The night hung heavy, like an iron curtain about to drop.
The firelight painted half the sky red – Luoyang was burning.
I stumbled out from behind a collapsed wall, chest heaving, the constant din of shouts and horses' cries ringing in my ears.
—Just a minute ago, I was sitting in my office, staring at my computer, writing up proposals.
I opened my eyes again, and the world had flipped upside down.
At the end of the street, debris flew, and the sound of armored soldiers stomping the ground made my eardrums throb.
The air was thick with the stench of burnt blood, and I just stood there, frozen, not knowing which way to run.
"Over there! It's Dong Zhuo's men!"
A shout tore through the air, and I spun around instinctively, slamming right into a guy on horseback.
He was wearing blood-splattered armor, with a rugged face and a fierce glint in his eyes.
Behind him stood a grim-faced scholar, clutching a sword.
The second I saw that look, it hit me like a ton of bricks—
That's Cao Cao and Chen Gong, isn't it?!
—Historically, this was when Cao Cao failed to assassinate Dong Zhuo and was fleeing Luoyang, a wanted man.
⸻
"Who is this guy?" Chen Gong barked, drawing his sword and closing in, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.
I stammered, tripping over my words, "I... I'm just a traveler. Caught in the crossfire, that's all."
Cao Cao's gaze swept over me, from head to toe. It wasn't the look you give a refugee; it was more like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
He asked in a low voice, "You're not from Luoyang, are you?"
I thought fast, "My home's in Chenliu. Came to Luoyang looking for work, but then the war broke out."
Chen Gong scoffed, "Chenliu? What a coincidence. My lord is also from Chenliu."
But Cao Cao just smiled, though his eyes were still weary with blood and smoke. "If you're from Chenliu, then come with me. Otherwise, you'll end up buried here."
He yanked on the reins, his horse whinnied, and he took off eastward.
I didn't have time to think; I just grabbed my broken sword and stumbled after them.
⸻
Outside Luoyang's east gate, the sky was ablaze.
The wind whipped up the dust, and in the distance, I could hear the horns of the pursuing troops.
Chen Gong glanced back and said grimly, "My lord, we can't stay on the main road. We'll be ambushed for sure."
Cao Cao nodded. "We'll go around through the North Mountains. We need to cross the Bian River before dawn."
He turned to me. "What's your name?"
My heart skipped a beat. "Lin. Lin Yao."
Cao Cao paused for a moment. "Lin Yao... A good name."
In the wind, his hair was loose, his helmet tilted back, and his silhouette was like a mountain.
It suddenly clicked – this was Cao Mengde, before he was famous, but already with the whole world on his shoulders.
⸻
The escape went on. The night was razor-cold.
I was forced to follow them, scrambling over mountains and through valleys. Whenever we stopped to rest, Cao Cao would sit alone on a rock, staring off at the distant fires, lost in thought.
He didn't say much, but his eyes were like a hawk's.
By the third night, we were out of food. Chen Gong suggested raiding a wealthy family's farm up ahead for cattle and sheep.
Cao Cao just said, "I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me."
That line hit me hard – I knew it too well.
It wasn't about being cold-blooded; it was about making a choice: to survive in a chaotic world, by any means necessary, and not be held back by phony morality.
⸻
Late at night, Chen Gong was asleep. But Cao Cao was still awake, sharpening his sword.
I gathered my courage and walked over, saying softly, "My lord... I have something to say."
He glanced at me, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You call me 'my lord' too?"
I bowed. "Cao Gong has the world in his sights, and Lin Yao is willing to follow him."
His smile widened. "Oh? You see me running for my life, and you still think I have the 'world in my sights'?"
I said, "Defeat doesn't hide ambition. Luoyang may be burning, but the people's hearts haven't been lost. Dong Zhuo relies on tyranny, and won't win the people over. If Cao Gong can raise the banner of righteousness and bring justice back to the world, he's sure to achieve great things."
Cao Cao slowly lowered his sword. The firelight flickered on his face, and his gaze deepened.
"You have a knack for reading the situation, not like an ordinary man. If you really are from Chenliu, how do you see so far ahead?"
I felt a little nervous, but I had to play it cool. "I read books, understand principles, and know a little about the past."
He stared at me for a long time, then sighed softly. "Chen Gong, that Cao Cao has you to help him is fate; and now I've met Lin Yao. Maybe heaven is giving me another strategist."
Chen Gong woke up, frowning. "My lord, this man's background is unclear—"
Cao Cao waved his hand. "But my mind is made up."
He stood up, his cloak billowing in the wind.
"If heaven truly gives me a good friend, what do I have to fear on the road ahead?"
⸻
The next morning, the mist hung thick in the air.
Cao Cao, Chen Gong, and I rode to an old bridge, with the Bian River flowing beneath it.
Cao Cao reined in his horse, gazing at the rising sun in the east.
He turned back to me and Chen Gong. "From here, we'll head to Chenliu, where I'll recruit soldiers and regroup. Dong Zhuo is wreaking havoc in the capital, and the world is on the brink of collapse. If we stand by and do nothing, we'll just let these thugs run wild."
Chen Gong said solemnly, "I will follow you, my lord."
Cao Cao looked at me again. "Lin Yao, what about you?"
I took a deep breath.
In that moment, I suddenly felt it – that gust of fate, blowing in from another world, had swept me into the chaos of this era.
I knelt down, bowing my head to the ground. "Lin Yao is willing to strategize for you, my lord, until the day I die!"
Cao Cao laughed. "Good! From this day forward, we're in this together!"
⸻
The sunlight broke through the mist, illuminating his face, covered in dirt and blood.
Looking at that smile, I felt a strange thrill.
—Maybe this chaotic world is the stage for my rebirth.
I crossed over from another world, for him.
And he will fight for the world.y