Chapter 445 445 – Home (2/2)
Sima Yi: ”Right. Got it.”
Zhang Jiao: ”Is it enough? Do you need more? I have two wings, and I can easily get 400,000 a year. I can put more if you want to.”
Tong: ”You keep the rest, father. Donating 50,000 to the clan already consumed 100,000 years of your lifespans. Everything you have is your profit.”
Zhang Jiao: ”You look troubled, though.”
Tong: ”We're fine. Don't worry. The kingdom's future is great!”
Zhang Jiao: ”If you say so. Well, I forgot to tell you this. Hua Tuo visited us in Julu. I told him to visit you in Ye, but he refused.”
Tong froze. I had been a while since he last saw his father-in-law.
Now that Hua Shi passed on, Tong was afraid if he should meet Hua Tuo or not.
Tong: ”Is he mad?”
Zhang Jiao: ”More like self-blaming. You should visit this old coot when you're free.”
Tong: ”Got it.”
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Medusa took a million lifespan from the clan chat to supply her [Create Food] and [Firearm Creation] budget. She was relieved that they finally got something in return after investing in all officers for a long time.
She smiled as she glanced at her system skills.
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> Level 10 (MAX)
Create a firearm or a bullet once a day.
Upkeep: 5,000 lifespans a year.
>
A bullet of any size: 1
A pistol: 20
A shotgun: 50
A sub-machine gun: 200
A rifle: 1,000
An automatic rifle: 5,000
A sniper rifle: 10,000
A .50 Cal rifle or a higher caliber: 50,000
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This skill was expensive, and it was impossible to sport every soldier with automatic rifles since the cost was usually ten times higher than the listed prices.
After all, Medusa was required to summon her souls to use this ability to cheat the daily usage, and it cost 10 times higher than the list as a penalty.
So far, Medusa chose to create basic guns, such as pistols and shotguns for Tong's men. Now that Medusa had more funds, she had to make a tough decision if she wanted to get everybody a gun, or she could create a rifle battalion as a special force.
As she could not make this decision alone, she consulted Tong when they were alone.
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Upon hearing the trouble of Diaochan, aka Medusa, Tong answered without hesitation.
”Create one M4 every day. Don't bother using your soul to create more unless it's emergency.”
”Are you sure? Won't it take long to assemble a special force like this?”
”Just use your daily right to create something. I need about 50 of M4 for all our important officers for now. Since it cost 5,000 a piece, we can get about 200-300 every year. When we have more immortals in our force, our tax income should be higher, and we can mass produce these.”
”Alright. But what about our factories? How are your factories?”
Diaochan referred to Tong's steel factories, where Te Langpu had finished installing steam engines.
”We're using them to create cannons and steel armors instead of guns. I think we can chug about 10 cannons a day now.”
Their military technologies were progressing step by step. They were grateful that Te Langpu contributed a lot these past years despite his obnoxious behavior.
But there were problems. These technologies and blueprints of cannons should have been leaked to the other warlords, and Tong believed that Cao Cao and Sun Fang should have about the same cannon models by now.
In the future war, it would be an exchange of firearms instead of melee warfare.
With this cheating skill, Tong and Diaochan were confident that they had the upper hand. All they had to beware of was immortals and their strength.
”I think you should participate next time.”
”… I know.”
Tong leaned over to Diaochan, planning to kiss her.
At that moment, Dong Bai, aka Friday, burst into the room.
”HEY, MOM! IT'S MY TURN TODAY!!”
Diaochan grinned, ”Whoops. Well, can we 3P today?”
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April 15th, 194 AD.
Tong, Friday, Medusa, all concubines, and all children journeyed to Julu to pay respect to the father of the emperor, Zhang Jiao.
Julu City celebrated and welcomed the emperor's visit as they knew that this territory was Tong's true home. After all, this was where everything began.
Tong walked toward Zhang Jiao and hugged him without caring about the world.
”I'm home, dad.”
”Hahaha! Welcome home!”
All Tong's wives and concubines greeted their father-in-law and introduced themselves. The first princess, Zhang Min, also greeted her grandfather.
As the family gathered, an old man with the odor of herbs and medicine observed them from afar, hiding among Zhang Jiao's retainers.
Unfortunately for him, Tong spotted the old man.
He walked toward him and cupped his fist, bowing at his father-in-law.
”This unfilial son greets father-in-law.”
Hua Tuo closed his eyes to hide his tears. He nodded without saying anything.
He lost his wife to bandits, and he lost his only daughter when he was traveling the land. He regretted not being with his family when he could.
Now that he saw Tong's sad face. He could barely hold his tears.
Unbeknownst to Hua Tuo's feeling, Tong waved his hands and called Zhang Min over.
”Minmin, come here!”
The 13-year-old girl ran toward Tong.
”Yes, your majesty!”
”Don't use honorific here. Greet your grandfather. He's the father of your mother.”
Zhang Min widened her eyes and looked at Hua Tuo.
Hua Tuo was also surprised. He opened his eyes and looked at the little girl.
Upon seeing Zhang Min's face, he could not withhold his tears anymore. Her face was a copy of her mother, and it resembled Hua Shi in her youthful days.
The girl did not understand what had happened. Innocently, she kowtowed to Hua Tuo, ”Zhang Min greets grandfather.”
Hua Tuo wailed and hugged his granddaughter.
His family was still there with him. He was not alone.