Chapter 315
Chapter 315 – Khan's Confidence
Tong, Jia Xu, and Xun Yu returned to their camp . The two strategists did not speak much in the meeting as they only observed the participating warlords and analyzed their capability through their actions .
They came to a conclusion . Aside from the opportunist Cao Cao, the young fox Jiang Man, and the untrustworthy Yuan Shao, the rest of the lords would soon become food for Tong in the future . As long as Tong destroy these three forces, the unification of the country was a guarantee .
Putting Liu Bei and his brothers on the frontline was Jia Xu's idea . As for the other troop placement, Xun Yu had pre-planned before the meeting .
Regardless had they volunteered or not, Tong would have done the same .
However, they still disagreed that Tong wanted to follow Cao Cao's condition to get Cao Clan, Xiahou Clan, and all Cao Cao's subordinates to Tong's side .
They wanted Tong to be their Emperor, not the inexperienced Liu Xie .
Jia Xu and Xun Yu flanked Tong's sides and kept persuading their lord to change his mind .
"We've already released our propaganda about your coronation . Changing it now will damage our credibility as a ruler! Your officials will also be dissatisfied with your lack of ambition . Remember that Zhang He? Didn't he see you as his Immortal King? If you bow your head to your foster son, how can you call yourself the Immortal King?"
"Lord, if we give favorable treatment to a couple of minor clans for their submission, the other lords will demand more conditions for their surrender . You must not grant Cao Cao anything!"
"That's right! My lord, we will enthrone you first . Then, you can dominate Cao Cao by force if you have to . You have the guardian spirits as your trump cards, but Cao Cao did not have any . Even if that Pu Jing grows wings, he will be outgunned because we have more immortal members than theirs . See? We have absolute power . No matter how trickery they are, sheer power will put them into his place . "
"Indeed . Lord, my cousin Xun You sent me a letter if he can switch to our side . Do you know what it means? It reveals a sign that there should be more of Cao Cao's subordinates who want to join you, but they can't . Once you've gone through the coronation, you will gain the righteous cause to unify the land . No one can stop or dissuade you from mobilizing armies or recruit anyone anymore . "
Listening to his advisors, Tong had a headache .
They had a point, but Tong was cautious of Cao Cao's luck and his real skills as a liege . If Tong can avoid the confrontation with Cao Cao, he would do it . Unfortunately, the cost of that was too great to disregard .
"I'll think about it . For now, I'm tired . "
Jia Xu and Xun Yu paused as they observed Tong's facial expression . Seeing the eyes of their lord gazing into the distance in a daze, they shut their mouth .
Both of them bowed and called it a day, allowing Tong to rest .
…
In his private tent, Tong began interrogating Friday, spamming the chat log .
Tong: "Friday, what did you do in Xuchang?"
Tong: "Answer me . I knew you're reading this . "
Tong: "Cao Cao told me that you raided his city and killed his general . Do you know that I'm trying to recruit him into my clan, so we can avoid the unnecessary bloodshed?"
Tong: "Now that you've caused some damages . His stance is friendly, but I can tell that he's holding a grudge . He demanded me to abandon the throne to give it to Liu Xie, or he won't join us . "
Tong: "Answer me, Friday! Why did you disobey my order?"
In Shangdang City, Friday read at the clan chat while she was sweating . She did not know what to reply .
Diaochan sat beside her, watching her wry smile and sweating face .
"What's wrong?"
"Tong called me out in the clan chat . He found out …"
"Did he meet Cao Cao in the gathering?"
"Yeah, he said that Cao Cao told him about my visit . "
"What did he say in there?"
"He's pissed . He said he tried to recruit Cao Cao, but he was probably rejected . "
"Put me in the clan chat . Let me handle it . "
"Okay . "
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Li Feihong, Hua Shi, and Te Langpu almost choked blood when they read the notification . No idiot would not know this legendary woman's name .
But Tong knew who she really was .
Diaochan: "This is Medusa . Tong, I'm with Friday . "
Diaochan read the backlog of the conversation while she appeased Tong's anger in the chat . Though Friday went against Tong's order, she had her reasons .
Diaochan: "I've heard from Friday that Liu Yang blackmailed her into joining the Xiongnu, or she will kill me . She went to Xuchang to rescue me because of that . "
Diaochan: "Also, assassins from Xiongnu are disguising as my bodyguards . I was that close from being killed . Don't blame her, Tong . "
Dong Bai: "I'm sorry, Tong . This is my mother . Her life comes first . "
Tong, Friday, and Diaochan did not sleep that night as they had a lot of things to talk about . Sometimes, job and family affair did not get along .
…
…
…
Luo Yang City .
Khan was aware of the gathering of the coalition . Instead of being panic, he laughed as he thought that it was to be expected .
"You bunch of insects gathered against Dong Zhuo and me in my previous life . Yet here, your mob teamed up against me again . Do you think I'm the naïve fool like back then!?"
Li Ru, Huo Xiong, Li Jue, Guo Si, Ma Teng, Han Sui, and a hundred of minor officers stood in the throne room, watching Khan who was sitting on the throne and Liu Yang who sat behind him .
They did not know what Khan was babbling about, but they were smart enough to catch a few keywords .
'Previous life?'
'Gather against Dong Zhuo and him?'
'Team up against him again?'
Li Ru ignored the trivial matters . He stepped forward as he was concern about the coalition .
"My lord, 100,000 soldiers are stationing north of the Yellow River . The other 100,000 are attacking Wu Pass, and the main force of 200,000 men will lay siege on Hulao Gate soon . We hope you can share your wisdom and your plan in this battle . "
Instead of giving advice, Li Ru asked for a strategy for the next battle . As a new officer in a new force, Li Ru did not dare to reveal his competence .
Khan snorted, "Liu Yang, take 200,000 clone army to Wu Pass with Li Ru, Pang De, and Ma Teng . Do not confront Sun Jian and his army head-on . Try to burn their supply or buy times for our main army to retreat . "
Upon hearing the word "Retreat," Li Ru was shocked .
"My lord, retreat? Don't we have a superior number?"
Khan rolled his eyes, "Look at the entire map, fool . We're being attacked by three sides, and the real attack will come from the northern bank of the Yellow River . The rest of the troops are nothing but baits . If we try to defend them all, we will fall into the enemy's trap . "
This reborn Lu Bu was not naïve enough to fight directly against Sun Jian Army again to lose another battle . He knew that in terms of troops maneuvering, he was not as good as Sun Jian . Furthermore, he received the intel from his spies that Sun Jian Army housed two reincarnators .
Khan would not take a gamble in a battle that he had high chances to lose . Moreover, he knew that one of the reincarnators was the original owner of his copied skill, [Cultivator] .
Khan also had a skill, which was the foundation of his strength .
[Copy]
It was the skill that Khan created when he returned to this world .
When he was thrown into the empty space, he remembered his bitter past, which he was envious of all lords who had more experiences and skills than himself . Thus, he wanted to learn them all and turn them into his powers, so he could change his life .
Thus, the skill, [Copy], was created .
The result was unimaginable . Khan could copy objects, provision, living beings, and even skills of otherworlders . Whenever he used it, he could choose any power from the list without having to see the owner of the skills .
It was like an encyclopedia of all skills that existed in this world .
Moreover, when he used it to copy human beings, he could adjust the memory of the person he would create . He could create a brainwashed army as long as he had enough lifespans!
Though he had a rough start because of the upkeep of this skill, it bore fruits once he copied Tong's [Sword Mastery] and began harvesting lifespans by killing people in wars with his rival tribes .
Unfortunately, he could not copy many skills after Lilith put a restriction on all otherworlders . He suffered backlashes of having too many skills and had to delete some to save his life . Later on, Lilim came and wiped his powers again .
But the lady luck was still on his side . One of the slave traders sold him a young girl, which happened to be the goddess whose power was stripped by Lilim, Liu Yang .
Liu Yang told him everything about the abnormally of this world and the existence of all otherworlders . In exchange for her guidance and the secret of the angelic wing cultivation, he had to destroy the Han Dynasty, Zhang Tong, and his family!
Khan accepted the task in glee . He acquired four wings and regained his skills later on . In the end, he invaded China with his Xiongnu Army and his clone troopers .
Now, he planned to do his best not to repeat the same blunder .
"Huo Xiong, Han Sui, Li Jue, Guo Si, you four take 200,000 men . Go and block the invasion from the northern bank . No matter what happens, do not let them cross the river . If you see Lu Bu or Ding Yuan in those armies, notify me in the clan chat . "
Khan turned his gaze at the rest of the officers, "The rest of you, fall back to Chang'An . I will take my special force to greet them at Hulao Gate! I want to see if these so-called [Immortals] are worthy to be my opponent!"
…
May 20th, 186 A . D .
Khan and his 100,000 special force troopers stationed on the long wall, blocking the passage through the mountain and the northern Yellow River .
It was the famous Hulao Gate .
East of the legendary gate, soldiers of the coalition forces formed arrays .
500 Siege towers, 500 siege ladders, and 500 trebuchets were distributed to the frontline armies . Furthermore, Pu Jing and Cao Cao brought their toys with them, which revealed to the alliance warlords for the first time .
Five 14th-century cannons!
They were not wheeled-cannons, but stationary cannons that relied on manpower to move and aim .
The cannons baffled the alliance, but it gave Tong a sense of crisis .
"This is why I don't want to fight him . He catches up with our technologies too fast . "
