The oath had been sworn.
The blood had been spilled.
Now came the first true march—not to defend, but to liberate.
🛤️ Five Days Later – Iron Core Camp
Lü Bu stood before a hand-drawn map carved into the dirt with his halberd.
Rough sketches marked the forest paths, ridgelines, and roads. At the southern edge of the map lay a small border town—Zhaoling—known for its iron mines and its brutal governor, Lord Xian Tao, a warlord's dog who taxed the people until they bled.
"Zhaoling is weakly defended," Wei Yun said, pointing with his gloved hand. "Fifty soldiers at most. Poorly trained. But… they have horses. Better weapons."
"And fear," Lü Bu added. "They rule by it. That's their strength."
He looked at the men around him. Farmers turned soldiers. Villagers turned warriors.
"We are still untested. Still raw," he admitted. "But we move with purpose. That makes us more dangerous than any army of gold."
"This will be our first step forward."
The Road to Zhaoling
Their march was silent, but the wind whispered through the trees as if carrying the promise of fire.
No banners. No drums.
Just fifty-seven men, cloaked in gray cloth, moving like ghosts across the land.
Villagers along the way peeked from their windows. Some ran in fear. Others watched with growing awe as the rumors reached their ears—
"Is that him?"
"The Iron Flame?"
"He saved Old Daling village…"
The legend traveled faster than their feet.
But behind that rising legend… danger began to follow.
🗡️ The Shadow That Hunts
On a nearby hill, a lone figure crouched in the branches of a dead tree.
He wore no armor—only black cloth, blades strapped to his thighs, and poison hidden in his boots. A branded mark on his neck showed allegiance to a dark family: one of the Five Warring Lords of the region.
His eyes locked on Lü Bu's column.
"So the child marches," he whispered, amused. "Let's see how fire burns when drowned in silence."
He vanished into the trees.
The assassin had begun his hunt.
🏘️ The People of Zhaoling
Inside the walls of Zhaoling, fear ruled like a god.
Men too afraid to speak. Women taxed for water. Children used as labor in the mines.
And above them all sat Governor Xian Tao—lazy, cruel, and content. Surrounded by guards with polished weapons and paid coin.
He laughed as he drank rice wine.
"Who would dare come here?" he slurred. "This is a land of dogs. No wolf has ever come down from the hills."
But he was wrong.
At that moment, miles away, the wolf had already begun to growl.
⚔️ The Calm Before the Fire
As the Iron Core made camp just a league away from the town walls, Lü Bu stood beneath the moonlight with Wei Yun beside him.
"They don't expect anyone to fight for Zhaoling," Wei said.
"That's what makes us dangerous," Lü Bu replied.
He tightened the leather grip of his halberd.
"We fight for those who can't. That's what separates us from men like Tao."
"This won't just be a raid, Wei."
"This will be the first spark of a fire that never dies."
[SYSTEM UPDATE — Event "March of Liberation" Begins]
Objective: Free the oppressed town of Zhaoling
Bonus Objective: Eliminate the Assassin (Rank: D+)
Rewards:
Troop Equipment Upgrade
Unlock "Public Trust" Reputation Bar
New Recruitable Followers
Warning: A Hidden Enemy Has Marked You
And so, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the Iron Core slept beside the road.
Tomorrow, they would take their first true territory.
Tomorrow, they would stain their blades again.
Tomorrow, the name Lü Bu would be carved into the stone of history—not whispered, but roared.