Three Kingdoms: Conquer Wu from Maicheng with Cavalry and Swords, Don't Fall Behind

"Sir, sir, the fate of the Han Dynasty rests entirely in your hands!"

That's it, that's it. Qi Ye checked the difficulty level; there were four in total.

Searching for Historical Figures (Easy): Recommended for players who focus on experiencing the story and enjoy the thrill of mowing down enemies. Enemy soldiers and generals have low aggression and deal little damage, and are almost never killed.

A Man Who Roams the Chaotic World (Normal): The default balanced experience allows you to enjoy the thrill of being a one-man army, but also requires you to block and dodge appropriately when encountering enemy Musou generals.

Turning the Tide (Difficult): Recommended for veteran action game players. The enemy AI is more aggressive, frequently launching attacks and defenses, and even forming encirclements. If you are not familiar with the combat system, you can easily get into a tough fight.

Unrivaled Warrior (Ultimate): At this difficulty level, the enemies have extremely high attack power, and even ordinary soldiers can pose a deadly threat to the player.

This difficulty level is typically designed for players seeking top-tier weapons, items, techniques, or those looking to push their limits. Enemy Musou generals will attack more frequently and deal significantly more damage, leaving very little room for error.

Qi Ye did not hesitate and chose "the one who fights without equal".

"Congratulations to the player for unlocking the ultimate difficulty and experiencing the tension of extreme survival firsthand."

With a loud hum, the heavens and earth rustled, and a magical, dazzling rain of light appeared.

The scene abruptly shifts to an oxcart rumbling along, with piles of corpses forming hills around its hub.

Rotting flesh lay strewn about, severed limbs were intertwined, and corpses of the starved piled up.

With muffled thuds, one withered corpse after another was thrown from the oxcart into the mountain of corpses, rolling softly to the ground.

The deceased's hand was stiffly raised halfway, as if begging the heavens for food to sustain his life.

The old ox pulling the cart lowered its head, exhaling heavy breaths, and exhaling the putrid smell of blood from its nostrils.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the blood-stained ground, brushing past another oxcart that had just entered the mass grave.

"Hmm? This somber color scheme looks like a post-apocalyptic, wasteland world?" Qi Ye deduced.

He looked around carefully, but then felt it wasn't right. The surrounding area was filled with familiar wooden palisades, forming a protective enclosure. The guards wore black turbans and linen tunics, carrying leather shields and ring-pommel swords.

Inside the enclosure, vendors were loudly hawking their wares, creating a bustling atmosphere reminiscent of an ancient market.

With a thud, a young "corpse" rolled off the newly entered oxcart, and the camera froze.

Qi Ye clicked the mouse, and the "corpse" pupa moved forward.

The pupa-like being?

"My god, what kind of script is this? They didn't even show a single leg at the beginning?"

The game starts with a human stick.

Guan Yu: "..." This body seems to be his younger self, who is not yet twenty years old.

What incredible power!

Qi Ye, not believing in fate, moved the mouse. His character continued to crawl for a moment, and it became clear that his character was truly crippled, without hands or feet.

He glanced at the panel and confirmed that it was indeed the Martial Saint, and that a "Hunger System" had been added, indicating that he was on the verge of starvation.

From the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms period, plagues occurred frequently for decades. Due to abnormal climate, frequent wars, and large-scale population migration and death, infectious diseases such as typhoid fever became widespread, and five of the Seven Scholars of Jian'an died from the disease.

If even aristocratic families and noble clans are withering away like autumn leaves, what about ordinary people who can't get enough to eat or wear!

"Nobody told me that restoring the Han Dynasty is so difficult. -- I should go to the market to beg for food first, lest I starve to death later." Qi Ye pondered, then continued clicking the mouse rapidly.

The Martial Saint Cicada, a mere screen's distance, crawled for two and a half minutes.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head at this start.

"No hands, no legs, and a knife on his back. Uh... he's a wandering swordsman!" Qi Ye's expression was strange; the plan was truly too perverse.

Before even entering the market, the scene inside was already visible through the screen.

On either side of the road stood servants of powerful families dressed in fine hemp, each holding a rope in their hand.

A long rope was wrapped around the necks of five or six little girls, tying them up in a row. One of the girls secretly wiped away her tears, which earned her a scolding.

"Stop crying! Stop crying! If your parents hadn't knelt down and begged me, and if you weren't somewhat attractive, you would have starved to death in the wilderness long ago!"

"Did you see those human sticks outside?"

The foreman grabbed the crying girl by the chin and looked outside. The little girl was terrified, stunned and speechless.

Qi Ye: "..." Do you even understand the value of a player?

Guan Yu: "..." Do you even understand the value of a wandering knight?

The knife they carried saved their lives.

The Martial Saint continued forward, and the city gate guard stepped over him, watching with a grin.

stare--

"Hey, where's your money?"

In local government offices, many of the clerks were not officials appointed by the imperial court, but rather sons or retainers of powerful local families.

They ran errands for the government, but often for their own "masters." If commoners wanted these people to help them spread information or reduce the burden of taxes, they had to offer them something in return.

It would be more accurate to call this a "door fee," or a "small favor" or a "private thank you."

Local officials like village heads and pavilion chiefs, once they went to the countryside, acted like bandits, "selecting the fattest and most handsome men and sending their heads to their homes."

This means that when they went to the countryside to collect taxes or summon people, they would specifically target wealthy households, go directly to their homes to sit and wait for food and drink, and then have to pay "travel expenses" before leaving.

The Martial Saint let out a long "humph," then turned and left.

Qi Ye carefully examined the panel and exclaimed in surprise, "Normal attacks can still be used?"

He was about to give it a try, but then thought it over carefully and decided it was best not to cause trouble. Even on the "Unrivaled" difficulty, ordinary soldiers could pose a deadly threat to the player; he shouldn't act rashly.

With a quick glance, I spotted the familiar "stealth" feature and clicked "activate" without hesitation.

Rows of red arrows appeared on the screen. Each red arrow represented a gaze that could see the character.

The arrow moves slowly with the character. The NPC's gaze deepens, and stealth experience points are increased.

To earn a living, Qi Ye crawled around in front of the market. Once his stealth skills improved, he could crawl inside naturally.

Unexpectedly, the gatekeeper was staring intently at them.

"What, looking down on those who are like pupae?" Qi Ye glared back, not to be outdone. Just wait, he'd sneak in and give the gatekeeper a good slap.

Suddenly, someone rushed out and shouted, "There's a porridge distribution point outside the market!"

The refugees suddenly perked up and rushed out of the market towards the soup kitchen.

The Martial Saint fled, and by the time he arrived, the porridge had already been distributed.

A young man from the countryside, dressed in a patchwork Taoist robe, with an ordinary, even somewhat rustic, face, bent down and grinned, revealing his large front teeth:

"This patient is so down-to-earth, living a simple life, sleeping wherever he goes. Patient, would you like to ask me some questions?"

A gust of east wind blew, carrying with it a pungent, acrid smell of burning flesh. Soldiers spurred their horses, shouting, "A great scholar from the court is coming to lecture; all corpses must be sent to the fire for cremation, and none must be kept!"

The bailiff pointed to the half-eaten piece on the ground and shouted, "Take it away and burn it all! Don't waste firewood!"