For Love, Lu Bu Betrays His Foster Father

My foster father yelled in anger as his swung his dadao at me.

Though injured as I was, I managed to narrowly dodge the giant blade of his great sabre.

In my stead, the garden boulder that had been behind me was shattered into two.

"Lu Bu!" my foster father snarled at me, "I will not let you escape!"

In his other hand, his crystal ball started to glow and crackle with lightning.

"No, Lord Dong!" my beloved Diaochan begged him, "Please, spare him!"

The love of my life ran up to my foster father, but he slapped her away, yelling, "Be quiet, woman! When I'm done with him, it'll be your turn next!"

"Diaochan!" I yelled out, as my love recoiled from the strike, and crashed into the ground.

"Worry about yourself!" my foster father yelled, as lightning and thunder bolted out from his crystal ball at me.

Gritting through the pain of my injuries, I raised up my fangtian ji, the Sky Piercer.

With great luck, I managed to catch the lightning with my double crescent-bladed spear.

In great pain, I yelled out as I spun the ji around and threw the lightning behind me, sending it crashing into the ground.

I breathed heavily as I struggled to prop myself up with the Sky Piercer.

The guards quickly surrounded me, with their spears pointing at me.

Through tired breaths, I managed to yell out, "To me, Red Hare!"

The guards looked around, confused.

Suddenly, a majestic neigh rang out.

And from the slanted roof of one of the palace residences, my noble steed leaped into the air.

"Damn that red horse!" my foster father yelled, as Red Hare slammed into his guards, scattering them.

Quickly, I managed to mount my horse.

"Lu Bu!" my foster father yelled, "If you dare to leave now, then we are father-and-son no more!"

"Then so be it, Dong Zhuo!" I yelled back.

I looked back at Daiochan one more time, and said, "I'll be back for you, my love!"

"Go!" she said.

I tapped my heels against Red Hare's sides, ordering him to go.

"After him!" I heard Dong Zhuo yell.

But, it was useless, as Red Hare could easily outpace any horse, and we escaped from the palace.

***

I stared at the fire.

It was two weeks later, and I was camping close to Dong Zhuo's palace.

After my escape, I had managed to make it to a nearby village.

Grateful for the time that I had saved the village from bandits, the villagers helped me as I healed from my injuries.

And now, I had journeyed back to my former home, ready to storm the palace and rescue my love.

But first, I must rest for the night.

And as I stared into the fire, I thought back to the events that had led me here.

***

The country was in turmoil.

After centuries, the great Han empire had been irrevocably fractured.