The March of the Red Wolf
Three days had passed.
Three days since the warning. Three days since Lü Bu had heard the name Wang Ba again—a name pulled from his past like a blade from a wound.
Now, the Red Wolf marched upon Zhaoling.
Two hundred men moved like a storm across the southern plains—mercenaries, deserters, thugs loyal only to Wang Ba's strength. They had looted three villages and left only smoke behind. Every action sent a message:
Lü Bu, you're not untouchable.
Your kingdom is still young. Still weak.
And I'm coming to break it.
But the man waiting at Zhaoling's gates was no longer just a boy dreaming of glory. He was the commander of the Iron Core—a force forged in fire, trained in blood, and built on one unshakable promise:
Never kneel.
⚔️ Preparing for War
The morning of the battle came with no fanfare. No trumpets. No grand speeches.
Only the sound of armor tightening, weapons being checked, and boots striking stone.
Lü Bu stood atop the southern wall of Zhaoling, his cloak snapping in the cold wind. Below him, the Iron Core waited—two hundred soldiers, lined in disciplined ranks. Each man bore a crimson armband: the mark of the oath they had sworn.
Wei Yun stood beside him, quiet and ready. Hu Lan sharpened his halberd, eyes calm. Old Teng moved among the troops, whispering tactics and predictions.
"They outnumber us," Hu Lan muttered.
"No," Lü Bu replied, eyes never leaving the horizon. "They out-noise us. Not outfight us."
The villagers had taken shelter. The city gates were sealed. The fate of Zhaoling rested in the hands of warriors who, months ago, had never lifted a sword.
But now… now they were his army.
The Enemy Appears
By midday, the first war drums echoed across the plains. Dust clouds rose as Wang Ba's men came into view.
He rode at the front, armor jagged, red wolf crest painted across his chest. His soldiers jeered, beat their shields, and roared for blood.
And then, silence.
Wang Ba raised his hand.
"Lü Bu!" he called, voice carried by the wind. "Come down from your walls and face the truth! You're not a king. You're a boy playing soldier!"
The gates remained closed.
But a moment later, they creaked open.
And Lü Bu stepped through—on foot, spear in hand, helmet under one arm. Not with an army behind him, but alone.
"If you're so confident," Lü Bu said calmly, "then come take what's mine."
Wang Ba grinned. "You think this is yours? This land? This dream?"
"Not just mine," Lü Bu replied. "Ours."
The gates opened further—and the Iron Core marched out, ranks precise, weapons gleaming.
It was no longer just a militia. It was an army.
And it marched with purpose.
The Clash Begins
The battle began without a signal—just steel and thunder.
Wang Ba's men charged like wolves, wild and hungry.
But the Iron Core did not break formation.
Wei Yun led the left flank—moving like shadow, fast and quiet.
Hu Lan held the right—his halberd sweeping down like an axe through a forest.
And Lü Bu stood at the center—calm, cold, burning with focus.
When the enemy clashed with the Iron Core line, they expected panic. Instead, they hit a wall.
Shields locked. Spears thrust. Timing and discipline beat chaos.
For every Iron Core soldier that fell, three of Wang Ba's were pushed back.
And then, through the storm, Lü Bu moved.
He didn't bark orders.
He led.
Where the line wavered, he appeared. Where morale threatened to falter, his presence lit it again like a spark in dry grass.
Duel of the Wolves
Midway through the battle, Wang Ba charged through the chaos, eyes locked on his old friend.
"Come then!" he roared. "Let's finish what we started!"
Their duel became the eye of the storm—soldiers from both sides falling back, forming a circle of silence.
Wang Ba swung with brute strength. Lü Bu parried with precision.
Every clash of their weapons echoed across the field.
They had once trained together. They had once dreamed together.
But now—now they stood on opposite ends of a path one of them had betrayed.
Wang Ba lunged.
Lü Bu sidestepped and countered—his spear slashing across Ba's shoulder.
The Red Wolf stumbled.
"This is what separates us," Lü Bu said.
"You fight to dominate. I fight to build."
With a final strike, Lü Bu drove his spear into the earth—pinning Wang Ba's cloak to the dirt.
The Red Wolf fell, bleeding, gasping.
Defeated.
The End of the Battle
The Red Wolf's forces scattered.
Some surrendered. Others fled into the wilderness.
The Iron Core stood victorious—not because they were stronger, but because they were united.
In purpose.
In discipline.
In fire.
Lü Bu didn't cheer. He didn't raise his spear in triumph.
He simply turned to his soldiers and said:
"This is just the beginning. We are no longer hidden. Now the world knows we stand."
⚙️ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[Mission Complete – "Stand or Shatter"]
Outcome: Zhaoling Defended
Bonus Unlocked: Public Morale +20
💠 New Trait Unlocked: Leader of Iron
– Troop morale increases +10% when Lü Bu is present on the battlefield
⚔️ New Feature Unlocked: Command Arts
– Iron Roar: Temporarily boosts all soldiers' defense by 15%
– Blazing Line: Increases frontline charge effectiveness
🏹 New Reputation Gained: The Shield of Zhaoling
As the wounded were tended to, and the fields cleared of battle's shadow, a new wind swept through Zhaoling.
The people looked at Lü Bu not as a boy, not as a rebel…
But as a commander.
As a man who had made them believe in something greater than fear.
The first test had come. And they had survived.
But deeper shadows still stirred beyond the mountains.
And greater powers had begun to watch.