Chapter 102: Disciples of the Hong Sect

After a thorough search by Cheng Feng, the underground cave at the Nie Mansion was finally fully mapped out. He immediately instructed Wang Hu to find a few men to dig pits on a remote hillside outside the city, in preparation for later removing and burying the corpses from beneath the cave.

Once this was done, the cave could serve as a storage place for the Hong Sect's supplies. After all, Cheng Feng firmly believed that no one in the world could obtain relevant information without cause, and the matter of moving the corpses would naturally be left to Babai to handle. For this, several large crates needed to be prepared in advance, for Babai to place them directly inside the cave, and then load the corpses into the crates to be carried onto a carriage.

When the city gates opened at dawn, these carriages loaded with corpses would leave the city along with the night soil collection team. Of course, Wang Hu had already greeted the guards at the city gate and made the proper arrangements.

Cheng Feng had always found interpersonal dealings quite tiresome, so he simply left these matters entirely to Wang Hu. Fortunately, Wang Hu was well-versed and adept at handling such affairs.

However, the number of corpses in the cave was truly too vast. Cheng Feng had no choice but to patiently ask Wang Hu to report the progress to him every half month. The thick stench of decay was truly unbearable, so he could only entrust Babai to do this bitter work in his stead; it was estimated that it would take several months of busy work to complete this arduous task.

Wang Hu suggested that they could gather all the brothers at night to move the corpses together, but Cheng Feng shook his head and expressed his opposition.

For one, very few people knew about the cave; if too many people were involved, it would inevitably leak out.

For another, with many people come many tongues, which easily breeds complications; it was better to avoid creating extra trouble as much as possible.

After all, according to past experience and common logic, as long as one followed the normal schedule and standard procedures, while adding a few interference factors, it would not arouse suspicion from others. But if one acted too abnormally, it would be highly likely to expose one's tracks.

Clearly, Cheng Feng was very meticulous about how to handle the cave. Although the environment there was not exactly ideal, and even had some strange odors,

in his eyes, it was undoubtedly a unique treasure trove that could serve as an excellent place to store items.

As a person of the Zhonghua Family, one must have a place to hide things in order to strive to acquire them back.

Otherwise, it would be a pity if there were no place to put them.

Cheng Feng also had this kind of thinking in his bones.

Aside from taking out the two ancient books, Cheng Feng did not touch any of the other things like medicinal herbs inside the small cave.

This could also be considered a form of respect for the heritage!

Time flies like a white horse passing a crack.

The corpses beneath the Nie Mansion were almost cleared, with only a small portion left after two full months.

During these two months, Cheng Feng lived in seclusion.

As for the two hundred taels of silver from the original Hutou Gang, once the gang rules were issued, the idle people saw there was no benefit to be gained and left directly. Cheng Feng did not stop them; those who remained were the ones Cheng Feng needed to win over. Since they were doing business that cost heads, he naturally had to treat the brothers under him a bit better.

Twenty-five taels were spent in the first month. In the second month, the gang members were recruited to fifty people, plus two in the Mid Strength Refining Realm and one in the Late Strength Refining Realm; the total monthly salary for the second month amounted to fifty-seven taels.

Cheng Feng calculated that he still had one hundred and twenty-six taels in hand, twenty-six of which Cheng Feng took out entirely to provide as food for the gang members.

Naturally, he still kept some.

Cheng Feng only kept one hundred taels for himself.

That was not all; fifty taels of it were pulled out to buy coarse salt.

The remaining fifty taels were kept as a reserve.

One catty of coarse salt cost one tael of silver, and fifty catties of coarse salt were obtained directly.

Cheng Feng did not intend to bring anyone along; the core technology had to remain in his own hands for the time being.

He called Babai out to help halfway through, and in two days, thirty catties of fine salt were produced.

According to Wang Hu's estimation, one catty of fine salt could sell for twenty taels.

This was six hundred taels right there, a solid windfall; it was much better than other businesses.

But Cheng Feng's liquor business did not stop; when Shopkeeper Mei sent someone to say it was not enough, he would just go over and work hard again.

But these hardships were all worth it.

The two months of liquor dividends amounted to forty-eight taels, enough for the household to use.

Cheng Feng had no plans to buy women for the time being; he would make do for now and talk about it after earning money.

Cheng Feng knew deeply that to build a powerful team, one must start from the bits and pieces of daily life. Therefore, at the old site of the Hutou Gang, he borrowed the management model of the army from his previous life and launched strict training for these subordinates.

Every morning, before the sun rose, Wang Hu would lead everyone to start the day's training. The first thing they had to learn was how to fold their quilts into neat tofu blocks; this not only tested individual patience and meticulousness but also embodied a rigorous sense of discipline.

Next was the tense and exciting military training segment. Dress left, dress right, forward march... every movement was required to be standard, regulated, and uniform. Through such high-intensity training, they could not only improve their physical fitness but also cultivate team spirit and a sense of obedience.

Besides this, Cheng Feng also formulated a series of detailed living regulations, including schedules, dietary habits, and so on. Everyone had to strictly abide by these rules and integrate them into their own blood.

Of course, not everyone could adapt to such harsh training and management methods. For those who were unwilling to cooperate or violated the rules, Cheng Feng would unceremoniously make them hand over their meal money and leave.

But after all, no one was a fool. In this turbulent era, having food, drink, and a source of income every month was already very difficult; what was enduring some so-called gang rules?

In this situation, joining the Hong Sect might be the only way for many to survive. So, despite the arduous training, everyone gritted their teeth and persisted, hoping that through their own efforts, they could obtain better development opportunities in the future.

Wang Hu was also from a background of wandering martial artists, but his talent was at least higher than Nie Hu's; the Skin Refining Realm could not stump him.

Another month should be about enough.

After Sun Gui and Zhou Hai recovered from their injuries, they also began to practice the Mountain Crushing Fist that Cheng Feng had placed in the Hong Sect.

Cheng Feng knew that the Thunderous Blood-Bursting Art and Thunderous Blade he learned from the Martial Arts Hall should be able to reach the Organ Refining Realm.

But this could not be passed on to outsiders.

Fortunately, the Mountain Crushing Fist could also reach Bone Refining, which could be considered leaving a hope for the people of the Hong Sect.

Almost everyone who joined the Hong Sect had their bone structure verified by Babai. If they were a bit older, it did not matter; after all, good Root Bone should be able to make up for it.

The people accepted were all men around twenty years old; the first month of joining the Hong Sect was to make them know the rules and abide by them.

This was a screening method of Cheng Feng's. To join the Hong Sect, one only received silver if they persisted until the first day of the next month. If they could not persist, lacked patience, or lacked vision, Cheng Feng did not need them.

Of course, Cheng Feng would also provide the necessary environmental logistics.

They lived in the rooms of the cleaned-up old site of the Hutou Gang.

As for food, Cheng Feng specifically brought in a former head chef. Every day's meals were supplied with oil and fat, and the taste was not bad. As long as they persisted, it was all free; if they quit halfway, they just had to pay for the meals.

As for clothing, Cheng Feng spent ten taels of silver to entrust a cloth shop to rush out fifty sets of coarse black cloth garments within three days, and embroidered a "Hong" character on the chest as the standard uniform of the Hong Sect.

After everyone gradually adapted to the various habits of military training life, the curtain for martial arts practice was drawn in the following month.

In addition, a ranking competition would be held every week. Those who took the top three places could also drink alcohol; Cheng Feng provided a special supply of a small jar of Chunxiao.

These young people were in the prime of their youth, full of vigor; none of them were willing to fall behind, and they always needed an excuse to vent the hot blood and passion in their hearts.

On weekdays, everyone was divided into red and blue teams, led by Sun Gui and Zhou Hai respectively. Both of these men were in the Mid Strength Refining Realm, and their strength was evenly matched. Without realizing it, an invisible contest unfolded, which could be said to have gotten off to a good start.

At first, Cheng Feng would often come to supervise the competition rules, but by the second month, he came less and less. After all, this month was basically sparring between Martial Artists, and Cheng Feng had already stepped into the Blood Refining Realm, so he naturally looked down upon this level of rookie fighting.

The disciples of the Hong Sect, in an environment such as this, slowly integrated into the Hong Sect.