Chapter 4: Anger Management

"I WANT TO KILL SOMETHING!" Lu Bu screamed at the diggers who were frantically doing what they could to get more air, since soon enough the brown biohazard would finally overcome the tens of thousands of people hiding in these cramped caverns.

The diggers began to sweat threateningly and smacked the wall with their pickaxes and shovels.

Like that would do them any good. Chen Gong sighed as Lu Bu raised his halberd.

"LET ME KILL SOMETHING!" Lu Bu yelled at the diggers, who were too terrified to move.

At that moment, Lu Bu roared and charged, and Jia Xu, Chen Gong, Guo Jia, Zhang Liao, Chen Tai, and several other Wei officers closed their eyes as Lu Bu ripped through the digger's lines and killed every single one of them. Single-handedly, he continued to bore through the rock with his slashes, eventually completing the tunnel entirely on his own. Soon enough, Lu Bu emerged on the other side of the river, in the land of Wu...

Slowly the Wei officers began to emerge from their tunnel and they felt so happy as they stepped on Wu's soil, but right in front of them Lu Bu began his rampage, and Guo Jia, for one, was appalled to think that that thing was fighting for Wei...

The moment Lu Bu's feet touched Wu's land, the great warrior smirked. Now it was time for him to kill something, and kill something he would.

There was a small camp of Wu soldiers nearby. Guiding them was a single lieutenant. He had just been promoted a week ago, and felt proud of this accomplishment. Now he could hold the title of "Officer," a title that men like Xu Sheng and Lu Meng shared with him.

But today that title would be stolen from him. Alone, Lu Bu strolled up to the camp and raised his spear. That lieutenant spotted him, along with the rest of the troops, and they were too afraid to raise their own weapons.

Three fleet footed scouts ran for their lives from the camp. They ran to inform their distant comrades of the fact that "Lu Bu has returned."

The Man among Men raised his spear...

And the thirty or so soldiers of the camp raised their swords, shivering all the while.

And Lu Bu ran among them, swinging that spear and laughing as arms and legs flew everywhere.

But one scout ran a bit faster than the others, and suddenly found himself still. He continued trying to run, but didn't move, and glanced at his shoulder.

A heavy hand was on his shoulder, keeping him from moving. A single glance up that arm caused that soldier to jump in shock.

"A warrior does not run from the fight, when he hasn't made a single move to stop the enemy. I see no wounds or even signs of struggle on you. Why are you running so fast, soldier?" Xiang Yu asked, his eyebrow raised in interest.

"It's Lu Bu, my lord! Lu Bu has come to kill us all!"

"Lu Bu? And who's that?" Xiang Yu shrugged his shoulders.

The soldier began to shake. Here he was, standing before the King of Chu himself. Lord Sun Ce called himself the Little Conqueror, but, here, the Great Conqueror was standing before him. (1.)

"He's known as the Man among Men... Everyone feared him for so long... And now he's returned!" The soldier stammered.

"Even the people of Jiang Dong? Hmn... No one terrorizes my homeland as long as I'm still around! Go back to Capital Jian Ye, soldier, and tell Lord Sun Jian that I'll be a little busy." Xiang Yu nodded as he walked off.

The soldier blinked for a second, then smiled. "Go kick his ass, my King!"

"Gladly." Xiang Yu called back with a smile. Lu Bu was about to learn a very painful lesson on not to underestimate the might of Jiang Dong.

Lu Bu ran about, laughing as the corpses he slashed were killed too fast, so fast that they couldn't scream. He continued to hack at these bodies until his skin was red, covered in those warrior's blood.

As he ran about, laughing at the sight of blood raining down on him, he didn't notice another object heading straight for his head:

The blade of a halberd.

Lu Bu suddenly waved his spear upward, and Xiang Yu's halberd slammed into it. Lu Bu found himself getting pushed back quite a few meters before he finally threw Xiang Yu off, and the silver-armored warrior landed on his feet before the Man among Men.

"Who the hell are you? Ah, well, doesn't matter. I'll kill ya anyways." Lu Bu chuckled.

"I guess you wouldn't know what the hell a history book is, huh? Have you heard of Liu Bang?"

"Who's he?"

"Or maybe Han Xin?"

"I dunno any of those guys. Maybe I killed them?"

"They died four hundred years before you were even born."

"Huh? Oh..." Lu Bu stared at Xiang Yu blankly.

Xiang Yu smirked. "Fine, I'll just say this. There once was a man who struck fear into the hearts of all those who would face him in combat. Han Xin, the General who was the reason why Liu Bang was able to create the Han Dynasty, once called him Invincible. That man is Xiang Yu, King of Chu."

"So... What's the point?" Lu Bu shrugged his shoulders as he raised his halberd.

Xiang Yu smirked. "Ever wonder when someone would kick your ass?"

"No one can kick my ass." Lu Bu replied, his face covered with a confused look.

At that comment Xiang Yu suddenly sprang forward and swung his halberd down at Lu Bu's head. The blow struck Lu Bu's helmet and caused the warrior to stagger back about a yard before he finally regained his balance.

"That... I'm gonna kill you..." Lu Bu growled as he raised his spear.

"You've done too much damage to the people of Jiang Dong already. Now it's time for me to teach you to go back to wherever you came from, or I'll have to slowly rip you apart!" Xiang Yu twirled his own as he prepared himself for Lu Bu's charge.

And charge he did. Lu Bu, infuriated that someone could actually stun him with one blow, twirled his legendary Crescent Halberd and rushed at Xiang Yu, hoping to kill this jackass before he'd be able to counter the attacks of the Man Among Men.

Blow after blow, Lu Bu struck and Xiang Yu countered. The two spears were swinging so fast that it looked as though both men were creating silver and grey tornadoes that were smacking into each other. Whatever Wu soldier who was still alive was gawking at this intense sight, and the constant ringing of the clash of Halberds didn't help any either.

Finally, a cracking sound filled the air as shrapnel from both men's armor started to fly everywhere. For a moment, Xiang Yu's eyes widened as he saw a few nearby Wu troops coming to reinforce him and watch the fight get greeted in the face by these small armor plates. The plates flew and stabbed through their eyes and noses, and they screamed while blood ran down the front sides of their bodies. Though he'd fought many battles and tore apart many a man with his blades, the sight of a comrade getting ripped apart due to his own carelessness was something Xiang Yu couldn't bare to watch.

With both their armor becoming absolutely useless, Xiang Yu and Lu Bu leapt back and decided to adjust their stances for a second. "Why won't you die?!" Lu Bu growled as he raised his weapon.

Xiang Yu sighed. "How many times do we have to swing at each other before you'll leave this place and never return?"

"Well, once I kill you all, I'll go somewhere else to kill stuff." Lu Bu replied.

At this Xiang Yu's eyebrow twitched. "Then I guess I'll have to kill you in order to protect my people. Soon enough you'll learn that you never deserved the title of Man Among Men!" The King of Chu charged at the legendary warrior, who sprang forward in kind.

Another blow struck, and another blow countered, and soon enough Lu Bu was getting confused. No one, not even Guan Yu was able to hold his own against Lu Bu, and yet here Lu Bu was, facing an opponent as strong as him. How was this possible? How could there be one ass that Lu Bu couldn't kick? It didn't make any sense at all.

Xiang Yu scoffed. Jiang Dong should be afraid of no man as long as Xiang Yu himself were still alive, but since Lu Bu was this powerful, then perhaps his hometown had a right to be afraid...

The men of Wu were awestruck at the sight, and the men of Wei joined them. To think that two warriors such as these actually were alive fighting before them was a sight of the ages.

"I'll get us some tea. We'll be here for a while..." Guo Jia offered.

"And miss the show, that's unlike you, Fengxiao." Cao Cao pointed out, and Jia Xu looked confused.

"Well, it doesn't look like either will win any time soon." Guo Jia sighed as he went off.

"He's got a point." Jia Xu mumbled as he turned back to watch the duel.

With a final swing, Xiang Yu caught Lu Bu on the ear, and the warrior was thrown several feet away.

"I guess we will finally see a victor." Guo Jia smirked, noting the morning dew settling on his shoulder.

"Zzzzz..." Chen Gong snored. Fights like this were rather boring when one sees them every day.

Cao Cao rubbed his eyes. "I guess Lu Bu just won't be able to prove to Xiang Yu that he's enough of a threat to Wu."

Lu Bu growled. "What was that, coward?! I thought you'd fight me like a man!"

Xiang Yu laughed. "So I guess you don't know what wiles are, hmn?"

Lu Bu blinked. "CHEN GONG!"

Chen Gong was roused awake. With a yawn, he called back to his lord. "Huh?"

"What's he talking about?"

"I'm not listening."

"What?! Then how can I...? Um..." Lu Bu didn't know what to say.

"Just give up already, or will I have to cut you into a few pieces to make you stop?"

Lu Bu gritted his teeth, but Cao Cao yelled. "If you want more payments, then stand down, Fengxian!"

Lu Bu snorted and lowered the Crescent Halberd. Xiang Yu lifted his spear and stabbed the butt of it into the ground. "Cao Cao? So you're the man who Lord Zhou Yu crushed at Chi Bi."

Cao Cao gave a tired sigh. "Yes... Now, I would like to speak to you, lord Xiang Yu."

"I do not wish to talk to men who would stab me in the back and hurt my homeland and its people. I have nothing to say to you."

Guo Jia sighed. "Lord Xiang Yu, it is in Wu's best interest to ally with Wei."

Xiang Yu smirked. "I appreciate the fact that you remember my days as King of Chu, but I no longer hold that title. Why don't you and your crowd talk to Lord Sun Jian, Cao Cao? I'll escort you."

"Very well. Lu Bu, stand down or I won't pay you any more." Cao Cao smirked.

"Fine..." Lu Bu sighed, and his feathers dropped low as he trudged along with the rest of Wei's army.

And so, the ragtag men of Wei, with Xiang Yu guiding them, headed for Capital Jian Ye.

1. Sun Ce is known as the Xiao Ba Wang, or Little Conqueror. That name is derived from the Chu Ba Wang (King of Chu, or Great Conqueror of Chu). The Chu Ba Wang is Xiang Yu, thus, I'll leave it up to your own imagination to consider how great Xiang Yu really is.