Chapter 285: Changing Course

Arriving at the Hong Sect and settling the Sword Hall disciples, Cheng Feng chatted with Wang Hu about the recent state of the Hong Sect.

Currently, the number of Hong Sect disciples has reached saturation.

Excluding the one hundred Sword Hall disciples and one hundred Henglian Hall disciples,

the disciples of the other three halls all number one thousand each, and this is even after screening for those with potential.

Those without courage, those who dared not fight or struggle, were all rotated out of the Hong Sect.

The Ren Men Disciples exceed one thousand, and the lowest among them are Martial Artists of the Strength Refining Realm.

Previously, when the Hong Sect had just opened, Cheng Feng had released several batches of disciples who were about to become Martial Artists.

By now, they have all become Strength Refining Martial Artists.

Added to the Martial Artist disciples absorbed from other gangs, they form the current Ren Men.

One must reach the Lian Blood Realm to enter the Earth Gate; until now, all of them are in the Sword Hall.

The Hong Sect high-level leadership is still not at ease, and since Wei Zhuang is currently away, it can only be shelved for the time being.

There are still five hundred people training in the Training Camp; according to Wei Zhuang, this batch has great potential.

Everyone is waiting for them to officially enter the Ren Men.

This is the current Hong Sect; the more people there are, the stricter the assessment.

Directly prune the personnel who can be pruned, leaving only the elite.

Even this requires strong support from the Hong Sect.

Raising people also requires money.

The eighty thousand taels of capital Cheng Feng previously left for the Hong Sect has thirty thousand taels remaining.

Most of it was entirely used to lay the foundation for the Hong Sect.

And now, the Hong Sect's income and expenditure no longer need to be balanced.

The protection fees, venue fees, and commissions from various businesses collected from just three urban districts are enough to support this large group of people, with a surplus remaining.

Cheng Feng was not surprised; this was the path and direction he had left for the Hong Sect when he abdicated.

After chatting with Wang Hu about the current state of the Hong Sect, he still needs to bring new development directions to the Hong Sect.

"This time we went to the Prefecture City, it was truly an eye-opener!

However, I discovered that to gain a foothold in the Prefecture City, one must have sufficient strength. Our current strength is not enough.

So after Wei Zhuang returns, he is only permitted to lead Sword Hall disciples to open up territory in other counties.

Let us not be greedy; we only seek to have a place in every county. In this way, even if the situation changes in the future, we will have a retreat.

The timing for opening up the Prefecture City is not yet ripe; let us first strive to improve ourselves.

Furthermore, we can set up the matter of opening up other counties as a gang mission, using groups of two hundred as a unit to go directly to surrounding counties to operate.

If they can successfully occupy territory, then grant them merit rewards. These merits can be used to exchange for gold, silver, jewelry, cultivation methods, and martial arts techniques; as long as the Hong Sect has them, they can be exchanged.

At the same time, we must open up Hong Sect branch halls; if someone can successfully occupy and stand firm, the Hong Sect main hall will issue a Branch Hall Order.

At that time, the leader of that unit will become a Branch Hall Master, responsible for managing the affairs of that county. Of course, as a branch hall, they must submit forty percent of their monthly income to the main hall.

If there are any violators, they will be immediately beheaded for all to see!"

Wang Hu listened from the side, cold sweat streaming down: "Sect Master, is this step a bit too large?

The highest strength of these unit leaders is only Skin Refining Perfection; they haven't even reached the Lian Blood Realm. Wouldn't such a plan be sending them to their deaths?"

Cheng Feng smiled calmly; having developed the Hong Sect for so long, it was time to recoup some of his own investment.

He wasn't running a charity; how could it work if they ate and drank for free without any gains?

However, Wang Hu was an old hand who had contributed to the Hong Sect, so he still had to be given face.

Thus, Cheng Feng's tone shifted, and he said: "How about this, you call over all those disciples at Skin Refining Perfection. I want to personally test them and see the quality of the current Hong Sect disciples."

Hearing this, Wang Hu felt relieved, thinking that as long as the Hong Sect disciples weren't being sent out without any preparation, the Sect Master surely had his own considerations for everything else.

He hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute to Cheng Feng and said respectfully: "Sect Master, please wait a moment; I have records of the disciples at Skin Refining Perfection." After speaking, Wang Hu turned and walked to the side, took out a record sheet detailing the realms of the Hong Sect disciples from a nearby table, and handed it to Cheng Feng.

Cheng Feng took the paper and looked at it carefully, a trace of pleasant surprise surging in his heart. Wang Hu was indeed worthy of being the controller of Black Ear; the Martial Artist information recorded on this paper was so complete that it gave Cheng Feng a clear understanding of these disciples' situations.

From name, personality, and realm to family, social relations, and development potential, there were comments on everything.

Ranked at the very front were fifteen Martial Artists who were all at Skin Refining Perfection, with detailed intelligence.

Cheng Feng had nothing to nitpick.

After a quick glance, Cheng Feng waved his hand: "There is no time to lose; go and gather them at the training ground now. I will personally verify their quality."

Cheng Feng's order was crisp and decisive, revealing his emphasis on and urgency for the upcoming mission. Upon hearing this, Wang Hu immediately bowed to accept the order and turned to walk away quickly, his heart filled with anticipation and nervousness for the coming inspection.

Before long, on the Hong Sect's training ground, fifteen carefully selected Skin Refining Perfection Martial Artists stood in neat rows on the empty field; each of them stood tall, their eyes flashing with confidence and tenacity.

Sunlight filtered through the clouds, spilling onto them as if draping them in a layer of golden armor.

Cheng Feng stepped into the training ground with a steady and powerful gait; his appearance instantly attracted everyone's attention. He looked around, silently approving of Wang Hu's efficiency, and then walked slowly toward the fifteen Martial Artists.

"Everyone, I am the former Hong Sect Sect Master, Cheng Feng." Cheng Feng's voice was not loud, yet it clearly spread throughout the entire training ground; his words carried an undeniable majesty and power. "I have summoned you all here today because there is an important mission that requires you to complete it together.

This mission is very dangerous, but the rewards are also generous. Before that, I need to personally test your strength."

Having said that, Cheng Feng's figure moved slightly, as if a gust of wind had swept past, and he instantly appeared on the high platform in the center of the training ground. His gaze was like a torch as he scanned the Martial Artists below and continued: "Next, I will set up a series of tests aimed at verifying your abilities. Remember, please show all your strength; Wang Hu, who is on the side, will score your performance."

As Cheng Feng's voice fell, the atmosphere on the training ground instantly became tense and heavy. The Martial Artists looked at each other, their eyes filled with both anxiety over the unknown challenge and a longing for victory.

Seeing this, Cheng Feng nodded slightly, satisfied with the fighting spirit of this group of young people. He then announced the specific content and rules of the test.

The first was martial strength; as a Martial Artist, how could one manage without sufficient martial strength?

Thus, the training demonstrations of one-on-one combat began. In paired training, there would always be one person left over.

As time passed, the tests gradually drew to a close. Every battle was like a life-or-death struggle, fist to flesh, intense and cruel.

Yet these fifteen Martial Artists maintained their firm belief and tenacious fighting spirit throughout; with fearless courage and excellent skills, they defeated their opponents time and again, demonstrating extraordinary strength.

When the last Martial Artist defeated their opponent and hot blood spilled onto the training ground, the entire crowd's eerie gaze was fixed on Cheng Feng, who stood on the platform.

Cheng Feng walked down from the high platform and came before them. His gaze was filled with approval and expectation. "Very good, you did not disappoint me," he said in a deep voice, his tone revealing his affirmation and trust in these Martial Artists. "The next mission will be even more arduous, but I believe that you will certainly be able to meet the requirements!" His words were like a torch, igniting the fire of hope in everyone's hearts.