Arriving at Lu

Yun returned to camp finding Zhen Luo awake again while holding Rin in her arms as she was sleeping comfortably in Zhen Luo's embrace.

Zhen Luo saw that Yun returned alone which made her a bit sad since the old mercenary Lucius didn't deserve to die at the hands of bandits. Yun sat down beside her and she leaned her head against his arm.

"He didn't deserve to die like that," whispers Zhen Luo to not wake Rin up by accident.

"No, he didn't, but he called it his destiny to die like that," says Yun not revealing the truth about Lucius to Zhen Luo.

"Rin will be sad that Lucius is gone. She really liked the odd old man," says Zhen Luo sad holding Rin closer to herself.

"It is no wonder. He liked her too," says Yun thinking that Lucius must have missed her after such a long time without seeing her.

He put his arm around Zhen Luo before leaning his head on Zhen Luo's head kissing it and leaning his head against the tree behind him.

The next day, Rin was out of herself when she found out that Lucius wasn't around any longer making her cry rivers while hugging her father hoping he wouldn't leave her as well.

Yun could feel her pain while trying to comfort his daughter since people she liked were dying left and right in the last few weeks starting with her real father and now Lucius.

She was scared that Yun or Zhen Luo are the next to die but Yun reassured her that it would need more to kill him and her new mother. Rin still was clutching onto Yun as he was holding the reigns of Thunder.

Yao and Tao felt guilty about what happened to Lucius since he was a mercenary just like them but they knew about the risk of this business and that one day their lives would be over as well.

The Zhen Family didn't seem to be shaken by Lucius' death visibly but Yun could see how Fei was clutching onto his mother which seemed to make him recall some trauma he suffered before.

They arrived at Pingyuan without much trouble where they stayed for two days to buy supplies to continue their trip toward Lu while passing through Gaotang where they will be crossing the river separating the two cities and the territory between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.

Rin calmed down over the last few days but was still unconsciously holding onto Zhen Luo or Yun while the group entered Cao Cao's territory which made Yun sigh in relief because they passed the worst for now.

Soon they would arrive in Xiapi if no trouble arises on their way as they entered Lu to stay and buy supplies for their journey to Bo before traveling to Changlu and then ending their journey in Xiapi.

They passed the gates when Yun feels that someone was watching him. He didn't release his Qi to find out who since Xiahou Dun could see it as a threat approaching the city to mobilize his army for nothing.

They arrived at an inn that could house the group when Yun noticed a man following them since they passed the gates of Lu. Yun took a closer look when he smiled at the man since even with the hood over his head he couldn't hide his body which was covered by racks.

"Dian Wei, didn't I order you to protect my family until my return," says Yun making Dian Wei go stiff because Yun saw through him.

"How did you know?" asks Dian Wei confused since he tried his best to hide in plain sight.

"You might be able to hide your face but you can't hide your body from me since we fought in many battles together. To tell you the truth, I was about to cut you down thinking that you were someone stalking us to attack us after exiting the city," says Yun telling the truth since he killed some spotters that would stalk them to hand information to a group of bandits big or small.

"It seems you had trouble on your way back to Xiapi," says Dian Wei a bit troubled since it was his duty to cover Yun's back.

"Nothing I couldn't deal with," says Yun with confidence in his voice stretching his arm out toward Dian Wei who took it as they hold each other underarm shaking it before letting go.

"It is good that you are here since I have someone important for you to protect," says Yun with a smile on his face while Dian Wei was confused.

"Is it the Madam?" asks Dian Wei hinting at Zhen Luo as Yun shakes his head in disagreement.

"No, but a little princess," says Yun with warmth in his words.

"Don't you only have one daughter?" asks Dian Wei confused when Yun signalizes Dian Wei to follow him into the inn.

They enter and Dian Wei could feel people staring at him. Yun walked toward the group and Dian Wei followed him as they sit down. The only person not starting at Dian Wei was Zhen Luo because she could recognize the man under the hood by his body since Dian Wei would always stay beside Yun or his family protecting them with his little army.

"This is Wei, he will be taking Lucius' place until we arrive at our destination," says Yun as Rin runs toward Yun and hugs his leg before Yun picks her up and says, "This is Rin, my daughter."

This shocked Dian Wei completely as he says desperately, "But m-"

Yun interrupts Dian Wei with a glare shutting him up before he could say 'my Lord'. Yun and Zhen Luo were still undercover even if he was already in allied territory but everyone is thinking that he is in Xiapi at this very moment.

Dian Wei was looking at the little girl called Rin nervously as she was sitting on Yun's lap while being fed by him when he looks at Zhen Luo confused who only smiles at him.

At the end of the day, they retreated to their rooms and Yun shared a room with Dian Wei since he had many things to ask him about the development in the Xu Province.

"Well, Pang Tong and the strategists are holding everything together with Huang Zhong and Zhao Hua but voices are corrosing between the recruits talking about you not showing your face and having abandoned them while the older ones are reprimanding them since they know you better," says Dian Wei sitting on his bed telling Yun only a bit of what happened since he went on his journey.

"What about my children?" asks Yun curiously since he hadn't seen them for a while and wanted to know how they have developed since he left.

"Well, Fang is throwing himself at his uncle while Mulan is mostly training with Huang Zhong or Taishi Ci. Zheng is being trained by Lu Bu at the moment and Yang is being taken care of by Madam Su, Madam Zhao, and...," says Dian Wei fighting himself if he should tell Yun about the third person.

"And?" asks Yun now curious looking at a desperate Dian Wei.

"It's Madam Mi, Liu Bei's second wife, my Lord," says Dian Wei telling Yun who opened his eyes wide for a moment before looking seriously at Dian Wei.

"Was it my mother's doing?" asks Yun seriously as he wasn't going to take another woman as his wife even more so a married woman.

"No, she just wanted to take care of the youngest master out of kindness it seems trying to repay the favor of how she and the rest of the women are treated under your command," says Dian Wei as Yun sighs before holding his head.

"I should have known that I was treating them too well because I respect my promise to Guan Yu," says Yun in defeat as he takes a big breath and asks, "Anything else that happened while I was gone?"

"Well, we got news from the south," says Dian Wei nervous not knowing how Yun would react to it.

"What is it?" asks Yun curiously since it must be involving Sun Quan.

"Sun Ce has died and Sun Quan is the current ruler of the Yang Province. Then there is the disappearance of Yuan Shu and the Imperial Seal is missing again. Cao Cao is trying his best in finding it but...," says Dian Wei when Yun interrupts him.

"But it seems to have disappeared out of nowhere. Yes, I know but the Seal should be in the possession of the Sun Clan again if my calculations aren't wrong. Did Sun Quan contact us in any way yet?" asks Yun curiously since Mulan and Sun Quan are promised to each other.

"No word from him but that could have changed while I traveled to Lu and waited for you here," says Dian Wei since he wasn't up to date at the moment since his absence of almost three weeks.

"It is good enough, friend," says Yun with a simple knowing that Dian Wei was doing his best as always.

"Anyway, we should go to sleep tomorrow will be a long day for me treating some people while spoiling Rin," says Yun sitting down on his bed when Dian Wei looked at him worried.

"Something more to say?" asks Yun seeing Dian Wei's expression since he was sitting across from him.

"Rin, the girl, why are you calling her your daughter?" asks Dian Wei concerned with a worried expression on his face.

"She is a brave little girl that did something reckless trying to defend the place she called home. I saw talent in her and took her in after hearing her out," says Yun before telling Dian Wei about what happened in Zhan before going to sleep.

The next day Yun continued treating people while Dian Wei was watching over Rin when he noticed that Rin was about to get too close to Thunder he wants to intervene but neither Shadow nor Thunder seemed to care about Rin approaching them when he found out that Thunder let Rin touch him which made his brain to overload from seeing that.