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Chapter 189: Iron Ore Crisis
Chapter 189: Iron Ore Crisis
2017-09-25
Lu Haikong successfully lured Gongsun Chui, an elderly blacksmith, into his camp with a tempting offer.
Lu Haikong was fair with the payment, offering 500 gold per day as requested, but he had a trick up his sleeve. He stipulated that Gongsun Chui would only be paid for the days he worked, and if he didn't work, he wouldn't get paid.
This seemed reasonable, but Lu Haikong had a cunning plan. As soon as Gongsun Chui settled in, Lu Haikong informed the blacksmiths in the camp about his new hire.
The old blacksmith, known for his expertise, was immediately swamped with research tasks, as Lu Haikong tasked him with guiding and mentoring the intermediate blacksmiths.
Initially, Gongsun Chui was unaware of Lu Haikong's intentions, but he diligently took on the work, whether it was blacksmithing or research.
True to his reputation, Gongsun Chui's skill was exceptional. On his very first day, he crafted Lu Haikong's Light Cloud Crossbow, and within three days, he perfected a giant crossbow designed for city defense.
When Lu Haikong inspected the giant crossbow, he was amazed at the improvements. It was more like an upgrade than a mere refinement. The crossbow was at least five meters long, with a seven-meter-long bolt, capable of firing at targets up to a kilometer away with astonishing power. At 500 meters, Lu Haikong struggled to catch the bolt, and at 200 meters, it was nearly impossible.
Gongsun Chui's expertise was evident, and in just five days, he earned 2,500 gold from Lu Haikong, but the benefits to Lu Haikong far exceeded the cost.
However, on the sixth day, when Gongsun Chui arrived for work, he was informed that he only needed to work five days a month.
Lu Haikong had successfully trapped him in a web of his own making.
Despite Gongsun Chui's exceptional skills, his price was exorbitant, and Lu Haikong's finances were tight. Although he had over ten tons of gold ore, his upcoming expenses were significant, and he couldn't afford to pay Gongsun Chui's monthly fee of 10,000 gold.
Additionally, there wasn't enough work to keep Gongsun Chui occupied. The private commissions he completed in five days would take Lu Haikong's blacksmiths a month to finish. The blacksmith camp itself had run out of iron ore, and the coal used for fuel was barely sufficient for gold smelting. Without ore and coal, they couldn't even produce the giant crossbow designed by Gongsun Chui, now named the 'Gongsun Crossbow Mechanism' by Lu Haikong.
Lu Haikong was frustrated by this situation, as he had initially intended to take advantage of Gongsun Chui, but he hadn't anticipated becoming so dependent on the old blacksmith in just five days.
Fortunately, Gongsun Chui didn't seem to mind and left happily, joining Wang Lao in the commercial district. How they became acquainted during those busy five days was a mystery.
For Lu Haikong, this turn of events was ideal. In addition to his task of building a pasture, he now had to search for iron and coal mines.
Speaking of the pasture, the road leading to it is currently under construction and is expected to be initially passable in three to five days.
The Flame Battalion, dispatched by Lu HaiKong to scout the area, has returned with news that isn't entirely good or bad.
It turns out that the pasture behind Lu HaiKong's mountain camp is already occupied by a small Hun tribe, numbering only a few thousand people. This is a force that Lu HaiKong can easily defeat.
Moreover, the Hun tribe possesses a considerable number of livestock, including cattle, sheep, and horses, which are precisely what Lu HaiKong needs for his planned pasture.
Conquering a tribe of two to three thousand people is not a significant challenge for Lu HaiKong. The real issue is that the presence of this foreign tribe indicates that the pasture is not unclaimed land, which poses a significant problem.
This means that Lu HaiKong must station a defensive force at the pasture.
As a result, Lu HaiKong's situation will become more challenging in the short term. The pasture behind the mountain camp will require a force to defend against foreign tribes, while the camp itself needs to be defended against the Imperial Court. Any misstep could lead to the danger of being attacked from both sides.
Lu HaiKong is now grateful that he heeded Li Xiong's advice. If he had recklessly eliminated the Strong Yin County troops, his current situation would be even more difficult.
Although establishing the pasture may lead to the mountain camp facing attacks from two sides in the future, Lu HaiKong must proceed with its construction.
The food supply within the mountain camp does not allow Lu HaiKong to halt this step. Unless he can create a suitable environment outside the camp for large-scale food cultivation or import food from external sources, which is clearly impossible, at least for now.
Lu HaiKong has no choice but to turn to animal husbandry.
In this situation, Lu HaiKong must eliminate the Hun tribe, and if necessary, take drastic measures to exterminate the entire tribe.
Lu HaiKong has made up his mind, and the Black Wind Legion is already preparing for battle. He plans to lead this operation personally.
Lu HaiKong's decision to take personal action is not only about the Hun tribe but also due to the Flame Battalion's report. It seems that a pack of wolves is roaming the grasslands, and Lu HaiKong intends to deal with them while he's at it.
The construction of the Savage Wolf Altar is hindered by the lack of wolf materials. Although Lu HaiKong previously hunted and killed a group of wolves, the materials were not properly handled, and most of them deteriorated, except for a few hundred wolf pelts.
To build the altar, Lu HaiKong must hunt a new batch of wolves.
Additionally, Lu HaiKong wants to explore the grasslands. It doesn't make sense that there are training spots for the mountain camp and the Flowing Camp outside the system, but none in the grasslands.
Lu HaiKong plans to search for training spots in the grasslands, as they could be sustainable sources of money and resources for him.
Lastly, Lu HaiKong wants to practice the Fundamental Axe Technique and aims to improve it to level 35. He hopes to comprehend the Mysterious Scroll, as his last attempt at comprehension ended in failure...
(End of Chapter)
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