Returning to Puyang

A month passed and Yun had enough time to process that his wife wouldn't be there when he arrived even if the pain was still lingering in his heart.

They arrived at the gate and every veteran in the army was worried since normally a red horse and its rider would come out of the city to greet them when they returned from war so far.

They arrived at the gate and they saw black banners hanging from the walls without a name on them which represent that the city was mourning the death of an important person.

Hua rode toward Yun as he was worried since Yun wasn't as talkative and relaxed as normally when they returned from war. He reached his brother who was surrounded by Tang Shi, Taishi Ci, Dian Wei, Huang Zhong, Gan Ning, and Pang Tong.

They all were worried since they also noticed that Yun's behavior was different than usual and the black banners weren't a good omen if they were combined with the missing horse rider and Yun's cold attitude.

"We are all worried about you, Yun," says Pang Tong not using My Lord at the end since this was a private conversation and he was worried about Yun's mental health at the moment.

"You don't have to worry about me but my children since they will be a hard time in the future," says Yun feeling pity for his children that will grow up without their mother.

"What happened while we were away?" asks Hua already picturing the worst as a black horse rides out of the city.

"You all remember the day the world trembled madly as if it was ending?" asks Yun as they nod when Yun sighs before saying, "My wife gave birth that day but the pressure was too much for her body and she died the same day because the midwives couldn't work properly."

"So sister-in-law/the Mistress is-," says everyone in disbelief around Yun who nods.

"She is dead as said before," says Yun as he saw the rider on the black horse is his father who had a long face.

Yun could see that his father was blaming himself for the death of his daughter-in-law since he couldn't do anything against the intruder.

"Since when did you know that she was dead?" asks Hua demanding to know it.

"Since we left Xiapi. My Godfather told me that she died once I was alone so I could grieve for a while without anyone noticing it," says Yun as a tear runs down his face.

He moves his hand towards his right cheek and wipes the tear away before saying, "The wound is still too fresh for me. But I need to be able to stand firm on the ground if not for me then for my children since they will need to lean against me now that their mother who was protecting them is gone."

Xian arrived and saw the most loyal of Yun's men around him when he wanted to tell Yun about what happened but Yun stopped him by just saying sadly, "I know."

Xian couldn't even look Yun in his eyes out of shame of not being able to protect his daughter-in-law when he hears Yun ask, "What about the children? Are they all well or-"

Yun couldn't even end his sentence when Xian looks at his son and says, "The children are all well. A bit traumatized because of what happened but well. Zheng won't be able to remember what happened when he grows older and Yang won't even know who his mother is so I am not worried about them."

"I am more worried about Mulan and Fang they will be haunted by it for a long time since they couldn't ev-" says Xian in an angry tone when Yun stops him.

"We will talk about the rest when we are back at the manor. We should enter the city instead of standing outside of it," says Yun to them as they move again towards the city which seemed changed to Lu Bu and the others.

Over the last few years Yun was reigning over Puyang the city grew having to erect a second wall to protect the city but over the last year Yun was away from the city it seemed that new people arrived and build their houses outside the second wall.

The new houses were protected by a provisional smaller wall made out of rocks while soldiers were patrolling outside the city to make sure no wild beast would attack Puyang's population.

They entered the city but the mood wasn't the brightest as it usually is when the army returns from war. Yun didn't want to celebrate their victory but the men had earned it so he promised that they would celebrate their victory on New Year because it wasn't far away.

Yun asked Hua to entertain Lu Bu and his family while Gao Shun and Zhang Liao were sent to the barracks and Chen Gong was taken away by Pang Tong as he was dragged to a building near the manor which was built for the strategists.

Yun followed his father as did Wei Yan since they were all going in the same direction when Yun sees Zheng first. Yun grabbed the boy who seemed to play with the tigers as he would always do before lifting him up.

"Do you still know who I am?" asks Yun warm trying to not let Zheng notice his sadness behind his facade.

"Dad?" asks Zheng confused as he took a closer look by removing Yun's helmet and finding his father's dirty and hairy face under it before saying excitedly, "Dad!"

Yun smiles at Zheng before placing him on his shoulders. Zheng might be five years old but he wasn't heavy enough for Yun not to be able to carry him.

They entered the hall as Zheng was telling his father about his adventure showing a bright face making Yun understand that Zheng didn't know about the gravity it brought of losing his mother.

They soon saw Fang and Mulan sitting behind a desk while Zhuge Liang was teaching them at the moment. Yun wanted to burst in but he decided not to bother his children at the moment since they were studying diligently.

He continued with his father and Wei Yan as they reached Wei Yan and Qing's room. Wei Yan wanted to hold his son when he notices that Qing was feeding a baby at the moment while his son was playing with Madam Su and Wei Ru.

Wei Yan saw how forgetful children can be while they are young thanks to Zheng's performance some minutes ago of almost not recognizing Yun. So he rushed towards Wei Kang and hugged the four-year-old boy while Yun walked over to Qing.

He stood before Qing and Yun could feel the nervousness of his sister because she must be holding the secret that Diao Chan didn't really die but was taken away after giving birth since that was his current theory going by the reaction of his mother and Wei Ru also gave him.

"Is that him?" asks Yun as Zheng pointed at the little being in Qing's arms.

"That is Yang my youngest brother. Mother told me to protect him when she left," says Zheng as the women turned even paler than before.

Madam Su rushed toward Yun and takes Zheng from his shoulders before saying, "If you are going to hold Yang you shouldn't carry Zheng around."

Yun then leans toward his mother and whispers into her left ear, "I know that she is not dead."

Madam Su opened her eyes wide after hearing Yun say that as she hands over Zheng to her husband and drags Yun out of the room.

Once outside Madam Su looked at Yun feeling pity for his son when she takes a letter out which she was hiding underneath her clothes.

"She told me to give you this letter once you figured out that she didn't die. She also thought that it would need some time before you realized that," says Madam Su handing over the letter as Yun places it away for the moment.

"So his name is Yang, did you or Diao Chan name him?" asks Yun curious about it.

"It was your wife who named him with tears in her eyes," says Madam Su to Yun as Yun looked at the door again.

"A friend of mine told me that now I need to lock my feeling away so I can stand firm for my children now that the firm and gentle tree that they were holding disappeared," says Yun sadly as his mother hugged him.

"That is true, but remember that you aren't alone in this world. You can rely on all of us to help you raise your children," says Madam Su as she could hear her son's heartbeat through the armor that he has on.

"I know," says Yun as he returns the hug gently since he didn't want to hurt his mother with his strength.

"Have you seen the twins yet?" asks Madam Su as Yun nods.

"Yes, but I didn't want to interrupt their lesson. Once their lesson is over I will talk to them. Until then, I will hold my youngest for a moment and play with Zheng and the tigers," says Yun as he planned to read the letter in the night when the children are sleeping.

"I think that will be a nice surprise for them," says Madam Su as they entered the room again.

Yun walked toward his sister and sat down beside her when he says, "I am thankful that you are feeding him."

"Oh, I am not the only one," says Qing to her brother as she looks at Yang before saying, "Yang has a bigger appetite than the other four children before him."

"He has?" asks Yun confused and Qing nods while Yang seemed to have finished eating.

"Yes, he will be a big man like his father once he is a grown-up," says Madam Su as she was watching at the same time Zheng and Kang play together with Wei Yan and Xian.

"He eats at least eight times a day needing three different midwives to feed him since they can't keep up with the little guy," says Qing as she wanted to help Yang let the air out when Yun took him.

"I will do that," says Yun as he places Yang against his chest plate and gently helps Yang to barf the air out as some milk drops upon the armor but Yun didn't care about it.

He was feeling happiness since Yang was the last gift his wife left him behind. Yun holds his son until he fell asleep when Madam Su asked Yun to hand him over so Yang could sleep in his crib.

Yun then gave Zheng his full attention as he played with him ignoring the stain on his armor since it wasn't important to him. This went on for an hour when Madam Su tell Yun that the twins' class would be over soon.

Yun then left the room and walked towards the room in which the children are taught. Zheng is only taught in the morning while the twins are taught until the afternoon arrives from there on they can either train or study on their own.

He was standing before the door feeling a bit nervous since they will have a different reaction than Zheng since they are older than him by nine years. They lived far longer beside him and their mother than Zheng.

"Don't be nervous," says Madam Su seeing her son standing before the door looking stiff.

"I am trying," says Yun nervous since this was a battlefield he never stood on when he feels his mother wipe the stain away from his armor.

"Just be yourself once you enter and give them a long hug. The rest will resolve itself on its own," says Madam Su trying to give Yun confidence as he takes a big breath in.

He slides the door to the side before he enters the room taking everyone's attention when Zhuge Liang bows towards Yun while saying, "You have returned, my Lord."

"Yes, thank you for looking after them with your wife, Zhuge Liang," says Yun as Zhuge Liang walked toward Yun since he wanted to leave Yun and the twins alone when he hears, "Soon your time to shine will arrive."

Zhuge Liang smiles happily because Yun just told him that he will be soon entering the battlefield with him instead of being only a teacher for Yun's children.

He leaves them alone after hearing that and Yun walked toward his children who seemed to have an expression on their faces that almost broke his heart as he opened his arms towards them.

They rushed into his arms and began to cry in his arms. No word was exchanged since Yun understood them far too well. He wanted to cry as well but he needed to be strong so they could still be children until the time came for them to take the field as he and their uncle are doing at the moment.

Yun hugged them and hold them gently while they were crying in his arms until everything was out of their system before he says, "I am happy to see that the two of you are this strong for your younger brothers."

"Mom told us to protect them and tell them stories about her once they are old enough," says Fang happy that his father returned home safe and sound since they couldn't shoulder their father's death as well after shortly losing their mother.

Yun let go of them so he could pet their heads even if they are already fourteen years old almost fifteen years old.

"I know that you aren't up for surprises but I think that it could swing your moods for the better," says Yun as the twins looked at their father confused when Yun continues, "Do you remember your aunt Wei Mei and her daughter Huixiu?"

"You mean Fang's fiancee and her mother?" asks Mulan making Fang turn red.

"That's right, Cao Cao has won over your uncle and your Dad saved your uncle from being executed which means that he and his family will be living with us again," says Yun as Mulan's eyes lit up since her best friend returned.

Yun looked at Fang and sees that his son was training hard when Yun says, "Fang, you will be joining me in the next campaign to gain some experience. You will also begin to train on the training field outside the city with the soldiers. The same goes for you, Mulan."

"Yes, father," says both as they see their father looking with pride in his eyes at them.

"Good, you will be seeing Huixiu beginning tomorrow since I wanted to have this day to spend with you all together. So let us get Zheng and spend the day together with the tigers," says Yun as he takes both of them outside of the room to get Zheng since Yang wouldn't wake up for a while.

They spend the day together as Yun put them all in their beds before he went to his study. Once there, he pulls the letter out and opens it.

"Dear Yun, if you are readying this letter it means you have found out that I haven't died when I gave birth to Yang," says Yun to himself as he was reading the letter out loud.

"As you can imagine something serious must have happened for me to leave you and the children behind. I know that you must be investigating why I left by now but I ask of you to not search for me.

You must have figured out by now as well that I am not really a mortal and that my story of being an orphan was invented by me so you wouldn't be suspicious of me.

I knew that Shura was making an exception for me because his wife helped me enter the mortal world. She helped me because we are close friends and understood why I wanted to be by your side even if you don't remember me or your past lives.

But I think you had it already figured out that I wasn't a mortal since I could bind this many animals to me without any consequences. I really wanted to spend the rest of your life with you but one of the Gods of my Pantheon came to get me so I wouldn't get the whole Pantheon in trouble.

If your destiny is to become someone truly great we will meet each other again but then we will meet with our real names, with love Diao Chan," says Yun as he was done reading the letter.

He knew that some informations were omitted in the letter so he wouldn't chase recklessly after her but at least she gave him one clue about finding her.

"So I need to become someone truly great so I can meet you again, my love," says Yun as he was quite surprised about the fact that he and Diao Chan used to be a married couple in one of his past lives.

'To become someone truly great you will need a lot of people,' says Ysmrgra curious about who Diao Chan was in reality.

"What do you mean?" asks Yun as Ysmrgra saw it as an opportunity.

'Someone truly great is a synonym for God. She wants you to become a God and for that, you will need a lot of people that believe in you,' says Ysmrgra as Yun was surprised by what Ysmrgra said.

"Wait are you telling me that to become a God you just need a lot of followers that believe in you?" asks Yun curiously as Ysmrgra laughs at what Yun said.

'Indeed, that is one way of becoming a God. The second one which is more common is that another God elevates you or you are conceived by two Gods. Those are the only ways to become a God and your only way is the first,' says Ysmrgra in a convincing tone.

"How many people would I need?" asks Yun curious about it.

'A lot of people. It used to be easier back in the days when there weren't that many Gods but right now you would need the whole world to hail your name,' says Ysmrgra as Yun stood up looking serious when Ysmrgra continues, 'But every God has a Nature he follows what will be your Nature?'

"War, most likely," says Yun not really thinking hard over it.

'There are many Gods that follow that Nature. I would follow another one,' says Ysmrgra as Yun grabs the letter and puts it over the candle.

"I have a long way before me. Maybe I will find a better Nature until then," says Yun as the letter begins to catch fire and slowly turns to ashes.

Yun then stood up and walked toward his bedroom. He removed his armor when he stood before his bed seeing the big bed made some memories resurface and Yun walked towards a wall to sit against it before closing his eyes to sleep.