Chapter 713: Foundations Laid

The scarred man was called Guo Rong.

He and the seven people he brought waited anxiously all night at the edge of the woods outside the camp.

The next morning, the camp's south gate opened.

It wasn't fully opened; instead, a slit just wide enough for two people to walk abreast was opened.

Tang He stood inside with a unit of able-bodied spearmen, his expression solemn.

"Guo Rong, and two other able-bodied men, come inside."

"Women, children, and the elderly will be settled outside first; we'll bring food to them."

Guo Rong nodded quickly, called over the two companions who looked the most capable, and stepped inside cautiously.

The first thing upon entering was neither registration nor questioning.

Instead, they were taken to the river, thoroughly washed with icy river water, and given a set of clothes that, though worn, had been laundered.

"Camp rules: newcomers must cleanse themselves to prevent disease—and also to keep out… unclean things." the guide explained.

Guo Rong and his two companions had no objections; they complied exactly.

After washing and changing clothes, they were led to the stone formation at the camp's center.

Zhu Yue stood there waiting for them.

There were no pleasantries.

"Look closely." Zhu Yue pointed to the deeply carved blade-plow symbol on the stone formation. "This pattern represents the two fundamentals of our survival here: the blade, which protects life; the plow, which sustains life."

"If you want to stay, you must recognize this symbol and uphold this principle."

"Here, there are no landlords, no tenants—only brothers and sisters who work together and fight together against enemies."

"Live, we live together. Die, we die together."

His gaze swept over Guo Rong and the two others.

"Can you do it?"

Guo Rong looked at the rough yet powerful stone carving, then at Zhu Yue's calm but firm eyes, his chest swelling, and he bowed deeply with clasped fists.

"I can!"

"We crawled out of a pile of corpses just to hope for peaceful days, and even more, for days with backbone!"

"From now on, this blade-plow banner will be our flag!"

The other two quickly followed suit, declaring their allegiance.

"Good." Zhu Yue nodded. "Tang He, take them to familiarize themselves with the area and explain the specific rules. Then assign them to the Wall-Building Team and the Training Team."

"Yes."

After seeing to the newcomers, Zhu Yue walked toward the expanding smelting area.

Xu Da stepped forward and said quietly, "Elder brother, following your orders, the camp's people have been reorganized. The elderly, weak, women, and children handle gathering, tanning, and cooking. All able-bodied individuals are divided into four teams."

"The first team handles construction and engineering, which I oversee directly."

"The second team handles training and combat readiness, under Tang He."

"The third team handles crafting and smelting, led by Li Si (formerly the head of the artisans)."

"The fourth team handles exploration, scouting, and hunting; for now I'm filling in, and it will be split off once a suitable person is found."

"Each team has a captain and vice-captain, reports every five days, and major matters are reported immediately."

Zhu Yue listened carefully, then added: "Tell each team captain that from today onward, daily rations will be distributed according to labor intensity and performance. Those who work more and better get an extra bite; those who slack off, cheat, or disobey orders will go hungry."

"In these extraordinary times, there's no room for sentiment."

Xu Da replied sternly: "Understood."

"Furthermore," Zhu Yue said, looking at the huts under construction, "from now on the huts will be zoned by team. Members of the same team will live near each other, making it easier to call them together and to manage them."

"Leave the open space in the middle of the camp. From now on, at dawn and dusk, everyone not on duty must gather there once."

"What for?"

"To listen to instructions and also to watch them." Zhu Yue said. "I want them to see that flag every day, to remember why we gathered here and who our enemy is."

"We must engrave the three words 'Blade-Plow Camp' into everyone's mind."

Xu Da took a deep breath.

He felt that the camp was undergoing a profound change.

It was no longer just a group of drifters thrown together merely to survive.

It was beginning to resemble… a genuine body with backbone and soul.

At that moment, Tang He approached, bringing Guo Rong, who had already changed into coarse work clothes and was becoming familiar with the surroundings.

Guo Rong's facial scar was stark in the sunlight, but his eyes had lost the panic of his arrival and gained focus.

"Yue Ge, Guo Rong and his party are settled. He said… he has some news about the northern area he wants to tell you privately."

Zhu Yue looked at Guo Rong.

Guo Rong stepped forward, lowered his voice, his tone tinged with lingering fear and confusion: "Chief Zhu, there's something… during our flight we sensed something sinister, but we never dared to speak of it in detail."

"Go on."

"Where those killer-star cavalry rode through, not only were the people slaughtered. After a while… the grass would wither, trees would grow twisted, and in some places the water, if drunk, would cause diarrhea and red spots on the skin."

"Also… sometimes at night, one can see dark shapes drifting in the wilderness—not human, not wolf, with faint blue points for eyes, but darker than the cavalry's gaze."

Guo Rong swallowed.

"We've all been detouring around those places. It feels… the land is unclean; staying too long makes people sick and weak."

Zhu Yue's eyes suddenly sharpened.

Environmental pollution.

Biological mutation.

The power of the Iron Crow Army is indeed not limited to directly arming the Jun Ying.

It is systematically polluting the land, creating an environment suitable for its power to spread but unsuitable for normal human survival!

"These words, don't tell outsiders, lest cause panic." Zhu Yue said in a low voice, "But you did right, those places must never be approached."

He patted Guo Rong on the shoulder.

"First go familiarize yourself with the camp, and work hard."

"Here, as long as you're willing to put in effort, there is a way to survive."

Guo Rong nodded firmly and followed Tang He as they left.

Zhu Yue stood in place, looking north, brows furrowed.

The enemy has more than just sharp blades.

There is also a silent poison.

The camp's foundations have just begun to be tamped.

Yet the storms we must withstand are far more bizarre and deadly than imagined.

He turned and walked toward the clanging iron-smelting area.

We must be faster.

Forge more blades.

Also found, a "plow" that can counter that invisible "poison".