Light and Shadow

40 - Battle with the General at Anlui

Xun Yu awoke early in the morning. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, and the first bird calls of the early morning hours fluttered in through the window. Despite only resting for a few hours, he felt energetic and excited for their trip to Anlui. The thought of wiping out the Cultivators of Yin and bringing an end to their devious plots filled his body with energy. He sat up in bed and peered out of the window, observing the light coating of snow that now dotted the landscape and barren trees.

It must have snowed after we went to sleep last night. It's a good thing that I woke up when I did, Mengde is still sound asleep. Xun Yu gently touched Cao Cao's arm in an attempt to wake him up. The man immediately sat up, eyes wide open, and frantically looked around the room, taking in deep breaths to calm himself.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Xun Yu asked softly.

Cao Cao nodded, and Xun Yu hugged him, holding him close until he calmed down. The two then got out of bed and made their way to the horse stables. The two assumed that their journey to Anlui would be short, so they did not pack any additional cargo. When they arrived at the horse stables, they were greeted by Sima Yi and Xiahou Dun, both of whom appeared to be rather tired.

After confirming that they were all ready to depart to their destination, they saddled and mounted their horses. They traveled for several hours across snow dusted trails and paths that did not see frequent use until the group of four finally arrived at the outskirts of Anlui village. The few buildings in the village's periphery were rundown and appeared to be in disuse. Their walls were tattered, the ceilings were caving in, and the floors had several decayed patches.

The group decided that this would be a good spot to dismount their horses and begin their search of the area. They trotted up to a few sturdy-looking trees that were situated next to the house closest to them and tethered their horses to them. Once they were certain that no one was in the area, they inspected a few of the rundown houses, but found nothing of note inside. It was likely that the buildings had been uninhabited for an extended period of time, hence their emptiness and current decrepit state.

The group inferred that, if they hoped to find or see anyone, they would have to venture farther into the village. The group cautiously ventured farther into the seemingly desolate village, sticking close to the rundown buildings for cover, and, after walking several meters, they observed ten well-kempt buildings, as well as many people training for combat in an open field betwixt the houses.

Many of those sparring in the field appeared to be men, save for a handful that appeared to be women. They all wore pants and long sleeves of the purest white, as well as thin white headbands. Those with long hair had it bound in long braids down their backs, and those with short hair had it easily restrained by the headbands that they wore. The group of four watched, hidden from sight by a building, as those training unleashed a flurry of furious strikes on practice logs. The sound of limbs colliding harshly with wood could be heard, and, as the disciples halted momentarily to catch their breath, a rather cold and dignified looking man with long shoulder-length black hair and a beard of one chi in length barked out orders for them to repeat the move.

From where they were hiding, the group of four observed that, next to the instructor, on either side, stood two intimidating men. Xun Yu recognized them from the bar, when he was gathering information with Cheng Yu. The group obeyed the man's instructions and repeated the move without a single flaw in their form or execution. The man smirked, content with the group's performance, and permitted them to take a short break.

Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Sima Yi, and Xiahou Dun observed the village, watching where the disciples were going and checking to see if there were others lurking about. Xun Yu's eyes wandered to a man sitting on a porch that was approximately fifteen meters away; he was casually smoking a pipe. The vision of Mei Hua's mortified expression and her husband's indifference returned to his mind, and the man struck him as somewhat familiar. Xun Yu then felt a cold hand rest on his shoulder, and a raspy voice whispered next to his ear.