Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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He then rubbed his temples and from there his tone shifted, low and firm. ”I’ll give you my permission, Zhao Yun. But understand this: if you ever hurt her, physically, emotionally, or otherwise, if you lay a single unwanted hand on her, if you make her shed a tear for the wrong reasons...”

He stepped forward, eyes hard as iron. ”Then I, Ma Tie, Ma Dai, and Ma Xiu will come for you. There won’t be a single mountain or fortress in this land that can hide you.”

Zhao Yun did not flinch. He met Ma Chao’s gaze with unwavering determination. ”You have my word, Lord Ma Chao. I will honor her as I would my own family. I will never bring shame to her name or yours.”

There was a long silence between them. Eventually, Ma Chao gave a single nod. ”Good,” he said. ”Then you’ll have your chance. Just know, this family doesn’t forgive betrayal.”

Zhao Yun bowed once more. ”Nor do I.”

With that, Ma Chao turned and entered the Ma residence, leaving Zhao Yun to return to his duties.

Inside, Ma Yunlu was waiting.

She stood in the courtyard, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently. The moment Ma Chao stepped through the gate, she pounced.

”Well? What did you say to him?”

Ma Chao raised an eyebrow. ”I gave him my permission.”

Ma Yunlu’s eyes widened. ”You—wait, really?”

”Yes, really.” He sighed. ”But if he steps out of line—”

”Oh, please,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. ”As if I need you to defend me, eldest brother. I could break him in half if I wanted to.”

Ma Chao couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. ”We both know that wasn’t true, but that’s my sister I know.”

She grinned, then, after a moment, her expression softened. ”...Thank you, eldest .brother.”

He reached out, ruffling her hair, just like he used to when they were children. ”Just be careful, alright?”

She swatted his hand away, but there was no real heat in it. ”I’m always careful.”

Ma Chao snorted. ”That’s a big lie and we both know it.”

She stuck her tongue out at him before turning to leave, her steps lighter than they’d been in months.

Ma Chao watched her go, a strange mix of emotions swirling in his chest.

Protectiveness. Resignation. And, perhaps, a flicker of hope.

After that, he made his way to the back garden, where the koi pond glimmered under the sun.

He sat on a stone bench, the silence broken only by the occasional splash of a fish breaching the surface.

Lie Fan’s offer. Yunlu and Zhao Yun. The Ma Clan’s future.

So much was changing. Too fast.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, gazing at his reflection in the water. He saw not just a warrior anymore, but a man who had to decide the course of his people, his family, and his own path. Pride had always driven him, but pride alone wouldn’t protect them forever.

His father, Ma Teng, had once said to him: ”Strength without wisdom is a sword without a hilt.” Maybe now he was beginning to understand those words.

Night began to fall. Lamps were lit one by one across the compound. Somewhere inside, his brothers were calling for supper and he stood up to join in.

Later that evening after supper, Ma Chao gathered his brothers and cousin, Ma Tie, Ma Xiu, and Ma Dai, in the main hall. The elders and Ma Yunlu had retired for the night, leaving the four of them alone with their thoughts.

”Lie Fan offered us a place in his court,” Ma Chao said without preamble. ”Not as guests. But as his retainers.”

Silence followed.

Then Ma Xiu spoke. ”And what did you say in response, elder brother?”

”That I needed time to decide, it can’t a small decision to make.”

Ma Tie leaned forward, his expression serious. ”Do we have a choice?”

Ma Chao didn’t answer immediately. He looked at each of them in turn, his brothers, his blood, the last remnants of the Ma Clan’s future.

”We could leave,” he said at last. ”Head further west, beyond the Qiang lands, beyond the deserts. Start anew somewhere far from here.”

”And do what to survive on our way there, cousin?” Ma Dai asked quietly. ”Become mercenaries? Bandits? Brigands?”

Ma Chao’s jaw tightened. ”If that’s what it takes to survive.”

Another silence.

Then Ma Xiu sighed. ”Elder brother... Lie Fan may be calculating, but he’s not cruel. He’s given us shelter, protection. And if what you say is true, he’s offering us a chance to rebuild our name, not as fugitives, but as warriors.”

Ma Tie nodded. ”I’d rather fight under a banner than starve in the wilderness. And unlike Cao Cao, Lie Fan is a man of honor and also judging from how his generals and advisors are so loyal to him, treat his retainers full of trust, even if they are his enemies before becoming his retainers.”

Ma Dai, hearing that, added, ”And Yunlu seems... happy here.”

That, more than anything, gave Ma Chao pause. And this pause was like a consensus, in which everyone knew that Ma Chao had reach some kind of decision. A decision that the three off them understand.

Ma Tie at this time voice out a concern he had, ”What if the elders disagree with this decision, elder brother?”

Ma Chao hearing that was silent for a while, the question from Ma Tie weighing heavy on his chest like armor before battle. He lowered his eyes to the flickering oil lamp in the hall, watching the flame dance in the quiet tension. Finally, he let out a long, weary sigh.

”We will respect the elders,” he said at last, voice low, but steady. ”But their time has passed.”

His brothers looked at him, surprised not by the words, but by the finality in his tone.

”They’re too stubborn. Too steeped in the old ways. Too blind to see that those old paths are gone.” He raised his eyes again, meeting each of theirs in turn. ”They won’t bend. Even if the cliff’s edge is in front of them, they’ll keep walking straight ahead, chanting the rites of our ancestors, and take the whole clan down with them.”

He stood, pacing slowly. The silence of the hall seemed to give weight to every word.

”I’ve watched them cling to their pride like it’s all we have left, and maybe in a way, they’re right. Pride is all that’s sustained us after Father died, after our credibility was dragged through mud by Cao Cao who suppress us when we become his retainer. But pride alone won’t feed our people. Won’t protect Yunlu. Won’t give the next generation of our clan a future.”

Ma Tie nodded slowly. ”Then we walk a new path.”

Ma Dai clenched his fist on the table. ”The elders will disagree. But... they’ve lost the right to decide.”

Ma Xiu leaned forward. ”The clan follows us now. You, elder brother. The warriors. The households. The hearts of our people are already with us. Not them.”

Ma Chao stopped pacing, looking toward the door as if expecting someone to challenge his claim. When no one came, he exhaled deeply.

”Then tomorrow,” he said again, voice firmer, ”I’ll give Lie Fan our answer.”

The sun rose quietly the next morning, casting golden light across the tiled roofs of Xiapi. In the heart of the city, within the Palace’s west wing, Lie Fan sat alone in his study.

The large room was filled with scrolls and tomes, the windows open to let in the morning breeze. On the wide desk before him lay the Book of Knowledge, the book filled with knowledge of both past, future, and presnwt about technologies and many more, which only he could access, stored within his system inventory.

He flipped through its delicate pages with quiet intensity, eyes scanning diagrams and annotated designs of early steam mechanisms, rudimentary piston systems, pressure gauges, and schematics for boilers. Concepts foreign to this era, yet tantalizingly close.

He traced one sketch with his finger, the cross section of a rail driven machine. A primitive train, one that could, if luck and innovation favored him, run on tracks before the twilight of his life.

But it wasn’t just the dream of locomotion that held his interest. He turned the page, revealing designs for matchlock firearms, the precursor to gunpowder weapons. Crude, dangerous, but revolutionary.

Lie Fan’s mind spun with possibilities. These inventions could shift the balance of power dramatically. Not just for China itself, but for the entire world.

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft knock of a page at the door. He closed the book and returned it to his inventory with a mental command. A flicker of golden light shimmered before it vanished.

”Come in,” he called.

The door opened and the page stepped in, bowing slightly.

”My Lord, Lord Ma Chao is here to see you.”

Lie Fan blinked, surprised. ”Ma Chao? So soon?”

”Yes, my Lord.”

Lie Fan straightened. ”Send him in.”

The page bowed again and left. Moments later, Ma Chao entered, armor polished but informal, his face calm yet resolute. He bowed respectfully.

”Lord Lie Fan.”

Lie Fan stood and gestured toward the seating cushions. ”Lord Ma Chao, please. Sit.”

Ma Chao nodded, taking the offered seat. Lie Fan poured a fresh cup of tea, placing it before him.

”Thank you,” Ma Chao said, taking the cup in one hand and downing it in a single, deliberate motion.

Lie Fan raised an eyebrow, amused. ”Drinking that fast makes it seem like you’re here to deliver an execution notice. You’ve made up your mind already?”

Ma Chao exhaled through his nose, setting the cup down. ”I have.”

Lie Fan leaned back slightly, folding his hands in his lap. ”That was quick. Are you sure you’ve weighed it thoroughly? A decision like this shapes the future of your entire clan.”

”I’ve weighed it,” Ma Chao said firmly. ”Last night, I spoke with Ma Tie, Ma Dai, and Ma Xiu. The men I trust most, my brothers and my cousin. They share my vision. We’ve chosen the path with the best chance for survival.”

Lie Fan tilted his head, regarding him quietly for a moment. Then he asked, ”And the elders? Did they agree?”

Ma Chao’s lips curled into a half smile that was wry, knowing. ”While I respect them, Lord Lie Fan, they no longer share our vision. Their days of leadership are behind them.”

Lie Fan chuckled softly, raising his cup. ”Ah... I see. Then I’m guessing your answer is one I’ll like.”

Ma Chao sat straighter. ”We accept your offer, Lord Lie Fan. The Ma Clan will pledge its allegiance and service to you. I, Ma Chao, will swear fealty to your banner and fight under your command as long as you treat me and my clan elright.” A pause followed, heavy with significance. Lie Fan placed his cup down with a quiet clink.

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains

Age: 34 (201 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 1325

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,121,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 951 (+20)

VIT: 613 (+20)

AGI: 598 (+10)

INT: 617

CHR: 96

WIS: 519

WILL: 407

ATR Points: 0