Trinity
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
Disclaimer: I do not own any character in this fanfic unless otherwise stated. Lu Xun, Gan Ning, Lü Meng, and all other characters are copyrighted to KEOI Productions and are used for fan reasons only. Please do not steal or alter this fic.
Hm…. Hua Seung seems to be shaping up semi-decent… though we all know he's an idiot and Sei Rong does all of the planning. Oh well… now, to add some spice and add OTHER characters. (like sexy Zhou Yu)
Chapter Two: Terror over the Horizon
"I've said it before and I will say it once again! Our southeastern border needs a tighter defense system!"
The emperor of Wu wondered what his brother Sun Ce saw in this man, especially now. It was a known fact that sleeping until late in the morning was a common curse to members of the Sun family, and Sun Quan was no different. However, unlike his brother Ce and his sister Shang Xiang, he was much easier to wake up, and safer to whomever had the task. If this was Sun Ce or Sun Shang Xiang that barged into his room and shook his shoulder, they would have gotten a kick STRAIGHT in the gut or another lower area.
However, lucky for Zhou Yu, Sun Quan had good self control, as he merely moaned, "It's barely morning, Zhou Yu… surely whatever you're complaining about can wait until noon?"
Zhou Yu kept his cool head as he watched the attendants try pull the emperor out from the bed. This wasn't like Sun Quan, he thought, wondering if it was his friend playing a trick on him. He sighed, trying to hurry the attendants and the tired emperor along, "If it COULD wait until midday, then I wouldn't be up and about in my bed robes, my Lord."
"Give me a minute, then… I'm not as fast on my feet as my brother…"
Zhou Yu gave a quick bow before leaving the bedroom and retreating into the hallway to give him the time he needed. The way he presented himself was only so obvious that something WAS wrong, Sun Quan feared as he robed himself. What could possibly work him up?
The first thing that came to Sun Quan's mind was Jingzhou province and the thorn in his key strategist's side. Perhaps Zhuge Liang did something to peeve him off again, and if THAT was the case, then Quan was going to have a good say-so in the matter to silence Zhou Yu and go back to sleep to be rested up to fuss at him some more.
But no, surely that wasn't the cause, Sun Quan though, tightening the ropes around his red velvet robes and going to catch up with him. If Zhou Yu said it was an emergency, then it must have been.
Now, he was a bit more presentable, and the purple-beard, green eyed ruler looked into Zhou Yu's concerned brown eyes, seeing the slight distress. "What news do you have, Zhou Yu?"
"Scouts have reported in with disturbing news," Zhou Yu began, keeping his voice calm and smooth, as if to deny the panic shown in his eyes. "It appears that we have invaders from the southern islands."
This wasn't too unusual, however, Sun Quan figured it was more then that. "You think they plan to attack us, then?"
Nodding, Zhou Yu continued, as the two headed towards Zhou Yu's quarters, to survey the maps. When they arrived there, the strategist pulled out the scroll and laid it gently along his table, pointing out the keypoints to his lord, "Our southern most border has always been our weakest as it lacks enough able men to build anything more then log walls and fishing boats. Obvious this new threat plans to take over that area and gain a stronghold in our land, and this will be NOTHING but trouble if we allow this."
So it was serious, Sun Quan thought, cursing himself now for neglecting the general area. He asked, "What troops do we have stationed there?"
"A mere three thousand to our expense, but Lord Lü Meng and Gan Ning are stationed there for the time being. If I'm not mistaken, Lu Xun has taken his temporary leave of duty there as well." Zhou Yu pointed out quickly, and he noticed the look on Sun Quan's face when he said 'a mere three thousand'.
"And what of the invaders? Any news on them?"
"The most we can get right now is that it is lead by a pirate named Hua Seung, and… my Lord, you may not believe this, but the scouts have counted and estimated how many men he has by the size of his fleet."
There was an odd moment of silence, but the emperor cut it with a knife, "How many are we going to have to deal with, Zhou Yu?"
"At least a million… perhaps more, sir."
At the mere THOUGHT of such a thing, Sun Quan felt his knees weaken, however, he kept his composure as he repeated the number. "A million?"
"A million." Zhou Yu could read the disbelief on his face, and, knowing it wouldn't be successful to repeat the number for a fourth time, he continued with his report, trying to ignore the rising alarm on his young lord's face. "From what we can see, this army seems to be led by a dark-skinned pirate, so they may not be as organized as they seem."
"Zhou Yu, don't sugar-coat things… you KNOW that even if they are unorganized seadogs that a force that large can quickly gain momentum if we allow them into our land!" Sun Quan muttered with slight despair, and it grew as he asked, "What's the conditions of our naval forces down there?"
By this time they had already caught some of the maid's attention, but Zhou Yu didn't let their presence bother him, giving the rather grim details. "That was my point, my lord. There are nothing but fishing boats and damaged warships, nothing that can be repaired by the time they dock."
Sun Quan's voice rose now, "Then how long will it take for our own navy to intercept them?"
"Not fast enough, I'm afraid…" Zhou Yu hated to say this; you could clearly see it in his eyes. "My lord, there is without a doubt that an army that size wants nothing more then to enter our land and conquer, and we cannot allow this to happen. It's not just the fate of Wu that will be on the line here; if we fall, then they will gain the momentum, use our supplies, and continue their march until all of China is under this new threat's command!"
He didn't have to say that, he knew, as he could see the seriousness in Sun Quan's green eyes as he read the map. He ran a finger along the paper, nearly smearing the ink with his finger. As if he needed someone to tell him of the ferocity behind this? This could not be passed up.
However, Zhou Yu continued, "Whatever we plan to do, we must act quickly. I suggest we inform the other kingdoms and we send a force to intercept, to hold them back from advancing. They only way we can defeat this million-man army is to combine our armies and fight as one."
"You realize that the other kingdoms may try to use this to their advantage, right?"
To this question, Zhou Yu replied swiftly, "I have no doubts that Zhuge Liang will attempt to gain some sort of advantage out of this; the very same from Cao Cao and Sima Yi. However, even knowing this, what other choice do we have, my Lord?"
There was a long moment of silence, one that anyone would have instantly pulled their hair out and gauge at their eyes. It took so long for Sun Quan to reply, as he seemed to lose feeling in his legs as he took a seat. "Do what is necessary for Wu… I only hope that Gan Ning, Lü Meng, and Lu Xun don't panic at the sight of this fleet."
"My Lord, they are our defense for now, so we have no choice but to rely in their skills to hold off the army until reinforcements arrive." Zhou Yu stated plainly, then, before leaving the room, he paused and added. "With a general as stern as Lü Meng, a pirate as brave as Gan Ning, and a boy as promising as Lu Xun, then we can all approach this problem a bit easier."
~*~*~*~
Had Lu Xun known that Zhou Yu had actually complimented another strategist besides himself, he would have been jumping with joy. However, he had more pressing issues; first of all was the killer headache that tore his brain in two, but it didn't take a genius to figure out where it came from…
What a night, he thought… never in his life had he drank so much! And out of this came two problems: he couldn't remember a THING about what exactly happened last night, and he felt quite content to just laze about in the stack of hay that served as his bed, ignoring the peeking sunlight.
Now he knew why Gan Ning was so lazy…
However, natural instincts weren't Lu Xun's friend today, as he rolled over, letting the sunlight soak his face before getting enough sense to raise his arm to block its evil rays. Any day but today, Lu Xun thought, refusing to answer the sun's call this time.
This would be the first time he'd ever slept past sun rise, he thought, as he was usually an early bird. However, all of the other days in his life he wasn't suffering from a killer hangover, and he promised himself to NEVER let anyone talk him into drinking like that ever again.
Curse that pirate, he thought, as he rolled over again, feeling his arm hit something soft and warm. And what was worse was that it gave a bleat and moved, brushing against the rest of his arm and beginning to nibble on his sleeve. It was then when Lu Xun gave in and opened his eyes to stare into the black orbs of the sheep.
"Wha… a sheep?"
With his eyes opened, Lu Xun figured that he might as well continued the process, gently sitting up without scaring off the animal. He was going to wonder how a sheep got into the inn when he found his answer, spotting two or three horses, two empty stables, and a single cow meant for milking. Why was he in a barn?
"What did I do last night?" He wondered aloud, fighting off the sharp pain in his head as he found the strength to stand. What a night indeed, he thought, eyeing the barn and trying to recollect his thoughts. "Hopefully nothing I would have regretted…"
Besides the animals there, he was the only one in the barn, and as his memories began to untangle themselves, he wondered where Lord Lü Meng and Gan Ning were…
"Oh, so he's awake!" Lu Xun turned to face the old woman, seeing her crinkling face through the crack of light from the now opened door. She gave him a genuine smile, and he hastened to present himself before her as she merely laughed, "Kind of young for a general, wouldn't you say?"
"Quite so, ma'am, but one is never too young to serve his nation." The young general pointed out, bowing his head to show his respect, even as she continued her odd cackling. She was a plump old woman, alright, quite a potato, but her face was so kind that Lu Xun easily saw past her bobbing stomach. "I apologize for my appearance… you see, last night was my-"
She hushed him, waddling into the barn and setting down the two buckets that were ready for milk. "Nonsense; what does a general like yourself have to explain to a commoner like myself? A youth like yourself wouldn't steal from an old woman like myself, especially if he thought of leaving this village in one piece!"
To this, Lu Xun only smiled, ready to offer his gratitude by helping her with her task when she began to shoo him off. "No need for that; that's a commoner's job, general! Besides, the ones that dragged you in here already did their share of work for you, though they might want to take a bath. These stables tend to get so messy, with only an old woman to care for the horses."
'Gan Ning and Lü Meng were here then…'
"Excuse me, ma'am, but do you know where I could find them?"
As she sat on the stool to begin her work, she gave him another genuine smile, her slanted eyes practically closed. "I remember the two; the older one with the worried eyes was so polite, quite like yourself, but I didn't care for that pirate too much. Too many experiences with pirates for me to care about, but nevertheless he seemed trustful."
Lu Xun gave a light sigh, wondering if Gan Ning ever got used to being called that, but he didn't read too much into it as the old woman gave him his answer, "They borrowed two of my finest horses to go look at the sea; I trust that two generals like themselves will be kind enough to bring them back. I've always been fond of Ying and Yang."
With his answer, Lu Xun gave another polite bow, cupping his fist into his hand as he spoke vividly, "I thank you then, madam, for offering me a place to stay. And I will be sure to remind them to return your horses when I see them."
"Oh, so polite! To a commoner, even! You'd make a mother so proud!" The old woman rose to give him a hug, nearly suffocating him between her giant breasts. Lu Xun forced himself to hold his breath and keep silent as she continued to hug him. "Too bad there isn't more of you around!"
Finally, he was released, and he gave one last bow before quickly leaving the barn. The old woman jiggled with laughter before returning to her duties, and, relieved that he could breathe again, Lu Xun tried to regain his bearings. He still hadn't a clue as to how he even GOT here, but he guessed that the two carried him here.
"Never again do I want to get THAT drunk… never again…"
He looked towards the east, to look at the beautiful morning that welcomed him. It wasn't until he rose his gaze when he saw a miasma lingering over the eastern horizon. Was that not the same place as the clusters the night before?
As he looked towards the unusual haze of the sky, finding himself lost in his thoughts easily. Perhaps something was approaching, something that the Heavens deemed worthy to give out warnings for? And, if this was the case, what could possibly come from the southeast?
'Perhaps a storm?' Lu Xun thought to himself, not realizing he was standing in the middle of the dirt road. He remembered the old pirate saying that he learned from Gan Ning. 'Red at night, sailor's delight. Red in the morning, sailors take warning…'
However, the sky was a clear blue, one that seemed to summon no bad omens. Except for the east, and as Lu Xun blinked, he swore it flashed red for a second, then back to it's dark bluish-gray. "Odd…"
"General Lu Xun!"
The young general rose his head, snapping out of his trance and looking at the soldier that rushed towards him. The look on his face was enough, and though the soldier was a few years older than him, he fell to his knees and nearly sobbed, presenting himself at Lu Xun's feet and giving the young general a start. "General Lu Xun, Lord Lü Meng and General Ning are waiting for you! Go quickly, sir!"
Lu Xun could almost see his tears, as he helped the soldier up, forgetting his leave, "Sir, please calm down. Where are they?"
"A few feet ahead, sir, staring at the fleet that has engulfed the ocean! Please hurry, young general!"
Wasting no time, Lu Xun broke out into a sprint, leaving the distressed soldier to pick himself up. He wasn't really paying attention, but the part that bothered him was the soldier's words… a fleet that engulfed the sea? It was not long before he spotted two flags, and he dashed up the hill, nearly slipping on the fresh morning dew a few times. Half way up there, one of the two generals spotted him, and Gan Ning gave a look that hinted slight despair. "Trust me… you DON'T want to look."
Why Lu Xun didn't heed his warning was answered through his curiosity, and the minute he got to the top of the hill, he instantly regretted not following the pirate's advice.
What laid before him was too hard to believe, as the ocean was nothing more then a naval fleet, each tainted with gray sails and filled to the rim with soldiers, all grasping their spears and having their bows slung across their back and chest. Horses' cries could almost make a song, distant yet building up, as if to warn creatures on shore to beware of the Million Man army.
The fleet was massive, and what other words could Lu Xun say then, "Shit…"
"A boy of your intelligence shouldn't utter such filthy words, Lu Xun…" Lü Meng replied in an oddly lifeless tone, as he, too, shared the same feelings as Lu Xun right about now. His concerned dark eyes stared at the sight before him as he finally swallowed the knot in his throat. "A fleet such as this… could easily be a threat to Wu's own…"
The pirate next to him gave a spat, trying to count the boats but losing count easily. "Ha! That's not it… they have separate boats for the horses even! And by the way they're holding their spears, I don't think they're hear for a friendly visit."
Lu Xun fell to his knees, finally taking a breath, "How can there be a naval fleet such as this? So… so many!"
Neither Lü Meng nor Gan Ning could give him a direct answer, and Lü Meng went to stand by the youth, trying to comfort him instead. "Intimidating as it seems, they're here for one thing; conquest. If they dock, it won't take long for them to find a stable place to stay…"
"If I hear one word about Zhou Yu and his 'I told you so', I'll slit his throat," Gan Ning grumbled, his fingers wrapping around the handle of his blade. He searched through the fleet, searching for the flagship to spot the commander. "Dammit, go figure they'd come directly for our weak spot, eh? Now what do we do?"
Lü Meng spoke, staring into the fleet with his eyes, as if to challenge them with that glare alone. There was something else in his eyes that Lu Xun noticed and admired; not only was there slight defiance, but a reality that he knew to be true. This was reality, and, even as fear shown in Lu Xun's own golden orbs, there was concern more than anything else in his superior's eyes. "There must be at least a million men aboard those ships, and I've heard of a rumor about such a fleet. Gan Ning, would you know of such a rumor?"
The pirate seemed a bit more relaxed now, as he gave a swift nod of his head, "Oh, aye aye captain! They're pirates, if that makes you feel better, but I can't be sure of exactly WHO they are unless I see their leader."
No sooner had he said this, Lu Xun gave a point, spotting the flagship, "That man at the head… could that be their commander?"
All eyes shifted to the flagship, and there he was, as plain as day. This man brought different reactions to each of them: to Lu Xun, amazement, to see a pirate such as this. To Lü Meng, his facial expression did not change, staring at the man and still showing his defiant eyes to him. However, Gan Ning wore a face of recognition, and he spoke aloud his name with venom, "Hua Seung! The old seadog!"
Yes, it was definitely him, as he had not changed at all from the last time he saw that devil. He was a devil then, and surely he was to be a devil now, as Gan Ning withdrew his blade and looked ready to leap onto the flagship at any moment. "I'd have his head if he ever shown himself to my face again! I said that before and I'll sure as hell do it now!"
"You know this man?"
"Of course I do! I was a pirate once, remember?" Gan Ning answered his friend, looking at him and then at Lu Xun, seeing his golden eyes wide and wondering if he was truly afraid or not. He tried to explain in the best way possible, keeping his gaze from the dark-skinned man. "Hua Seung and I were shipmates, old buddies… until he tried to proclaim mutiny to our captain. The idiot got him and myself kicked out… and after that we went separate ways. Oh, how I wish I could have taken his HEAD then!"
They could see fury within his eyes, and Lu Xun asked, finally getting himself off of the ground, "There's not doubt that with a fleet like that that he'll attack us, correct?"
That made the former pirate laugh, sounding bitter to the ears of the two next to him. "Without a doubt… he's always said he wanted to take the land he once called home…"
Lü Meng gave a spat, eyeing Hua Seung as he turned to the crippled man that walked up to him. "Who's that one?"
"Sei Rong… I'm surprised to see him still alive, the crippled old fool…" Gan Ning eyed the two as well, wishing he could read their lips to see what they were arguing about. "He's Seung's advisor and strategist, also his adopted father at one time, but I'm thinkin' their relationship hasn't been doing well. See the way he presents himself, Meng?"
"A wise man would know that stance well; Sei Rong doesn't particularly care to work for him, by the looks of it." Bringing his hand to his chin, Lü Meng gave his five o-clock shadow a good brush before giving a nod. "Perhaps this will give us an advantage in battle?"
Lu Xun watched the two, seeing how Hua Seung nearly knocked the crippled man down and pointed to the hilltop, where they stood. There was slight confusion until the young general spotted several arrows rise from the boats behind the flagship, and he heard Gan Ning shout, "Down!"
Rather it was Lü Meng or the pirate that grabbed him, Lu Xun was thrown to the ground, bringing his hands up to defend his face against the flock of arrows that whizzed over their heads. The horses gave their cries, turning about and fleeing down the hill, leaving the generals to fend for themselves. Why the arrows stopped was a question to them, one that would remain unanswered until Gan Ning dared look over the top, to investigate. "Holy shit! They knew we were here the entire time?!"
By the distance in Gan Ning's voice, Lu Xun figured it was Meng who was on top of him, as the general practically yelled in his ears. "I knew we should have found a safer place! Anyone hurt?"
"I'm good… what about you, kid?"
It took awhile for Lu Xun to answer, but after Lü Meng got off of him, he found his breath again, "I'm unharmed, sir."
As the two generals looked towards the ocean again, Lu Xun gave a deep sigh, feeling utterly useless. The pains of the hangover were long since gone, only to be clouded by a new growing fear. He wasn't afraid to admit that this new threat was indeed intimidating, however, seeing Gan Ning's and Lü Meng's calmness somehow soothed him, as he tried his best to cover his fear. With them here, perhaps there was nothing to fear.
"Well, he now knows we're here… so he will be expecting some sort of retaliation," Lü Meng stated, wondering how far the horses got in their mad dash of panic. He looked to his friend and the young officer, "Word has probably reached Jian Ye, so there is nothing much for us to do here. Lu Xun, prepare the civilians to evacuate the village-"
It was predictable for Gan Ning to argue, and Lü Meng seemed ready for it the minute the pirate opened his mouth. "Wait, so we're going to run?!"
"Surely you don't think we can STOP them, can you? Let us look at the statistics, Gan Ning. We are outnumbered well over a hundred to one, we have no battleships in condition for a naval battle, and we need more time to think about this before we act. A sound, defensive strategy is what we need here, not a suicide head-on attack."
And, of course, Gan Ning fought back, "What you want is to have us lock ourselves up in some castle so that we can either starve to death or allow them to tear down the walls upon us while we're waiting for some rescue party? That's cowardice!"
Lü Meng hardly argued, but now was different, and Lu Xun kept silent as the two looked ready to tear each other apart. "Anything that doesn't involve running in head-on is cowardice to you, but what use will our three dead bodies be to Lord Sun Quan? Use your head, you KNOW we're no match for such a force!"
"And you should use your heart- running will get us no where! Rather we run or not, we're going to have to face them!" Gan Ning gripped the handle of his blade and made a daring move, bringing it to his own throat for a second before turning it upon the silent Lu Xun. "Lü Meng, you know as well as I that if they dock and settle into our land, then we are as good as dead. I'd rather kill the kid and turn my blade upon myself before giving this threat a place to grow!"
Lu Xun held his tongue, just as Lü Meng grasped his own halberd to knock away the sword. Their weapons locked, and the general argued. "What other choice do we have?! We must evacuate the village, to save the civilians, and save our supplies and forces from falling into the hands of those pirates! The villagers will need someone to protect them, and once we regroup with our lord, THEN we can devise a plan to be rid of this invading force. We WILL fight them, just not NOW!"
They both were surprised when their weapons were lowered to the ground, and with his twin sabers, Lu Xun threatened them both, speaking with such force that left them speechless. "Whatever we do we MUST act now! Nothing will come from arguing like this, or we will have no choice but to face them now. Now please refrain from this nonsense so that we actually have a chance!"
As if to overlook him, the two generals glared at one another for a few seconds more before lowering their blades, and, greatly relieved, Lu Xun gave a deep sigh, losing all of his strength and falling to the ground to sit. It was an odd silence that they all hated, and, to spare the other two, Lü Meng broke it, "You're correct, Lu Xun. Forgive us for wasting what little time we have. But… if we're going to stop this force, we need a plan more successful then charging out head-first."
Gan Ning complied, fiddling with his sword halfheartedly. "Yeah… whatever we're going to do, let's do it now before it becomes out last resort."
"And quickly…" Lü Meng nodded, mentally thanking Lu Xun as he headed down the hill to retrieve the frightened horses. "Lord Sun Quan will want a full report; then we can decide upon our actions…"
No one argued, and Lu Xun didn't hesitate, following close behind with Gan Ning at the rear. The pirate looked towards the oceans once again, giving Hua Seung a glare before following after them. He stared at the back of Lu Xun's head for the longest of times before actually speaking, "Hey, kid, you aren't afraid, are you?"
When Lu Xun looked at him with those golden eyes, a hint of fear being pushed away by the sense to lie, to appear strong in front of the two friends. He could not answer, not now, and he said nothing, lowering his head. How could he possibly answer such a question?
However, Lü Meng came to his rescue, finally finding the horses and mounting, allowing Lu Xun to share his steed with him. "No time for that; we need to act quickly, before they dock! The future of Wu may depend upon it!"
And, grabbing his own horse, the pirate snorted, "Always a beam of sunshine, Lü Meng, pure and utter sunshine…"
~*~*~*~
Sei Rong knew he was in trouble the minute he ordered the archers to cease their fire. As expected, Hua Seung was upon him the minute the three men fell from behind the hill, and he prepared for the worse when the pirate captain bellowed, "What's the meaning of this, you old fool! I knew you'd betray me someday!"
The crippled man sat upon the deck's wooden floor, raising his hand to shield himself from the glare of the silver sword that dangled over his head at this very moment. He was used to such death threats, so he was prepared to cry out his excuses, "My captain, I do not betray you! I have my reasons; please hear them!"
That stopped the pirate for a second, but the sword still loomed, as Sei Rong explained himself, his aged voice wavering with every word he said. "We were spotted, yes, however, should we really waste our arrows on a mere three men?"
"Those three men could have been scouts," Hua Seung barked, lowering the blade an inch to watch the sweat rise from the old crippled man's brow.
"Or they could have just been villagers, we are not certain of who they were." Sei Rong continued, licking his dry lips as the angered pirate waited for him to continue on. "However, if they were scouts or even generals from an army that's settled there, should we risk letting out such violent invitations to war?"
The pirate snapped, "Quit beating around the bush!"
"Since you have fired upon them, they will no doubt send a force to intercept us when we dock and they will be prepared for us, my captain and lord."
"… And?"
Having regained a little of his strength again, the pirate's advisor dared to stand up, trying to stand as straight as possible but failing horribly. "Sir, you may not realize exactly how low on supplies we are after every battle, after every campaign and journey. It takes more than just men and sheer strength to conquer lands, especially one as large as this."
He must have said something that the pirate didn't like, as the icy, greasy fingers wrapped tightly around his throat and raise him into the air, to show off his formidable strength. Sei Rong gasped for air, as Hua Seung spoke bitterly, "How dare you insult me like that? Are you saying that my army is weak?!"
"N-n-no my Lo-rd! I-I was t-trying t-t-t-to say that we-are low-on-supplies!"
As quickly as he was attacked, he was released, and Sei Rong could hardly hear Hua Seung's words over his own coughing. "What? For how long?"
It took a few good seconds for Sei Rong to answer, "We're not out, but I-would suggest we try a somewhat different approach to capturing the closest city."
Their usual way was a forceful entry, and even Hua Seung knew the risks of that. He wasn't too sure about this land, so the nearest place for him to hold his camp could be as close as it was far from their own ships. And carrying the supplies with them always slowed them down, something that Hua Seung couldn't stand. Finally, he asked, "What do YOU suggest we do then, Sei Rong?"
Somehow, the crippled had quelled the beast into listening to reason, and, without fear of his life being cut short, Sei Rong explained his plan to his lord, not daring to leave out a single detail. Perhaps, he thought as he was awaiting his lord's approval, there was a way to quell Hua Seung for good?
~*~*~*~
A/N: Geez, this chapter took longer then I thought… so much work I must do, for school, and a lot of fanfics to catch up on (BMTL and RTMW). I can't promise that either will be updated within the next week, but look forward to those two being updated during or a bit after the Thanksgiving Holidays.
By Gingivere the Shadowreaver
Disclaimer: I do not own any character in this fanfic unless otherwise stated. Lu Xun, Gan Ning, Lü Meng, and all other characters are copyrighted to KEOI Productions and are used for fan reasons only. Please do not steal or alter this fic.
Hm…. Hua Seung seems to be shaping up semi-decent… though we all know he's an idiot and Sei Rong does all of the planning. Oh well… now, to add some spice and add OTHER characters. (like sexy Zhou Yu)
Chapter Two: Terror over the Horizon
"I've said it before and I will say it once again! Our southeastern border needs a tighter defense system!"
The emperor of Wu wondered what his brother Sun Ce saw in this man, especially now. It was a known fact that sleeping until late in the morning was a common curse to members of the Sun family, and Sun Quan was no different. However, unlike his brother Ce and his sister Shang Xiang, he was much easier to wake up, and safer to whomever had the task. If this was Sun Ce or Sun Shang Xiang that barged into his room and shook his shoulder, they would have gotten a kick STRAIGHT in the gut or another lower area.
However, lucky for Zhou Yu, Sun Quan had good self control, as he merely moaned, "It's barely morning, Zhou Yu… surely whatever you're complaining about can wait until noon?"
Zhou Yu kept his cool head as he watched the attendants try pull the emperor out from the bed. This wasn't like Sun Quan, he thought, wondering if it was his friend playing a trick on him. He sighed, trying to hurry the attendants and the tired emperor along, "If it COULD wait until midday, then I wouldn't be up and about in my bed robes, my Lord."
"Give me a minute, then… I'm not as fast on my feet as my brother…"
Zhou Yu gave a quick bow before leaving the bedroom and retreating into the hallway to give him the time he needed. The way he presented himself was only so obvious that something WAS wrong, Sun Quan feared as he robed himself. What could possibly work him up?
The first thing that came to Sun Quan's mind was Jingzhou province and the thorn in his key strategist's side. Perhaps Zhuge Liang did something to peeve him off again, and if THAT was the case, then Quan was going to have a good say-so in the matter to silence Zhou Yu and go back to sleep to be rested up to fuss at him some more.
But no, surely that wasn't the cause, Sun Quan though, tightening the ropes around his red velvet robes and going to catch up with him. If Zhou Yu said it was an emergency, then it must have been.
Now, he was a bit more presentable, and the purple-beard, green eyed ruler looked into Zhou Yu's concerned brown eyes, seeing the slight distress. "What news do you have, Zhou Yu?"
"Scouts have reported in with disturbing news," Zhou Yu began, keeping his voice calm and smooth, as if to deny the panic shown in his eyes. "It appears that we have invaders from the southern islands."
This wasn't too unusual, however, Sun Quan figured it was more then that. "You think they plan to attack us, then?"
Nodding, Zhou Yu continued, as the two headed towards Zhou Yu's quarters, to survey the maps. When they arrived there, the strategist pulled out the scroll and laid it gently along his table, pointing out the keypoints to his lord, "Our southern most border has always been our weakest as it lacks enough able men to build anything more then log walls and fishing boats. Obvious this new threat plans to take over that area and gain a stronghold in our land, and this will be NOTHING but trouble if we allow this."
So it was serious, Sun Quan thought, cursing himself now for neglecting the general area. He asked, "What troops do we have stationed there?"
"A mere three thousand to our expense, but Lord Lü Meng and Gan Ning are stationed there for the time being. If I'm not mistaken, Lu Xun has taken his temporary leave of duty there as well." Zhou Yu pointed out quickly, and he noticed the look on Sun Quan's face when he said 'a mere three thousand'.
"And what of the invaders? Any news on them?"
"The most we can get right now is that it is lead by a pirate named Hua Seung, and… my Lord, you may not believe this, but the scouts have counted and estimated how many men he has by the size of his fleet."
There was an odd moment of silence, but the emperor cut it with a knife, "How many are we going to have to deal with, Zhou Yu?"
"At least a million… perhaps more, sir."
At the mere THOUGHT of such a thing, Sun Quan felt his knees weaken, however, he kept his composure as he repeated the number. "A million?"
"A million." Zhou Yu could read the disbelief on his face, and, knowing it wouldn't be successful to repeat the number for a fourth time, he continued with his report, trying to ignore the rising alarm on his young lord's face. "From what we can see, this army seems to be led by a dark-skinned pirate, so they may not be as organized as they seem."
"Zhou Yu, don't sugar-coat things… you KNOW that even if they are unorganized seadogs that a force that large can quickly gain momentum if we allow them into our land!" Sun Quan muttered with slight despair, and it grew as he asked, "What's the conditions of our naval forces down there?"
By this time they had already caught some of the maid's attention, but Zhou Yu didn't let their presence bother him, giving the rather grim details. "That was my point, my lord. There are nothing but fishing boats and damaged warships, nothing that can be repaired by the time they dock."
Sun Quan's voice rose now, "Then how long will it take for our own navy to intercept them?"
"Not fast enough, I'm afraid…" Zhou Yu hated to say this; you could clearly see it in his eyes. "My lord, there is without a doubt that an army that size wants nothing more then to enter our land and conquer, and we cannot allow this to happen. It's not just the fate of Wu that will be on the line here; if we fall, then they will gain the momentum, use our supplies, and continue their march until all of China is under this new threat's command!"
He didn't have to say that, he knew, as he could see the seriousness in Sun Quan's green eyes as he read the map. He ran a finger along the paper, nearly smearing the ink with his finger. As if he needed someone to tell him of the ferocity behind this? This could not be passed up.
However, Zhou Yu continued, "Whatever we plan to do, we must act quickly. I suggest we inform the other kingdoms and we send a force to intercept, to hold them back from advancing. They only way we can defeat this million-man army is to combine our armies and fight as one."
"You realize that the other kingdoms may try to use this to their advantage, right?"
To this question, Zhou Yu replied swiftly, "I have no doubts that Zhuge Liang will attempt to gain some sort of advantage out of this; the very same from Cao Cao and Sima Yi. However, even knowing this, what other choice do we have, my Lord?"
There was a long moment of silence, one that anyone would have instantly pulled their hair out and gauge at their eyes. It took so long for Sun Quan to reply, as he seemed to lose feeling in his legs as he took a seat. "Do what is necessary for Wu… I only hope that Gan Ning, Lü Meng, and Lu Xun don't panic at the sight of this fleet."
"My Lord, they are our defense for now, so we have no choice but to rely in their skills to hold off the army until reinforcements arrive." Zhou Yu stated plainly, then, before leaving the room, he paused and added. "With a general as stern as Lü Meng, a pirate as brave as Gan Ning, and a boy as promising as Lu Xun, then we can all approach this problem a bit easier."
~*~*~*~
Had Lu Xun known that Zhou Yu had actually complimented another strategist besides himself, he would have been jumping with joy. However, he had more pressing issues; first of all was the killer headache that tore his brain in two, but it didn't take a genius to figure out where it came from…
What a night, he thought… never in his life had he drank so much! And out of this came two problems: he couldn't remember a THING about what exactly happened last night, and he felt quite content to just laze about in the stack of hay that served as his bed, ignoring the peeking sunlight.
Now he knew why Gan Ning was so lazy…
However, natural instincts weren't Lu Xun's friend today, as he rolled over, letting the sunlight soak his face before getting enough sense to raise his arm to block its evil rays. Any day but today, Lu Xun thought, refusing to answer the sun's call this time.
This would be the first time he'd ever slept past sun rise, he thought, as he was usually an early bird. However, all of the other days in his life he wasn't suffering from a killer hangover, and he promised himself to NEVER let anyone talk him into drinking like that ever again.
Curse that pirate, he thought, as he rolled over again, feeling his arm hit something soft and warm. And what was worse was that it gave a bleat and moved, brushing against the rest of his arm and beginning to nibble on his sleeve. It was then when Lu Xun gave in and opened his eyes to stare into the black orbs of the sheep.
"Wha… a sheep?"
With his eyes opened, Lu Xun figured that he might as well continued the process, gently sitting up without scaring off the animal. He was going to wonder how a sheep got into the inn when he found his answer, spotting two or three horses, two empty stables, and a single cow meant for milking. Why was he in a barn?
"What did I do last night?" He wondered aloud, fighting off the sharp pain in his head as he found the strength to stand. What a night indeed, he thought, eyeing the barn and trying to recollect his thoughts. "Hopefully nothing I would have regretted…"
Besides the animals there, he was the only one in the barn, and as his memories began to untangle themselves, he wondered where Lord Lü Meng and Gan Ning were…
"Oh, so he's awake!" Lu Xun turned to face the old woman, seeing her crinkling face through the crack of light from the now opened door. She gave him a genuine smile, and he hastened to present himself before her as she merely laughed, "Kind of young for a general, wouldn't you say?"
"Quite so, ma'am, but one is never too young to serve his nation." The young general pointed out, bowing his head to show his respect, even as she continued her odd cackling. She was a plump old woman, alright, quite a potato, but her face was so kind that Lu Xun easily saw past her bobbing stomach. "I apologize for my appearance… you see, last night was my-"
She hushed him, waddling into the barn and setting down the two buckets that were ready for milk. "Nonsense; what does a general like yourself have to explain to a commoner like myself? A youth like yourself wouldn't steal from an old woman like myself, especially if he thought of leaving this village in one piece!"
To this, Lu Xun only smiled, ready to offer his gratitude by helping her with her task when she began to shoo him off. "No need for that; that's a commoner's job, general! Besides, the ones that dragged you in here already did their share of work for you, though they might want to take a bath. These stables tend to get so messy, with only an old woman to care for the horses."
'Gan Ning and Lü Meng were here then…'
"Excuse me, ma'am, but do you know where I could find them?"
As she sat on the stool to begin her work, she gave him another genuine smile, her slanted eyes practically closed. "I remember the two; the older one with the worried eyes was so polite, quite like yourself, but I didn't care for that pirate too much. Too many experiences with pirates for me to care about, but nevertheless he seemed trustful."
Lu Xun gave a light sigh, wondering if Gan Ning ever got used to being called that, but he didn't read too much into it as the old woman gave him his answer, "They borrowed two of my finest horses to go look at the sea; I trust that two generals like themselves will be kind enough to bring them back. I've always been fond of Ying and Yang."
With his answer, Lu Xun gave another polite bow, cupping his fist into his hand as he spoke vividly, "I thank you then, madam, for offering me a place to stay. And I will be sure to remind them to return your horses when I see them."
"Oh, so polite! To a commoner, even! You'd make a mother so proud!" The old woman rose to give him a hug, nearly suffocating him between her giant breasts. Lu Xun forced himself to hold his breath and keep silent as she continued to hug him. "Too bad there isn't more of you around!"
Finally, he was released, and he gave one last bow before quickly leaving the barn. The old woman jiggled with laughter before returning to her duties, and, relieved that he could breathe again, Lu Xun tried to regain his bearings. He still hadn't a clue as to how he even GOT here, but he guessed that the two carried him here.
"Never again do I want to get THAT drunk… never again…"
He looked towards the east, to look at the beautiful morning that welcomed him. It wasn't until he rose his gaze when he saw a miasma lingering over the eastern horizon. Was that not the same place as the clusters the night before?
As he looked towards the unusual haze of the sky, finding himself lost in his thoughts easily. Perhaps something was approaching, something that the Heavens deemed worthy to give out warnings for? And, if this was the case, what could possibly come from the southeast?
'Perhaps a storm?' Lu Xun thought to himself, not realizing he was standing in the middle of the dirt road. He remembered the old pirate saying that he learned from Gan Ning. 'Red at night, sailor's delight. Red in the morning, sailors take warning…'
However, the sky was a clear blue, one that seemed to summon no bad omens. Except for the east, and as Lu Xun blinked, he swore it flashed red for a second, then back to it's dark bluish-gray. "Odd…"
"General Lu Xun!"
The young general rose his head, snapping out of his trance and looking at the soldier that rushed towards him. The look on his face was enough, and though the soldier was a few years older than him, he fell to his knees and nearly sobbed, presenting himself at Lu Xun's feet and giving the young general a start. "General Lu Xun, Lord Lü Meng and General Ning are waiting for you! Go quickly, sir!"
Lu Xun could almost see his tears, as he helped the soldier up, forgetting his leave, "Sir, please calm down. Where are they?"
"A few feet ahead, sir, staring at the fleet that has engulfed the ocean! Please hurry, young general!"
Wasting no time, Lu Xun broke out into a sprint, leaving the distressed soldier to pick himself up. He wasn't really paying attention, but the part that bothered him was the soldier's words… a fleet that engulfed the sea? It was not long before he spotted two flags, and he dashed up the hill, nearly slipping on the fresh morning dew a few times. Half way up there, one of the two generals spotted him, and Gan Ning gave a look that hinted slight despair. "Trust me… you DON'T want to look."
Why Lu Xun didn't heed his warning was answered through his curiosity, and the minute he got to the top of the hill, he instantly regretted not following the pirate's advice.
What laid before him was too hard to believe, as the ocean was nothing more then a naval fleet, each tainted with gray sails and filled to the rim with soldiers, all grasping their spears and having their bows slung across their back and chest. Horses' cries could almost make a song, distant yet building up, as if to warn creatures on shore to beware of the Million Man army.
The fleet was massive, and what other words could Lu Xun say then, "Shit…"
"A boy of your intelligence shouldn't utter such filthy words, Lu Xun…" Lü Meng replied in an oddly lifeless tone, as he, too, shared the same feelings as Lu Xun right about now. His concerned dark eyes stared at the sight before him as he finally swallowed the knot in his throat. "A fleet such as this… could easily be a threat to Wu's own…"
The pirate next to him gave a spat, trying to count the boats but losing count easily. "Ha! That's not it… they have separate boats for the horses even! And by the way they're holding their spears, I don't think they're hear for a friendly visit."
Lu Xun fell to his knees, finally taking a breath, "How can there be a naval fleet such as this? So… so many!"
Neither Lü Meng nor Gan Ning could give him a direct answer, and Lü Meng went to stand by the youth, trying to comfort him instead. "Intimidating as it seems, they're here for one thing; conquest. If they dock, it won't take long for them to find a stable place to stay…"
"If I hear one word about Zhou Yu and his 'I told you so', I'll slit his throat," Gan Ning grumbled, his fingers wrapping around the handle of his blade. He searched through the fleet, searching for the flagship to spot the commander. "Dammit, go figure they'd come directly for our weak spot, eh? Now what do we do?"
Lü Meng spoke, staring into the fleet with his eyes, as if to challenge them with that glare alone. There was something else in his eyes that Lu Xun noticed and admired; not only was there slight defiance, but a reality that he knew to be true. This was reality, and, even as fear shown in Lu Xun's own golden orbs, there was concern more than anything else in his superior's eyes. "There must be at least a million men aboard those ships, and I've heard of a rumor about such a fleet. Gan Ning, would you know of such a rumor?"
The pirate seemed a bit more relaxed now, as he gave a swift nod of his head, "Oh, aye aye captain! They're pirates, if that makes you feel better, but I can't be sure of exactly WHO they are unless I see their leader."
No sooner had he said this, Lu Xun gave a point, spotting the flagship, "That man at the head… could that be their commander?"
All eyes shifted to the flagship, and there he was, as plain as day. This man brought different reactions to each of them: to Lu Xun, amazement, to see a pirate such as this. To Lü Meng, his facial expression did not change, staring at the man and still showing his defiant eyes to him. However, Gan Ning wore a face of recognition, and he spoke aloud his name with venom, "Hua Seung! The old seadog!"
Yes, it was definitely him, as he had not changed at all from the last time he saw that devil. He was a devil then, and surely he was to be a devil now, as Gan Ning withdrew his blade and looked ready to leap onto the flagship at any moment. "I'd have his head if he ever shown himself to my face again! I said that before and I'll sure as hell do it now!"
"You know this man?"
"Of course I do! I was a pirate once, remember?" Gan Ning answered his friend, looking at him and then at Lu Xun, seeing his golden eyes wide and wondering if he was truly afraid or not. He tried to explain in the best way possible, keeping his gaze from the dark-skinned man. "Hua Seung and I were shipmates, old buddies… until he tried to proclaim mutiny to our captain. The idiot got him and myself kicked out… and after that we went separate ways. Oh, how I wish I could have taken his HEAD then!"
They could see fury within his eyes, and Lu Xun asked, finally getting himself off of the ground, "There's not doubt that with a fleet like that that he'll attack us, correct?"
That made the former pirate laugh, sounding bitter to the ears of the two next to him. "Without a doubt… he's always said he wanted to take the land he once called home…"
Lü Meng gave a spat, eyeing Hua Seung as he turned to the crippled man that walked up to him. "Who's that one?"
"Sei Rong… I'm surprised to see him still alive, the crippled old fool…" Gan Ning eyed the two as well, wishing he could read their lips to see what they were arguing about. "He's Seung's advisor and strategist, also his adopted father at one time, but I'm thinkin' their relationship hasn't been doing well. See the way he presents himself, Meng?"
"A wise man would know that stance well; Sei Rong doesn't particularly care to work for him, by the looks of it." Bringing his hand to his chin, Lü Meng gave his five o-clock shadow a good brush before giving a nod. "Perhaps this will give us an advantage in battle?"
Lu Xun watched the two, seeing how Hua Seung nearly knocked the crippled man down and pointed to the hilltop, where they stood. There was slight confusion until the young general spotted several arrows rise from the boats behind the flagship, and he heard Gan Ning shout, "Down!"
Rather it was Lü Meng or the pirate that grabbed him, Lu Xun was thrown to the ground, bringing his hands up to defend his face against the flock of arrows that whizzed over their heads. The horses gave their cries, turning about and fleeing down the hill, leaving the generals to fend for themselves. Why the arrows stopped was a question to them, one that would remain unanswered until Gan Ning dared look over the top, to investigate. "Holy shit! They knew we were here the entire time?!"
By the distance in Gan Ning's voice, Lu Xun figured it was Meng who was on top of him, as the general practically yelled in his ears. "I knew we should have found a safer place! Anyone hurt?"
"I'm good… what about you, kid?"
It took awhile for Lu Xun to answer, but after Lü Meng got off of him, he found his breath again, "I'm unharmed, sir."
As the two generals looked towards the ocean again, Lu Xun gave a deep sigh, feeling utterly useless. The pains of the hangover were long since gone, only to be clouded by a new growing fear. He wasn't afraid to admit that this new threat was indeed intimidating, however, seeing Gan Ning's and Lü Meng's calmness somehow soothed him, as he tried his best to cover his fear. With them here, perhaps there was nothing to fear.
"Well, he now knows we're here… so he will be expecting some sort of retaliation," Lü Meng stated, wondering how far the horses got in their mad dash of panic. He looked to his friend and the young officer, "Word has probably reached Jian Ye, so there is nothing much for us to do here. Lu Xun, prepare the civilians to evacuate the village-"
It was predictable for Gan Ning to argue, and Lü Meng seemed ready for it the minute the pirate opened his mouth. "Wait, so we're going to run?!"
"Surely you don't think we can STOP them, can you? Let us look at the statistics, Gan Ning. We are outnumbered well over a hundred to one, we have no battleships in condition for a naval battle, and we need more time to think about this before we act. A sound, defensive strategy is what we need here, not a suicide head-on attack."
And, of course, Gan Ning fought back, "What you want is to have us lock ourselves up in some castle so that we can either starve to death or allow them to tear down the walls upon us while we're waiting for some rescue party? That's cowardice!"
Lü Meng hardly argued, but now was different, and Lu Xun kept silent as the two looked ready to tear each other apart. "Anything that doesn't involve running in head-on is cowardice to you, but what use will our three dead bodies be to Lord Sun Quan? Use your head, you KNOW we're no match for such a force!"
"And you should use your heart- running will get us no where! Rather we run or not, we're going to have to face them!" Gan Ning gripped the handle of his blade and made a daring move, bringing it to his own throat for a second before turning it upon the silent Lu Xun. "Lü Meng, you know as well as I that if they dock and settle into our land, then we are as good as dead. I'd rather kill the kid and turn my blade upon myself before giving this threat a place to grow!"
Lu Xun held his tongue, just as Lü Meng grasped his own halberd to knock away the sword. Their weapons locked, and the general argued. "What other choice do we have?! We must evacuate the village, to save the civilians, and save our supplies and forces from falling into the hands of those pirates! The villagers will need someone to protect them, and once we regroup with our lord, THEN we can devise a plan to be rid of this invading force. We WILL fight them, just not NOW!"
They both were surprised when their weapons were lowered to the ground, and with his twin sabers, Lu Xun threatened them both, speaking with such force that left them speechless. "Whatever we do we MUST act now! Nothing will come from arguing like this, or we will have no choice but to face them now. Now please refrain from this nonsense so that we actually have a chance!"
As if to overlook him, the two generals glared at one another for a few seconds more before lowering their blades, and, greatly relieved, Lu Xun gave a deep sigh, losing all of his strength and falling to the ground to sit. It was an odd silence that they all hated, and, to spare the other two, Lü Meng broke it, "You're correct, Lu Xun. Forgive us for wasting what little time we have. But… if we're going to stop this force, we need a plan more successful then charging out head-first."
Gan Ning complied, fiddling with his sword halfheartedly. "Yeah… whatever we're going to do, let's do it now before it becomes out last resort."
"And quickly…" Lü Meng nodded, mentally thanking Lu Xun as he headed down the hill to retrieve the frightened horses. "Lord Sun Quan will want a full report; then we can decide upon our actions…"
No one argued, and Lu Xun didn't hesitate, following close behind with Gan Ning at the rear. The pirate looked towards the oceans once again, giving Hua Seung a glare before following after them. He stared at the back of Lu Xun's head for the longest of times before actually speaking, "Hey, kid, you aren't afraid, are you?"
When Lu Xun looked at him with those golden eyes, a hint of fear being pushed away by the sense to lie, to appear strong in front of the two friends. He could not answer, not now, and he said nothing, lowering his head. How could he possibly answer such a question?
However, Lü Meng came to his rescue, finally finding the horses and mounting, allowing Lu Xun to share his steed with him. "No time for that; we need to act quickly, before they dock! The future of Wu may depend upon it!"
And, grabbing his own horse, the pirate snorted, "Always a beam of sunshine, Lü Meng, pure and utter sunshine…"
~*~*~*~
Sei Rong knew he was in trouble the minute he ordered the archers to cease their fire. As expected, Hua Seung was upon him the minute the three men fell from behind the hill, and he prepared for the worse when the pirate captain bellowed, "What's the meaning of this, you old fool! I knew you'd betray me someday!"
The crippled man sat upon the deck's wooden floor, raising his hand to shield himself from the glare of the silver sword that dangled over his head at this very moment. He was used to such death threats, so he was prepared to cry out his excuses, "My captain, I do not betray you! I have my reasons; please hear them!"
That stopped the pirate for a second, but the sword still loomed, as Sei Rong explained himself, his aged voice wavering with every word he said. "We were spotted, yes, however, should we really waste our arrows on a mere three men?"
"Those three men could have been scouts," Hua Seung barked, lowering the blade an inch to watch the sweat rise from the old crippled man's brow.
"Or they could have just been villagers, we are not certain of who they were." Sei Rong continued, licking his dry lips as the angered pirate waited for him to continue on. "However, if they were scouts or even generals from an army that's settled there, should we risk letting out such violent invitations to war?"
The pirate snapped, "Quit beating around the bush!"
"Since you have fired upon them, they will no doubt send a force to intercept us when we dock and they will be prepared for us, my captain and lord."
"… And?"
Having regained a little of his strength again, the pirate's advisor dared to stand up, trying to stand as straight as possible but failing horribly. "Sir, you may not realize exactly how low on supplies we are after every battle, after every campaign and journey. It takes more than just men and sheer strength to conquer lands, especially one as large as this."
He must have said something that the pirate didn't like, as the icy, greasy fingers wrapped tightly around his throat and raise him into the air, to show off his formidable strength. Sei Rong gasped for air, as Hua Seung spoke bitterly, "How dare you insult me like that? Are you saying that my army is weak?!"
"N-n-no my Lo-rd! I-I was t-trying t-t-t-to say that we-are low-on-supplies!"
As quickly as he was attacked, he was released, and Sei Rong could hardly hear Hua Seung's words over his own coughing. "What? For how long?"
It took a few good seconds for Sei Rong to answer, "We're not out, but I-would suggest we try a somewhat different approach to capturing the closest city."
Their usual way was a forceful entry, and even Hua Seung knew the risks of that. He wasn't too sure about this land, so the nearest place for him to hold his camp could be as close as it was far from their own ships. And carrying the supplies with them always slowed them down, something that Hua Seung couldn't stand. Finally, he asked, "What do YOU suggest we do then, Sei Rong?"
Somehow, the crippled had quelled the beast into listening to reason, and, without fear of his life being cut short, Sei Rong explained his plan to his lord, not daring to leave out a single detail. Perhaps, he thought as he was awaiting his lord's approval, there was a way to quell Hua Seung for good?
~*~*~*~
A/N: Geez, this chapter took longer then I thought… so much work I must do, for school, and a lot of fanfics to catch up on (BMTL and RTMW). I can't promise that either will be updated within the next week, but look forward to those two being updated during or a bit after the Thanksgiving Holidays.