Chapter 87: The Spoils of War
Chapter 87: The Spoils of War
September 25, 2017
With thanks to 'Canzhe Jingluo Wuhen', 'Yige Liangge San Ge Dou Cunzai', and 'Haigaha' for their generous rewards!
...
Lu Hai Kong directed Wang Chao Ma Han and the others to categorize the spoils of war, a task that took them half an hour to complete the inventory.
First and foremost among the spoils were piles of gold coins, forming a small mountain. Some were looted from Hei Feng Zhai, while others were taken from the mountain bandits and a portion was retrieved from Wang Damaizi's gathering hall, totaling an impressive 1,500 gold coins. Combined with the 2,000 gold coins Lu Hai Kong had previously acquired from raiding Hei Feng Zhai, his total assets now stood at 3,500 gold coins.
Aside from the gold, the most abundant items were secret manuals. Lu Hai Kong had grown weary of ordinary manuals like 'Fundamental Gun Technique' and barely glanced at them. The only exception that caught his interest was 'Fundamental Inner Strength', and even then, it would take at least a manual like 'Gale Blade Technique' to truly excite him.
However, manuals of this caliber were scarce. Aside from the five copies of 'Gale Blade Technique' obtained from the unfortunate Hei Feng Zhai bandits, Wang Damaizi had dropped a copy of 'Bull Power' and 'Clear Wind Sword Technique'. This brought Lu Hai Kong's collection of 'Bull Power' to two copies.
Initially, Lu Hai Kong had planned to give the two copies of 'Bull Power' directly to Wang Chao Ma Han, but he reconsidered. His team was growing, and the members were developing their own personalities and emotions. While their loyalty was unquestionable, Lu Hai Kong felt it was essential to distribute rewards fairly, or at least strive to do so, rather than acting solely on his whims.
Therefore, Lu Hai Kong decided to hold onto the 'Bull Power' manuals for the time being, waiting for an appropriate opportunity to present them as rewards.
Among the spoils, what intrigued Lu Hai Kong the most were the items dropped by the Xianbei tribesmen. He was curious to see how their manuals differed from those of the Han people.
Unfortunately, the four ordinary Xianbei tribesmen did not drop any manuals. Instead, they all dropped a book titled 'Xianbei Language', indicating it was their native tongue.
Although not a secret manual, this item still captured Lu Hai Kong's attention. As a victim of the grueling education system and a self-proclaimed academic failure who struggled to differentiate between A and B, the idea of instantly learning a foreign language with a skill book was nothing short of magical and wonderful. If only there had been advanced technology before his transmigration, he and other struggling students wouldn't have had to endure the agony of cramming for English exams.
Without hesitation, Lu Hai Kong used one of the language books and continued to sort through his spoils. He hadn't even looked at the items dropped by Hu Yin Xiong yet, the first enemy he defeated with a strength rating of 60. Lu Hai Kong eagerly anticipated what valuable items this foe might have left behind.
His expectations were not in vain, as Hu Yin Xiong delivered a 'big drop'. He rewarded Lu Hai Kong with a secret manual, a peculiar wolf-shaped statue, and a set of blueprints.
The manual was titled 'Brutal Eighteen Strikes Technique', a martial skill on par with 'Gale Blade Technique'. While not a significant find, the wolf-shaped statue held a delightful surprise for Lu Hai Kong.
Carved on the statue was a strange set of fist techniques inspired by wolves, seemingly focused on physical training. The system indicated that a fist technique level of 15 was required to comprehend it. This wolf-shaped statue appeared to be the most valuable item Lu Hai Kong had acquired during this encounter.
After examining the last blueprint, Lu HaiKong discovered it was a design for an Arrow Tower, wondering how such an item could be obtained from a Xianbei tribesman. Nonetheless, it was a valuable find, and Lu HaiKong knew it would be useful when he eventually established his own mountain fortress.
With Hu Yinxiong's belongings accounted for, Lu HaiKong's spoils of war were nearly all tallied. The gains were decent, certainly better than returning empty-handed after a long battle in Shanwu County, only to gain experience.
Wang Ti had specifically collected some war spoils, but due to time constraints at the end of the battle, Lu HaiKong and his group didn't have time to retrieve the items before they broke through the siege. This resulted in them returning empty-handed.
Initially, Lu HaiKong planned to return with Wang Fat and leave the area. However, upon returning home, they encountered this situation, and in their current state, it was clear that they were not fit for long-distance travel. Thus, they decided to stay at the mountain fortress to recover from their injuries before making further plans.
Lu HaiKong's injuries weren't severe, but the use of the Mountain-Opening Axe had taken a significant toll. It wasn't until the next day that Lu HaiKong began to recover, thanks to Wang Fat's medicinal wine and hearty meal. It took three days of rest and recuperation for Lu HaiKong to shake off the feeling of exhaustion.
The slow recovery was partly due to additional injuries sustained after using the Mountain-Opening Axe, but even so, the drain from the technique was undeniable. Lu HaiKong realized that while the technique was powerful, improper use could lead to adverse effects. Therefore, it was a skill to be used with caution.
For three days, there was no activity from Shanwu County, indicating no new offensive plans. Surprisingly, Dark Wind Fort also remained quiet.
Under these circumstances, Lu HaiKong chose to stay at the mountain fortress, taking time to cultivate his inner strength and practice his martial arts. He also spent a lot of time studying the map obtained from Yue Er and discussing future development plans with Wang Fat.
At first, Lu HaiKong thought Wang Fat had a comprehensive plan, but it turned out he only had a vague idea, unable to implement it practically. The reason was that Wang Fat had never left the fortress and lacked knowledge about the outside world.
In the 1619 version of the book, this was evident!
Given this situation, Li Xiong's importance to Lu HaiKong increased, but Zhang Wen, that kid, was constantly by Li Xiong's side, using the Surrendering Technique three times a day, each time with utmost caution. Still, after several days, the results were minimal.
Fortunately, Lu HaiKong noticed that Zhang Wen's skill proficiency was almost at level two, so he patiently awaited Zhang Wen's success. However, before Zhang Wen could deliver, Lu HaiKong unintentionally leveled up Bull Power to level five.
(End of Chapter)
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