Spiteful Nunchucks

The Story of Ling Tong

Chapter Seven: Fire on the Water

It was now or never. Both fleets have been set into motion. It was time to see if we could hold up against Cao Cao's "Million Man Armada" and save the Southlands from Cao Cao's dominion. The Battle of Chi Bi had officially begun.

Per my orders, my troops were arranged along the west bank of the river. My job was to hold off any troops that came this way until Zhuge Liang's prayer for wind had succeeded. Then once the fire attack was started, my unit was to charge and drive Cao Cao back north.

Right now, all was quiet on the western bank. The majority of the fighting ws taking place out on the boats. I grumbled a bit, wanting to be over there, but I had my orders and had to follow them. Besides, Zhou Yu told me that defending this altar was the most crucial part of the plan. He had a point, of course. If we wanted this fire attack to not burn our own ships, the wind had to start blowing in the right direction.

So for the moment, all I could do was continue to wait. I idly swung my nunchucks for a while, anxious to get it on.

"Lingy!"

I smiled. Xiao Qiao was never one to sit back and wait. She always wanted to help Zhou Yu and her kingdom in battle if she could. She's not war crazy like, say, Sun Shang Xiang, but she's more than capable of holding her own. What surprised me most was that she was coming out after Zhou Yu gave her strict orders to stay.

I smiled at her when she came up next to me. My smile became a laugh when I noticed she was still in bare feet. "What's the matter, Xiao? Have you suddenly developed a liking for running around barefoot?"

She put on her cute pouty face. "Well, with Cao Cao's fleet coming, I didn't have time to go get them. Besides, we're on a beach anyways, so having boots to get sand in would only be uncomfortable."

I nodded, conceding the point. "So, let me guess. Zhou Yu didn't want you to fight, so you came to me."

"I wanted to help Zhouie, but I know he'd get mad at me if I went to him, so I decided to help you instead."

"And, of course, if "Zhouie" finds out about this, my head will be adorning a pike beside the river."

"Don't worry! Once we win, he'll be too happy about the victory to care about anything you or I did."

I conceded the point again. "Very well. Right now, my...er...OUR orders are to stay here and defend the altar."

"Do you really think Lord Zhuge can change the wind?"

I pointed up at a flag, which was currently blowing towards the southeast. "That's how we'll know. If that flag starts pointing northwest, we'll know he succeeded. If it doesn't, then he's a fraud."

More time went past. We recieved occasional reports of Wei attacks being driven back by our troops, but mostly, Xiao Qiao and I were left to our own devices.

Xiao Qiao suddenly went out to the river, actually wading out into it. "H-hey! Where are you going?"

"Look! Something's going on over with Cao Cao's fleet!"

I came over, standing on the riverbank, and took a look. It turned out several little boats were floating around the big ones, wrapping chains around the boats and connecting them together.

I grinned. "Looks like Pang Tong did his job. Cao Cao's chaining his fleet together."

Xiao Qiao gave me a confused look. "How is that going to help us?"

I thought about it for a while, then got an idea. "Come back up here and I'll show you."

I grabbed a couple twigs, some grass, and some flint as Xiao Qiao waded back to shore and ran over to me.

"Okay, allow me to explain." I set a group of twigs in a formation. "Let's say these twigs are Cao Cao's ships, and this flint is Huang Gai's ship." I struck the flint on a rock, igniting a blade of grass, and used it to set one of the twigs on fire. "The plan is to set a ship on fire, and then let the wind do the rest...but if the ships are loose, then..." I moved the other twigs away from the burning one. "The other ships can move away, and we've only burned one ship."

I replaced the burnt twig with a new one, then began wrapping blades of grass around them to hold them together. "But if the ships are hooked together like this, the other ships can't get away, and..." I once again ignited one of the twigs, and this time the flame spread through the grass and every twig was burnt.

"Oh, I get it!" Xiao Qiao said with a giggle. "So Pang Tong's plan was to add the grass to the twigs, so to speak?"

I nodded. "Now you've got it. This way, every single one of Cao Cao's ships will burn."

A voice behind us spoke. "You left out one thing."

Both of us stood up and turned around. Zhuge Liang was standing there, smiling. "You are correct about the linked ships, Ling Tong, but a fire attack won't be of any use if the wind doesn't start."

I laughed. "And I suppose you're about to make that happen?"

Zhuge Liang simply nodded. "I am about to commence my prayer for wind. Please continue to protect the altar."

Both Xiao and I nodded, and Zhuge Liang walked back to the altar.

Xiao Qiao giggled. "I wish Zhouie had a fan like his."

I had to laugh. "Why is that?"

"It probably tickles a lot." she said with a giggle. Of course, that didn't surprise me a bit. I assumed that along with her playfulness came such a penchant for tickles. "I almost never get any from Zhou Yu. He's just not playful."

I had to laugh, recalling a moment when I walked in on Sun Ce putting Sun Shang Xiang, who at that point wasn't even a teen, through such a torturing. "Kind of makes me wonder how you weren't the one who ended up with Sun Ce. I guess opposites really do attract."

Unfortunately, our conversation would be cut short by a soldier's report. "Sir! Zhang Liao's troops are beginning to overrun our position!"

I cursed softly. "Drop back slowly and tighten the formation. We have to keep his troops away from the altar at all costs." The soldier nodded and ran back. "Xiao, I need you to head back to the altar and make sure no Wei troops get to Zhuge Liang."

Xiao quickly ran back to the altar, as I ran to the front lines, where Zhang Liao was having his way with my troops. Obviously, I wasn't about to stand for this, so I rallied the troops and we engaged Zhang Liao.

The fighting stiffened, and now neither side was giving or taking an inch. Suddenly, there was a shout of panic in the rear of the Wei troops, as Zhou Tai, apparently sent by Sun Quan, made an appearance with his forces. The panic became worse and the enemy ran. I was about to order a pursuit until I remembered my orders. "Protect the altar until the wind blows..."

Wait...speaking of wind, where did it go? I quickly looked at a flag...and it was hanging limply. The wind just stopped. Well, this isn't going to help our case any, now is it?

Zhou Tai and I continued to watch the flag, wondering what was going on. Soon Xiao Qiao returned from the altar.

"Didn't I tell you to protect that altar?"

"Zhuge Liang told me to come back and tell you to start moving."

"Why would he..." My question was answered before I could finish it when the flag snapped up again...pointing northwest. There was a southeast wind blowing...in the middle of winter. Did...Zhuge Liang do that!

However, I remembered my next orders. "Okay men, the wind is blowing! Now, charge north!" The men let out a shout of victory and we began our charge.

"Hey! Look!" Xiao Qiao shouted suddenly. Everyone looked where she was pointing. Out there, a small burning ship, almost looking like an oversized fire arrow, rammed straight into Cao Cao's fleet, which began to burn. The fire attack succeeded!

"Now! Go! We shall take Cao Cao's head!" With a roar, the troops responded to my call to battle with an enthusiastic charge. With Cao Cao's troops frightened by the flames, we easily routed Cao Cao's forces. Cao Cao lost a massive number of troops that day and the million man armada was reduced to burning splinters and drowned corpses. The river ran red with the blood of Cao Cao's men.

Cao Cao, unfortunately, managed to escape to fight another day. The rumors said that he fell into an ambush of Guan Yu's, but Guan Yu had let him escape. Why would he do something like that? Well, never mind. The important thing is the Southland is safe, and now it's time to make our way north.

With the victory at Chi Bi, the momentum has shifted in Wu's favor. But will they be able to capitalize? What will happen next? Wait and see!