Plundering Luoyang (Part 2)
Lu Bu's detachment, led by Yeo Po, crossed Hulao Pass and headed straight for Luoyang.
They had failed both to secure Kim and to break the coalition army's momentum.
Dong Zhuo would surely unleash a harsh reprimand upon hearing the report, but Lu Bu whistled lightly, unconcerned.
"Um... My lord. This could lead to severe punishment."
Jang Liao shot Yeo Po a word of caution.
"Jang Liao. That Kim fellow... he's quite the odd one."
Yeo Po tossed out the remark casually, as if she couldn't care less about the mission.
"No, my lord."
Ignoring Jang Liao's frustrated expression, Yeo Po continued.
"He's clearly much weaker than me. It was that Zhang Fei or Guan Yu who were the real threats."
Yeo Po tilted her head back to gaze at the sky.
"But... he read my attack."
Yeo Po's eyes sparkled with pure intrigue.
She had swung her halberd in a wide horizontal arc, then reversed it for a follow-up strike—a technique most strong generals couldn't perceive in time during their first clash, leaving them unable to parry. Yet he had deflected it perfectly, as if peering into her very thoughts.
"Hmm. True. His insight was sharp."
Jang Liao recalled her own fight and nodded in agreement.
She had been impressed by how he snatched the net from the ground and blocked her spear thrust, escaping the pressure with remarkable ingenuity.
"Yeah, that's the fun part. He's still weak as hell, but he's got real talent."
Yeo Po grinned, stroking Red Hare's mane.
"Wanna see how fun it'll be once he gets stronger. I get why you wanted him, my lord."
Yeo Po flashed a cheeky smile.
"But my lord... we failed the mission, so no Seven Star Blade for you."
Go Sun chimed in slyly.
"Ah..."
Yeo Po's face fell. She wouldn't get that bronze sword she'd coveted so badly.
"Well... stand out in battle, and he'll give it anyway."
Yeo Po shook her head, forcing a calm tone.
Of course, that was a misstep.
Back in Luoyang...
"What?! You couldn't bring back Kim?! And you got pushed back?!"
Dong Zhuo flew into a rage, hurling a nearby wine cup.
"There are plenty of strong ones out there," Yeo Po shot back, a flicker of annoyance at her lord's outburst over a single failure. But she stood tall—the world's greatest warrior couldn't do it, so no one else could either.
"Kim... doesn't bend easily, huh. Heh."
Yet Dong Zhuo proved his caliber as a ruler, swiftly shifting to the matter at hand.
"Cross Hulao Pass straight to Luoyang? Street fighting? Doesn't sit right."
Dong Zhuo recalled bitter memories.
He'd once botched a cavalry charge in Guangzong's streets, suffering a humiliating defeat.
Luoyang, the Han imperial capital, was overly developed and wide open. Defending while fighting was disadvantageous—especially for his mostly cavalry-based Western Liang troops.
Then, Dong Zhuo's trusted advisor Li Ru chuckled slyly.
"Prime Minister. What if we relocate the capital? Moving to Chang'an, a bit away from Luoyang, would preserve the ancestral temples and altars."
Chang'an was ideal for defense, tucked beyond winding mountain paths from Luoyang.
"R-relocate the capital...? Abandon Luoyang, where the imperial ancestral temples stand intact?!"
The Han officials recoiled at the suggestion.
"Even sages relocated when fortunes waned. Luoyang's on the verge of being trampled by rebels' filthy boots. Better to temporarily shift residence than let it be desecrated."
Li Ru parried smoothly.
But this wasn't true debate. It all hinged on Dong Zhuo, who held the military power.
"Fine. We'll do that."
And abandoning Luoyang meant they could loot everything here. That thought sealed it.
"Pack up everything worth taking and abandon Luoyang!!! And it can't become the rebels' forward base—burn it all down!!!"
Dong Zhuo issued the mad order that would stain Chinese history.
Loot everything in Luoyang, torch it, and forcibly relocate the populace to Chang'an.
Steal what you can, rape whoever catches your eye. His Western Liang troops understood perfectly.
They eagerly ransacked imperial treasures and even dug up ancestral tombs. The wails of forcibly displaced commoners and the stifled sobs of Han officials formed a symphony worth more than gold—one you couldn't buy tickets for.
All this unfolded between dawn and morning.
Sun Jian's detachment and ours raced like mad over Hulao Pass to Luoyang, but by the time we arrived, it was over.
The city was a sea of ashes.
"What in the..."
Even Sun Jian, veteran of countless battles against Gangdong bandits and thieves, gaped at the devastation.
"They've already bolted, huh."
Sun Jian gazed regretfully at the sunset-hued sky. Despite the late hour, flames lit the surroundings blindingly bright.
Afterward, he roughly paid respects at the barely intact ancestral temple to the founding emperors—a mix of loyalty and showmanship.
Then Sun Jian ordered his men to search for survivors and clear the rubble as best they could.
That's when things got busy.
"Sis. Time to go."
I called out to the dazed Guan Yu.
"Ah. Yeah."
Seizing the moment as Guan Yu and Chun Seol snapped to, I headed straight for a spot I'd memorized long ago.
The well inside the Luoyang palace— that's where the imperial seal awaited.
'But I need to separate Guan Yu and Chun Seol.'
Let them know I found it, and it'd get annoying.
"Sis, Chun Seol. Can you two head into the palace and hunt for valuables?"
I sent them elsewhere right away.
"Wouldn't it be better together?"
Guan Yu asked.
"Search efficiency drops that way. We gotta secure valuables fast for our war chest—before Sun Jian's guys beat us to it."
I laid out the practical issue bluntly.
"C-competition...? You mean looting like common thieves, Kim?!"
Guan Yu predictably FM-ed her outrage.
"These treasures have no owners anymore—or they've fled. If we don't grab 'em, Sun Jian's crew will."
"...Hmm."
"Plus, you know we blew our funds getting here? Empty-handed, we're broke in Pingyuan. We could squeeze more taxes there, but Lord Xuande hates that. So this is plundering for the public good."
I framed it to convince Guan Yu.
"W-well, yeah. Holding the treasures until a rightful owner appears. Sure, think of it that way."
Guan Yu bought it instantly. Whew. Explains why Gao Chong's a pain to persuade.
"Chun Seol. Just sweep everything into the bag. I'll hook you up with your share later."
I directed my human inventory, Chun Seol.
"Ah... Yes!!"
Chun Seol perked up at the solo mission.
Once Guan Yu and Chun Seol headed off palace-shopping...
I bolted full speed to the well. Delay, and one of Sun Jian's generals might snag it.
At the well, a rainbow glow of auspicious light emanated, just as expected.
Clunk.
The bucket felt heavy, caught on something.
Rattle.
Hauling it up revealed a palace maid's corpse, clutching something dear—hooked on the bucket.
Pulling the bundle from her arms yielded what I'd sought.
The Imperial Seal of the State.
The seal symbolizing the Han imperial authority. Though imposing, it has endured a tumultuous path. Passed through countless hands, lost and reclaimed repeatedly, it bears an unmistakable crack. The gold mend over the fissure has become its signature mark. (1/2)
For reasons unknown, all who claim this seal meet calamity. Yet despite the omen, it holds an irresistible allure. Only those with ironclad resolve or ignorance of its worth can resist. (2/2)
A verbose description, as always.
Just picking it up visibly boosted my stats.
Leadership +60
Charm +60
Acquired: Overlord's Dignity
Overlord's Dignity: Greatly boosts subordinate officers' efficiency when you become a lord.
A cheat artifact that could make even a trash-tier lord like Um Baek-ho look the part just by holding it. Bonus: as a non-weapon treasure, it didn't take inventory space.
But... it carried a fatal curse.
The debuff Flame of Ambition. Serving long-term under another faction as a vassal or official racks up stacking debuffs. Ignore it for years, and massive stat drops make it unavoidable.
It only vanishes if you found your own faction and crown yourself emperor—a real kicker, forcing true sovereignty to shake the ambition.
'No way I'm becoming emperor.'
I had zero ambition; the seal stirred nothing in me. Declaring myself emperor just paints a target on your back. Yuan Shao learned that the hard way. Complicated lifestyles? Pass.
'Giving it to my boss Liu Bei? Pointless.'
The scenario where Liu Bei founds Shu Han was ages away. Handing it over now would curse him with debuffs until coronation.
Best to smash it. Breaking the seal yourself grants a killer passive.
Immovable Mind: You have attained an unshakeable mental state, impervious to temptations or desires. Immune to negative emotional states.
In a game where emotions like rage, sorrow, or panic affect stats, this was gold.
No falling for clever schemes, illusions, or taunts. Morale holds firm even in dire straits.
Sure, seems plain? Fair question.
But Immovable Mind had a bug.
Meant only for emotional debuffs, a coding glitch also nullified physical ones—like bleeding or poison DoTs.
Instant immunity to those turned it into the ultimate cheat passive. Smash the seal on sight—always worth it.
So I acted fast.
Shing.
Placed the seal on the well's stone rim and drew my Extreme Eastern Sword.
Shiiiing!!!!
No hesitation—I slashed straight down.
Clang!!!!
Already cracked jade shattered cleanly under the thick blade, exploding into fragments.
Shiiiing...
The rainbow glow faded auspiciously from the seal.
Immovable Mind
The status window message cluttered my peripheral vision.
Now I was immune to mental debuffs and bleeds, poisons— a true impervious body, the Terminator of the Central Plains.
High later; seal smashed, time for cleanup.
Handle the Yuan Shao spy who'd witnessed it all nearby. Sword drawn, I charged their position.