https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-20-Dynasty-and-Ma-Han-s-Advancement/13030720/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-22-The-Scholars-of-the-Refugee-Camp-Part-2-/13030722/
Chapter 21: The Scholar in the Refugee Camp (Part 1)
Chapter 21: The Scholar in the Refugee Camp (Part 1)
September 25, 2017
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Even though he was facing a financial crisis, Lu Hai Kong didn't rush to tackle the massive refugee camp. Instead, he spent a day thoroughly training his thirty men.
The focus of this training wasn't solely on his men but also on himself. He had to ensure he could control the actions of these thirty bandits, especially the twenty under the control of Dynasty and Horseman.
It wasn't about making them follow orders blindly, but at least they would listen to commands, preventing chaos during battles.
The challenge of controlling these bandits was due to the intermediary roles of Dynasty and Horseman. Fortunately, Lu Hai Kong had the foresight to allocate a day for training. If he had recruited them directly and sent them straight into battle, he would have faced these issues during combat, which would have been quite a spectacle.
After a day's training, Lu Hai Kong was somewhat satisfied with the results, feeling they were ready for a battle. The next morning, after breakfast, Lu Hai Kong led his thirty men out with great fanfare.
In a corner of the mess hall, unnoticed by Lu Hai Kong, Wang Fat was teasing Old Man Wang. "This kid is growing fast. At this rate, it won't be long before he takes down Wang Da Maizi and becomes the chief of this camp. You've been giving him a hard time lately; aren't you afraid he'll make life difficult for you once he's the chief?"
"He dares!" Old Man Wang raised his head defiantly, but then he thought about Lu Hai Kong's sinister smile and his confidence wavered. "If he causes trouble for me later, I'll just quit. I can't let him bully an old man like me."
"Alright, alright, old man, don't worry. He won't become the chief of this camp," Wang Fat reassured him.
"What are you talking about? Look at how enthusiastic he's been these past few days. If you tell me he doesn't have ambition or doesn't want to be the chief, I won't believe you," Old Man Wang said skeptically.
"Sigh, you old fool. I'm saying he won't inherit this camp. This kid loves to eat, and while he's been feasting at my place, I've hinted many times that if he takes down Wang Da Maizi, he can be the chief. But he ignores me, saying that the camp is sacred and inviolable to bandits, and he wants to build his own."
"Build his own camp? Does he know about the 'Rally Token'?" Old Man Wang frowned.
"Probably."
"Hmph, he's turning down a perfectly good camp and insists on building his own. What a nuisance. Forget about him." Old Man Wang slammed his chopsticks on the table, his face filled with anger, and he stood up to leave.
"Wait, old man, don't be like that. If you're leaving, at least pay for your meal. Also, I think you were right before. This kid is quite interesting. If he builds his camp and invites me, I'll go and be his cook. What about you? Are you curious to see what he can accomplish?" Wang Fat said with his usual smile, but this time, there was a hint of something else in his laughter.
"Me? Let's talk about it after he gets the 'Rally Token'! Humph!" Old Man Wang paused, waved his hand, and with a dignified air that contrasted his previous meekness, he glanced meaningfully at Wang Fat and left without paying, as usual!
Meanwhile, outside the massive refugee camp, Lu Hai Kong and his men were working diligently.
Early in the morning, Lu HaiKong led his men out, but instead of launching an immediate attack, he began directing them to start digging about 300 meters outside the refugee camp.
To facilitate the digging, Lu HaiKong had specifically purchased thirty shovels at a price of one hundred copper coins each the day before. The price wasn't too steep, but the quality of the shovels left much to be desired. Fortunately, they were just about good enough to get the job done.
Lu HaiKong believed that no matter what game you play, if you want to outplay others, you must leverage your unique advantages that others lack.
When Lu HaiKong asked himself what his greatest advantage was over the refugees, the answer he arrived at wasn't the overwhelming personal strength that completely crushed them in terms of attributes, but rather his intellectual superiority.
Intellectual advantages are not as easily erased as numerical disparities in strength, which can be quickly mitigated.
So, Lu HaiKong had devised a comprehensive battle plan. First, he spent half a day with thirty bandits digging a thirty-meter-long, half-meter-deep, semi-circular trench. Then, using the excavated soil, they constructed a forty-to-fifty-centimeter-high earth wall behind the trench.
This entire project was no small feat. Lu HaiKong's group started working in the morning and didn't finish until around 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
After it was completed, Lu HaiKong had the bandits eat some rations to replenish their energy. Then, he went to the refugee camp alone, carrying a bow and arrow.
The next step for Lu HaiKong was essentially the same as the previous time. He fired an arrow, initiating the battle.
Strangely, this time, when Lu HaiKong shot his arrow, he successfully took down a refugee and caused a commotion among them. The refugees spotted Lu HaiKong, but for some reason, they didn't come out to engage him.
This was odd, a situation Lu HaiKong had never encountered before. It seemed a bit uncanny, but he wasn't going to let it deter him.
"You're not coming out? Fine, I'll keep shooting until you do. Let's see how long you can endure. If you don't come out, it's no problem. I'm confident my archery skills can take you all down," Lu HaiKong thought to himself.
So, Lu HaiKong fired a few more arrows, each one a headshot, taking out several more refugees. This time, the refugees couldn't hold back. After some commotion, about thirty-four of them charged directly towards Lu HaiKong.
Seeing this, Lu HaiKong smiled. Since they were willing to split their forces and engage in attrition, Lu HaiKong was delighted. He led these forty refugees, shooting and retreating, quickly drawing them towards his bandits.
Forty refugees were no match for Lu HaiKong's group, who didn't even need to rely on any special tactics. They simply overwhelmed the refugees.
After dealing with these refugees, Lu HaiKong had his men collect the spoils of war and remove the bodies of the fallen refugees from the pit. Once the battlefield was cleared, Lu HaiKong resumed his monster-luring task.
What Lu HaiKong didn't know was that, at that very moment, on the other side of the refugee camp, out of his line of sight, three people were watching him with a hint of amusement.
(End of Chapter)
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