Hollow Victory in Luoyang's Ashes
With that, we called it quits. It wasn't until noon the next day, after I'd finished grinding in Luoyang, that the coalition army's main forces finally linked up with us.
"What in the world..."
In truth, they'd seen the smoldering ruins of Luoyang from afar, so they knew the situation. But Yuan Shao, the alliance leader, put on a grave expression and surveyed the surroundings.
This was the cue for everyone to show their grief. As if on signal, they all bowed their heads with somber faces.
The Han capital had been smashed to rubble and reduced to ashes. As a group playing the part of loyal Han ministers, they had to act the sorrow.
"I took care of collecting the bodies and holding the funerals. Not a single palace or anything else remains."
Sun Jian, who'd arrived first, spoke up a bit proudly.
"I see. Then allow us to pay our respects at the imperial ancestral temple."
Yuan Shao led all the feudal lords straight to the temple.
After going through the motions of loyal retainers, a quick status window message popped up.
Fractured Heavens
You witnessed the fall of Luoyang.
Okay. A nice bonus perk right away.
"Gong... this is..."
As we returned to the Liu Bei army's formation, Bu Yong-hwa sidled up to me quietly.
"..."
It was a brutal sight for a sheltered young lady like her, raised like a golden flower.
There, under a collapsed building, lay half-charred, carbonized corpses.
I casually covered Bu Yong-hwa's eyes with my hand.
Liu Bei and Zhang Fei shot me meaningful glances too. We stood together, offering silent condolences.
------
With business wrapped up, the coalition army felt like puppets with the strings cut—strangely listless and unmotivated.
So, what now?
That was the vibe.
Everyone had dreamed of restoring the imperial house in Luoyang, only to find it an empty shell.
No one expected Dong Zhuo to uproot everything—buildings and all—and multi-base to a new main camp.
Why not just chase him down? It seemed simple, but it was a tough call for several reasons.
The front lines are stretching too thin.
Our home bases were elsewhere, and we'd come on this expedition together. We had our rations, but without returning home, resupply would be dicey.
Only stingy misers Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao had surplus grain; the rest were scraping by.
That was Dong Zhuo's gambit.
Even if you seize Luoyang, no rice comes out.
If people were still living there normally, you could requisition supplies, but with the city in ruins, there was nothing left to take.
And one more thing.
Prolonging the war here would hurt the feudal lords. They were all posturing and checking each other from the start—burning more resources meant weakening their own power bases. With no trust among them, no one wanted that burden.
The "loyal retainers" wanted to fight, but not at this cost. That mood filled the air.
Yeah. They'd all realized the truth. This was just a club for "loyal retainers."
They'd made memories during the club activities. Like failing to ring the Golden Bell—kinda bittersweet.
"We have all succeeded in driving the traitors to Chang'an!! It was possible only thanks to everyone's righteousness!!"
Yuan Shao suddenly declared victory with a shout.
"Mmm!!! We showed our strength!!"
"With the traitors fled to Chang'an, their fate is sealed!! Haven't we restored Luoyang?!"
Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu whipped up the mood.
"What..."
Liu Bei looked outraged at their attitude. But he wasn't a feudal lord here—he had to stay silent.
"Then what the hell did we come for..."
Zhang Fei grumbled. Guan Yu frowned deeply too.
"Restoring Luoyang? We didn't cut down a single enemy, didn't tear apart a single traitor. Sticking a flag in an empty ruin is 'restoration'?!"
Stepping forward in fury was Cao Cao.
His already sharp eyes grew even keener, flames practically shooting from them.
Definitely no ordinary hero. He had the makings of a legend.
"...No. Everyone worked hard—don't say it like that."
Yuan Shao chuckled lightly, trying to smooth things over.
"Is this fighting hard? Our goal wasn't to present Dong Zhuo's head and meet the Emperor?!"
Cao Cao shouted.
"No, but if we all rashly chase Dong Zhuo and hit an ambush..."
Then Yuan Shao threw in a jab.
A high-handed attitude toward Cao Cao. Well, at this point, Cao Cao was kinda like Yuan Shao's subcontractor.
But Cao Cao had his own resolve.
"Those who want to pursue the traitors, claim great merit—follow me!!! What point in working with these petty fools!!"
Cao Cao led his own troops charging out of empty Luoyang.
No way I'm following.
This was a surefire trap—Cao Cao would get ambushed and routed.
Without intervention, he'd fall to Xu Rong's ambush. Xu Rong died by my hand, but otherwise, Zhang Liao would lead it. Dodging the wolf just to meet the tiger.
Helping break the encirclement would boost Cao Cao's affinity... but no other rewards.
And there were other issues.
"Xuan De, my brother. Time to head back. Traitors aside, we don't know what those You Province barbarians might do."
Gongsun Zan said this to us.
As his subcontractors, we had to heed him.
------
Liu Bei army had nothing left to do. We just flowed back with the others, empty-handed.
Wait, not entirely empty-handed.
Tao Qian, Kong Rong, and others who'd joined offered Liu Bei words of praise. They'd been impressed by our mercenary band's exploits.
For Liu Bei, just attending this gathering of legends and making a name for himself was a win.
Clop clop.
As we prepared to leave, one person approached on horseback.
"Ah, uh... ugh."
It was Sun Quan.
"Oh my, if it isn't Quan."
I greeted her with a smile. I'd played with her often alongside Bu Yong-hwa, so there was affection there.
"K-Kim... oppa."
Sun Quan's word choice was unusual. Calling me "oppa" instead of "uncle." Her affinity must've gone up. "We'll meet again, right?" she asked, looking at me.
Sun Quan had grown surprisingly fond of me.
"Of course. Obviously we'll meet again."
I answered casually.
Who knows now, but maybe later.
"Hehe... yeah!"
Sun Quan beamed brightly, gave a little wave to Bu Yong-hwa, then trotted off happily to Sun Jian's camp.
So cute. I get why people want kids.
Bu Yong-hwa watched with some intense gaze I couldn't quite read.
"I can't take it anymore..."
She muttered in a heated tone. Whoa, why so scary?
"Honey, let's have a baby soon too. Please? I really want one..."
Bu Yong-hwa jumped up, clinging to my arm with all her might.
"..."
This meant I'd be milked dry again the moment we got home. Suddenly, I felt the full weight of being a married man.
--------
They say a mercenary in chaotic times is just a guest—but Pingyuan was starting to feel like home.
Unloading gear and entering base, I finally felt alive again.
"Dao Ran uncle."
I handed Dao Ran the Far East Sword I'd used till now.
"Hm? What is it? Tired of your weapon already?"
Dao Ran glanced over while hammering the anvil.
"Nah, got a better one. Mind holding onto this?"
Time for the Far East Sword to graduate.
Shing.
I drew my beloved Nam Un Geom for a test swing. This blue blade was a beauty.
"Oho... where'd you snag such a famed sword?"
Dao Ran's eyes lit up.
"Heh, lifted it in Luoyang."
"Kuhahat! Still got those Tachun thief habits."
Dao Ran chuckled, taking the Far East Sword.
"It's good enough—sell it to someone later."
I said offhand, but he shook his head.
"Nah, this one's for display. With your skills, Kim, you'll shake the whole world soon enough."
Dao Ran grinned at me.
"Shake the whole world?" Come on, what's the hype?
"I'll advertise it forever as the sword that general Kim used. Heh."
Dao Ran stroked his beard, laughing without answering.
Liu Bei, this uncle—everyone from Tachun overrates me.
"Show me that sword sometime. Rare blue steel."
After responding to Dao Ran, I left the smithy.
"Ah, Kim Gong. Heard the rumors."
A man waiting outside waved with a grin. My info guy.
Our friend Gan Ong, great at picking up gossip everywhere.
"Looks like Dong Zhuo handed out official posts to the other lords."
Gan Ong said smiling.
"Mm. Mm."
Since this wasn't pure game—no timeline—I got updates from Gan Ong and such to track story branches.
As expected, Cao Cao hit Dong Zhuo's ambush, got crushed, and the anti-Dong coalition fizzled out.
Not a total win for Dong Zhuo either, so he tossed official titles to the lords like charity.
"And... nothing from Gongsun Zan?"
But I cared about something else.
"Ah... just like you said, Kim Gong."
Gan Ong glanced around, then whispered in my ear.
"A Yuan Shao envoy visited Gongsun Zan's residence. Looked like some secret talk..."
Hearing that, I was sure.
Boundary Crossing Battle arc starting?
Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan plotting to crush Ji Province's Governor Han Fu and split Ji Province.
Prime chance to farm EXP. And to link up with broken OP character Zhao Yun.
Time to make excuses and bail from Liu Bei army.
If Liu Bei heads to Xu Province, real suffering begins. Do Boundary Crossing, then bounce. I resolved that, plotting ahead.
First, gotta hit Chang'an once.
Whether by deserting or some excuse, swing by the Han court in Chang'an for gains. Right after Boundary Crossing, timing should work—just tight. Might be rough, but make time somehow. And...
As I pondered, Gan Ong peered at my face.
"By the way, Kim Gong. You look a bit worn out. Something up?"
Ah, showing?
"Nah, nothing much."
Bu Yong-hwa clung too hard last night—left me drained. Married man's plight.
"Next time, dig into Yuan Shu and Sun Jian news when you got time."
With Sun Jian alive, tensions with Yuan Shu would grow. Sun Jian eyeing independence too. Need intel there. I asked Gan Ong, then headed out.
Go for it! Gan Ong Wiki!!
That was my inner cheer.
--------
At that moment, in a thatched hut atop Mount Shang.
"Zilong, come down the mountain."
An elder in neat daoist robes smiled at the dignified beauty.
"But Master, I haven't reached the pinnacle of martial arts yet."
The beauty bowed with a bao quan, puzzled by the sudden descent order.
"Mm. You're indeed still lacking. But true martial arts is perfected through purpose. It's an action, after all. Without purpose, it's meaningless—like dead scripture."
The elder chuckled lightly, raising the bao quan-ing beauty.
"In this chaotic world, serve the righteous and become a sword for benevolence. That's another path to martial pinnacle."
"Is that why I'm descending?"
Zhao Yun the Little Dragon tilted her head.
"Mm. Finding it is part of life's fun."
The elder laughed, gazing at the peach tree in the mountain sanctuary, its leaves scattering. He took in his prized disciple's figure.