The Priceless Hidden Weapon / Identity Exposed-Tang Hao's Son!
However, whether it was General Zhang, who was eager for quick success and blinded by new hope, or Tang San, who had regained his confidence, they both subconsciously overlooked a crucial issue.
The applications of Soul Tool extend far beyond their common offensive weapons.
The strength of the Spirit Hall Empire's army lies not only in their equipment of offensive Soul Tool such as Soul Guidance Ray Gun and Soul Cannon, but also in their widespread use of Defensive Soul Tool!
The bolts of Godly Zhuge Crossbow might be able to pierce boulders and tear through ordinary metal armor, but what about against Soul Tool Armor, which is powered by Soul Power and specifically designed for Soul Master' combat defense?
General Zhang, after demonstrating the power of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow to Tang San in front of the boulder, immediately gathered people with great enthusiasm to announce the good news.
Chapter 281 Priceless Hidden Weapon
Upon receiving General Zhang's urgent report, several high-ranking members of the Star Luo Restoration Organization's base were quickly summoned to the core conference room.
When they heard that it was Tang Yin, the newcomer who was said to have a great deal of knowledge about the Spirit Hall's Soul Tool, who took the initiative to report, many people's eyes revealed a hint of anticipation.
Could this young man have really cracked and even replicated the Spirit Hall Empire's standard Soul Tool in such a short time?
If this is true, it would be a godsend for them, who are currently being overwhelmed by the Martial Spirit Hall Empire due to their outdated weaponry.
Several high-ranking officials put aside their busy work and pushed open the conference room door with a hint of excitement. However, when they saw the object that General Zhang had solemnly placed on the table, the anticipation on their faces instantly froze, turning into undisguised disappointment.
It was a crossbow that was completely black and had a unique shape. Although the workmanship looked quite exquisite, it was completely different from the Soul Tool that they had in mind, which were engraved with intricate soul guide patterns and contained energy.
"General Zhang," a stern-faced middle-aged man spoke first, his voice tinged with confusion, but his sharp gaze fixed on General Zhang, awaiting an explanation, "If I remember correctly, those deadly Soul Tool of the Spirit Hall Empire ... don't look like this, do they?"
His words echoed the sentiments of most people present. If General Zhang couldn't provide a convincing reason for bringing so many high-ranking officials to this gathering, he would likely offend people within the organization and damage his reputation in the future.
General Zhang, sensing the questioning gazes of the crowd, immediately pointed to the Godly Zhuge Crossbow on the table and explained, "Please calm down, everyone. This item is called the ' Godly Zhuge Crossbow.' It is extremely powerful, capable of penetrating boulders and even injuring Soul Master below level sixty. Moreover, it can fire continuously, is easy to operate, and even ordinary soldiers can use it..."
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Just as General Zhang was making his introduction, a young man with gold-rimmed glasses and a refined demeanor, sitting to the left of Pei Qinhu, picked up the Godly Zhuge Crossbow with great interest and examined it carefully.
He seemed completely unaware of the almost tangible, chilling killing intent emanating from Tang San beside him.
This young man, Lester, was the person in charge of researching and deciphering Soul Tool within the organization.
He had been studying the Soul Tool of the Spirit Hall Empire for several years and was indeed quite skilled. With a few deft touches on the inconspicuous latches on the crossbow, accompanied by a few soft "clicks," the once-complete Godly Zhuge Crossbow was easily disassembled into a pile of scattered parts on the table in just a few breaths, as if it were a toy.
"Just as I expected!" Lester pushed up his glasses, looked down at the parts—which, though precise, were perfectly smooth inside and lacked any soul-guiding patterns—and declared the result in a calm but certain tone, "Ingenious structure, purely mechanical construction, not Soul Tool."
General Zhang was somewhat embarrassed, but he still insisted, "Does it matter whether it's Soul Tool or not? As long as it's powerful enough to kill the enemy, isn't that enough?"
Lester shook his head. As a meticulous researcher, he habitually began analyzing the pros and cons. "General Zhang, you can't say that. A true Soul Tool can be activated by Soul Master directly injecting Soul Power, launching energy attacks that are fast, have a long range, and theoretically can attack an unlimited number of times as long as the Soul Power is sufficient. But this one in front of us..."
He picked up the empty crossbow magazine. "Essentially, it's still an improvement on the bow and crossbow, using springs and mechanisms to fire solid bolts. While the power is increased and it can fire in bursts, it's limited by the magazine's capacity, allowing only a maximum of sixteen bolts to be fired consecutively. After that, it has to stop and reload. In the ever-changing battlefield, this is a fatal weakness."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, before finally adjusting his glasses and concluding, "However, to be fair, although its performance is inferior to the standard Soul Tool, it is indeed a viable option as a cheap alternative to the Soul Tool, equipping rank-and-file soldiers to compensate for our lack of long-range firepower."
"After all, the Soul Tool of the Spirit Hall Empire smuggled from the black market are ridiculously expensive, and we simply cannot afford to equip them on a large scale."
His analysis was objective and reasonable. Several senior officials nodded in agreement and began to reassess the value of the "Godly Zhuge Crossbow".
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However...
Standing to the side, Tang San watched as his Tang Sect's Godly Zhuge Crossbow was so easily dismantled into a pile of parts and then judged. The killing intent in his eyes almost surged forth.
How dare they steal the secrets of my Tang Sect's Hidden Weapon crafting techniques?!
Despite his fury, Tang San was well aware that among the many Hidden Weapon of the Tang Sect, the Godly Zhuge Crossbow was not particularly difficult to manufacture, far less complex and difficult to imitate than top-tier Hidden Weapon such as the Peacock Plume Feather, the Yama's Invitation, and the Guanyin's Tear.
Now that the internal structure is fully exposed, given the abilities Lester has demonstrated, it shouldn't be difficult to reverse engineer the manufacturing method.
Thinking of this, Tang San could no longer remain silent.
He stepped forward abruptly, interrupting the hushed conversation of the crowd:
"Sir, isn't it extremely impolite to dismantle someone's hard work without permission? This ' Godly Zhuge Crossbow ' is a unique achievement I painstakingly developed after countless failures. I hope you can respect the efforts of others and not try to covet or steal it!"
His words instantly extinguished the tension. All eyes turned to Tang San and Lester, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.
Even General Zhang was taken aback by Tang San's actions.
When Tang San first presented the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, he didn't bring the blueprints. General Zhang initially thought it was an oversight due to time constraints. However, seeing Tang San's performance now, General Zhang suddenly had a bad feeling.
Hearing Tang San's questioning, the young man calmly placed the last component on the table, adjusted his glasses, and said, "Why is Mr. Tang Yin angry? Since you've presented the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, its value should be verified." He lightly tapped the scattered components on the table with his fingertip. "The structure is ingenious, but the principle isn't complicated. If it were Soul Tool, it would be worth keeping secret, but this..."
He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, drawing everyone's attention to the pile of parts. Indeed, apart from its more sophisticated mechanisms, it was no different in essence from an ordinary crossbow.
Seeing this, General Zhang quickly smoothed things over. "Tang Yin, Researcher Li was just doing his job. Since the Godly Zhuge Crossbow is indeed effective, we..."
Tang San abruptly raised his hand, rudely interrupting General Zhang's attempt to smooth things over. He coldly swept his gaze across the people in the conference room, and looking at the disassembled Godly Zhuge Crossbow parts in Lester's hand, he understood immediately—these guys not only wanted to crack his Tang Sect's Hidden Weapon, but also wanted to get them for free!
His original plan was to emulate the cooperation model with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in his previous life and conduct a fair transaction.
But to my surprise, the other party was so unruly!
Since that's the case, he no longer needs to feign politeness.
"Everyone!" Tang San's voice was resolute and unquestionable, "This ' Godly Zhuge Crossbow ' is my own creation, painstakingly crafted; it is no ordinary tool. If the Star Luo Empire wishes to acquire it, it must pay the corresponding price."
He directly presented the price he had quoted in his previous life when trading with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, without making any concessions. "Each Godly Zhuge Crossbow is priced at ten thousand Gold Soul Coin. Special crossbow bolts are priced separately..."
As soon as the price was announced, a collective gasp filled the conference room.
The faces of several high-ranking Star Luo Empire instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Ten thousand Gold Soul Coin per crossbow?!" An elderly man in charge of finances slammed his fist on the table, his voice trembling with anger. "Tang Yin! Do you know how much refined iron ten thousand Gold Soul Coin can buy? Enough to forge thousands of suits of armor! And this crossbow you have? Aside from the ingenious mechanism, how much material did it actually use?!"
Another general said in a deep voice, "Moreover, crossbow bolts are consumables! It's perfectly normal for a medium-sized battle to consume tens of thousands of crossbow bolts! At your price, that's millions of Gold Soul Coin! And that's just the bolt consumption for one battle! In the long run, the military expenditure will probably be almost as much as buying Soul Tool from the Spirit Hall Empire directly from the black market!"
Indeed, in terms of price alone, the Godly Zhuge Crossbow is cheaper than the standard Soul Tool of the Spirit Hall Empire, which often cost tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coin.
However, Soul Tool can be reused; the core lies in the Soul Master and Soul Power.
The Godly Zhuge Crossbow is a purely physical device; once the bolts are fired, they are gone, making them extremely difficult to recover on the battlefield. The cost of continuous combat would be astronomical.
General Zhang's face also turned extremely ugly. He hadn't expected Tang San to so forcefully quote such an "astronomical price."
This has completely exceeded the organization's psychological expectations for equipping ordinary soldiers.
The atmosphere in the meeting room froze completely.
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Tang San's offer was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing everyone's excitement that the Godly Zhuge Crossbow could replace the Soul Tool.
Ultimately, the problem lies in Tang San's perception.
His past life's transactions with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect made money too easily, leading him to have a seriously flawed understanding of the value of Gold Soul Coin and the financial power of various major forces.
Who is Ning Fengzhi? He is the leader of the wealthiest sect in the world, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, whose wealth rivals that of a nation. He agreed to Tang San's outrageous offer for two reasons: firstly, the sect is indeed incredibly wealthy; secondly, and most importantly, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's purchase of Hidden Weapon is primarily for the self-defense of its core disciples and to arm its elite guards. The quantity is limited, and it is a "high-end custom-made" item, not intended for large-scale warfare.
But Tang San was facing an army, a war between nations! It required equipping tens of thousands of soldiers, and crossbows were a massive consumable.
His pricing strategy, which he directly copied from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School, would be astronomically expensive if applied to the size of an army, let alone the Star Luo Restoration Organization which is currently barely surviving. Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect at its peak would absolutely not be able to afford such an astronomical expense!
Even more fatal is the misalignment of their identities.
In Tang San's previous life, he was a powerful figure who cooperated equally with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; he was an outsider, a supplier.
Ning Fengzhi him with great courtesy, so the deal could naturally be discussed openly.
This time, however, he was introduced as General Zhang's subordinate, claiming to be loyal to the Star Luo Empire and as one of their own, there to develop a solution to the Soul Tool.
The organization provided him with shelter, resources, and support, hoping that he would strengthen the organization's power.
An "insider" supported by the organization has made research results, but instead of thinking about equipping the troops and improving overall combat effectiveness as soon as possible, he immediately came up with an exorbitant price that could drain the organization dry. To outsiders, this is not loyalty, but blatant opportunism and a lack of any sense of belonging!
The gazes of those around him grew colder, filled with scrutiny, suspicion, and even a chill of betrayal.
But none of them spoke; all eyes ultimately focused on the one in the main seat—His Highness Pei Qinhu —awaiting his decision.
Pei Qinhu listened to the argument in silence from beginning to end. His face, which was both wild and handsome, showed no expression, but his eyes, when looking at Tang San, held an indescribable speechlessness.
In the dead silence, no one noticed that the black-haired girl who had been standing quietly behind Pei Qinhu like a shadow had vanished without a trace.
until--
A bone-chilling coldness suddenly pressed against Tang San's neck, its sharpness carrying a deathly threat that made every hair on his body stand on end!
He was startled and realized with horror that the black-haired girl, whose presence was extremely faint, had somehow moved like Gui Mei, appearing behind him without his noticing, and a short blade or similar weapon was firmly pressed against his vital points!
He didn't even realize when the other person moved or how they got close!
How is that possible?
You should know that he learned the Purple Demon Eye from the Tang Sect, making his senses extremely sharp!
Just then, Pei Qinhu's icy voice broke the silence, making a decision. "Detain him temporarily!"
These four simple words brought this farce to a temporary close.
Then, his sharp gaze turned to General Zhang, whose face was pale and whose forehead was covered in sweat, and his tone was filled with undisguised questioning and dissatisfaction. "General Zhang, is this the 'talent' you so strongly recommended?"
They used Star Luo Empire's resources for research, and then turned around and tried to fleece Star Luo Empire?
General Zhang was truly at a loss for words, his face turning pale and then red. He recalled Tang Yin's performance when he was under his command. Tang Yin was so humble and polite, exceptionally talented, and appeared to be loyal to the Star Luo Empire. It was these qualities that made him trust Tang Yin completely and recommend him to the higher-ups as an important talent.
Who would have thought that, having barely gained power and not even having acquired any real authority, the other party seemed to have become a completely different person!
"Gentlemen," General Zhang's voice was hoarse, filled with deep self-reproach and regret, "This matter... this matter was indeed due to my oversight!"
He began with difficulty to recount Tang Yin's origins. "About half a year ago, this person was introduced to me by Lady Yuehua. Lady Yuehua said that this boy was a descendant of an old friend of hers, exceptionally talented, and harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Spirit Hall. She hoped that he could train under my command and contribute to the cause of restoring the kingdom. I saw that he was indeed quite strong and had excellent potential, so... so I kept him."
His words directly implicated another key figure— Tang Yuehua of the Clear Sky Sect.
Instantly, all eyes in the conference room turned like searchlights, focusing on the Clear Sky Sect Master, who sat silently to one side.
Chapter 282 Identity Exposed -- Tang Hao's Son!
This meeting was of high importance and urgent. Only the sect leader of the Clear Sky Sect attended on behalf of the sect, and Tang Yuehua did not accompany him.
Under the scrutiny of so many sharp, scrutinizing gazes, the Clear Sky Sect Master's face immediately turned extremely ugly, and he even became somewhat uneasy.
He did know that Tang Yuehua had introduced a young man named "Tang Yin" to General Zhang, but because Tang Yin was quite capable, he didn't investigate further.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect spoke in a deep voice, "Everyone, Clear Sky Sect does indeed bear responsibility for oversight in this matter. But I can clearly tell you all that this child is not a member of the Clear Sky Sect's bloodline!"
Because Tang Yin's surname is Tang, many people subconsciously assume he is a member of the Tang family, so the sect leader naturally has to clarify the relationship before discussing anything else.