Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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That very afternoon, Lie Fan found himself enjoying a rare moment of solitude, reviewing reports from Xu Kai’s operations and evaluating troop rotations, when one of his Yellow Ghost bodyguard guard knocked briskly on the door of his study. ”My lord,” it was Pei Yuan Shao who comes in, bowing. ”General Ma Chao has arrived. Alone.”

Lie Fan raised an eyebrow. Alone? That was unusual.

He rose, curiosity piqued. ”Send him in. And also informs the servants to bring a pot of wine and two cups.”

Moments later, Ma Chao entered the study. His bearing was as regal as ever, his armor replaced with plain yet elegant riding robes. His hair was tied high in a warrior’s knot, his expression somber yet determined.

”Lord Ma Chao,” Lie Fan greeted warmly, rising to clasp his arm. ”A pleasant surprise. Please, come in.”

Ma Chao nodded and followed him into the study, where they took their seats by a low table set near the window. The servant arrived with wine and poured generously before slipping away, leaving the two men in private.

Lie Fan leaned back, swirling his cup. ”So, what brings you here unannounced Lord Ma Chao? You look as though you carry more than your usual burden.”

Ma Chao was silent for a long moment. Then he set his cup down untouched, and looked directly into Lie Fan’s eyes.

”Lord Lie Fan,” he said, ”please tell me the absolute truth.”

Lie Fan’s brows lifted slightly, but he said nothing and swing his left hand, allowing Ma Chao to continue.

”You accepted me and my clan’s request for asylum. You helped us in our time of need, gave us a place to stay, supplies in rations and funds, and protection. But I’ve seen things. Heard the way you speak sometimes, the way your men look at me, the way you place things just so in front of me. The banquets. The training grounds. The way you’ve welcomed my sister, my brothers, even my elders. I must ask...”

He leaned forward, hands clenched on his knees.

”You didn’t offer us refuge simply out of kindness or alliance, did you? You plan to make me and, the Ma Clan, your retainers. That’s the truth, isn’t it?”

The air hung thick for a beat. Lie Fan didn’t speak right away. He sipped his wine, savoring the sharp tang as it rolled over his tongue, before setting the cup down with finality.

”Ma Chao,” he said evenly, changing the way he called him into more informal, ”what do you think I am? A man who saves others from the kindness of his heart alone? No, I’m not so pure. I’m flattered that you think so kindly of me, but I’m not such person.”

He met Ma Chao’s gaze, unwavering.

”Of course I had other purposes. What ruler worth his salt doesn’t think five steps ahead? Your clan, proud as it is, needed stability. You needed a future. And I needed strength, loyalty, warriors who knew the sting of betrayal and the price of survival.”

He gestured toward the horizon beyond the window. ”I don’t want vassals who kneel out of fear. I want allies who stand because they believe in the path we walk. But yes, Ma Chao, I want you to become part of this realm, not simply visit it as a guest. I want the Ma Clan to belong here.”

Ma Chao’s jaw tightened. He was quiet, wrestling with the blunt honesty of it. But then, unexpectedly, he laughed, a dry, almost rueful sound.

”At least you don’t lie,” he muttered. ”That’s more than I can say for half the men I’ve thought as loyal man before trying to switch sides.”

Lie Fan smiled slightly. ”Then let me be clearer.”

He leaned forward, voice softening. ”I won’t force you to bend the knee. I won’t strip your clan of its pride or autonomy. What I offer is partnership, service not beneath me, but with me. Become my general in truth. Let your people find peace here, grow, thrive. When the time comes to fight for something greater, I want you by my side, not out of duty, but because you chose to be.”

Ma Chao stared at him for a long time. Then he looked away, toward the wine still untouched in his cup.

”Perhaps,” he said, voice low, ”that future isn’t so far fetched.”

He finally reached for the cup, took a drink, and set it down with a quiet sigh.

”My father would’ve liked you,” he added, a hint of sadness in his eyes. ”You’re a schemer, but you don’t scheme from shadows. At least to us. You build with purpose. That... I can respect.”

Lie Fan inclined his head. ”Then stay, Ma Chao. Not as a guest, not as a burden, but as one of us.”

Another pause. Then Ma Chao looked up, his gaze sharp.

”And if I refuse your invitation?”

Lie Fan’s smile didn’t waver. ”Then you are free to leave. But ask yourself this, where else will you go?”

The truth of those words hung heavy in the air.

Ma Chao exhaled, long and slow. Then, with deliberate care, he set his cup aside and rose to his feet.

”I will need time to decide this, it isn’t a small matter,” he said.

Lie Fan nodded. ”Take it. Yo have all the time you ned to decide, don’t worry.”

With that, Ma Chao turned and left, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

Lie Fan watched him go, then lifted his cup in a silent toast.

After his meeting with Lie Fan, Ma Chao walked with purpose yet felt a strange heaviness in his chest. The words exchanged still echoed in his mind, the honesty, the challenge, the offer.

It wasn’t often that someone met him not just with flattery or false loyalty but with open, measured ambition. Lie Fan wasn’t just building a power base, he was building a future. And he wanted Ma Chao to be part of that foundation.

The streets of Xiapi bustled with life, their afternoon hum contrasting with the storm of thoughts in Ma Chao’s head. His mind had wrapped the world in gauze while it wrestled with Lie Fan’s offer.

When he arrived at the Ma Clan residence, an elegant compound on the north side of Xiapi that Lie Fan had granted them, it was the sight at the front gate that made him pause in his tracks.

There stood his sister, Ma Yunlu, a bright smile on her face as she stood beside Zhao Yun. Her demeanor was softer than he’d ever seen it, not in a way that suggested weakness, but in a way that surprised him.

Ma Yunlu was many things, brilliant with a spear, fiercely loyal to her kin, quick to anger when treated unfairly, but gentle was not often one of them. Yet here she was, cheeks a little flushed, expression relaxed, letting out a small laugh at something Zhao Yun had just said.

And Zhao Yun, ever the picture of composure and courtesy, responded with that dignified calm of his.

Worse still, as he watched, she fidgeted, a small, uncharacteristic gesture that sent alarm bells ringing in his mind.

”Since when does Yunlu fidget?”

He stood there for a moment, torn between interrupting and retreating.

The scene stirred something protective in Ma Chao. He cleared his throat with a deliberate cough, and both of them turned toward him at once.

Ma Yunlu’s face turned a touch redder, as if caught red handed in a mischief, while Zhao Yun, ever poised, gave a courteous bow. ”Lord Ma Chao,” he greeted with respectful formality.

Ma Yunlu, on the other hand, recovered quickly, her usual fire returning. ”Elder brother! You’re back!”

Ma Chao, masking his inner turmoil, offered a curt nod. His gaze flicked between them before settling on his sister. ”So it seems. Yunlu,” he said with an even tone. ”care to explain why you didn’t tell me you were going out today? And with General Zhao Yun, no less.”

Ma Yunlu’s embarrassment quickly vanished. She crossed her arms and slipped back into her usual tomboyish demeanor. ”I did tell you, big brother. You must’ve forgotten,” she said with a slightly accusing tone, brows raised. ”You’ve been in that study too long, brooding under those maps all day.”

Before he could retort, she turned back to Zhao Yun with a sudden softness and sweeter. ”Thank you again, General Zhao, for the tour around Xiapi. I had a good time.”

Zhao Yun gave her a graceful smile and bowed. ”The pleasure was mine, Lady Ma Yunlu. Until next time.”

With that, Ma Yunlu quickly made her way through the gates, the red of her face hidden now from both men. Leaving the two men standing awkwardly outside.

For a long moment, silence stretched between them. Ma Chao watched her disappear into the residence before letting out a slow breath.

Then, turning to Zhao Yun, who remained beside him, Ma Chao’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

”General Zhao Yun,” he began, not one to waste time on pleasantries when there was a matter to address. ”You’ve been spending a lot of time with my sister ever since the martial arts exchange. What is your purpose?”

Zhao Yun blinked once, surprised by the directness, but quickly composed himself. His expression became solemn, his voice calm and steady.

”I understand your concern, Lord Ma Chao. But I assure you, my intentions are honorable,” he said.

Ma Chao’s eyes narrowed. ”Honorable how?”

Zhao Yun exhaled, then spoke carefully. ”Lady Ma Yunlu is a remarkable woman, strong, intelligent, and noble in spirit. I have grown to admire her deeply.”

He bowed again, slightly lower this time. ”I would like to get to know her better. With your permission. If you do not permit it, I will respect your wishes and keep my distance.”

There was no smirk, no flippancy, only honesty. That irritated Ma Chao more than if he’d lied.

Ma Chao’s first instinct was to say no. A protective storm roared to life in his chest. This was his baby sister. He and his brothers had fought tooth and nail to keep her safe, to raise her like a warrior and yet protect her like a flower. She was the spark of their house, the hope of their line. To hand her over to someone, no matter how honorable, was not an easy thought.

But in that same moment, he remembered Ma Yunlu’s expression just now, how different she’d been, how unguarded. The fierce girl who would shout down her brothers and spar them into submission... looking truly at ease.

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ”If I say no, she’ll skewer me with her spear,” he muttered.

Zhao Yun looked momentarily alarmed.

Ma Chao let out a dry laugh. ”You’ve seen her train, haven’t you? She doesn’t hold back. And she doesn’t forgive easily.”

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...”

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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