Chapter 520: Easy Recruitment
Chapter 520: Easy Recruitment
September 25, 2017
After Zhao Gang and the others caught up, Lu HaiKong's attention shifted from the Outsider Lord to Gao Lan, discreetly appraising him with an undetectable technique.
Gao Lan (Historical General)
Status: Unaffiliated
Condition: Weak/Poisoned
Abilities: (Not at Peak)
Strength: 70 (89), Politics: 60, Strategy: 55, Command: 75
Main Martial Skill: Heavenly Streak Thirty-Six Axes
Main Cultivation Method: Heavenly Streak Essence Art
General Trait: ???
Gao Lan's attributes surprised Lu HaiKong. With a strength of 89 and not yet at his peak, Gao Lan, who appeared to be around twenty years old, would surely surpass 95 at his prime. Lu HaiKong wasn't very familiar with the Three Kingdoms period, so although he had heard of Gao Lan, he didn't know much about him and was shocked by his formidable strength.
"Thank you, sir, for saving me!"
As Lu HaiKong examined Gao Lan, Gao Lan was also sizing him up. Although Gao Lan didn't recognize Lu HaiKong, he was aware of his identity as a Han general, and addressing him as "sir" was always a safe choice.
"I am the Governor of Bingzhou, tasked with eliminating the Yellow Turban rebels. Encountering and subduing these rebels is part of my duty. Please rise, brave warrior, and let me tend to your injuries." Lu HaiKong said, stepping down from 'Little Lu' and offering his hand to help Gao Lan up.
Gao Lan was slightly taken aback by Lu HaiKong's gesture, as Lu HaiKong was, after all, a governor, and not just some petty mountain bandit from a couple of years ago. But Gao Lan was, in the end, an exceptional general, and he quickly regained his composure.
"With your martial skills, the court is in need of talents like you. Why not join my army and serve the court?" Lu HaiKong offered Gao Lan a direct invitation after helping him up.
The approach to recruiting a general varied depending on one's status and circumstances.
If Lu HaiKong were still a mountain bandit, he would never have been so direct in inviting someone to join him in banditry. Such an offer would have been rejected outright, and the person would have turned against him, just like the Outsider Lord.
However, Lu HaiKong's current identity was not that of a mountain bandit but the Governor of Bingzhou, a powerful figure commanding hundreds of thousands of troops. With such a status, recruiting Gao Lan was a different matter.
Previously, it would have been considered inciting someone to commit a crime, but now, it could be seen as a sincere desire to seek wise and talented individuals.
Indeed, Lu HaiKong's status as a governor proved useful in this era. After revealing his identity and extending the invitation, Gao Lan hesitated only briefly before bowing to Lu HaiKong: "I am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!"
[Congratulations on recruiting the historical general Gao Lan! You have obtained a Golden Treasure Chest!]
The reward for recruiting historical generals seemed to be linked to their strength. Only those with a strength of 90 or above would grant a Legendary Chest, and Gao Lan's strength fell just short.
Of course, Lu HaiKong wasn't concerned about the difference between a Legendary and a Golden Treasure Chest at this point. Finding a historical general by the roadside was already a remarkable stroke of luck.
Gao Lan's prompt agreement delighted Lu HaiKong.
In fact, Lu HaiKong's success in easily recruiting Gao Lan was partly due to his status as a governor, and also because he had saved Gao Lan's life at a critical moment. For a man like Gao Lan, what greater favor could there be than saving his life? So, when Lu HaiKong made the offer, it was a sure thing.
As Lu HaiKong's influence grew, recruiting generals seemed to become easier. This was a welcome development, but what troubled him was that it only applied to generals, and recruiting talented officials remained a challenge.
Even in the three counties under his control, few scions of noble families were genuinely willing to serve him. It was an unavoidable situation, given his status. Fortunately, Lu HaiKong still had several high-ranking officials in his service.
Seeing that he had top-tier officials like Xi Zhaitai and Tian Feng under his command, Lu HaiKong felt much more at ease.
While Lu HaiKong was recruiting Gao Lan, Zhao Gang was leading the Black Gale Legion to surround and eliminate the Outsider Lord.
The two sides were not on the same level. Within a few minutes, the Outsider Lord's few hundred cavalrymen were all picked off by the Black Gale Legion, leaving only the Outsider Lord and a few generals to flee, with Zhao Gang and the Black Gale Legion in hot pursuit.
The Black Gale Legion's specialty was speed. Despite the Outsider Lord's frequent use of items, he couldn't widen the gap between him and the Black Gale Legion.
The 1619 book is a must-read!
After fleeing for over ten minutes, the Outsider Lord was caught up by Zhao Gang. Several volleys of arrows later, the Outsider Lord and the generals by his side were all shot and killed on the spot.
Zhao Gang, being a member of the Fire Character Camp, had a habit of searching the bodies of defeated bosses. So, after finishing off the Outsider Lord, he naturally approached the 'corpse' to inspect it.
What Zhao Gang didn't expect was that as he drew near the 'corpse' of the Outsider Lord, the Outsider Lord's eyes suddenly lit up, and he raised his crossbow, firing directly at Zhao Gang.
The Outsider Lord had exploited a system bug. At the moment he was about to die, pierced by arrows, he used his saved skill experience to boost his Basic Archery to level 35, saving his own life. Zhao Gang, not anticipating this move, reacted swiftly but was still hit in his left hand.
The poison on the crossbow arrow quickly took effect, and Zhao Gang's arm turned visibly black.
At that moment, the Outsider Lord pounced, pulling the poisoned Zhao Gang down and mounting his horse to escape.
But he had overestimated himself and underestimated the Black Gale Legion. Escaping from them was not so easy. As soon as he mounted his horse, the members of the Fire Character Camp fired another volley of arrows, one of which exploded the Outsider Lord's head, killing him instantly.
Although the Outsider Lord was successfully eliminated, Zhao Gang had been hit by one of his arrows, which was extremely toxic. Despite Zhao Gang quickly severing his arm after being pulled off his horse, the poison had already spread throughout his body. Even with Zhao Gang's strength of 79, he couldn't withstand the poison and died on the spot.
Another veteran who had followed Lu HaiKong for over a year had fallen on the battlefield...
Chapter end
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