Chapter 284: Returning to Qingxi

Rented several carriages to bring the wounded and the ashes of the deceased back to Qingxi County City together.

Among them were six who were severely wounded and over twenty who had been cremated into ashes; those traveling together were all somewhat dejected.

The rules and systems of the Hong Sect were handled personally by Cheng Feng; the high standards for compensation for casualties meant he did not feel excessive sorrow.

In his view, this was the Hong Sect's respect and responsibility toward every member, and also one of the important reasons they would be able to stand firm in the future.

Work and life, Cheng Feng kept them very distinct; regarding the losses of the Sword Hall, though he felt regret, it was more a sense of respect for the deceased and responsibility for the living.

The rigor and fairness of the Hong Sect internally were what could attract and retain true powerhouses. As for those who were greedy for life and afraid of death, there was no place for them in the Hong Sect.

It only takes two or three tasks to see the true nature of a person's heart.

This world is inherently cruel; only the strong can survive, and the Hong Sect only provides a stage for the strong.

Recalling his own past experiences, Cheng Feng could not help but feel deeply moved.

From risking his life to sell illicit salt to occupying a place in the Hong Sect today, he had experienced too many hardships and challenges. But he had never regretted his choices.

"Does the dragon slayer eventually become the evil dragon?" Cheng Feng recited this sentence silently in his heart, but shook his head. He was fundamentally different from those black-hearted bosses.

At least he was still kind; when he became strong, he would look after the weak instead of wielding a sickle against them.

"I do not regret it," Cheng Feng said firmly in his heart. He knew the road ahead was still long and the challenges would become more numerous. But he was already prepared; no matter if there was wind and rain or clear skies ahead, he would forge ahead until he reached his goal.

No one knew the fear he felt when facing that giant black snake in the water behind him; the only path he had at that time was to swim with all his might.

Fortunately, the result was good; he saved his life and also obtained the silver.

Later, he had also felt lingering fear, but gradually, it just became that way.

Everything was just as he had thought; it was enough that he and the people around him lived better.

Seeing the groans of the wounded in the carriage due to their pain, Cheng Feng did not hesitate in the slightest and took the herbs he had previously purchased directly from the pack he carried with him.

He skillfully mashed the herbs, mixed them with clear water, and fed them to the wounded one by one.

This scene left the surrounding Sword Hall disciples stunned, and they cast looks of surprise one after another.

In their impression, the former Sect Master of the Hong Sect, or any high-level figure, was usually an existence high above.

They were more about devising strategies and planning, and rarely would they personally handle such trivial matters.

Therefore, when Cheng Feng displayed this Medical Skill, the disciples were all surprised and filled with admiration.

"So the Sect Master can even do this?" one disciple could not help but mutter in a low voice, his tone filled with amazement.

"Indeed, I really didn't expect that the Sect Master is not only powerful in strength but also Proficient in Medical Skill," another disciple echoed, his eyes sparkling.

Cheng Feng turned a deaf ear to these discussions; he focused on taking care of the wounded, ensuring that everyone could receive timely treatment.

He felt that the strength of an organization was not only reflected in force but also in the care and concern for its members. Only in this way could the members feel the warmth and power of the organization, thereby serving the organization more loyally and diligently.

When all the wounded were properly settled, Cheng Feng stood up and patted the dust off his hands. He looked around at the surrounding disciples, his eyes revealing an indescribable majesty.

"People of our Hong Sect, no matter where we are, will support each other and advance or retreat together," Cheng Feng said in a deep voice. "Today I can do this for you, and tomorrow you must also put in the same effort for each other and for the Hong Sect."

After simply motivating the Sword Hall disciples, Cheng Feng sat back on his horse, recalling the contents of the Silk Pulling Art he had read.

The herbs needed for the Silk Pulling Art were all available in the Prefecture City; they were very expensive, but Cheng Feng could afford them, for the sake of Xu Miao and Zhao Wei at home, and Wei Zhuang who was far away in Heimu Prefecture City.

Cheng Feng spent eighty thousand taels directly to buy ten carts of medicinal materials; one cart of medicinal materials cost eight thousand taels.

Of course, these medicinal materials were all stored by Cheng Feng in his Space Ring.

This also made Cheng Feng's Space Ring almost full.

Cheng Feng calculated silently in his heart; he believed that the three of them should be able to take another step forward. The senior sister and Xu Miao had both initially completed their Bone Refining, while he himself was about to reach perfection.

All of this was thanks to the medicinal efficacy of the Blood Bodhi; without it, he could not have had such speed.

On the contrary, the two women, who had extremely strong Root Bone aptitude, could use the resources to improve significantly.

After witnessing the powerful combat strength of the Lianzhan Martial Artist in the Prefecture City, Cheng Feng knew deeply that it would probably be dangerous for the Hong Sect to move directly into the Prefecture City now.

So he decided to use money to solve the problem. Anyway, those one hundred and eleven thousand taels of silver were not his own, so it was better to use them all to buy medicinal materials to improve the strength of himself and his family.

As time passed, Qingxi County City drew closer, and a feeling of "homesickness" unexpectedly welled up in Cheng Feng's heart. It had to be said that the life of these two years was more exciting than the twenty years of his previous life.

In order to pursue greater strength and wealth, Cheng Feng had changed from a person who would feel uncomfortable at the sight of blood into a ruthless character who could kill without blinking an eye today.

He had also gradually adapted to the environment of the Great Zhou; by moving forward unscrupulously, life seemed to have become smoother.

Cheng Feng first returned to the Hong Sect to check on his core team; the strength of Wang Hu, Sun Gui, Zhou Hai, and Li Yang had all reached the Skin Refining Late Stage.

The eldest brother's cultivation was at the Skin Refining Initial Stage, and Lao San's realm was at the Skin Refining Mid-Stage, but both had been injected with the Super Serum, and their strength and endurance far exceeded that of ordinary people.

These were also the two trump cards Cheng Feng had prepared for the Hong Sect; in the territory of Qingxi County City, Skin Refining was already considered quite a capable hand.

As for those small gangs, Cheng Feng also signaled Wang Hu to send more people to see blood and temper their temperaments.

The herbs for the Silk Pulling Art in the carriage were not for them for the time being, but among the Hong Sect Offering, there was also Wu Feng; this Bone Refining Initial Stage Offering had also switched to the Earth Gate's sign.

Babai and Cheng Yi did not have suitable metal for them to upgrade for the time being, so he planned to let them slowly withdraw from the Hong Sect Offering.

If their strength was insufficient, it was best to stay in Cheng Feng's Space Ring; it allowed Cheng Feng to use them at any time, and also to train the servants in the Cheng Mansion well.

For those who were older and had aptitude, Cheng Feng would also slowly transfer them to the Hong Sect, letting them become his eyes and tentacles.

Cheng Feng needed to control the high-level personnel, and as for the bottom-level disciples, Cheng Feng did not want to let go of some good seedlings either.

The current Hong Sect did not lack silver; what it lacked were disciples and members who could fight and kill.

Martial arts practice requires talent, but if one is ruthless and can survive multiple battles, Cheng Feng naturally would not let this type of combat talent be wasted in gang fights.

Experienced combatants could also form the grassroots strength of the Hong Sect!