Three Kingdoms: Chapter 8

US-Korea Politics = depressing. 1 John studies = yes. Diet = a disaster.

That summarizes today. I feel like I've not been putting my heart into my writings. Trying to get back on track with that. Hope you enjoy anyways (hah). Have a blessed week! :-)



Chapter 8



Though the sun had sunk, bits of light remained before the castle gates. Nonetheless, the doors were fast-barred according to the law. Caring not a bit, Zhang Fei shouted loudly to the lookout tower, where the guards lounged.

“Hey, master gatekeeper, open the doors!”

“Don't talk nonsense! What are these doors that you speak of; those which open after sunset?”

“I know; but the sun isn't completely gone. I have an important business here,” Zhang Fei pleaded impatiently.

“Nope, you can lounge down there for tonight. You can take care of your business tomorrow.” The master guard was no less stubborn.

“Damn you!” Zhang Fei cried as he placed his left foot on the bottom rung of the castle ladder. “I'm famous for being a hothead. If you really don't want to open the gates I will climb the walls.” Soon he reached the top rung, and the guards barked.

“Hey, you! Are you going to violate the rules?”

“It doesn't matter. I just have to get to the riverside by tonight,” Zhang Fei said unaffectedly.

“You little villain!” a guard soldier cried as he sent out his spear, which was instantly grabbed by Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei swayed the spear over to the other side of the castle wall, and the soldier fell to his death.

“Alert, alert! Some fellow here is crossing the wall!”

“It sure is a wild one!”

The guards gathered in herds but Zhang Fei didn't mind. He stood facing them now, having done away with the ladder. “Clear the way like the good guards. Hurting is the other option,” he warned.

“Shut up, I'll take you on,” a soldier said as he flew out at Zhang Fei. A terrible mistake – Zhang Fei's hand was bigger than the soldier's face. One blow knocked him out unconscious. Or dead. But the guards didn't have time to ponder. They all lunged at him at once.

“Damn it, so annoying!” Zhang Fei muttered as he violently stripped the guards off his legs and arms. “Scat!” he cried. Most of them lay injured. Not bothering, Zhang Fei jumped off the castle wall.¹ He landed as light as a cat. Looking up at the guards, he waved casually, “Take care then, masters.”

“He's indubitably a Huan scout! Fire!” the leader commanded, his arms still sore from pounding against the stony flooring. The guards shot away, but the arrows broke as they bumped into Zhang Fei and fell to the earth. “Haha, all in vain,” Zhang Fei laughed, running off. He still had ways to go.

* * *

The moon had already risen when Zhang Fei finally reached town by the riverside. Dashing through the familiar paths, he came to an ordinary tile-roofed house. The plate by the front door side read “Guan Yunchang.²” The house was aged but tidy, a bit wide for having only one occupant. Guan Yu taught town's children in daytime.

Zhang Fei walked in through the front entrance, looking rather humorous. His beard looked like whiskers, having been dispersed by the wind. His face was flushed from excitement and exercise alike. Truly, he looked rather like a tiger after a day's hunt. Coming to a closed door, he pounded it impatiently.

“Brother Yunchang! Are you already sleeping?”

“Who is there?” an alarmed voice inquired from within.

“It's me, Zhang Fei.”

Soon the door opened and Guan Yu walked outside, the night lamp burning in his hand. The light did not illuminate all of his face, but one could see that he was a man of statue, taller than Zhang Fei. A great long beard covered his entire chest. His eyes shone with acumen and his reserved mouth was confidently shut.

“What is the matter? Shouting at this hour,” he inquired.

“A great news for you – I came with all speed,” Zhang Fei said buoyantly.

“Is that so? Hope this is not another comedy of yours to mooch on some drinks,” Guan Yu teased, though his presence didn't alter a bit.

“No, that's not it. But there's nothing wrong with drinks being on the table while we're talking,” Zhang Fei grinned as he took a seat. Guan Yu smirked as he took out a magnum. Pouring the liquor, he said, “Just as expected.”

“Finally, our dreams have come true.” Zhang Fei laid the bowl aside, very unlike him.

“The matter that I spoke of a while ago, about a person named Liu Bei,

“I ran into him again today, and we talked about a lot of things. It turns out that he's a descendant of Han Emperor Jing.

“How about that, a marvelous one, huh? Let's run over to Mulberry now and let us meet him,” Zhang Fei said excitedly.

“Haha, you're as same as ever,” Guan Yu chuckled.

“What?”

“Think about it. If we leave now, we will get to Mulberry around midnight. Isn't it a discourtesy to visit at late night? And...”

“And what else?”

“There are many people who claim to be the descendants of Emperor Jing. We can't accept all of their stories as the truth,” Guan Yu remarked, with his far-gazing eyes.

“Then are you saying my story is nonsense?” Zhang Fei got up, irritated.

“I don't mean that, but it's true that you trust people rather easily,” Guan Yu said with a smile and continued, “You and I have sworn brotherhood. Thusly, it's my elder duty to point out the younger one's weakness and correct it.”

“On that account, lounge here for tonight and let us think it over with time.” Guan Yu got up and left the room.

“Whatever. I've had enough of your preachings,” Zhang Fei crossed his arms, offended. With no one to listen, he started conversing with himself.

“Man, ran all the way here thinking Brother Yunchang would be happy to hear this.

“... but he didn't lie to me. He really is the descendant of Emperor Jing. No doubt of it.

“Ugh, zeal flowed over for the first time in years, and what. Got doused with a bucket of water. Think I'll get some drink.”

Zhang Fei walked to the nearest bar. The small place was almost deserted, concerning the hour.

“Drinks, master,” Zhang Fei demanded.

“Yes, yes, here we come!” the owner seemed to be in high spirits for a rare night customer. “Here you are.” The magnum he offered would've lasted an ordinary man the entire night, but Zhang Fei swigged it down in a few droughts.

“Hu–” Zhang Fei exhaled. Presently the door opened and the newcomers shrieked. They were none other than the guards that Zhang Fei met earlier at the castle top.

“Here you were!”

“Move if you dare!”

“You won't escape this time.”

“Dirty Huan!”

The men were laying hands on their swords. The owner flew in terror of that sudden riot and hid. Zhang Fei felt his insides warming up from the liquor. At the remark “Huan” he almost exploded, but asked calmly instead.

“A Huan? Me?”

“Yes, who else is in here other than you?”

“DAMN YOU!” Zhang Fei burst out in rage as he smashed the wooden table into half with one loud thump. A frozen silence enveloped all. They still stood by the door, gaping.

“Has anyone even seen whether I'm in cahoots with Huans or not?” he asked angrily. Slowly regaining the composure, one of the guards talked back.

“Shut up, only Huans climb up the impassable castle walls.” Turning to his comrades, he encouraged, “Come on, let's not just stand here – bind him!”

The courage he fired up was short lived, for Zhang Fei juggled the ones that went at him. One went out the casement, the wood helplessly breaking behind him. One landed in a liquor jug, splashing alcohol everywhere. One struck the ground and lay unconscious.

“If anyone dares to call me a Huan one more time, or to lay one finger on me...” Zhang Fei scowled. To the owner that had come out as the screams died away, he launched over some coins and said, “Here sir, for the drink and for the disturbance.” He walked out the door, but the guards hadn't given upon him, either.

“Don't just stand there, hurry and get him!”

Zhang Fei stood still as the guards' short legs caught up with him. They surrounded him, like little toy soldiers facing Goliath.

“Don't move!” they cried.

“You morons, do you really want to die that bad?” Zhang Fei bawled. A soldier leaped at him, swinging the spear at him. He swung it over, and the guard smashed dead on the ground. The comrade's death terrified the rest, but it also gave them a better cause for fighting.

“You now have my permission to kill him,” the leader cried.

“You really don't listen, do you? There is no alternative for you then,” Zhang Fei cracked a knuckle or two. All of them lunged at him, but Zhang Fei smashed each with one fist as they came. After he managed to break the last attacker, only the leader and the last of the guards remained.

“Eeek!” the guard screeched.

“Stop, stop. Pull out for now!” the leader gave the command as he spoke to a grand army of one person. But the order was not even necessary. They were long gone, as fast as the words that came out of his mouth. Zhang Fei gazed at them for a while, then called to the bar owner, who was watching from the door.

“Master!”

“Please... spare me for mercy's sake!” his voice trembled.

“Don't worry. Besides that, if you could render my words to Brother Yunchang, it would be good.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Even if Brother Yunchang doesn't believe, I believe in Liu Bei... and I have decided to act with him from now on,” Zhang Fei said soberly.

“Would that be all?” The owner still was on his knees.

“Yes.”

“That's not too hard, I will go tell him right away,” he said, hurriedly running off as he only wished to escape Zhang Fei's sight for a moment. The pitch-dark street seemed more solitary with the lifeless bodies laying around, but Zhang Fei's eyes shone with determination. He spoke aloud to the invisible moon behind the clouds.

“Liu Bei, I am going to take off, for I've chosen to devote everything to you. Pray do rise soon to set things right amidst this chaos. Like the final words that the priest proclaimed, rise and become China's true Savior.”

Zhang Fei departed. He left the riverside and dashed on, meeting the desert before Mulberry. Every stride raised up a cloud of cold sand. Night was almost approaching dawn, but Zhang Fei did not know weariness. The new hope that Liu Bei had given him constantly renewed his strength, and before the sunrise, he was already traversing leagues.

* * *

¹ I'm sure everyone has an idea of how high a castle wall is. In ancient castles, the height of castle walls varied from 4 meters (lower ones, about 13 feet or so) to 10 meters (higher ones, 33 feet or so). So Zhang Fei jumped a lot of distance there.

² Asian houses have a plate with the householder's name engraved on it by the door. Also, the usual arrangement of a traditional home is a big front entrance/door (doors can be there or not) – then you come to a front lawn – and the actual house is located inside the fence/wall/whatever. To summarize, the door from each room leads to outside, but still inside the 'house' itself. (If you live in a big enough house.) Since Guan Yu lives in a tile-roofed house, his house is better than most people's.