NIGHTFALL IN ZHAOLING
The moon hung like a shard of silver over the great city of Zhaoling. Soft light spilled over rooftops and stone walls, casting long shadows across the streets.
But tonight, the shadows moved.
In the silence between footsteps, in the stillness behind doors, something had entered the city.
Not an army.
Not a scout.
A blade.
And it wore the face of a traveling bard.
THE MAN WITH THE LUTE
He came at dusk.
Tall, lean, with a half-smile that could charm stone. He carried a lute across his back and wore robes faded from the road. He called himself "Yan"—but that name was a lie.
"A performer," he said with a bow. "Wishing only to share music with your brave city."
The guards let him in. Why would they not? He passed every check. No blade. No coin. Just stories.
He began at the taverns.
Then the markets.
Then near the soldiers' camp.
And everywhere he went, people gathered. They laughed. They clapped. They drank to his melodies.
But they never saw the glint in his eyes.
Nor the hidden dagger woven into his lute's neck.
Nor the poisoned threads along his sleeve.
Nor the face he wore, stitched by silk and shadow.
LÜ BU'S COURT – THAT SAME NIGHT
The great hall was quieter than usual.
Since the victory at the farmstead and the building of the city forges, the court had begun to breathe again. Lords and laborers alike now walked with straighter backs.
Lü Bu sat in his chair—not a throne, but a seat of command carved by his own hands. Beside him stood Wei Yun, silent as stone, and Old Teng, bent over scrolls.
"Tomorrow, we begin Phase Two of the Blackwood Road," Teng muttered. "The route will cut through the hills. Speed up iron transport."
Lü Bu nodded, gaze distant.
His mind wandered more these days. Not from weakness, but from weight. He felt the burden of building, the pressure of every life in Zhaoling pressing against his shoulders.
And then—music.
A light stringed tune echoed outside the hall, soft and serene.
Wei Yun frowned. "Who plays at this hour?"
A servant bowed low. "A bard, my lord. He arrived three nights ago. They say his songs bring dreams."
Lü Bu stood.
"Let him play. Even warriors must remember they are human."
THE PERFORMANCE
The hall dimmed. The bard entered, head bowed.
He wore a smile that bent just slightly wrong. But the guards saw nothing. His eyes flickered across the room—measuring every angle, every escape.
Lü Bu sat with arms crossed, unmoving.
The bard began to play.
Strings sang of sorrow, of distant love, of battles long lost. His voice, low and broken, carried like smoke.
The court quieted.
But one man did not listen.
Wei Yun watched. Not the bard. The hands. The fingers. The way they never missed… not once.
No wandering minstrels played like that.
STRIKE
The final note hung in the air like a suspended breath.
Then the bard bowed low.
"A gift for the Iron Lord."
With a flick of his wrist, the lute twisted. A hidden blade sprang free—
Too fast for most to see.
Too slow for Lü Bu.
The blade never reached him.
Wei Yun moved.
A gust of wind. A blur of steel.
CLANG!
The blade shattered on contact with Wei Yun's twin daggers.
"Assassin!" he roared.
Guards surged. The bard leapt back, face twisting—smiling still, but with venom now. A final dart flew from his wrist.
It flew—
—but Lü Bu caught it midair.
His hand bled. He did not flinch.
He stared at the assassin with eyes like ancient stone.
"Tell your master," Lü Bu said, "his shadows are weak."
And then… he snapped the dart in two.
DEATH IN THE DARK
The assassin never saw the end.
Wei Yun struck once. A single blow.
When it was over, the man's mask slid away, revealing not a bard—but a killer branded by the Southern Coalition.
The hall fell silent.
Not in fear.
But in fury.
Lü Bu turned to his guards. "Double the watch. Tighten the gates. No strangers in or out. From now on, we are at war… in shadow and in steel."
⚙️ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[ENEMY INFILTRATION – FIRST ENCOUNTER SURVIVED]
⚔️ Trait Gained: Lü Bu – "The Iron Watch"
– Increases detection of hidden threats
– Boosts loyalty and morale of guards
⚔️ Wei Yun Skill Unlocked: Shadow Reversal
– Counters all assassination attempts with increased lethality
🕵️ Enemy Report Logged:
– Southern Coalition Assassin – Failed
– Expect retaliation soon.
AFTERMATH
Zhaoling did not sleep that night.
Children woke to the sound of marching boots.
Women whispered prayers.
Soldiers sharpened blades twice over.
And Lü Bu?
He stood on the battlements, blood still on his palm, looking toward the south.
"So they strike from the dark," he murmured.
"Then let the flame rise."
"I will show them that even in shadow… the war god does not fall."