Start with a red name

Geng Xuan understood it very well.

There were many conditions under which he was able to temporarily withdraw from Wild Wolf Gorge and entrust it to Song Mingzhu and others for safekeeping.

First, there's the Wild Wolf Clique led by Song Mingzhu, which is no longer purely a bandit group.

The family members and relatives of the Wild Wolf Stronghold are their greatest weakness.

Secondly, the Black Wind Gang, currently based in Wild Wolf Gorge, led by Song Mingzhu, and its "Wild Wolf Clique," while wielding considerable influence, is by no means a one-man show.

Not only are there the "Mountain Fox Clique" led by Hu Yuan, but also the "Yuan Cong Clique" led by Cao Ao, Tao Bin and others, and the "Alien Clique" led by Bai Ma and Hake, which restrain and hinder them.

Moreover, even within the Wild Wolf faction, there is no monolithic entity.

For example, Tong Hui and Song Yang played important roles in making Wild Wolf Village so easily captured.

Although the outcome wasn't bad, many people died during the Black Wind Gang's capture of Wild Wolf Stronghold.

From the highest levels of Wild Wolf Village to the lowest, people's perceptions of Tong Hui, Song Yang, and others were quite complex.

These people were aware that their situation was somewhat awkward, and in their minds, they were actually closer to Cao Ao, Tao Bin, and other members of the "Yuan Cong faction".

Furthermore, due to Geng Xuan's reorganization, the old order was completely broken up and restructured, creating a situation where each part of the other was intertwined with the other.

Furthermore, with Geng Xuan devoting more time and effort, the loyalty of Cao Ao, Tao Bin, Ha Ke, Bai Ma, Song Mingzhu, and Tong Hui can be guaranteed in the short term.

From another perspective, unless they steadfastly followed him, they would never have been able to obtain such a stage with almost limitless room for imagination.

It can be said that once they were separated from the common banner of the Black Wind Gang, no one could command that huge force of more than 7,000 people.

In comparison, the force of over three thousand men that he and Tie Lang had gathered from Baihetan in half a day was far less well-established.

He's genuinely worried about letting them "manage themselves" now.

And this is not the most important thing.

Even with the blessing of good fortune to boost morale and forcibly elevate the strength of these bandits.

And through the military genius's unique skill of commanding troops, they could transform morale into actual combat power as much as possible.

This allows these bandits to maintain the status quo, scattered across eight gathering places, each tasked with dealing with a group of Xuanyou Iron Cavalry.

No matter how mediocre these Xuanyou Iron Cavalry are in the entire Xuanyou Iron Cavalry sequence.

Once this situation takes hold, Geng Xuan is almost 100% certain that they are still a group of bandits at heart, and they will crumble at the slightest touch.

It's impossible for him or the Black Wind Gang to be loyal and fight to the death for him or even the Black Wind Gang.

A complete rout and scattering is only a low-probability event.

More likely, they will surrender directly.

After all, the requirements for a cultivator to escape from the Xuan You Iron Cavalry are exceptionally high.

In this way, wouldn't all my hard work have benefited Dong Guan?

Therefore, let the bandits stay put in their various gathering and dispersal locations, wait for more bandits to fall into the trap, and then when the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry comes to the door, have a life-or-death confrontation with them.

This is something you can only think about in your head; it has absolutely no feasibility.

The goal is to transform the Black Wind Gang, which originated from bandits, into a force truly capable of challenging Dong Guan.

The first step is to take them under control, which is what he is doing now.

The second step is to "demystify" it.

Dong Guan ruled the two states of Xuan and You for decades. His own power and prestige, as well as those of the Xuan and You Iron Cavalry who helped him dominate the two states, were deeply ingrained in the bones of everyone in the two states.

Even the most unruly bandits were no exception.

This can be seen as the negative effect of Dong Guan's decades of accumulated power on everyone in the Xuanyou and Erzhou states.

Once you confront them head-on, these negative effects will immediately and maximize their impact.

If this spiritual "demystification" cannot be completed, nothing else can be discussed.

The method to successfully "demystify" it is quite simple.

win!
A clean and decisive victory.

An indisputable victory.

Therefore, in the first direct confrontation with Dong Guan's Xuanyou Iron Cavalry, Geng Xuan did not have the idea of ​​taking advantage of their unpreparedness to gain a decisive advantage.

Instead, the goal is to create the most winning situation.

In military strategy, creating such a situation is equally simple.

Outnumbered and weak, bullying the weak.

Even ten against one isn't safe enough; whenever possible, we should create situations where fifty or even a hundred are fighting one.

Use as much force as you have.

Smashing eggs with a hammer?
If possible, smashing eggs directly on Mount Tai wouldn't be out of the question!

In any case, for whatever reason, it is absolutely unacceptable to let these bandits continue to stay in Baihetan.

……

Geng Xuan said to Tie Lang:

"Take everyone with you and head west to Golden Leaf Cliff."

Take all the resources you can carry, especially food and other supplies.

Based on the current trend, more bandit groups will continue to converge on Baihetan in the coming days.

Now, if we empty all the resources of Baihetan, they will have no choice but to head towards Jinye Cliff when they arrive.

In fact, once Baihetan became an empty place without a single living person, it would be enough to make the naturally vigilant and extremely insecure bandit group flee the place as quickly as possible.

After hearing Geng Xuan's arrangement, Tie Lang understood his thinking and nodded slightly.

It was also suggested that:

"Commander, the Kuangsha Regiment led by Zhang Kai is stationed dozens of miles east of Jinye Cliff."

To avoid causing too much disturbance, we don't need to make such a big fuss about entering Golden Leaf Cliff.

Instead, they would first secretly absorb the Mad Sand Gang, and then, leveraging their influence at Golden Leaf Cliff and the secret agents of the Dark Night Division, work together from within and without to completely conquer the entire Golden Leaf Cliff.

Geng Xuan nodded and said, "Okay... You can discuss the specifics with Zhang Kai and the others."

Then, he paused and asked:
"Let's start making arrangements now. When can we depart from Baihetan?"

Iron Wolf calculated for a moment and said, "The earliest it will be is after noon."

The distance between Baihetan and Jinyeya is more than 800 li.

For three or four thousand people to make such a long-distance maneuver, it's not something that can be done on a whim.

Not to mention that Geng Xuan specifically requested that as many supplies as possible be taken away from Baihetan, which would require even more preparation.

If you can get all this done in one or two hours, that's already very efficient.

"How long will it take to get to the vicinity of Golden Leaf Cliff?" Geng Xuan asked again.

Iron Wolf thought for a moment and said, "It will take at least a day and a half."

Geng Xuan stared at him and asked, "I'd like to entrust this entire matter to you. Can you do that?"

Iron Wolf did not nod immediately, but thought about it carefully before nodding emphatically and saying, "Your subordinate will certainly live up to your expectations!"

As he spoke, he looked at Geng Xuan and asked, "Commander, you're not planning to come along, are you?"

"Mm." Geng Xuan nodded.

Iron Wolf understood.

He didn't ask Geng Xuan where he planned to go during this day and a half. Perhaps he wanted to go back to Wild Wolf Gorge, or check on the situation at other bandit gathering places, or perhaps he wanted to check on the movements of the Xuan You Iron Cavalry and make a more detailed confirmation.

There are just too many possibilities.

He had personally experienced just how inhuman Geng Xuan's speed was.

That was even while I was carrying such a burden.

If you're alone, the speed is almost the same as flying on the ground.

Given the tight timeframe, it was perfectly reasonable for Geng Xuan to use this day and a half to do something else.

After the matter was settled, Tie Lang made various arrangements, while Geng Xuan also took some ready-made cooked food with him.

Just as he was about to set off, he saw Zhang Kai and another newly promoted peak Marrow Refinement expert named Guo Nan looking at him from a distance, as if they really wanted to have a chat with him.

Seeing this, Geng Xuan walked over and said, "What do you two want to say to me?"

Zhang Kai is the leader of the Mad Sand Gang. He was a big fish that Iron Wolf unexpectedly caught during the final stage of the White Crane Beach operation.

Guo Nan was very "lucky" because his bandit team had a spy from the Dark Night Division who became the target of the first phase of the operation.

Even more "luckily," Guo Nan knelt down very readily, giving Tie Lang no reason to kill her.

He was one of only two late-stage Marrow Refinement cultivators among the newly added teams after the first phase of the operation ended.

Given her swift and decisive surrender, coupled with her excellent performance in the second and final stages, it was a significant achievement.

All three blessings resulted in the highest level of luck, with 32 points of good fortune.

These ninety-six points of good fortune forcefully opened the door for her to reach the peak of the late-stage Marrow Refinement realm.

What impressed Geng Xuan most about her was her identity as a woman.

Long ago, Geng Xuan noticed that in the current cultivation path, the number of men far exceeded that of women.

There are many reasons.

There are problems inherent in the current cultivation methods themselves.

It also stems from different divisions of labor and the allocation of limited cultivation resources.

For many cultivators, from the moment they begin their cultivation, they shoulder many responsibilities and obligations.

From a single family or clan to a large team or even a military campaign, everything requires risking one's life.

There is no reason why these kinds of responsibilities, like men plowing and women weaving, naturally lean towards men.

This phenomenon is even more pronounced within the bandit community.

The number of female bandits is even smaller than that of the foreign bandits.

Moreover, the few female bandits were either married to certain bandit leaders or were siblings.

Or, even worse, they become the personal possessions of powerful bandits, or the "public property" of a group of bandits. Especially those with low cultivation levels but good looks, their journey to becoming bandits is often one they would rather forget.

Even with Geng Xuan's extensive knowledge, he was deeply moved when he first came into contact with this bandit group.

After they became members of the Black Wind Gang, Geng Xuan did not give them any special treatment, but he also did not mistreat them in any way.

Treat equally.

Moreover, taking advantage of the reorganization, they were freed from the shackles of their past unpleasant relationships.

For him, this was just a small favor.

But for those female bandits, it was enough to stir up intense waves in their hearts.

Within the Black Wind Clan, not only were their numbers small, but their overall cultivation level was also relatively low.

In every operation, their fighting spirit was no less than that of the alien bandits.

This also means that, just like those alien bandits, their gains always outperform the average level of those at the same level whenever the Blessing of Fortune is bestowed.

All this is to say that it is incredibly rare for a female bandit like Guo Nan to have cultivated to the late stage of Marrow Refinement before joining the Black Wind Gang.

In her forties, she has achieved this level of success not only because of her natural talent, but also because of an innate "advantage"—she is of average appearance.

Thrown into a crowd, she would instantly blend in with those desert women who had been herding sheep and farming for decades.

There is another quality about Guo Nan that Geng Xuan admires.

Although her red name was also quite prominent, it was not outstanding compared to other bandits in the late stage of Marrow Refinement, and was even slightly below average.

Her personality and emotions were not eccentric or extreme at all; she was just a normal bandit.

This kind of "normal" behavior is normal for other bandits, but it is very rare for her.

Based on his observations, there were almost no other female bandits whose mentality was as "normal" as hers.

They all have some mental health issues, more or less.

When asked, Guo Nan did not answer, but turned to look at Zhang Kai.

Zhang Kai paused for a moment, then looked at Geng Xuan and said directly:

"You are the true mastermind behind the Black Wind Gang, aren't you?"

Hearing this, Geng Xuan smiled slightly and asked, "How long have you been keeping this to yourself? ...Why don't you just say what you want to say all at once?"

Zhang Kai took a deep breath and said:

"The Black Wind Gang is definitely not a force under Dong Guan's command."

The situation is very likely the opposite; the Black Wind Clan was actually forged by you, a hidden arrow intended to be shot at Dong Guan, wasn't it?"

Geng Xuan smiled and asked in return:

"How do you explain Iron Wolf?"

Could it be that his identity as the deputy director of the Dark Night Division was also fabricated?

Those spies from the Dark Night Division were so easily deceived?

Zhang Kai shook his head and said:
"His identity as the deputy director of the Dark Night Division is certainly true, but that doesn't prove anything."

...I don't believe someone like him can be very loyal to Dong Guan.

With your methods, getting him to defect wouldn't be too difficult.

"Why would you think that? Did you give yourself away somewhere?" Geng Xuan asked with a smile.

In fact, his words were almost a direct endorsement of Zhang Kai's statement.

Zhang Kai sighed:
“There are no other flaws, but isn’t that ‘gift’ the biggest flaw?”
If Dong Guan had such power, how could he possibly use it against us, the bandits?

Whether it's the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry or the Iron Feather Guards, aren't they more qualified than us?

If he had mastered such a method, why would he have been confined to the Xuanyou and You states for so many years?

"The Nine Provinces are already his for the taking!"

Geng Xuan nodded.

indeed.

The idea of ​​bestowing "lucky charms" is indeed a bit too outrageous.

Given Dong Guan's background, if he had mastered this ability, he would have unified the Nine Provinces decades ago, instead of waiting until now.

Geng Xuan looked at Zhang Kai and asked, "Do you think there are many people who have seen through this?"

Zhang Kai glanced at Guo Nan, who remained silent beside him, and said, "I believe that we are not the only two who have seen through this."

Geng Xuan nodded slightly.

Zhang Kai then added, "However, there probably won't be too many."

...Many short-sighted people think too highly of Dong Guan, believing he is omnipotent.

Furthermore, they lacked sufficient understanding of the power of 'gift,' mistaking it for a powerful secret technique.

Although Geng Xuan has mastered many "ninth-rate secret techniques," most cultivators have never even come into contact with one of them in their entire lives.

To them, any "ninth-rate secret technique" is a legendary existence.

Their effects, passed down by word of mouth, reached their ears, and none of them were "normal".

In their view, "Nine Schools of Secret Arts" is itself a collection of all sorts of incredible things.

With this understanding, it is easy to confuse the "secret technique" with the "gift" given by Geng Xuan.

Having agreed with Zhang Kai's explanation, Geng Xuan then asked:
Now that you all know the truth, what are your thoughts?

"What are your thoughts?" Zhang Kai repeated the question before asking in return, "Aren't you supposed to be able to see through people's hearts? You should be able to see what we're thinking."

"But I still want to hear what you have to say." Geng Xuan maintained the same warm smile he had when the two of them first arrived.

Beneath that smile, Zhang Kai's expression gradually became serious.

“We are the arrows you shot at Dong Guan. You don’t care about our fate.”

Or perhaps, our arrow will ultimately be shattered, or smashed to pieces.

The reason I was waiting for this day was because I chose to become a bandit.

Therefore, I'm actually not that afraid of it.

"Now, if I gave you a chance to slip away and stay out of it, what would you do?" Geng Xuan asked.

“I’ll regret it,” Zhang Kai replied.

He gave a brief four-word answer, yet it seemed to contain emotions far exceeding what those four words could convey.

Is it because he deliberately gave up the power of good fortune and refused the opportunity to advance further in his cultivation that he regrets it?
Or do you regret making the most ordinary and mundane choice before the dramatic collision arrives?
After all, someone who can reach Zhang Kai's level must have extraordinary innate talent, and surely they must have some passionate thoughts in their heart.
Regardless of whether one's nature is good or evil, choosing to become a bandit and going so far is simply because of that stubborn desire in one's heart to not be ordinary and mediocre.

Geng Xuan could tell that Zhang Kai's attitude at this moment was very sincere.

There was no way around it; knowing he had the ability to see through people's hearts, I couldn't possibly be so foolish as to deliberately expose my own shortcomings.

The purpose of Zhang Kai and Guo Nan approaching at this moment was quite obvious.

The intention was not to expose the true nature of the Black Wind Gang, but to express loyalty and clarify their intentions.

—We are trustworthy and can be reused.

Please don't put all the burden on Iron Wolf's shoulders; we can also share some of the burden for you.

As for the effects, they were immediate.

Geng Xuan immediately summoned Tie Lang, briefly explained the situation, and smiled:

"...Since they are so sensible, let's share some of the burden with them."

Iron Wolf readily agreed, showing no displeasure whatsoever.

With Geng Xuan about to leave, the two strongest individuals besides him have made their stance clearer, which is a good thing.

……

After dealing with the matter, a pack of nearly two hundred sand wolves appeared nearby.

Nearly half of them were contracted by Geng Xuan, while the remaining half were coerced into joining.

After contracting them all, he handed the sand wolves over to the iron wolf.

This will greatly benefit their subsequent actions.

After that, Geng Xuan didn't linger any longer. He gave Tie Lang, Zhang Kai, Guo Nan a few brief instructions, and then drifted away.

……

From entering Baihetan to leaving, the entire process took less than a day.

The Black Wind Gang has gained more than 3,000 new combatants.

With their existing foundation and the assistance from three consecutive blessings, two more people were added to the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage.

In addition to the original ones, and those newly added after each bestowal of favors, there are thirteen late-stage Marrow Refinement cultivators, thirty-seven mid-stage cultivators, and one hundred and forty-three early-stage cultivators.

Even below the level of Marrow Refining, the quality is still very good due to the repeated "replacing the old with the new" and eliminating the weak while retaining the strong, coupled with the assistance of repeated blessings.

There are over a thousand people in the Blood Refining Realm, nearly a thousand in the Bone Refining Realm, but only about five hundred in the Skin Refining Realm.

……

In the final, hard-fought battle against three elite bandit groups, nearly 2 people on both sides died, and the team gained 90 points of good fortune.

The final blessing consumed a total of 10,172 points of good fortune.

Including the surplus from the previous two phases of the operation.

This operation at Baihetan not only gained over 3,000 combatants, but also left over 20,000 points of good fortune.

……

After leaving Baihetan, Geng Xuan only managed to discern the direction slightly.

He then shot off like an arrow, disappearing into the depths of the vast desert.

The direction is due south, slightly west.

Three azure sea sand eagles seemed to hover above his head, following his trajectory southward. (End of Chapter)