#142 - Chapter 142 The Second Batch of Hongmen Disciples

With the entire family relocated to Qingxi County, the tension in Cheng Feng's heart finally eased.

Looking at the Fortune Points he had recently acquired through his efforts, Cheng Feng poured them all into the Thunderous Blood Surge Art.

His own strength effortlessly reached the late stage of Blood Refinement.

Looking at the panel, Cheng Feng was sometimes curious about what kind of surprise would await him when the Thunderous Blood Surge Art was raised to the Grandmaster level.

Name: Cheng Feng

Lifespan: 17 (80)

Talent: Blessed with Many Children

Skills: Fishing (Proficient 90/100)

Archery (Beginner 12/100)

Basic Saber Technique (Grandmaster 4/200)

Thunderous Blood Surge Art (Late Stage 380/500)

Gale Saber Technique: (Beginner 2/200)

Thunder Saber Technique: (Beginner 2/200)

Mountain Shattering Fist: (Proficient 33/200)

Fortune Points: 0

Fortune Bags: 0

Anyway, Cheng Feng was now wholeheartedly using all his Fortune Points to improve his cultivation realm, and his daily practice was also focused on practicing saber techniques. The Gale Saber Technique and Thunder Saber Technique both required a significant number of points, and the progress of cultivating them alone was too slow.

On the contrary, the Grandmaster-level Basic Saber Technique, which Cheng Feng usually used for training and familiarity, was laboriously and slowly driving the progress of the other two saber techniques.

Cheng Feng seemed to see hope, yet he also seemed not to. The turtle-like pace almost drove Cheng Feng crazy. He wished he could just seclude himself with his dozen or so concubines and cultivate in seclusion, never leaving the house, adding points until the end of time.

However, the unfortunate reality was that as long as people were alive, they needed to eat, and eating required money. The façade of the Hong Sect still needed to continue to grow and expand.

Currently, the second batch of Hong Sect disciples was about to undergo their initiation ceremony, and Cheng Feng needed to attend the ceremony to at least let them know who the Hong Sect Leader was.

Therefore, Cheng Feng carefully reviewed his prepared speech and checked with Wang Hu on the future direction of the Hong Sect's development before confidently heading to the place where the initiation ceremony was to be held.

The dilapidated training ground of the past had been completely renewed under the renovation of the second batch of Hong Sect disciples.

The Hong character flag outside the gate fluttered in the wind. There were only fifty people in the initiation ceremony.

As per the old rules: martial arts competition, ranking, and rewards.

When it was Cheng Feng's turn to speak, the entire audience instantly fell silent, all staring at Cheng Feng, the young Sect Leader.

Cheng Feng had a prepared speech in mind, so he was naturally not nervous.

With his hands hanging naturally, his posture upright, Cheng Feng's eyes were firm and sharp, and his voice was powerful, as if it could penetrate people's hearts: "I am Cheng Feng of the Hong Sect! I believe everyone here is well aware of the current state of the world. War is raging in the east, and it is our innocent civilians who are suffering. There is no way to seek justice, the government is昏庸 and incompetent, and corrupt officials and greedy bureaucrats run rampant.

Yesterday, I led a dozen or so brothers out of the city on patrol, and everywhere we went, we saw displaced refugees, including many children under the age of ten.

I am well aware that it is difficult to save everyone with my own strength, but I only want to protect those I can protect. Times are difficult, and everyone needs to work hard to improve themselves. Joining the Hong Sect will solve the problem of food and clothing.

In a few dozen days, I plan to recruit another batch of disciples. However, the Hong Sect is not a charitable organization and will never accept useless people.

We have clear goals and great ambitions, and we are unwilling to be inferior to others. If you want to stand out, you must show your strength under the banner of the Hong Sect in order to earn respect. As the saying goes, the strong eat the weak, and the fittest survive. The choice is yours!"

Looking at the disciples below the stage, their eyes seemed to be burning with the flames of ambition, and Cheng Feng showed a satisfied smile.

Next was the ritual of branding the cauldron. These fifty strong men were all elites who had undergone rigorous training by Baibai and Cheng Yi. Each of them carried a biting stick, standing upright, as firm and unyielding as steel.

As the first-place winner of the martial arts competition stepped forward, he unhesitatingly raised his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, then bit down on the wooden stick and actively pressed his arm against the cauldron, enduring the intense pain to have the brand deeply imprinted on his arm. In an instant, the scorching "人" character was stamped on the man's arm like a seal, announcing the birth of another initiated disciple.

Although these disciples were all new recruits who had never experienced the killing field, they were the normal standard for initiation. Like the last time they encountered the Redscale Serpent, there was so much snake meat after slaughtering it that they were able to create fifty initiated disciples who stepped into the early stage of Force Refinement in one go. Such an opportunity would probably be difficult to reproduce.

Cheng Feng understood that he could no longer blindly add investment. So far, he had not seen any substantial returns, and if he just waited blindly, it would be the most unwise choice.

Cheng Feng had always liked to take the initiative, and now was the time to replenish the first batch of disciples. He wanted to find those who truly had potential and strength and cultivate them to become the backbone of the sect. Only in this way could the Hong Sect continue to develop and grow and move towards glory.

The higher Cheng Feng stood, the broader his vision became, and the more different the problems he saw became.

He was startled to realize that he was gradually becoming the person he once hated the most.

In the past, Cheng Feng was open and honest, trustworthy, and like a piece of high-quality jade.

However, as time passed, he had quietly changed.

As his status rose, he gradually realized the subtle techniques of the leaders of his previous life—drawing big cakes.

At first, he was just trying to use this method, but over time, he became familiar with it, and he found that the disciples liked this trick, so he unconsciously used it.

When everything was ready and the initiation ceremony was successfully completed, Cheng Feng handed the carefully selected next stage target to Wang Hu.

After all, the Hong Sect had chosen this path, and whether it was the number of people or their strength, it was crucial.

The first batch of Force Refinement disciples would become the backbone, the second batch of disciples would serve as support, and it was also necessary to absorb some members of other gangs to ensure everything was foolproof.

Cheng Feng couldn't understand the Qingxi County Magistrate's intentions, but he knew that he had to first sort out the cards he had in hand in order to be ready to deal with the crisis of refugees from outside the city impacting the county at any time.

Cheng Feng actually valued those refugees in his heart, after all, they were all living lives! Moreover, these people were ready-made laborers who could create wealth for the Hong Sect. It was a pity that no one truly realized the great labor value they contained.

Most people simply regarded these refugees as pitiful people without land, without houses, and even without wives, who were wasting food by living, but they ignored their potential abilities and possible contributions.

The reason why these refugees became refugees was not because they were so bad themselves, but because of various objective reasons, natural disasters, man-made disasters, mutinies, rebellions, and other external factors.

However, reality is often cruel. The people of the Great Zhou generally believe that these refugees are the root of social chaos and are full of prejudice and misunderstanding towards them. They even feel that living is a waste of food.

If there is no food, they will rob their own food.

The contradiction is opposed, insoluble.

The Hong Sect still has too few people. It's a pity that there is not enough silver, otherwise Cheng Feng would really be prepared to absorb refugees and expand his Hong Sect.