The days passed.
Morning to night, Lü Bu trained Tian — not just in swordsmanship, but in breath control, footwork, discipline. Pain was constant. Rest was rare. There were no soft moments.
But something was changing.
Tian was no longer just swinging wood. His eyes focused. His stance held. His blade struck with purpose, not panic.
He was becoming a soldier.
And the hills began to whisper.
At a nearby village, a drunk spoke in hushed tones at the tavern:
"There's a ghost in the forest. A warrior who fights like thunder and trains like mad… said he cut down a whole gang of bandits without blinking."
In the bandit camps, talk spread faster:
"Stay away from the cliffs. There's a boy up there. Fast. Cold. Kills like he's been doing it forever."
Some mocked it.
Others packed up and vanished.
But not all.
Far to the north, in a ruined outpost where weeds grew taller than walls, a grizzled man sat sharpening his spear.
He was old now — bones heavy, eyes shadowed with memory.
But once, he had commanded legions.
He had seen empires rise and fall. Seen men claim to be kings and die nameless in the mud.
Now he watched the forest below.
"That flame…" he murmured.
"It's small… but it burns hot. Hot enough to light a battlefield."
He stood slowly, slinging his spear over one shoulder.
"Let's see if the boy is real."
Back on the cliff, Tian was wiping blood from his lip.
He had just lost another sparring match.
Lü Bu's blade had stopped an inch from his throat. Again.
But Tian didn't look away this time.
"I'll win tomorrow."
Lü Bu said nothing.
But the corners of his mouth almost… almost moved.
System Update
— Tian's Progress: 21% Trained
— Iron Core Morale: Rising
— Unlocked Trait: Resilient Learner
— New Notification: Potential Ally Approaching… Unknown Intent.
That night, as the fire cracked and stars blanketed the sky, Lü Bu stared into the dark.
He felt it.
The shift
He was no longer a shadow hiding from the world.
The world… was looking back.
And soon, it would come knocking.
"Let them come," he whispered.
"This time, I'll face them head-on.