Prologue - The Heavenly Swords

Prologue - The Heavenly Swords

In the year 184 A.D, the Emperor had lost all control of the Han Dynasty.

A series of natural disasters, drought and the rise of banditry had steadily increased the discontent of the people who saw the ineptitude and corruption of the government.

At the peak of their anger, Zhang Jiao and his brothers, empowered by the teachings of ancient sorcery began to rally the people and incited the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Millions of people joined their ranks, and the Han government could not contain them.

Guided by their dogma, the Yellow Turbans soon became a greater threat to the land than the very corrupt government they defied.

With the cry of the Yellow Turbans that “The Mandate of Heaven is Lost!” they had unwittingly set in motion a reaction from the Heavens. For the signs and the prophecies of soothsayers and mad-prophets would claim:

“When the land is in turmoil,

When the Mandate of Heaven is lost,

When Freedom must become Justice,

When Order must become tempered Steel,

When Balance must usher a time of Wisdom,

The Heavenly Swords will come and strike down those they deem unworthy.

For that is the Will of the Heavens!”

Into this land in chaos, three strangers will change history…

The wheels of Fate will turn upon their blades…

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The battle at Sishui Gate had been raging for many hours and the coalition forces were growing increasingly more motivated to push forward. Their morale was soaring as they charged towards the army set by Dong Zhuo to defend the entrance to the capital. It would’ve been unthinkable that his massive army would be defeated against the combined efforts of the quarreling lords of the land.

However, he had not taken into account the presence of three warriors who changed the flow of battle with their peerless skills in combat and their intimidating power…

The three warriors were quite literally holding three lines of the enemies on their own. Stopping them from joining the main army and defeating opponents left and right by the hundreds… if not thousands.

The youngest of the trio, the one they called the Smiling Dragon, was moving with the elegance and precision of an expert dancer, but for the trained eye, he was using the principles of martial arts and sword fighting to create his special style of dual wielding swords to become a whirlwind of steel and laughter. Every time his swords cut through the wind, an adversary would lose their weapons, their limbs or their lives. There was no hesitation, no slowing of his movements nor was there a sign of fatigue after he’d been fighting this entire time since parting from the Three Brothers to find opponents to fight. He thrived in these great battles and longed to be in the thick of it at all times. He lived for this kind of freedom… the freedom to fight for his life against overwhelming odds. That was his joy of being the Blade of the Sky.

Another of these three swordsmen had the look of a man who cared little of his life or those around him. All he cared about was to find an opponent worthy to face him. The cold detachment he had towards those he was cutting down made many of his opponents flee in terror. It was not the fact that they could not see the blinding speed at which he drew his sword and cut down everything that came close to him regardless if it was human or otherwise. It was not the fact that he was simply walking towards them without fear and without stopping that urged them to flee for their lives as men died the moment they got close enough to the reach of his sword. It was that frightening red left eye of his that had a sinister glow the longer the fight lasted. As if the very fires of hell were burning deep within him and empowered his skills. He cared not for them. He did not care that he had effortlessly cut down thousands of men without feeling a thing. He did not care that he was called the The Blade from Hell. He was, now and always, just a sword.

The eldest of the swordsmen had the look and baring of a veteran warlord mixed with the calmness and unshakeable resilience of a mountain. His disciplined movements as he swung his massive podao were a testament to his unyielding spirit and the years he dedicated to the mastery of his craft. His opponents were awestruck of how this veteran man could move with such restrained ferocity. After many hours of battle he remained unmoved and was fighting at full strength without slowing down. Even the most powerful of warriors eventually dropped from fatigue, but this man remained calm, collected and was even mouthing prayers for the departed he had cut down. His eyes showed the perfect balance between emotion and rationality. His movements were careful, disciplined and direct. No hesitation. No fear. No one would get past him as long as he remained standing. He was the Jade Tiger. Recognized as the Blade of the Earth.

While these three were waging their own battle against the usurper’s army, three of the great leaders of the land were watching with interest as well as hesitation.

Liu Bei had befriended the young Sword Dancer at the suggestion of his sworn brother Zhang Fei - the two of them got along thanks to their love of revelry. The young man had become a powerful ally of theirs, even if his personality was difficult to control or direct. He had joined them on the premise that he’d be helping them fight off difficult adversaries who terrorized the common folk and wanted to rule with tyranny.

Cao Cao had managed to employ the services of the one regarded as The True Master of the Sword at great risk to his plans. The sword master cared little for his ambitions, nor did he care about the others he was working with. According to him, he was a Sword, and a Sword doesn’t care about anyone else but the hand that wields it. With the promise of finding the strongest warrior in the land, he managed to entice him enough to join him on his quest to bring the land under his rule. He would keep this Sword close and firmly in his hand. He might be the key to defeating the beast on Dong Zhuo’s leash.

Sun Jian had always been proud of his choice of officers and soldiers. This time around, he had found a true genius. He had found him tending to the wounds of his son and many Sun army soldiers and was shocked to see them making a full recovery after a few days of this man’s ministrations. He was a mature man of strong convictions and serious skills. When his own retainers tested his skills, he bested them all without risking any injuries on them, even going so far as to pointing out their missteps and offered suggestions on how to improve. Now that he saw him fighting at full force, he knew he had found a warrior that could one day offer guidance and strength to his family.

Each lord watched and wondered. Where had these men come from? How were they so powerful and skilled with the sword? Would they be the key to their ambitions? or would they become the agents of the land's complete fall?

The Three Heavenly Swords had been unleashed…