Chapter 7 My Territory

The production of a swordsman requires 60 units of food and 20 units of gold ... ... Although it is somewhat expensive, its practical combat effectiveness is much better than those alternatives

The fence of the camp stretches for dozens of miles, established at the time of the initial settlement. However, due to the frequent attacks by wild beasts, almost every day there are casualties among the Jin people from these attacks, forcing Liu Yan to gather everyone to cut down timber. A considerable amount of time that could have been used for earlier development was wasted in order to build the fence.

In fact, the internal space of the town center is limited. Liu Yan dispatched a reconnaissance cavalry to continuously gallop and scout this square space, which has an approximate radius of about 50 kilometers. The most astonishing thing is that items stored in the town center never need to worry about spoilage or mold; it is remarkably equipped with unparalleled preservation measures.

The mill that is now missing a donkey still stands in the valley; compared to the occasional braying of donkeys and the sound of stone mills from other mills, one cannot imagine how much this quiet mill is a slap in Liu Yan's face.

The changes in the valley made Liu Yan feel somewhat unrecognizable upon his return. Only after seeing it with his own eyes did he realize that the buildings constructed later had some planning errors, which encroached upon the arable land available for farming

They were gone for nearly four months, departing with almost 500 soldiers (including soldiers from Jin). Upon their return, only a little over 300 remained, with the greatest losses among the spear and archer units. The spear soldiers suffered 89 fatalities, while 29 archers were killed in battle. In fact, 10 reconnaissance cavalry were sent out, but only 2 returned alive, whereas not a single swordsman perished. The Jin soldiers incurred a loss of 46 men.

Liu Yan also discovered a remarkable place in the back, where there exists an inexplicable spatial link between the town center and the constructed lumber warehouse, mineral warehouse, and mill. Storing resources in the warehouse or mill is equivalent to them being automatically transported to the town center

Indeed, there are limitations to the transmission. For instance, only timber can be transmitted from the lumber warehouse; placing other items is not permitted. It is rather unfortunate that spatial links seem to allow for one-way transmission, as items stored in the town center cannot be retrieved from the warehouse. Another rather awkward point is that only Liu Yan himself and system characters can enter the town center; anyone else who attempts to enter will be instantly crushed, in the truest sense of the word, leaving not even a trace of bone.

Previously, in order to ensure that the valley remained concealed, Liu Yan chose to cut down timber, which proved to be quite laborious. He preferred to personally lead the farmers to distant locations to seek out forests for logging rather than opting to fell the trees near the valley's exit. Eventually, the coastal forests were indeed nearly depleted, and it was only deemed necessary to clear a path for easier passage that he finally took action against the trees outside the valley.

Within the settlement, there are numerous wooden houses arranged in orderly rows, with each house capable of accommodating twenty residents. The arrangement of the houses is directional, and when viewed from a high vantage point, one can see that they form a shape reminiscent of a Bagua, encircling the area.

Upon entering the city gate, what one sees is a flat expanse of approximately five to six kilometers, filled with numerous buildings such as a town center, barracks, shooting range, stables, blacksmith shop, market, and mill

In fact, the farmers produced by the system are truly remarkable; they work tirelessly and selflessly, and can really handle any task, leading Liu Yan to jokingly refer to them as super farmers

Liu Yan's mind displayed the following: 12,579 units of wood, 35,200 units of food, 1,205 units of gold, 2,430 units of stone, and 1,400 units of iron

From the outside, the town center appears to be small in size, but upon entering, one discovers a vast and boundless space that seems to stretch endlessly. Liu Yanke was initially quite startled by this discovery, but upon reflection, it all made sense. After all, the game Age of Empires has its share of inexplicable elements, such as the fact that the town center can store resources indefinitely.

Liu Yan can access relevant resources in his mind. He has always wanted to meticulously plan for development and production, yet his good plans have repeatedly been disrupted. Just like this time, he intended to produce more farmers to lay a better foundation for future development, but upon learning from Xu Ming that the Jiezhu people in Qicheng would take action, he was forced to increase military units

From the resettlement area to the valley, one not only needs to traverse a flat open space but also has to detour to the seaside. Liu Yan originally intended to visit the dock by the sea, but after some consideration, he decided to postpone it. After turning for a short distance, he entered a forest, which requires at least more than two hours of walking within the forest to reach the valley

Liu Yan merely instructed a few individuals to properly settle the newly arrived refugees; he mounted his horse with a sense of urgency, taking a slight detour to avoid being followed, before heading towards the valley

While strolling outside, Liu Yan was able to control the development, yet what he observed were merely some markers on the map. Human beings always need to see things with their own eyes to feel at ease; he is one of those people

Liu Yan has produced a considerable number of military units over time, with the most produced being spear soldiers. If one were to count carefully, the total production would definitely exceed 350. However, why are there only a little over 100 remaining? It is precisely because the soldiers produced by the system are too single-minded; they execute whatever orders Liu Yan issues without question, displaying a fearless attitude in battle.

With a mill, how can one do without farmland? The farmland obtained through system resources requires 60 units of wood in the game, but on Liu Yan's side, it has become 35 units of wood and 15 units of grain. In fact, he had long been puzzled when he played the game Age of Empires; why is it that to cultivate land, one needs wood instead of seeds?

The system that Liu Yan obtained is truly remarkable, not only because it can perform the miraculous feat of 'transforming the living', but also because it involves a form of spatial teleportation. Currently, he possesses a town center, which from the outside appears to be a building of over 200 square meters, resembling an unremarkable thatched cottage. However, there is much more to it than meets the eye.

When the game became reality, Liu Yan's past confusion turned into retribution. Just look at how they even brought out the mill's donkey to kill, and you will understand the extent of their food shortage.

Numerous arranged houses encircle the central area, which features a spacious public space. In addition to a large open area, there is also a seemingly large cafeteria that provides daily meals for the people

There is a particular type of troop that must be mentioned, the reconnaissance cavalry. Although it has the term "cavalry" in its name, it is actually one of the most impractical types of troops. The reconnaissance cavalry resembles a unit specifically designated for scouting; they are truly ineffective in direct combat. Furthermore, the breed of warhorses is not impressive, making them quite delicate. They do not eat grass but only refined grains, and even then, their consumption is equivalent to that of three men.

Indeed, different military units have varying production times, so Liu Yan should really think quickly; otherwise, it may be too late to mobilize troops in a hurry when the Qiang people actually come to attack!

In the open area, there are several lookout posts, which are watchtowers constructed by Liu Yan (serving the function of arrow towers). Two archers are stationed on top of them at all times, in order to provide Liu Yan with visibility and necessary vigilance.

The use of cold weapons in combat essentially represents a situation where one inflicts a thousand casualties on the enemy while suffering eight hundred losses oneself. Unless there is a significant disparity in strength, akin to the difference between heaven and earth, one should not expect to achieve a victory without losses. The term 'fearless in battle' is not merely a positive expression; in the context of fierce fighting, it signifies a hard-hitting combat style. Generally, units characterized by fearlessness in battle tend to have an astonishingly high casualty rate.

From the outside, the cafeteria appears quite large, not only in the pure sense of size but also in height. Such a large building serves a singular purpose: to accommodate communal dining, necessitating its expansive construction. In fact, there are also outdoor dining areas; the interior space is designated for system personnel and certain administrative staff, as well as military officers, while the exterior is intended for ordinary citizens of Jin. This reflects a principle of differential treatment in management, which can have a more significant impact on managing a collective than one might imagine. In fact, there are also outdoor dining areas; the interior space is designated for system personnel and certain administrative staff, as well as military officers, while the exterior is intended for ordinary citizens of Jin. This reflects a principle of differential treatment in management, which can have a more significant impact on managing a collective than one might imagine

Liu Yan immediately understood that the vast and boundless space was the reason why the town center could store infinite resources

According to these resources, upgrading from the "Feudal Era" to the "Castle Era" should have been sufficient, yet Liu Yan constructed all the buildings that were supposed to be built, and the icon for the upgraded era remained gray, leaving him truly anxious.

There is a rather frustrating past incident to mention. Liu Yan was once driven to desperation by food. After building the mill, he took out a donkey to slaughter, thinking that placing it in the town center would convert it into food units within the system. However, the meat produced by the system... regardless of whether it was donkey meat, horse meat, or human meat, it simply could not be converted into food units

The buildings of the system now all exhibit the characteristics of thatched cottages, which is a style that emerged organically during the construction by the system's farmers, rather than being a result of any compulsive tendencies of Liu Yan

Upon crossing the woods and arriving at the valley, the first sight is a row of stone-like city walls. The walls are connected to a steep mountainside, and in the center, there is a city gate. There are no flags displayed on the walls, only a few squads of soldiers patrolling back and forth.

It is time to expand the system's elements, such as farmland and military structures. Furthermore, allow me to take another look at the resources, as we may need to deal with significant situations ahead, and it is essential to carefully consider which types of troops should be produced.

Liu Yan exerted some effort to check the units he had produced, which could not be seen from the system page and could only rely on the notes he had made earlier. Upon reviewing, he found that there were 50 farmers, 12 reconnaissance cavalry, 60 swordsmen, 131 spearmen, and 61 archers. He was also not very certain whether the data was accurate.

Due to the current system being in the "Feudal Era," the military units that Liu Yan can produce are quite limited. The most powerful unit is the swordsman, who comes equipped with armor upon production. The others, such as reconnaissance cavalry, spearmen, archers, and javelin throwers, are not particularly impressive in terms of either offense or defense.

In the forest, Liu Yan has irregularly arranged multiple lookout posts to prevent anyone from sneaking into the woods by evading the watchtower in the clearing, ensuring a second line of defense and further safeguarding the valley's security

Liu Yan discovered a peculiar phenomenon during a series of developments: although the farmers produced by the system may have low intelligence, they appear to be capable of almost anything, except for their concerning IQ and inability to participate in combat, as they engage in various tasks and undertake various constructions.

Establishing a power is indeed quite difficult; it cannot be accomplished by an individual alone. Liu Yan is well aware of how challenging it is to restore the grandeur of the strong Han dynasty, and he can only do his utmost. Fortunately, he at least has a golden finger.