Chapter 288: Hong Village

Although the winter wind was biting, it carried a hint of warmth, as if bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

Cheng Feng looked at the shelter for disaster victims on the distant hillside, which had been built with the full effort of the Hong Sect, and felt very satisfied.

The three hills purchased by the Hong Sect were not just a geographical Expand, but a symbol of the Hong Sect's territory.

Even though those three hills were extremely desolate at the time, they still cost the Hong Sect 15,000 taels of Silver.

Following excited shouts, several large carts loaded with supplies slowly drove into the disaster victim settlement, kicking up a cloud of dust, yet bringing endless hope and warmth.

Cheng Feng stepped forward and blended into the crowd of people welcoming them; a gentle smile hung on his face, and his eyes flickered with scrutiny. Since construction of the camp began in the summer, this was his first time visiting.

"Everyone, hurry and help unload the goods! These are all good things we can have a proper meal with for the New Year!" a manager of the Hong Sect shouted, his voice carrying unquestionable authority.

Hearing this, the disaster victims acted one after another; some moved boxes, others carried grain. Despite their ragged clothing, everyone's face was brimming with long-lost smiles and longing for the future.

The war in the east had been fought for two years, and they had been in exile for two years. If not for the Hong Sect's master taking pity on them and buying land for them to dwell, they wouldn't know how they would have survived this winter; most would likely have died in the wilderness.

Cheng Feng did not directly participate in the moving, but instead wove through the crowd, occasionally asking about the disaster victims' recent situations and checking the overall condition of Hong Village.

A few children gathered around a pile of newly arrived clothing, excitedly picking through them, their eyes sparkling with curiosity and joy. He squatted down and gently explained to them: "Pick something warm; it's the New Year, after all, so there should be a new atmosphere."

The children nodded happily, their smiles like a ray of sunshine in winter, warm and bright.

Cheng Feng looked around at the village named Hong Village; the construction plan was built according to his own design at the time.

The village was surrounded by a two-meter-high wall built of earth blocks and stones. Every few steps on the wall hung a lantern; although not lit, one could already imagine the cozy scene of this small village being gently wrapped in soft light after nightfall.

Of course, it could also serve as a light source at night, making it convenient for guards to patrol and inspect.

The center of the village was an open space, which was where the Hong Village guard team trained and ate.

Cheng Feng continued along the stone path in the village. On both sides of the road were simple wooden houses that had just been built; although not magnificent, they were enough to withstand the bitter winter cold and give the displaced people a warm home.

Every place he passed, enthusiastic villagers greeted the Ren Men Disciple, some even holding their hands, tearfully recounting the help and hope the Hong Sect had given them.

"Sir, thanks to the Hong Sect taking us in, we finally have this shelter!" A middle-aged woman held Cheng Feng's hand, her eyes reddening, her gratitude overflowing.

Cheng Feng gently patted the back of her hand, and a sense of indescribable achievement welled up in his heart.

As he walked, he arrived at a small grove of trees on the edge of the village; this was an area he had specifically planned.

The Snake Controlling True Scripture required raising snakes, and Cheng Feng did not want to put the Snake Cave in the county seat, where it would be easily wiped out in one go.

What Cheng Feng needed was to have more than one plan, and he could also train the young people of Hong Village in Snake Controlling and raising snakes.

Snake meat could be eaten, and the snakes raised could also be controlled to fight enemies; Cheng Feng compared the two and felt it was quite cost-effective.

Next year, after taking in a few apprentices, he could put this place to use.

At this moment, several children were playing at the edge of the woods, their laughter echoing in the cold wind, sounding exceptionally pleasant.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled into every corner of Hong Village, draping this land in a golden coat. Cheng Feng stood at the village entrance, staring into the distance, calculating every move for the Hong Sect's future in his heart.

The gathering of three thousand disaster victims and the establishment of a two-hundred-man guard team—every decision condensed Cheng Feng's heart and blood.

The guard team was naturally cultivated and trained by the Ren Men Disciple of the Hong Sect, digging deep into the regulations of teamwork.

He did not ask for them to be powerful, but only for them to have a sense of team organization.

Cheng Feng was training them as soldiers who followed orders and prohibited actions.

The entire process considered the combat power of team coordination, not pursuing individual martial prowess.

This was an experiment of Cheng Feng's; Cheng Feng wanted to see if Martial Artist trained in this way had any value.

In addition, the children in the village lived under the wings of the Hong Sect from a young age.

When they grew up, they would have an imperceptible closeness to the Hong Sect.

These children were also the fresh blood for the Hong Sect's future.

Cheng Feng found doing things that killed two birds with one stone to be incredibly smooth.

If one were to ask which form of organization made Cheng Feng feel most at ease, it was undoubtedly the people's soldiers of his past life.

Taking not a single needle or thread from the masses, sharing joys and sorrows with the people, fighting on the front lines.

Loyal to the organization, the entire troop having its own faith, and fearing no death for the sake of that faith.

Cheng Feng had always used the military standards of his past life to train Hong Sect disciples.

Otherwise, he himself wouldn't even look twice at a group of scattered soldiers and defeated generals.

Cheng Feng thought the organizational structure of the Hong Sect was okay, but it all relied on the high rewards and high-level cultivation provided by the Hong Sect.

Cheng Feng wanted to try to lower his costs.

But the hearsay from his past life and the actual operation of reality were two completely different things.

Fortunately, Cheng Feng had people and money, and could conduct small-scale pilot experiments.

Moreover, in this chaotic world, although individual power is strong, it is ultimately difficult to withstand the wind and rain.

What Cheng Feng wanted was not just a stable shelter.

It also had to be a small community capable of self-sufficiency and continuous development.

And even more so, a place for the Hong Sect to cultivate confidants in the future.

And Hong Village was Cheng Feng's experimental subject.

Seeing that it was about enough, Cheng Feng directly summoned the Hong Sect disciples and had them assemble the guard team; Cheng Feng needed to verify whether his investment had gone down the drain.

The disciples training in Hong Village beside him directly picked up the bugles on their bodies and began to blow.

More than two hundred members of the guard team, whether they were playing games with their own women or patrolling the streets, all put down the work in their hands and sprinted toward the central open space of the village.

The emergency assembly signal had been blown; if they didn't arrive within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they would have to face the consequences.

Furthermore, the captain had notified them yesterday that a high-level member of the Hong Sect might come to inspect today.

He had directly stated: whoever dared to shirk their duties or perform poorly would be kicked out immediately.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a neat, head-held-high team stood before Cheng Feng.

The leading Hong Sect disciple looked at Cheng Feng, nodded, stepped forward, and called out: "Attention, at ease, first row, count off!"

Cheng Feng checked the time and then had a dozen or so Skin Refining Martial Artist go directly onto the field; this was the sparring segment.

If two hundred people cannot take down thirteen Martial Artists at the Skin Refining Initial Stage using tools, then it means they are not worth the investment.

The result was not bad; in the situation where the thirteen Martial Artists were empty-handed, those two hundred people were not completely wiped out.

After seeing that his investment had yielded some results, Cheng Feng headed straight back home.

The purpose of coming out this time today had already been achieved.