It was a whole three days before the other leaders let Yang Xing out again. While she knew that they were only concerned about her, it didn't make it any less annoying. Her back was normal again and hadn't acted up since she woke to find herself in Man Zhu's room. But the warning that it brought was more fearful than the experience itself. They all knew now that danger was coming. In what form, however, remained a mystery. Zhang Jiao was dead, so who would have enough magic to make Xing's scar act up again? More frightening, who else would have known that she possessed the mark? Tired from thinking and the heat from the sun, Xing dumped her head in a nearby bucket of water and let the coolness wash over her.
The ground began to rumble and Yang Xing immediately lifted her head with worry. A peasant came running through the gates and into the streets, crying, "Shu is coming! Liu Bei is leading his army here!" The people began to crowd around the entrance, wondering what the army of Shu could possibly be doing here. A moment later, the army of men poured through the gates, looking tired and distressed. Xing wiped the remaining water off of her face and ran towards the gates. Liu Bei came into view immediately and dismounted when he saw her. Before she could ask anything, he bowed low. "My lady, I deeply apologize for this unexpected encounter, but we have a serious problem. Not one week ago, our capital of Cheng Du was overrun with the remnants of the Yellow Turban army. With them is some kind of phantom army that we have no power to stop. I beseech you to help us defeat this army, as you were the only people we could think of that would help."
Yang Xing looked him over as other officers began to file into Jiang Si. All of them bore the same look of distress and pleading. When Liu Bei brought his head back up, she could see the seriousness of the situation in his eyes. She motioned for a handful of people to join her. "I need two of you to go and round up the other leaders. Tell them to meet me in the council hall as soon as possible. The rest of you, help the Shu army into the gates and seal it when all are through. Make sure that the army is taken care of and that the soldiers get some rest, as they've had a long journey. I'll also need some of the soldiers to start watching for signs of the Yellow Turbans. Should they come into view, send someone to the council hall immediately." The men and women nodded and hurried off to fulfill their duties. Xing turned to Liu Bei and the officers that had now surrounded him. "Come with me, my lords. We shall do what we can to find this enemy and stop them, but we will need your account of them so that we know exactly who and what we are dealing with." Without another word, they turned to the ruins of the castle and to the council hall. But Yang Xing became more and more worried as the mark on her back began to throb with a dull pain once again.
She led the members of Shu into the castle and through the halls. Within moments they came to what appeared to be the council hall. The roof above them was gone, and one of the doors was barely hanging on by its hinges. But Yang Xing led them in anyway and motioned for them to sit. There was little left inside the large room except a very long table and a mass of mismatched chairs. The officers took seats where they could find them, and soon they were joined by the other leaders of Jiang. They, too, seated themselves while Xing stood at the head of the table.
"Leaders of Jiang, we have a problem on our hands. Just moments ago, the bulk of the Shu army entered the capital with tales of a phantom army led by the remains of the Yellow Turbans. The soldiers are resting in the surrounding area at the moment, but we here need to decide what course of action to take."
There were murmurs among the other seven. Finally, Zhang Rui spoke. "Well, this is very serious indeed. My lord Liu Bei, would you please tell us more about this army so that we may be able to counter it when it attacks."
"I did not actually witness the members of this army," Liu Bei confessed. "We were awakened in the dead of night by explosions and fighting, and I was whisked out of Cheng Du before I had a chance to fight. From what I understand, Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei encountered the soldiers, so they would have a better explanation for you." He nodded to the two officers, who stood from the other end of the table.
"They seemed like a normal army at first," Zhao Yun said. "But when we came closer to them, we realized that we could almost see through them. They moved as if they were spirits, gliding from place to place. When we tried to attack them, our weapons passed right through their bodies. But when they went up against our own men, they began cutting them down one by one. Clearly, they were able to harm us without being harmed themselves."
"By the time I reached them, they were setting fire to as many homes as they could. When I came across Zhao Yun, I could not believe my eyes. He might as well have been swinging at air. So I ran back to the palace and had Lord Liu Bei and the others removed as soon as possible. Prime Minister Zhuge Liang suggested coming to you for help, so we set out for Jiang Si immediately," Jiang Wei explained.
Zhang Rui thought a moment and rubbed his beard. "Are they currently pursuing you?"
Zhao Yun nodded. "I held back the enemy until Lord Liu Bei was safely out of Cheng Du." He pointed to Pang Tong and Ma Chao, who were sitting nearby. "The three of us left as soon as our lord's threat was over, but I am afraid that they pursued us when we left the capital. They were not one full day behind us."
Yang Xing grew pale. "Have you lords rested at all during your journey?" They all shook their heads. Pang Qui slammed his fist upon the table.
"I knew it was too good to be true," he muttered. "I say we make sure that the members of Shu rest from the trip while we prepare for this attack. I swear, if we don't wipe out all the Yellow Turban bastards this time, I'll spend the rest of my life hunting them down."
"Agreed," Xing said. "We need to find accommodations for the officers right away. I already have soldiers watching the gates for any signs of the Yellow Turbans. Unless anything else needs to be said, this meeting is finished." The others nodded and stood. Deng Liao called out for the officers to follow him to where they could rest while the others hurried off to prepare for war. While the arrival of the Shu army gladdened the leaders, the thought of war quickly darkened their spirits.
Yang Xing made her way to the stables to clear her head for a moment. Every time something like this came up, the stable yard seemed to be the only place where she could go to calm down. The horses always enjoyed her company, and she felt like she could talk to them without being judged. Although she knew she couldn't stay long, any break right now was better than no break at all.
She walked over to the stall of her own horse, Nightwind. The beautiful creature had come to her while she had been wandering around the streets of Jiang Si. Caught by a local trader, no one could come near it without being kicked or bitten. She had escaped and was running through the streets until she came across Xing. Not knowing that the horse was wild, she had approached her and immediately began to pet her nose. The trader let Xing have her for free, as she was the only one that seemed able to come near her. The horse and rider had instantly bonded, and to this day, Nightwind had been a faithful friend and confidant.
The horse whinnied excitedly as she saw her master coming. Xing laughed and kissed her soft nose. "Oh Nightwind, everything is happening so fast. I had hoped everything would finally be over. Will you ride with me into battle later if I need you?" The horse snorted, as if offended she would even ask such a question. Xing laughed again and gave her a handful of hay, which the horse chewed happily.
A shadow fell across the entrance, and Xing looked up to see one of the Shu soldiers entering the stable. He moved to the first stall where another beautiful stallion was being kept. Gently, he raised his hand and let the horse sniff it before moving to pet his mane. Xing watched him for a moment. She remembered him from when they had fought with the Allied army. He had been one of the three she told to return to camp after being affected by Zhang Jiao's spell. Xing felt guilty about not knowing his name.
The officer's horse jumped in the air once, clearly eager to be let out of his stall. The man gave him a grin. "Now Storm Runner, you need to calm down. We will ride out and meet the Yellow Turbans soon enough. All will cower at your presence." The horse snorted in reply, causing Xing to smile.
"I take it he's used to people cowering before him," she said. The man turned suddenly, unaware that she had been there the whole time. She walked forward until she had reached the two of them. Cautiously, she put up a hand so the stallion could sniff it. After a moment, he brushed up against her hand, wanting her to pet him. The man grinned a little.
"My lady, I think you're the first person he's allowed near him. Only those who have a true gift with horses could tame such a wild beast."
"Well, he is a beautiful stallion," she replied, scratching his nose. "He deserves only the best, which I'm guessing is you."
He laughed. "He is spoiled; I won't lie. But he's been with me through many dangers and saved my life more than once." Nightwind let out a whinny from the other end of the stall. Xing turned and laughed.
"Yes, Nightwind, you have done the same for me. And you are also spoiled rotten, you silly horse." She turned back to the officer, who was looking at her with a mix of confusion and awe. "Oh, I am sorry, I never introduced myself before. I am…"
"Lady Yang Xing, I know." She looked at him, trying to figure out how he knew that. He smiled and gave her a slight bow. "You saved myself and Lords Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei during the Yellow Turban battle. You also performed the dance during the feast with Lord Ling Mao, which was done perfectly by the way."
She gave him a confused look. "And how would you know this?"
"My name is Ma Chao, son of Ma Teng."
Xing thought a moment, and then her eyes grew wide with shock and remembrance. "Wait, you're Ma Chao? I haven't seen you since I was eight. I had no idea that you were an officer for Lord Liu Bei." She smiled at him. "Why didn't you say something at the feast? I feel ashamed now that I didn't recognize you."
"I must confess that I didn't recognize you either until you danced with Ling Mao. He was the one I left in charge of Jiang Tong after I left."
Yang Xing made to say something, but suddenly grew pale and gripped the side of Storm Runner's stall. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and she began to crumple to the ground as she let out a cry of pain. Fearful, Ma Chao tried to catch her as she fell, but backed away when he noticed her back glowing. It burned for a moment then disappeared. She opened one eye in pain and looked at Ma Chao, who moved over to help her.
"I must get to the other leaders. The Yellow Turbans are close…" She didn't even finish her sentence before crying out in pain again. Ma Chao immediately picked her up and ran towards the castle. He felt his arms getting wet for some reason, and it was only after he had passed her on to Man Zhu and the others when he realized his arms were soaked with her blood.