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Shan Liang's POV
The journey to the plateau took nearly a full moon's cycle. By the time Shan Liang and Xie E finally stood on its edge, the early spring warmth had settled in for good, melting the last stubborn patches of snow in the valleys below.
From this height, she could see everything: the ribbon of the great river glinting in the distance, the patchwork of forests and meadows, even the thin smoke from scattered settlements on the horizon. A breeze swept across the plateau, carrying the scent of damp earth and wildflowers just beginning to bloom.
She took a slow breath. "It's⊠beautiful."
Xie E stepped up beside her, scanning the land with a soldier's eye. "Flat enough for fields. The slope to the east can be terraced for crops. And that ridge on the north side⊠with a wall, it would be a natural fortress."
The System's text appeared in her vision.
[Site Evaluation: Plateau North of River]
[Condition 1 â Agricultural Sustainability: PASS. Rich black soil; proximity to water via irrigation channels possible.]
[Condition 2 â Defensive Viability: PASS. Northern ridge offers elevation advantage; eastern slope manageable for controlled access.]
[Condition 3 â Strategic Position: PASS. Central to multiple settlements within a week's travel; isolated enough to limit early conflict.]
[Overall Assessment: HIGHLY SUITABLE. Recommendation â Begin settlement planning immediately.]
Shan Liang smiled. "Then this is it."
The first step was finding people willing to move. They spent the next two weeks visiting nearby settlements, explaining their vision: a permanent place where knowledge could be stored and taught, where crops could be cultivated year-round, and where a trained group could protect everyone from raids.
Many were hesitantâpeople in this age rarely left the land they were born on. But some, especially the younger ones who had seen her food preservation methods work through the winter, were eager. Parents who had lost children to starvation or wild beasts listened with particular interest.
One evening, by a communal fire in a riverside village, Shan Liang spoke to a crowd.
"I'm not asking you to abandon your homes for nothing. I'm asking you to join us in building something that will make sure your children's children never go hungry again. A place where we teach them not only to survive, but to understand the world."
There was a murmur of agreement, and by the next morning, six families had agreed to join them.
Xie E, meanwhile, began recruiting the first "Protectors." His approach was less about persuasion and more about demonstration. He would spar with anyone willingânever to humiliate, but to test. Those who stayed on their feet longest, or who showed quick thinking under pressure, earned an invitation.
"These people will be the shield for everything we build," he told her one night. "Without them, all your knowledge could be stolen or burned in a single raid."
She didn't doubt it. The System's last message still echoed in her mind: knowledge needs protection as much as it needs preservation.
When they finally returned to the plateau with the first wave of settlersâthirty-three people in allâit felt different. No longer was it just an empty stretch of land. Now, each corner they surveyed was marked with possibility.
The System immediately provided the next step.
[Long-Term Mission Progress: Stage 1 Initiated.]
[Objective: Establish primary structures â communal longhouse, storage, defensive perimeter.]
[Bonus Objective: Allocate central ground for Academy site.]
[Guidance Module Available â "Town Planning Basics."]
The "Town Planning Basics" knowledge unfolded in her mind like a map she'd always known but never seen before. She could picture where streets should run to allow easy travel, how to position homes so smoke from cooking fires wouldn't choke neighbors, and where the storage structures should be placed to keep food safe from pests.
She shared the vision with the settlers, drawing rough outlines in the dirt. Soon, groups were gathering stones, cutting timber, and digging postholes.
While Shan Liang oversaw the longhouse and the food storage pits, Xie E focused on drilling the Protectors. They trained dailyâsometimes in mock village defense scenarios, other times in patrol formations. The sound of wooden spears clashing and shouted commands became part of the plateau's daily rhythm.
She noticed something: the settlers seemed to work harder when the Protectors were visible. Seeing those disciplined figures standing guard while others built created a sense of safety, and safety encouraged effort.
As days turned into weeks, the settlement began to take shape. The longhouse rose first, its frame of thick beams visible for miles. Then came the food storage pits, carefully lined with stone and clay, and a smokehouse for drying meat.
Finally, she walked with Xie E to a cleared patch in the center of it all.
"This," she said, "will be the Academy."
It was nothing more than flattened earth now, but in her mind, she could already see itâa building filled with voices, with tools and scrolls, with people debating and learning together.
The System seemed to approve.
[Academy Site Designated.]
[Advice: Begin by constructing open-air learning space; roofed structure can follow when materials allow.]
[Reminder: Academy should have duplicate storage of all key knowledge to prevent loss from fire, flood, or attack.]
Shan Liang nodded to herself. "Then we'll make it so even if the walls fall, the knowledge lives on."
At night, when the fires burned low and the Protectors kept quiet watch, Shan Liang would sit with Xie E and talk about the future.
"Someday," she told him, "this won't just be a safe place. It'll be where people come to learn how to make their own safe places. A seed that grows seeds."
He grinned faintly. "And I'll make sure no one tramples the garden."
She leaned against him, watching the stars. Somewhere far above, she knew the God of Wisdom was watching, too. And for the first time, she felt the stirrings of a truth she'd always believed but never had proof forâmortals could shape the destiny of their people, if only they had the right tools, the will to use them, and the courage to protect what they built.
This was only the beginning.
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