Khan Bei's Journey - Sun Jian’s Inquiries

Within the confines of Sun Jian’s tent, the patriarch of the Sun Family was carefully formulating his questions. Khan Bei, the Heavenly Sword of Balance had agreed to answer his questions and would not have many opportunities like these again.

Thus, the warlord tried to think of what to ask first. The Doctor, however, seemed quite content with the silence that lingered. Outside the tent the sounds of the war camps continued, but were muddled.

Sun Jian finally took a deep breath and spoke:

"Tell me, what is this power you wield? Is it from the heavens, the earth itself, or something within you? What are its true limits?”

Khan Bei crossed his arms and raised his hand towards his chin where the shadow of a beard was starting to form. His eyes locked on Sun Jian’s as he spoke:

“This gift was the result of years of training, the most careful preparation, the highest of responsibilities placed upon me by Fate and the Heavens. In a sense, Lord Sun Jian, this power of mine isn’t entirely mine.”

The cryptic way Khan Bei spoke made Sun Jian grimace for a moment. Perhaps he asked too many questions at once to warrant a straight answer.

“What are the limits of your power?” He remembered Wan Castle and its shattered main gate.

“That I am not quite sure. I have reached a certain mastery of my abilities and earned the right to wield them to a certain extent. If I were to dedicate my entire energy to mastering his skills to the fullest… well… even I don’t know what I would be capable of.” The Doctor closed his eyes as if the question itself lingered in his thoughts.

“I see…” So Khan Bei could become even stronger? It’s true that his displays of strength and healing were impressive, but to think that he could grow stronger still made even the Tiger of Jiangdong nervous. “I noticed after you destroyed the main gate of Wan Castle that you were quite tired afterwards. How much of a toll does wielding this power have on your body?”

Khan Bei opened his eyes for a moment. Unlike the typical doctor, he had built his body to be in perfect physical shape and form to allow the use of his favored weapon and to endure the backlash of channeling the powers of the Earth in such a gross manner.

“It greatly depends on the task I am trying to perform and the amount of power I require. Strengthening my body and increasing my resilience is quite taxing. Destroying a gate like that of Wan Castle almost made my muscles burst, my veins to explode and my heart to stop… channeling such terrifying power could kill me if I am not in perfect balance of body, mind and spirit.”

This answer gave Sun Jian some small sense of relief. Even a man with the Doctor’s god-like abilities had certain limits they wouldn’t cross due to the strain they could have on his health. That Khan Bei was exhausted and could not use his abilities to heal after the battle was proof enough that he had managed to survive the strain this time. Now Sun Jian’s mind turned towards another serious topic.

“Given this power, why do you choose to serve a lord like me? Could you not shape the world to your own design?” This was the heart of Sun Jian’s concerns. Khan Bei was a force of nature, a very agent of the Heavens and enforcer of Fate.

“Our purpose is not to rule, nor to command. We serve our purpose as the Heavens demands. As the threads of Fate so will it. Whatever the lords of these lands do or not do is irrelevant to us. We are here to fulfill our duty.” Khan Bei placed his hands over his knees and closed his eyes again, as if the topic had been finally settled.

But Sun Jian could not be deterred. He needed to know more… he didn’t know if he might have another chance with the battle against the rebels so close at hand.

“Do you know if there are other Heavenly Swords out there? Close by perhaps?” Sun Jian had heard rumors amongst the lords of powerful warriors serving many warlords and officials.

Gongsun Zan had found many great cavalry warriors to his ranks, including one highly virtuous one. The infamous Dong Zhuo had a powerful soldier following him known as Hua Xiong. An ambitious official, Cao Cao had been recruiting many capable soldiers and strategists to his camp, one that had earned the title of the Blade from Hell. Even the volunteer army led by the charismatic Liu Bei had at least three great warriors to count among them, one of them was a boy no older than his own sons. Could there be any other Heavenly Swords amongst these lords?

Khan Bei’s face contorted for a moment. His feet seemed to dig into the floor beneath him as he concentrated. That ethereal green glow that often emanated from his body manifested again.

“There are only three Heavenly Swords in this time and age, Lord Sun Jian. I can sense their presence… but… there are too many great warriors gathered here to tell accurately who they might be… or even if they are here. All I know for certain is that this great battle would certainly draw them here.”

“Do you think they will be a threat to us?” Sun Jian was clearly concerned by Khan Bei’s words. If the other Heavenly Swords were near, it might be possible they could one day oppose them by simply serving a different lord. “Wouldn’t they be willing to use their power to rule over others or seek their own goals?”

“I do not know. We are bound by Fate and the Heavens to do our duty. We all have the free will to act within the role we must all play and adjust to the way our fates are dictated by the Heavens and Fate.” The Doctor broke his concentration and opened his eyes again, looking at Sun Jian, “To try and force Fate to change simply because we can does not mean that we should. The effects would be far reaching and often with disastrous aftershocks.”

Sun Jian’s concerns hadn’t abated. It was clear that even his wise friend couldn’t see beyond his own knowledge, regardless of how vast his wisdom was.

A few moments later, a soldier came running into Sun Jian’s tent and noticed the warlord and the Doctor with serious faces.

“Apologies, Lord Sun Jian!” The soldier bowed apologetically.

“It’s fine. Do you have something to report?” Sun Jian stood up and faced the soldier.

“Lord Huangfu Song has summoned you for a war council. All lords of the coalition will be present.”

“I see… so it’ll begin soon. Return to your post, and inform Huang Gai and Cheng Pu that I’ve given the command to ready the men to march at a moment’s notice.”

“Yes, Sir!” The soldier bowed and left in a hurry. Khan Bei remained seated, his face showing he was in a state of meditation.

“We will continue this conversation another time, my friend.” Sun Jian left the tent with a hurried step.

After Sun Jian left, Khan Bei was trying to reach out within the Earth to try and find his fellow Heavenly Swords. His thoughts were filled with concerns.

“Where are you? Our Heavenly duty must be fulfilled. Are you amongst these lords and warriors? If so, I pray you will not become agents of chaos… or I will have to slay you.”