Chapter seven.
Many, many years ago…
The wind blew through the snow-capped mountains, it was a completely normal day to the Huns; all dressed in their clothes made of thick fabrics and animal skins to bear the cold weather.
People coming in and out from their tents and carriages, since the Huns were nomads they didn't build houses where they lived.
Between the mountains there was a village formed by thousands of tents; all the men were walking around with swords or bows and arrows, even some women were wielding these weapons but the occupation of war was of the men. The women's occupation was to take care of their families and sometimes take care of the ill and injured people.
There were several horses walking through that huge village and most of them were trapped inside pens so they wouldn't run away. This was the specialty of the Huns: they were great horse breeders; knew how to tame them and knew how to mount them with mastery.
In the center of this huge village formed by tents and carriages, there was a tent that was so large and luxurious that it looked like a palace compared to other tents; even the largest tents were small compared to this one.
On top of one of the snow-covered peaks, a man was straddling his horse as he observed the mountains. He got off his horse and raised his head, looking at the falcon that was flying closer and closer and making loud sounds.
He raised his left arm, which was covered with a black glove, the bird landed gracefully on his arm. With his right hand he caressed the falcon's head; as if that powerful bird of prey was a harmless animal, but the bird acted as if it was.
He stopped caressing the falcon's head and with his right hand; he removed the hood of his coat made of the skin of some animal, showing his shoulder length gray hair with some white locks.
When the man opened his eyes and returned to look at the mountains, his black eyes with yellow iris were revealed. Black eyes with yellow iris just like a falcon…This would be able to scare anyone.
He had a gray beard on his face; he was a very tall and strong man despite his old age. He raised the arm on which the bird was perched and gave him an order. "Fly over my people and show me how they are." The falcon obeyed and flied over the village formed by tents.
The man stood where he was; although he was looking at the horizon, what his falcon's eyes saw he could also see. He grinned a bit seeing nothing out of the ordinary with his people.
"I think it's time to give that south people a taste of what it's like to suffer…" The man said sadistically while the cold wind shook his hair. "…because that's what will happen in greater proportions in a few years from now." He added completing his own sentence.
He got on the horse, and returned to the huge village at the base of the mountain. He rode slowly through the village to the biggest tent of that camping village, got off his horse and entered the tent.
Inside that huge and luxurious tent; there was a woman sat on a big bed, sharpening a twisted-blade-sword and she was wearing a long coat that looked like a gray hooded dress with black boots that reached to her knees. She noticed that the man entered the tent and stopped sharpening the sword; she looked at the old man but the hood over her head covered half of her face, showing only her mouth, which was smiling slightly.
She got up and removed the hood from her head showing her face, she seemed to be between thirty and forty years old; but just like the old man she had black eyes with yellow iris. "Good morning my father; where were you earlier?" She asked with a deep but feminine voice.
"Good morning Zhao, I was at the top of a peak to have a moment alone while watching our people." He said calmly with a really deep and hoarse voice, as a consequence of his old age.
The woman stroked the head of a hawk that was perched on the bed; she reached out her left arm and the falcon climbed on her arm covered by a black glove. She approached to the man who was way taller than her but she was very tall as well, she raised an eyebrow and smiled sadistically. "Will you really go ahead with your plan father?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm going to send some people this very day to fulfill a mission. The purpose you already know." He answered while smiling.
The woman held the sword's scabbard with her right hand. "So…" She said as she drew her twisted blade sword. "…must I also prepare for this trip?" She asked ironically.
His facial expression became serious. "No way, you will be the leader of our people in a short time, I am already old and in a short time I will no longer be able to lead this people. I cannot let the only one of my descendants who follows the pattern of our family run the risk of dying in a task that any warrior could do."
He touched the blade of the sword and lowered it slowly. "If you must take risks, do it on the battlefield; to expand our domains."
She shook her head in agreement. "Yes Deshi Yu; my father." She said to the old man and she raised her head, looking back at him. "But I will need your children for this mission; do you allow them to participate in this mission?"
Zhao put the sword back in its sheath and put her hands on her waist. "I allow; but Quon Yu, the oldest, cannot go. After all, after me he will be the leader of our people." She said in a serious tone of voice.
Deshi Yu turned around and walked away from Zhao. "Fine, so I'll talk to them and warn them to prepare for this mission." He said while got out of the tent. The woman put the hood back on her head and the falcon flied from her arm and landed back on the bed; she sat back on the bed and returned to sharp her sword.
Many years later…
The Huns were in a place located further north and west than the place that they were installed before, but it was almost the same as the place they lived before; a mountainous area, snow covering the mountain tops and the cold weather with the cold breeze in the air.
People and horses were walking through that huge camping village, which over the years the population of that camp increased considerably.
It was a calm night, the sun had just set. Next to a really big tent, the biggest of that village; there were seven male and two female people. By their physically appearance wasn't clear, but they nine were siblings. The seven men's ages were obviously different in decreasing order.
The oldest was twenty-five years old, he was very strong physically and the tallest among those nine young adults, he was wearing a helmet on his head and holding a sword in his right hand; he was sat on the ground and talking with a man who was sat by his left side.
The man who was sat by side the oldest young man was the second oldest, his head wasn't covered by anything and his hair was very straight and neck-length but shaved on the sides; he was as tall and as strong as the oldest and was twenty-three years old.
The third brother was twenty years old and he was talking with the fourth brother and the fifth brother, who were eighteen and seventeen years old; although they were so young they looked much older for being so tall and strong.
The sixth brother and the seventh brother were fifteen and fourteen years old, just like their older brothers they very tall and strong for their ages and seemed much older than they really were. They were helping the two sisters, the only girls among the nine siblings and the youngest of them; to improve their skills.
The two girls were nine years old; they were identical twins who had cute faces but underneath their innocent appearances, they hid enormous potential to be merciless killers; just like their brothers and mainly just like their father...
The sixth brother was simulating a sword fight with the oldest twin, who wore her straight black hair tied in a long braid; she was fighting seriously, screaming with the fiercely of an adult warrior.
The youngest twin, who wore her hair tied in a high bun, was training how to shoot arrows with the seventh brother, she was holding the bow as firmly as an adult and each arrow that she fired at the command of her older brother hit the target precisely.
Meanwhile; inside the tent there was a nine month pregnant woman who was almost fifty years old, she was wearing a long coat black as coal, with light-gray pants and brown boots that reached up to her knees.
Her black hair with some gray locks on the front was tied in a high bun, which was carefully neatly combed despite the relatively simple way she was dressed. This and the fact that she was sitting inside the biggest tent, while talking to women who were her servants, showed that she was someone important in that place.
Then she stopped talking to the servants and got up from the bed to get out of the tent; suddenly, she fell to her knees holding her belly and moaning in pain. "Ugh! I forgot that the pain was like this!" She said in an annoyed tone of voice. The servants run toward the woman to help her, one was right behind her, another was holding her hand and the youngest was crouched in front of the woman, like someone who wants to help but doesn't know what to do.
One of the servants was in her seventies; she had a hair as white as the snow; so she was the wisest of them and knew what to do. "Pick up some towels and a bowl with warm water; I'll help her to take of her cloths while you do this." She told to the woman who was holding the pregnant woman's hand; who obeyed and run out of the tent.
"Uhhhh... What do I do?" The young servant asked to the woman she needed to help while pointing to herself.
The woman in labor frowned, not in pain but in angry. She grabbed the servant by the collar of her copper color coat and pulled her closer. "Go warn my family! Now!" She cried out to the servant who just nodded with a startled facial expression. But she released the servant as soon as she felt another labor pain, this time she put one hand on her belly and the other on her lower back; the interval between each labor pain was decreasing.
The youngest servant run out of the tent and started screaming while running through the village: "Lord Shan Yu! Lord Shan Yu! Your wife needs you!" For a moment she looked back to see if she haven't pass straight by the Huns leader. Right after this she just managed to say "Lord Sha-" before she took a step forward to run and bumped on someone, which made her fall on the ground.
She immediately looked up and saw Shan Yu standing still in front of her and looking at her with his scary eyes, but he seemed to be confused with the desperate way she was calling him; he wasn't giving her his typical psychopath gaze.
He grabbed her by the arm and helped her to get up. "What happened? A cougar break into the camp again?" He asked as if it was nothing.
"No sir, it's Lady Sheeva! She's giving birth!" The young servant said really fast, it almost looked like that she was the one who was in labor.
Shan Yu didn't seem to be worried, but he got a serious expression on his face. He walked toward the tent and the servant was walking right behind him. When they arrived in front of the tent, the twins ran toward him and spoke with a very learned vocabulary for their ages.
"Father, we were waiting for you. Our new brother or sister it's going to be born in a short time." Said the twin with the hair tied in a long braid.
"Our brothers are inside the tent and our mother doesn't stop saying to the servants that they don't need to worry because she is very resistant." Added the twin with the hair tied in a high bun.
He turned to the left and walked toward the tent as if nothing worrying was happening. "Follow me, we better enter in the tent before she gets mad and she comes here to yell at us." He said to his daughters without looking at them.
The girls followed Shan Yu and entered the tent as well, without saying anything. When the young men saw their father entering in the tent with their younger sisters and a servant, they got up from the benches they were sat and looked at their father with a serious and at the same time, worried expression on their faces.
The girls walked toward their older brothers and looked at their father with the same facial expression. Shan Yu just arched an eyebrow and sighed. "You don't need to be worried; your mother is very strong!" He said as if it was nothing again; he didn't seem to be worried at all.
Then, he looked at his firstborn with his typical serious expression. "Ayanga; you're the oldest, so you saw the birth of each of your younger siblings. Why are you worried if nothing happened?" Shan Yu said as he crossed his arms.
"It is not my mother's resistance or the birth of another sibling that worries me; but a doubt that is pricking my head and that of my siblings: will our brother be the heir that our family needs so much?" The young man said to his father said as he reached out, as if he was trying to make his father understand.
"About this you're perfectly right…" The second oldest interrupted his older brother "…We are already running out of hope." He completed looking at his father. All his younger brothers and younger sisters looked at him with a look more worried than before.
"This time it will happen, because I prayed to the Gods every day for months. This child that will be born will be the heir that we need so much, otherwise my name is not Shan Yu." He said confidently, looked like that he was impassible no matter what happened.
Meanwhile; in another room of the tent, where Shan Yu's wife was giving birth. "Everything is ready Lady Sheeva, now you just need…" The old servant said but the woman interrupted her. "I know what I need to do! I already gave birth eight times, the ninth won't be different." She said very angry but there was an influence of the labor pain.
Then she frowned and closed her eyes tightly as she griped the servant's hand who standing beside her. She gritted her teeth in pain. "But I think this doesn't make the experience less painful…" The youngest servant said, feeling sorry for her Mistress.
"Say it again and when I get out of here I'll give you a beating!" Sheeva said very angry to her servant, who got silent and nodded.
Meanwhile; Shan Yu, his sons and daughters were waiting impatiently for tidings. Minutes later, which seemed to be hours; a servant entered in the room where they were.
Shan Yu and his children got up and looked at the servant, waiting her to say something. She joined her hands in front of her body, as someone who is about to say something important.
"So? How is our mother? And our new sibling?" The third brother asked the servant with a worried and at the same time, annoyed voice. "She's fine and the child as well." The servant said looking at those ten people who were looking at her. "The child is a boy…" The servant paused "…And he is fit to be your family's heir, Lord Shan Yu." She completed.
Then; Shan Yu, his sons and his daughters entered the room where Lady Sheeva was sitting on the bed with the blanket covering up to her waist. She looked exhausted but she was with a serious expression on her face.
The old servant was holding a baby on her arms, wrapped on a thick cloth to protect the baby from the cold. She gave the baby to Shan Yu, The baby's eyes were already open and its iris were yellow (he wasn't born with black eyeballs if you were thinking).
"Perfect…" Shan Yu said looking at his newborn son with a huge smile but he seemed to be smiling like a psychopath, not because he was happy. But he was. "…Here's our next leader! The Gods finally fulfilled our prayers!" He proclaimed proudly and started laughing loudly. His wife started laughing loudly as well.
All the older brothers and older sisters started screaming, cheering, hugging each other and jumping up and down of joy because of their new brother, their next leader.
"I want to choose this boy's name since he'll be my last child." Lady Sheeva said seriously to her husband.
"As you wish…" Shan Yu said to his wife as he handed the baby to his mother. "…Which will be his name?" He asked as crossed his arms.
"Jieng Yu, this is the name I was thinking if the child were male." She said looking at the baby, who was looking at her, his eyes were big and even though they had yellow iris, the baby wasn't less cute.
"A perfect name for a perfect future leader." Shan Yu said and then he turned around. "I will leave you alone with your new brother." He said to his sons and daughters as he walked away and got out of the room.
Three years later…
It was a cold night in the huge camping village, the wind was whistling through the mountains and waving the flags scattered around the camping. People were putting the horses inside the pens and protecting them from the cold and they were entering the tents to protect themselves from the cold.
Shan Yu was talking with his father, an old man, which name was Quon Yu (I told you would discover who he was!). The old man had a very deep and husky voice because of his advanced age and despite his age, he was very tall; but he was shorter than Shan Yu.
Suddenly; they started hearing the noise of someone running toward them, Quon Yu and Shan Yu drew their swords and turned toward the noise, they saw two Huns running toward them, they were probably returning to the camping village after fulfilling a mission.
One man was very tall and strong and the other was medium height and strong as well. Yes, the Huns who killed Empress Xanadu. They were bringing a bag with them and by the noise it made while they were running, was filled with something made of metal.
"What are you hiding inside this bag?" Shan Yu asked to the medium height man, who was holding the bag.
The very tall Hun picked the bag and opened, showing the jewels they stole while they were at China. Shan Yu picked up a necklace made of pearls and diamonds and took a good look at the object, as if he was analyzing its value. He smiled wickedly in satisfaction, the psychopathic smile that we already know.
"Well, at least the time you two stayed away from the camp was worth to get some riches." Quon Yu said with arrogantly with his arms crossed.
"Why did you take TWO WEEKS to come back?" A feminine voice asked angrily to the duo of Huns. The four men turned toward the voice and saw Lady Sheeva Looking at them with an angry expression in her face and a three year old boy in her arms looking at them with his, now, black eyes with yellow iris and putting his hands in his mouth.
"Sorry for the delay Lady Sheeva; but we're bringing jewels and very great news." The tall Hun said confidently as Shan Yu's wife and the little Jieng approached to them. "So what is the great new? For your own sake, it is better that such news is really great." She said with her brows frowned but smiling (if someone hasn't noticed yet, Shan Yu's wife is as psychotic as him).
They explained the whole story to them, about the Empress murder, how they had to kill a soldier and how they almost managed to kill the three princesses as well but they had time to run away.
"After we killed Empress, the Emperor was disconsolate and furious, so he doubled security on the great wall so that no Hun could enter or leave China without being discovered. But we managed to escape in the middle of the night and here we are." The medium height man said, finishing explaining what happened.
"That's great! Tomorrow we'll make a ceremony to honor you two for such a feat and mark the end of my reign with another celebration even more important!" Quon Yu said loudly as he raised his arms up, with his eyebrows frowned and smiling broadly.
"End of your reign, what are you talking about father?" Shan Yu asked confused.
"I'm already old, and I don't want to spend the last years of my life leading this people; from now on consider yourself the new leader." Quon Yu said as he turned around and walked toward the tent.
Shan Yu just bowed, as if he was reverencing to his father in thanks.
Seven Years Later in the present…
It was a cold afternoon; the twelve family members were sat outside the huge tent, worried and some of them were walking in circles. Shan Yu and Sheeva almost didn't changed in the past seven years but their children, the ten siblings had changed a lot in the past seven years; the eight brothers now were men from head to toe and the twin girls now were women from head to toe.
Jieng Yu, the youngest sibling and the future leader of the Huns now was ten years old; he was very worried, he was sitting next to one of the twins, the other twin was walking in circles with three of her older brothers and her father, who seemed to be very worried as well.
The boy got up and walked toward his father, he had the innocence of the child he was but was trying to act like an adult to please his parents and older siblings. "Father…" Jieng begun to say as he stood next to his father, who turned around and looked down at his youngest son. "What?" He asked in a calm but deep voice.
Jieng took a deep breath and then asked to his father. "Is my grandfather going to die?" This made the other family members stop whatever they were doing and looked at him in shook, Shan Yu and Sheeva got surprised too but their reaction wasn't so glaring like their children's.
"We hope not my son; everyone in the camp is praying to the gods that his grandfather will recover. But he's really ill…" Lady Sheeva said to her son, trying to be mild when talking about such a problem.
Shan Yu knelt down to be at the same height as his son. "But if he moves from this to the next life, you must be strong because the gods will have taken him with them. Do you understand?" He told his son as he put his hand on his youngest son's shoulder.
"Yes father, I do understand." The ten year old boy answered, correcting his shoulders to make his posture be erect and look like an adult.
Suddenly, an old man came out from the tent; he was with a serious expression on his face and looking down. Shan Yu, his wife Sheeva and the ten siblings walked toward the old man, who was the doctor that was taking care of the old Quon Yu.
"I'm sorry…He's gone." The doctor said and leaved the place.
Shan Yu closed his eyes and remained serious, without demonstrating any sadness, Lady Sheeva was with the same reaction as her husband and all their sons and daughters had their same reaction; except the youngest, Jieng didn't made any facial expression of sadness but he felt tears streaming down his cheek from his closed eyes but he immediately wiped them out.
Then, Shan Yu turned toward his family with his typical serious look, his wife and his eight sons and two daughters looked at him, like they were waiting to receive orders.
"Get ready for battle, all of you; after my father's funeral we are going to have the biggest battle of our lives." He said to his family, all the family members made a gesture with the head agreeing.
"What are you planning father?" The fifth son asked as he drew his sword.
"We'll invade China and conquer the Empire." When he said this, all his family members gaped and dropped his swords on the floor.
Shan Yu arched an eyebrow and smiled. He turned around and walked toward the tent. "Do what I said, the funeral will be tomorrow." That family was so shocked that when he said this they returned to blink. They picked up their swords and followed him.
Days Later in China…
Shang was inside his room, studying some scrolls and writing ideograms in another scroll. The window was open and the sky was light blue, it was a spring afternoon; the nineteen year old lieutenant was wearing a dark green shirt with his hair tied up in a bun with a dark green ribbon.
He had his work interrupted by a sound of someone knocking the door of his room. "You may come in." Shang answered without taking his eyes of the scroll. He heard the door opening slowly and then heard someone knocking the door by the inside.
"Hey Shang! Missed me?" A masculine voice asked very excited, Shang immediately recognized the voice and looked toward the door and saw his best friend smiling broadly and blinking one eye to him; a young lieutenant dressed in an elegant armor with a bright red cape and holding his helmet in his left hand.
"Yin!" Shang said smiling as he got up and walked toward his best friend, who walked toward him. "What a surprise you coming to my house." Shang said as he high-fived Yin who high-fived him as well. "I had just fulfilled a commitment and was riding to back to my house when I thought of paying you a visit."
Yin was still shorter than Shang but a bit taller than General Li, just like his best friend, Yin had grown up and changed very much since they met, now both of them looked like adult men.
They talked and laughed for several minutes; till they had a totally unexpected surprise, which brought with it terrible news.
Suddenly, the room's door opened. "Shang! Yin! A terrible thing is happening right now." It was General Li; he looked desperate, he was panting and leaning against the door frame with his right hand.
"Father?" "General Li?" Both asked very worried at the same time. "What happened father?" Shang asked as he and Yin approached to General Li.
The man took a deep breath and managed to explain the whole problem. "Did something happen at the Imperial Palace sir?" Yin asked worried to his commanding officer and his best friend's father.
"No, Yin. The problem is something much, much worse!" General Li answered looking at his son's best friend. Shang narrowed his eyes and looked at his father. "Tell us father! I'm already getting nervous!" He said in an angry tone.
General Li closed his eyes, bowed his head and took a deep breath before he broke the news. "China… was invaded by the Huns." Hearing this made Shang and Yin's eyes wide and their hearts almost stopped beating.
Yin put his hands on his head. "Holy ancestors! Holy ancestors! Holy ancestors! Holy ancestors! Holy ancestors!" Yin repeated the phrase incessantly while walking from side to side in the room.
Shang was motionless, he was covering his mouth with his lefty hand and his eyes were widened, the miserable people who killed much of China's people were invading China and threatened to take over the empire by war. Finally a chance to avenge the people who were killed by the Huns, to avenge The Empress, but mainly; to avenge his mother.
General Li noticed how shocked his son was, Shang was barely breathing and his eyes weren't blinking. General Li tried to approach to Shang, he reached out and tried to put his hand on his son's shoulder, but he didn't manage because of the sudden reaction of Shang.
All of sudden, Shang frowned and gritted his teeth, he run toward a white porcelain vase, picked up and lifted in the air. "HAAAA!" He shouted as he threw the vase on the ground with all his might and the object broke into several shards.
General Li and Yin startled at Shang's sudden fury, but they knew very well the reason of his fury and just waited a few seconds till he was calm again; or at least not aggressive. He took a deep breath and looked at Yin, who took a step behind and crossed his arms in front of his chest like an improvised shield. Shang looked at his father. "What are we gonna do about this?" He asked to his father.
"We need to go face the Huns; you two must go with me to the Wu Zhong camp, there we'll discuss what we'll do." General Li said to Shang and Yin, who nodded. "We need to get there as soon as possible, so we'll leave now." He added.
"Yes sir, but first; I'll go back to my house and say goodbye to my family. I might not see them again." Yin said as he passed through General and walked toward the door. "I'll probably arrive later than you too; see you tomorrow at the Wu Zhong camp." Yin added as he left the room.
"Bye Yin." Shang said to his best friend. General Li looked to Shang. "Dress in your training robe, put your armor and pack up your things, I'll prepare your horse." General Li said and turned around, leaving the room.
"Thanks father." Shang answered as he put some clothes and other belongings in a bag and tied it with a rope to close it. He took off his clothes and put on his training robe; and then immediately put on his elegant armor with the long bright red cape.
He went down the stairs, his father and Jia were waiting for him; General Li was serious and calm but Jia was with a facial expression that mixed worry with sadness, her eyes were teary and she was covering her nose and mouth with her hands.
Shang put the bag on the floor and looked at the middle aged maid. "Jia…" He said and then, opened his arms, inviting her for a hug. Jia threw her arms around Shang's neck, hugging him tightly. "Please Shang, be careful. I wouldn't bear lose you and the wars are cruel with the ones who doesn't deserve the suffering." Jia said as she slowly ran her hand on his back covered by his cape and the tears streamed down her face.
"I'll come back, I promise; with honor and victorious." Shang answered hugging Jia tightly. Then Shang released her and him and General Li got out the house, they mounted their stallions and leave the house, riding toward the Wu Zhong camp.
Their journey toward the Wu Zhong camp toke hours but they managed to arrive at the camp not much later the dusk and entered in their tents to sleep as soon as started to rain, they would need much energy for the next day.
Shang woke up by the morning but didn't wake up in a calm or normal way, he woke up in a startle by the sound of men screaming and running but he didn't take five seconds to remember that he was at the camp and the sounds were the recruits making trouble. Shang just frowned and rolled his eyes; he got up from the bed, dressed up his training robe and put his armor, except the helmet.
He got out of the tent and rubbed his eyes to be more awake, the recruits were noisy but they were not making so much trouble as he thought. Shang looked around but didn't saw his father anywhere, but for his displeasure, he just saw the UNBEARABLE Emperor's counsel; who noticed him and gave him a contempt look.
Shang just turned his face in the opposite direction, trying to ignore that irritating man. Suddenly, he felt that someone grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the left.
"What's up Lieutenant, why did you take so long to wake up?" Yin asked in a playful voice.
Shang smiled a bit and arched an eyebrow. "You are the only person I know who can have a sense of humor in a situation like this." He said as he put one of his hands on his waist and slightly slapped Yin's shoulder with the other hand.
"If you're looking after your father, he's talking with the other Generals." Yin said pointing to tent and in front of the tent there was General Li talking with the other Generals; by his facial expression, of worry and confidence at the same time, certainly he was talking about the war strategy with them.
"Let's have breakfast- I mean let's have lunch because we'll need much energy to the journey toward the place of the battle." Yin said to his best friend, showing that it was past noon.
"Let's just go, before the row gets too long." Shang added as he put his left arm behind Yin's back and Yin put his right arm over Shang's shoulders.
They picked up their rice soup and went to Yin's tent to eat their lunch in peace and chat without anyone to disturb them; even after they finished eating the lunch they remained inside the tent, chatting and making jokes about their life of military officers.
Suddenly, General Li entered the tent. "Shang, Yin; I need to talk to you two but I need you to be out of the tent." General Li said in a serious tone, but he was trying to not look worried.
Shang and Yin got up and left the tent following General Li; Yin tied his sword on his belt and put his helmet on his head, he obviously didn't say it but he was a bit anxious for the battle.
General Li suddenly quickly turned around and reflexively Shang and Yin immediately stopped walking. "Shang, you won't go to the battle now; there's an important part of my plan that just my best military officer can fulfil." General Li said smiling a bit and arching an eyebrow, he had much confidence in his son and his smile showed that he had great plans for Shang.
Shang smiled a bit but then he got serious again and bowed to his father. "Yes sir General; my father." He said to General Li. Yin just rolled his eyes and put his hands on his waist; in his point of view Shang had to be less serious but unfortunately he would never met the true side of his best friend, just as he would never met the great China's heroine: Mulan.
General Li put his hand on Yin's shoulder and looked at him, not as a commanding officer but almost as a friend. "Yin, be ready to leave; as soon as I leave the tent we will leave for the Tung Shao pass."
"Yes Sir, I'll be ready." Yin answered to his commanding officer while bowing to him.
General Li took his hand away from Yin and looked at Shang. "I'll be waiting for you in my tent Shang; I need to explain somethings to you about the battle plan." Then he turned around and walked toward his tent.
Shang looked at Yin, who gave him a thrilled look. "Well; see you at the battlefield." Yin said to Shang as he shook hands with his best friend; suddenly, Shang pulled Yin closer and hugged him tightly. Yin got surprised but seconds later he corresponded the hug (DON'T YOU DARE SHIPP THESE TWO BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST BEST FRIENDS!).
"Good luck Yin, as you said… see you at the battlefield." Shang said and didn't notice that he was gripping Yin too tight.
Yin poked Shang's shoulder with his finger. "Shang, you're choking me…" He said with difficulty to speak.
Shang immediately release Yin, he looked at best friend with an embarrassed smile and putting his hand behind his neck. "Well… good bye, I'll miss you." He said and turned around, walking toward the tent where his father was waiting for him.
"Good luck Lieutenant, we'll face the Huns together!" Yin cried out to his best friend and raising his arm in the air, shouting happy for his friend. Then he walked toward the others high-ranking military officers, many of them were Yin and Shang's comrades at the military training academy. He tied the saddle to his imperial stallion and mounted the animal, ready to leave for the battle site with his comrades and superiors.
End of chapter.
The next chapter begins at the first apparition of Shang in the movie.
From now on the story will pass much faster!
You already know, stay tuned! The next chapter will be published sooner than you can expect!