Guan Yu’s Escape from Wu
Three Kingdoms Fan-fiction by Cody Combs
The Mighty Warrior, Guan Yu could only watch as his brave and dignified son, Guan Ping was put to death. With his hands bound, there was little more he could do than weep for his fallen general and son. He turned his head in disgust after watching the blade fall, shedding a tear in the process. He mumbled a few curses at Sun Quan, the leader of Wu, who had ordered these executions. He swore his revenge on Sun Quan and to anyone who would stand in his way but his immediate problem would be getting out of the ropes that stayed his battle-ready hands.
It was then that destiny smiled upon him, coming in the form of the sun’s reflection onto his face from a misplaced sword, left in the corner. Seeing as how the guards were busy removing the corpse of his son, taking his head so that they could prove their might to the other armies, Yu decided to make his move. He stepped slowly and quietly away from the guards, backing himself to that very corner. Once there, he leaned against the wall to make it seem like he was doing nothing, though the guards were too caught up in their bloodlust to really have noticed anyway. He slid his hands against the blade, the rope slowly but surely coming loose. Once his ropes were cut, he turned and took up the blade that had freed him. The great Guan Yu gave a mighty shout, “Oh careless men! You have slain my son and for that, I will slay you!” The guards of course knew how mighty Guan Yu, they had seen him battle and they saw many comrades fall before him and the Green Dragon Saber. Luckily, that weapon had been taken from him and given to Pan Zhang as reward for the capture of Yu and Ping. Fear filled the eyes of most of those who stood before Guan Yu now, and few were brave enough to take their swords out against him. The rage flew in those phoenix eyes and he made his charge. He made a few slashes with the sword, hitting one or two of the soldiers that were there. Some of them had run, but most of them stayed thinking that eight against one would be an easy battle. They had not counted on the rage of a father who had lost a child though, a thrust and a soldier fell dead, a few sweeps and it looked as if the blood spurted up from a fountain. It was only a short time before those eight men lie dead; their stupidity had gotten them killed. Placing the sword in his belt, he went over to where the headless corpse of his son lay, the blood still very much warm. Guan Yu placed his hand over his son’s now lifeless heart and he whispered his good-bye and promised him that he did not die in vain.
He took up his blade once again and moved into the castle, finding it mostly empty. There was the occasional soldier but the ones that didn’t run immediately were cut down immediately. He then saw Pan Zhang rushing at him, carrying none other than that Green Dragon Saber itself! His silkworm eyebrows rose at the nerve of Zhang who planned to use Guan Yu’s own weapon against him! Zhang barked out, “I have seen many men die by this saber, and now, you shall be its final victim!” Guan Yu would only laugh at his threat and reply, “You are mistaken rat! You have done little more than bring my weapon back to me.” Pan Zhang then gave an overhead slash with the saber, but with it weighing as much as it did, it crashed into the floor, and there it stuck. Guan Yu said nothing of that matter; he only gave a hard slash with the sword and watched as Pan Zhang’s head and shoulder slid from the rest of the body.
Guan Yu now took up his weapon and as his hand clasped the steel, it felt as if a new power raged through him and he had strength and will that would not be defeated. He raised the mighty Green Dragon Saber to the air and those who saw the awesome sight cowered in fear and they retreated quickly. Now Guan Yu would avenge his son with the life of the very man who had ended it, Sun Quan. He pressed past the heavy doors of the throne room, only to find that Quan had expected him. Sun Quan stood, armed with a sword and about a score of soldiers. Quan gave a low mocking laughter as he taunted the great warrior, “You have come to slay me, you say? I will have nothing of the sort, I am Sun Quan, descendant of none other than Sun Tzu! It is I who will slay you!” For this, Guan Yu said, “Oh purple bearded rat! Do you truly believe that I will fall by your blade? Do you not know of me or my deeds?” Yu then made a blind charge only to first have to fight the soldiers who stood before him. Weapons clanged and shouts were shared as the battle ensued. Guan Yu refused to back down but so did the soldiers. With such great odds against him, Guan Yu was soon backed into a corner. He still fought on, though it was beginning to show that he would lose this fight, with the countless scores of reinforcements. It was then that fate smiled upon him the second time this day. A might shout was heard and as the soldiers turned, they would see none other than Guan Yu’s sworn brothers, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei burst through the doors and into the room with hundreds of Shu soldiers. Guan Yu cried out, “My brothers! Surely I am saved!” The Wu army began to surrender after seeing that the countless numbers in the Shu forces surrounded them. Guan Yu rose up and bowed deeply before his brothers saying, “I thank you for coming to my aid, now I shall finish this and avenge my son.” The two brothers gave a nod and watched as Guan Yu approached the captured Sun Quan. Sun Quan f ell to his knees and began to beg for his life but it would have little effect. “Oh weak King, where was your leniency when my eldest child begged for his life? What makes your life any more than his?” Sun Quan snarled in anger and taking a hidden knife from his sleeve, lunged at Guan Yu. Yu was ready though and with a quick swing of his saber, Quan lie in two halves on the floor. He pulled in a deep breath and then went to join his brothers who had recovered Red Hare for him. The three brothers then rode from the kingdom of Wu together, vengeance having been done. The end.
Copyright © 2004 Cody Combs