Chapter 999: Harvest
Chapter 999: Harvest
2017-09-25
187 AD was a chaotic year for everyone. Yet, amidst this chaos, there was an undisputed protagonist, and that was undoubtedly Lu Hai Kong.
From the noble families' rebellion in the first half of the year, to the rapid development in Bingzhou, and finally, to the recent situation of three warlords besieging a hegemon, the world was in disarray.
Although the situation across the realm was turbulent, all eyes were fixed on this region.
After all, the two strongest powers in the empire were currently here, and their actions were so grand and dramatic, especially the latest development, which could be seen as a direct confrontation between Lu Hai Kong and Dong Zhuo, two dominant figures. This was a matter that would impact the entire empire, and naturally, it was a focus of attention.
As for Yuan Hong and Zhang Yan, many people subconsciously overlooked them. At least, in the shadow of Lu Hai Kong and Dong Zhuo's brilliance, these two seemed rather insignificant.
However, this insignificance was relative. In reality, either of these two forces, if singled out, would still be considered top-tier in the empire. Therefore, those with true wisdom would not neglect their existence. Even before Dong Zhuo and Lu Hai Kong clashed directly, they would pay attention to the confrontation between Lu Hai Kong and Zhang Yan, gathering essential intelligence.
Thanks to the unique and bizarre tools available in this world, many people far from the Central Plains were able to quickly obtain and understand the intelligence from the north.
As a result, the battle between Lu Hai Kong and Zhang Yan had just concluded, and almost everyone in the empire who wanted to know the details of the battle had already learned them.
When they learned that Zhang Yan couldn't even hold out for a day against Lu Hai Kong, the forces that received this intelligence were left dumbfounded.
Especially after understanding Zhang Yan's city defense capabilities, these people felt as if they had seen a ghost.
However, after they learned about the military forces Lu Hai Kong had deployed, they all felt relieved.
A top-tier commander, top-tier generals, and top-tier legions—everything was of the highest caliber.
Any one of these individually could stir up a storm, but Lu Hai Kong had unleashed all three in a coordinated strike. Such a configuration, deployed anywhere in the empire, would be unchallenged.
Therefore, facing such an array, Zhang Yan's defeat was not unjustified.
However, those who had obtained the intelligence were puzzled. Why did Lu Hai Kong rashly concentrate all his elite forces in Youzhou? How would he handle the situation when Lu Bu arrived? Did he have any forces left to resist Lu Bu? Or was he planning to end the Youzhou campaign, recall his elite forces, and return before Lu Bu's army arrived?
Many were curious about Lu Hai Kong's next move, so they kept their eyes closely fixed on his actions.
They believed that Lu Hai Kong's most likely intention was to launch a swift campaign, swiftly capturing Youzhou, or even just Daiding Prefecture, and then withdrawing his main force before Lu Bu's arrival.
If this was his plan, then Lu Hai Kong's tactics at this moment were undoubtedly successful.
Zhang Yan's defense line in Daiding Prefecture had been breached, and all he needed to do now was to retreat to Bingzhou. It would take at least half a month for Youzhou to gather an effective fighting force, during which time Lu Hai Kong could calmly deploy a small number of troops along the Bingzhou border while transferring his elite forces to Shangzhou County to confront Lu Bu's army.
This strategy was undoubtedly feasible, but Lu Hai Kong did not choose to implement it.
After capturing Yangyuan City, his legions showed no signs of withdrawing. Instead, under the command of Warlord Zhang, they seized Huai'an and Ping Shu City, completely shattering Zhang Yan's defenses in Daiding Prefecture. Simultaneously, they dispatched troops to easily take control of Daiding Prefecture.
Lu Hai Kong's actions indicated his intention to annex Daiding Prefecture and had no plans to recall his elite forces for defense. Witnessing this series of moves, many people shook their heads.
In their opinion, Lu Hai Kong had made a terrible move. For a mere county, he had left his elite legions in Daiding Prefecture, seemingly courting death.
Yes, Lu Hai Kong was powerful, but his power had its limits, didn't it? Dong Zhuo's strength was no less than his, and at this moment, Dong Zhuo was leading an army of 200,000 in a rapid advance, with an equally impressive lineup of generals.
Not to mention, Lu Bu alone was enough to give Lu Hai Kong a run for his money.
Many of these people had participated in the coalition against Dong Zhuo and were familiar with both Lu Bu's and Lu Hai Kong's strengths. They knew that the only one in Lu Hai Kong's forces who could match Lu Bu was Dian Wei, and perhaps Warlord Zhang could also be included.
However, Lu Hai Kong had sent both of them to Youzhou, ensuring the capture of Daiding Prefecture. While he might even push further, the situation in Bingzhou would become dire. Once Lu Bu arrived, what would Lu Hai Kong use to stop him?
Was he planning to go alone, or would he bring Zhang Yan along with him?
Indeed, someone had casually made this suggestion, but upon further thought, it seemed like a plausible idea!
From the very beginning, Lu Hai Kong had been an exceptional talent. During the Yellow Turban era, he had single-handedly challenged and defeated Zhang Liang, who was rumored to have the strength to overpower Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Lu Bu combined. Lu Hai Kong's ability to defeat Zhang Liang indicated an extraordinary level of power.
Although it was evident to discerning observers that Lu Hai Kong had likely used some sort of artifact during the battle, it also proved that he possessed the capability to unleash such formidable combat prowess.
As for the Third Princess, she was even more extraordinary. With a divine artifact in her possession, her combat strength was immeasurable. The possibility of Lu Hai Kong and the Third Princess teaming up to defeat Lu Bu was not out of the question.
Could it be that Lu Hai Kong had this plan in mind?
Some imaginative individuals, including Yuan Hong, believed that Lu Hai Kong, known for his unconventional strategies, was capable of such a move. However, Yuan Hong, who was well aware of the strength of Dong Zhuo's forces, was not overly concerned about this potential tactic.
But soon, they realized that Lu Hai Kong didn't seem to have such intentions.
This time, Lu Hai Kong appeared to have no plans to get involved in the war. When the war broke out, he continued with his daily work as if nothing had happened, showing no interest in participating in the conflict.
This left the onlookers puzzled, wondering what Lu Hai Kong was up to.
While the crowd speculated, Lu Hai Kong was busy gathering detailed information about the situation in Daiding Prefecture over the past few days and receiving system notifications.
[Your subordinate general, Dian Wei, has defeated the top historical general, Guan Hai. You have obtained a Legendary Treasure Chest!]
[Your subordinate general, Pan Feng, has defeated the top general, Tie Chui. You have obtained a Legendary Treasure Chest!]
[Your legion has successfully captured Yangyuan, Huai'an, and Ping Shu, gaining complete control over Daiding Prefecture. You have obtained a Mythical Treasure Chest!]
[PS: Capturing the county seat rewards a Mythical Treasure Chest. This reward can only be claimed once within five years!]
Four system notifications, two Legendary Treasure Chests, and one Mythical Treasure Chest.
These rewards were considered system bonuses, an additional benefit outside of the war. Initially, Lu Hai Kong had assumed that without any plot involvement, conquering another force would not yield any rewards. He was surprised to find that there were still rewards in the end.
This unexpected joy was a pleasant surprise for Lu Hai Kong. However, if given a choice, he would rather not have these rewards.
The reason was that if he received these rewards, it meant that others would likely receive them as well.
At this time, the southern regions of the Great Han Empire were in constant turmoil, with numerous forces rising to power. Capturing a county rewarded a Mythical Treasure Chest, so one could only imagine how many chests the forces in the Jiangnan region had accumulated over the past year. The system seemed to be aiding the enemy!
Of course, Lu Hai Kong was displeased, but there was nothing he could do. The system was the authority, and the distribution of treasure chests was at its discretion.
At this moment, the only thing Lu Hai Kong could do was open these treasure chests. If the system was granting advantages to exceptional individuals, he might as well take advantage of the situation.
In Lu Hai Kong's home, there was nothing else but an abundance of treasure chests.
Setting aside the recently acquired Mythical and Legendary Treasure Chests, Lu Hai Kong still had four more in his possession.
These four treasure chests had been in Lu Hai Kong's possession for over half a year, obtained during the Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum instance when he defeated Zhang Han, Meng Yi, Meng Tian, and Xu Fu. He had not opened them until now, and with the opportunity to open treasure chests, he decided to open them all at once.
In Beifeng City, at the same training ground, Lu Hai Kong managed to find some free time to visit once again.
After securing the venue, Lu Hai Kong waved his hand, and seven treasure chests appeared on the training ground. After half a year, he was about to indulge in his favorite activity of opening treasure chests once more.
Having restrained himself from opening the chests for half a year, Lu Hai Kong had spent his free time doing good deeds to accumulate good karma. Hopefully, this would be enough to yield desirable rewards from the treasure chests.
With this in mind, Lu Hai Kong rubbed his hands together and proceeded to open the two Legendary Treasure Chests first...
(End of Chapter)
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