This fic is my newest project, yet I find myself unable to update Blazing a Trail as fast as I anticipated, so here's chapter two while I work on finishing up my old project.

Chapter 2: Secluded Genius

Han was crumbling.

Because of this, many talented people who could make a difference found their paths blocked by mounds of rubble.

Dong Zhuo screwed the nation, to put it bluntly. He killed many a fine, moral man and raped many an honorable lady. He completely disrupted the Han imperial court, forcing those loyal officials who wanted to stay alive in hope of better days to flee, while a few more brave (or more likely foolish) officials stayed and were slain.

Men like Sima Yi hid in the shadows. It would be a fool’s move to take Li Ru’s path and serve such a pathetic man, yet it would also be pointless to cock the knee to a pathetic lord. Men like Zhou Yu had already found whom they were meant to serve, and to be honest several strategists wished they had such luck.

Several of the brighter boys of the bunch decided to hang around with Sima Hui, the man known as ‘Water Mirror’ among the locals of Xiang Yang.

Two of these men were the Sleeping Dragon and White Eyebrows, Zhuge Kongming and Ma Jiechang (Baimei). (1.)

But though Water Mirror had a reputation for being a peaceful man, the meetings in his home weren’t always so.

“And I’m telling you that you’re just going to end up an unemployed bum who begs for coins on the streets if you insist on your stupid poetry! Who the hell reads poems anyway, for heaven’s sake? A man who truly knows what to do in life would try to prove himself on the battlefield, or settle some problem the mayor is having. Xiangyang’s a major city, and if you can help clear up some of the mayor’s headaches, then a bright future is guaranteed. Pah, you call yourself a scholar, when you’re really just an idiot.” Yin Mo scoffed at his opponent, Xu Shu.

Xu Shu laughed and waved his hand. “To that I reply: Why the hell are you here in the first place? Aren’t you underperforming beyond what is humanely possible? Close your wide mouth for once and let your skull get a bit thinner. With Dong Zhuo in charge any attempt to get a post would only make everyone hate you, and sooner or later when the various lords get together to kill Dong Zhuo, you’ll be collateral damage… At least that’s what you’ll want to think. Everyone else will consider you a traitor to the Han who deserved to die.”

Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong exchanged amused glances. There really was no point in getting involved in such a stupid conversation. Ma Liang simply watched with a smile, as did Meng Gongwei and Shi Guangyuan. Everyone knew that Xu Shu had the right idea and that Yin Mo was reaching for the moon when he couldn’t even touch a tree branch.

Yang Yi and Xiang Lang, two of the younger members of Sima Hui’s club, started to talk in Yin Mo’s defense. Xiang Lang started first. “Isn’t it right for scholars to want to do whatever they can to help their nation and maintain order? Lord Dong Zhuo might not be following the correct path, but who can say if it’s not Li Ru’s inability to give him decent advice with which he can maintain order.”

At that point Pang Tong had to say something. “If that’s really the case, than Dong Zhuo’s even more of an idiot than Yuan Shao. No, even worse, he’s still evil for being willing to do those deeds. A man who can’t make simple administrative decisions for himself is a man who’s got to be one of the most incompetent, arrogant bastards alive if he thinks he can rule this land. I would give a standing ovation to the person who manages to cap that bastard.”

“I object!” Yang Yi stood up.

Xu Shu and Pang Tong stared at the shorter man. “Eh?” Xu Shu blinked while Pang Tong just smirked.

“Dong Zhuo is Prime Minister. If you’re so willing to see him dead then you must have no sense. He’s the guy in charge, and he has Lu Bu on his side. Lu Bu could easily throw an elephant at someone as an attack if he wanted to. When you want to reach higher places, you have to use the shoulders of your higher ups as a way to get ahead. People like you, who are stuck with your stupid ideals of politics, have no idea how the real world works.” Yang Yi stroked his chin.

Xu Shu stepped to the side and pointed his hands at the door with a bow. (2.) “Be my guest, oh wise one. Show us fools the way to glory.”

“Are you mocking me? You son of a…” Yang Yi raised his fist.

“Enough! These are debates, not personal attacks. This is a scholarly meeting, not a bar brawl.” Sima Hui spoke with a stroke of his beard.

Yang Yi and Pang Tong grumbled and sat down. Xiang Lang and Yin Mo glared at Xu Shu, who narrowed his eyes in kind. Yang Yi and Pang Tong began to slowly rise out of their chairs, and Sima Hui slowly backed off towards the wall of his cottage.

Shi Guangyuan whispered to Zhuge Liang and Ma Liang. “I think we’ll be seeing a catfight pretty soon.”

Kongming chuckled. “Fifty coins on Xiang Lang.”

Ma Liang’s eyes widened. “You’re joking, I should hope. Xiang Lang’s too scrawny to last against Pang Tong. Sixty coins on Shiyuan.”

Meng Gongwei nodded. “I second that… No, Yuanzhi. He was a swordsman, after all. I call.” (3.)

Shi Guangyuan stared at his money bag. “Guess I’m dirt poor. Five coins on Yang Yi.”

The other three stared at him.

“What? We have to have equal opportunity.” Shi Guangyuan smirked.

They all chuckled. “So much for equality.” Kongming commented as Xu Shu and Xiang Lang charged at each other.

---

The battle was over, and Sima Hui mourned for his hapless cottage. Much of the rear wall had collapsed from the fighting, which had become an all out brawl.

Meng Gongwei found himself one hundred and fifteen coins richer as his three friends paid up. Xu Shu, having grabbed one of Sima Hui’s pointing sticks, had successfully tripped his own “ally,” Pang Tong, and had whacked the other two scholars out of commission. Xiang Lang had a better build than Xu Shu, that much was true, but Yuanzhi knew how to outflank his foe and smack him till he cringed. Yang Yi simply suffered a punch to the face by Pang Tong early on and remained unconscious the whole time.

From a distance Cui Zhouping strolled up to the cottage. He shook his head when he found it in ruins, and walked over to where Ma Liang, Kongming, and Shi Guangyuan were moping over their loss of coins.

“What did I miss?” He asked.

“Quite a bit. Pang Tong and Xu Shu got into a fight with Yin Mo, Xiang Lang, and Yang Yi. Xu Shu betrayed Shiyuan and came out victorious, while the others are either out cold or resting. Teacher’s not amused, as you can imagine.” Ma Liang sighed.

“Heh. Third time this week. I wonder how long it takes before teacher will finally give up and send us all packing.” Cui Zhouping chuckled.

“Awww. Don’t say that. After all, watching Pang Tong and Xu Shu pummel the other three every time gives one of us a chance to get some cash for once.” Shi Guanyuan crossed his arms.

“You only say that because you spend most of your cash as soon as possible.” Ma Liang laughed.

“Exactly! What’s the point of keeping money around when you’re not going to use it?”

“To buy a house, maybe?” Kongming shook his head.

“Hey! Living in a cave isn’t that bad. It’s nice and cool in the summer.”

“And freezing in the winter.”

“Yeah, but you can build a fire.”

“That gets put out by groundwater.”

“And, um, you get to yell and have your voice echo and such.”

“Which scares all the bats and they come flying into your face.”

“Shut up! Caves are awesome and that’s final!” Shi Guangyuan snarled.

Zhuge Liang laughed. “I win. Period.”

---

But slowly the years went by. Dong Zhuo was dethroned, and Cao Cao took his place. Yuan Shao was destroyed, and a man named Liu Bei fled to Xin Ye, a small town just north of Baimei’s hometown.

Xu Shu had spotted Liu Bei first, and had offered his services to the man for a short time. Apparently, he found this Liu Xuande worthy enough for Kongming, so he referred Zhuge Liang to him. Kongming, realizing that Liu Bei had a lack of strategists, dragged Yin Mo along to help him, leaving the rest of his friends to watch as Liu Biao slowly weakened and as Cao Cao slowly advanced upon them.

But then Liu Bei was driven out of Xin Ye, and fled to Jiangxia, hoping that Wu would help him.

Zhuge Liang went to Wu, and Pang Tong, a native of Wu province, decided to go see how he was doing.

Ma Liang, knowing that staying in Xiang Yang might end up with him being captured by Cao Cao, decided to tag along.

---

1. Zhuge Liang’s style name, Kongming, literally translates to Sleeping Dragon. As for Ma Liang, his nickname, Baimei, literally translates to White Eyebrows, hence this line. I will use these literal translations of their “nicknames” often.

2. He’s giving a bow and pointing his hands and arms at the door like a person who’s displaying his/her masterpiece… Both palms are up. I wish I could input pictures into fics for descriptions like these…

3. Shiyuan is Pang Tong’s style name, and Yuanzhi is Xu Shu’s style name. In poker, when you “call,” you place the same amount of money as the bet that was placed before you, and you stay in the game (unless that amount was all or more than the money you had left and you lose the round.)