Chapter 23: The Incorporation Mission

Now that Lin Mu’s status as a village chief was on par with Gao Hai’s position as a mountain stronghold leader, they stood on a foundation of equal dialogue.

"Village Chief Lin Mu, what request do you have that compels you to seek an audience with me?" Gao Hai asked directly.

"Stronghold Leader Gao Hai, let me be frank. We 'Outsiders' descended into this realm following the holy decree of the Great Goddess Nüwa. Due to special circumstances, I established my territory in the Yinglong Valley. While we currently lack sufficient population and resources, we Outsiders enjoy the mercy of the Goddess, granting us a massive advantage in crop production. Furthermore, our territory possesses divine attributes that allow our crops to be harvested multiple times a month; thus, food is no obstacle for us. However, our population remains very small. Upon discovering your stronghold, a brazen and impudent thought took root in my mind: I wish to incorporate you into our territory!" Lin Mu spoke with sincere conviction.

Lin Mu was not afraid of revealing his territory’s situation; he had the Divine General Feng Zhong sitting in his stronghold. Although Feng Zhong was currently low-level, he was more than capable of taking on ten thousand men against low-tier soldiers.

Upon hearing Lin Mu’s introduction and his blunt plan for annexation, Gao Hai did not show the shock Lin Mu had expected. He looked as if he had already anticipated this, his expression remaining calm, neither outraged nor dismissive.

He chuckled and said, "Village Chief Lin Mu, the moment my subordinates reported the discovery of an Outsider, I knew this would happen! I am only surprised that you could state your purpose so openly."

Gao Hai slowly turned around, gazing toward the place where his ancestors were buried within the stronghold, and said languidly, "Our ancestors left behind a long-standing prophecy: When the lands of Shenzhou are once again engulfed in the flames of war, the Outsiders will descend. The dragon veins of Shenzhou will flourish, and foreign powers will surge; whether it be a blessing or a curse depends entirely on the choices of their descendants! When I learned you were an Outsider, I knew the chaotic times spoken of in the prophecy were upon us. In such times, no one under the heavens can remain uninvolved or escape."

Lin Mu was not surprised by the mention of the prophecy; in his past life, many NPCs spoke of such things. At first, he had assumed it was merely game background, but he later realized it might be more than that.

Gao Hai turned back to face Lin Mu directly. "In chaotic times, trying to play it safe is impossible. Choosing a wise lord, however, is a matter of life and death for the entire clan; one misstep, and the people perish and the clan is extinguished! I hope you understand our caution, Village Chief Lin Mu. Forgive me, but I cannot immediately agree to your request for annexation."

Hearing the refusal, Lin Mu felt gloomy and displeased. Though his territory was smaller than the stronghold, its potential was immense. While his bold approach had been offensive, he had genuinely hoped to join forces for the future. Given the potential of his God-tier village, he thought a small stronghold would have jumped at the chance to pledge allegiance. It seemed he would not be able to persuade him today.

"However," Gao Hai added with a twist, "if Village Chief Lin Mu can resolve a difficult problem for me, becoming a vassal village is not out of the question!" The sudden shift in tone felt like a rollercoaster ride for Lin Mu. Upon hearing there was still hope, his mood brightened instantly.

Lin Mu realized this would trigger an annexation quest:

"—System Notification: Lord Lin Mu, Gao Hai has proposed a stronghold annexation quest. Do you accept?"

Lin Mu did not respond to the system yet; instead, he asked Gao Hai, "May I ask what this problem is? If it is within my power, I shall give it my all!" Lin Mu gripped his iron spear tightly.

***

Little Hu, standing behind him, did not interject. He felt frustrated because he couldn't understand a word of what they were discussing, but not wanting to dwell on it, the simple-minded youth wandered off to look around.

In truth, Lin Mu was also feeling quite anxious. He had exposed some of his territory's attributes; any knowledgeable NPC could deduce the grade of his Village Establishment Token from that information.

If the NPC were ambitious, they would likely attack his territory to claim it for themselves. Lin Mu knew the risks, but he desired rapid development. If he could annex this stronghold of over one hundred thousand people, his progress would leap to a new level, leaving all others far behind.

Lin Mu knew such things happened to NPCs. In his past life, some players whose territories had encountered miraculous fortunes and obtained Heaven-tier Village Establishment Tokens were conquered by NPC factions before other players could even reach them.

NPC factions also needed to develop, and they required territories with high potential as their foundation. Conquering a village established by a Heaven-tier token was an easy victory. This had caused many players to reflect: NPCs were not lacking in ambition; the benefits simply hadn't met their requirements yet. Otherwise, with the inherent advantages of the natives, they could strike with thunderous force, and players with low-quality development would be unable to resist.

Lin Mu knew that later, when the Han Dynasty’s fate was exhausted and the era of warring warlords arrived, NPC factions would annex player territories and other NPC factions alike, consolidating all power to increase their own strength and destiny in the struggle for imperial legitimacy.

But for now, player development had not yet caught the eyes of these ambitious figures; they were merely seen as frail Outsiders.

With his foresight, Lin Mu knew the terrors of figures like the "Four-Generation Three-Ducal" Yuan Shao, the "Peerless Overlord" Cao Cao, the "Brutal Demon King" Dong Zhuo, the "Contemporary Divine General" Lü Bu, the "Tiger of Jiangdong" Sun Jian, and the "Wise Lord of the Age" Liu Bei.

Lin Mu lacked their noble lineage, their vast networks of followers, their peerless martial prowess, and their ability to train special troops. He was a self-made man. To accumulate his foundation, he had been hiding in this isolated valley to develop in obscurity. If he could not take risks, even with his God-tier Village Establishment Token, he might fade into insignificance.

When he had first stepped out of his village and heard the system notification about the four large strongholds, Lin Mu realized the system’s intent: he needed to accelerate his development. At his current growth rate of 160 people per day, by the time the chaos erupted in 184 AD, his population would only be a few hundred thousand—not even enough to match a single legion of a major warlord.

Lin Mu realized that despite his past-life experience, compared to those warlords with great destiny—who could recruit a Divine General with a single gesture, gather a Divine Strategist with a notice, or encounter a super-tier historical general just by walking outside—he was incomparable. The thought was chilling.

Lin Mu set aside his arrogance; he knew he would have to grow slowly.

Even with his rebirth and prophetic abilities, he had inherent disadvantages. He had been an ordinary player in his past life, a vast chasm separating him from those warlords. He recognized the flaws in his own character and knew he needed to change.

***

Pressure creates motivation. Regardless of the future, he had to grasp the present.

Lin Mu pushed his heavy thoughts aside and listened carefully to Gao Hai’s dilemma: "Because our combat strength is very low, many of our people are production-class workers with weak martial prowess. We cannot protect ourselves. To survive in these perilous mountains, we sought help from a neighboring stronghold, which requires us to provide them with vast amounts of supplies in exchange for military protection."

"However, their appetite has grown larger and larger. Though we can still provide for them, it is becoming increasingly difficult. Furthermore, they have been deliberately neglecting their duties or driving ferocious beasts to attack our stronghold, leading to the deaths of many of our soldiers. I know they intend to swallow us whole—slowly depleting our forces so they can seize our stronghold at the lowest possible cost!"

"Your appearance, Village Chief Lin Mu, is exactly what we need to solve this. Our ancestors left a message saying that Outsiders are a group of people who, though physically frail, possess immense potential and can create many miracles. As the leader of the Qingyun Stronghold, I am asking for your help..."

Gao Hai began to recount the complex history of "love and hate" between his stronghold and the neighboring one.

It turned out that to the northwest of the Qingyun Stronghold lay a large stronghold—likely one of the four major strongholds related to Lin Mu’s territory.

This stronghold possessed a highly developed military force. Although they were not as cruel and plundering as legendary bandits, they imposed a heavy tribute burden on Qingyun, suppressing its development.

They also forced Qingyun’s craftsmen to forge various weapons and equipment. Labor costs aside, they often demanded that Qingyun provide the materials themselves before handing over the finished products.

Under the threat of their military might, Qingyun had been forced to swallow its pride and serve them.

Survival in the Qilian Mountains meant facing not only ferocious beasts but also the man-made threats of war. Qingyun was no longer as prosperous as it appeared; it was teetering on the edge of destruction. Gao Hai had been bearing the weight of these reasons alone; his people were unaware.

Having learned the hidden truth, Lin Mu began to question Gao Hai further about the situation in that neighboring stronghold.