"What do you mean we have visitors?"
"Um, exactly as I say, we have visitors. " Zhuyue remained quiet for a few moments, processing the information.
"They are waiting at the gate?" Zhuyue asked carefully, breaking the silence.
"N-no. They are already in the main house." Zhuyue stared at Xiulan in disbelief. This was a surprising turn of events indeed.
"How many?" She asked, deciding not to press her on why she let them in without first telling her. The fact that she interacted with them at all was amazing in its own right.
"Three."
"Nobles?" She asked, her distaste clearly shown on her face as she spoke the word.
"I don't know...I am not sure. They are wearing armor, not robes."
"Armor?" Zhuyue asked, pressing her right pointer finger against her cheek and tilting her head slightly in thought. She suddenly frowned as a thought crossed her mind.
"What color?"
"Color? Um. Mostly blue?" Zhuyue let out a sigh of relief. They weren't wearing the traditional royal colors which meant they were most likely not associated with Yuan Shao or any of the other noble houses.
"What are their names?"
Xiulan frowned. "I-I didn't get a chance to ask..."
"So...you let men into our home without even getting their name?" Xiulan bit her bottom lip, her brow furrowing. It was a stupid mistake, she knew she should have asked their names but she got so nervous she forgot to ask. Since the incident that happened to her family three years ago, she was understandably nervous around men. Just being next to them causes fear to grip her heart. The only exception to this was her master and that was because he was so old and debilitated he couldn't pose a threat to her if he tried. The only weapon he had now were his words which he wielded like a sword, but she was able to bear it knowing that she and her sister own their safety in part to him.
"Did you at least ask why they were here before letting them in?" Zhuyue asked, though she already knew the answer to it. She knew of Xiulan's uneasiness around men.
"Yes, about that..." She bit at her bottom lip before continuing. "I didn't let them in exactly. They arrived with Xiaolian and she let them in. I heard noises and went to see what it was and saw her there with these three men."
Zhuyue stared at Xiulan, her face impassive as she took in this information. The silence that stretched between them made Xiulan feel more uncomfortable with each passing minute. Zhuyue finally sighed then let out a soft chuckle.
"She ran away again? She really hates her studies doesn't she? She reminds me of myself when I was a child."
Xiulan exhaled, relieved that Zhuyue did not get angry at all the news she just told her. Her mistress was a kind woman, much kinder than her father, but she did have a temper. Though she had never taken her anger out on them, she preferred to not be around when it went off.
"Was Xiaolian calm around them?"This question surprised Xiulan. She was so busy dealing with her own fear, she hadn't really taken stock in how her sister was faring. She struggled to remember her sister's mannerisms. Though she couldn't be completely sure, she believed her sister was calm. She told Zhuyue the same.
"Well assuming that you remembered correctly, if Xiaolian was calm, then those men must not be quite so bad. She wouldn't interact with just anyone." She sighed. "At least I hope so. Either way, I should greet our guest. It isn't polite to keep them waiting. Please prepare the guest rooms. We must repay them for their kindness in returning little Xiaolian to us."
"Right away..." She replied, casting another glance at her mistress before going to accomplish the task assigned to her.
Dun leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he watched Dian attempt to strike up a conversation with the girl that led them here. When they arrived, they were greeted by a young woman with pale skin and shoulder length brown hair who resembled the little girl. He figured that it had to be a sibling as she was a bit too young to be her mother. The woman seemed understandably shocked to see the young girl surrounded by three men. Dian tried to explain the situation to the woman, but she ran off claiming that she was going to fetch her mistress Zhuyue and now they were waiting. It hadn't exactly been a long time since the woman had left, but Dun was already in a bad mood from the events earlier in the day. He hadn't met this woman yet but he was beginning to feel like she was not worth the trouble.
"So, you live with Lady Zhuyue?" Dian asked, he was down on one knee in front of the girl so he could be at eye level with her. He gave her a warm smile but she did not return it. She looked past Dian to Dun who was staring at the door her sister had left through earlier.
"You are related to the woman who was just here right?" Dian pressed on, his tone light and cheerful, trying to make the girl feel more comfortable. The girl remained quiet, her eyes glued to Dun. Dian sighed.
"Master Dun, why don't you try asking her something? She seems to only respond to you."
"Does it look like I am interested in helping you make a new friend?" Dun growled, not bothering to look at Dian. Dian gulped. It seemed like Dun's patience was at its end. Perhaps it would be best if he refrained from saying anything else to him for the rest of the day. For Zhuyue's sake, she better be whatever Dun is looking for.
"Why do you want to talk to her so badly anyway, Mànchéng? Jin asked. Up until now, he had been a quiet observer. Sensing Dun's irritation, he decided to help Dian by diverting some of the attention towards him. Dian was grateful for the reprieve. He rubbed the back of his head nervously and let out a chuckle.
"Well, I know this is going to sound strange but my instincts are telling me that meeting her was more than just coincidence." He paused, trying to figure out the best way to express what he was feeling. "Coming here was the right thing to do. This is the right path and I think she is part of that path." Jin shook his head.
"I don't think I'll ever understand these instincts of yours." Dian chuckled.
"Most people don't." Dun pushed himself off the wall wary of the conversation. They watched in silence as he exited through the door Xiulan left through earlier. Just a few feet past the door a woman materialized seemingly from the shadows in front of him.
"It's rude to walk around someone else's home without permission." The woman said, her voice trying for sultry but coming out as a bit awkward as she slipped past him and closed the door behind him. The hall provided little light and her features were mostly hidden by shadow.
"Are you Zhuyue?" Dun asked, his voice gruff and his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"That is a noble name sir, shouldn't you use lady in front of it?" She cooed slipping past him and moving further down the hall. He followed slowly, wary.
"I don't give respect to someone simply because they were born into wealth. If you want respect from me, you have to earn it." She stopped and turned to face him. He couldn't see her face in the shadow but he did notice that she dropped the sultry tone.
"Follow me." Dun followed her in silence as she navigated the poorly lit corridor and lead him out into a opening which connected main house to the sleeping quarters. She stepped into the open area and motioned for Dun to follow her. She sat down on a bench and gestured for him to sit down next to her. Dun walked over and took the offered seat. Under the moonlight, he was able to finally get a better view of her. From what Dun can see, she had smooth olive skin which the moonlight gave a soft glow. She wore no makeup on her face and she didn't need any as she held a natural beauty in her soft features. Her long silky black hair reached down to the small of her back and she wore a plain one piece brown garment with a black belt tied at the waist. Her manner of dress suggested she wasn't more than a servant but her attitude suggested she was something more. She stared up to the moonlight, and Dun watched her.
"Who are you?" She asked, her gaze still turned up to the sky.
"I believe I asked you first." He replied. She let her head roll to the side, her black hair cascading over her shoulder as she stared at him a flash of annoyance in her eyes.
"You still need to ask who I am?" She asked coyly. This role was so foreign to her. Just pretending to be like one of those seductress whores made her sick to her stomach but she needed a fool to bend to her whim. It was the only way she could get out of this marriage with Yuan Tan. By luck this man and his two companions fell into her hands. There was no way she was going to let them slip through her fingers. She swallowed her disgust and gave him her best smile trying desperately to remember the lessons on how a woman should act which she had tossed aside as useless years ago.
"I don't know you and if you aren't who I am looking for, I don't want to waste anymore time." She turned her gaze back up to the sky. Her charms did not seem to work on this man which was a bit distressing. If he would not find her attractive, it would be next to impossible for the plan she had in mind to work. Of course, she could try to work on the two men that came with him, but she wasn't sure she could stomach flirting with men all night till she found one that would have her.
"I am Zhuyue. Now would you grace me with your name?" The sarcasm was evident in her tone. She immediately chastised herself for allowing her irritation to show through. She was suppose to be seducing this man.
"Xiahou Dun." He replied, folding his arms across his chest and pulling his eyes away from her realizing that he had been staring at her this entire time. He could see why she had so many suitors, she was attractive. A bit too soft in his opinion and not to his tastes. Even though he could see the appeal, women like this annoyed him. With the exception of a child who lacked the strength due to age, he had no patience for people who refused fend for themselves. These women sole purpose was to latch onto a man and have him take care of them for the rest of their and in return, they would bear children for them to carry on their name. Dun grit his teeth in annoyance as he thought of the concept. Dealing with these annoying whiney weak woman wasn't worth the occasional fuck in hopes of her bearing a son. If he were to get married, he would want a woman who would stand as his equal, not below him. The chances of that happening in this day and age however was almost nil. Women were taught at a young age to be subservient so Dun didn't even bother trying to find a mate. He knew eventually he would have to marry to pass along his legacy to his son, but he planned on putting the event off as long as possible.
He glared at the woman next to him once more. She did not look as if she could possibly be the person who beat that many men in combat. Even if she didn't dress herself as one, she carried herself like a privileged noble woman. He doubt she has even held a weapon before. She was definitely more suited to be a courtesan than a warrior.
"Why are you here? You don't seem like another suitor." She asked as sweetly as she could.
"I'm not. I came here because I heard of your exploits." He replied, trying to keep his voice leveled. She chortled.
"Exaggerated I'm sure." This was exhausting. Playing the role of a seductress. She wasn't even certain she was doing this correctly. In fact she was fairly certain she wasn't.
"I'm starting to believe that." She returned her gaze to him, her eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean by that?"
"From what I heard, you beat fifty two potential suitors. Though after seeing your latest suitor, I should have known better than to expect much more than what I see before me." Zhuyue frowned and allowed the silence to permeated between them for a few moments before speaking again.
"You met that sniveling Lao Chenglei." It was a statement, not a question. Dun did not respond. He instead stood, intent on leaving. It seems as if this trip was indeed a waste of time.
"And you heard about me because of him...But you still haven't told me what you were looking for. What did I fail to be in your eyes!?" She called out to his back as he walked away from her. Her manners completely forgotten, she spoke to him forcefully, commanding respect. This made Dun pause. He cast a glance over his shoulder at her to see her face fixed in a scowl, completely different to how it was a few moments ago.
"A warrior." He said simply before continuing on his way back to the main house. The sound of tearing fabric stopped him in his tracks again. He turned to see her legs now exposed through jagged rips she made in the sides of her garment using presumably the dagger she now held in her right hand. Dun rose a brow as he watched her get into a fighting stance holding the dagger leveled at her chest, pointed towards him. It looks like she has held a weapon before.
"You plan on doing something with that little toy girl?" Dun asked fully amused by the turn of events.
"I was thinking of helping you start a new career as a eunuch." She quipped. Dun barked out a laugh.
"With that little thing?"
"It's not the size that count, it's how you use it." Dun smirked and unsheathed his blade, stabbing it into the grass as his feet.
"You sure about that?" She eyed the massive blade then him.
"Big sword...compensating for something?" He barked out another laugh. This was better, much better! That untamed tongue of hers was unexpected and wholly appreciated. He grinned finding her so much more interesting and if he had to be honest with himself, much more attractive than he had earlier now that she had dropped the pretense she held before. Now, if only she fought as well as she talked.
"I hope you fight half as well as you talk shit. Otherwise, I'm going to be very disappointed."
"You already know of my record, you won't be disappointed." He scoffed at her comment.
"Those were all coddled nobles who barely know which end of the blade to stab with. Not that impressive."
"It was enough to get you to come here." She paused. "Why did you come here?"
"I already answered that. I came here looking for a warrior."
"And if you found one?"
"I would offer them the chance to join my lord's army." She shifted her weight on her feet and frowned. Did she really have to pull out every bit of information from him.
"And who is your lord?"
"Lord Cao Cao. Minister of the Han."
"Cao Cao...Cao Cao..." She repeated the name over and over. It sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place it. Dun was becoming impatient. The talking was fun, but he is not a man of words. He was ready to see what she can do. He decided to help speed the conversation along.
"He is not a noble so it would not be a surprise if you do not know him. Just know this; Lord Cao Cao has the ambition to quell the chaos brewing in this land." A man not of noble blood boasts that he can do what so many others could not? Ha! If anything it would be interesting to see him try. How glorious it would be for someone they deem lesser than them to save their pathetic hides. What a sight it would be indeed.
"Xiahou Dun, I wish to make a deal with you."
"I'm listening."
"If I prove myself to be a warrior worthy enough to serve your Lord Cao Cao, I want..." She hesitated, the words caught in her throat. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. This was the only way she would be able to escape this arranged marriage. "I want you to say you to tell my father that you will marry me." Dun stared at her blankly for a moment not entirely sure he heard her correctly. He replayed her words in his mind and was sure she had just asked him to marry her. He erupted in laughter once more. This woman had to be insane. He came looking for a warrior not a wife even if he did find her interesting, it wasn't enough to want to spend the rest of his life with her. She frowned, finding his reaction to her proposition a bit insulting.
"Look!" She said sharply her anger bubbling within her. Dun tried to stifle his laughter long enough to hear what she had to say.
"If I do not find a husband, I will be forced to marry the son of that pretentious prick Yuan Shao. I refuse to live the rest of my days bending knee to someone like him. A sniveling maggot who believes his wealth entitles him to anything and everything." There was a fire behind the venomous words she spoke. Dun could feel her disgust at the prospect of having to marry one of Yuan Shao's children. She dropped her voice lower and Dun had to strain to hear her.
"You don't even have to truly marry me. Just tell my father you will so he can call off this arranged marriage. He is at the end of his days and wants to ensure that his holdings go to someone worthy rather than being given back to the government and by default the corrupted-" She cut herself off she had no idea of this man's allegiance and here she was spilling her guts to him. Her desperation has made careless.
"No need to hold your tongue, neither myself nor my lord hold allegiance to Dong Zhuo." Dun offered, knowing already what she had held back from saying. The fat pig's name alone terrified people. He suddenly couldn't wait to get to Hulao so they can dethrone the unworthy slob from his stolen throne. She breathed a sigh of relief. She would have to be mindful in the future. She had a bad habit of letting her emotions get the better of her.
"Do this and I will serve you as a warrior faithfully and you can inherit my father's wealth." She concluded.
"You would serve my lord faithfully, not me." She shook her head.
"I make my deal with the man standing before me right now. Not your lord. As long as you serve him, so shall I but my allegiance would be to you and you alone." She blinked, why had she said that? It didn't truly matter did it? The words came to her unbidden but it felt right. This was something odd she would need to think about later. Right now, she needed to ensure that he accepted her proposal.
Dun stroked his beard considering his offer. It wasn't a bad deal on his end. He didn't really care about the money what he cared about was getting a capable warrior. He found it curious that she specifically wanted to serve only him. In the end that didn't matter. If she was truly his to command, he would just have her serve Cao Cao.
"Impress me first. Show me you are worth the trouble."
"Gladly." She replied her lips curving into a smile. What she did next Dun did not expect. With one fluid motion, she flipped the blade in her hand stepped forward and threw it at him. Dun dodged out of the way just in time, the blade whizzing by him, embedding itself in the wall behind him. He looked back to her to see that she was already upon him. 'Damn she's fast!' Dun thought as he reached for his blade, still impaled in the ground in front of him. She swung at his hand with her left before he could fully grip the hilt making him pull back once he realized she held a dagger in her left hand now. Not wanting to lose her momentum she pivoted with her left foot and kicked at him with her right. He dodged backward just in time to feel the wind from her kick as it swiped past him. She repositioned herself, now standing between him and his blade.
"Hmph, cute but if daggers aren't exactly an ideal weapon. Almost all weapons offer longer range and if you plan on throwing your blades at everyone, you'll run out of usefulness on the battlefield quickly."
"I agree. They aren't what I normally fight with, but I couldn't exactly hide my normal weapons in this." She gestured to her torn garment. "Either way, having this is better than having what you currently have which is nothing."
"That'll be rectified soon."
This time Dun charged at her. She flipped the dagger in her hand and threw it at him. Dun expected the move and dodged it easily, not slowing his charge. She hopped behind his blade and wrapped her hands on the handle, with a heave she wrenched it out of the ground and with a grunt, swung it in an ascending arc just as he reached her. Dun had to dodge to the side, barely avoiding the blow. He tried to charge for her again but she brought the blade in a downward slash causing him to have to dodge again. He backed off for now and watched as she let the blade rest on the ground her teeth clenched together from the exertion. The blade was a lot heavier than she expected. How the hell did he wield this thing with one hand earlier?
Dun circled around her like a predator stalking his prey. He could tell the blade was too heavy for her. If she continued using it, she would over exert herself and she wouldn't be able to lift it any longer. He charged at her again. With a grunt she swung the blade and he easily dodged. He kept charging at her continuously, each swing becoming more labored than the last. She put up a good effort but it was time to end this. He charged at her once more with the intent to dodge the blade and land a direct blow. Instead of her staying back and waiting for him to approach before swinging the blade however, she once again surprised him. She charged straight at him as well, Dun halted his steps just as she swung the blade over her head with a cry and stabbed in into the ground in front of her. Without missing a beat, she adjusted her grip on the blade and vaulted towards him. Unable to react in time, her foot crashed right into the side of his face sending him flying backwards. She landed on her back, breathing heavily.
Dun was stunned. Laid out on his back, he reached up to his lip to feel the a sticky warm substance pouring from a fresh cut on his lip. She drew blood. Dun grinned, he definitely hadn't expected that. To his discredit he under estimated her. He hadn't taken her seriously this entire time and he paid for it with this blow. He wouldn't dishonor her any further. He moved to get up only to feel an incredible weight slam him back to the ground knocking the wind out of him. She had retrieved one of her daggers and mounted him. She was now attempting to press it to his throat. He halted her advance, grabbing the wrist that held the dagger with one hand.
Hearing the commotion, Yue Jin, Li Dian and Xiaolian ran to the clearing to see them struggling on the floor. Alarmed at seeing a Dun on the floor with a crazed woman on top of him with a dagger at his throat, Jin pulled out his own weapons and advanced towards them only to be stopped dead in his tracks by Dun.
"STAY THE FUCK BACK." He roared. Despite the ferocity of his words, had wore an odd grin on his face. "This is between me and her." He concluded a bit calmer.
Zhuyue's strength was waning. She wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Damnit she was so close. She couldn't give up now but she didn't have the strength to go on. She growled. No. She wasn't going to give up. She would fight with every bit of strength she had. She removed one of her hands from the dagger and tried to punch Dun in the face. Big mistake as he still had one free hand. He blocked the blow easily and countered, his fist crashing into her jaw. For a moment bright splotches of light clouded her vision. Taking advantage of that Dun flipped them over, banging her hand against the floor so she dropped the dagger. He was about to ask her if she gave up when he felt a sharp pain rise up from his crotch. She had kneed him. He clamped his teeth together trying to ignore the intense pain. She tried to land a blow to his nose with the heel of her hand but he was able to move his head back in time allowing her to only catch his chin. Pain erupted from his jaw at the strike. Fighting through the pain, Dun landed another fist against her jaw. He didn't pull back on the hit, his anger getting the better of him. She felt as if her neck was going to snap from the blow. Her vision dimmed. She blindly groped for the dagger but froze when another fist connected with her abdomen, knocking the wind out of her. Pain erupted throughout her body like an electric jolt. She no longer had the energy to fight. Before she slipped out of consciousness two words floated through her mind. 'I...lost...'
