Start with a red name

"The Mountain Fox Gang sent 1245 people. Those who surrendered and those captured alive totaled 1007. 238 of them were killed."

"The bandits who came from the south numbered 1168. 953 surrendered or were captured alive, and 215 were killed."

Cao Ao reported these two "gains" to Geng Xuan.

In reality, not that many bandits were actually killed in battle.

However, for those who were "unfortunate" enough to suffer serious injuries or limb damage in the battle, the Black Wind Gang followed the "fine tradition" of the sand bandits—to finish them off with a fatal blow.

As for the Black Wind Clan's superb, inhuman healing techniques, they only use them on their own people.

Those bandits who haven't yet become "one of us" can't enjoy such benefits.

"In order to achieve these results, our side suffered 84 deaths and 97 serious injuries or disabilities."

In fact, whether it was the earlier night battle that swallowed up the entire Wild Wolf Gorge, or the two consecutive "hunts" that just happened, if the arrangements had been more appropriate, the Black Wind Gang would have suffered fewer casualties than in actual combat.

The reason why so many people died, were seriously injured, or were maimed despite having such a significant advantage is because of a point that all the high-ranking members of the Black Wind Gang, including Cao Ao, Song Mingzhu, and Tie Lang, tacitly agreed upon.

In other words, every battle is a test of the Black Wind Gang's skills and a "real combat training exercise".

Every opportunity like this should be cherished and not wasted.

However, the way to "cherish" something is not to make tactical arrangements that maximize one's own advantages and effectiveness.

Instead, it aims to ensure that every member, every squad, every company, and every battalion has the opportunity to be "tempered" on the front lines.

The more certain the outcome of a battle, the more opportunities should be given to weaker teams and individuals.

With such an arrangement, the casualty rate naturally increased.

Those teams and individuals entrusted with such "important tasks" will not harbor any resentment.

Proportionally speaking, not many actually died.

The rest are at most seriously injured or disabled, but these can be saved by the emergency team and quickly recovered.

Such an arrangement ensures that those who survive will receive even more good fortune during the "post-war settlement."

If the tactics are arranged according to the current "optimal solution", those weaker individuals and teams will most likely not even get a taste of the spoils.

Therefore, they not only had no resentment towards this arrangement, but also sincerely thanked Song Mingzhu, Cao Ao, and others who devised this tactic.

……

Shortly after, Song Mingzhu found Geng Xuan and said, "Commander, it's ready."

"So fast?" Geng Xuan was somewhat surprised.

"We're not in a rush."

Song Mingzhu said this, paused, and then added:
"I thought it would be difficult to persuade Hu Yuan, but I didn't expect that he would kneel down before we even had to use any tricks on him."

Not only did he kneel down quickly, but he also volunteered to help persuade the other members of the Mountain Fox Gang…

At this point, Song Mingzhu shook his head and said:
"We don't have your abilities, Commander, and we're actually a little worried about you."

They simply couldn't believe he was genuinely loyal; instead, they suspected he was secretly plotting something.

Geng Xuan nodded: "Then let's go take a look."

Soon, he accepted the offer of service from the group of "newcomers" led by Hu Yuan.

As it turned out, Hu Yuan hadn't done anything wrong; in fact, his resolve was even stronger than that of Tie Lang, who had just become "one of their own."

Not only Hu Yuan, who was at the peak of the Marrow Refining stage, knelt resolutely.

Even the other bandits were much more decisive and swift than when they used trickery to swallow up Wild Wolf Gorge.

There was no "life-or-death game" at all; only eighty "impurities" were "filtered out" in total.

Of these, only seventeen were from the Mountain Fox Gang, while the other sixty-three came from dozens of bandit gangs from the south, ranging in size from a few to a dozen or even hundreds of people.

In a hurry, Geng Xuan didn't waste any more effort on these eighty people, and refined all the red names above their heads into good fortune.

These eighty people alone provided him with a total of 2560 points of good fortune.

Including the more than 500 other casualties on both sides, these two ambushes yielded a total of 19207 points of good luck and 760 points of bad luck.

After this recruitment was completed, the Black Wind Gang's size increased from 5375 to 7171 members.

This time, the Black Wind Gang gained 1880 new members, while the White Fortune Gang only gained 36 points.

……

Next comes good fortune and blessings.

These more than 7,000 members of the Black Wind Gang were divided into six groups to receive blessings.

Among them, 15 people got 32 points of good fortune, 40 people got 24 points of good fortune, 120 people got 16 points of good fortune, 300 people got 8 points of good fortune, and 1000 people got 4 points of good fortune.

The remaining 5696 people all received only 2 points of good luck.

This distribution of good fortune alone shows that, with the rapid expansion and growth of the Black Wind Clan, the period of greatest benefit for individuals has passed.

Very few people receive eight points of good fortune, let alone those blessed with sixteen, twenty-four, or thirty-two points.

The vast majority of people only receive four points, or even two points, as a "consolation prize."

However, as the Black Wind Gang has grown to its current size, it has gradually become a force to be reckoned with.

His actions not only did not reduce the cohesion of the Black Wind Clan, but instead made the entire Black Wind Clan more tightly united.

The average expenditure on luck per person decreased, but due to the increase in the overall scale, a total of 21,152 luck points were consumed by Geng Xuan.

Under the repeated "irrigation" of abundant good fortune, following Xiang Jinxiu in the previous instance, Gong Mu, the third leader of the former Wild Wolf Village, and Tong Hui, the fourth leader, also successfully broke through the shackles of the late stage of Marrow Refinement and advanced to the peak of Marrow Refinement.

The number of others who completed the minor breakthrough in the Marrow Refining Realm was even greater.

The number of combatants with strength above the Marrow Refinement level increased from nearly two hundred to nearly four hundred.

Among them, there were as many as 263 people in the early stage of marrow refinement alone.

Including Tie Lang and Hu Yuan, the Black Wind Gang now has six members at the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage.

Four of them were from Wild Wolf Village.

Behind such astonishing progress lies the fact that the foundation of most of these breakthroughs was already weak, and has become even more flimsy.

The surge in cultivation and strength can only be utilized at most half its potential.

……

The final step is reorganization.

However, this time Geng Xuan did not completely reorganize and regroup everyone.

Instead, the original 550 squads and 11 brigades were increased to 700 squads and 14 brigades.

The strength of each squad, company, and brigade, as well as the ratio of new to old members, were slightly adjusted to achieve a relatively balanced outcome.

In each squad, the proportion of members from Wild Wolf Village and Mountain Fox Gang is roughly the same.

This reorganization is much more time-saving and labor-saving than the previous complete dismantling and reorganization.

This allowed Geng Xuan to complete the finishing touches on Wild Wolf Gorge within the planned timeframe.

He gathered Song Mingzhu, Hu Yuan, Xiang Jinxiu, Gong Mu, Tong Hui and all the peak Marrow Refinement cultivators, as well as Cao Ao, Tao Bin and others, and informed them of his decision to leave temporarily.

"...I'll leave this place to you for now. All you have to do is continue guarding Wild Wolf Gorge and wait for my return."

Apart from Hu Yuan, everyone else already knew about this beforehand, and their expressions didn't show any particular surprise.

"The blessing ceremony will be suspended for a few days, is that alright?" Geng Xuan asked Song Mingzhu.

At this time, it seemed that four of the peak Marrow Refinement cultivators came from Wild Wolf Stronghold, which was suspected of being a dominant force, but Geng Xuan was not worried at all.

In fact, if the faction centered around Song Mingzhu did not have such a scale, he would have some concerns.

There are concerns that Hu Yuan, who has just joined, lacks sufficient checks and balances.

While Song Mingzhu's lineage appears to have many members at the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage, apart from him, their foundations are all extremely weak.

Furthermore, both sides have roughly the same base strength below the Marrow Refining level, and both have been relatively evenly distributed among 700 teams.

In the current situation, Song Mingzhu's faction occupies a relatively strong position, while Wild Wolf Village has a "weak point" of several thousand members, which is just right.

Given this situation, Geng Xuan was basically certain that before Dong Guan's forces launched a large-scale offensive, this force was generally credible and controllable.

Song Mingzhu said:

"No problem... Actually, I was just about to talk to you about this, Commander."

It is necessary to pause the blessing ceremony for a period of time.

"The blessing you brought has certainly given us a great boost, but it has also made our control over our own power less refined than before."

Iron Wolf and I appear to have maintained the same level of cultivation, but we have both experienced problems with our foundations becoming loose.

"...Moreover, this is not just a matter of a weakened foundation," Song Mingzhu concluded.

"Oh? Is there any other problem?" Geng Xuan asked curiously.

"I'm out of steam," Song Mingzhu said with a wry smile.

"Huh?" Geng Xuan was surprised by Song Mingzhu's answer.

Song Mingzhu explained:

"Only when everyone has already mastered a skill but is not at a high enough level, or has some understanding but has not yet formally entered the realm of cultivation techniques, can they improve under your blessing..."

Geng Xuan nodded, this is the basic premise for Hongyun to play its role.

As Song Mingzhu continued to explain further, Geng Xuan understood what Song Mingzhu meant.

Bandits were generally very "poor".

This "poverty" is not only reflected in money and external resources such as cultivation resources and weapons, but also in the cultivation techniques and skills they can access and practice.

The vast majority of bandits possessed so many body-tempering techniques and skills that they could be counted on one hand, on five fingers.

Taking the Blood Refining Realm as an example, there are three body tempering techniques for the three realms of Skin Refining, Flesh Refining, and Blood Refining, plus one offensive skill, such as knife technique, sword technique, or axe technique. This is all the content they cultivate.

Only the very "wealthy" can, on this basis, choose to study body techniques, footwork, throwing techniques of hidden weapons, and other more wondrous, but also more obscure, skills and secret arts.

The reason for this is not only that time is limited and they cannot be distracted by too many things, but more importantly, the limited cultivation resources simply do not allow them to be distracted by too many areas.

The result would only be utter mediocrity.

Because of Geng Xuan's appearance, they were able to complete a journey in just a few days that might have taken years, or even decades, to fully accomplish.

However, this also led to another result.

To break through a realm, one must first obtain the body-tempering technique for the next realm.

If you feel your skills are too monotonous and want to enrich your "skill library," you must quickly find one or even several suitable skill manuals.

This isn't a big problem for the Black Wind Gang right now. They don't need to search hard outside; they can just share what they need internally.

But all of this takes time.

To receive a blessing, one must have at least a basic understanding of a certain skill or technique.

It's not about gaining favor simply because someone knows your name.

Even with guidance from experienced practitioners, this single step would take ordinary cultivators at least several days, or even more than ten days, of diligent practice to accomplish.

It would be a waste to hastily bless them before they have made these preparations.

After hearing Song Mingzhu's explanation, Geng Xuan suddenly understood.

Because he had never been troubled by this problem, he was unaware that it even existed.

It's simply that well-fed people don't understand the hunger of starving people.

Moreover, thanks to Song Mingzhu's reminder, Geng Xuan thought of even more.

Except for the first two times, when the Black Wind Gang had fewer members and showed favoritism towards "founding members" like Cao Ao, giving them 40 or even 48 points of good fortune in one instance.

The highest amount of good fortune bestowed afterward was thirty-two points.

For a low-level martial art like Iron Palm, whose potential is limited and can only be cultivated to the master level at most, eight points of good fortune are enough to achieve the breakthrough from mastery to mastery, directly reaching the top and there is no way to advance further.

For most martial arts techniques and skills, such as Geng Xuan's mastery of techniques like the Fox Leap Technique, Featherless Arrow, Pine Wave Sword Technique, Iron Eagle Claw, and Iron Shirt, the Grandmaster level is the ultimate limit that his intentions can support.

These techniques, in order to complete the final breakthrough from master to grandmaster, require exactly thirty-two points of good fortune.

However, those more profound skills and techniques, such as the various secret arts that Geng Xuan mastered, as well as the Charming Maiden Mystic Water Technique, Tidal Breathing Method, Bone Shrinking Method, Yin Wind Bone-Melting Palm, etc., with 32 points of luck at a time, are at most enough to complete the breakthrough from the Great Completion to the Master level.

To advance from a master to a grandmaster, one must have 48 points of good fortune.

To go even further and reach the perfect state that its concept can support, it would require ninety-six points of good luck.

Based on Geng Xuan's actual experience, a breakthrough requires as much as 128 or 160 points of "super gold-devouring beast" luck. In other words, a maximum of 32 points of luck blessing at a time might be enough for those below the Bone Refining stage, or for lower-level Marrow Refining stages.

However, for those who have cultivated higher-quality techniques, and for those at the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage like Song Mingzhu and Hu Yuan, this is somewhat insufficient.

They are unable to meet their most pressing core needs.

Thirty-two points of good fortune are not enough; you need at least forty-eight, or even ninety-six.

Moreover, for those who can only get four points each time, plus two points of good luck, this benefit is negligible.

Furthermore, because they don't have many cultivation techniques to begin with, if they do it a few more times, they will soon find themselves without any matching techniques.

Therefore, Song Mingzhu's so-called "empty belly" actually has another meaning, that is, there are no more cultivation techniques that can match the 2/4/8/16/32 points of good fortune, and it does not mean that he has actually cultivated all the techniques to the point where there is no more room for improvement.

This gives Geng Xuan a more compelling reason to adjust the current "quick-fix" model of bestowing favors.

He slightly changed his approach, explaining his thoughts to Song Mingzhu and the others in a way that was easier for them to understand.

"For ordinary level techniques, or those who have not mastered them to a high level, the blessings and favors that can be obtained from one to four major techniques are enough to exchange for a significant improvement."

However, if one's cultivation level is already very high and the level of one's cultivation technique is also very high, then those four major techniques are simply not enough to bring about significant progress.

You must accumulate even more great achievements to succeed!
...And those who only gain a few small merits each time, the benefit they receive from a single blessing is very limited.

"Blessings will no longer be bestowed immediately after each battle, but the merits that are due will not be buried."

Moreover, the merits gained from each battle can be redeemed all at once during a blessing ceremony, according to each person's wishes.

For example, if you can accumulate six or even twelve or more great merits, it will undoubtedly be more advantageous.

"Others can only get four, or even two, minor merits at a time."

It can also be accumulated over time to receive greater benefits during the blessing ceremony.

Eight minor merits are equivalent to one major merit.

After Geng Xuan's explanation, Song Mingzhu and the others all showed expressions of joy and delight.

After this change, suspending the bestowal of blessings is no longer a bad thing, but a great thing that perfectly satisfies everyone's desires.

After these agreements were reached, Geng Xuan didn't say anything more to them.

He waved for Song Mingzhu, Hu Yuan, and the others to leave, leaving only Tie Lang by his side.

Iron Wolf looked around and said, "Commander, I'll go and fetch a few horses."

Geng Xuan shook his head, "No need."

Not to mention those Azure Blue Horses, he wouldn't even look down on the Dark Nether Horses in front of him.

It's just too slow.

"Then... how do we get there?" Iron Wolf asked somewhat nervously.

"I'll bring you."

"Huh?...Ah!"

Iron Wolf had barely uttered his question when he suddenly felt his feet lift off the ground and float up.

The next moment, he felt a strong wind rushing towards his face, and the biting cold wind lashed against his face with unprecedented force.

When he came to his senses, he suddenly realized that he had been lifted up like a chick and was being carried quickly across the sandy plains.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but the cold wind was so strong that his mouth was filled with icy air.

The cold air even went straight down my throat and into my stomach.

Iron Wolf had no choice but to suppress his shock and desire to speak, and tightly shut his mouth.

Iron Wolf was certain that even the Xuan You Horse, a divine horse among horses, could not match the speed he was experiencing by burning his life force at full speed.

In the blink of an eye, the "small" Wild Wolf Gorge had been left far behind.

Between heaven and earth, only the two of them remained.

Heading east at a speed of 160-170 kilometers per hour.

Without the burden of Iron Wolf, Geng Xuan could have increased his speed to 180 kilometers per hour.

However, considering Tie Lang's special status and the convenience he could provide, Geng Xuan decided to take him along.

The cold wind howled incessantly beside me, the barren earth undulated slowly beneath my feet, and the sun in the sky climbed up at a snail's pace.

If you look up and look closely, you can see three small black dots, seemingly suspended in the sky above your head.

The sun, rising at a snail's pace, slowly climbed to the very center of the sky, and then gradually sank to the west.

Feeling exhausted and hungry, Geng Xuan finally stopped.

He put the iron wolf on the ground, ignoring the complicated look on his face, and simply said, "Get me something to eat."

Iron Wolf quickly took off a large bundle from his back, which contained the food he had prepared according to Geng Xuan's request.

Roasted mutton, sago pudding, and water.

There was also a lot of raw meat.

After gulping down half a bag of water, Geng Xuan plopped down on the barren sandy ground, grabbing meat in one hand and a pancake in the other, and began to eat heartily without any regard for appearances.

With a rustling sound, three Xuanqinghai sand eagles fell from the sky.

After calling out affectionately to Geng Xuan a few times, it began to enjoy the food that had been specially prepared for them.

Only after Geng Xuan finished the meat and bread in his hand and was about to take more did he look at Tie Lang, who was standing dumbfounded to the side, and say, "What are you standing there for? Eat!"

Iron Wolf hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I'm not hungry, I'm not hungry."

Geng Xuan shook his head, slowed down his eating pace, and said as he ate:
"If my prediction is correct, we have now traveled about 1,200 li. Based on the distance between Baihetan and Yelangxia, we will arrive in about two and a half hours."

After this short break, there won't be any more rest.

At that time, it shouldn't have been completely dark yet.

"...If I don't get rid of these things now, I don't plan to keep carrying them with me any longer."

Every extra pound of extra weight will have a direct impact on his speed and endurance.

Hearing him say that, Iron Wolf stopped making excuses.

After eating for a while, seeing that Geng Xuan didn't seem inclined to chat with him, Tie Lang took the initiative to break the silence.

"Commander, you seem to be in a hurry?" Iron Wolf said.

"Ah."

Geng Xuan responded, took another sip of water, and then said:

“It’s not that I’m in a hurry, it’s that Dong Guan is too in a hurry.”

"Huh?!" Iron Wolf looked puzzled.

Geng Xuan said:
"You've already said that Dong Guan's Xuanyou Iron Cavalry will appear in six days at the earliest, and eight or nine days at the latest, and wipe out all the sand bandits in one fell swoop."

But I need to control as much of this power as possible before these Xuan You Iron Cavalry appear.

Ideally, not a single bandit should be left for Dong Guan.

"...Tell me, can we really afford to be in a hurry?"

Iron Wolf paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

If someone else had said these words, even if that person was a legendary innate realm expert, Iron Wolf would have inwardly laughed at the other person's plan for being too unrealistic.

Such a short timeframe and such an extravagant plan are simply not feasible.

But facing this mysterious commander, and recalling his exaggerated behavior these past few days, he had an almost absurd thought—

There is actually a slight chance that this will succeed!
After a while, he couldn't help but say again:
"If you, Commander, can take control of all these bandits, they will indeed be a force to be reckoned with."

However, as far as I know, the number of bandits in Xuanyou and Youzhou combined does not exceed 100,000.

It's impossible for them all to gather at these eight distribution points.

Taking into account some unavoidable losses, I estimate it will be around 60,000 to 70,000 at most.

...This could pose a huge threat to Dong Guan.

But if that's all there is to it, it's still unlikely to win in terms of troop strength.

Seeing that Geng Xuan was listening attentively, he began to analyze the situation even more earnestly.

"When it comes to the power in Dong Guan's hands, the deepest impression everyone has is the 100,000 Xuan You Iron Cavalry."

In reality, Dong Guan had more than just the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry.

The number of Xuanyou Iron Cavalry is also more than 100,000.

"As far as I know, many of the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry who have been scattered and stationed around various settlements and tribes for a long time have not been included in the official Xuanyou Iron Cavalry."

"And then there are the tribal people who serve as servants within it."

Other Xuanyou horses that were born with congenital diseases, were injured, or were too old and past their peak years were not included in the official Xuanyou Iron Cavalry.

But in reality, when it comes to a desperate struggle, these forces are by no means weak.

"In addition to the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, there are also the Iron Feather Guards who are specifically responsible for guarding the palace and other key locations."

In terms of cultivation and personal combat strength, they are in no way inferior to the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry.

Their loyalty to Dong Guan was no less than that of the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry.

"In addition, if needed, Dong Guan can urgently recruit and draw troops from various sand tribe settlements to form a guard army of no less than 100,000, as well as servants drawn from the tribes."

"If Dong Guan were given some time, he could easily muster not just 100,000 Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, but even an army of 500,000!"

Iron Wolf, who had already tightly bound his fate to the Black Wind Gang, showed genuine worry on his face as he spoke.

Geng Xuan, who already had a comprehensive plan in mind regarding the "dismemberment of Dong Guan," did not reveal the complete plan.

He simply reassured her, "Focus on completing the current plan first, and don't worry too much about the rest."

“…Yes.” Iron Wolf responded and silently ate.

Having been intrigued by the conversation, Geng Xuan didn't delve deeper into the question of "how many troops Dong Guan could mobilize under extreme conditions," but instead became curious about another point.

"The Dark Night Division is specifically responsible for intelligence gathering. How much do you know about the Innate Realm?" Geng Xuan asked.

"Ah...we have indeed collected some of that, but what you really want to know, Commander, is whether Dong Guan has a powerful expert at the Innate Realm backing him up, right?" Iron Wolf countered.

"Yes, you could say that." Geng Xuan nodded slightly.

Iron Wolf shook his head and said:
"The information we, the Dark Night Division, have collected about the Innate Realm is basically all about those past Innate Realm beings who have already passed away."

This includes their lineage successors, the transmission of their cultivation methods, their relics, and the traces they left behind.

Those in the Innate Realm who are still alive in this world are not people we are qualified to know about.

Dong Guan even strictly ordered us that if we accidentally stumbled upon any clues related to this matter, we must immediately cut off all contact.

...However, within the Dark Night Division, a legend circulates, though its veracity is unknown.

"What legend?"

Iron Wolf didn't speak directly. Instead, he stared intently at his face for a while before softly saying:
"It is said that Dong Guan's strategy for dealing with foreign tribes in his early years was much harsher than it is now."

Then, overnight, his attitude changed to what it is now.

Although it remains harsh, it has also provided many ways out.

The outside world says that he realized that continuing to suppress all foreign tribes would be counterproductive, so he adjusted his approach.

However, the rumor circulating within the Dark Night Division was that that very night, someone had bypassed the Iron Feather Guards' heavy security and appeared in Dong Guan's bedroom, leaving a blood-painted wolf totem on the wall.

"Oh, is that so? Do you know who left this blood totem?" Geng Xuan asked in surprise.

"This matter was kept very well hidden."

However, Dong Guan initially suspected that someone inside the palace was secretly causing trouble and used the Dark Night Division's resources to investigate.

Finally, the Dark Night Division used every means to eliminate all suspicion of their own people.

There is no evidence as to who exactly was behind it, but everyone speculates that only someone at the Innate Realm could possess such abilities.

Moreover, it is very likely related to the people who worship the Azure Wolf Heaven.

...At that time, when Dong Guan was suppressing the foreign tribes most severely, a rumor, whether true or false, also came from some of the suppressed tribes.

There exists a sacred mountain in the far north of Youzhou, which is the dwelling place of Canglang Tian in the human world. A high priest there serves and cultivates year-round, living in seclusion.

The high priest of the holy mountain never concern himself with human affairs, but if the people who worship the Azure Wolf Heaven encounter a major crisis, threatening the Azure Wolf Heaven's survival, he will not stand idly by. (End of Chapter)