Sparring with Guan Yu

It was a boring day for Yun today as he finished training Wei Yan and the others of his trusted retainers when he went to the training ground to see how everyone else was doing when he saw Guan Yu there.

He observed Guan Yu who was training earnestly on his technique when Yun approaches him while grabbing a spear from the rags.

Yun attacks out of nowhere Guan Yu who was surprised because he was concentrating on his movement. He evades it by a hairs breath as he looked at who was holding the spear seeing Yun.

"How about we have a little spar. I have more confidence in you becoming someone strong compared to your two brothers," says Yun as he smiled at Guan Yu.

"I don't know what you have against my brothers," says Guan Yu as he goes into position.

Yun was completely open as he holds his spear but Guan Yu couldn't find an opening in his stance when Yun says, "Come this is a sparring, not a Life-and-Death battle."

Guan Yu then attacks holding both hands on his weapon when he sees Yun take a step forward which would place him outside the reach of the edge but would still get hit by the blunt part of his weapon.

Yun moved his spear between Guan Yu's weapon and himself blocking the attack when he used his free hand and grabbed him by the chest before pushing him away.

"Again!" shouts Yun as he waited for Guan Yu to use some Qi unconsciously.

They continued for some rounds until Yun had enough and attacked Guan Yu scratching him on the left cheek which surprised Guan Yu.

"Why would you do that?" asks Guan Yu touching his wounded cheek.

"Because you aren't going serious. Even my student can make me sweat," says Yun as he felt mocked that Guan Yu didn't even intend to raise his performance.

"Do you know why I have something against you brother? I will tell you if you can get at least one hit on me," says Yun as Guan Yu could see the anger in Yun's face.

"I didn't want to offend you," says Guan Yu as he got into position again but this time he seemed more serious than before.

Yun stood there like before as he prepared for Guan Yu to attack first. This time Yun evades the attack instead of blocking it while simultaneously going for Guan Yu's leg.

Guan Yu jumps evading Yun's attack when a kick came for his body which sent him a meter back before landing. Yun rushed at him making Guan Yu stabilize faster as he needed to anticipate the next attack.

Yun threw his spear at Guan Yu who deflects the attack while Yun didn't stop moving. Yun was now too close for Guan Yu to use his weapon when Yun used his palm and stroke Guan Yu's chin while the other hand stroke the wrist of the hand holding the weapon.

Guan Yu let go of his weapon while taking two steps back to recover while holding his chin with his other hand before spitting at the ground.

"Show me the strength of someone that is aiming for the same position that I am carrying," says Yun as he rushed at Guan Yu again.

Yun attacks and Guan Yu deflects the punch coming for him before he headbutts Yun making him look at the sky when Guan Yu hears, "That's the spirit!"

Yun then returned the headbutt with his own making Guan Yu stumble a step back but he didn't let go of Yun.

Yun then twirls his hand making it now be over Guan Yu's wrist when he grabs the wrist before he throws Guan Yu to the ground easily.

"You got a hit in I give you that," says Yun as he spits to the ground.

"Why do you hate my brothers that much," says Guan Yu looking seriously at Yun while laying on the ground.

"I don't hate them personally. I just hate the way they are following in their life. Your younger brother is a drunk that thinks the world is unfair to him because he is from a poor family. But now that he could change it he still prefers to hold a cup of wine in his hand instead of holding his weapon," says Yun telling Guan Yu why he was so harsh to Zhang Fei.

"What about my older brother?" asks Guan Yu as he couldn't understand what Yun could have against his older brother.

"Right Liu Bei, Like said before I don't hate him. But the path he has chosen isn't the path that he is talking about. He is talking about peace and benevolence.

Those are nice ideologies to follow as a scholar or court official. But a General can't have those ideologies or he will not only put the people closes to him in danger but everyone else as well.

That's why I don't like your brothers. You, on the other hand, are different. You are working hard every day by training yourself and your men. That is something I can respect but you still have a long way to go," says Yun before he stretches his hand out towards Guan Yu.

Guan Yu takes Yun's hand and feels Yun pulling him up easily showing that he was holding back even when he was enraged when Yun says, "A General needs to keep a calm mind even when he is angered or he will lead his men into death in his recklessness."

"Thank you for your advice," says Guan Yu as Yun pats his shoulder dusting them off.

"Don't worry about it. But we will soon walk different paths and I hope we won't stand on different sides when the day comes we meet again," says Yun as Shadow was circulating them in the air the whole time before she landed on Yun's shoulder.

"Did you bring me what I was waiting for?" asks Yun as he leaves Guan Yu.

Shadow moves to the ground and writes in English what is happening in Luoyang at the moment.

"So the Emperor is sick. It seems it has already begun. Soon both sides will move to secure the young prince's favor," says Yun as he returned home.

Time passed fast as three years passed since the twins were born writing the year 189 A.D.

Yun was now twenty-one years old and commanded over twenty thousand men without anyone knowing as he recruited more people from the Yellow Turban Rebellion that have lost everything thanks to his Yellow Turban convincing their brothers to join him.

In the meantime in the capital, He Jin and the Eunuchs were fighting in the shadows while the Emperor was slowly losing the battle against his diseases that appeared after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was put down.

Many thought that Zhang Jiao cursed him from his grave and soon the Emperor died and chaos erupted in Luoyang.

He Jin wanted to kill the Eunuchs, but his sister, the current Empress Dowager who is the most powerful person in the Empire, denied his request which soon would be her most fatal mistake.

He Jin was baited into a trap by the Eunuchs which killed him before a battle erupted in the Imperial Palace in which the two Princes were brought out of the city.

They were found by Dong Zhuo who was on his way to help He Jin against the Eunuchs when Dong Zhuo found the Princes their fate was sealed to become marionettes in his schemes.

Yun was observing everything from the sideline as Zhending became his without anyone able to take it away from him.

Dong Zhuo knew that Yun wouldn't interfere with him as long as he left Zhending alone and it came as he predicted. Yun never showed him any hostility as long as he never entered the county of Changshan.

The Coalition was formed against Dong Zhuo and everyone moved except for Yun which made everyone nervous in the Coalition as Yun never said anything against Dong Zhuo nor did he praise him.

This made his standpoint not clear. Many have forgotten his deeds of the past since Lu Bu emerged as an unstoppable force and was even known as a God of War.

But those that still knew what Yun did send messengers to know on which side he would be when the war between both sides was to begin.

One messenger was from Cao Cao, another one from Yuan Shu at the request of Sun Jian, and the last came from Luoyang itself.

They were all sitting in the main hall surrounded by five full-grown Tigers while some kittens were playing with the tails of those Tigers.

The messenger from Luoyang was sweating in fear as he thought that he would end up as food for the tigers while the messengers of the other two parties were staying calm.

The door opened and everyone looked at it when Yun enters the room. Yun looked at them and could recognize one of the messengers right away as he met him before when he was in the Main Camp of the Coalition against the Yellow Turbans.

It was Cheng Pu, one of Sun Jian's most trusted retainers. Yun looked at his calm face when he looked at the other two men. One was sweating bullets while the other one was calm as Cheng Pu.

"You," says Yun pointing at the messenger from Luoyang.

"Yes?" asks the messenger when Yun sits down.

"You can go home and tell your lord that I won't let my men fight beside cowards that fear a harmless Tiger," says Yun as the messenger seemed to be offended by Yun.

He wanted to say something when Snowflake, the biggest of all the Tigers, roared at him making him fall backward.

Yun placed his hand on Snowflake's back and petted the White Tiger who laid down beside Yun and showed his belly to him while the messenger ran out of the room.

"It has been over five years since we last met, Cheng Pu. I hope your Lord is in good health," says Yun as he showed respect to Cheng Pu who showed respect himself.

"He is as healthy as always," says Cheng Pu as Yun then turns to the other man.

"And you are?" asks Yun as the other man showed respect to him.

"Xiahou Dun, I was sent by my Lord, Cao Cao," says Xiahou Dun as Yun looked at him and couldn't recognize him because he only saw pictures of him wearing an eye patch.

"So Sun Jian and Cao Cao are fighting to get me on their side," says Yun looking at both as they nod.

Yun smiled at them when he says, "Now what are your Lords offering me to leave my home and lead my men into battle."