Start with a red name

After bidding farewell to Fang Jintang, Luo Qing, and others, Geng Xuan headed straight north towards Xuanzhou.

His goal for this trip north was very clear.

First and foremost, we must completely destroy Dong Guan's "southern invasion strategy".

In fact, from the perspective of being the safest and most secure person, he didn't need to act in such a hurry.

With his current good fortune, he could easily distance himself and let Dong Guan do whatever he wants.

Given at least six months, and no more than a year, Geng Xuan believed that he would possess the personal strength to "act recklessly" in this world.

When he returns to the mountain, he can easily eliminate a vicious and stubborn person like Dong Guan.

This chaotic world that has plagued the Nine Provinces for nearly six hundred years will soon come to an end in his hands.

As for the price, the Giant Bear Gang, which is directly related to "Su Ruiliang," and all other people and things related to him will be ruthlessly trampled by Dong Guan's iron hooves.

If that's all there is to it, Geng Xuan feels that such a price is bearable.

There aren't many people he truly cares about or cares about.

With his strength, he was capable of leading them away from all the calamities and protecting them when Dong Guan's iron hooves were rampaging.

But he still chose the more difficult path he is now on.

Because when he made this decision, he was never concerned about the safety of those few close friends and family members.

It is said that in chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass.

But people are not just grass.

Chives can grow back in a very short time after being cut.

But if a person dies, then they are truly dead.

Even if we consider people as a simple number, if there is a large-scale, extinct extinction of the population, it will take at least several decades to recover.

Because of a lack of in-depth contact, Geng Xuan may not have a deep empathy for the specific "grassroots".

However, Geng Xuan, who had already examined Kyushu from the perspective of the "master," valued the lives of these billions of "insignificant" people in a way that others could not understand.

Geng Xuan had many ideas for the future of Kyushu.

And "people" are the prerequisite for all of this.

Geng Xuan had mentally rehearsed countless times what would happen if Dong Guan’s “southern invasion strategy” were officially implemented, and hundreds of thousands of “mad dogs” who had been starving for countless years would be released.

Even if he were to employ a decapitation tactic and easily kill Dong Guan, a massive calamity would still inevitably occur for the millions of ordinary people.

The states that were directly impacted were Yuanzhou and Haozhou.

Xuanzhou and Youzhou, which act as "blood supply bags," could not remain uninvolved either.

When these four states are all involved, the other five states, whether they like it or not, will also be thrown into even greater turmoil.

It's simply impossible to stay out of it. This is beyond the control of any individual.

Once the Nine Provinces enter this situation, don't be fooled by the fact that those fighting to the death are all cultivators.

Those who suffer the most and die the most are inevitably the ordinary people who are like "grass".

Behind the death of one cultivator, there may be the silent demise of ten, or even dozens, of ordinary people.

The bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no cock crowing for thousands of miles.

In terms of killing efficiency alone, the complete disorder and chaos of the environment far surpasses the efficiency of killing one person at a time on the front lines!

From Dong Guan's strategy, it can be seen that he intentionally wanted to guide the situation in this direction.

The famine that had already begun to emerge in Yuanzhou could also be considered part of their plan.

The famine in Yuanzhou was caused by the extreme exploitation by the top powers in Yuanzhou in order to procure grain for Dong Guan.

If Dong Guan's "southern invasion strategy" were allowed to be implemented, the number of civilians who would die would be in the tens of millions.

It could be tens of millions, or it could be a dozen, or even hundreds of millions.

This is the most important reason why Geng Xuan acted in such a hurry.

All his actions so far, due to their deliberate prior planning and design, have been limited to the level of cultivators.

From the Moon Dew Plains Operation to the Battle of Qingyuan Village, and then to the surprise attack on Wuyou Palace Fortress, this pattern holds true.

He would completely eliminate the "source of the conflict" before the "ripples" spread to the level of ordinary people.

Neither his subordinates like Luo Qing and Fang Jintang, nor the cultivators who died at his hands, could have imagined that this was the part he was most proud of.

If feasible, Geng Xuan will try his best to maintain this "style".

However, considering the actual situation in Xuanyou and Erzhou, Geng Xuan dared not be overly optimistic.

……

Once the direction was clear, head north.

After crossing the Hang River.

With aerial reconnaissance provided by the Xuanqinghai sand eagle, Geng Xuan could easily spot the nearby habitats along the way.

He would sneak over and investigate quietly.

The key targets of the investigation were the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry outposts that depended on these places of life.

Through close observation, Geng Xuan further confirmed many of his existing judgments.

These Xuanyou Iron Cavalry are still stationed at their respective outposts.

However, neighboring outposts were communicating more frequently and intensively through the Xuanyou Horse.

All the Xuan You riders had packed their belongings and were ready to set off at any time.

From their private conversations, it is clear that the action orders had already been issued to all the outposts by the end of last year.

Moreover, their objective was clear: first, they headed north, continuing northwards while simultaneously joining other Xuanyou cavalry units stationed at various outposts, eventually converging at a gathering place for sand bandits.

Then, they would spend one or two days "packing up" all the bandits there and then head south again.

They assembled on the north bank of the Hanghe River and prepared to cross it.

Because Geng Xuan chose a route that was north-northeast, the first two encampments he encountered were both gathering points for the Xuanyou riders at "Jiliudong".

The settlements and assembly points we encountered later were all located at "Golden Leaf Cliff".

At the same time, Geng Xuan also knew the specific departure times of each garrison.

Because of the varying distances and departure times, Geng Xuan estimated that whether it was the two settlements that eventually gathered at "Jiliudong" or the settlements that gathered at "Jinyeya", they would all arrive around the evening of the seventh day.

Geng Xuan did not investigate any more outposts.

However, based on the fundamental principle of directives issued by the highest level—simplicity over complexity unless there are special needs—a simple, one-size-fits-all approach should be adopted whenever possible, rather than engaging in meticulous, categorized procedures.

Geng Xuan was more than 80% certain that the other Xuanyou cavalry would also be gathering at this time at the other six bandit gathering places.

During this period, the various Xuanyou Cavalry outposts were not idle; they quietly waited for the departure time to arrive.

Instead, they would determine the routes to the north and south through frequent communication.

They also concentrated all kinds of supplies stored in the remaining outposts and garrisons in the outposts and garrisons that they would pass through on their way south.

—The routes to the north and south do not completely overlap.

Because we were investigating all of this along the way, it took us a little longer.

When Geng Xuan arrived near "Golden Leaf Cliff" and found Tie Lang, Zhang Kai, Guo Nan, and the others, it was already the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year. At this time, Tie Lang, with the cooperation of Zhang Kai, Guo Nan, and the others, led nearly 3,500 members of the Black Wind Gang, traversing nearly 900 miles of sandy plains, from "White Crane Beach" to the vicinity of "Golden Leaf Cliff".

With Zhang Kai's help, they quietly entered the headquarters of the "Mad Sand Gang".

Because he had over two hundred sand wolves that Geng Xuan had contracted using his perfected "hound-following technique" as coordinates, Geng Xuan found Tie Lang and the others almost without taking any detours.

This is also one of the reasons why Geng Xuan spent time contracting the Sand Wolf and then handed it over to Iron Wolf, Zhang Kai, and others.

For him, this was the most convenient way to locate.

Even if they were thousands of miles apart, he could clearly know their location at any given moment.

Geng Xuan quietly entered the heart of the Mad Sand Gang's headquarters and found that he had become "one of his own" in the Black Wind Gang, getting along quite well with the "outsiders" who were still members of the Mad Sand Gang.

When he arrived, Tie Lang, Zhang Kai and others, who had arrived earlier, had already rested for several hours and were now preparing to devour the entire Golden Leaf Cliff.

However, Geng Xuan also noticed some discordant notes.

They come from the members of the Mad Sand Gang who, on the surface, get along well with the members of the Black Wind Gang, but in reality harbor ulterior motives.

Even with Zhang Kai, the regimental commander, speaking out, it couldn't completely change everyone's attitude.

Moreover, according to the traditions of the sand bandit community, there must be spies planted by other sand bandit groups within this Mad Sand Gang.

When Geng Xuan appeared in front of Tie Lang, Zhang Kai, and Guo Nan, they were arguing about something.

Upon noticing the sudden appearance of another person beside them, they were all startled, then delighted, and immediately stopped arguing, stepping forward to greet him.

"Commander, you're back?!" Iron Wolf exclaimed in surprise.

"Captain."

"..."

Zhang Kai and Guo Nan also extended their greetings.

Geng Xuan nodded and asked, "What are you discussing? It's so intense."

Iron Wolf said:
"There is also a bandit gang's base nearby. They haven't reached a consensus on whether to take over 'Golden Leaf Cliff' or this gang's base first."

As he spoke, Iron Wolf went on to explain further: if they were to take down 'Golden Leaf Cliff' first, it would take even longer before they could take action against the other large group.

The longer the time frame, the more variables there will be.

—If the next step is not taken before the "Golden Leaf Cliff" is basically digested, then the "Golden Leaf Cliff" that has been swallowed will not be an aid, but a hindrance.

Conversely, if another large group is consumed first, because it has fewer people and requires less time to digest, the transition time to consuming "Golden Leaf Cliff" will also be shorter.

However, the drawback is that there is a high probability of encountering someone at the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage.

With the combined strength of the three of them, they could certainly win the battle.

However, if the other party, who is at the headquarters, is determined to escape, they are not very confident that they can stop them.

This is not what Iron Wolf and his crew want to see.

After hearing Tie Lang's explanation, Geng Xuan said directly:
"Let's eat that big group first. I'll deal with that peak Marrow Refinement cultivator."

...The more people there are, the slower the action will be. We don't need to send everyone out; about a thousand people will suffice.

So, Zhao Kai and Guo Nan, you two lead two large teams with me to take down that big group. Tie Lang, you lead the rest of the members to move towards 'Golden Leaf Cliff' and make arrangements in advance.

"After I devour that large mass, I'll return to help you conquer Golden Leaf Cliff."

Compared to their original discussion about who should go first and who should go last, this plan was carried out almost simultaneously, making it naturally the most efficient.

The only cost is that he, as the regimental commander, needs to make one more round trip.

A round trip can save about half a day, so Geng Xuan naturally wouldn't stick to the rule of "not taking action".

After hearing his plan, Iron Wolf and the others were overjoyed.

However, they did not set off immediately. It was not until half an hour later that the two teams, of different sizes, left the headquarters of the Mad Sand Gang and headed in two different directions.

The smaller contingent, traveling lightly and quickly, galloped toward the encampment of the larger contingent.

The larger force, led by Iron Wolf, brought all the supplies plundered from "White Crane Beach" and the Mad Sand Regiment's base.

At a more "steady" pace, we will slowly advance towards "Golden Leaf Cliff".

The half hour spent at the Mad Sand Gang's base was naturally used to integrate the Mad Sand Gang's new recruits into the Black Wind Gang's ranks, making them truly usable "one of our own."

The headquarters of the Mad Sand Gang had a total of 712 members. After "removing" 26 members, the Black Wind Gang added 686 members.

This brought the Black Wind Gang's membership to over four thousand.

An hour later, led by Zhang Kai, Geng Xuan, Guo Nan, and the two teams arrived near their destination.

After cutting off all possible escape routes for the enemy, Zhang Kai and Guo Nan led their men in a strong attack on the large regiment's encampment.

In terms of both numbers and cultivation level, the attackers only had a slight advantage.

Under normal circumstances, let alone completely defeating the opponent, it would be quite difficult to even achieve significant results.

However, due to Geng Xuan's involvement, the situation became "very abnormal."

The two battalions led by Zhang Kai and Guo Nan easily wiped out the bandit group's encampment, leaving no one alive.

The strongest peak Marrow Refinement cultivators, as well as several late-stage Marrow Refinement cultivators, were all crippled by Geng Xuan beforehand, rendering them completely useless.

In this situation, for Zhang Kai and Guo Nan, who were leading the charge, it was as easy and smooth as cutting a hot knife into butter.
The battle lasted less than half an hour from start to finish.

On the contrary, it will take longer to fully digest and absorb it.

Geng Xuan did not stay there to wait for the result, but left alone to meet up with Tie Lang and the others.

Zhang Kai, Guo Nan, and others were left to clean up the mess and to give all the bandits the necessary "persuasion" and education.

When he met Iron Wolf again, he had just led his men to the vicinity of "Golden Leaf Cliff".

After that, under his care, the Iron Wolves, leading about three thousand men, successfully swallowed the entire "Golden Leaf Cliff".

Afterwards, Geng Xuan made several trips back and forth between "Golden Leaf Cliff" and the camp where Zhang Kai, Guo Nan, and others were located.

Around 2 p.m., Zhang Kai, Guo Nan and others led a team of nearly 2,000 people and a large amount of supplies to "Golden Leaf Cliff" and joined up with Tie Lang and others.

Around 6 p.m., the entire "Golden Leaf Cliff" was swallowed up by the Black Wind Clan.

This team, which started from Baihetan with fewer than 3,500 people, has now swelled to more than 9,000.

The harvest at "Jinye Cliff" was so much greater than that at "Baihetan".

In addition to the destruction of the two bandit groups' strongholds, the number of bandits gathered at "Golden Leaf Cliff" increased over time.

On the same day that "Golden Leaf Cliff" was devoured, two sizable bandit groups took the initiative to "throw themselves into the arms" of the bandits.

One of the bandit groups, numbering over six hundred and composed of many teams, came from the direction of "Baihetan".

They had originally gathered at "Baihetan," but found only an empty place devoid of people and without a single useful resource.

Such a chilling scene made these bandits dare not linger at "White Crane Beach" and instead head towards Golden Leaf Cliff.

This massive expansion has come at a considerable cost.

After continuous fierce fighting, the Black Wind Gang suffered more than 300 dead and 200 seriously wounded or maimed.

Those bandits who were "eaten up" by the Black Wind Gang paid an even greater price.

The death toll exceeds seven hundred. (End of Chapter)