| Gyou’un | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | Yao Yun | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 堯雲 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Epithet | Rin Shou Jo's Sword | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| “ | I meet my end now not as the first, but the last, the one who served him longer than any other. Heh... but perhaps... that's an honor as well. | ” |
—Gyou'un's last words and thoughts. | ||
Gyou’un was a General of the Zhao Military and the former right-hand of the late Great General Rin Shou Jo of the Three Great Heavens as he served as the "sword" of his lord's armies. He was an Instinctual Type military warrior, being one of the most powerful in Zhao with decades of experience and tactics. He was killed in a final confrontation with Ou Hon of the Gyoku Hou Unit during the Battle at Shukai Plains.
Appearance[]
Gyou’un is a tall man with a long goatee, but his most distinct features were his inhuman, reptile-like eyes. He wears a helmet ornamented with a snake, the same armor he wore back in his days as one of the Rin Family's Ten Heroes under Rin Shou Jo's command.
Personality[]
Gyou'un is a man who wore the mantle that once symbolizes the might of Zhao when Rin Shou Jo was alive. Opposite to Chou Gar Ryuu who has a calm demeanor, Gyou'un wore a Grim personality. Despite being a man who doesn't seem to be sociable due to his grimness, he is a caring and considerate individual, showing concern for his master's health and for others around him.
Gyou'un was very attached to Rin Shou Jo and the rest of Rin's family ten heroes, as shown by his deep grief for Rin Shou Jo's passing and the fact that he shouldered the legacy and memoirs of his fallen comrades. On a rare occasion, he was grateful that his master's prophecy came true, showing great inspiration after going through an empty existence.
History[]
In his youth, Gyou'un was a slave who was bought by a young Rin Shou Jo, he along with his future colleagues were taken under the young man's wing and taught many things. Learning much in the art of warfare, he ceased to be a slave and became a commander of men by his master's side. In time Gyou'un became supremely loyal to Rin Shou Jo and was shown alongside his master in a face-off with Kai Shi Bou and Ren Pa (who also had Rin Ko at his side). Gyou'un was also there when Rin Shou Jo met Ou Ki and his soldiers, at the border of a chasm.
Gyou’un served under Rin Shou Jo of Three Great Heavens alongside Chou Ga Ryuu as one of his deputies, the Rin Family's Ten Heroes. After Rin Shou Jo passed away, he alongside Chou Ga Ryuu kept central Zhao safe and were the only two of his deputies to survive, as they were the only ones able to reach their master at his final hours and were forced to swear on Rin Shou Jo's deathbed to not follow him into death.
In contrast, the remaining eight heroes of the Rin family couldn't bear their master's passing and followed suit dying in a series of suicidal battles dedicated to Rin Shou Jo. Because of their work under Rin Shou Jo and their efforts for the safe keeping Zhao's central region, their names did not spread far beyond their own nation's borders.
Story[]
Western Zhao Invasion Arc[]
Gyou'un and Chou Ga Ryuu were summoned by Ri Boku to defend against the invading Qin in Zhao's western lands. They met at Kantan and moved out in order to face the Ou Sen Army. During the Battle at Shukai Plains, Gyou'un was positioned in the center until the third day when he was moved to Zhao’s left wing. When he reached the left, he spoke with Chou Ga Ryuu about their beloved deceased master's prophecy. After that, he and his troops charged the A Kou Army, easily crumbling the Qin’s frontline.
When Ou Hon and the Gyoku Hou Unit attacked the Gyou’un Army while trying to provide relief for the forces of general A Kou, Gyou’un had Chou Bu set Ou Hon up in a killzone trap - however, Qin’s reinforcements from the center with Hi Shin Unit on their flanks saved the Gyoku Hou Unit and Ou Hon from collapse. Upon seeing this new development, Gyou'un left Gen Ro in command of the army so he could personally take the field with the Ten Spears and kill Shin and Ou Hon before they could grow even further as they were already giving off the same "distasteful scent" as ones from the Six Great Generals. Before he could set off and kill them, he heard the rumblings of the rest of the Hi Shin Unit so he stopped.
While both armies assumed their formations Gyou'un noticed some rookies of the Hi Shin Unit trembling in the back. So, he sent Shin Riku and a heavy cavalry charge to try and unbalance the Hi Shin men. When that charge didn’t work, the Gyou’un Army rear cavalry and the infantry came out to officially start the battle. During the struggle that ensued, Gyou’un was giving instinctive orders to organize his men, which resulted in the Hi Shin Unit's strategist being thoroughly confused and outplayed.
Gyou'un noticed that his actions forced the Hi Shin to adapt by resorting to a 'change of commanders' so that the Unit could react more efficiently to his style of warfare. This led to a stalemate, but Gyou'un had plans to end it by starting a "fire" on the battlefield that could consume the enemy, so he had all his standby units move to the front and signaled the larger units in the center to attack the left. As he did so, he took a couple of men and headed for the Hi Shin Unit Headquarters on the opposite side but was intercepted by Shin himself, who could somehow predict that exact spot would be important after he saw the original Zhao moves. (Note : This is the point where Shin truly uses his instinctual ability, in ch 546)
The moment Gyou’un saw Shin, he quickly attacked him sending the young Qin commander reeling. While Gyou'un's soldiers were surprised that Shin’s podao didn't break, Gyou'Un replied that it was because that it belongs to Ou Ki and that he attacked Shin to double-check, since he was a skeptic when Ri Boku told him of the fact. Gyou’un then said that, in the past, he fought to shatter that blade and claim the heads of all the Qin’s Six Great Generals, but unfortunately, he didn’t succeed. Gyou’un then proceeded to call Shin and the men of Qin lucky that Rin Shou Jo died so young from illness, and that if he had lived, and worked for hand in hand with Ren Pa, they would have made the Qin’s Generals in nothing but food for the worms. Shin rebuffs Gyou'un saying it’s pointless to live in the land of "what ifs" and told Gyou'un he’s better off going home and rotting away if he was going to continue to cling to his long-deceased master's shadow. Instead of being angry at Shin's remarks, Gyou’un said he thought that this could very well have been his fate, if not by the Qin has stepping foot on his master's prophesied ground. He then proceeded to order his soldiers to attack and personally engages Shin once more.
As their duel unfolded, Gyou’un was easily getting the better of Shin to the latter's dismay - going as far as saying that he could hear the sorrow from Ou Ki's weapon, since Shin was supposedly just a mistake fortunate enough to be around when Ou Ki died, and that Ou Ki's Glaive just felled into his lap. Shin gets angry by his words and struck Gyou’un in the face knocking him away. Shin starts overwhelming him until Gyou’un blocked Shin’s killing blow and then launched an unimaginably ruthless counterattack that knocked Shin away. Gyou’un then acknowledged that Shin was indeed strong and had it within his right to carry Ou Ki's glaive. When Shin said that was obvious from the start, Gyou’un dryly replied “Hardly So”, explaining that it wasn’t just about martial ability, and that Shin still didn’t understand where lies the strength of man. he then said it didn’t matter because the blaze to the Right-Wing would reduce the Hi Shin Unit to cinders and he would kill Shin by then.
As this fierce and exhausting duel with Shin continued, Hai Rou came with reinforcements, postponing the duel tp a more suitable occasion. Gyou’un Army agreed as well saying they got some ill tidings about the great blaze earlier. Gyou’un then wondered if his instinct has dulled or if he's only able to exhibit half of his glaive strength in his return to the battlefield. He then left to check the blaze with his own eyes. When he got there, he saw Kyou Kai covered in blood and surrounded by dead bodies and, for an instant, a member of Qin’s Six Great Generals flashing through his eyes. He then realized that he had made three miscalculations about the Hi Shin Unit: the first was being unaware that Shin was someone able to predict his sneak attack on their Headquarters; the second was that he was unaware that Shin would be able to stop his attacks, and the third miscalculation was that the Hi Shin Unit had another officer that could influence the outcome of a battle, besides Shin himself.
At the end of the 3rd day, Gyou'un was met with Ba Nan Ji, Gaku Ei and Chou Ga Ryuu to discuss the potential of Shin, Kyou Kai, Ou Hon, and Mou Ten, and how this younger generation reminded him of the Qin’s Six Great Generals. He then said that if they truly possessed the qualities of the Six Great Generals then the Battle at Shukai Plains could send history into two completely different directions - if Zhao wins and kills those four, plus Ou Sen, Kan Ki and Yo Tan Wa, that saying Qin Military been cut in half would be an understatement. He then told Chou Ga Ryuu that he finally grasps Rin Shou Jo's intentions. That the two of them are like killing arrows from a different age to stop Qin’s rampage. When Gaku Ei said it pisses him off that Gyou’un is talking like the battle revolves around him and Chou Ga Ryuu alone. Gyou’un then replied that he and Chou Ga Ryuu were nothing more than a myriad of blades, but the man that would truly lead them to victory was the strongest of the Three Great Heavens in all of history: Ri Boku.
On the 9th day of the Battle at Shukai Plains, Gyou'un decided to charge after inspecting A Kou’s defensive formation. With the help of Ba Nan Ji, he destroys the defensive formations and rushes towards A Kou's HQ. At this moment, Gu Nei (A Kou’s adjutant), tried to slow him down but Gyou’un's inhuman might kept blowing his enemies away easily, killing Gu Nei with minimum effort. He reached an isolated A Kou, but his attacks were blocked by the general, who was forced to face both Gyou'un and Ba Nan Ji at the same time. After Ba Nan Ji broke A Kou’s helmet Gyou’un was about to cut off his head, but the general was rescued by A Ka Kin, who threw little knives at Gyou’un, distracting him long enough for a quick escape.
With A Kou nearly killed and A Ka Kin taking him swiftly to safety, Gyou’un and Ba Nan Ji chased after them with a thirst for blood. At this moment, however, Ou Hon and a detachment of the Gyoku Hou Unit appeared and attacked Gyou’un, knocking him back before he could finish general A Kou. They would continue to chase them, killing Ou Hon's men in the process until they were forced to withdraw in order to avoid being cut off from their main army. At the end of that day, the Zhao's Left-Wing forces took out the commander of Qin's Right-Wing forces but were unable to kill him, but they also lost Gaku Ei at the same time under the glaive of captain Shin, of the Hi Shin Unit.
Ever since A Kou laid in a coma recovering from his grievous wounds, Gyou'un and the remaining commanders of the Zhao Left Wing would spend a few days passively defending, as they were waiting on the eventual end of Qin's dwindling supplies. Allowing the Qin's right-wing to exhaust and starve themselves before they could make a decisive strike. On the tenth day, the three commanders of Zhao's left-wing decided to be passive as usual, Gyou'un would visit Chou Ga Ryuu's camp to discussed about whether or not it was the right choice to delay a final blow as Chou Ga Ryuu believed that the starvation of the Qin could bring about great changes to morale at the next day of battle.
On the eleventh day of the Battle at Shukai Plains, believing the Qin's right-wing to have weakened from low rations, the Zhao commanders decided to push forward into a decisive conclusion. However, Gyou'un and Chou Ga Ryuu were taken by surprise as their armies were beaten back by a newly awakened strength coming from both the Gyoku Hou and Hi Shin units. Forced to make tactical withdrawal to avoid further damages, Gyou'un admitted and wondered if Chou Ga Ryuu felt the same, that the surprising turn of event had shown that Shin and Ou Hon were finally reaching the level of the Six Great Generals, and as such, they had to be taken down as soon as possible right after a revaluation of their true strength.
At Zhao's Left-Wing camp, during the night of the 11th day of battle, Gyou'un was gathered alongside Chou Ga Ryuu and Ba Nan Ji in a meeting including Kaine, who was relaying a message regarding Ri Boku's suggestions. Chou Ga Ryuu agreed quickly, as he already had similar plans himself and soon did the others. But before Kaine could leave, Gyou'un stated that he rarely had dreams after the death of his master, but that he had dreamed of the misfortune that would fall upon Riboku, saying that he would share the same fate as Rin Shou Jo. Kaine, infuriated by the comment, said she would never let it happen even if it meant death. She claimed that she would not have the same fate as Gyou'un or Chou Ga Ryuu, leaving right afterward in an angry manner. While Ba Nan Ji was worried about the circumstances of the battle, Gyou'un and Chou Ga Ryuu were both grateful to be able to use their full strength against adversaries of a high caliber, such as Shin and Ou Hon.
On the 13th day, Gyou'un made a move to attack from the side but before he could do so, a detachment of 1000 cavalry unit from the Remnants of Ga Ku Ei army who were acting reserve behind Ba Nan Ji army flanked against Hi Shin Unit where Kyou Kai unit was. With this action, Gyou'un's true intentions were to make a feint attack to allow himself to move away from Hi Shin Unit while they were paying full attention from the surprise attack by remnants of Ga Ku Ei's army.
He would not be seen coming towards the other side of the battle, in the direction of the Gyoku Hou's HQ. Gyou'un commanded a deadly detachment of three hundred Rai'un cavalries and the elite squad known as the Ten Spears. Initially, the Gyoku Hou would mistake them as detachment from remnants of Gaku Ei's soldiers and this allowed Gyou'un and his men to easily pierced and pass through the defense line of the Gyoku Hou until the 300 Rai'un were finally stopped by Kan Jou unit. However, Gyou'un and his Ten Spears would avoid that confrontation to reach the HQ where Ou Hon himself was stationed, killing off all of his personnel bodyguards to performing Raigoku around him. Ou Hon now isolated from his men took a heavy beaten from Gyou'un and Ten Spears coordinately. The mission to kill the leader of the Gyoku Hou failed though, as the reliable Kan Jou managed to find a solution to get his young master out of Raigoku alive, but both gravely injured. Ou Hon escaped thanks to the sacrifice of Kyuu Kou, who stalled Gyou'un and the Ten spears long enough. In that encounter, Gyou'un's right arm was pierced deeply by Ou Hon's spear and four of Ten Spears were killed, but they were able to take Ou Hon and Kan Jou out of the battlefield, leaving Shin as the last remaining commander of the Qin's Right-Wing forces, forcing the young captain to lead the entire army on the following day.
Due to his right arm being severely injured, Gyou'un remained in the camp to recover from the wound inflicted by Ou Hon, so he wasn't present at the field, but heard news of Chou Ga Ryuu's army being pushed to the brink of total collapse. Gyou'un was concerned about the fact that not even his comrade (who had been called "Rin Shou Jo's Shield" in the past), was able to stop the Hi Shin Unit from breaking through. After the 14th day battle, Gyou'un was informed by Chou Ga Ryuu's subordinates about their master's death, as well as his last words saying that he was leaving the rest to Gyou'un. Upon hearing this, Gyou'un promptly decided to make his final battle on the very next day.
The 15th day of the Battle at Shukai Plains: after Zhao's left-wing forces had their 'winning momentum' turned into 'losing state' by the loss of Gaku Ei and specially Chou Ga Ryuu (who was the brain of the entire Zhao left-wing), Ba Nan ji's ordered a tactical withdrawal for all army to regroup and strike when there was a chance. Gyou'un, now leading a force combining his own men and Chou Ga Ryuu's men, ignored Ba Nan Ji's order and went on a full assault against the Hi Shin Unit, determined to hunt down and destroy their captain, Shin. He ordered three of his Ten Spears to find Shin while the rest would deal with the incoming Gyoku Hou forces coming for their flanks. Despite their resolve, the men of Zhao were slowly but surely pushed back by the combined efforts of both the Gyoku Hou and Hi Shin units.
In the midst of the battle, Ou Hon himself raised from his bed and rode to the field to meet Gyou'un once again so they could finish their duel. When they met Gyou'un reminisced about the days of his youth under the command of Rin Shou Jo, when huge strategical goals laid the foundation to huge martial development, saying that the fact that was able to change the current state of affairs in China and produce such upheaval was not the strength of an army, but the existence of an ambitious king. He concluded that it is due to the existence of Ei Sei that such great battles became possible, and that with such battles great talents would arise. However, with Shin coming ever closer to where Gyou'un and Ou Hon were, Gyou'un attempted to use only a single arm to finish Ou Hon off.
As the right arm of Gyou'un had been crippled by Ou Hon's spear in their past encounter, this time he took the initiative and quickly went full gallop against Ou Hon, attacking with an open swing that was so strong, that even as Ou Hon deflected it, the swing managed break Ou Hon's horse's left legs from the sheer weight of it. Ou Hon himself wasn't in good shape for a fight, but he managed to use his momentum to slip his spear past the blocking position and continued with his weapon forward as to pierce Gyou'un's chest, mortally wounding him. Before dying, the elder warrior parted some words with Shin and Ou Hon, describing his master's message for this new generation: "That those who were raised to wield the blade, must completely stroke down, for they will face many obstacles and that they must see through it to the end no matter how bitter the cost". In his final moments, Gyou'un felt honored to have lived long enough while having flashbacks of his past time with Rin Shou Jo before drawing his last breath.
On the 15th day of the Battle at Shukai Plains, Gyou'un, the last of the Rin's Family Ten Heroes, dies on the battlefield at the hands of Ou Hon of the Gyoku Hou.
Abilities[]
| “ | To think that this man would be capable of something at this level...this Inhuman Might. My ploys using deception and trickery? Absolutely Useless!! Not one has any effect on him!!! So, this is...the man known as Gyou'un!! | ” |
| STATS | |
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| Strength | 94 |
| Leadership | 93 |
| Intelligence | 88 |
| Experience | A |
| Love for Rin Shou Jo: 100 | |
As the right-hand man of one of Three Great Heavens, Gyou'un was a very talented commander. Because of his overwhelming offense, he was dubbed as "Rin Shou Jo's Sword". Under Phantasmal General, Gyou'un battled all of Qin's Six Great Generals, although he was unsuccessful in slaying any of them.[1]
Physical Abilities[]
Immense Strength: Gyou'un was the best warrior in the Rin Shou Jo Army and the symbol of its martial might.[2] Gyou'un's dueling prowess was great enough to overwhelm Shin in their duel, the strength of his blow being compared to Fire Dragon Gai Mou. Adjutant Gu Nei described his might as 'inhuman', his tactics and ploys useless in the face of Gyou'un's raw power before he was himself slain in a single blow.
Immense Endurance: Gyou'un displayed an immense amount of tenacity as he was able to swing his glaive despite his severed arm being wounded by Ou Hon.
Glaive Mastery: Gyou'un displayed a masterful proficiency in wielding his glaive. He was able to duel with Shin and Ou Hon with ease.
Leadership[]
Gyou'un was a capable leader as he led numerous charges in the frontline and command his men effectively in battlefields. He was also able to build his own elite unit called Rai'un, which the core cavalry was said to be made of possibly the strongest soldiers on the entire Shu Kai Plains.[3]
Tactical Abilities[]
Raigoku in action.
Instinctual Type: Gyou'un was said to be an Instinctual General that is also fully equipped with proper strategies and tactics.[4] He can use his intuition to sense the flow of battle and "light the fire" on the battlefield which results in hard pressing even talented strategists like Ka Ryo Ten. As the student of Rin Shou Jo, he also possesses a deep strategic knowledge. After his arrival at the battlefield, he was able to strike deep into A Kou Army to prevent them from changing formations and even prepare a successful trap for Ou Hon who rushed to help them. When fighting against Hi Shin Unit he manipulated the battlefield in a way to create a large blaze on one side and open a path to enemy's HQ on the other that he would personally use.
Military Formations: Trained by Rin Shou Jo, Gyou'Un was capable to perform military formations. In order to slay powerful opponents, Gyou'un was also capable of using the tactic known as Raigoku which allowed him to kill several generals and great generals of enemy states in the past.[5]
Quotes[]
| “ | Have you noticed yet, Ga Ryuu? These Shukai Plains that we stand on now...Are the very same grounds...That our beloved Master prophesied of in his last message | ” |
. (Chapter 541, page 13)
| “ | For when I stood on the battlefields in the past, I waged war for the sake of shattering that very same glaive. Nay...it was not just that podao. I fought to claim the heads of every last one of Qin's Six Great Generals. | ” |
(Chapter 547, page 8-9)
| “ | You dare to mock my master with those skills? Shin of the Hi Shin Unit. I can almost hear the cries of sorrow from your podao. For that podao you carry is a jewel amongst weapons, one that harbors many things within it. | ” |
(Chapter 547, page 17)
| “ | Rather, the important question is...whether or not...you have the slightest understanding of the "strength of a man. | ” |
(Chapter 548, page 9)
| “ | Should the two of you truly desire to become the sword that will unify this divided land, then you would do well to heed these words. A sword that has been raised to deliver a blow MUST be allowed to fully complete its downward stroke. You must see it through to the very end. No matter how bitter the cost. | ” |
(Chapter 610, page 15-16)
Gallery[]
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Trivia[]
- Gyou'un was the second character in the series to have died standing on his horse after
[]
| Zhao | |
|---|---|
| Royal Family | Bu Rei † • Tou Jou † • Yuu Boku • Ka • Earl Chou Ki † • |
| Prime Minister | Kaku Kai • Ri Boku |
| Officials | Hi • Shun Pei Kun • Hei To • Ko Shuu • Jou Kei •
Ken Ho • Kan Sou • En Sei † • |
| Royal Harem | Kou Hi |
| City Lords | Duke Hoku Ryou • Duke Son Fu ‡ • Ki Shou • Gaku'in • Shi Ba Shou • Duke Kuku • Tou Kan • Tou Kin • |
| Citizens | Master Hou † • Madame Hou † • Shi Kei † • Shi Ka † • A Mon † • Kou Shou † • Kon † • En Kan • |
| Military | |
| Great Generals | Gaku Jou ‡ • Ko Chou † • Chou Katsu † • |
| Three Great Heavens | Ri Boku • Shi Ba Shou • Hou Ken † • Ren Pa ‡ • Rin Shou Jo † • Chou Sa † • |
| Generals | Ki Sui • Ba Tei • Kei Sha † • Kan Saro • Ji Aga † • Gaku Shou • Ba Nan Ji • Shun Sui Ju • Fu Tei • Kotsu Min Haku • En Kan • Ri Haku • Kou Son Ryuu ‡ • Earl Rai • Chou Haku • Mai Kou • Kai Gou • Ryuu Tou † • Gou Ki • Kou Ki Ou • Kou Shi • Shin Sei Jou † • Fuu Ki † • Man Goku † • Chou Sou † • Gaku'Ei † • Chou Ga Ryuu † • Gyou’un † • Kin Mou † • Earl Kou † • Shin Ri Kan † • Zet Su † • Jyou Ka Ryuu † • Ko Haku Kou † • Gaku Haku Kou † • Ryuu Haku Kou † • Ryuu Fu † |
| Commanders | Kaine • Ba Fuu Ji • Fuuon • Shi En • Sai'u • Mei Fu • Kou Kaku † • Gou Ran † • Sei Kiga • Ka Hou • Kai Shin • Koku Rai • Koku Rei • Zen Man • Sen Bi • Sei Mei • Seiu • Duke Sei • Ren Ka • Sou Ha • Sei Ka Un • Man Haku • Tou Gan † • Shuu † • Gi Ka † • Sou † • Shuu † • You Ou † • Ba Toku † • Den'I † • Ten † • Rai Ka † • Jo Shou † • Jo Rin † • Shin Riku † • Seki Kou † • Kou Zen † • An Ki † • Chiku Shin † • Ko Getsu † • Ta Getsu † • Ro Shin † • Chou Gaku † • Kou Tou † • Ko Ro † • Sou Kan † • Ka Man † • Kyo Yo † • Chou Riku † • Ki Shou † • Un Kei † • Un Gen † • Gou Za Kou † • |
| Soldiers | Haku Sha † • En Shou † • Ban Riku † • Kaku Jou † • Kon Jin † • Den Ko • Den Pou † • Hei Shuu † • Haku Ya • Kou Shuu • Gi Ta • Ga Kou • Kei Fu • Kat Sho • |
| Affiliates | Quanrong of Ryouyou (Rozo † • Goba † • Bunen † • Tork † ) • Geeli † • Bolf • Chida † • Tehgo • Nujah • Wan • Geni • |