"Victory invites vengeance.
And every flame that rises… casts a shadow."
🌹 Far North, a Blood-Red Banner
In the city of Fengqiang, the seat of the warlord Lady Mei, news traveled faster than wind.
Her mercenaries had failed.
Fifty trained killers, slaughtered.
And worse—by a boy.
She read the report without expression.
Lü Bu of Zhaoling. The town stands. The Iron Core held. Morale is rising. Your enemies are watching.
Lady Mei stood from her stone throne, her crimson armor glinting in the light.
"He wants to rule?" she said, voice cold. "Then he must understand what it means to bleed."
She turned to her advisor, a tall and elegant man known only as Strategist Xun.
"Send word to my vanguard. We ride south at dawn."
Back in Zhaoling: The Fire That Spreads
In Zhaoling, life resumed—but no one thought the war was over.
After the night of the mercenary raid, something changed.
The people were no longer afraid.
They worked harder. Trained longer. Trusted more.
A town had become a fortress.
And with the system now active, new mechanics unlocked:
[SYSTEM UPDATE – KINGDOM MODULE PROGRESS: 4%]
🏰 Territory: Zhaoling (Stronghold Status Achieved)
✅ New Unlocks:
Training Camp (Active)
Watchtower (Under Construction)
Scout Corps (10 recruits in progress)
Leadership Roles Available:
General (Requires Loyalty > 85%)
Chancellor
Chief Engineer
Reputation Spread: Nearby villages have begun sending messengers.
Lü Bu now stood not just as a commander—but as a founder.
"What we hold is not just stone and steel," he said to his officers. "It is belief. That's what they'll attack next."
A Message from the Mountains
One morning, a scout returned carrying a weathered scroll sealed in red wax.
It bore a crest: two fangs over a sun.
Lady Mei's emblem.
The message was simple.
Surrender your town. Dissolve your army. Or burn with it.
Wei Yun spat on the ground.
"She's coming."
Lü Bu folded the letter and handed it back to the scout.
"Then we prepare."
🧠 Strategic Meeting: The Flame Council
That night, Lü Bu gathered his top men—Wei Yun, Da Ren the blacksmith, Liang Mu the healer, and three new squad captains promoted from the Iron Core.
Around a map of the region, they planned.
"Fengqiang is weeks away," Da Ren said. "But her cavalry is unmatched."
"She'll try to break us in one strike," Wei Yun added. "We can't win head-on."
Lü Bu's gaze turned sharp.
"Then we don't fight head-on."
"What do you mean?"
He pointed at the valleys on the map.
"We fight here. Before she reaches us."
A silence fell across the room.
It was not a defensive move.
It was war.
"We take the battle to the roads," Lü Bu said.
"Ambush. Delay. Divide. Bleed her strength before she sees our walls."
Outside the council room, a young villager boy watched the flames of the forge from afar.
He turned to his older brother.
"Do you think we'll win?"
The older brother, now a trainee of the Iron Core, looked toward the stars.
"I don't know."
"Then why do you fight?"
He smiled softly.
"Because for once in my life… I believe in the man leading us."
Meanwhile, Lü Bu stood alone on the wall, halberd resting on his shoulder.
A cold wind blew from the north.
And in his chest, the fire burned brighter.
[SYSTEM QUEST UNLOCKED — "The Crimson War"]
✦ Objective: Survive and repel Lady Mei's invasion.
✦ Bonus Objective: Win without losing Zhaoling.
📉 Risk: 65% (Enemy Power Superior)
📈 Morale: 91%
"The storm approaches. But even storms fear fire."