan mumbling beside him. At first Zhang He ignored it, thinking she must e talking in her sleep, but when he listened to her words he felt more alarmed.
"She's . . . in the ground . . . still waiting. . . the . . . the. . . ropes . . . the blades . . ." She garbled in a way that struck fear and wonder into Zhang He's heart. "The waters . . . the flames. . . Coming for me . . . But she's lost . . . in . . . the dark . . .in . . . the . . . ground . . ." Zhang He's heart was almost pounding. He leaned over and brought his lips next to Diao Chan's ear.
"W-who's in the ground?" He whispered almost not wanting to know the answer.
"I can't . . .remember . . ." She sighed. Zhang He waited for her to resume mumbling, but she grew silent. He lay back and rested again and soon fell asleep. He dreamt once again of the woman with the long black hair and the blank eyes. There was nothing really clear in this dream, but he distinctly remembered her face.
He awoke feeling very cold and sore. When he stretched his joints creaked and felt like they hadn't been moved for ages. As he sat up he groaned and his back cracked a little. After massaging his sore joints and muscles for a couple of minutes, he shook Diao Chan awake. After being out of sleep for a few minutes, Diao Chan discovered she had the same ailments as Zhang He.
"Did you have weird dreams, as well?" Zhang He asked, helping her out of the bed and onto the harshly cold floors.
"As a matter of fact, I did. Have you seen my shoes?" She said incredulously, searching around for the missing articles. Zhang He spotted them in the corner and went to retrieve them for her.
"Were they about a girl with long black hair?" Zhang he asked as he handed them to her.
"No, they were about you actually. Well, sort of. It was like you had cut your hair and wore it without a ponytail." She said, fitting her delicate feet into the pale purple shoes. Zhang He grabbed his shoes next and sat beside her to put them on. Inspired by her words, he grabbed the purple ties and did up his hair in a matter of seconds.
"What was I doing?" Zhang He asked, recalling the look alike himself in his own dreams.
"Being hurt . . ." She said a bit darkly. "It was a horrible dream. You were bound with ropes, there were cuts all over your face, your skin was looked like when you're in water for too long, and there were scorch marks everywhere. I keep having that sort of dream, except sometimes it's me, and sometimes it's these four ladies I can't recognize." Diao Chan said in a sort of frightened voice. "I don't like them one little bit."
"Odd . . ." Said Zhang He, putting the golden hairpiece back on his head. "I wonder what that could all mean."
"I don't know, but I really don't want to find out, either." Diao Chan said as she stood up. "Now, let's get down and start on that mission." She said heading for the door.
Everyone else, including Sima Hua, were already downstairs and speaking with one another in the sitting room.
"Ah, Zhang He, Diao Chan!" Sima Yi said cheerfully, he turned to his grandfather. "Now can we go over the maps?" Sima Hua nodded and produced a long, rolled-up scroll form his robes. He laid it on the table in front of them all and slowly unraveled the yellowed paper. On it was a general map of the area they we're in, and though probably accurate, not very legible.
"This is the Shu-Gong mountain area, and this little dot here," He moved his finger to a location on the paper and tapped it once. "Is my home. Your job is to go to this area," He made a circle on the map with his finger around a place that looked about three or four inches from the dot. "Where Yu Ji lives. He's a vicious little bastard, you should all be careful."
"Why again is it you want him dead, Grandfather?" Sima Yi inquired. Siam Hua narrowed his eyes.
"He's making a nuisance of himself. During the summer he steals my sheep and uses them in his own evil magic, he spreads bad rumors about my status, and me, and he steals my spells that I invented all by myself. And he's not nice." He ended childishly.
"Right, we'll get on it right away." Sima Yi said standing up affirmatively.
"Wait, Sima Yi." Zhang He said, halting his movements. "I don't think all of us should go."
"What? Why not?" He asked, sounding indignant.
"Because, we shouldn't just barge in if we're on an assault mission and it will be easier to sneak around with less people." Zhang He explained cool headedly. Sima Yi considered for a moment.
"I suppose you're right." He said thoughtfully. "But then, who will go?"
"I think I should choose the stealthiest, quickest, most powerful, and perhaps the most distracting if turns out to be harder to sneak than we thought. So I think I shall choose Zhou Yu, Sun Shang Xiang, and Xiao Qiao."
All at once everyone broke into a chorus of protesting of why he or she was the best one to choose, and how they would do a better job, and 'how could you leave me behind?', and this and that.
"Quiet!" Zhang He interjected. "That's who I'm taking! You'll all get over being left behind, I guarantee it."
"My Lord . . ." Growled Zhou Tai. "Please allow me to accompany you. My son might need protection." Zhou Yu flushed, crossed his arms and looked away angrily, breathing through his nostrils audibly. His lips were pursed, but he managed to looking only remotely annoyed.
"I . . . suppose . . .alright, you can come with us. Yes, and that way I can leave Xiao Qiao behind when we sneak in if we need to call for backup." Zhang he said a bit slowly. He heard a tiny sigh from Zhou Yu and Zhou Tai bowed and went to retrieve his Katana.
"Hey, Ning!" Zhang he said energetically to Gan Ning who perked up at once and rose to his feet with a small 'ning' of understanding. "Want to go get our weapons? The Talons, Double Fans, Chakrams, and big long sword. You got it?"
"Got it, NING!" and he raced up the stairs as fast as his powerful legs would take him. Minutes later everyone was standing outside in the snow, Xiao Qiao, Zhou Yu, Sun Shang Xiang, and Zhang He dressed in attire suitable for trudging around in snow.
"I wish you all good luck." Sima Hua said, shivering in his thin robes.
"Thank you, Sima Hua." Zhang He replied, bowing respectively. Suddenly Xiao Qiao trotted quickly past him and kneeled in the snow a couple of feet away.
"Ooh! What are these pretty things?" She asked enchantedly. Zhang He and everyone else craned their necks to what it was she liked so much. Sima Hua ambled slowly to where she sat and peered slowly over her shoulder. About two feet in front of her were a collection of identical round things, poking out of the snow, that had darker gray lines going up them.
"Ohh, those are Snow Flower buds. They grow all over the place around here." He explained.
"What do they looked like when the bloom?" Xiao Qiao asked excitedly. Siam Hua laughed a bit and patted her on the head.
"To be honest, I've never seen one for myself. You see, the snow flower is a rare and beautiful magical wonder. Thousands of buds will grow every winter, but only one will bloom out of them all. The product is said to be the most gorgeous flower in existence that only a handful of people have ever seen. They survive only where it's cold and wilt completely about twenty-four hours after being picked. The legend goes that if any man presents a snow a flower to his girl of choice, they are destined to fall in love, if he keeps it for himself he shall have the best of good luck for ten years, and if he gives it to his Lord he shall be blessed by riches. Naturally, many have looked for it, but I'd say only one out of a hundred actually finds it."
"Wow, I sure would like to see that! Flowers are so nice!" She put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment. "They're nice, but not as good as puppies!" She said happily. Sima Hua laughed again and helped her to her feet and pushed her along gently.
"You'd better get along now." He said. Zhang He knew it was time to leave to he walked up to Diao Chan and embraced her. She hugged him back and nuzzled her head on his chest.
"I'll be right back, don't worry." He said in her ear. "Love you . . ." She slowly broke away.
"Come back soon." She said affectionately, looking into his eyes. He smiled, but his gaze strayed over to Sun Shang Xiang and Sima Yi, who were also holding one another. He smiled and gestured to them with his head to Diao Chan.
"A job well done, I'd say." He said grinning. She nodded as well and smiled. To their left the Qiaos were bidding one another goodbye and Zhou Yu and Zhou Tai were standing expectantly on the path. Zhang He sadly let go of Diao Chan's hands and strayed down the path. She waved a final goodbye, her face wearing a melancholy smile. As Sun Shang Xiang walked beside Zhang He, brandishing her shiny Chakrams and humming slightly he padded along the snow covered path. He kept looking back over his shoulder until Diao Chan and the rest of them were out of sight.
"So, what kind of house are we looking for?" Sun Shang Xiang asked cheerfully.
"Any house. There's not much else except for trees, so any building at all could be it." Zhang He said thoughtfully.
"Keep on your guard. He sounds like a madman to me . . ."Zhou Tai snarled, fingering his blade.
"He's not going to pop out of the bushes, screaming and flailing around, father . . ." Zhou Yu said harshly. Zhou Tai eyed him severely but said nothing. Xiao Qiao was busily checking all the bushes and clearing around them, searching relentlessly for the fabled Snow Flower.
"I bet it's the prettiest thing EVER!" She said happily as she ran by Zhang He to investigate the bushes to his right. Zhang He looked after her for a moment.
"You mean you don't care about the luck, love or riches? All you want to do is see it?" Zhang He asked, walking up to her side. She put a finger to her lips and thought for a moment.
"I guess I could use one of them, but I'd like to see it most of all." She pondered.
"I'd go for riches. Then I could buy a big house for Diao Chan and myself to live in. But I don't have a lord . . .I wonder how that would work." Zhang He said, sharing his opinion.
"Would you let Sima Yi live with you? And Zhou Yu? And Sun Ce?" She asked, trotting briskly to keep up with his wide steps.
"Of course. I would also let you and you sister and Sun Shang Xiang and everyone of Shi come live with us." Zhang He smiled, taking the preconceived plan between his brothers and him and altering so it wouldn't seem obvious. Xiao Qiao laughed at the idea.
"That'd be pretty crowded house." She giggled. "Would there be a pond with orange fishes in it? And could we adopt puppies?" It was Zhang He's turn to laugh.
"Sure, why not?" He said in a carefree way, breathing in the fresh mountain air.
By that evening there was no sign of Yu Ji's lair, or the elusive Snow Flower. The temperature was harsh and everyone huddled close around the measly fire. Zhang He thought it was much darker and colder here than before, but he concluded it must be his own mind playing tricks on himself. Every twig that would break in the distance or every bit of snow that fell from the trees made him jump. After the tent had been set up (They decided to all sleep together because the body heat from everyone would make it more comfortable) everybody wrapped up in a warm wool blanket and sat as close as possible to his or her neighbor, listening to the sounds of the soft wind outside.
Zhang He went dreamily over every dilemma in his life and realized there were a lot more than he thought. Would they ever find Yu Ji? Would everyone be all right when they came back? Would he ever resolve this war? Find Guo Tu again? Yuan Shao? Would Diao Chan ever defeat Lu Bu and Dong Zhou? Would the Qiao sisters ever find a new home? Would Sun Shang Xiang ever cook well? Would Zhou Yu ever say what his past was? Would Sun Ce ever get over his maturity issues? Would Sima Yi ever find true happiness? What about Wei? Was Cao Cao infuriated at Zhang he for betraying him? And what about Xiahou Dun? Was Zhuge Liang as evil as they assumed he was? Zhang He remembered him to be quite rude and prying, but he also recalled and pained sadness behind his features, as if he was forced to be the way he was. All this thinking made Zhang He's head hurt and he moaned in discontent. He lay back against the side of the tent and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind completely. In a few moments he fell into a drowsy sleep.
He dreamed he was climbing a silver ladder against a black stone wall to the sky. Just above his reach was something shiny that hovered quickly zipping around near his fingertips. Every time he took a step up to catch it, it just moved farther ahead. He was just about to give up hope when suddenly everything froze. There was no wind, the clouds stood still, and Zhang He leaped up a step and his fingers started moving in around it. They were just about to clasp, just above to touch when. . .
"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Zhang He awoke with a start to find Xiao Qiao being yanked roughly out of the tent. There was some blood around her lips and she was struggling and fighting relentlessly. Zhang He sprang to his feet and grabbed her other arm before she could disappear through the mouth of the tent. "Help me Zhang he! Don't let him get me!" She yelped hysterically. Zhou Yu was suddenly at Zhang He's side, pulling Xiao Qiao in as well. Soon Sun Shang Xiang and Zhou Tai were helping as well, but for some strange reason, Xiao Qiao would not come free. An arm cloaked in a white silk sleeve suddenly burst into view and barred around Xiao Qiao's neck. Zhang he noticed the hand was bleeding and there were bite marks on it, showing why Xiao Qiao had blood on her mouth.
"Let her go or I'll kill her!" A sharp voice said from the other side. Zhang He begrudgingly released his grip, as did the rest of them. Xiao Qiao, looking terrified, was pulled slowly through the tent and away. Zhang He, followed closely by the rest of them, grabbed their weapons and raced outside.
There, a pernicious looking man with a sharp face and pointed black beard stood, holding Xiao Qiao captive. The night sky was dark, save a few bright stars and a crescent moon, but Zhang He could make out his feature quite well. He smiled cruelly, stepping backwards into the snow, taking the frightened girl with him.
"Hold it, right there!" Zhang He warned, readying the Metal Talons. The man stopped, but he looked rather amused instead of willing to leave.
"Who are you, little men?" He asked languidly, his voice being as sharp as his complexion.
"We are from the Kingdom of Shi. We are running an errand for Sima Hua and mean you no harm." Zhang He said, thinking he could perhaps avoid violence this time around.
"Sima Hua? That old windbag? HA! You're nothing but a league of fools! And since you are trespassing on my property I think you are the villain, here! Now, I shall be very kind to you. I have pined for a wife for a long while, and this one shall do nicely. I take the girl; you keep your lives and leave this place at once!" The man demanded.
"Fat chance, you pompous moron! Who do you think you are anyway?" Zhou Yu growled much like his father as he grasped the sword handle, making his knuckles white.
"I don't think I am anyone, I know I am the mighty Yu Ji! Depart, rubes!" He commanded, bringing Xiao Qiao, who was struggling, down the path with him.
"It is you whom we have been sent to slay!" Zhang He shouted. "Stand and fight, you coward!" Yu Ji turned slowly, a wicked smile forming on his lips.
"You wish to battle, stupid man? You wish to face me, knowing nothing of my magic?" He cackled a high and cold laugh. "As you wish! Bear witness to the great and powerful magic of Yu Ji!" Zhang He rushed at Yu Ji, bringing his Talon back for a long, strong swipe. Even when Zhang He was a few feet away, he could tell something was wrong. Yu Ji was making no attempt to dodge, he just stood smiling, when Zhang He was closing in, he pushed Xiao Qiao out of the way and opened his guard even more. Just as Zhang He was about to sink the cold metal into his flesh, his entire body froze in midair.
"What?" He said, astounded and bit frightened.
"Oh, you got stopped . . . Poor, little boy. . ." Yu Ji cooed mockingly, holding his hand out, keep the magic steady. "Don't worry, I'll let you down . . . after you go for a little ride!" Zhang He's body was suddenly free, but he had no time to react a he was suddenly wrenched forward into the sky. He went higher and higher, watching his friends below him get smaller and smaller. All at once he stopped and for a spilt second hovered in midair, before he plummeted down towards earth. His heart raced with fear as he neared the crash and all to soon his fell down in the snow, landing on his back. His head snapped back in the impact, nearly knocking him out. Zhang He moaned in pain, and grasped his head nearly missing cutting himself with his own weapon. Sun Shang Xiang ran to his side as Zhou Yu stepped forward.
"Are you okay?" She asked, supporting Zhang He's upper body into a sitting position. Zhang He fought back the urge to faint and nodded limply, relying entirely on Sun Shang Xiang.
"A nice trick, Yu Ji, but you won't get me that way." Zhou Yu said, frowning fiercely as he tried to round Yu Ji and get Xiao Qiao, but Yu Ji was too fast. He seized her by the wrist and pulled her to his side once again.
"Yes, I can see by your aura you know white magic . . ." Yu Ji said, closing his eyes. He snapped them open again. "A good counter, but not enough to save you, I'm afraid. Try this one out for size!" There was a puff of smoke in which no one could see. After everyone's coughing had subsided and the smoke cleared, a strange sight met their eyes. Yu Ji was gone and in the area where he stood were seven Xiao Qiao's, each identical to the next. One of the screamed, then so did another and another.
"Zhou Yu, help me!" One cried.
"Don't believe him, Zhou Yu, I'm the real one!" Another said.
"You big, fat, mean, liar!" One said from the left. One from the middle started crying. They all suddenly went into different outbursts, all sounding exactly like Xiao Qiao.
"Which one do I strike?" Zhou Yu asked, looking around at all of them. Suddenly, one jumped at him from the back and started to choke him. Zhou Yu gasped and managed to hit it with the sword. It stabbed into her and she screamed, blood leaping from the wound. A few second later, she disappear in another puff of smoke. Another smoke explosion and Yu Ji reappeared, holding Xiao Qiao.
"Fun, isn't it?" He smiled evilly. "I can be anyone I want!" A puff of smoke. Six Zhang He's. Another puff. Six Zhou Tai's, complete with Katanas.
"Come on, son! Don't you know your own father?" The front one growled realistically. The real Zhou Tai, who was behind Zhang He, clasped his fist.
"That's a dirty trick . . . I'll make you pay." Quick as lightening Zhou Tai whipped out his Katana. With speed that could match the wind, he was in the middle of the Zhou Tais, slashing wildly, but as it turned out, they were just as fast as he was. Soon, he was lost in the fray. Puffs of smoke and rivers of blood here and there signaled one of the fake ones had been taken down, but it was still just as confusing. Suddenly, Zhou Tai cried out and fell to the floor. His shoulder sported a nasty gash and was bleeding freely into the snow. The remaining Zhou Tais stepped back and transformed back into Yu Ji. Zhou Tai retreated back next to Zhang He, putting pressure on his shoulder.
"Two down, two to go!" He said happily. "I can make this fun. . ." he transformed into ten Zhou Yus this time but made no attempt to attack.
"Which one, which one?" One in the back chorused as they grouped around Zhou Yu. Suddenly one tired to strike another with the sword but they guarded. Another pair copied this move. Soon, Zhou Yu was lost among them.
"Come, little girl. Find the real one!" A Zhou Yu challenged. Sun Shang Xiang carefully laid Zhang He down and stood up, collecting her Chakrams.
"This will be easy!" She said, almost smiling. "Only the real Zhou Yu would know the names of his sworn brothers." She said.
"Sima Yi, Zhang He, and Sun Ce!" They all said simultaneously. Sun Shang Xiang recoiled suddenly.
"B-but that's impossible! Can you read minds as well?" She said, astounded. "Oh, well. I'll just have to break your stupid little trick, the slice you into little pieces!" She rushed forward, viciously attacking the first Zhou Yu she came upon. His shoulder severed and for a moment, everyone thought she'd killed the real one. When he disappeared in smoke, they all let out a sigh of relief.
"Sun Shang Xiang, don't use killing blows! Zhou Yu is in there somewhere!" Zhang He warned, venturing to stand. Xiao Qiao was behind all the Zhou Yus, and every time she tried to move, one would block her.
"That one can't be real!" Sun Shang Xiang screeched as she charged for the one blocking Xiao Qiao. She jumped up and came down, cleaving his arm off before he dissipated. Zhang he's stomach was churning, even though he knew it wasn't really Zhou Yu, the image of him being mauled was still disturbing. Sun Shang Xiang appeared to have no problem though, as she severed heads and chopped limbs. Soon, only four remained. As she made a clean cut along one's torso, Zhang He suddenly noticed the secret. The fake ones showed no fear before they were terminated.
"Sun Shang Xiang! The fake one's don't-" He began, but suddenly his body and lips were frozen again. He caught a quick and tormenting smile from one Zhou Yu as he turned to fight Sun Shang Xiang. She obviously realized that there was secret, for she only made a tiny cut along one of the nearest Zhou Yu's leg and he disappeared. Only three left. She looked nervously from one to the other. No one made a move; all the Zhou Yus wore identical expressions of tension.
"Zhou Yu! Where are you?" She cried in fear, her eyes darting among them.
"It's me, Sun Shang Xiang!" One said earnestly.
"Don't fall for it! I'm the real one!" Another said truthfully.
"How can you believe that liar?" The last spat bitterly. She stood, looking at them all, knowing the difficult situation and daring not make a move. One was a copy, one was Yu Ji, and another was Zhou Yu. It was a win, lose, draw situation . . . Suddenly, Xiao Qiao made a break for it and two of the Zhou Yus ran at her. Sun Shang Xiang acted quickly, stabbing the first brutally in the spine and shortly after he was gone. Xiao Qiao froze, putting her hands over her eyes.
"THAT'S YU JI!" She yelled triumphantly at the other who ran for Xiao Qiao, preparing to strike. He cringed and fell back covering his face with his hands.
"Sun Shang Xiang! NO!!" He yelled in a terrified way. She slashed a line across his side and stabbed near to his knees. He fell on the ground, screaming in pain as the churned up snow around him was stained red. Sun Shang Xiang panted, still wearing her satisfied grin. She looked over at the remaining Zhou Yu and grinned. But suddenly Zhang He's heart turned to ice as the Zhou Yu gave a cruel, malevolent smile in return.
"Oh, Gods, no . . ." She yelled, sinking to her knees with a detached and horrified expression. She crawled over to the injured Zhou Yu next to her and fell gently over him. "I'm so sorry Zhou Yu, oh I'm so sorry. . ." She sobbed. Xiao Qiao crawled over to him and hugged him around his neck, on the brink of tears as well.
"Why do I love the sound of a crying woman so much?" The standing Zhou Yu said, ambling over to Zhou Yu's crumpled form. He grabbed her by the arm and tugged her off Zhou Yu, but her legs refused to move. She wailed and screamed and kicked her legs just like a baby having a tantrum.
"Zhou Yuuuuuuuu . . ." She screamed, flailing violently, wrenching Yu Ji around. " I hate you, bad man! Horrible mean nasty man!" She got up and kicked him fiercely in the shin and beat her fists on his chest. He cringed for a moment, then regain his stance.
"Shut up, you spoiled brat." He said harshly, turning back into Yu Ji. He put his arm around her neck again and started to walk off with her. Xiao Qiao sunk her teeth mercilessly into his arm and moved her head vigorously from side to side. Blood appeared on his sleeve and he dropped her onto the ground with a shout of pain.
"Why, you little!" He said, seething with anger. "You shall be punished severely!" She tried to scurry away, but he picked her up by the waist and slung her over his shoulder. She wriggled and fought, but couldn't get free. Zhang He tried to get up but he fell down as soon as he got to his feet. He noticed Zhou Tai was at Zhou Yu side, talking in a soft tone.
"Leave, or I'll come back and destroy you all!" Yu Ji warned, before making a circle in the air with his finger and teleporting away. With great difficulty, Zhang He crawled over to where Zhou Yu lay. Zhou Tai had produced bandages from somewhere and was dressing Zhou Yu's wound.
"Zhou Yu, are you alright?" Zhang He asked, rubbing his back.
"I t-think so. . ." He said, his eyes scrunched closed in pain. "Where's Xiao Qiao?"
"That creep got her." Zhang He said softly. Sun Shang Xiang had her hands clapped over her mouth and her eyes were still moist, puffy and red.
"No! I'll kill him, I -" Zhou Yu tried to rise and burst of blood stained the bandages.
"Stay right there!" Zhou Tai scolded harshly. "You're already hurt badly as it is! Come here, help me get him inside." Sun Shang Xiang hoisted Zhou Yu's shoulders up and Zhang He got unsteadily to his feet and hobbled into the tent.
Once they were inside, Zhang He and Zhou Yu were laid side by side. Zhou Tai craned over Zhang He and started fingering his belly.
"You took quite a nasty fall. I'm just checking for any signs of internal bleeding. Does you head feel hot on the inside?" He asked.
"No, but my mind feels a little fuzzy." Zhang He said.
"Doesn't sound like a brain hemorrhage . . . You'd have probably been dead in five minutes if it were, anyway . . ." He said, moving over to Zhou Yu.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know so much about injuries?" Zhang He asked.
"My wife studied under her father, who was a excellent healer." He murmured without looking at Zhang He.
"Where . . . Where is your wife?" Zhang He couldn't stop himself from asking. Zhou Tai didn't answer for a long moment.
"She died years ago, my Lord." Zhou Tai replied in a toneless voice.
"Oh . . . I'm sorry . . ." Zhang He said, his heart giving a tiny leap.
"You'd better get some sleep, we'll get the girl when you've healed . . ." Zhang He felt a heavy blanket be lain on top of him by Sun Shang Xiang.
"She'll be okay . . ." She said as she put one on Zhou Yu as well.
"I hope . . ." Zhang He added in an undertone.