A/N: Lu Bu's first wife was named Lady Yan. Lu Lingqi's mother was Lu Bu's supposedly his second wife (According to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms book). It says she was the fictional daughter of Cao Bao but they never provided a name for her. For the sake of this fic, we are going to just use Lady Yan as Lu Lingqi's mother and Lu Bu's only wife since she is truly the only one on record.
Another note, when I say salute, I am referring to when they put their hand over their fist and bow.
=#=
Chen Gong - Gōngtái
Zhang Liao - Wényuǎn
Li Dian - Mànchéng
Cao Pi - Zihuan
Cao Chong - Cangshu
Guo Jia - Fèngxiào
Zhang Fei - Yìdé
Yue Jin - Wenqian
=#=
At that moment, Diaochan felt her heart stop. It was suddenly hard to breath and she found herself making audible gasps. She moved to stand, but felt a strong hand grab her arm. Fear gripped her as she assumed the hand was that of Lu Bu but felt a small amount of relief to see that it was that of her adopted father. Wang Yun yanked her back down and whispered as quietly as he could to her.
"Don't move. Act normal."
Diaochan looked at him as if he had grown a second head. How can she possibly remain normal? Lu Lingqi had survived!
"He knows nothing," her father added.
The words reverted in her mind. He knows nothing. That is true. He knows nothing. There is no proof of her crime, right? He didn't know the terrible thing they had done. If she acted as if nothing happened, he wouldn't suspect her. She tried her best to calm herself, but it was hard. The room felt incredibly stifling. Diaochan put on her best smile and hoped no one could see through the facade.
=#=
Lu Lingqi stood in the middle of the hall. For the first time in months, her eyes met with her father's. This was her chance. Her chance to get answers to all the questions that had been burning in the forefront of her mind. But she couldn't. Being face to face with her father, she lost her nerve. Instead of asking all those questions she wanted, she could only utter one word.
"Father..."
Lu Bu stood.
"Hmph. You have done well, Gōngtái," he said, his eyes remaining on his wife and child as he spoke. Chen Gong gave a salute, making sure to bow low.
"I live to serve, my Lord," he replied.
Lady Yan stepped forward, pulling off her hood. She did not do it in quite the grandiose manner as her daughter. Her actions were refined and with poise. She bowed to her husband with a gracious smile.
"It is good to see you again, my Lord Husband," she said softly. Her eyes subtly shifted from Lu Bu to Diaochan. The girl looked positively panicked. This fact delighted her to no end.
"Hmph," was Bu's reply as he folded his arms across his chest. "Diaochan, do you have nothing to say about my family's return?" he inquired.
Diaochan's heart was racing. He knows...he knows! The words repeated in her mind. Her stomach twisted itself in knots and she could feel bile rising in her throat. She was going to be sick. Her father's hand squeezed her arm again. Her memory of his words punctured through the tortuous loop playing endlessly in her mind. 'Be calm, he knows nothing.' Forcing a fake smile once more, she stood and bowed.
"It-It gladdens my heart to see both of you well. We were beside ourselves with worry when we couldn't find you in Chang'an," she said.
"Yet you found your father with no trouble at all," Gong quipped.
"I-I..." she could say nothing to that. Her mind froze. She was drowning in a sea of guilt and regret. Wang Yun could see his normally composed daughter began to flounder. He stood and saluted.
"What you say is true, Master Gōngtái and it is with infinite shame do I admit that we failed to find, Lady Yan and Lady Lingqi on that fateful day. Things were so chaotic and there were so many enemies. We too are lucky we escaped with our lives," said Yun. He saluted Gong and then repeated the action to Lu Bu, making sure to bow low as he did so.
"Forgive us for our failure. If we were only strong enough, we could have pushed back those enemies and looked harder. Forgive us...forgive us!"
Diaochan watched her father with shock. Had he always been so proficient in lying? He did so without batting an eye and showing absolutely no remorse. Did he feel nothing for the crime they committed? A part of her mind screamed at her to tell the truth, to admit to her faults but she could not. Doing so would mean the death of not only her, but her beloved father. She wanted to crawl up into a ball and cry but she could not. She had to wear the mask just a bit longer. Following her father's actions, she bowed to Lu Bu, then to Lingqi and Lady Yan.
"Forgive us." Her voice was shaky and held no confidence. She squeezed her eyes shut and begged her tears to remain at bay for just a little longer.
"There were no enemies...," said Lingqi, her voice soft. All eyes turned to her.
"Speak up, Lingqi!" Her father commanded. That familiar jolt of fear surged through her as it usually did when her father yelled at her. At once, she complied with his demand.
"There were no enemies in the residential area, father. On that day, I went to the palace to see you, but saw that a battle had broken out. I heard that you had slew Dong Zhou and the soldiers were looking for you. There were enemies on the way to the residential area, but none in it. They were too busy trying to prevent you from leaving. Once I got into the residential area, I was able to get to mother with ease."
Her eyes shifted to Diaochan and narrowed. "I saw you there. You went to get your father. You didn't stop and look for us. You took him, spoke for a few moments then ran."
"N-no. That's not..." Diaochan began. The words died on her lips. She couldn't keep this up. She had to come clean. Her guilt had been gnawing at her since that day and now she had come face to face with what she and her father had done.
"Not what, lady Diaochan? Not the truth? Are you saying that lady Lingqi is lying?" Gong asked as he tapped his cheek with a finger.
Diaochan, no longer able to suppress her tears, turned her watery eyes turned towards Gong. He was unabashedly gleeful about events unfolding before him. Her eyes widened as the realization hit her. This was all his doing! She knew that he never liked her. All the times he smiled in her face and plied her with platitudes, it was merely to disguise his true agenda.
"You..." she said in almost a whisper. "You did this." Her composure shattered. In a very uncharacteristic move, Diaochan was suddenly screaming. That graceful poise that she always exuded was lost in the turmoil that has engulf this once peaceful banquet. "You bastard! YOU DID THIS!"
"It doesn't matter who did what, Diaochan!" Lu Bu roared. Diaochan immediately shrank back. Her fury instantly abandoned as a shiver ran through her body. She could feel the anger of his words wash over her. Her knees threatened to buckle. She had to place her hands the table for support.
"Is it true? Did you have a chance to save my daughter and only sought to save your father? ANSWER ME!"
Lu Bu turned to her. His massive frame bearing down on her as his intense stare pierced into her very soul. This was it. Fear gripped her, squeezing itself around her. She couldn't move or speak. Furious with waiting, Lu Bu's massive hand wrapped itself around her throat. He lifted her lithe body into the air and brought her face close to his own. Diaochan's hands tried feebly to pry his hand from around her neck but the gesture only made Bu grip tighter.
"Answer me!" He repeated, his face fixed in a snarl. Diaochan could only let out a pitiful whine in response. It was difficult to breath and the pressure Bu was applying to her neck made it feel as if it would snap at any moment.
"It was my idea!" Wang Yun cried out. He couldn't bear to see his daughter in such a state for a second longer. "Spare her, my Lord. It was my fault. I made her leave. She didn't want to. I forced her!"
Bu released his hold on Diaochan. She fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.
"So it is true then. You and Diaochan could have saved Lady Yan and Lingqi, but chose to save yourselves instead?" Bu asked as he turned his full attention to Yun. He began advancing on the elderly man who to his credit stood his ground.
"Yes," he replied.
"Why?" Bu asked. His fist were balled at his sides. Yun eyes shifted from Bu's face to his hands and back again. He expected to be punched at any moment.
"What does it matter? The deed was done and I am the one to blame. Punish me as you see fit but I beg you, spare Diaochan. She had no fault in this."
"Such brave words!" Gong remarked. "How noble of you to want to take the blame off of your daughter, but your little butterfly isn't as innocent as you say. She could have told the truth at any time, but chose not to. She enjoyed our Master's hospitality, his kindness and his bed all while he anguished over the loss of his wife and child."
"Damn you, Gōngtái!" said Yun. "It was because of me! I made her stay quiet. She wanted to tell you. The fault is on my head and my head alone!"
Diaochan, who at this point had managed to catch her breath again spoke in a low raspy tone as she held her bruised throat. "F-father, no..."
"Shut up child!" He hissed at her. He turned his attention back to Lu Bu. "I accept full responsibility. I will take any punishment you see fit to give. I only ask that you spare my daughter. Her love for you is real."
"You are in no position to ask for favors, Fool! Get this scum out of my sight!" Bu commanded. A soldier came forward and took hold of his arm. He tried to pull away from the man as he pleaded to Lu Bu.
"Please! Spare her! It was my fault," Yun cried out as he was dragged from the hall. Diaochan could only sob as she watched her father get taken away.
"And what of her, master Lu Bu?" Gong asked, pointing a finger in Diaochan's direction.
" Wényuǎn," Bu called. Zhang Liao made his way before Lu Bu and gave him a formal salute.
"Yes?"
"Take her away. Lock her up in her room and have guards posted. Make sure they never let her out of their sight."
"As you wish," Liao replied. He saluted once more then went to Diaochan's side. He placed his hand on her arm and yanked her to her feet.
"Master Lu Bu, I implore you to reconsider this decision!" Gong said as he moved quickly to block Liao's way. "She is just as guilty as her father in her crimes. She should be punished along with him. She no longer deserves your mercy."
"Silence, Gōngtái! My orders will be followed!"
Gong sighed. This wasn't exactly how he wanted it to go, but he could still count this as a win. Her father was ousted and she has definitely fallen out of favor in Bu's eyes. That would have to be enough for now. Gong would just have to ensure that Diaochan never manages to worm her way back into his heart.
"Of course, my apologies," Gong replied giving Lu Bu an exaggerated salute. He moved to the side allowing Liao passage. Liao pulled Diaochan forward, half dragging her out of the hall. Diaochan didn't resist him, feeling completely numb after everything that happened. Her father was going to die. She knew it, but Lu Bu spared her. Why? Did he truly believe she had nothing to do with it? It probably didn't matter. Diaochan knew that after tonight, life would never be the same.
=#=
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. The atmosphere in Chuancheng had grown tense. Many of Cao's soldiers had taken residence with the civilians of the town. As one would imagine, this was not an easy thing for the civilians to swallow. Their homes were taken essentially taken over in favor of the army. Cao instructed his soldiers to treat them with the utmost respect and promised them restitution once they retook Yan Province, but as time waned the civilians became more and more disgruntled by the situation they were forced into.
Cao's soldiers weren't faring much better with the situation. Chuancheng had a finite amount of space, so the soldiers who could not find shelter within Chuancheng were forced to live in camps on the outskirts of the town. Cao tried to alleviate some of the stress by rotating the soldiers that got to live in houses with the ones that lived in the camps. This rule did not apply to Cao's generals. Due to their status, they were guaranteed residence within Chuancheng. Cao's solution managed to keep the soldiers calm but the residents of Chuancheng weren't happy about their homes being used as an inn. For now, things seemed to be stable but a solution needed to be found or tension would soon boil over.
Fortunately for Cao Cao, the solution lay before him. He sat with his chin rested upon his folded hands as he looked down to the unfurled scroll that lay before him. His eyes scanned the words written on the scroll once more as he waited for his generals to file into the hall.
"Father, everyone is here," said Pi. Cao looked up from the scroll to confirm his son's statement. The faces of his generals were staring back at him. He could see confusion in many of their faces. Indeed this meeting was a surprise. They had already had their weekly meeting two days ago and as it had been for months, another wasn't scheduled till the following week.
Cao lowered his folded hands to rest on the scroll.
"As many of you already know, Yan Province has recently come under attack by an unlikely enemy, locust. Being long time residents of this land, we know of their habits and we do the best we can to control them before they get out of control. Unfortunately for Lu Bu, but quite fortunate for us, he cannot boast of the same experience. Unchecked, the locust have swarmed and the fields have been devastated. Yan Province has been hit with famine. The report I have here says that many of its residents have even turned to cannibalism..." Cao paused here to let his words sink in.
Predictably, murmurs washed over the group like the tide hitting the shore. Cao permitted them to speak amongst themselves for a few moments before interrupting. He wanted to address what he knew the main concern they had were.
"Thanks to a very insightful suggestion from Mànchéng, our storehouses are filled to the brim with food. Also, we managed to identify the locust that threatened our crops and destroy their eggs before they got to be too much of a problem. While we did lose a portion of our crops, it is manageable. Things will be tight, but we will not go hungry."
More murmurs rippled through the crowd. There was definite relief among the generals at this news.
"The people are upset at Lu Bu's poor governing of the land. He has taken the little food that survived the swarm for himself and his generals and left the people to starve. There have been revolts in all of the cities under his control and most importantly in Puyang. The time is ripe, we must make our move now. Not only to wrest control from Lu Bu's inept hands but to save our people from themselves and the terrible fate that foul beast has left them to."
Roars of agreement sounded from the generals as their fist flew in the air. Cao stood and the cheering slowly died down to allow him to speak once more. Cao quickly outlined his plans for battle and gave his generals their roles within the fight. Satisfied that everyone knew the role they would play, he addressed them all once more.
"Tomorrow, we march on Dingtao. This is the first step towards taking back our home! Rest well tonight, we set off at first light."
More cheers erupted. The generals had been waiting for this command for months. Finally they were going to move against Lu Bu. Their orders received the generals began to disperse to prepare for the upcoming battle. Cao turned to his sons who stood behind him.
"You will be joining me in battle tomorrow. Make your preparations," Cao gave them a unnerving smile before continuing. "I want to see what you can do for myself."
Pi merely saluted his father, unfazed but Ang swallowed heard as a chill ran through his body. He wasn't keen on going into battle again, especially against a warrior as fearsome as Lu Bu. Perhaps he could tell his father he hadn't recovered from his previous injury? No, the look his father gave him told him that he wouldn't buy that excuse. Ang was resigned to his fate.
=#=
The door to Diaochan's room open. The room's single occupant scurried backward into the furthest corner of the bed like fearful animal. Once she saw who entered the room, her fear eased slightly but she still remained guarded.
Lady Yan stepped further into the room, a water basin in her hands and a soft smile on her lips.
"Hello, Diaochan," she said softly. Diaochan did not return the greeting, her eyes watching the woman wearily.
Lady Yan placed the water basin down and stepped closer to the woman. She reached for her, but Diaochan tried to scurry further back. The wall barred her progress and she was left to the mercy of Lady Yan. The woman took hold of her hand gently and examined her arm. It was peppered with multicolored bruises. Lady Yan could only imagine how the rest of Diaochan's body looked. She tsked softly.
"He isn't being very gentle with you, is he?" She asked softly.
Diaochan did not reply, but the tears that pooled in her eyes spoke for her.
"I will tell him to play a little nicer with you...It would be a shame to permanently damage such a pretty little thing," she said as she moved her hand to stroke Diaochan's hair. Diaochan flinched as if she had been struck.
"You poor, poor dear. You are like a frightened little rabbit. I can't feel too sorry for you though...You brought this fate on yourself. It was a smart idea though, I understand why you did it, but I will never forgive you for it. Do what you will to me...," as Lady Yan spoke, the hand stroking Diaochan's head suddenly grabbed hold of her hair and she yanked her head down so that their eyes met.
"But if you ever try to harm my daughter in any way again, I will personally end you."
Diaochan let out a pained wail. It felt as if she was going to rip her hair out of her scalp.
"Do you understand me? Say that you understand me," Lady Yan commanded.
"I-I understand! I understand!" Diaochan cried out.
Satisfied, Lady Yan released her grip. As soon as she was free, Diaochan scurried back into her corner, crawling into a ball and burying her head in her hands.
"Good. Be sure to use to water I have left you. Lord Fèngxiān has complained about your smell. I will tell him to play nicer with you, Little Toy."
Lady Yan turned to leave the room but Diaochan's garbled speech stopped her.
"What was that dear?" Lady Yan asked, turning to face her.
"M-my father...w-where is he?" She asked through her sobs.
"Oh my dear, he is currently rotting an in unmarked grave. Lord Fèngxiān had him publicly executed. Then he put his body on display for all to see for days until the smell grew to be too much. I did not personally go to see the execution, but from what I heard, he died crying your name. Rest well, Little Toy."
With that final word, Lady Yan walked out of the room, leaving a sobbing Diaochan behind.
=#=
Zhuyue watched Dun wearily as he checked his armor for the upcoming battle. He was aware that she had been watching him but opted not to say anything. Xiaolian, who had been in their room glanced back and forth between the two sensing that something was wrong.
"Are you mad, Zhuyue?" Xiaolian asked as she cocked her head to the side to look at the woman in question.
Zhuyue blinked and looked at the little girl.
"Huh? No, I'm not mad. Why would you think I was?"
"Uhm...," she began but paused to look between the two again. "You have been looking at Master with a mad face."
Zhuyue considered this. Was she scowling? She could have very well been.
"So what's your problem," Dun asked, finally breaking his silence.
"I was just wondering...are you going to leave me again?"
"I will if you don't stop gawking at me and get ready."
"I haven't started getting ready because I wasn't sure if there was a point!" She exclaimed taking a step closer to him. Dun set his armor to the side and stood, taking a step towards her, his face fixed in a grimace.
"Don't be a child about this. You know why I left you the last time," he grounded out, his tone biting.
"So if Mànchéng walks in here again, you would leave me? My fate is up to the whim of another man?"
Dun took another step forward until he was bearing down on Zhuyue. She stood her ground, her head cocked up to look at him with her fist balled at her sides.
"Your fate is up to me and you are damn right I would leave you here again if he told me it would keep you safe,"
At this point, Xiaolian had distanced herself from the two. She knew their explosive tempers and was content to watch the rest of this event unfurl from behind the safety of the wall she was hiding behind. Dun's words deflated Zhuyue's anger a bit. He wanted to keep her safe. It was kind of sweet in a way, but utterly frustrating at the same time. She wasn't a damsel in distress. She could save herself.
"I can take care of myself," she replied in a calm and measured tone.
Dun put a hand on her cheek. A gentle gesture that was at complete odds with his previous tone.
"I know, but that won't stop me from trying to protect you if I can," said Dun. Zhuyue leaned her cheek into his hand and offered him a smile.
"Now...," Dun began, leaning down and giving her lips a peck. "Can you cut your whining and get your shit together?"
Zhuyue frowned. The moment was completely ruined. She lobbed a punched to his side. Dun let out an oof when it connected. He grinned enjoying riling her up.
"You just had to ruin it," she replied as she shoved him away from her.
Dun didn't reply, he only grinned feeling utterly delighted at her irritation. Zhuyue turned her back to him and allowed herself a hidden smirk. She knew he was pulling her strings and as usual it worked. Xiaolian, sensing that it was safe, emerged from her hiding spot and took her place back on the floor to watch the two get ready. It wasn't long before a servant interrupted to inform them that they had visitors. Dun bade entrance to their guest and a smiling Li Dian walked in followed by a stone-faced Yue Jin. Zhuyue leveled Li Dian with an icy stare that startled him. He backed away from her and raised his hands in self defense, unsure of where the sudden hostility was coming from.
"What do you want?" Dun asked, hoping that Dian wasn't going to ask him to leave Zhuyue behind again. He really didn't want to have to deal with the aftermath of that if he did.
"N-nothing?" he replied, his eyes glued to look of pure menace Zhuyue was throwing his way.
Yue Jin saluted Dun and Zhuyue.
"We figured since we would be under your command tomorrow that we check with you to see if there is anything you need us to do before we march tomorrow," Yue Jin explained, seeing that Li Dian was too preoccupied to do so.
Dun rubbed his chin. "Yeah, actually I was going to find both of you later. Let's get this over with now."
He beckoned for them to gather around him. They did so, with Dian making sure to be as far away from Zhuyue as possible. Xiaolian took this as her cue to leave, being trained by Dun to not be involved in military affairs. She allowed her feet to take her into an aimless direction, no particular destination in mind. She wound up near the lodging where Lady Ai and Xiahou Shan were staying.
Xiahouji who had been sitting in front of said lodging looked up from her task of plucking blades of grass from the ground. She gave Xiaolian a half hearted smile which was not returned. Xiahouji sighed and clutched the stuffed rabbit she had tucked under her other arm tighter. Xiaolian sat next to the girl and plucked a few blades of grass from the ground as well. She stared at the handful she held in her hand and poked at it. They sat silently next to each other for a long time before Xiahouji spoke up.
"Are you scared for them?"
Xiaolian looked up from the grass in her hand to the girl who had muttered the question in a voice so low it was almost missed by her. She cocked her head to the side in confusion.
"Who?"
"They are going to fight tomorrow. Are you scared for them?"
Oh, so that is what she was talking about. Xiaolian returned her gaze back to the grass in her hands and began trying to tie the blades together.
"No," she replied as she worked.
"Why not? They could die-"
"No," Xiaolian said cutting her off.
"How do you know? I heard the person they are fighting is really strong, like a god. He could kill them...he could kill all of them and then come to us," Xiahouji exclaimed.
"No," Xiaolian repeated, nonplussed by Xiahouji's sudden excited behavior.
"No, what?" Xiahouji asked exasperated.
Xiaolian stopped her work and frowned, irritated that she had to explain this further for her to understand.
"They won't lose. Not a god, a beast. They said so. He will die. They will win." She explained quickly and matter-of-factly before resuming her work on her grass blades.
Xiahouji blinked as she absorbed Xiaolian's words. After a few moments of silence she whispered her reply.
"I hope so. I don't want anyone else to die."
Silence descended over the pair again. Xiahouji stopped playing with the grass and opted to snuggle her stuffed bunny instead. After a long period of silence, she spoke again.
"Do you miss her?"
Xiaolian didn't reply. She had an idea who Xiahouji was referring to and she didn't want to talk about it.
"I mean your sist-"
"No," Xiaolian replied, stopping Xiahouji from saying the full word. She didn't like hearing it anymore. She didn't like to remember her as her sister anymore. She was Xiulan. The bad woman who got her family killed. The horrible lady who use to beat her. The evil woman who tried to kill her new family. She didn't want to think of her. She wanted to forget her, even though she probably never will for the rest of her life.
Xiahouji took the hint and decided to approach the topic in a different way.
"Do you think about your family? Do you ever miss your mom and dad?"
This question made Xiaolian pause. In her heart, when she did think about them, she felt a strange ache in her chest that she couldn't explain. She found it hard to remember certain things about them. She could remember their faces and their smell, but other things began to fade. What was their favorite food? What did they use to do for fun? Even bits of how they sounded started to fade. This made Xiaolian sad. A part of her wanted to remember but another part of her wanted to forget. When she thought of them, the last memory was the one burned in the forefront of her mind. The sight of their faces twisted in agony as they died around her. Xiaolian wanted to forget this but like the memory of her sister, she probably never will.
It doesn't matter..." Xiaolian finally answered. Xiahouji wanted to dispute this but she saw a solitary tear roll down Xiaolian's cheek. She was more hurt than she ever let on.
"I miss my parents too...," Xiaohuji said in a whisper as she clutched her bunny to her chest.
"I hope no one else dies...I don't want to miss anyone else...," Xiahouji concluded. Xiaolian didn't reply but in her heart, she felt the same.
=#=
Cao Chong let out a hiss as sunlight washed over his face, startling him out of his sleep. He rubbed his eyes, trying to banish the bright splotches that hid beneath his lids.
"Close the shutters!" He commanded.
"It is midday. You shouldn't still be sleeping," a voice replied. It took Chong only a few seconds to place the voice. He frowned and turned his back on his visitor in an attempt to go back to sleep.
"Go away, Zihuan," Chong grumbled.
"I took my time out to see my dear brother before we leave and this is how I am received? Tsk. Did your manners go along with the use of your legs?" Chong turned over, his face etched in a deep frown.
"So that's what it is? You've come to laugh at me and my condition? Does your black heart truly have no sympathy for me? You got what you wanted. You are father's favorite son now. Must you rub it in my face?"
Pi let out an exaggerated sigh. "It was a joke, Cangshu. I guess it is a bit too soon to make light of your predicament. My apologies."
"Too soon? Too soon?!" Chong used his upper body to pull himself into a sitting position. He rested his back against the wall and gestured to his legs.
"There will never be a time when it is okay to make fun of this!" He exclaimed loudly. "I am useless now! I am useless to father...I am useless as a man...I-I wish that boulder killed me instead of leaving me as such a pathetic wretch," said Chong. Sorrow dripped from every word. You could practically taste his despair. Pi wrinkled his nose feeling disgusted at what has become of his brother.
"Perhaps you should have if you plan on whining like this," Pi replied in his infamous nonchalant tone that infuriated just about everyone that spoke to him.
"Damn you, Zihuan! Why are you here? You can't make me feel worse about myself than I already do! You have father's attention...father's love. What more do you want from me?"
Pi sighed again and looked out of the open window to the sky above. It was a clear and calm day. Pi hoped it would remain so for tomorrow's battle. Fighting in bad weather was not ideal.
"You lost your body, but what of your mind?" Pi asked. When Chong didn't reply, Pi continued.
"For the brother that was supposedly the smartest of us, you certainly sound ignorant right now. If you are so adamant about being useful to father, then find a way to be useful to him. Study up on war, learn the inner workings and find ways to apply that to father's campaign. Father needs skilled strategists he can trust just as much as he needs able bodied men to fight for him. Sleeping in bed well into the middle of the day and wallowing in misery about your own self worth certainly won't garner any points with him."
Chong was stunned into silence. Pi was right. He was absolutely right. He could no longer walk but he still had his mind. He was always gifted in studies, even more so than his swordplay. If he put all of his effort into learning the art of war, perhaps he could still help his father. Chong wasn't under any illusion that he could succeed his father. He knew that without his legs, that opportunity left him, but he could still help him achieve his dream and for Chong, that was more than enough.
"Zihuan...I-," He paused, unsure of what to say. "Good luck tomorrow, brother. Be safe...and...thank you."
Pi walked to his brother's bedside and gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving the room. Chong was left alone once more to further ponder Pi's words.
=#=
Chen Gong watched as Zhang Liao broke up yet another disturbance. This was the forth one this week. The peasants were getting angrier and bolder in their actions. They had to use force to subdue the crowd this time.
Liao made his way back to Gong, his countenance that of a frown.
"There is no honor in beating up hungry peasants. This is not what I signed up for. Something needs to be done."
"Should we kill them instead? That would certainly solve some of the food shortage issues," Gong mused.
"You can't be serious," Liao asked in disbelief.
Gong rubbed a hand over his forehead in irritation.
"Governing the people is not my job. My job is plotting out strategies that will lead our people to victory in battle. If you want to air your discontent to someone, do it to the actual man in charge, master Lu Bu."
"I already have!" Liao snapped. "He seems to be of the same mind as you. Less mouths to feed equal less problems. I tried to explain to him that if we kill everyone that is upset, he won't have anyone to govern over."
"Then give them some of your food since you feel so much pity for them, just don't bug me about it. I have other things on my mind," Gong replied waving his free hand in dismissal.
"I have given them my food. Mostly to the children. Do you know that some of their parents have chosen to feed themselves before their own children? It's...It's horrible. But my food alone isn't enough. I need you to convince master Lu Bu to cut the general's food supply in favor of the people."
Gong gave a choked laugh. "That's not going to happen."
"I'm not saying to take away all of our food. I am merely saying that we can reduce the portions and spread it over the population. If we keep going the way that we are-"
"And I said that's not going to happen," Gong replied cutting him off. "We need our people ready. We are extremely vulnerable right now. Cao Cao may take this time to pounce and we cannot have hungry soldiers with low moral going into the field of battle."
"I doubt Cao Cao is in any position to attack anyone. The situation is the same all over Yan Province. People are starving. Some have even resulted to cannibalism! Surely his army is suffering just as badly as we are."
"I'm not so sure about that," Gong replied. "His camp is heavily fortified. We haven't been able to get any solid information on his status. The only thing we do know is that there have been a few skirmishes amongst the soldiers within the camp."
"Why else would they fight if not for lack of food?" Liao asked. "Please Gōngtái , I implore you. Speak to master Lu Bu about this. It needs to be solved before it becomes a problem we cannot handle."
Gong sighed dramatically and threw his hands up into the air. "Fine, fine. I will speak to master Lu Bu and work out a plan on how to solve this issue. With my genius it shouldn't be too hard to solve this infuriating problem."
Liao saluted, satisfied that his pleas have finally been heard. "Thank you, Gōngtái."
Gong waved his hand again, this time effectively dismissing Liao. Liao took the nonverbal command and left Gong alone.
=#=
"Remember, your goal is to just draw his attention. You don't need to secure your targets. In fact, it is better if you make him think he's won. Don't get yourselves killed," said Dun. Yue Jin and Li Dian saluted their superior.
"We will be careful," said Yue Jin.
"Don't forget to give the signal once he has taken over your position so I will know when to start my attack, Wenqian," said Li Dian. Yue Jin gave a half smile to his friend and nodded.
"I won't forget. Be careful, okay?"
"Yeah, you too," Dian replied.
"That's adorable. Really happy you two found each other, get to work," Dun commanded. Dian laughed at the comment while Yue Jin was left feeling very embarrassed. They both saluted Dun once more.
"You be careful too, Master Dun," said Dian. "And you too, Lady Zhuyue."
Zhuyue saluted them and wished them luck. She and Dun watched as the two went their separate ways towards their targets. The plan Cao has come up with was a bold one. She certainly wouldn't have thought to come up with something like this. At first she thought Cao Cao was mad for announcing his attack so boldly. He marched his army slowly towards Dingtao, giving Lu Bu plenty of heads up of his arrival. In response, Lu Bu moved his army to Dingtao to reinforce the city and its Prefect.
Now, they were implementing the second part of Cao Cao's plan, which Zhuyue couldn't think of as anything less than genius. The drums of battle beat, carrying the declaration of war as Yue Jin, Qin Qi, Chang Diao, Cao Hong, and Zhu Ling launched a fierce attack against Dingtao Castle.
=#=
"My Lord!" A soldier cried out as he ran into Lu Bu's main tent in the camp he had hastily set up within Dingtao. As if just remembering his manners, the man dropped to his knees and saluted his leader before hastily relaying the information he was instructed to pass on.
"Cao Cao's army has already surrounded Lord Wu Zi's unit! He won't last much longer..."
"Hmph," said Lu Bu. A vicious smile crept onto his lips as he thought about the potential bloodshed to be had with such a battle. "I understand," he concluded, holding out his hand for his weapon. Two soldiers lifted the massive Halberd with great difficulty and carried it to their master. Chen Gong moved quickly, putting himself between them and Lu Bu. They let out a frustrated grunt, desperately wanting to put down the massive weapon as Chen Gong waved his hands frantically before Lu Bu.
"Wait! Wait just a moment!" Lu Bu rose a brow in question so Gong proceeded with his plea.
"This time, Cao Cao's defenses will be better prepared than they were at Puyang," he said while he lowered his hands. "In order to face his army, we must be ready," he said impassionedly, lifting his hands once more but this time to add dramatic flair to his speech.
Lu Bu wasn't impressed. "We have you, myself and Zhang Liao. That's all we need," he replied.
Gong, seeing that his performance fell completely flat, spun around to face Lu Bu and raised his hands to stop him once more. "Yes, that is true...," he began, making sure to be careful with his words. His hands flew to the top of his head as if he had a sudden pain in his head. It was if he was talking to a child. Why was this so hard for him to understand? How could he not get the value of strategy?
"However, I believe we require...," Gong continued weakly only to be cut off by Lu Bu.
"Therefore," he began, finishing his comment from earlier. "We will simply scatter Cao Cao's army just like we did last time."
Gong's shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew Lu Bu. He knew that look in his eyes. He was only thinking of the carnage to be had in this battle. There was no way he would get through to him now. His eyes shifted to Zhang Liao who's arms were folded and a frown on his face. It seems that he didn't seem too sure about this situation either but he didn't raise any objections. It seems that their fate was sealed and Gong had a very bad feeling about this.
"I will go save Wu Zi myself," said Bu.
Gong knew this move would leave Lu Bu surrounded. He was quite possibly the greatest warrior in all the land, but even he had the potential of falling to overwhelming odds. The look in Bu's eye told Gong that he was well aware that he would be surrounded. He wanted this. Gong sighed, once again resigning himself. He would be fine. If he was weak enough to fall here, he wouldn't be worth following.
"And what would you have us do?" Liao asked.
"Reinforce the main camp," Bu replied.
Again, Gong did not like this idea. There were many other options that could be taken here, such as sending Liao to reinforce Juye Castle or Gong going to talk to some generals within Dingtao that weren't happy with Cao Cao's rule and would assist them in the fight. Gong knew that his words would fall on deaf ears at the moment so he merely gave a half hearted salute and watched his lord march out of the camp with his halberd in hand.
=#=
Yue Jin kicked Wu Zi in the back of the leg, knocking the man to the knees. The man fought admirably, but he wasn't a match for him or the sheer volume of troops he brought with him. He expected reinforcements to arrive soon but for now, Wu Zi was his prisoner.
"Why don't you just kill me?" The prefect asked bitterly.
"There's no need to," Yue Jin replied.
"Tch, Lord Lu Bu will not let this stand. You will fall to his blade, as will Cao Cao," Zi spat angrily.
"Why did you betray Lord Cao Cao?" Jin asked, his tone calm and even.
"Because that man does not have what it takes to quell the chaos. Only someone as strong as Lord Lu Bu does."
"We'll see about that," Jin replied. He motioned for a few soldiers to take the man back to the main camp as a prisoner of war. He would be made to pay for his crimes.
Not more than ten minutes after he sent Zi away did Jin get word that they were being attacked by Lu Bu himself. Jin steeled himself. He felt excited at the possibility of facing Lu Bu in battle. He always wondered how he would fare against a man of such renown.
Lu Bu tore a bloody swath through Cao's forces on the way to Dingtao Castle. His halberd was slick with the blood of his foes by the time he reached the inner sanctum of the castle. Jin stood strong, his hook blades poised in each hand, ready for battle. Lu Bu looked down to the little man and laughed. Is this the best Cao Cao could send at him? Jin could imagine what Bu was laughing about. He felt slightly self conscious about his short stature in the face of such a massive man, but he pushed those insecurities to the side. That didn't need to be addressed now. For now, he had to focus on the fight to come.
Qin Qi, Chang Diao, Cao Hong, Zhu Ling and their surviving forces began to surround Lu Bu. Lu Bu ignored them, focusing instead on the short man before him. With a roar that Jin swore shook the walls of the castle, Bu charged at him. Jin blocked the attack with his hook blades but felt his body begin forced back. He braced himself finally stopping the powerful swing.
Shit, he is even stronger than he anticipated. Jin disengaged first and launched a counter attack. Lu Bu easily blocked the attack. Predicating this, Yue Jin pulled his hook blades downward, making them lock onto his halberd's pole. Bu lifted his weapon and Jin who was now hanging off of it via his weapon into the air. Jin, gripping the handles of his weapon tightly swung forward and launched a powerful kick, hitting Lu Bu straight in the jaw. He simultaneously unhooked his weapons from the halberd and still rolling with the momentum, pushed off of Bu's jaw and flipped in the air.
If that hit hurt Lu Bu, he certainly didn't show it. Before Jin could land, he swung his now free halberd right into the airborne Jin. Jin was barely able to block the attack and was completely unprepared for the force behind it. He was flung halfway across the room, stopped only by a wall colliding painfully with his back. Jin felt the air forced from his lungs upon impact. Lu Bu began to charge at him but Qin Qi, Chang Diao and Cao Hong blocked his path, giving Jin enough time to get back to his feet.
There was no way he could beat this man. He felt frustrated at the reality but it was plain to see that he was outclassed by this monster. It was time to pull out. The three men struck at Bu but their attacks were easily smacked aside. While he was preoccupied with the other three, Zhu Ling attacked him from behind. Bu used his free hand to catch the man who charged recklessly at him by the throat and slammed him down to the ground. He pushed the other three back and moved his halberd in position to finish off the poor man when he felt the bite of a blade in his leg. Jin had landed a hit under his armor and bit into his upper thigh.
Lu Bu focused his attention back to Jin, allowing Zhu Ling to flee. Upon Jin's command, soldiers charged at Lu Bu, putting distance between the two men. Jin allowed himself to disappear within the throng of forces. He and the other generals withdrew quickly from Dingtao Castle, but not before giving the signal to let Li Dian know to began his attack.
=#=
A soldier ran up to Li Dian and the others that were hiding on the outskirts of Juye Castle.
"Sir!" He said, dropping to his knees and saluting. "We received the signal. Lu Bu has taken Dingtao Castle."
"Okay," Dian replied. "Now we just got to get his attention over here..." His eyes scanned the castle grounds. Just taking it would not be enough. They needed to do something to make Lu Bu run immediately over so the other phases of the plan can go into effect. His eyes landed on a pair of braziers in front of the castle doors. He rubbed his hands together and grinned, knowing exactly how they would get Lu Bu's attention.
=#=
"My Lord! my Lord!" A soldier was running at full speed as he cried out. Bu wrested his halberd from the chest of a fallen soldier. The soldier dropped to his knees and let out a groan after realizing that he was kneeling in blood.
"My Lord, Cao Cao forces have surrounded Juye Castle. Xue Lan and Li Feng are being overwhelmed!"
"Master Lu Bu!"
Both men turned to the new voice. Chen Gong stepped over the fallen bodies carefully as he hastened to Lu Bu's side. He did a partial salute before launching into his speech.
"Master Lu Bu, we are getting overwhelmed from all ends. If we are to win this battle, we need to get those that are unhappy with Cao Cao on our side," Gong implored.
"What are you doing here? You are suppose to be waiting in the main camp" Bu asked, barking out the question. The soldier that was still kneeling before him flinched in fear but Gong remained steadfast. Before Gong could answer, a reply came from Zhang Liao who had finally entered the main hall of Dingtao Castle. His own weapons were slick with the blood of his enemies.
"We couldn't just sit at the camp. Cao Cao has been launching wave after wave of attack. We've been doing what we can to stem the bleeding but we are going to lose the battle at this rate."
"Tch, fine," said Bu as he began to make his way out of the hall.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Gong asked following behind him, narrowly missing tripping over a dead body that was in his path.
"Juye Castle is under attack. I'm going to reinforce them," Bu replied, not slowing his pace.
"But, Master Lu Bu! What about my plan? If we were to recruit those who aren't happy with Cao Cao-"
"I have no need for such peons!" said Bu, cutting him off. "I can beat Cao Cao and his pathetic forces on my own. Don't bother me with your bullshit strategy."
Gong recoiled as if he had been struck. Bullshit strategy? He balled his fist at his side and sucked in several deep breaths.
"As you wish...Master Lu Bu," he finally replied. Satisfied, Bu left to go reinforce Juye Castle.
Liao watched the scene with a frown. He shook his head in disgust. Lu Bu was such a bullheaded man that he thought strength was the only way to accomplish something. He cared only for himself and his desires. It didn't matter how many suffered in his wake as long as he was satisfied. He could save the lives of so many of his soldiers if he would only listen to Chen Gong's plan. But instead, he chooses to cut his way through a seemingly endless wave of forces. If he continued to follow this man, Liao was certain he would eventually meet his end. Should he really continue following this man?
Liao turned to leave the hall. Before exiting, he looked over his shoulder to Chen Gong who was standing in the same spot, looking dejected.
" Gōngtái, we need to do what we can in this fight as well."
"Yes...yes," Gong replied, slowly following Zhang Liao out of the hall.
=#=
Lu Bu arrived at Juye Castle to see it set ablaze. Xue Lan and Li Feng were forced outside of the castle and was fighting in front of the burning edifice. Both men were being swarmed by Cao Cao's forces and it didn't look as if they would last much longer. Bu began to make his way towards the pair when a low whistling sound was caught by his ear. Instinctively he dodge out of the way of the sound, seeing a bladed wheel sail past him, missing him by a hair and bury itself into one of his soldiers. He turned, to see a man standing not far behind him with a halberd in hand.
"Damn, I made sure not to make any noise this time too. You really are the world's greatest warrior. Oh don't tell Master Dun I said that!"
"You pathetic insect!" Was Bu's only reply before he charged at the man.
Dian blocked the initial hit and found himself stumbling backwards as Bu continued to pelt him with relentless attacks. Bu attacked with such ferocity, Dian couldn't counter attack. As Dian blocked, he moved himself closer and closer to his wheel which lay still imbedded in the body of the solider it hit.
Finally, next to his wheel, Dian continued to fend off Bu's attacks. He would need to get some breathing room to connect the wheel back to halberd. Unfortunately for him, Bu wasn't giving him any. His luck hadn't run out just yet however as Lu Qian, Li Qian and Man Chong having subdued and captured Xue Lan and Li Feng, now turned their attention on Lu Bu. The three men began to attack Bu, making him divide his attention between the three of them, giving Dian the space he needed. He stabbed his halberd back into the wheel, the mechanism within the wheel snapping the two pieces together with an audible click. He was back in business.
Dian joined his comrades in the attack. He swung high, his halberd predictably blocked by Lu Bu's own. What Bu did not expect was the wheel that was now attached to Dian's weapon. The blades on the wheel were in full spin and though he managed to block the base of Dian's halberd, the bladed wheel got through. Bu managed to move back to avoid any real damage but he received a nasty gash on his face for the trouble.
Feeling the warmth of his own blood made Bu see red. He let out a roar that Dian swore wasn't human. With his next attack, he managed to send three of the men flying backwards while the unfortunate Li Qian was sliced in half horizontally. Lu Qian who was thrown near Dian was holding his side in a vain effort to keep his blood from spilling out of his body.
"He-he's a monster!" Qian stammered as he tried to drag himself away from Lu Bu who was stalking towards them. The ground around them seemed to quake with each step and the energy rolling off of this monster of a man nearly made Dian piss his pants. He hurried to Qian's side and yanked him to his feet with his free hand while he dragged his wheeled halberd in the other. They had to get out of here. Lu Bu would definitely kill them if they stayed a moment longer. Luckily, Dian managed to avoid injury and from the looks of it, so did Man Chong.
Man Chong quickly made his way to Dian's side to help him with Lu Qian. They could only back up helplessly as Bu stalked closer and closer to them. Soldiers began to surround Lu Bu, attempting to create a barrier between him and their generals.
"Master Dian, please run! We'll hold him off," said one of the soldiers who looked a lot more afraid at the prospect of fighting Lu Bu than his words indicated.
"Are you guys crazy? He'll slaughter you!" Dian replied.
"Please, Master Dian. Lord Cao Cao will need you to fight this chaos. I will gladly give my life to achieve that end. Please! Go!"
Dian looked at the solider and felt equally proud and ashamed. Proud to fight with men of such conviction and ashamed to leave such good people behind.
"Thank you...and I'm sorry," Dian said. He and Man Chong hastily made their exit amid the cries of men in their death throes, who gave their lives to save them.
=#=
Lu Bu was breathing heavily as the bloodlust slowly drained from his body. He looked around to see the ground soaked red. Severed limbs and mangled cadavers surrounded him.
"Great ancestors above!" said a man. Bu turned quickly to him a wild look in his eye. The man immediately back peddled and held his hands up in surrender. His foot landed on a severed arm, the limb slick with blood caused him to lose his footing. He fell backwards landing next to a hacked up body, his backside getting completely drenched in blood.
Bu now recognized him as one of his own soldiers. The man looked visibly ill as he stared warily at the carnage he now sat in.
"What is it?" Bu asked. The man didn't answer, seemingly in a daze. "I said what is it?!" Bu barked out louder than before. That shook the man out of his doldrums. He did an odd version of the salute, not wanting to put his now bloodied hands together.
"I-I uh..the..camp..." He stammered out.
"Spit it out!" Bu yelled, taking a menacing step towards the man.
"T-the main camp is under attack," he said quickly, fearing that he may end up like the dead men that surrounded him.
"Damnit!" Lu Bu exclaimed as he made his way back to his main camp.
=#=
Lu Bu found Zhang Liao and Chen Gong fighting back to back against waves of forces. Zhang Liao looked as if he could fight for much longer, but Chen Gong, not use to being on the front lines was getting a bit winded. Even so, the man's face was set in determination. He wasn't planning on going down here.
"Why aren't you making your way back to the main camp?!" Bu asked after fighting his way to their side, leaving a bloody path in his wake.
"There is no point," Gong breathed out, glad for the break. "Cao Cao's forces have set it on fire. They took back Dingtao Castle as well. We are severely outnumbered. The only thing we can do is try to stay alive."
"Bullshit!" Said Bu, "That's not good enough for me."
Defiant, Bu began to fight his way towards the main camp. He could smell the smoke before he could see the camp and he knew that Gong's words were true. A hail of arrows rained down on him from the sky. Bu spun his halberd fending off the assault. Gong ducked under his master as he did so while Liao cut down his fair share of arrows as well.
"Sorry big boy, this area is off limits, but I'll be more than happy to play with you if you want," said Yuan with a smile as he notched another arrow.
Bu began to stalk towards him when he felt a hand grab his arm. He yanked his arm from its grasp but he was grabbed once more. He turned his head and glared at Gong who was desperately trying to hold him back.
"My Lord, we need to run. If we go forward, we risk getting caught in a pincer attack."
"He's right. Cao Cao is not holding back. If we stay here, we will assuredly die."
Bu looked between the two men, his chest heaving in anger as he thought of fleeing once again. Why should he have to run? He's the world's strongest warrior!
"Well if you're not gonna come to me, I'm gonna come to you," said Yuan as he and his fellow archers released another volley. Liao, Gong and a reluctant Bu fell back away from his main camp as the fire continued to hungrily consume it.
Gong felt relieved that Lu Bu finally listened to something he said. He decided to push his luck and make another suggestion.
"We should retreat to the Southeast, to Xu Province. Liu Bei is currently in control of that Province and we can seek shelter with him. We can use our timely invasion of Puyang, which essentially saved Xu Province from Cao Cao's assault as reason to give us shelter. If he is as noble as he claims to be, he won't deny us.
Bu did not reply to this, but shifted his direction to the Southeast. It was clear to see that he was seething at being made to flee once more.
"We should be careful," Gong stated. "Cao Cao is likely to have some-"
Liao pulled him out of the way just in time to avoid being hit by a rock. "Traps..." he finished before patting Liao's shoulder in way of thanks.
The rock assault continued, making Bu's army completely cease its retreat. From above them, Yu Jin stood on a cliff, his arms folded and an air of confidence swirling around him.
"Surrender or die. Those are your only choices," said Jin as his men continued their assault. Though his words gave the option of surrender, it seems as if Jin made the choice for them and that choice was death.
The assault seemed endless. They couldn't get close enough to the men to stop them. Just as all seemed lost, relief came in one of the most unlikely sources.
=#=
Liu Bei rode hard and fast towards Dingtao. He only hoped that he and his brother's would get there in time.
Guan Yu spurred his horse faster to catch up to his sword brother. "Brother...why are we doing this?"
This was a question he had asked several times since Liu Bei informed them that they were going to assist Lu Bu in his battle against Cao Cao.
"If it wasn't for Lu Bu attacking Puyang, we would have lost Xu Province. We owe him for that,"
"He didn't do it to help us," Yu replied. "He did it to satisfy his own needs. We owe him nothing."
"I agree. Let that bastard die for all I care," said Zhang Fei who finally matched the speed of his brothers.
"We cannot do that. Even if he did do it for himself, we cannot deny the impact it had. We also owe Cao Cao for Master Tao Qian. The evil he inflicted on that poor man led to his early demise. That has to be answered for," Bei replied.
Yu sighed. He knew there was nothing he could say to talk his brother out of this. The best he could do was try to ensure that no harm came to his benevolent brother.
By the time they arrived to Dingtao from the southeast, the battle was well underway. It was easy to see that Cao's forces were in firm control of the battle. From the looks of it, Lu Bu and his surviving people were already heading in their direction. This was lucky for them. All they had to do was help them escape.
Liu Bei and his brothers struck at Yu Jin and his group from behind. The attack surprised and threw the forces into confusion. No one expected Liu Bei to come to Lu Bu's aide.
"Master Lu Bu!" Liu Bei called out once he caught sight of the large man. "Come quickly! We've come to help you escape."
Gong, Liao and Bu all looked at each other, the surprise of this turn of events was evident. Obeying Liu Bei, they charged through, the assault finally grinding to a halt.
Yu Jin suddenly found himself locked in battle again Zhang Fei . The two men circled each other.
"Heh heh! Show me what cha got!" Fei taunted.
"This battle has nothing to do with you, why are you here?" Jin asked as he twirled his trident around him before bringing it to bear in front of him, ready to attack.
"I don't really want to be here, but what my brother say goes," said Fei before attacking Jin. Fei did a succession of chest level attack, twirling his blade about him with reckless abandon. While the attack lacked structure, it certainly packed a punch. Jin's trident vibrated in his hands as he blocked the attacks. He held tight to his weapon, weathering the attack.
The moment Fei paused in his attack, Jin began his. He attacked low, making several stabbing strikes to his legs. Jin had the advantage of reach so Fei was forced to move back from the attack rather than block. Jin kept up his assault, keeping Fei successfully dancing backwards. Jin suddenly yanked his trident in an upward arc. Fei, who was lulled in a pattern of dancing backwards wasn't prepared for the sudden change. He barely managed to dance backwards from the strike, but not before Jin got a glancing blow across his exposed chest.
Fei ran a finger over the wound, hissing slightly as he made contact.
"Not bad," he remarked as he looked at his fingers now slick with his own blood.
"My turn!" said Fei.
Fei tossed his weapon high into the air. Foolishly, Jin's eyes followed it, confused by the tactic. He suddenly felt the air knocked out of him as Fei rammed his shoulder into his solar plexus. Fei used the momentum to knock Jin off of his feet. He quickly shifted his grip to the man's legs who was still stunned by the sheer absurdity of this move. Jin suddenly found himself being spun around and around. Though Fei was shorter than him, he easily lifted him off the ground and spun him around as if he was a rag doll. Fei released his grip on Jin and he suddenly found himself sailing through the air. Jin managed to tuck his body into a ball to mitigate a portion of the damage. When he collided with the floor, he only felt a brief burst of pain.
Jin immediately got to his feet and scrambled to pick up his weapon which fell out of his hand during the strange assault. Grasping his weapon, he watched as Fei caught the weapon he had previously threw into the air. That attack was that quick?! It seemed to go in slow motion for him but clearly that was not the case. Jin would need to make sure that Fei didn't get close enough to do that again.
The two men began circling each other once more, sizing each other up. Jin initiated the attack this time, attacking high. Fei was once again put on the back foot as Jin attacked with more ferocity than he previously had. It seems that he decided to take the gloves off and fight seriously. Jin shifted his attack from high to mid then back to high to low and back again. Fei could barely keep up and took several clean hits for his trouble.
It was time to end this. Jin planned to put all of his energy in this next attack. Fei felt the air around him shift and could see a change in the aura that surrounded Jin. Shit he was going to be in big trouble soon. He needed to make a move and fast. Jin attacked once more and instead of dodging backwards, Fei stepped into it, using his weapon to deflect the blow and rammed his shoulder in Jin's stomach. He tried to bring his blade in to finish him off, but Jin managed to deflect the blow. Jin hopped back quickly, feeling winded from the last attack. His foe wasn't faring any better. He was covered in wounds and the tip of his trident had traces of his blood.
The men breathed hard as they looked at each other. In silent agreement, they gripped their weapons in their hands once more, ready to go for another round. This time, their bout was interrupted by the arrival of Guan Yu running to his brother's side. Spotting the incoming reinforcement, Jin frowned and weighed his options. He knew Guan Yu to be a formidable warrior. Fighting the both of them together at this juncture would be suicide.
"Well fought, but this bout has come to an end," Jin stated, backing away quickly.
" Yìdé, are you okay?" Yu asked once he was by his brother's side.
"Ha, like that guy could take me down," Fei boasted. The wounds on Fei told Yu another story but he did not comment on them.
"Come on, we need to continue to assist with the assault. We've run into another problem...siege weapons."
"You gotta be fucking kidding me," Fei exclaimed. Yu shook his head to let his brother know that he was indeed not kidding him. With a heavy sigh, Fei bade Yu to lead the way.
=#=
Lu Bu and his troops found themselves face to face with more of Cao Cao's forces. They had deployed siege weapons to bar their escape. It was clear to all present that Cao Cao had no intention of letting Lu Bu leave Dingtao alive.
Upon Chen Gong' suggestion, the troops faked a frontal assault while Zhang Liao made a sneak attack to the rear of the enemy forces via a side path. They were currently embroiled in a losing battle against the siege weapon assault. They couldn't last much longer. Suddenly cries erupted from the enemy forces. Liao had finally made contact! Morale renewed, Bu and Bei's forces charged, destroying the siege weapons and forcing Wang Zhi, Feng Kai, Xiahou Cun and Xiahou En to retreat.
They finally had a few minutes to breathe. Salvation was so close they could taste it.
"I expect Cao Cao has one last trick up his sleeve," said Gong.
Everyone knew that might be the case but it didn't make it any easier to hear it.
"We have no choice but to go forward," Liao said.
The other's agreed while Bu just seethed in silence. They moved forward, carefully, wary of a possible enemy ambush.
=#=
Dun listened to the report from the soldier kneeling before them. It seems that against all odds, Lu Bu has managed to get past of all the barriers Cao Cao had set before him. The arrival of Liu Bei was unexpected and most certainly saved Lu Bu's life. Dun knew that the rules had now changed. Lu Bu was like a cornered animal who could smell freedom; And he and Zhuyue were the only ones between Bu and that freedom.
The goal was no longer to stop Lu Bu and his forces. It was to take as many of them down as possible before they got away. Dun turned to look at Zhuyue. Her face was pulled down into a frown. Her body was taunt and he could tell the slightest trigger would make her snap. The news wound her up. Dun dismissed the soldier.
"Relax," he said as he took his Podao in hand. "You're wound up way too tight."
He could see her make a visible effort to calm herself down and she succeed to some measure but she was still on edge.
"The goal here isn't to stop him. Just take a few of them down while they run away."
She nodded but didn't reply.
"Don't get yourself killed. I'll be real fucking pissed if you did," Dun said. That comment made Zhuyue smile slightly.
"Same goes for you," she replied.
Dun nodded then made a gesture with his head. Zhuyue got the meaning, he was telling her to get into position. She did so without another word.
She and the other forces waited, hidden. Dun alone stood guarding the gate leading to Bu's salvation.
Time seemed to crawl as they waited but finally the moment of truth arrived. Bu and his group came into the clearing and stopped when they saw the lone figure of Dun standing there with his podao resting over his shoulder.
Bu stepped forward, recognizing him immediately.
"So you are the last one I have to face? Pathetic! I'm going to crush you like the insect you are!"
Dun didn't reply. He lifted a hand and beckoned Bu forward.
"Wait!" Gong cried but it was too late. His foolish master had taken the bait hook, line and sinker. The moment Bu moved closer to Dun, a wave for troops came out of their hiding spots and surrounded him, separating him from his allies.
Zhuyue darted out of her hiding spot, having eyed a general amongst the group that was back peddling from the rest of the group. The man, known as Xu Shi was unaware of the fate that was about to befall him. Xu Shi only became aware of her presence when her foot collided with the center of his chest. He was knocked off of his feet away from the group. He laid on his back, in pain and confused as to what just hit him. Before he could even struggle to get into a sitting position, she was on him again, her duck blade sliced cleanly across his throat. Done with that enemy she immediately took out a nearby soldier who witnessed the attack and foolishly tried to intervene. She kicked his dead body into the group, getting the rest of their attention.
Lu Bu and Liu Bei's forces' attention was now divided between the her and Dun.
Bu and Dun locked blades. Bu usually the aggressor in his fights, found himself on defense from Dun's rapid attacks. Bu was beginning to feel the fatigue of fighting for such a long period of time, plus the hits he took from Yue Jin and Li Dian earlier were starting to take its toll. He felt himself slowing down and Dun's attacks were getting closer and closer to hitting their mark. He had to withdraw. Bu grabbed one of the soldiers and threw him into Dun. Dun not wanting to strike down his own man was forced to clumsily catch him before tossing him to the side, out of the way. Bu repeated this action two more times. Dun tried to side step the human projectiles but they clumsily grabbed onto him to steady themselves. That break was exactly with Bu needed. He took that time to head back to his forces who were already cutting a path towards him.
They were fighting hard and Dun could see they wouldn't be able to hold them back for much longer. He ordered his men to press the attack and they did, trying to smother the other group from leaving. They fought valiantly but they were finally able to break through, but not before losing another general by the name of Li Feng to Dun's blade.
Dun ordered his troops to cease their attack once Bu's forces pushed past the gate. He surveyed the battlefield and saw that Bu lost a lot more forces than they did. That was good enough for him.
Zhuyue joined his side, her robe and weapons bloodied, none of it her own.
"You okay?" He asked. She nodded her head in the affirmative.
Dun looked towards the gate once more feeling slightly irritated at how the battle ended. He wished he could have gotten Bu's head as a prize but a win is a win. Dingtao was now theirs.
