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Chapter 689: Farewell to Zhang Mancheng
Chapter 689: Farewell to Zhang Mancheng
2017-09-25
Lu HaiKong's gains during the Yellow Turban Rebellion were immense. Aside from the vast wealth, items, and official positions, he also made another significant acquisition: prisoners.
During the rebellion, Lu HaiKong captured five Yellow Turban generals: Zhang Mancheng, Yan Liang, Zhang Niujiao, Zhao Hong, and Han Zhong.
Compared to the first two, the latter two were clearly just fillers.
Although these two had strength values of over 80, Lu HaiKong wouldn't have bothered capturing them if they weren't following Zhang Mancheng. He would have simply cut them down.
For the past few months, these four had been held separately in the military camp in Beifeng City. Lu HaiKong, busy with various affairs, hadn't had much time to negotiate their surrender.
However, Lu HaiKong had arranged for many people to come, including numerous elite members of the Fire Battalion.
Lu HaiKong was a meticulous planner. To guard these four historical Yellow Turban generals, he not only stationed elites here but also had craftsmen remodel the area to ensure these individuals couldn't easily escape. Lu HaiKong spared no effort in this endeavor.
The costs were piling up, so Lu HaiKong had the Fire Battalion send over a batch of excellent talents.
Lu HaiKong had no intention of turning this place into a prison. Instead, he wanted to establish a talent cultivation branch of the Fire Battalion.
As for how the prison would become a branch and how talents would be cultivated, Lu HaiKong didn't need to worry about those details. Zhao Lun would handle it.
Indeed, Zhao Lun had done an excellent job during this period.
When Lu HaiKong arrived at the forbidden area, he saw several Fire Battalion members sparring with Zhao Hong.
At that moment, Zhao Hong was fighting five Fire Battalion members alone, dominating them with great prowess.
Though Zhao Hong was overpowering the Fire Battalion members, his moves lacked killing intent. Instead, he was guiding the five Fire Battalion members.
It was clear that during these months, the Fire Battalion members and the historical Yellow Turban generals had developed an understanding.
Lu HaiKong's arrival halted the sparring session. The Fire Battalion members saluted and greeted Lu HaiKong, who glanced at Zhao Hong and waved for them to continue. He then proceeded deeper into the forbidden area with Chen Ping.
Lu HaiKong was well-informed about the situation. He knew that at this point, Zhao Hong and Han Zhong had basically agreed to surrender, but Zhang Mancheng hadn't pledged his loyalty. Lu HaiKong's purpose in coming was to gain the allegiance of Zhang Mancheng and Zhang Niujiao.
According to Lu HaiKong's knowledge, Zhang Mancheng and Zhang Niujiao had been cooperative during this period. If they were persuaded to surrender, there was a good chance of success.
As for the remaining Yan Liang, Lu HaiKong knew his attitude had been uncooperative. He had been in captivity for months, and Lu HaiKong hadn't seen him in months, so the outlook wasn't optimistic.
When Lu HaiKong met Zhang Mancheng, the latter was playing a strategic chessboard war game.
Don't be mistaken; Lu HaiKong didn't create this game. He didn't have the time or skill for that.
This game was popular among Lone Wanderers. It was likely invented by a talented individual and spread among them. Lu HaiKong discovered it over a year ago at the Unusual People's Home and immediately promoted it within the Fire Battalion.
The Fire Battalion continually modified and upgraded this strategic chessboard game based on combat experience. Now, it could simulate a battlefield with about 30-40% accuracy.
It was an outstanding and complex strategic game, and almost every general under Lu HaiKong played it during their free time.
Chen Yi introduced this game to Zhang Mancheng. The game, filled with the art of war, quickly captivated Zhang Mancheng, a general who had lost his freedom but passionately loved military affairs. He devoted all his energy to it.
Over these months, Zhang Mancheng continuously modified the rules of this strategic chessboard game to align it with the battlefield.
During this process, Zhang Mancheng unknowingly imparted his military talents to Chen Yi, who had been attending to him.
Zhang Mancheng wasn't unaware of this; he just pretended not to notice.
On one hand, his current situation left him unable to change anything. On the other hand, his passion for military affairs made it impossible for him to give up this strategic game, and there was also Chen Yi's talent.
Chen Yi, one of Lu HaiKong's non-historical generals, possesses an extraordinary talent that even surpasses that of Zhao Er.
Chen Yi
Lord: Lu HaiKong
Loyalty: 93
Talent: Top-tier (Strength Improvement Cap: 99, Politics Improvement Cap: 85, Strategy Improvement Cap: 85, Command Improvement Cap: 95)
Abilities:
Strength: 79, Politics: 44, Strategy: 41, Command: 79
These are Chen Yi's current attributes, and upon seeing them, Lu HaiKong was astounded, despite being somewhat prepared.
Within just half a year, Chen Yi's attributes had improved significantly.
Aside from the slight increase in politics and strategy by around twenty points, his strength had soared from 65 half a year ago to 79, a remarkable improvement of over ten points. However, this improvement in strength was not comparable to the advancement in politics and strategy.
With Lu HaiKong's keen eye, he could tell that Chen Yi's strength had the potential to surpass 80 if he wished, but he had been focusing on solidifying his foundation and tempering himself. Lu HaiKong's exceptional insight had another reason—it was his command.
While Chen Yi's strength growth was impressive, it paled in comparison to his command, which was even more astonishing.
Although both had a command rating of 79, Chen Yi's command had been a mere 40 points just half a year ago, and within that time, it skyrocketed to 79, even surpassing someone else's. This growth rate could be described as freakish.
In the 1st, 9th, and 1st editions of the book!
Chen Yi's remarkable growth was attributed to his own exceptional talent and the intentional or unintentional guidance of Zhang Mancheng.
If not for Zhang Mancheng's delight in Chen Yi's terrifying talent and his gradual nurturing, Chen Yi's command reaching 70 at this point would already have been impressive.
As Lu HaiKong marveled at Chen Yi's current attributes, an even greater surprise awaited.
At that moment, Zhang Mancheng and Chen Yi were engaged in a strategic chessboard war game, and it was none other than Chen Yi.
When Lu HaiKong approached, they had already been playing for a while, and the game was at its most intense.
The two of them battled around the chessboard, neither giving way to the other, creating an atmosphere so intense that Lu HaiKong felt a battlefield aura within the small chessboard.
Both were fully engrossed, their eyes fixed solely on the game, oblivious to Lu HaiKong's arrival.
Unbothered, Lu HaiKong moved closer to observe their match, which presented a balanced and evenly matched scenario.
In a real battlefield, Chen Yi would undoubtedly be no match for Zhang Mancheng, but in this chessboard war game, the outcome was uncertain.
In this game, the contest was purely about military thinking and mastery of the rules, and with that, Chen Yi had a chance to defeat Zhang Mancheng.
Lu HaiKong found this game intriguing, as he had studied this type of strategic chessboard war game but not extensively. On one hand, he was busy, and on the other, he believed this game might not offer much benefit to him.
However, when Lu HaiKong witnessed the game between Zhang Mancheng and Chen Yi, he realized his mistake.
Lu HaiKong's understanding of military affairs and command had primarily been honed through battlefield experience, resulting in a solid foundation but certain limitations. He had focused more on martial arts, causing his command to lag despite his talent and strength reaching 90.
As Lu HaiKong's attention shifted to this chessboard war game, he saw more than just a game.
Within this game, Lu HaiKong observed two distinct military perceptions and philosophies.
As Zhang Mancheng and Chen Yi continued their match, Lu HaiKong's focus intensified. The more he watched, the more he gleaned fascinating insights from their confrontation.
These insights were imbued with a spirit that defied the constraints of the rules, radiating an incredible brilliance even within the confines of the chessboard.
Inspired by this spirit, Lu HaiKong's understanding of military affairs deepened. Areas that were once unclear or incomprehensible now became crystal clear.
In this state, without Lu HaiKong's conscious awareness, his command rating surged from its original 70-odd points to 79.
Just as Lu HaiKong's command reached 79, Zhang Mancheng made his final move, ending the battle!
This turn of events abruptly halted Lu HaiKong's growth in command.
(End of Chapter)
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