The Mountain behind the Mountain

The days pass and Yun made his troops fight against each other as a practice that would be seen from Qiao to not get the city's suspicion on why they were there in the first place.

Cao Cao was curious to see how Yun's troops fight so he sat down beside him while looking at the practice battle.

They were using the blunt side of their weapons and Cao Cao was seeing why Yun's army was feared as the first line didn't break down on either side.

Xun Yu was looking at something else at the moment which was the strategists that were leading each side. Sima Yi was with Huang Xu while Guo Jia was with Hua at the moment.

But Yun wasn't looking at the battle nor did Dian Wei, Taishi Ci, and Pang Tong who saw dust rise from the east making Yun say, "It seems the Vanguard has returned."

Cao Cao looked at him confused before he saw the dust rise in the east which only a large group of people can produce and smirked that they made it back.

"Ci, go and get Cao Cao as well as Xun Yu to them," says Yun to Taishi Ci before he turns to Cao Cao and continues, "I will be staying here for two more weeks before returning to Xuchang to report about our training before returning to Puyang."

"Yes, we still need to keep our appearance after all. You can't move that early since it would be suspicious. I will await you in Xuchang," says Cao Cao to Yun before standing up.

"I hope your return home is less adventurous than before," says Yun to Cao Cao not standing up as he went back to spectating the battle before him.

"I hope so too," says Cao Cao before leaving Yun's side.

Cao Cao leaves with Xun Yu as Taishi Ci rode out with ten of his men to get Cao Cao safely to the Vanguard. They arrived at the path that Vanguard was using to get to Qiao. Now they only had to wait for them to arrive.

In the meantime, the Vanguard led by Cao Ren could see that northwest of them was a military camp. He didn't know who it was but he could see blue flags waving which told him that it is an ally.

"Who do you think is the person on the hill over there?" asks Xiahou Yuan curious about who was holding practice battles in plain sight.

Normally they would be made where nobody could see them so no spy could reveal their formations and strategies before an actual battle.

"It is either a fool or someone who is immensely strong and isn't afraid of his enemy seeing his practice," says Xu Chu seriously as they all suddenly had only one man in their mind.

"Zhao Yun," says Cao Ren what everyone was thinking when they see eleven horses and twelve men blocking their advance.

The group thought for a moment that they were some crazy bandits until they saw two blue banners with the Zhao name on them making it clear to them that they were Yun's men.

Taishi Ci approaches the vanguard before stopping and saying, "I have brought to you your Lord as my Lord commanded me. From now on he is your responsibility and under your protection since we will be staying a bit longer to keep appearances."

"Cao Cao is here," says Cao Ren surprised not recognizing his cousin since Cao Cao was being protected by Taishi Ci's men just in case the vanguard had some foolish thought of killing Cao Cao and giving his Lord the fault for it.

"He with my men. I had to make sure that you aren't someone that would kill him to gain more power," says Taishi Ci as he infuriated the Generals for even saying that.

"What I am only saying is the truth as it was written before that brothers killed each other for power. I have to be suspicious so my Lord doesn't get dragged into a battle that he didn't even commence," says Taishi Ci saying his reason for suspicion of the vanguard which was still angry but could understand his suspicion of them.

"I am Xu Chu, Cao Cao's Personal Guardian. I w-," says Xu Chu when Taishi Ci looked at Xu Chu in disgust.

"If you were really his personal guardian you would have stuck to his side as Dian Wei does with my Lord. He never leaves his side even when my Lord becomes reckless and charges the enemy alone," says Taishi Ci making Xu Chu feel a bit guilty for leaving his Lord's side.

"Hey he did his best to secure our Lord's retreat while you were relaxing in Xuchang," says Cao Ren defending Xu Chu's honor as Cao Cao's Guardian.

"What does it help if he leaves his Lord alone to run into some bandits after his successful retreat?" asks Taishi Ci at Cao Ren shutting him up.

Taishi Ci sighs before turning his horse around and saying, "What will happen the next time when my Lord isn't around to help you and your Lord gets captured by the enemy. Think about that and reflect on your mistakes."

Taishi Ci then returns to his men when Cao Cao sees that the morale of his army dropped after Taishi Ci's return when he asks, "What have you done to them?"

"What was necessary to wake them up from their dream and bring them back to reality. Yun might have used his shield to bash them out of their daydreaming as he did with all of his men," says Taishi Ci before turning around looking at the force.

"They might be like this now but what I gave them was a new goal like Yun gave me once I thought that I have reached the tip he showed me that I might have reached the tip of the mountain but behind that mounting was a bigger mountain to climb.

They stagnated after climbing the first mountain thinking that there is nothing before them while people like Zhao Hua and Lu Bu have seen that the mountain they climbed was just the beginning of their journey to catch up," says Taishi Ci as he turned back to Cao Cao.

"And what would be on top of the mountain you are talking about? I don't think it is your Lord, General Zhao," says Cao Cao curious to find out as Taishi Ci only smiles.

"Even my Lord is climbing that mountain and like many has he risen only to fall and catch himself again to climb the said mountain," says Taishi Ci as he himself was climbing the said mountain at the moment feeling the harsh time before him to catch up to Hua, Lu Bu, and his Lord.

"And what is at the top of that mountain?" asks Cao Cao now invested in this matter seeing a chance in recruiting a person stronger than Yun.

"The Heavens stand on top of the mountain waiting for the worthy to join it after proving their strength to it," says Taishi Ci repeating the words Yun used when he told him.

"So you are chasing after some fable," says Cao Cao now disappointed while Taishi Ci only laughs at that since he knew that it really existed since his Lord was the Godson of an Immortal.

Cao Cao was confused with Taishi Ci laughing at his comment when he hears Taishi Ci say, "Maybe you are right and we are only chasing some fable but what if we are right and the Heaven awaits us to rise. There is only one way to find out and that is to reach the top of that mountain finding out by yourself."

"I should leave since my Lord must be waiting for me," says Taishi Ci as he and his men retreat leaving Cao Cao and Xun Yu behind.

Cao Cao was approached by the vanguard once Cao Cao was reunited with his men Xu Chu dropped from his horse and kneeled before Cao Cao surprising everyone.

"It won't happen again. I won't leave your side ever again until my death," says Xu Chu seriously as his Qi surged through his determination.

'Was that what he meant?' asks Cao Cao himself in his mind before looking at Xu Chu seriously and saying, "I await great things from you."

Then he turns to the others and says, "From all of you."

"My Lord!" shouts everyone before kneeling down before him.

Cao Cao mounted his horse and says, "Let us return home and hold a feast to celebrate our survival."

The men shouted in agreement as they stood up again to follow their Lord towards Qiao. Taishi Ci on the other hand returned to the camp on the hill.

He reached Yun's side when he hears, "Have you told them?"

"I have as you commanded," says Taishi Ci as he looked at Yun before asking, "But why tell them if they could become our enemy later on?"

"Where would be the fun in killing a lamb when you are an apex predator. It would be boring if Cao Cao's general stay stagnated like this and it would become dangerous since the Xiongnu have experts as well," says Yun as he wanted to help Cao Cao's men for his own benefit to have stronger opponents to fight later on.

"Xiongnu are behind the wall. The last time we heard of them was when Gongsun Zan fought against them at the border of the You Province," says Dian Wei thinking that the Xiongnu weren't a danger at the moment.

"You are right, but that doesn't mean that they won't regroup and strike again once Gongsun Zan is dead," says Yun spelling a truth that hit the people listening to Yun which was Dian Wei, Pang Tong, and Tang Shi as well as Taishi Ci.

"So they will attack again after recuperating their strength. It would take at least three to four more years before that happens," says Pang Tong calculating everything in his head.

"Pretty much but we have another bigger problem coming from the west," says Yun making everyone look at him confused.

"Dong Zhuo is dead," says Tang Shi as Yun nods.

"Yes, but the hyenas are only eating on bones now and the young Emperor will try to escape knowing that they are weak," says Yun as the group was surprised since the Emperor was more like a puppet instead of an Emperor at the moment.

"He will be going to Luoyang before Cao Cao takes him to Xuchang giving him a reason and legitimacy over the Sili Province which he will be rebuilding for the Young Emperor to tie him down to himself," says Yun as they all got angry.

"Traitorous Bastard," say the four at the same time when Yun smirks since he was thinking about their next objective which lies in the east.