And we are back again! It truly is awesome having inspiration from other writers and also giving them inspiration as well. I feel 30 ft tall and I like Bacon. Ignore the randomness. Right, we move on. Dan Li has been taken prisoner, as well as Li Feng and their forces are scattered. What will happen when the pair find themselves faced with the 'Stunning Witch' Ryokuhatsu and the unknown ninja she kept as a trump card? Let's find out!

Chapter 5: Dinner at Summit Pt 1:

"You surrendered...?" Ryokuhatsu said in disbelief as she looked at Dan Li being pushed to his knees next to Li Feng. His piercing platinum eyes stayed locked with her beautiful violet ones. His face was still calm, how could he be so calm?

Ryokuhatsu then walked closer to Dan Li.

She looked him up and down and placed her hand on his chest and began to follow the tribal patterns on his body...

Li Feng shut his eyes and Dan Li continued to watch Ryokuhatsu.

"You are beautiful..." she stated. "In Body, Mind and Spirit... The body more so." She laughed.

She lowered herself to Dan Li and got close to him and began to inhale his scent.

"Yes..." she whispered. "So beautiful..."

She inhaled once more.

"You have a benevolent air about you... You are selfless... and fearless..."

Dan Li continued his silence as he was examined by the beauty. She continued to feel around his chest. The scars of his life were now plain to see because they were exposed.

"What happened here...?" Ryokuhatsu queried, touching what looked like lash marks starting from his back, to his shoulder blades and the start of his chest.

Dan Li sighed.

The Ninja grew impatient with Dan Li's silence and threw a small blade across his face and it gave him a small cut, blood slowly oozed from his cut cheek...

"Now Now, Kurohitsigi. These are our "guests", be patient." Ryokuhatsu stated.

"Yes My Lady..." his reply.

Dan Li looked to the floor as he decided to recall a painful memory in front of a few hundred people...

"I was... a slave. Before I found my Teachers... I was kidnapped by a tyrant of a Lord and everyday, I was whipped and beaten and fed nothing." He began, his eyes shutting and his breath stuttered as he started to remember how he felt back then...

"Every day, the same question... 'Do you know why you exist? Half breed scum?'." Dan Li gritted his teeth remembering how much the question hurt. He was mixed raced. That disgusted people because they couldn't understand...

"Every day was a lesson learned. I learned that with every action, there is a consequence. You can decide whether or not, how severe you want that consequence. That was my life, until I met "him"."

Ryokuhatsu raised her eyebrow and got on her knees, kneeling as close as possible in front of him.

"Go on. Who is this man? That inspires your character." she said.

"When I was strong enough to carry things, I was made to work in the Lord's estate. I served him and his men, three square meals a day. Feasts... The hunger became the norm and I learned to live with just water..."

Dan Li opened his eyes and looked to the ground with a smile on his face.

"Then there was an unexpected guest. He was practically worshiped by these men. I wondered... who? Who could stir such a response from such vile creatures. As I worked, I ended up serving this man tea. He watched me. He had an air of benevolence and grace...and serenity..."

Dan Li sighed as the story became easier to tell from this point.

(Flashback:)

("Lord Zu. Who is that boy...?" the graceful man asked.

"Oh? Why my dear, dear, 'Sleeping Dragon'. He is our servant." Replied the tyrant.

"Servant? How old is he..?" The man questioned in disbelief.

"4 years old." Lord Zu replied, with a huge grin.

"I see... Lord Zu, you've provided great support to Shu, we owe you for the reinforcements in the battle against the Bandits last year." The man said.

"Haha, A fine battle it was too!" Lord Zu added.

His eye was then caught by a stunning concubine, who, as if scripted, giggled playfully when there eyes met.

"Excuse me a moment, these concubines are too damn hot today." And with that, Lord Zu left his guest and the boy alone.

The man said nothing as he watched the beautiful skinned child with stunning silver hair clear the table. He was so small, but his platinum eyes were aged and focused. The man continually fanned himself with his sparrow wing fan as the boy continued to work.

Eventually, the man spoke.

"Hello." He began.

The boy shivered in fear and dropped a bowl on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He added.

The boy shook his head. "My Lord's guests don't speak to me... You sur-sur-surprised me..."

The man smiled.

"What is your name...?" he asked.

"My Master calls me Half Bred Scum, but if you have a better name for me, please tell me." The boy replied.

The man sighed.

"My name is Zhuge Liang, it is a pleasure to meet you."

The boy nodded and smiled at Zhuge Liang. "The pleasure is mine sir."

"How did you come to be a servant of Lord Zu...?"

"I remember being put to bed by my father... but when I woke up... I was in a forest... Then these men found me... and grabbed me and chained me... and now I am here..." the boy replied.

Zhuge Liang looked the ground then back at the boy. He then decided to see something.

"Tell me, are you learned? Are you taught anything here?" He asked.

"My father was teaching me Calligraphy and I like...to draw..." The boy replied.

Zhuge Liang tipped a sack of sand onto the floor that was behind him and handed the boy a long bamboo stick.

"Teach me." Zhuge Liang asked with a smile on his face.

The boy began moving the bamboo stick in silky movements and he was "dead" to the world as he lost himself in his element. The bamboo stick never jolted or stuttered, the boy was a natural.

When the boy finished, in just under an hour, what looked like a name in the sand, Zhuge Liang smiled and asked him a question.

"This name... does it hold significance to you?"

The boy shook his head. "No sir. I just see the letters come into my mind every time I do this art. I don't know why."

Zhuge Liang then nodded. "Then I have decided your name from me."

The boy smiled. "Yes sir?"

"Cong Sha'. 'From the Sand'." The reply.

The boy nodded, he smiled the biggest smile yet.

Then...

Lord Zu returned, scratching his crotch and spitting. Disbelief and anger on his face. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

He rushed to the boy and grabbed him by the collar.

"WHY THE HELL IS THERE SAND ON MY FLOOR?!"

Zhuge Liang placed his hand on Lord Zu's shoulder, causing him to release the boy.

"The fault is mine, Lord Zu. The boy told me he was learned, I had to see this for myself."

Lord Zu raised his eyebrow. "Learned? This scum?! Don't be ridiculous!"

The boy looking to the ground, his eyes twitching with held back tears.

"Lord Zu." Zhuge Liang spoke.

"Yes?" He replied.

"I wish to take the boy from you, by any means necessary."

"Pft, although scum, he is rare. I have a Minister coming to see him next week. If all goes well, i'll be swimming in gold and this filth will be out of my hair!" the Lord roared.

Zhuge Liang sighed.

"I'm afraid... I can't take no for answer."

The door opened to the banquet hall and two of Shu's strongest, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stood tall at it's entrance. Lord Zu went white as a sheet.

"You dare do this to me?!" he replied.

"If you thought Shu was a pushover, you were wrong. What you did to that village in Pang Na, will never be forgotten. My Lord, Liu Bei, was devastated. Your estate is surrounded, we hoped you would go peacefully after the meal, but for the treatment of this child, you have sealed your fate. Master Guan Yu, Master Zhang Fei, take him away."

Lord Zu snapped out of his shock and launched for Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang dodge the strike, barely...

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei sprinting to the pair as things were now getting, violent...

Lord Zu unsheathed his sword and slashed for Zhuge Liang. However...

"NO!"

The boy tackled Zhuge Liang and in doing so, was slashed on his back.

"BASTARD!" Zhang Fei yelled and launched for Lord Zu, fists swinging as fast as they were powerful. Each strike causing blood to come from Lord Zu's face.

Zhuge Liang turned the boy onto his back and held him close. He was a small child...and he had been through so much and was still going through so much...

"It hurts..." The boy said with tears rolling down his eyes. Zhuge Liang holding his emotions in, he hated suffering and having to see a child suffer, made him very upset...

The boy's platinum eyes seemed to shine as tears formed and rolled down his face. He then said "Th-th-thank you..."

Zhuge Liang shook his head. "For what..? You saved my life."

The boy shook his head in reply, ever so slowly as he succumbed to his wound and months of torture... "For seeing me."

Zhuge Liang immediately getting emotional. This boy's maturity and understanding was far beyond his years.

"Cong Sha'..." Zhuge Liang held the boy.

Guan Yu turned to Zhuge Liang, he sighed while stroking his beard.

Zhang Fei was holding Lord Zu by his hair, Lord Zu had been beaten into unconsciousness...

"Bastards... that poor boy..." He muttered.

Zhuge Liang gave the boy to Zhang Fei as he dropped Lord Zu and stood up. His body was so light...

"We cannot stay here now." said Zhuge Liang with his eyes shut. "Once the Yuan Family find out we have taken their mutual ally into custody, they will attack Shu."

At a base near the Shu Capital...:

"So this is the boy I have to thank for bravery and wisdom and selflessness beyond his tender years." Liu Bei began as he lowered himself to the child, bed ridden and so very, very weak.

"Yes...sir." he whispered, a smile plastered onto his tiny face.

"Please.. you deserve to call me by name. For what you have done for Shu, call me Liu Bei." Liu Bei added.

"Heh..." Cong Sha' held in giggle, he felt like he was dreaming.

"You have such a gentle laugh..." Liu Bei added. "It's very refined.."

"-Yawn- Yes..sir...-Cough- I...mean, Liu Bei." he replied.

"Hmph. Get some rest boy... we will talk when you have regained some strength. My hope is one of two things. By the time you are at the age to be able to fight, you will not need to. However, if you must, then I would be honored to one day...ride into battle with you."

Zhuge Liang brushed the hair back from the boy's face. "Sleep...Cong Sha'."

The boy sniveled and nodded.

Months passed and the boy did not grow stronger. He got weaker and weaker. However, no matter how fierce a battle was for Shu, Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei made time to spend with the boy.

However...

"You've barely drunk your tea... My Lady will be displeased." Zhuge Liang said with a smile on his face and sat beside the boy. The boy's eyes seemed like they were looking right at him but they were not moving.

"Xing Cai will come visit you again, but you have to drink your tea as a compromise okay?"

Seconds went by and still no response...

"Cong Sha'..?" He poked. He listened for breathing... but there was none.

He sprung up, tears filling his wise eyes. "We need aid! He's not breathing!"

Minutes flew by every so quickly as Shu Doctors worked on saving the boy. Everyone was asked to stay outside the chambers until they had finished.

After an hour, the lead doctor left the room and approached Zhuge Liang.

"I am sorry for your loss, General. His will was strong, but his body was underdeveloped, it lacked nourishment and as a result, he did not have the strength to carry on any longer..."

"Thank you Doctor." Zhuge Liang said. The Doctor left Zhuge Liang with Liu Bei and the two other sworn brothers alone to fathom such a tragedy...

"He did not deserve to die. He was compassionate, kind, loving and very intelligent... one can only imagine what he could have done..." Liu Bei began.

"Yes... My daughter is going to be devastated... she loved playing with this boy." Zhang Fei muttered.

"He must be buried." Liu bei added.

Guan Yu nodded. "Agreed. Let us give this child a burial fit for an Emperor..."

Zhuge Liang shook his head. "I have a better idea for a send off."

At the Wu Naval Coastline...:

"I owe you for your help my friend." Zhuge Liang said.

"Nonsense." Zhou Yu replied. "Our alliance runs deeper than parchment." Zhou Yu and his wife, Xiao Qiao both placed supportive hands on Zhuge Liang's shoulders.

Liu Bei stood stall next to his sworn brothers.

"There is still so much corruption in this world...Will the world of benevolence I envisioned ever come to existence...?" He asked.

Guan Yu put his hand on Liu Bei's shoulder. "Of course!"

Everyone watched as the beautiful child drifted out to see on a beautifully crafted boat. It had a magnificent array of colors and designs. Dragons, Wolves and Horses. The boy had been cleaned and given make up to bring out the features on his face. He had a beautiful spring robe, with a tiny crown on his head. His beautiful silver locks were brushed over his face and the last smile he gave was still on his tiny face...

Inside the boat, it was filled with sand. Not just regular sand. Sand that had been gathered from coasts all over the country. Different colors, different textures and in his hands, an official calligraphy brush, intertwined with his fingers as if... he was ready to get to work...

After ten minutes, the sand's weight was beginning to take it's toll on the boat..

The boat began to slowly ease into the water...as water began to seep in and mix with the sand, it continued to add weight to the boat.

"Sleep...Cong Sha'." Zhuge Liang said quietly.

The boat disappeared fully into the water... And the boy's crown rose to the surface...

(Flashback End.)

"You died...what the hell?!" Screeched Ryokuhatsu.

Dan Li's eyes were fixed skyward. "The next part of the story... is going to be a little hard to believe..."

Everyone's eyes were now fixated on Dan Li as he began the second part of his Extraordinary tale.

To Be Continued.

DUNN DUNN DUNNNNNNN. I enjoyed that, don't know bout you haha. Welp, the next chapter will be out soonish and conclude the vast history of Dan Li for now. Then get back to the battle for his nation! Catch yall later.