The deed to the Imperial Grasslands felt heavy in Lin Yan's belt, a piece of parchment that carried the weight of a thousand head of cattle. Winning the race against Wei Jun had secured their freedom, but it had also painted a target on the "Big House" that could be seen from the capital.
"We can't stay huddled at the foot of the North Slope anymore," Lin Yan announced to the family council that evening. The fire in the hearth flickered, casting long shadows across the rammed-earth walls. "The Bureau will send 'inspectors,' and Wei Jun will send spies. We need to occupy the valley before the grass even knows we're there."
The plan was a logistical nightmare. They had to move the "Vitality Chickens," the "Silk Sheep," the mountain goats, and the twelve "Iron-Hoof" bulls—all while protecting the pregnant mares and the young "Iron-Wind" foal.
"The Great Migration," Lin Yan called it. To the villagers of Stone Creek, it looked like the Lins were finally fleeing the trouble they had invited. To Lin Yan, it was the expansion of an empire.
The Logic of the Drive
Moving a mixed herd across uneven terrain required more than just shouting and sticks. Lin Yan utilized the System's [Advanced Herding Logistics] to organize the family into a "Mobile Ranch Unit."
* The Point (Lead): Lin Yan on the Silver Ghost. His job was to navigate and set the pace.
* The Flanks (Sides): Lin San and the two best Range Guard recruits. They prevented the sheep from wandering into the thickets.
* The Drag (Rear): Qin Zhan and Lin Da. They dealt with the stragglers and the massive, stubborn Iron-Hoof bulls.
The departure was a spectacle. The "Iron-Hoof" bulls, led by King Granite, moved with a thunderous rhythm that shook the village windows. The bulls were harnessed to heavy "Sled-Wagons"—sleds without wheels that could slide over mud and rock—carrying the forge equipment, the looms, and the sisters' precious wool stocks.
"Goodbye, Stone Creek!" Lin San yelled, waving his hat. The villagers watched in silence, a mix of envy and relief on their faces. The Lins were moving to the "Imperial Grasslands," a place that had been forbidden to commoners for a century.
The Displaced Cowboys
On the second day of the trek, as the herd moved through the "Whistling Pass" that led down into the lush valley, the Silver Ghost suddenly reared, his nostrils flaring.
Qin Zhan was at Lin Yan's side in an instant, his hand on his sword. "Someone's ahead. Ten men. Mounted."
A group of riders emerged from the morning mist. They didn't look like bandits; they didn't have the soot-stained rags or the frantic energy of the Iron-Rats. They wore tattered leather vests, wide-brimmed straw hats, and carried long, supple willow poles. Their horses were thin, but their eyes were the eyes of men who knew the back of a saddle better than the floor of a house.
"State your business," Qin Zhan commanded.
The leader of the group, a man with a deep scar across his nose named Old Man Mo, spat a stream of yellow tobacco juice into the mud. "We heard the Imperial Stables lost a race. We heard a 'Ghost' was hiring. We're the 'Leftovers' from the Han Family Ranch—the one the General burned down last winter for 'tax arrears'."
> [System Scan: Displaced Labor]
> Group: Veteran Herders (Grade B).
> Skill: Advanced Roping, Cattle Nursing, Night Watch.
> Condition: Malnourished, Disillusioned.
> Loyalty Potential: Extremely High (If fed and respected).
>
Lin Yan looked at their horses. They were 'Range Bred'—ugly, tough, and smart. These weren't soldiers; they were the "Original Cowboys" of the Great Yan, men who had lost their land to the same vultures that were now circling the Lins.
"I'm not hiring servants," Lin Yan said, riding the Silver Ghost forward. "I'm looking for partners who don't mind the smell of bull sweat and the cold of a mountain watch. I pay in silver, fresh meat, and a share of the herd's growth. But if you steal a single calf, Qin Zhan here will find you before the sun sets."
Old Man Mo looked at the "Iron-Hoof" bulls behind Lin Yan. His eyes widened as he saw King Granite. "By the Ancestors... I haven't seen a bull that thick since I was a boy in the North. If you can raise beasts like that, boy, I'll ride into the abyss for you."
The ten men dismounted and bowed—not the submissive bow of a peasant, but the respectful nod of one craftsman to another. The Lin Ranch had just gained its first professional workforce.
The Arrival at the Grasslands
The Imperial Grasslands were everything the deed had promised. A vast, rolling sea of "Blue-Stem" grass and wild clover, bisected by a crystal-clear river fed by the mountain snows. It was a natural fortress, protected on three sides by ridges and on the fourth by the river itself.
"This is it," Lin Yan said, dismounting. "The new heart of the ranch."
He didn't start by building a house. He started by building the [Advanced Perimeter Fence]. Using the veteran herders' knowledge and the "Iron-Root" vines, they created a "Living Fence"—planting thorny locust trees and weaving the vines between them. It was a barrier that would grow stronger and more lethal every year.
That night, the first campfire in the new valley was a grand affair. The sisters, Yue and Hua, cooked a massive pot of "Ranch Stew" using the last of the cured meat and fresh wild onions found by the river.
The veteran herders sat with the village recruits, sharing stories of the "Old Days" of the great northern migrations. For the first time, the "Lin Family" felt like something bigger—a community of the displaced and the daring.
The Shadow of the Bull
As the moon rose, Lin Yan sat with Old Man Mo by the river.
"You have the land, and you have the men," Mo said, cleaning a pipe. "But you're missing the 'Core,' Lin Yan. To satisfy the Bureau's demand for 'Logistics,' you need more than just bulls that can pull. You need a Breeding Hub. You need to cross those Iron-Hoofs with the 'Red-Back' cows from the western plains. That's how you get a beast that can carry a cannon through a swamp."
Lin Yan nodded. He opened his System map. A new marker was pulsing in the far west—the "Red-Back" territory.
"One step at a time, Mo," Lin Yan said. "First, we build the stables. Then, we find the cows."
But as he spoke, a System alert flashed red in his vision—a warning he hadn't seen before.
> [Environmental Alert: Predator Migration]
> Species: 'Shadow Wolves' (Mutation Grade: low).
> Reason: The movement of the 'Iron-Hoof' herd has alerted the valley's apex predators.
> Estimated Arrival: 48 hours.
>
Lin Yan looked at the dark treeline of the surrounding ridges. The "Slow Burn" was over. The Imperial Grasslands were not empty; they were a hunting ground. And the Lins had just brought the biggest meal the valley had seen in a century.
"Qin Zhan!" Lin Yan called out, his voice echoing across the quiet camp. "Double the watch. And tell the blacksmith to start casting 'Wolf-Spikes.' The valley is welcoming us."
The First Night in the Valley
As the family slept in the temporary tents, Lin Yan stood on a high knoll, the Silver Ghost grazing nearby. He looked at the vast, silver-lit expanse of his new kingdom. He was a long way from the starving boy in the mud hut.
He had the deed. He had the men. He had the Ghost.
But as a low, mournful howl echoed from the ridges—a sound that was too deep to be a common wolf—Lin Yan realized that the "Imperial Grasslands" were called imperial for a reason. Only those with the strength of a king could keep them.
[System Notification: The 'Great Migration' COMPLETED.]
[New Goal: Establish the 'Fortified Base Camp'. Reward: 1x 'Automated Irrigation' Blueprint.]
[Reputation: 'The Valley Master'.]
The era of the "Ranch" had truly begun. And the wolves were coming to see if the master was ready.