Post by Huang Zhong on Nov 4, 2009 6:50:42 GMT
The day was fair, clouds covering the sun in the sky. It was a blessing for the people of Wan this day, as well; they were hard at work this day. Huang Zhong, the new acting prefect of Wan, had decided that they needed to get to work right away on building a trade route between Xu Chang and Wan. With this new trade route, commerce would naturally spring up between the two prosperous cities. The people were actually happy to work; for many days now, they had been toiling away with smiles on their faces. Digging up dirt roads, putting up sign posts, and even building rest stops along the way, as well as other projects. All the while, the one hundred swordsmen and fifty bowmen assinged to the task of guard duty watched dutifully, with Huang Zhong both directing his men and the workers on foot.
The guards themselves were tense, on edge; rumors of bandit attacks were on the rise. Supposedly, there was one infamous group of bandits that had been plauging the roads around Wan these days, a dangerous group known as the Whirlwind Wolverines. Former mercenaries gone bad, these men were no mere thugs who simply pestered the weak; they were well trained fighters who even had the gall to attack military garrisons for loot and supplies. So far, Huang Zhong had seen nothing from this fearsome group, but both him and his men were on edge; they could strike at any time. They could only hope the road would be finished without disturbance; this day they were working on a bridge to connect the opposite sides of a river.
"Ok! time for a break, men!"
Huang Zhong watched as the workers began to sit down near the half finished bridge, preparing to eat the lunches they had all packed. Although nervous aboy bandits, to him, they seemed eager, willing to toil away. He could not help but smile; even in these times of war, people could find happiness. Hopefully, he could find a way to improve their lives even further by helping his lord unify this land. He walked amongst them and his soldiers, who nodded politely. He was painfully aware of his small numbers; he needed t leave defenses at the city. He could only hope they would be enough...
"Sir! Over the horizon! A cloud of dust!"
Faces turned as one of the bowmen pointed over the horizen, and indeed, a cloud of dust was moving toward them; it must have been at least 200 riders in number. Huang Zhong's sharp eyes gazed into the distance, and soon, he managed to spot them. Red clad riders, all with spears. At their head, one young man caught Huang Zhong's eye. His hair flew in the wind, his spear held firmly in his hands, and his eyes were like tiger's. Huang Zhong, despite his predicaments, somehow found himself looking forward to a clash.
"Form ranks! Surround the workers! Guard them with your lives!"
The paniced workers were quickly shoved together behind the soldiers, soon surrounded by swordsmen, their backs turned to the frightened men. Huang Zhong and his bowmen notched their arrows, and when the bandits approached, drew their bowstrings. However, just when the horses were to come into range, the raiders stopped....all but one. The fierce, long haired spearmen continued to charge forward. Huang Zhong lowered his bow, as did the others; it seemed this man had something other then plunder on his mind. Finally, he came within mere feet of the old general.
"....You must be Huang Zhong, slayer of Mi Zhang. Nothing personal, but I have come to collect your head!"
The soldiers were stunned. This man was here just for Huang Zhong? There could be only one explaination; he wanted fame and glory, to kill an able bodied general to make a name for himself. The old man himself actually laughed aloud.
"I like your spirit, boy! No ordinary bandit has the gall to challenge a warrior to a duel! What is your name?"
The young bandit dismounted from his horse, instantly taking a defensive stance with his spear. It was no ordinary soldier's spear; made of a strong, flexible metal capable of deflecting even swords, it's blade was sharp, and a red tassel adorned it's tip. No doubt a trophy from a fallen foe.
"I am Fei Wong, leader of the Whirlwind Wolverines! Prepare yourself!"
Fei Wong wasted no time; after his introduction, he stabbed his spear forward, almost catching Huang Zhong in the chest. But the old man was quick; he managed to side step the stab, drawing his sword as he did so. When he missed, Fei Wong tried a side sweep, to catch Huang Zhong in the side of the head. The old general managed to bring his sword up to block, only to have the bandit parry aiming for yet another slice, this time at the old man's throat. Huang Zhong leaned backwards, the blade skimming his beard hairs. He managed to back up and gain enough footing to take a defensive stance, by which time his foe had done the same. The two men stared each other down for quite some time, deadlocked. Both wore a smile on their faces; though one was a criminal and the other a general, both were of the seem violent breed.
Fei Wong was the first to break the dead lock. With a roar that could have belonged to a tiger, the young man charged forward, lunging at Huang Zhong with a two handed spear thrust, aiming right for his heart. Huang Zhog charged forward with his own battle cry, equal in ferocity. The old man managed to side step the thrust by inches, bring his sword up in a flash...and right up against Fei Wong's neck. The stunned young man did not move, but glared at his foe defiantly.
"....What are you waiting for? Kill me, old fool!"
To the amazement of all, Huang Zhong actually laughed aloud, slowly drawing his blade away from Fei Wong's neck, sheathing it without so much as a drop of bood staining his steel. Fei Wong was puzzled, lowering his spear.
"It would be a shame to kill you, Fei Wong. You have talent, but you are unrefined, in need of molding and shaping. And I can do it for you. You have lost your duel; you and your men are now soldiers of Wei! No arguements, and no shirking!"
Onlookers gazed on in disbelief, bandits and their leader included. Fei Wong suddenly burst out laughing; never in his life would he have expected such a turn of events. In truth, he was relieved at the offer; as a bandit, he lived in the wild and ate what he could find or hunt. As a soldier, perhaps he could do honest work.
"You amuse me, old man! Alright! Me and my men will follow you!"
This strange turn of events puzzled the workers and other soldiers, but they did not argue; so long as they were safe, with no casualties, they did not care what happened. They got back to work, and by the end of the day, the bridge had been completed, thus bringing an end to the work; workers from Xu Chang had also been working towards Wan, and when the two groups met, it meant the completion of the trade route. And so, Huang Zhong killed two birds with one stone; he recruited the gifted bandit raider Fei Wong and his group, and managed to finish a trade route that would bolster commerce between two cities.
The guards themselves were tense, on edge; rumors of bandit attacks were on the rise. Supposedly, there was one infamous group of bandits that had been plauging the roads around Wan these days, a dangerous group known as the Whirlwind Wolverines. Former mercenaries gone bad, these men were no mere thugs who simply pestered the weak; they were well trained fighters who even had the gall to attack military garrisons for loot and supplies. So far, Huang Zhong had seen nothing from this fearsome group, but both him and his men were on edge; they could strike at any time. They could only hope the road would be finished without disturbance; this day they were working on a bridge to connect the opposite sides of a river.
"Ok! time for a break, men!"
Huang Zhong watched as the workers began to sit down near the half finished bridge, preparing to eat the lunches they had all packed. Although nervous aboy bandits, to him, they seemed eager, willing to toil away. He could not help but smile; even in these times of war, people could find happiness. Hopefully, he could find a way to improve their lives even further by helping his lord unify this land. He walked amongst them and his soldiers, who nodded politely. He was painfully aware of his small numbers; he needed t leave defenses at the city. He could only hope they would be enough...
"Sir! Over the horizon! A cloud of dust!"
Faces turned as one of the bowmen pointed over the horizen, and indeed, a cloud of dust was moving toward them; it must have been at least 200 riders in number. Huang Zhong's sharp eyes gazed into the distance, and soon, he managed to spot them. Red clad riders, all with spears. At their head, one young man caught Huang Zhong's eye. His hair flew in the wind, his spear held firmly in his hands, and his eyes were like tiger's. Huang Zhong, despite his predicaments, somehow found himself looking forward to a clash.
"Form ranks! Surround the workers! Guard them with your lives!"
The paniced workers were quickly shoved together behind the soldiers, soon surrounded by swordsmen, their backs turned to the frightened men. Huang Zhong and his bowmen notched their arrows, and when the bandits approached, drew their bowstrings. However, just when the horses were to come into range, the raiders stopped....all but one. The fierce, long haired spearmen continued to charge forward. Huang Zhong lowered his bow, as did the others; it seemed this man had something other then plunder on his mind. Finally, he came within mere feet of the old general.
"....You must be Huang Zhong, slayer of Mi Zhang. Nothing personal, but I have come to collect your head!"
The soldiers were stunned. This man was here just for Huang Zhong? There could be only one explaination; he wanted fame and glory, to kill an able bodied general to make a name for himself. The old man himself actually laughed aloud.
"I like your spirit, boy! No ordinary bandit has the gall to challenge a warrior to a duel! What is your name?"
The young bandit dismounted from his horse, instantly taking a defensive stance with his spear. It was no ordinary soldier's spear; made of a strong, flexible metal capable of deflecting even swords, it's blade was sharp, and a red tassel adorned it's tip. No doubt a trophy from a fallen foe.
"I am Fei Wong, leader of the Whirlwind Wolverines! Prepare yourself!"
Fei Wong wasted no time; after his introduction, he stabbed his spear forward, almost catching Huang Zhong in the chest. But the old man was quick; he managed to side step the stab, drawing his sword as he did so. When he missed, Fei Wong tried a side sweep, to catch Huang Zhong in the side of the head. The old general managed to bring his sword up to block, only to have the bandit parry aiming for yet another slice, this time at the old man's throat. Huang Zhong leaned backwards, the blade skimming his beard hairs. He managed to back up and gain enough footing to take a defensive stance, by which time his foe had done the same. The two men stared each other down for quite some time, deadlocked. Both wore a smile on their faces; though one was a criminal and the other a general, both were of the seem violent breed.
Fei Wong was the first to break the dead lock. With a roar that could have belonged to a tiger, the young man charged forward, lunging at Huang Zhong with a two handed spear thrust, aiming right for his heart. Huang Zhog charged forward with his own battle cry, equal in ferocity. The old man managed to side step the thrust by inches, bring his sword up in a flash...and right up against Fei Wong's neck. The stunned young man did not move, but glared at his foe defiantly.
"....What are you waiting for? Kill me, old fool!"
To the amazement of all, Huang Zhong actually laughed aloud, slowly drawing his blade away from Fei Wong's neck, sheathing it without so much as a drop of bood staining his steel. Fei Wong was puzzled, lowering his spear.
"It would be a shame to kill you, Fei Wong. You have talent, but you are unrefined, in need of molding and shaping. And I can do it for you. You have lost your duel; you and your men are now soldiers of Wei! No arguements, and no shirking!"
Onlookers gazed on in disbelief, bandits and their leader included. Fei Wong suddenly burst out laughing; never in his life would he have expected such a turn of events. In truth, he was relieved at the offer; as a bandit, he lived in the wild and ate what he could find or hunt. As a soldier, perhaps he could do honest work.
"You amuse me, old man! Alright! Me and my men will follow you!"
This strange turn of events puzzled the workers and other soldiers, but they did not argue; so long as they were safe, with no casualties, they did not care what happened. They got back to work, and by the end of the day, the bridge had been completed, thus bringing an end to the work; workers from Xu Chang had also been working towards Wan, and when the two groups met, it meant the completion of the trade route. And so, Huang Zhong killed two birds with one stone; he recruited the gifted bandit raider Fei Wong and his group, and managed to finish a trade route that would bolster commerce between two cities.
