Chapter 203: The Masked Man
Chapter 203: The Masked Man
The attributes of the Wild Wolf Guards were similar to what Lu Haikong had previously learned, with the weakest among them having a Strength of 40.
In the mountain camp, a Strength of 40 was no longer considered rare. Without considering other factors, there were nearly three hundred individuals from the Flame Battalion with a Strength over 40. Therefore, if it were solely about Strength, the Wild Wolf Guards would not be worth Lu Haikong's attention.
Of course, this was without considering the special meaning Lu Haikong attributed to the Wild Wolf Guards, and they were not as simple as their data suggested.
Since the Wild Wolf Guards were a unique troop type, they naturally possessed unique characteristics. However, with their current small numbers, they couldn't fully showcase the strength of this troop type.
Nevertheless, even with just ten Wild Wolf Guards, they were not to be underestimated. Without considering other factors, their combined strength was such that Zhao Gang, with his newly increased Strength of 70, might not be able to defeat them.
Through the Wild Wolf Guards and the Mountain Bandit Bodyguards, Lu Haikong increasingly realized that the one thing his mountain camp lacked the most was time. If he could be given half a year, he couldn't even imagine how powerful his camp could become.
Apart from the Wild Wolf Guards, another pleasant surprise came from Li Xiong.
Since being subdued, Li Xiong had rarely disappointed Lu Haikong. This time was no exception. Over the past half month, while stabilizing the situation in Qiangyin County and keeping the influential families in check, Li Xiong had also helped Lu Haikong alleviate the issue of coal and iron ore.
In half a month, Li Xiong couldn't possibly bring back a significant amount of iron and coal, but the batch he did bring was enough to start operations in the Blacksmith Camp.
Thanks to Old Gongsun's presence and the upgrade of the Flowing Camp, the Blacksmith Camp had undergone significant changes recently. First, two intermediate blacksmiths were promoted to advanced blacksmiths, and over twenty beginner blacksmiths joined the camp.
However, due to the previous shortage of iron and coal, the changes in the Blacksmith Camp were not immediately apparent. But when Li Xiong delivered the batch of iron and coal, the Blacksmith Camp brought Lu Haikong a pleasant surprise.
As soon as the iron and coal arrived, Lu Haikong immediately notified Old Gongsun to start working and sent him the blueprints for the Wolf Fang Bow and Wolf Fang Arrows. In less than a day, the finished products of the Wolf Fang Bow and Wolf Fang Arrows were presented before Lu Haikong.
What delighted Lu Haikong even more was that with sufficient iron and coal, the Blacksmith Camp could now craft ten Wolf Fang Bows at once. Although the number wasn't large, it was still much better than Lu Haikong's initial expectation of one bow per day.
With enough iron and coal, they could craft five hundred Wolf Fang Bows in just over a month, enough to significantly enhance the combat power of the First Battalion.
However, the iron ore brought by Li Xiong was insufficient for crafting five hundred Wolf Fang Bows. Lu Haikong had no choice but to instruct the Blacksmith Camp to temporarily halt the production of Wolf Fang Bows and focus on crafting a few of Old Gongsun's newly designed crossbow mechanisms.
While a few crossbow mechanisms might not significantly increase the defense of the camp's walls, placing them at the camp's gate would be a different story. The narrow gate was already difficult to breach, and with these powerful weapons, it would become a hopeless deathtrap for any attackers.
With such a formidable defense at the camp's rear, Lu Haikong could now focus on other matters without worry.
The current mountain camp was like a machine running at maximum power, racing against time to exhaustively utilize the accumulated resources, striving to become powerful enough to withstand any danger.
Lu Haikong was satisfied with the camp's overall development, except for one thing that left him somewhat discontent: the so-called historical scholar he had recruited with the Edict for Recruiting Talents still hadn't arrived after more than half a month. This delay frustrated Lu Haikong, who had been eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Unknown to Lu Haikong, the historical scholar he had been thinking about was already on the way. However, the scholar's health was not in the best condition, and Afu, concerned about his young master's well-being, drove the carriage slowly and carefully to avoid any jolts.
The journey north was not without its dangers, and they had to remain vigilant against potential ambushes. At their current pace, it would still take some time to reach Qiangyin County.
What Lu Haikong didn't know was that the clouds of war were already gathering on the horizon.
...
In Dingxiang Prefecture, Wang Hao, accompanied by a newly recruited general, sat in a private room of a tavern in the county town, seemingly awaiting someone.
Wang Hao seemed to hold the person he was waiting for in high regard, even showing a hint of impatience. He didn't touch the food on the table, instead frequently glancing at the door of the private room.
After waiting for half an hour, the door to the private room opened, and a masked man entered.
"You finally came. I've been waiting for you for ages," Wang Hao said, his delight mixed with a hint of complaint.
The masked man entered and first glanced at the historical warrior who was feasting, then turned to Wang Hao. "Apologies for keeping you waiting. Congratulations on acquiring a historical warrior."
The fact that he mentioned a "historical warrior" made it clear that the masked man was no ordinary person.
"No need for apologies. I should be thanking you. If not for the Edict for Recruiting Talents you sold me, I wouldn't have acquired a historical warrior."
In the 169th chapter of the book, there is no mistake!
Wang Hao looked at the masked man with admiration in his eyes. He knew that this person, despite being an oddity, possessed considerable abilities. Not only was his Strength exceptionally high, but he also had a mysterious background and was skilled in the art of disguise. It was from this man that Wang Hao had purchased the Edict for Recruiting Talents for ten thousand gold, a price that he had found a bit steep.
If Lu Haikong knew that an Edict for Recruiting Talents could be purchased for just ten thousand gold, and someone had even considered it expensive, his expression would surely be amusing.
Wang Hao, thinking of this, got straight to the point without beating around the bush. "The reason I asked you to come is that I have a business proposition for you."
"What kind of business?" The masked man's voice was deliberately muffled, making it sound peculiar.
"In ten days, we will be attacking a mountain camp. I hope you can help us open the camp's gate."
The masked man was taken aback but quickly recovered. "The mountain camp of the Qiangyin County?"
"Yes. Can you do it?" Wang Hao asked.
The masked man remained silent for a moment before finally nodding in agreement...
Chapter end
Report
