The travelling healer and the daring outlaw

Hua Tuo is a practitioner of medical properties and sciences of great patience and care who's experiments with early anaesthesia pioneer a new age of healing in China. Carrying a near-countless range herbs and oils on his person and writing on the go, he's a walking hospital in himself which nearly every warlord in the land wants solely on their side. Having been born in Pei, Hua Tuo begins work at Cao Cao's homestead, working with Bian Yuexiang and Wei Zi to collect his findings and help the less fortunate. As Cao Cao's influence grows, he remains Hua Tuo's patron but Hua Tuo himself becomes conflicted about aiding a man whose ambitions are in danger of growing out of control.

Zang Ba is fast becoming a legend throughout the mainland. Having broken his own father out of prison, Zang Ba assembles a band of renegades to rob from the rich and give to the poor, overthrowing corrupt officials and secretly aiding the interests of men they consider good and true. Settling in Xu Province, he initially makes an enemy of the invading Cao Cao. However, as quickly as they become enemies, Zang Ba agrees to aid Cao Cao's imperilled family when they're held prisoner and the ambitious but gallant warlord will come to owe Zang Ba a great deal.