24: Doctor Pang Muzhi

Creak, creak, the sound of a carpenter's saw echoed in the workshop.

Liu Long accepted the task and began mass producing cheval de frise.

Han Huohuo had once thought about buying the blueprint for this defensive structure, but after checking the trading channel, there were none for sale, only for exchange. They required either top-tier treasures or barracks of C-grade or higher.

He didn't have these things either!

Every camp in the Ten Thousand Mountains was frantically recruiting soldiers and training armies. The price of iron soared. Although people still occasionally sold scrap iron to Han Huohuo, he would buy it if the price was right, but refuse if it was too high.

Now, Han Huohuo wasn't really short on iron.

It had been a long time since he checked the forum. Han Huohuo arranged his work, opened it up, and only looked at information about the Ten Thousand Mountains, wanting to see how everyone was preparing.

"Haha, I've already recruited over a dozen Longbowmen. That should be enough, right?"

"Envious, Longbowmen are best for defense. I just haven't been able to get this barracks."

"Me too. In a fit of rage, I trained a group of Slingers. If anyone dares to attack, watch me smash them to death!"

"I've recruited many wild wolves and oxen. My taming skill is level two, but I don't know how their combat power is."

"Let me show you my treasure, Ding Ding Ding, a Watchtower!"

"Holy crap, how did you get the Watchtower blueprint?"

"Luck!"

"One Watchtower is worth ten Longbowmen. This thing is truly invincible defense!"

Han Huohuo looked at the Watchtower blueprint, also feeling envious, but if he didn't have it, he didn't have it. There was nothing he could do. Others wouldn't sell Watchtower blueprints at this time either.

He kept scrolling down and suddenly saw an important message. He immediately stopped and read it carefully several times.

"Brothers, my camp is on the outermost mountain of the Ten Thousand Mountains. From here, I can even see Wanqing City. Outside the city, there's a massive military camp, densely packed with soldiers. It's terrifying! How do I feel like we can't stop them at all?"

"Are you stupid? Those soldiers are going to attack the entire Ten Thousand Mountains, not just you. If they were only attacking you, you might as well just reincarnate."

"This brother makes sense. Hearing you say that, I feel much more at ease."

.......

Han Huohuo took a look and saw that this young man was called Wang Dali. He immediately initiated a private chat with him.

"Brother, are you there?"

"Huh? Isn't this Han Huohuo Da Ge? I don't have any junk on hand, and I'm not an old woman. Why are you looking for me?"

What he said made Han Huohuo feel a bit choked up, but the intelligence was important, so he endured it.

"Brother, you're in the front row. Can you see what kind of soldiers are inside the military camp?"

"I'm almost scared to death, I don't dare to look closely. I'm hiding in the Main Camp now and don't want to go out. I have nightmares every time I sleep."

"Go take a look. Know yourself and your enemy, and we can at least be prepared!"

"Alright, wait a moment. I'll go out and take a look."

.......

Han Huohuo waited for a while, and Wang Dali replied to him.

"Da Ge, I saw many warriors wearing strange plant armor, with a shield in one hand and a saber in the other. There are so many of them, I can't even see the end....."

"Hmm, those should be Rattan Armor Soldiers. Take another look, are there any other troops?"

......

"Da Ge, there are also some Shieldmen and Spearman training in another camp in the distance......"

"Is that all?"

"Wait.... I think I also saw some strange people. Their hats were very ornate, and their clothes were also very ornate. They looked like religious followers?"

"Are there many of these strange people?"

"Not many, I only saw a few. They weren't training either. They were chatting in a corner with a few people who looked like Generals."

"Alright, anything else?"

"That's all!"

"Thanks!"

"Da Ge, don't go. I'm on the front line and can see the clearest. The officials and soldiers are too terrifying, it's scary. Do you have any way to help me?"

"Help you?...... How about this, I'll sell you some cheval de frise, and you get some scrap iron garbage for me."

"Cheval de frise? Is it useful?"

"Of course. You saw those types of troops. There are no flying units, and the only ranged units are Monks. The rest are all infantry. Cheval de frise is the best defensive structure to block advancing infantry. Oh, right, remember to recruit more archers."

"Da Ge, you're amazing. I'll listen to you!"

He finally got first-hand intelligence.

It was even more detailed than the intelligence Li Qiang had given him earlier.

Han Huohuo felt relieved instead.

They were all infantry, and there were only a few Monks. His defense was almost like an iron barrel, so it should be fine.

Before long, Wang Dali brought a pile of scrap iron and exchanged it for cheval de frise with Han Huohuo.

As soon as he went out, he arranged for Liu Qiang: "Go recruit a few more vagrants and assign them to Liu Long. Have him produce cheval de frise with all his might."

Liu Qiang was very surprised: "King, we don't need so much cheval de frise, do we?"

Han Huohuo chuckled: "I have another use for it. Go prepare immediately!"

Liu Qiang didn't know what the King was planning, but he didn't dare to disobey. He quickly went down to make arrangements and soon assigned five vagrants to Liu Long in one go.

“King, among the vagrants recruited this time, there's someone with a special skill. Would you like to see?” Liu Qiang found that one of the workers from the workshop had a special skill. He quickly brought him out and ran in small steps all the way to Li Feng.

Behind him followed a young man with mud all over his face.

[Bandits]: Pang Muzhi

[Stamina]: 100/ 100

[Combat Power]: Strength 4, Defense 1, Endurance 4, Intelligence 6.

[Traits]: Literacy, Apothecary, Plant Expert, Medic.

[Food Consumption]: One unit per day

[Loyalty]: 50

Huh?

Apothecary? Medic?

Isn't this the talent he needed most right now?

Listening to the name, it wasn't something from an ordinary family. By the looks of it, he was an educated person.

"Pang Muzhi?"

"King, that would be me!"

"Seeing your name has quite a profound meaning, how did you end up as a beggar?"

Pang Muzhi cupped his hands, neither humble nor arrogant: "Reporting to the King, I come from a family of hereditary physicians. Later, due to the great chaos in the world and rampant Banditry, after being plundered many times, my family finally declined, and only then did I end up here."

Han Huohuo laughed heartily: "Then there's nothing to worry about now. You're a bandits too. From now on, only you will rob others, and no one else will rob us."

Pang Muzhi looked a bit melancholic. From his expression, he didn't seem to fully agree with Han Huohuo's words.

Han Huohuo enlightened him: "This is a chaotic world. To survive, you must have extraordinary means. If you act like a good little baby, you might as well be dead. If you aren't fierce, others will be fiercer than you, and you'll be killed without even a trace left! Do you understand?"

Pang Muzhi fell silent and sighed.

"Go take good care of that medicinal garden. In the future, I'll build you a medical clinic, and you can return to your old profession."

"Thank you, King!"

Hearing that he could return to his old profession, Pang Muzhi finally became excited. He quickly bowed in thanks, and then Li Qiang took him to the medicinal garden.

After settling Pang Muzhi.

Han Huohuo turned around and went to the workshop. Liu Long was inside with four apprentices, processing cheval de frise.

With the help, the production efficiency significantly increased.

Wood -20

Cheval de frise +1

Wood -20

Cheval de frise +1

Wood -20

.......

"Keep working hard. The more you make, the King will give extra rewards!"

"King, don't worry, we definitely won't delay our camp's defense deployment!" Liu Long laughed and promised.

"I'm not just setting up my own defense, I also want to....."

Han Huohuo originally wanted to say that he prioritized the common people and would help other Lords jointly resist the evil officials and soldiers.

But the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back, thinking that this world was a bit strange, and saying the wrong thing could easily get him struck by lightning.

"I'm also planning to make a huge profit from this! If I don't make a profit from those idiots' money now, they're all as shrewd as ghosts. When else can I earn? Keep up the good work! Cheval de frise is definitely a good business!"

Liu Long laughed heartily: "Our King is still honest, not hypocritical at all! Just rest assured."

Cheval de frise production speed increased by 20%.

Returning to the front of the camp, all obstacles on the road from the mountaintop down to the valley were cleared. Not a single sapling was left. The entire path up the mountain was within the range of the Floating Turret.

Workers were placing cheval de frise on the road, one after another.

According to Han Huohuo's requirements, they were placed extremely densely.