chapter 15

chapter 15 A Shot That Shook the City

[?]: Diao Chan, why are you… like this?

[?]: Because I’m the most extraordinary “woman” you’ve met.

[?]: Chancellor Dong, getting a hold of me might not be a good thing!

[?]: So what’re you going to do?

Damn you!

{sfx: pong~}

{Dong Zhuo}
{sfx: hoo~}

[Dong Zhuo]: That was unexpected!

{Diao Chan}
[Meng]: If you dare barge in here again, this pin will go through.

[M]: Take care, Chancellor.
(“…won’t see you off”)

[?]: Please calm down, my Lord. I’ll think of something!
[?]: There’s a chill. Please put on some cloths.

[DZ]: No, I like this feeling…

What?
[DZ]: The harder something is to obtain, the more I want to fight for it.

[DZ]: I can feel that fire of youth burning within my body!

And youth makes you unafraid to do anything.

{Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie}

[?]: Hurry! Ten chests left! Your heads will roll if you miss one!

[?]: Prince Chenliu… No! Your Majesty!
{dethroned Emperor Shao, Liu Bian}

Hmph!

[DZ]: Your brother has packed up his toys for the move to Changan.

[DZ]: A child is just a child.

[Liu Xie]: The country was ruled by an immature child. No wonder it fell.

[DZ]: You’re a child too!

[LX]: And here are my toys!

Are those…

keys?

[LX]: Yuan Shao’s Guandong Army might promote my cousin to the throne.
[LX]: This threatens my rule. We need a strong foundation in order to succeed!

[LX]: We have funding that’ll last three hundred years! Why don’t we bring it with us instead of losing it to others?

Do you dare
to take my toy?

In year 190, during Dong Zhuo’s relocation of the capital to Changan,
he ordered Lü Bu to empty the Imperial tombs of the Han Emperors and those of the ranks below the ministers.

{sfx: ka}

{sfx: hoo~}

[M]: A message for you, brother Huo.

{sfx: shoo~}

[?]: Guandong Army’s insider Yuan Tai was killed, so the jail-break operation will not happen tomorrow. Our people are looking into the aftermath.
[?]: The priority now is to find out the moving date and the officer guarding the gate. You all can proceed as planned once we have those details.
{banner displays a brand: tower of spring breeze and complacency}
{sign reads: hall of clear wind}
[?]: Let me restate the plan. The hostages will be placed at the rear to act as shields.

[?]: If nothing goes awry, the hostages will be gathered at the west gate for the move. We’ll set our ambush in the narrow seventh alley. Residents would be herded to the east gate to block the Guandong army from a surprise attack.

[?]: Once our First Master is secured, you’ll take him to the east gate and join the escaping crowd.
[?]: Payment of five hundred each for a job well done. Any questions?

[?]: Five hundred is plenty to die for!

[Liaoyuan Huo]: Good.
{Liaoyuan Huo}
{Zhang Lei}
[LYH]: Chief Ma, you have doubts?

[Ma]: Lü Bu has been fixated on avenging Xu Lin, so he’ll be aiming for you this time…
[M]: He’ll send a lot of men to surround us. How do we break through?

[LYH]: That’s why I’m the bait to lure him away. You should be able to handle the rest.

[M]: So his hatred for you will pull his army away from us.

[M]: I have no more doubts.

[LYH]: How about you, Deputy Chief Wang?

[Wang]: Who knew the new leader would be so young…
(“…crippled soldier…”)

[W]: I don’t know how strong you are, but your opponent Lü Bu is the so called “God of War”.

[W]: Wearing the eye-patch of the former leader doesn’t make you as skilled as him.

[LYH]: You have no faith in me?

[W]: We serve the Sima clan, but on the condition that our brothers are kept safe!

[W]: Everything’s changed. Both of our groups, we used to only serve as guards for the Sima clan,
[W]: now the stakes are raised, challenging warlords and against Dong Zhuo of all people…

[W]: The former leader was never this arrogant either. How can we put faith in a squirt like you!
[M]: Shut up! Wang Gang!

{sfx: cha~}

{sfx: cha~}

[M]: As… assassin! Brother Liaoyuan has been shot!
{gasp~}

[?]: It… it came from the Imperial Palace!
[?]: I can’t see anyone!
[?]: Who has such archery skill?

[?]: It’s over. Is that boy dead?
[?]: Help the Chief escape!

[Zhang Lei]: Quiet!

[ZL]: Quiet!

[LYH]: Message received. They’re moving the day after tomorrow!

[LYH]: The guard on duty will be General Yang Qin.

[LYH]: Get going!

[M]: Right. Hear that? Start the drill!
[M]: Yang Qin’s younger brother is in Luoyang too. Start with him!

[LYH]: What were you saying, Wang Gang?

Ah!

[WG]: Haha, I was just saying heroes are made of youngsters… hahaha…

[LYH]: Xiao Meng’s archery skill is getting stronger.

[ZL]: His situation… is also getting more dangerous…

[ZL]: Will you have to save him this time?

[ZL]: Or… the other way around?

[?]: Indeed,
(“indeed not here wrong”)

[?]: you are my favorite type…

[?]: I’ll enjoy you on behalf of my uncle tonight!