The Return to Zhaoling
Dust clung to their cloaks as they crossed back into the outskirts of Zhaoling.
The once-makeshift town had changed. Roads had been paved with packed stone. Defensive walls had doubled in height. Smoke curled from dozens of forges. Children played in fields that had once been graves.
Lü Bu stood at the entrance gate, staring silently at what he had built—not just with his hands, but with blood, sacrifice, and vision.
"It's not a city yet," Wei Yun said, stepping beside him. "But it's getting there."
Lü Bu gave a faint nod. "Now it must become something more."
The City Must Stand
The next days were not spent on horseback or in combat—but in meetings, sketches, and decisions.
"Water," Lü Bu said, pointing at a crude map Han Jie had drawn. "The river must be redirected. We need irrigation, not just drinking wells."
"And grain," Han Jie added. "If we can't store enough for winter, we'll bleed from within before any enemy arrives."
"And stone," Wei Yun muttered, tossing a cracked tile onto the table. "If the walls can't hold arrows or fire, they're useless."
So began the first major expansion of Zhaoling.
The Iron Core were divided: some continued military drills, others were reassigned to support engineers and oversee workers. Blacksmiths were commissioned from nearby provinces. Merchants arrived, drawn by the promise of protection and order.
Lü Bu didn't just order from above—he walked the streets. He helped carry timber. He listened to villagers.
"You're really him?" a boy asked as Lü Bu passed.
"The general?"
Lü Bu knelt and ruffled the boy's hair. "I'm the builder today."
The Voice of the People
Word of Lü Bu's return spread fast.
A local farmer's council asked to meet him. So did a group of scholars. Even a wandering monk visited, bearing old scrolls of regional law.
"No one's listened to us in years," one old man said, tears in his eyes. "But you… you make us feel human again."
Lü Bu didn't promise utopia. He didn't speak in riddles.
"I don't offer peace. I offer purpose. If you work, you will eat. If you defend, you will be protected. If you build, your children will thrive."
And the people responded.
They volunteered. Bricklayers, hunters, herbalists, miners. Some even offered their children for military training—not as sacrifice, but as hope.
Training the Future
Meanwhile, Wei Yun led the Iron Core in a brutal training program for new recruits. What began as a dozen elite warriors had now expanded to nearly a hundred.
"Not every man can be Lü Bu," Wei Yun barked, "but every man can bleed for something greater than himself."
The training fields echoed with shouts, steel, and sweat. Each recruit was treated the same—no favorites. No noble sons allowed to skip drills.
Lü Bu made one thing clear:
"Our army is not a ladder for power. It is a wall to protect this dream."
New Systems, New Strength
With Han Jie's guidance, Zhaoling adopted three new policies:
The Land Share Code – Every family who worked and protected land for a year would gain the right to claim it.
The Grain Tax Reform – Instead of arbitrary taxes, a set percentage of produce was agreed upon—enough to feed soldiers, but not break farmers.
The Artisan Incentive Law – Builders, engineers, smiths, and healers would receive rations and protection equal to soldiers.
These decisions spread quickly. Nearby villages sent envoys. Some peasants fled other cities to settle in Zhaoling. Nobles in the capital gritted their teeth, knowing something dangerous was forming—a city where commoners had dignity.
🔔 System Notification
[Minor Quest Completed: "Laying the Foundation"]
✔️ Enacted basic civic policy
✔️ Expanded training and recruitment
✔️ Gained regional loyalty boost
🏙️ New System Feature Unlocked: "Domain Management Interface"
– View City Resources: (Food, Gold, Troop Morale, Infrastructure Health)
– Upgrade Options Unlocked:
• Barracks Lv. 2
• Wall Reinforcement Lv. 1
• Marketplace Construction
⚔️ Passive Boost: "Builder's Resolve"
– All Iron Core units receive +5% morale when defending Zhaoling territory.
– Public approval increases with every completed city project.
A Fire in the Distance
On the seventh night after returning to Zhaoling, Lü Bu stood atop the walls, staring out at the distant mountains. A faint glow touched the horizon—too steady to be lightning, too low to be stars.
"Smoke," Wei Yun said quietly. "Something burns."
Lü Bu's expression didn't change.
"It begins."