"The Di people blocked the mountain stream under the city; the soldiers, parched and weary, drank juice strained from horse dung.
"Zhong dug six wells in the city but couldn't find water, and he sighed, 'Is this Heaven abandoning me?' The soldiers were parched and weary, and as the Di were about to attack, Zhong ordered the soldiers to fight to the death.
"An adjutant advised, 'When the former emperor was trapped, he stabbed the mountain with his sword, and a spring burst forth. The Mandate of Heaven belongs to Chu; there is no end.'
"On the seventh attempt, a spring gushed forth, and everyone shouted 'Long live!'
"Zhong then ordered the soldiers to splash water outside the walls. The Di were caught off guard and thought it was a divine sign, so they withdrew."
This is the original text from historical records.
While Zhao Haiping couldn't remember the exact words, he could still recall the general plot since he had looked at a translation at the time.
He began to consider the situation in the dungeon.
"According to the historical account, the Di cut off the city's water source, and Chu's soldiers could only drink horse dung juice, just like in the game.
"General Geng Zhong had the soldiers dig six wells in the city, but none yielded water. Geng Zhong thought, 'Heaven has forsaken me.' Just as the Di were preparing to attack, he ordered the soldiers to fight to the death.
"Then, an adjutant advised him, and Geng Zhong dug a seventh well, which finally produced water. Geng Zhong then ordered the soldiers to splash the water outside the city, playing a psychological trick, and the Di retreated, thinking Chu was aided by divine forces.
"But this storyline doesn't seem to appear in the dungeon at all?"
Zhao Haiping suddenly realized that if he removed the adjutant's storyline, it would be the exact situation he encountered in the game.
If Geng Zhong had truly fought to the death without any water in the city, the chances of a miracle happening were slim. The northern Di soldiers were highly motivated, thinking Chu's soldiers had no water, and capturing the city was only a matter of time.
But after finding water, Geng Zhong ordered the soldiers to splash it outside the city, playing a psychological trick that made the Di withdraw.
"Could it be… that I'm supposed to be that adjutant?
"No, that's not right. I'm just a lowly archer, not an adjutant at all, right?"
Zhao Haiping was sure he had no authority; he was a mere foot soldier and had no access to the general, let alone the role of adjutant.
But he had no choice but to try.
With a full day before the attack, he would have to attempt to convince General Geng Zhong in that time.
...
Restarting.
Zhao Haiping was back on the familiar city wall, but this time, instead of waiting idly for the northern Di soldiers to attack, he stood up and walked toward General Geng Zhong's position.
"What do you want!"
Two guards immediately blocked him.
Zhao Haiping hurriedly said, "I have urgent news for the general!"
The two guards looked him over. "The general is very busy right now and has no time to see you. The barbarians are about to attack; return to your post immediately!"
Zhao Haiping wasn't ready to give up. "But I have important information that could solve this crisis!"
The two guards were visibly impatient. "If you have something to say, tell us. It's the same thing."
Zhao Haiping was speechless, but he understood his low rank. As a mere foot soldier, he had no right to demand an audience with the general.
Reluctantly, he explained to the guards.
"If the general continues digging a seventh well, there will surely be water!"
The two guards looked at each other and responded dismissively, "Fine, we got it. Now get back to your post."
Clearly, they didn't believe him.
Zhao Haiping couldn't leave it at that. "Then go tell the general!"
One guard looked at him and said, "Brother, we're just as thirsty and desperate as you, but that doesn't mean you should disturb the general.
"If the general asks where to dig the seventh well, how would you answer?"
Zhao Haiping was stumped. "Uh…"
Why would he ask me where to dig the seventh well? Isn't that for the general to decide?
But the guard had a point. He was just a low-ranking soldier, and with the city under siege, he couldn't just barge in to see the general.
If anyone could walk up and make requests, the guards would have no job.
Even if a miracle happened and the guards let him through, what if the general asked the same question? Where to dig the seventh well?
If Zhao Haiping pointed out a random spot and they found no water, it would end the same way.
With the city under siege and six dry wells, why would the general waste manpower on a seventh well just because of a lowly soldier's suggestion?
All were valid concerns.
With a sigh, Zhao Haiping turned and jumped off the city wall.
"Hey!"
The two guards were startled, rushing forward to stop him, but it was too late.
"What's wrong with this guy… why take his own life?"
"Maybe the thirst got to his head…"
The two guards looked at each other.
...
Back at the dungeon's starting point.
Zhao Haiping couldn't wait for the barbarians to storm the walls; he knew that no matter what he tried, he was doomed, so he might as well get it over with.
Having died so many times in this dungeon, he had become indifferent to death.
After all, he had been thrown off the walls by barbarians several times.
"So, there are two problems here. First, my rank is too low; nobody listens to me. It's unreasonable for a lowly soldier to abandon his post to suggest digging a well to the general.
"If I were an adjutant with a close relationship with the general, I could talk to him directly.
"The second issue is that I don't know the exact location of the well. Telling the general to dig randomly? Not practical.
"The second issue is easier to solve. This city's ruins still exist, so I could look up the well's location online or even visit the site to be sure.
"The first issue is tricky. Can I change my role in this dungeon? It doesn't seem like there's such an option.
"Could it be related to the first phase?
"The better I perform in the first phase, the more likely I am to earn the general's recognition and become an adjutant?"
After this line of reasoning, Zhao Haiping realized that the dungeon was far more complex than he had initially thought.
Who said the soldier dungeon was all about brute force? Clearly, it's not!
Even a pure combat class requires strategy, and even acting skills.
When reporting this to the general, what tone and expressions should he use? All of this needed careful planning.
"Log out."
As this thought solidified, his vision blurred with white mist, and he quickly woke up in reality.
He glanced at the time, stunned.
"It's only just past 3 a.m.?
"Impossible! I've died countless times in-game!
"There's something strange about this game; not only does it make players lose track of time and stay fully engaged, but the in-game time also seems faster than real life."
To Zhao Haiping, this was obviously good news, as it meant he had more opportunities to enjoy the game tonight.
He went online to search for the ruins of the city.
The information on Wikipedia was minimal, and it didn't mention the well's exact location.
He then found photos of the ruins.
"West wall… north tower… western corridor… trench…
"Got it!
"This looks like a well!"
He zoomed in on a high-resolution aerial photo and carefully examined it. Although the well wasn't marked, he could vaguely see a pit resembling a well near the south tower, with a ring of stones raised around it.
"The stream flowed from the northwest, and this well was south of it. No wonder everyone dug near the stream, overlooking this location.
"If this well is correct, then my next task is to perform well in the first phase, trying to appear in front of the general as much as possible.
"Maybe in the second phase, my rank will change?"