They arrive at the training ground and they find it almost desolate as Yun told Xun Yu just some moments before.
The only group on the training ground was Pang Tong's group of strategists which was resting at the moment.
Yun looked at the group which stood up the moment Yun was standing in front of them like the soldiers would as Yun looked at them.
"As you must have heard from Pang Tong we will be leaving Zhending soon," says Yun seriously as he looked at them before saying, "But before that, I have to decide who will be joining our ranks as strategists."
Everyone was nervous since Yun said before that he was only going to choose four of them when Yun walked down the line they formed.
Yun looked at each of their faces while walking down the line when he reached the end of the line before turning around and saying, "I congratulate you all for finishing the last exam and I welcome you brothers and sisters for making it into the Deathseekers Army."
Yun reached the beginning of the line when he says, "You will be transferred to a commander suited to your skills once you have studied our tactics and how our troops move."
The group of strategists seems relieved to hear that they all made it as Yun looks at them, "I will give Pang Tong some money so you can eat something good for tonight. Pang Tong will be informing you about the rest."
"And if you want to thank someone thank yourself for not giving up midway through the last exam as the others did. I need people with a strong will that will do what is needed to secure our victory even if they have to use me as the bait," says Yun as the group was surprised while Pang Tong smirks.
"I think Pang Tong can tell you the story behind that once you are eating. But get some rest for today. You all deserve it," says Yun as he leaves walking towards Xun Yu who was watching from the distance.
"So what now?" asks Xun Yu curious about what Yun was going to do next.
"Now, I will help my wife with packing our things. I want to leave as early as possible so no word reaches Yuan Shao or he might attack us while traveling towards Puyang," says Yun not confident enough to say that Zhending is free of spies.
"Shouldn't the servants do that?" asks Xun Yu surprised that Yun wanted to do that himself.
"It seems that your position got to your head. It is one way of losing your head sooner rather than later," says Yun warning Xun Yu about undervaluing the people around him.
Yun walked home while Xun Yu followed silently behind him. They were about to reach the mansion when Yun entered another house.
Xun Yu sees an old man carrying things out of the house when Yun wanted to help him only to get shouted at by the old man, "I might be old but not incompetent enough to not carry something out of the house."
"Father, I just want to help you get everything out," says Yun to his father who was quite angry at his son since they are forced to leave Zhending.
They know that they can't stay because of the threat of being used against their sons by their enemy. Xian wasn't pleased to leave the Zhao Manor in which many generations of his family lived in.
"You know that we will return one day. Maybe we might even reclaim our real ancestral home Zhao if everything goes well," whispers Yun into Xian's ears not letting Xun Yu hear him.
"I am not interested in Zhao or any other city. We build all our lives in Zhending. I wanted to be buried in this city like every other Zhao before me," says Xian not carrying about being heard by Xun Yu.
"You will return to Zhending alive or I will bring your body myself to Zhending to bury you here with our Ancestors," says Yun seriously as Xian looked at his son's eyes and knew that Yun would do so for him if that was really his wish.
Xian sighs knowing that his son would move the mountains in his way to fulfill his wish, "Just make this worth it for your sons and daughter. They will be leading the household once we are gone. Just try to find a place in which they can take roots."
"Don't worry about that, father. I have already everything planned and if everything goes as planned we will be back in less than thirty years," says Yun putting his hands on his father's shoulder reassuring him.
Yun knew that his father wasn't the youngest any longer but he was sure that he could bring his father back to Zhending in less than thirty years if everything goes as planned.
And less if he has to resort to his Plan B which was to stay with Cao Wei until the end of the path. Xian felt Yun's determination and only sighs as he thought that thirty years wasn't that much compared to the fifty years he spent in Zhending.
"Are you sure?" asks Xian worried that his son would overwork himself just to fulfill his wish.
"Yes, it all depends on the circumstances since even I can't calculate the future completely but can assume what can happen. But we will be back here if it is your wish once the time is right," says Yun as a black aura was covering Yun's body and a Black Dragon was manifesting behind Yun.
"I trust in your decision as the next head of the Zhao Clan even if I don't like it but you were never wrong so far," says Xian knowing that he was too stubborn about this matter as was his son.
"I really want the best for our family but we can't stay in enemy territory any longer. Sooner or later Yuan Shao would attack us and we might be able to fend him off using foul tactics but for how long," says Yun as Xian knew that they can't defend Zhending for long since Yuan Shao has far more resources than them.
"Let me finish to take everything that your mother needs towards your mansion so you can store it away," whispers Xian as Yun nods before leaving the courtyard in which he spent his whole childhood.
"Problems with your parents?" asks Xun Yu as Yun looked at him with an expression that froze Xun Yu in place.
Yun's eyes were red from fury since he misunderstood Xun Yu as Yun puts his hand on Xun Yu's shoulder before saying, "If something were to happen to my parents no one in this Empire will be able to stop me from killing every single person involved in it. They and everyone related to them will be killed by my spear even the Emperor himself if he is involved."
Xun Yu was feeling so fear much fear that he was gasping for air from the pressure Yun was releasing from himself when Yun tries to calm down before saying, "You all think you have seen my real strength but you are far from seeing it. You don't want to meet the Yun that goes all out, trust me."
Yun then releases Xun Yu before sighing and saying, "I think, I went a bit too far. It is just that my family is my weak point and the only thing that keeps me sane. If I were to lose them... I don't know what I would be doing in my rage instead of killing everything on my path until nothing remain."
"So you are saying that against Lu Bu, you never showed your true strength?" asks Xun Yu as Yun holds his chin.
"You could say so," says Yun as he hasn't shown his true strength yet.
They arrived at Yun's Mansion and they entered as Xun Yu now knew why Yun could control that many Tigers as if they were kittens or at least that is what he is thinking.
Yun looked at the servant awaiting them and tell him to take Xun Yu to his room while he went to see Diao Chan who was already packing while Snowflake and his kittens were playing with Zheng.
"It seems something is disturbing you," says Diao Chan as she could read her husband like a book.
"I lost my temper just a moment ago because of someone mentioning me having trouble with my father," says Yun as he walks towards Diao Chan who pats her lap.
Yun lies down and rests his head on her lap when Diao Chan passes her fingers through his hair when she asks, "It can't be one of our people since you wouldn't have reacted that way."
"It was Cao Cao's strategist, Xun Yu. But it should have given him a large scare that he will remember for a long time," says Yun as Diao Chan smiles at him.
"Then it is good. We both know that you want to keep our family safe," says Diao Chan as she leaned forward kissing Yun.
Yun returned the kiss as he touches his wife's right cheek as their lips separated and Yun says, "Why do I feel calm when I am by your side as if the world is standing still until we separate again."
"That might be because we are soul mates as if destiny wanted us to be together," says Diao Chan as she looked at her youngest seeing Zheng trying to bite Snowflake's tail.
"Zheng, don't you dare put that thing in your mouth, or you will never play with any Tiger ever again in your whole life," says Diao Chan angrily as Zheng seemed to not understand what Diao Chan was saying before biting into Snowflakes tail with his not existing teeth which made Yun burst out in laughter seeing the guts his youngest has compared to the twins.
Yun stood up and picked his youngest up while saying him to the face, "You really are going to become a troublemaker if you can't even listen to your scary mother."
"Who is scary?" asks Diao Chan as she was giving Yun a vicious smile that terrified him and Zheng who was hiding in his arms when Yun has a nervous smile on his face.
"Nobody, honey," says Yun as he was more nervous about facing his wife in this state than ten Lu Bus.
"I hope so," says Diao Chan as she suddenly grabs Yun by his ear and dragged him towards the bed before taking Zheng out of his arms and putting the little troublemaker in his crib.
Snowflake jumped onto the bed with his kittens as they were to Yun's feet when Diao Chan joins Yun and they go to sleep for today.
Hope you like it. I will be taking a long break until the 9th of January. I wish you all happy holidays and a good start into the new year.