Chapter Nine, The Death Game

Then, they spent money to secure the release of the influential believers in the local area, and subsequently organized activities

During Liu Bei's process of developing his power, the Liu clan provided him with considerable convenience and assistance, offering him some investments, helping him purchase land to expand his estate, and allocating to him some businesses operated by the clan.

Liu Bo, through some channel, became acquainted with Lu Zhi and developed a certain friendship with him

From that time on, he planned to develop his power towards becoming a local tyrant.

Years of fighting and killing have made him almost forget the time when he longed for fame

As for how to enter the upper echelons of society during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the knowledge from modern civilized societies is of little use

Liu Bei pondered for a moment, took the so-called inexpensive yet not cheap basic ticket, and with his life as a stake, entered this deadly game

However, a few years ago, the family that had summoned him called him back to his hometown, where he began studying under the esteemed local scholar Le Yin, and from then on, they only communicated through letters

After inquiring repeatedly, I did not hear any news about the Yellow Turban Rebellion. It then occurred to me that Zhang Jiao had engaged in several activities seven years prior during the Guanghe era, but they were of small scale, had little impact, and incurred minimal losses, akin to a child's play, and were quickly suppressed by the local authorities.

When reminiscing about the past, Liu Bei recalled that he had the idea of using Lu Zhi to make a name for himself at that time, but unfortunately, hetushu.com did not have the connections

The good news brought by Liu Bo allowed Liu Bei to detach himself from the glory of being a street fighter and to re-examine the world. He helplessly discovered that even though he had achieved the freedom to barbecue, he was still just a small fish in the entire social hierarchy of the Eastern Han dynasty

And now, this opportunity has unexpectedly come knocking at the door, causing the long-silent heart that yearns to defy fate to beat fervently once again

Because he realized that even if he became the tyrant of Zhuo County, relying on mutual exploitation with his family and gaining some attention from the authorities, in the end, he was merely a minor character in the vast landscape of the Eastern Han Empire.

What is sought is nothing more than the overwhelming martial virtue of Liu Bei, which serves to intimidate outsiders and even the authorities

A worthless fish that would not even stir a ripple in death

In the following period, Liu Bei's power grew increasingly stronger, and he acquired more and more land. The appearance of local tyrants and new wealthy elites gradually emerged. The lives of the refugees in the stockade continued to be barely sustained until today

Zhang Fei, a young man from a local small portal in Zhuojun, actively sought to ally himself with Liu Bei due to his admiration for Liu Bei's bold reputation. His fierce and reckless fighting style earned him Liu Bei's trust as a close confidant

He sent people to establish a settlement for them deep in the mountains, allowing them to rely on the mountains for sustenance and continue to reside there. At the same time, he began to attempt to purchase land to establish a farm, gradually recruiting tenants from this group of displaced persons to cultivate the land for him

A fellow townsman, Jian Yong, a young scion of a powerful family with whom he had fought in his youth, also sought refuge with Liu Bei after the death of his mother and being unwelcome among his family. Liu Bei took him in as a trusted confidant and appointed him as the spokesperson and diplomatic envoy for the newly emerging Liu clan.

Originating from Hebei and having grown up in Youzhou, Qian Zhao followed Liu Bei out of admiration for his martial virtue. The two shared a close relationship, often fighting back to back.

From then on, he was no longer content to be merely a street thug; instead, he began to actively transform into a local power broker. The displaced people, who were deeply grateful for the favors he had bestowed upon them, were regarded by him as a source for his private militia and could not be easily dismissed

During this period, the assistance from the Liu clan of Zhuo County was still very important

However, ultimately, if he does not have a certain level of military strength, whether standing with the Han government or the Yellow Turban Army, he is likely to become cannon fodder

To be honest, when Mother conveyed this matter to Liu Bei, Liu Bei was taken aback

Throughout the late Han and Three Kingdoms period, up until the brief unification under the Western Jin, although the population loss was not as exaggerated as the legendary ninety percent, it is not an exaggeration to say that it was roughly fifty-fifty compared to the peak population of the Eastern Han

He recalled that Youzhou was also one of the heavily affected areas during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. With his current family business, he would undoubtedly be one of the targets for the Yellow Turbans and the bandit army to attack the wealthy. If he did not join them, he could only wait to be struck by them

During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, there were established rules of the game, and ninety-five percent of the people were unable to participate in this game, while among the five percent who could participate, ninety-five percent were merely cannon fodder

Should one continue to be a county-level tycoon enjoying the freedom of barbecuing, or should one pursue that elusive and intangible possibility to achieve a breakthrough in social class?

Ji Jian was one of the earliest confidants and was highly trusted by Liu Bei

Having gone through the life cycles of "Living is Already Exhausting All Efforts" and "Street Fighter", Liu Bei has long since shed the arrogance and ignorance of his earlier days when he wielded the three axes of the time traveler

Thus, this path is destined to be fraught with peril, with every step being arduous; a moment's carelessness could lead to total loss, leaving no trace behind.

For example, Guan Yu, a man from Hedong who had to flee to Youzhou due to being involved in a murder lawsuit, was discovered by Liu Bei because of his tall stature and extraordinary strength, and was regarded as a trusted confidant.

The victors after the great waves have washed away the sand have experienced something that cannot be described merely as a bloody struggle.

Liu Bo also became Liu Bei's first true benefactor in the genuine sense.

Ultimately, Liu Bei and the others were merely in a mutually exploitative relationship; the only genuine bond was with the Liu family.

Liu Bei also identified his earliest core team from among these individuals, expanding his influence and military strength to safeguard his interests

This was originally a good model, relying on the mountains for sustenance while waiting for Liu Bei to recruit them to cultivate the land, a quite favorable sustainable development

Everything is still about interests

Upon suddenly hearing the news of the disturbances in Taiping Dao of Jizhou, Liu Bei was quite astonished at the time, thinking that the Yellow Turban Rebellion had commenced ahead of schedule

Because he provided Liu Bei with the opportunity to study under Lu Zhi, he thereby opened the path to success for Liu Bei. When Liu Bei completed his studies and returned to Zhuo County, successfully obtaining the actual control of the Liu family, Liu Bo also played a significant role in this achievement

When he learned that Lu Zhi was preparing to establish a school at Mount Goushi in Luoyang to teach disciples, he sought to secure two spots for his son Liu Hui and Liu Bei.

At the age of fifteen, Liu Bei was still not very satisfied with his situation

However, at present, there are approximately 2,500 refugees from Youzhou living in Liu Bei's private farm and the remote mountain village, among which there are more than 700 able-bodied men. They are both farming the land and hunting in the mountains, while also secretly training in martial arts to strengthen their combat skills

By a stroke of luck or misfortune, the tickets to participate in this game were presented to Liu Bei by the noble Liu Bo at this very juncture in the fourth year of the Xiping era

After the death of Emperor Ling of Han, Dong Zhuo caused chaos in the country, leading to the collapse of the central authority of the Eastern Han Dynasty. A period of turmoil soon followed, resulting in countless individuals turning into mere handfuls of yellow earth

At the very beginning, there were only about two to three hundred people in the village, which was small in scale, and at that time, Liu Bei could not support so many people

He has now clearly recognized the truth that "to obtain something, one must pay the corresponding price" along with the understanding that the knowledge he brought from his previous life can only be utilized in the true upper echelons of society

From this perspective, the reason why the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which lasted for seven years, was able to incite uprisings across the thirty-six regions of the world is also due to the experiences accumulated from several previous failed rebellions.

At this point, Liu Bei's thoughts became lively and active

Why is there a saying that goes "the remaining ones are the kings"?

Acquiring land, constructing a farm, recruiting tenants, establishing a foundation; even in the future amidst chaos, one must first possess the ability for self-preservation

He is equipped with extreme survival skills, each move targeting the vital points of his opponent. There is nothing flashy about his techniques, yet they are lethal. An ordinary person would not last more than three moves against him before inevitably lying on the ground

To participate or not to participate

Since ancient times, there have been very few individuals who have successfully rebelled once, been captured, and yet survived. Zhang Jiao is one such person, which is why he accumulated a considerable amount of experience in rebellion

Although Liu Bei was not regarded as superior to his father or grandfather in the eyes of his clan, his rise to power brought forth a strong deterrent to external forces due to the presence of such virtuous and capable clansmen. This, in turn, subtly enhanced the competitive edge of the Liu clan in the local context

Moreover, aside from the indiscriminate impact of the Yellow Turban Rebellion on all social classes of the Eastern Han Empire, how much chance of survival could Liu Xuande, a mere county-level local tyrant who escaped the Yellow Turban Rebellion, have in the chaotic times to come