Bab 33: Rebuilding Wen Wu City (1)
"Master Disciples, can this elderly speaks a few words with you all?" an elder who is also the North Gate Representative came towards the nine of them with the intention to explained something. Luckily, the location they're at the moment is inside of the Apprentice Hall building.
"Elder please speak, if this nine disciples can help it, we will not hesitate to get it done." their eldest senior brother answered his request to speaks and seated just before the elder to listen to his needs.
"The attack just now caught over twenty females in a different age, some of them were peoples daughter, some is other's wives. I hope the nine Master Disciples can provide us with some assistance to rescue the ladies from their distress." the elderly explained the situation to the nine of them.
Without further ado, they immediately consult the situation with the Grand Elder of the Right and discussed the number of affected families. After recognizing most of their members, Zhang Wu Ji took the lead to catch up with the running Iron Scale Bull, while the others maintain the safety and guarding the perimeters of the North Gate in case the bandits have back up troops that managed to escape.
Meanwhile, the City Lord, the Commander of the Militarized Forces, and the Grand Elder of the Right is discussing the task to rebuild the houses and also some buildings, but due to the lack of resources and expertise, their discussion end up stopping in between before further reports related to the building materials and available workers came into their hand.
If this matter had been made known by Zhang Wu Ji, perhaps they don't even need to wait before making a decision. In a side fact, who can compete with the wealth of the Apprentice Hall at this moment? With himself missing from handling their treasury, it was filled with more and more precious material, and also skillful workers. The Apprentice Hall can easily command over ten thousand of the workforce in rebuilding the northern side of the Wen Wu City.
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"That's the carriage with Iron Scale Bull! It wasn't driven by anyone, that's why the Wild Beast is still loitering around this area!" one of the members from the Martial Art Department made a remark the moment the group of eleven people saw the slowly moving carriage. They immediately catch up, but at this point, it still wasn't an easy task either.
An Iron Scale Bull possess the strength of the 9th Stage of Inner Qi Fighter, so how can those people from their group have the ability to fight against it? Fighting against a fellow human, one may possibly catch him unaware and making some mistakes in a group fight, but it was different when the opponent becomes a Wild Beast.
A beast possesses twice the awareness when compared with a human, and on the body of an Iron Scale Bull especially, each part of the beast is a weapon. The body of the bull carries more than five different weapons, and if it was not for it timid nature, handling a beast of this strength is akin to seeking for own's death.
"Master Senior Ninth, what should we do now?" the subordinates asked for their next instruction. Being Zhang Wu Ji's subordinates is always comes with a perk, and for them, it was the privilege of learning the New Fist of Destruction Qi and also been given with sufficient QI Sensing Pills as long they work.
"Charge head on!" Zhang Wu Ji instruction is very simple, but that simplicity generates fear and awe at the same time. They have no idea that Zhang Wu Ji is this confident in his approach is because all over his body is filled with the item that comes with some special effect.
"Shatter-Strike!" Zhang Wu Ji activates the same technique for the second time, and with a continuous swing as he gets closer, air blades are formed in dozens and strikes at the Iron Scale Bull without a mercy. For Zhang Wu Ji, this was something fun for him, but for the subordinates, their master is a freak!
Freak!
Freak!
Total Freak!
"Can we even destroy a single scales on the Iron Scale Bull's body?" this is what in their mind at this moment. But the reality does show then that even the heaviest defend of a beast is failed to fight against a mere air blade created from a few swings from an Iron Ruler.
Like the scales is made from eggshells, it shatters each time the air blade strikes at the Iron Scale Bull's body. The attack before reaching the bull already destroyed all its defense, leaving it only with its Iron Piercer Tail, Twin Iron Horn, and its four Iron Hoofs.
"MOO!!!" the Iron Scale Bull cried out loud and stomps its front hoofs down on the ground. Then, after cutting off the strings tying down itself with the carriage, the Iron Scale Bull charged at Zhang Wu Ji with its top speed. But no matter how ferocious is the Iron Scale Bull, it was meant to be defeated today.
The Iron Ruler of a weight close to 20 kilograms is pierced into the ground like a sturdy pillar and standing from behind, Zhang Wu Ji awaits the bull to come and challenge his Iron Ruler's might. The sight is like how a Matador is testing the ferocity of the bull.
"Moo!!!" the Iron Scale Bull strikes straight at the Iron Ruler, only to be bounced back like a Bamboo Slingshot. It flew about six meters high backward and slammed at the dense foliage full of shrubs and thorns. Without any of the Iron Scales protecting it anymore, the Iron Scale Bull can only cry in pain.
These pain might agitate its anger further if it was before, but with itself void of any Iron Scales now, the bull can only cry in pain. The Irony of life... An Iron Scale Bull well famed for its strength and defense end up crying because its body was full of injuries due to the sharp thorns covering the dense shrubs.
"Bring everyone back to the city. I will handle the Iron Scale Bull personally." Zhang Wu Ji instructed the others. Albeit they were filled with shock from the battle, the importance of bringing the kidnapped female back to the city is still a priority. With the route is already cleared from any remnants of the bandits, it was safe for them to escort them back, even if Zhang Wu Ji did not follow them.
Watching at the leaving crowd of females under his subordinates lead, Zhang Wu Ji walks closer to the Iron Scale Bull and took a Wound Mending Pill out from his pouch. He placed the pill right before the nose of the bull, and in that instant, even suffering from pain, the bull still tried to eat the pill.
"You're gluttonous right? Did they promise you that you will get food if you help them?" unexpected to even himself, Zhang Wu Ji was speaking with the Iron Scale Bull. If this sight is seen by people from his own world, he will be sent into a mental hospital immediately.
"Moo... Moo..." the Iron Scale Bull voice its reply, like begging for the Wound Mending Pill.
"This medicine, I got a lot, but if you want, you will have to follow me," he said.
"Moo!" the Iron Scale Bull harrumph and turn the head around.
"You sure?" Zhang Wu Ji took a few more pills out in his hand, with one of them is the precious Complete Taixia Qi Pill. When these pills are out in the open, the bull no longer maintains itself any longer. The gluttonous self quickly overcome its pride, where the tongue quickly came out and tried to lick the pill.
"Follow me."
"Moo!"
"You sure?"
"Moo... Moo..."
"Moo." the Iron Scale Bull still persistent for a while, but give up in the end for the sake to consume the few pills. But of course, Zhang Wu Ji will not give such a good reward before the Iron Scale Bull contributes to him. He only fed it will few Qi Sensing Pills, and that was enough to make the bull followed behind him happily.
It's just that the injuries the bull suffered is worst than he expected, thus, filled with a mind to treat this Iron Scale Bull as his lab rat, Zhang Wu Ji executed the [Small Nourishment Art] on the Iron Scale Bull to see what will happen. A flash soon went through from his body and entered the body of the Iron Scale Bull and begin to help in its recovery.
The injuries due to the thorny shrubs are the first to heal before some greenish substance were forced out from a hidden injury under its ribs. From the look of the injury, it should be around for quite a long time. Does this mean that the Iron Scale Bull was captured somewhere else before it becomes the transport of the bandits?
Soon, most of the injuries are removed, and from its skin, slightly hardened scales is started to grow, leaving the Iron Scale Bull to look like how it was before. But the only differences is that the recently grown scales is still very fragile, thus it was not suitable to be used in a battle for at least one week.
"Hey, your scales grow back! Can I use them as replacement of my Iron Source next time?" Zhang Wu Ji jokes when he sees how fast is the growth of its new scales. But of course, he knows that it was because of his Small Nourishment Art ability. The wonder of his Upgrade System just thrown him into more and more wonderful, because of their amazing effectiveness even towards Wild Beast.
The group of females under the escort of ten subordinates reaches the Northern Gate first, followed by Zhang Wu Ji about half an hour later, riding on top of the Iron Scale Bull. This sight gave the residents another shock again because even a kid knows that;
"If you dare to sit on the back of a domesticated Iron Scale Bull, be prepared to be killed by the bull in a split second."
This sentence is true to the earth, but the missed the fact how Zhang Wu Ji healed the Iron Scale Bull from its injury and also that previous illness. Given with a new life to start again as a normal Iron Scale Bull, it will be impossible for it to not allow its master to ride on it.
"Junior brother, that Iron Scale Bull..." the fifth and sixth senior sister approached their junior to take a clearer look on the Iron Scale Bull, which had been tamed. It was a fun thing, especially for the girls to approach the animals to take caress them, but such affection towards a bull is his first time.
"I just tame it. It used to under control by the bandits through force, so I end up getting its loyalty by feeding it with a few pills." Zhang Wu Ji simply answered his senior sister's question, but even a fool can guess.
"How can a few pills easily tame the beast?"
"Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister, do you like it? I can give it to you two to take care if you want." Zhang Wu Ji patted at the head of the bull, which if obediently rubbed its head on his chest at the next moment. It was a normal thing for a male to be rub on the chest, but for girls, it was a different reaction altogether.
"Ah! No!" the two were scared by the action done by the bull on Zhang Wu Ji's chest. For the girls, it was like themselves got molested by the beast, although it doesn't means anything at all.
"Damn bull! You're doing that on purpose!" Zhang Wu Ji knows the reason behind the bull's action. With the bull this smart, how can it did not realized the fact female human hate to have their chest touched by others? It was a daily sight in the Bandit's stronghold, where the females were like rabbits that all the man chase and hunt, before fiercely caress their chest.
"All I need is to touch their chest and they will run away from me! Good Idea, good idea!" the Iron Scale Bull thought.
As the three of them with a bull busy having their discussion, the families with their female member kidnapped came right before Zhang Wu Ji, and gave him a kneel again. It was to show their gratitude towards the savior for saving a member of their families, to allow them to be together once more.
"Please stand up! Please!" Zhang Wu Ji went over to lift all of them back on their feet, and end up getting even closer to them, especially when all the yet to married young ladies were eyeing on him like he was a prince in a white armor.
"Master Senior Ninth! The elders and City Lord summoned all Master Disciples into the building!" a subordinate from the Herbalist Department came to look for him, where he immediately excuse himself from the public and leave with his fifth and sixth senior sisters.
That summon quickly gathers all the important people into the building main hall, where everyone started to discuss the incident carefully.
"The attack burn down a third of the houses and buildings in the area of Northern Gate, and in a rough estimation, we suffered about 500 soldier casualties, and another 100 of them will not be able to contribute to the military any longer because of the mental trauma." one of the elder representative gave a thorough report.
"After calculating the military expenses and tributes for the dead soldiers, we estimate that we will need at least 50,000 Qi Sensing Pills to be paid to the five hundred families, and the rebuilding of all the building will cost another 50,000 Qi Sensing Pills. At this moment, we're out of refugee supplies, which means we will need to spend at least 10,000 Qi Sensing Pills monthly to support everyone for now until all their buildings are completed." another elder representative reported.
"As for the training of the soldiers again and rebuild our City Wall, we will need to spend another 50,000 Qi Sensing Pills again. This incident really put a toll on our expenditure." the final elder representative completed the reports. Which gives all the others in the room a heavy sigh. At the end of the day, it still came to financial difficulties. Like how it was in his previous life, money is what made people go around.
"At the end, it still comes to the difficulties of money?" Zhang Wu Ji considered the situation carefully, and before he makes any decision, Zhang Wu Ji take things a step forward by questioning the elders first.
"Three Elder Representatives, Can this junior ask, what kind of resources is the most abundant in the Wen Wu City?" he came out with a question without waiting for them to agree to answer. Looking at the youth who stands up and ask such deep questions, the three elders ordered their subordinates to come back with a list.
"In reply to the Ninth Direct Disciple, this elder will begin to read the resources that can be easily found in our West, North, and South Region."
"In the north, we have small numbers of the self-maintained farmer that focus on planting and harvesting the Ruby Grains to be made into rice. Depending on the season, their harvest was twice a year, and in between of the harvest, they will be planting medicinal herbs like Blood Stopping Grass and Healing Flower, which can be harvested in a month."
"As for the West, that is where our Wen Wu City's Mine is located. Here, our main production was Iron Mineral Ore, rich with Sentient Iron, an average amount of Pure Iron, and a very minimal amount of Crystal Iron. Other than this three materials, we also produce Coal Silica and some Clay."
"Lastly, the South is where the Southern Bamboo Forest is located. Our main harvest from the forest are mainly medicinal herbs and some younger beast meat, sometimes, we collect the grown bamboo from the forest to construct buildings or other things. This is all the produce we made in the Wen Wu City." one of the elders introduce and explained the situation of the Wen Wu City, which seems nice from the outside, but poor in the inside.
Even Zhang Wu Ji himself felt pathetic with a city that has so little products and resources made available. Their sizes were nothing lesser than the city he stays in his previous life, but in the term of production, the city he says in his previous life not only produce high-quality steel and metal, they were the world biggest contributions in textile and woods. Let aside the issue in grains or wheat supplies, the city also have their own filtration plant, canning factory, and also training school and university for them to study and graduates with a major profession in one of the industrial fields.
"Should I industrialized them?" it was a difficult choice for him to decides because this will indirectly be related with the way people look at the Seven Star Sect. Helping out a city out of kindness is not a problem, but the problem is how will those people from above, means the emperor, the State Minister, and the other counties will react. It might be treated as the intention to rebel against the Southern Kingdom straight away because of the approach!
"To help but not to help, to contributes but asking for a return, to invest... And..."
"YES!"
"YES! That's it!" Zhang Wu Ji suddenly becomes happier as he finally obtained the solutions to something he wanted. He turned to the direction where all the people were still waiting for his reply and said;
"The Apprentice Hall will contribute in the reconstruction of the northern side of the Wen Wu City, as for the payment, we're unable to say we will do the works for free, but in exchange, I will allow the Wen Wu City's Departments to shoulder the cost, and allowed you to repay the cost of reconstruction works in an Instalments! This will allow the Wen Wu City to continue to grow, but also maintain the financial stability to further strengthening themselves!"
"As for the materials, I am sorry but to request the miners under the City Lord's order to assist in increasing their production, and in return of this payment, we, the Apprentice Hall will gladly provide temporary shelters and job opportunities to those willing to work, and to those misfortunate families." Zhang Wu Ji offered.
"Are... Are you serious with what you just said?" the City Lord was so shocked he stands up and reconfirm again about what he just heard. The other three elders cannot believe it as well, except the Commander of the Militarized Forces, because he is slightly not too [Bright] enough.
The Grand Elder of the Right were impressed with the idea Zhang Wu Ji mentioned. Similarly, the eight senior brother and sisters of his were caught by surprise and stared at their youngest junior brother from hearing such an innovative and new method to handle the method of payment.
"Yes, City Lord. As long the City residents assist in this matter, we are confident the Apprentice Hall can help in reconstructing the Northern part of the Wen Wu City and also strengthen the City Wall from being attacked by the bandits so easily next time.
"Great! What a great idea! Let everyone in the city knows that from now on, The Northern side of Wen Wu City rebuilding will be tasked to the Apprentice Hall, and for the time being, the Apprentice Hall will accept all incoming manpower to increase the speed of their works. The meal will be prepared two times a day for the young and the old, and for those working force, three meals will be provided instead."
"The Wen Wu City will not apply any taxes on the Apprentice Hall in the period of the rebuilding the Northern Side, and at the same time, the City Lord Management will not restrict the Apprentice Hall in any manner!" The city lord completes his instruction to be read out back to the public and turned to face Zhang Wu Ji once more.
"Ninth Direct Disciple, this old city lord is incapable as you do. Thank you for your magnanimity to help the Wen Wu City to stand on their own once again!" the city lord did not hesitate and gave Zhang Wu Ji a bow. In terms of value, whose bow can stands on par of his master and his father?
It will be a bow from the highest official in a city of course!
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
yungsern87
yungsern87 First and foremost, I'm so sorry for my failure to uphold my promises of updating 11 chapters last week. I am very sorry for my lack of ability and hope all my readers still support me as my book went along.
But still, I will try promise a 7 Chapter as usual weekly updates, and another two chapters bring forward from last week.
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