Chapter 144: The Way Out

Cheng Feng had once considered whether he should go to Wang Tieshan at the Martial Arts Hall to ask about the future path for the gang.

After all, within his current circle of Martial Artists, only a guide like Wang Tieshan—who held such a lofty status, possessed vast experience, wielded great strength, and shared a close relationship with him—could provide him with some direction.

However, after careful deliberation, Cheng Feng decided the timing was not yet ripe. There was no emergency at present; if he asked about the path forward too early, he feared his master would think him young, impetuous, and incapable of accomplishing great things.

He had originally wanted to seek guidance from his senior brothers and sisters, but they were not at the Martial Arts Hall, each busy with their own affairs.

It had to be said that the degree of freedom for a Lian Xue Martial Artist in the Martial Arts Hall was indeed very high.

Sometimes, Wang Tieshan would also send someone to summon Cheng Feng to the Martial Arts Hall to check on his progress.

And every time, Cheng Feng's progress never failed to make Wang Tieshan feel satisfied.

Watching Cheng Feng's realm improve, Wang Tieshan felt both joy and trepidation, terrified that Cheng Feng might falter at the critical moment of breaking through to Bone Refining.

In Wang Tieshan's eyes, only three disciples—Zhao Wei, Zhang Hu, and Cheng Feng—had the potential to cross that difficult-to-surpass chasm and step into the Bone Refining Realm.

As for the others, they were not people who pursued the Martial Dao with their whole hearts.

Lao San and Lao Si were recently talking about marriage; Wang Tieshan did not object, but for disciples with average aptitude and ordinary temperament, once they married, Wang Tieshan rarely saw them persist with enough willpower to reach the peak.

Lao Ba's family had run into some trouble; in the future, without resources, he might not even be able to manage his tributes to the Martial Arts Hall.

Lao Jiu went without saying; if he didn't break through at Skin Refining Perfection, it might be difficult to break through in the future.

Only Lao Da and Lao Er were advancing bravely and were promising candidates for a breakthrough.

Lao Shi was a late bloomer—slow at first but fast later—and was also keeping pace; thinking about it, he should be able to catch up from behind.

Among the many disciples, the one with the most hope of breaking through to a higher realm was perhaps Cheng Feng.

The secret legacy of the Martial Arts Hall must definitely be given to the person with the greatest strength, otherwise that thing would certainly not be kept safe.

If one's character was not upright, so be it; at worst, one could take the secret to the grave.

But if it could be passed down, one could give a clear account to the ancestors below after death, which would be a fine thing.

Cheng Feng did not know that it was Wang Tieshan who had given him convenience behind the scenes, and he was still struggling with the development of the Hong Sect.

Experts, there were none.

The backbone, fifty Martial Artists at the Strength Refining Realm.

The bottom layer, ordinary people who had just started and undergone training.

There was a surplus of silver every month, but Cheng Feng no longer cared for that small amount of money.

In order not to attract attention, Cheng Feng felt he still had to continue recruiting people and seizing territory.

As long as the fighting at the bottom layer did not lack the tribute money for those above, the government would just turn a blind eye and let it pass.

Occupying the Hutou Gang was Cheng Feng marking out territory for himself; taking down the Sishui Gang was Cheng Feng's probe against the Green Bamboo Gang.

Xu Miao said the Green Bamboo Gang had been fighting internally quite fiercely lately, and Cheng Feng would not let this opportunity slip by.

He dared not eat the big fish and meat, but small fish and shrimp were fine!

Even a snake grows from small to big!

Cheng Feng had sufficient patience to slowly expand the territory of the Hong Sect.

Cheng Feng had originally been prepared to let go of the Fine Salt business; after all, the name was too big, and it wouldn't be good to earn money but have no life to spend it.

But on the way back to the village to pick up his parents, seeing so many refugees on the road, Cheng Feng keenly sensed something different.

This was a difference in the situation.

The situation in the Great Zhou was truly on the verge of collapse.

Cheng Feng dared not be certain that he was definitely right, but the advantage Cheng Feng could seize was absorbing those refugees.

Refugees who could travel over mountains and through rivers to get here must have some skills; Cheng Feng didn't need many, but if he could meet a few who possessed technical skills, Cheng Feng might just strike it rich.

Daring not to delay, Cheng Feng immediately wrote down what he had just thought of on paper:

1. Absorb talented people among the refugees; bringing their families along makes them easier to control.

2. The settlement location can be in the mountains to the east of Liujiacun; the terrain is partially flat with many trees, suitable for building houses.

3. Absorb Martial Artists among the refugees; after an assessment, they can be admitted into the Hong Sect Offering Hall.

4. ……

Only after recording and clarifying his thoughts on the usage, settlement, and recruitment of talent among the refugees, as well as the subsequent support issues, did Cheng Feng stop his pen.

The situation in the county town was not so easily changed, so those refugees ignored by the county town might be the best choice to change the balance of power between the two sides.

Furthermore, outside the city, there was the wealth inside the Black Wind Stronghold that Cheng Feng had been longing for.

After hearing Xu Miao talk about how rich the Black Wind Stronghold was after pulling off a job, it felt like a new world had opened up for Cheng Feng.

Money, it could be earned this way too.

Cheng Feng used to think that having the strength to protect oneself was already quite good.

Now someone told him that with strength, one could forcibly seize wealth and still get rich.

Cheng Feng naturally would not go against the government; Cheng Feng never did anything illegal or criminal.

Then, if Cheng Feng risked his life against bandits and wiped out the bandits' lair, shouldn't that wealth also be obtained by Cheng Feng?

This plan of Cheng Feng's had two weaknesses: the first was strength, and the second was numbers.

Strength to ensure he wouldn't be hacked to death by others.

Numbers to ensure the bandits wouldn't run away.

Cheng Feng had also inquired; the Black Wind Stronghold had once been glorious with nearly 200 people, a famous bandit nest in the vicinity.

Later, several bandit suppression campaigns had some effect, knocking out half the number, but even so, it was still a large stronghold of over a hundred people.

The most famous were three people.

The Great Stronghold Master Liu Dong, possibly at Blood Refining Perfection, skilled in Blade Technique.

The Second Stronghold Master Wu Jiang, at Blood Refining Mid-Stage, possessed a rare Horizontal Training, and coupled with innate divine strength, he was a fierce general when fighting.

The Third Stronghold Master Liuding, who wielded the Xiyu Sword Technique and possessed excellent Lightness Skill.

These were all things Xu Miao told Cheng Feng.

That was why Cheng Feng dared to set his sights on Black Wind Stronghold.

He was already at the Blood Refining Late Stage, which was not considered too weak.

Hong Sect could not keep spending money to support these disciples forever.

If they did not see blood, how could that work?

What Cheng Feng needed were not pampered soldiers.

This plan might result in many deaths, but Cheng Feng had no other choice.

He did not know when the Fine Salt business might be cut off.

Expanding territory could also serve as a way to drill troops.

Cheng Feng decided to initiate this plan once Chen Min and Lian Niang had finished giving birth.

Use the outside to nourish the inside, recruit displaced people to become Hong Sect disciples, and once the numbers were up, slaughter their way to Black Wind Stronghold; their strength might be great, but if the numbers were large enough, losing even one small soldier would count as a gain for Hong Sect.

The displaced people had already lost all hope, but Cheng Feng gave them hope—the hope that things might get better; those unwilling could leave as they pleased, but those with ambition and strength would certainly stay, which would also increase the strength of Hong Sect.

Everyone was risking their lives, so who was in a position to look down on whom?

Cheng Feng carefully polished his flash of inspiration, ready to plug any loopholes at any time.

Chen Min and Lian Niang were about two months away from their due dates, and Cheng Feng pondered the Thunderous Blood Explosion Art (Late Stage 380/500) on his Panmian.

There were 120 points remaining.

In two months' time, he should be able to gather them.

As for strength, he could anchor the final battle himself.

When the child was born, he could also see what the Lucky Bag might provide.

If a few more robots came, Cheng Feng felt that just sending out Humanoid Intelligent Robots would be enough to slaughter all those small fry.

The Archery skills of Babai and Cheng Yi were absolutely at the level of piercing a willow leaf from a hundred paces.

Once the fourth batch of Fine Salt was sold and he had the silver, Cheng Feng planned to set about forging the scales and fangs of the red-scaled giant snake into weapons.

The scales had withstood several of Cheng Feng's full-force slashes while on the red-scaled giant snake and could be made into inner armor; he would equip himself, Babai, and Cheng Yi with them, and keep the extras in storage for backup.

There were only four fangs in total, and if all were forged into arrowheads, they would be absolutely incomparably sharp.

And the silver would arrive on the night after tomorrow.