Chapter 057: The Three Black Heroes

In "The Rise of the Empire," there is a unique system: before a player or NPC faction can lead troops into battle against another, they must submit an application to the system three hours in advance. The system does not make this application public, nor is the opposing side notified. Each application lasts twelve hours; once the time expires, they cannot attack unless they reapply. Those already "at war" are not restricted by the twelve-hour limit, and self-defense requires no application at all.

Once an application is submitted, the friends feature is immediately disabled, graying out to prevent instant communication from disrupting the rhythm of ancient warfare.

At this moment, Li Zhan, Lei Long, and the other clan chiefs had all filed their war applications with the system, even the accompanying chiefs, since their soldiers also needed to coordinate in the battle.

Following Li Zhan’s earlier instructions, Muyu signaled the tribe with smoking beacons. An entire afternoon passed, but the Black Fiend Tribe showed no sign of activity.

Dinner was still provided by the Tutu Tribe; villagers carried the prepared food to the soldiers. Life in the Muyu Tribe went on as usual—villagers farmed, chopped wood, and pretended as though nothing was amiss.

After the meal, dusk had fallen. Li Zhan, Lei Long, and four temporary squad leaders gathered to discuss the next stage of military deployment and confirm the action signals. They only waited for true nightfall before launching their operation.

Meanwhile, in the Black Fiend Tribe, Chief Black Fiend and his two brother chiefs, Black Ghost and Black Star, were strategizing for the night’s actions. The three had eagerly submitted their war application to the system at noon, determined to seize Muyu Tribe.

Their haste to attack was due to Black Ghost’s recent stroke of luck—while wandering in Fuling City, he had accepted a blacksmith’s quest. Upon reviewing the details, he found not only was it difficult and time-limited, but it also carried severe penalties. Black Ghost realized the reward must be valuable, so the three of them worked tirelessly to recover the blacksmith’s lost hammer, which earned them a map of iron ore deposits.

The map showed the distribution of iron mines in Fuling County and the surrounding regions; however, most had already been discovered and occupied by nearby tribes. These tribes, thriving on the profits of selling iron to the authorities, were powerful and not to be trifled with. The three were initially disappointed—if the mines were all claimed, the map was practically worthless, nothing but a scrap of paper. In his frustration, Black Fiend even threatened to lead troops into Fuling City to confront the blacksmith, claiming that if the reward wasn’t worthwhile, he’d ransack his home.

Yet among the three, only Black Star remained calm, scrutinizing the map again. Near their own territory, he noticed a pale yellow marker in a water-stained area. According to the legend, pale yellow indicated either unknown reserves or deep iron ore. This mine was just east of Black Fiend Tribe, within Danyang County, about five hundred meters south of Muyu Tribe in an undeveloped wasteland.

They examined the map again and were overjoyed. That very day, they rallied the villagers to clear a path through the woods between the two tribes, then began gathering their combined forces. Still, as this would be a cross-border operation, their hesitation cost them valuable time—during which Muyu Tribe erected wooden palisades, built watchtowers, and promoted twenty villagers to militia.

After a day of indecision, the three finally resolved to eliminate Muyu Tribe and seize the iron mine. Muyu Tribe, though prepared, had only twenty militia at most, while their combined force would easily number thirty or forty—overwhelming odds. Furthermore, most of Muyu’s militia were newly promoted, at level zero with poor skills and combat ability, little better than ordinary villagers—no real match.

With such confidence, they felt victory was all but assured. By dawn, Muyu Tribe would be erased from the Chaotic Continent, and the untapped iron mine would belong to the "Three Black Heroes."

After a hasty dinner, they split their thirty-six militia into three squads, each chief leading one, and eagerly awaited full nightfall. At precisely nine o’clock game time, the three quietly opened the east gate and set out toward Muyu Tribe with their thirty-six men.

As they marched, they praised their luck: the night was pitch black, neither moon nor stars visible through the thick clouds—perfect for a surprise attack, as the watchtowers’ range would be severely limited. After traveling about seven hundred meters, they reached the logging camp at the edge of the Black Fiend Tribe’s territory. Beyond the camp, another two kilometers would bring them to Muyu Tribe. The chiefs ordered their men to move aside the barricades and press on.

After about five hundred meters, Black Star, on the left flank, voiced his concern: “With it being this dark, it’s true Muyu Tribe won’t see us coming. But if they ambush us on the way, we won’t see them either.”

The militia, hearing this, began to glance nervously around. Black Ghost, the eldest, was irritated by such talk, smacking Black Star on the back of the head. “Third brother, can you stop being so paranoid? It was your hesitation earlier that cost us the chance, letting Muyu build their defenses and train up twenty militia. Ever hear of Sima Yi? If he hadn’t been suspicious, he’d have let Zhuge Liang escape, wouldn’t he?”

Black Fiend added, “Exactly! Learn from your second brother. If someone displeases me, I act! What’s the point of overthinking? If Zhuge Liang tried his Empty Fort Strategy on me, I’d take him out—no question!”

Black Fiend was the most hot-tempered of the three, so much so that even Black Ghost deferred to him. Black Star, the youngest, dared not argue, muttering agreement while thinking to himself: Zhuge Liang wasn’t stupid enough to play that trick on you—keep dreaming.

Still unsatisfied, Black Fiend kept shouting, boasting that if it were up to him, they’d have attacked as soon as the path was cleared. At that time, his tribe had fourteen militia, while Muyu only had five, and no defenses at all—not like now, with all these obstacles.

Black Ghost tried to quiet him: “Enough, just shut up. It’s the dead of night—do you want Muyu Tribe to hear your donkey voice?”

Just as they marched through the narrow path in the woods, Black Ghost’s words were interrupted by a sharp clanging sound from the trees beside them.

“Clang—!”