Start with a red name

With Geng Xuan's permission, Liu Mu and the other three observed Tao Bin and the others' treatment process up close.

As one injured person after another, whose limbs had been removed or whose body had been disemboweled, or even whose abdomen had been ripped open, were quickly restored to a person with intact limbs and a healthy body under the skillful or tense efforts of the emergency responders.

If that were all, they might secretly think that these people were doing some kind of messy and wicked thing.

Despite their cultivation level, they could clearly sense that these injured people were not only becoming whole again, but their originally weak and almost gone life force was also stabilizing and rapidly returning to normal as their bodies became whole again.

Such a miraculous change left the four of them speechless with astonishment.

Finally, the first batch of wounded patients who had been fully treated remained in a deep sleep.

Only upon close inspection can one discover subtle stitching marks on the hands, feet, and body, making it impossible to detect any abnormalities.

Even his heartbeat and breathing have returned to normal.

Even though they watched helplessly as the replaced heart began to beat again in its new body.

Having witnessed these changes firsthand, Liu Mu and his three companions felt their emotions turbulent like a raging storm.

Having grown up within the Xuanyou Iron Cavalry system, they lacked both the means and the motivation to understand the situation outside of the Xuanyou and Xuanyou states.

Moreover, even if one has some understanding, it is basically limited to categories such as "military conquest", "strong army and strong commanders", and "amazing battle examples".

A force within Yuanzhou known for its "harvesting and mutilation" didn't even have a chance to reach their ears.

But precisely because of this, what they witnessed had a particularly strong impact on their hearts.

Just then, the outside suddenly became noisy and chaotic.

There were continuous shouts and roars, and screams and pleas for mercy rising and falling...

This sudden change immediately put Liu Mu and his three companions on alert.

Not only them, but even the "first responders" who were immersed in treatment were all awakened.

However, after Tao Bin and others confirmed the situation, they quickly calmed them down and told them to focus on their work and not be affected by outside interference.

However, Liu Mu and his three companions could no longer stay in the "emergency zone." Accompanied by several "guards" who had been specially assigned to them, they soon arrived near the scene of the riot.

What they saw before them once again had a profound impact on the hearts of Liu Mu and his companions.

A large crowd had gathered in an open space not far from the "first aid zone".

At a glance, the densely packed crowd of people seemed to have gathered here, as if all the living people on the island had been brought together.

But what shocked Liu Mu and his three companions was that in the very center of the crowd, thousands of headless corpses lay sprawled on the ground.

There was even fresh blood gushing out from the severed necks of the headless corpses.

Based on their experience, they could tell at a glance that these people had only been killed recently.

Even without any experience, what they were seeing was enough to prove their judgment.

The group of nearly ten thousand prisoners, who had already abandoned their weapons and were now under the control of others, were in complete chaos.

Roaring, protesting, cursing...

One after another, cold and sharp blades were ruthlessly wielded against them.

Those angry shouts, protests, and curses turned into powerless and desperate wails.

Fresh corpses fell in swathes, like harvested wheat.

As soon as Liu Mu and his three companions rushed out of the "first aid zone," they witnessed such a shocking and brutal scene, and their hands and feet immediately turned ice-cold.

—So, they're going to kill all the prisoners?
Killing prisoners of war was nothing new to them.

Given the current predicament of the "Black Wind Army," taking in a group of over ten thousand prisoners, whose identities are difficult to discern, would not only greatly increase the logistical burden.

To keep them under surveillance would further strain an already stretched military force.

When the Black Wind Army clashes with Dong Guan's forces again, these prisoners will become a huge internal threat.

Therefore, from the perspective of the military commander, Liu Mu and others did not see any problem with the Black Wind Army's decision to kill prisoners at this moment.

They might even secretly praise themselves, thinking, "That's ruthless and decisive."

While they could rationally recognize the necessity of killing prisoners, emotionally, the impact on them was immense.

Putting aside other reasons, they are now also among the prisoners.

This is also the implicit reason why they were able to easily agree to Geng Xuan's conditions.

Compared to the tens of thousands of prisoners, the four of them, who were also captured, did not stand out so much.

But if all the other prisoners are killed, and only the four of them survive, it's fine as long as the news doesn't leak out, but if it does...

The four dared not think any further about it.

They vaguely realized that the four of them had likely fallen into the other side's trap.

Their supposedly clever, flexible strategy has always been nothing more than wishful thinking.

When they realized that things were hopeless and there was no way to escape, they did not immediately demonstrate their absolute loyalty by committing suicide. As a result, the "way out" they thought they had disappeared completely.

With their hearts turned cold and nowhere to go, they could only stay there and quietly watch how things unfolded.

The riot that broke out among the prisoners was quickly quelled by the killing with sharp blades.

Then they realized that the riot was not caused by the "Black Wind Army" killing all the prisoners, but by a strange "game".

They watched the riots end, and watched the interrupted "game" continue.

They also watched as prisoners were led out of the crowd in droves for failing the "game," and then executed by the same group, their heads severed from their bodies.

Although, in absolute terms, this was far more "merciful" than slaughtering all the prisoners.

But after putting themselves in the shoes of those prisoners, Liu Mu and his companions only felt another kind of brutality and ruthlessness.

After the "game" officially ended, Liu Mu used his troop counting skills to quickly confirm that the enemy had killed nearly half of the tens of thousands of prisoners through a single "game".

Let's not talk about those who died.

Those who survived this "death game" were all terrified.

From Liu Mu's perspective, immediately ending their physical restraints and returning their weapons to them would be the best course of action. The prisoners, who were already mentally terrified and like quails, would find it difficult to muster the courage to raise their swords against the "Black Wind Army" anytime soon.

Oh, no, these people are no longer prisoners; they have become new members of the "Black Wind Army."

"..."

This outcome shocked Liu Mu and the other three, but they couldn't express their emotions aloud. They could only exchange brief glances, compressing their intense feelings into a fleeting eye contact.

Although the process felt "evil" to them, they had to admire the result.

In this matter, they handled it even more efficiently than the veteran soldiers.

The key point is that the outcome of the handling far exceeded their expectations.

Take the "game" they just witnessed as an example.

It would be easy for them to replicate such a "game," but just thinking about using this "game" to achieve such an effect made them shake their heads in disbelief.

With the "game" over, the "Black Wind Army's" operations entered a new phase.

What they saw was so novel, unfamiliar, and utterly astonishing.

Just then, groups of people began to pass by them.

Turning their heads, they saw the same people from the "first aid zone" they had just observed up close.

It wasn't just the "first responders" rushing back and forth, but also the patients who were originally seriously injured and on the verge of death.

Now, after having their hands, feet, and internal organs replaced with healthy ones, they immediately became energetic again.

Although I already had many ideas in my mind.

But when they actually witnessed this scene unfolding before their eyes, Liu Mu and the others were still utterly shocked.

As veterans who had spent decades in the military, they fully understood the terrifying power of such healing abilities.

That's simply divine skill!

Soon, they discovered that the Black Wind Army's amazing skills were far more than just this one.

In the end, all these inner thoughts condensed into a simple evaluation.

—This "Black Wind Army" really has a lot of tricks up its sleeve!
Liu Mu recalled the message brought by the messenger earlier. He looked at Geng Xuan on the high platform and couldn't help but think, "Isn't this the real reason why you made the 'Black Wind Army' fight to the death?!"

—The messenger was killed by Geng Xuan as soon as he charged toward Liu Mu and the others.

……

After the recruitment was completed, the next step was naturally the part that the entire "Black Wind Army" was most looking forward to.

Good fortune has been bestowed upon us. Everyone fought desperately, and this time, more than 40% of the troops perished.

Five people died at the peak of the Marrow Refinement stage, and eighteen more died at the late stage of the Marrow Refinement stage.

Those with lower cultivation levels suffered an even more staggering number of casualties.

It can be said that everyone except Geng Xuan is in danger of dying at any moment.

Everyone is working so hard, all so that they can enjoy this delicious meal after the war!

At this moment, even Geng Xuan himself could not go against this expectation.

Those new members who had just joined the "Black Wind Army" under the coercion of the "Death Game" looked at the old men beside them, all of whom showed eager anticipation and even excitement that was hard to contain. They were completely baffled and confused.

This "blessing of good fortune" bestowed by Geng Xuan is the most generous he has ever been since "Black Wind" raised its flag.

A total of 15,188 members participated, contributing a total of 94,100 points of good fortune.

The vast majority of these funds were given to the 7514 veteran members, especially those who had fought bravely in battle.

The other 7674 new members were only given a small taste of success, which was used to whet their ambitions and appetites before stopping.

The maximum number of "Lucky Blessings" a single person can receive is not 32 points, but an astonishing 96 points.

With such an astonishing "flood of water," there are countless people whose cultivation has broken through their original realm.

As their strength improves, this applies to everyone.

When the "Lucky Blessing" ended, the losses of combat power above the Marrow Refinement level caused by this night raid on the island were basically fully recovered.

But what Geng Xuan cares about most is the improvement of top-level combat power.

Iron Wolf, who had only recently broken through to the peak of the first realm, was pushed up another small step by him.

He forced himself to reach the point of perfecting the second stage of body tempering.

Faced with such preferential treatment, Iron Wolf felt no joy, only terror.

Iron Wolf, enjoying his private "special treatment," moved to the side cautiously, like a pregnant woman in her tenth month of pregnancy, as if his body might explode at any moment.

Geng Xuan's only advice was: "Absorb it well and digest it as soon as possible."

Iron Wolf could only respond with a wry smile.

"Give me a month, okay?"

Iron Wolf never imagined that he would experience the panic of being choked or even overwhelmed by too many and too great "adventures".

What could Geng Xuan say in the face of his "plea"?

They could only agree to Iron Wolf's "application" while searching for new cattle and horses.

Hu Yuan and Xiang Jinxiu stood out under such circumstances, and their cultivation levels broke through from the peak of Marrow Refining to the perfect state of the first realm.

Before his appearance, Hu Yuan, the leader of the "Mountain Fox Gang," was a strong person on the same level as Song Mingzhu and Tie Lang.

Moreover, they are known for their keen sense of smell, alertness, and cunning.

The reason he lagged far behind the other two after joining the Black Wind Gang was not due to a lack of ability.

Before this "blessing of good fortune," he had been improving various skills, and his strength had been continuously increasing with each "blessing of good fortune," but his cultivation level had not made any significant progress.

In the rapidly growing "Black Wind Army," slow progress appears to be tantamount to regression.

This also made his foundation at the peak of the Marrow Refining level exceptionally solid and stable, making him one of the few in the "Black Wind Army" to achieve this.

It wasn't until he was "promoted" to the first realm of perfection that his solid foundation began to loosen slightly.

In comparison, Xiang Jinxiu, who was "promoted" to the first realm of perfection, had a much weaker foundation.

However, Xiang Jinxiu had nothing to complain about.

In less than half a month, his cultivation level advanced two steps, from a "small" late stage of Marrow Refinement to his current level.

The improvement in power and status is even greater than the improvement in cultivation level.

The previously faint "wild wolf" genes were completely swept away in the face of this suddenly open and promising future.

—Apart from Song Mingzhu, there were four other peak-level Marrow Refinement cultivators from Wild Wolf Village. Among them, the former second-in-command Xiang Jinxiu, the former third-in-command Gong Mu, and the former fifth-in-command Shen Xiao were all in the raiding party. Only the former fourth-in-command Tong Hui stayed by Song Mingzhu's side.

Among the five peak Marrow Refinement cultivators lost this time, one was Gong Mu, who came from the former third leader of Wild Wolf Stronghold.

Among the other four casualties, one was someone Geng Xuan knew well, named Ren Jun, who had been promoted during "Operation Baihetan".

The other three peak-stage Marrow Refinement cultivators who died were all "promoted" by Geng Xuan, but their impression on him was even fainter.

The timely "blessing of good fortune" not only eliminated all the hidden dangers caused by terrorist casualties, but also made all the new members' eyes glow with excitement.

Just moments before they were terrified, like quails, and now they wished a group of enemies would jump out and kill them.

They also crave adventure.

They also wanted their cultivation, which had been difficult to improve even after years of hard work, to advance by leaps and bounds like those of the elderly.

In just a short moment, it surpassed their years or even decades of hard work.

It's even the absolute pinnacle that they could never reach in their entire lives!
Next, naturally, is grouping.

Considering the current situation, Geng Xuan newly formed a "ship battalion" and put it under the command of Ruan Ruizhe, whose cultivation has now broken through to the peak of Marrow Refinement and been promoted to Captain, with Ruan Ruizhe serving as "Battalion Commander".

The scale is five thousand.

The core members were former bandits and those skilled in swimming.

In addition, there were nearly two thousand people in total, all of whom were only at the Refining Skin and Refining Flesh realms in terms of cultivation. They were all newcomers who came from servant backgrounds and were also transferred into the group to serve as laborers and sailors.

The remaining new recruits were assigned to the "Iron Cavalry Battalion" and the "First Battalion" based on their cultivation level and their "compatibility" with each team.

After the group was formed, Ruan Ruizhe led two thousand men from the "Ship Camp" and another two thousand men led by Hu Yuan, who had just reached the first realm of perfection, and left "Huangwei Island".

Four thousand people, along with a total of 109 vehicles and boats, headed north after leaving Huangwei Island to meet up with Song Mingzhu and others.

With the addition of these "large ships", Song Mingzhu and others' situation will suddenly improve.

Although Geng Xuan, who was on "Huangwei Island", did not know the specific situation of Song Mingzhu and others.

However, through the intermittent reports of red names from the north, including their quantity, quality, and the names of those with red names, Geng Xuan was able to roughly reconstruct the current situation of Song Mingzhu and others.

Overall, although the pace of action was somewhat slow, it was indeed proceeding according to his established strategy.

Even after arranging for Ruan Ruizhe, Hu Yuan, and others to leave, Geng Xuan still didn't stop.

On Huangwei Island, there is another group that requires his attention.

That is, the total number is nearly five thousand, and apart from a few who unfortunately died, almost all of them were taken over by them as laborers.

When Xiang Jinxiu asked him for advice on how to deal with these people, Geng Xuan's first reaction was to let them continue in their original positions.

There are still more than 10,000 members of the "Black Wind Army" on the island. It is necessary for these laborers to take on various "lowly duties".

—Because his strength has increased so much, Iron Wolf is finding it difficult to control his power even when walking, sitting, or lying down normally. He is currently making the most of every moment to digest it.

Hu Yuan then led his men away with Ruan Ruizhe.

All sorts of miscellaneous tasks on the island have now been handed over to Xiang Jinxiu, who is now in charge of them.

But Geng Xuan soon dismissed the idea himself.

"Take me to see it."

Xiang Jinxiu led Geng Xuan toward the area where the laborers were.

Geng Xuan glanced at it from afar and then fell silent.

Nearly five thousand laborers, with rough faces and hunched backs, had numb expressions mixed with bewilderment and fear.

They were either curled up alone with their knees drawn up to their chests, or huddled together in a group.

Amidst the dramatic changes on the island, they were the most helpless and powerless group, forced to passively await their fate.

Any fate.

They were all conscripted from various settlements.

According to the traditions of each settlement, the moment they are handed over and taken away, it is assumed that they are already dead.

Past cases have shown that, nine times out of ten, those clothes that were conscripted and taken away were unable to return home alive.

Many of the remaining lucky ones will only get the chance to return home after several years, or even more than a decade.

They were not greeted with a "welcome back" message.

Rather, things have changed, and people are no longer the same. (End of Chapter)