Chapter 266: Three Followers! (2/2)
”Gongzi, pardon me but I won't be able to follow you for the time being as... I have something important I must attend to. After I'm done, so long as gongzi doesn't mind, I'm willing to serve you for life.”
After a moment of silence, Ma Yinlong spoke with a voice tinged with deep sorrow.
”Just that, I've no idea how long it would take for me to resolve the matter. It might be a year, ten years, or perhaps even longer than that.”
”Hm?” Wang Chong was slightly surprised, but he soon smiled.
”Don't worry, elder, feel free to do whatever you need to. Should you need help, feel free to look for me.”
Everyone had their own secrets. Even though Wang Chong didn't know what it was that would take Ma Yinlong such a long time, his instincts told him that it was something related to the matter back then.
”There's no need for it.” Ma Yinlong waved his hands with a smile. ”I'll be counting on gongzi to take care of my brothers. Gongzi is the offspring of Duke Jiu, and your eyes are on the entire world. Perhaps, my brothers would be able to achieve much more beside you than being in the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau Punishments. Also, Solitary Wolf is a money-grubber, and he has heard that gongzi is earning huge buckets of money every day. I'll have to ask gongzi to take care of that as well.”
”Hahaha...”
Hearing Ma Yinlong's teasing, Wang Chong burst into laughter.
”Elder, don't worry. I may not be confident in anything else, but my ability to earn money is still on the mark!”
The group of four immediately burst into laughter.
”Gongzi, you need not call us elders in the future. Just call us by our nicknames, Solitary Wolf, Old Eagle, and Steel Arms!”
---
Watching Ma Yinlong's back disappear into the distance, Wang Chong sighed.
Even though they hadn't worked together for too long, he had an extremely good impression of the Fang of the White Tiger.
”Elder, I wish you luck.” Wang Chong mumbled.
After arranging some matters with Old Eagle, Steel Arms, and Solitary Wolf, Wang Chong grew busy once more. Even though the matter with the Goguryeons had come to an end, he still had a bunch of matters he had to attend to.
The attack on the Goguryeon bases had brought Wang Chong incredible gains—dozens of chests filled with Goguryeon ginsengs. Other than leaving a few for his own use, he sent to the rest to the spirit vein for the consumption of selected recruits.
They would become the Wang Clan's strength in the future, as well as Wang Chong's future subordinates. Thus, without second thought, he decided to give these precious ginseng to them.
Following which, Wang Chong called Tuoba Guiyuan and settled the matter regarding the Wootz steel weapons.
Only when all of these were done did Wang Chong finally find some time to spare.
------
Unknowingly, eights day flew by.
The mountain range beyond the capital was filled with lush trees. At the very peak of a certain mountain, white steam filled the entire area. In the middle of the steam, a man was meditating motionlessly.
Spiritual energy gushed in from the surroundings, seeping into that man's body.
”Hahhhh!”
After a long moment, Wang Chong exhaled deeply, and his eyes opened amidst the white steam. The golden rays of a morning sun shone from the horizon, traversing through the trees, dyeing the entire area yellow.
Gazing downward, one could see a flight of stairs linking the bottom of the mountain to the top.
There were many beautiful infrastructures to be seen along the both sides of the stairs, be it elegant pavilions or long corridors. The number of infrastructures only increased the further one proceeded.
At the very peak of the mountain stood a majestic cluster of halls divided into the residential area, training area, and resting area. There were also gardens, ponds, fake mountains... It seemed as though everything could be found here.
Not too far away from Wang Chong, a group of young men and ladies were busy cultivating and sparring. A sharp gust of wind could be heard with every punch and kick they made.
The group of ex-Imperial Army instructors whom Wang Chong recruited were standing around them. With austere gazes and stern bellows, they corrected the various faults of these young recruits.
”It truly wasn't easy to come this far!”
Wang Chong took a deep breath as he looked at the scene before him with deep pride and a strong sense of accomplishment.
After devoting a huge amount of manpower, resources, and money, Wang Chong's base centered around the spirit vein was finally completed after five months of work.
Even though it was still a humble base hidden in the depths of the mountain, everything was on track already.
Eventually, this would become his strength to change the future of the world!
”In the future, I'll have to expand the number of recruits. Also, I mustn't limit myself to this one base. Eventually, I'll have to establish a large number of such bases in every single province.”
Wang Chong gazed at the rising sun as hopes for the future sprang within him.
This spirit vein might be his starting point, but it wasn't where he was going to end. In the future, he would expand this model throughout the Central Plains and recruit even more people. His base would be built on meritocracy; orphans and ordinary civilians would be given an equal chance as the scions from prestigious clans.
Wang Chong had maintained a narrow outlook in his previous life. He had never thought of using his own birthright as a strength to wield.
But when the catastrophe struck, the thin line between the wealthy and the poor faded entirely. Everyone went by just a single identity—men of the Central Plains. There was nothing shameful about wielding what the heavens had blessed him with at birth as his own strength to rally others.
”Chong-er!”
Just as he was deep in contemplation, a familiar voice suddenly sounded by his ears.