12: Chapter 12 Auspicious Land

After more than half a month of arduous trekking, the group finally arrived at the outer perimeter of the "Ghost Sees Sorrow" mountain range marked on the map.

As soon as they entered the mountainous area, an aura of primitive desolation washed over them.

The terrain here was treacherous, with craggy rocks and towering ancient trees that blocked out the sun. A pale green miasma hung over the forest all year round, and the ground was infested with venomous insects and snakes. Hardly any living soul dared to set foot here easily.

The group's pace was forced to slow down significantly.

The oppressive environment and fear of the unknown caused the newly joined refugees in the group to start complaining and showing signs of wanting to retreat.

"Can people even live in this godforsaken place? It would be better to go back and be bandits!"

"Exactly, I think that woman is just lying to us, trying to bring us here to get us killed!"

Rumors and dissatisfaction began to spread like a plague.

One night, a refugee who had once been a bandit leader and was recruited by Gao Feng attempted to incite a dozen people to escape overnight, even planning to steal some of the food supplies.

Upon learning of this, Gao Feng did not say a word and acted personally in front of everyone.

He used only one Move.

A fierce and unparalleled "Iron Tiger Fist" smashed the leader's chest, causing it to collapse; the man vomited blood and died on the spot.

The cold corpse and Gao Feng's gaze, which was like ten-thousand-year-old ice, instantly suppressed all the unrest.

"Anyone who shakes the morale of the army again will be executed without mercy!"

With this iron-fisted approach, he once again stabilized the army's morale.

Guided by Luo Qin's memory and that crude map, they struggled through thorns and cliffs for three more days.

Several times, the group almost lost their way and fell into desperate straits.

Just when everyone was about to despair, they finally found an old post road, barely wide enough for an ox cart, hidden between two massive cliffs and covered by thick vines and years of accumulated rubble.

"Found it! This is it!" Luo Qin exclaimed excitedly.

The group's spirits were lifted, and they immediately set to work clearing the obstacles.

Following this almost vertical post road, they climbed nearly a thousand meters.

An abandoned beacon tower, standing atop the precipitous cliffs and almost blending in with the surrounding gray mountain rocks, finally appeared before their eyes!

It was like an ancient beast, silently crouching on the peak of the mountains, overlooking the common people beneath its feet.

This place was surrounded by mountains on three sides and backed by a bottomless abyss, with only the dangerous path under their feet as access.

It could truly be said that one man could hold the pass, and ten thousand could not get through!

This place was simply a perfect fortress created by nature!

"We've arrived!"

"We're saved! We have a home!"

The group erupted into thunderous cheers of survival, many even weeping with joy, kneeling on the ground and kissing this solid land.

Entering the weathered beacon tower, a sense of historical weight and desolation washed over them.

They discovered dozens of remains of the garrison, long since turned to white bones.

Many of them still maintained a fighting posture, leaning on broken weapons and facing north, as if they were still vigilant against the enemy in the final moments of their lives.

On a stone wall in the inner courtyard of the beacon tower, Gao Feng discovered lines of text carved deep into the rock with a Sharp Weapon and blood.

The handwriting was bold and vigorous, filled with unyielding spirit and tragedy.

"In the 342nd year of the Great Qian Dynasty, northern barbarians invaded the pass, the capital was in urgent danger, the edict was cut off, and reinforcements did not arrive. We sixteen comrades-in-arms will defend the beacon tower to the death and perish with the state!"

This short sentence seemed to show everyone that tragic and fierce history.

An isolated army abandoned by the Imperial Dynasty, without food or reinforcements, defended the isolated city to the death and were all killed in the end.

This spirit of iron-blooded loyalty moved Gao Feng as well.

He solemnly performed a military salute from his previous life to these remains.

"From now on, I will take over this place. Rest in peace, heroes."

Beside the remains of a soldier wearing tattered iron armor, who was clearly the commander of this place, Gao Feng discovered a black iron box that he was holding tightly in his arms.

The box was covered in rust, but it felt exceptionally heavy.

Gao Feng used all his might, prying it with a steel blade, before he could slowly open it.

The moment the iron box opened, an aura of iron-blooded Killing Intent rushed out.

Inside, there were no gold or silver jewels, only three things.

But each one made Gao Feng's breathing quicken.

The first was a detailed sheepskin map.

It was countless times more precise than the one Thunder Tiger had!

Not only did it use fine lines to mark the mountains, rivers, towns, and villages for hundreds of miles around, but it also used special red cinnabar to mark the deployment of government troops, grain storehouse locations, and strategic passes!

This was a true, strategic-level military map.

The second was an ancient bronze tiger tally, divided into two halves, with seal script carved on it; although he did not know its use, it could not be an ordinary item if it was kept by the commander.

And the third item, which made Gao Feng ecstatic, was a saber technique Secret Manual made of special animal hide that was water and fire resistant!

On the cover were four blood-written, murderous characters — "Bloody Battle Saber Technique"!

Gao Feng opened it and saw that there was no complex Mind-Cultivation Technique, no mysterious Moves, only the most pure and direct military killing techniques!

Chop, slash, lift, stab, parry, block—every Move was lethal, open and wide, filled with the taste of iron and blood.

This set of saber techniques was completely different from the "Tiger Venerable Art" he was Cultivating, yet it was equally powerful.

One focused on Cultivating internal Qi, blood, and bones, while the other focused on external killing techniques.

If he could integrate the two, his combat power would surely soar again!

Gao Feng held the saber manual in his hand, his heart filled with great ambition.

He climbed to the highest point of the beacon tower and gazed into the distance.

Standing here, he finally truly understood the "development potential" Luo Qin had spoken of.

This beacon tower was not an isolated, dead place.

Below it was not a bottomless abyss, but a vast, hidden valley surrounded by mountains!

In the valley, a clear river meandered through, with fertile black soil on both banks covered in dense wild grass.

This valley was like a paradise, a natural cornucopia!

The land could be reclaimed, the river could be used for fishing and hunting, and the surrounding mountain forests contained endless resources.

The only way to the outside world was the old post road they had taken to get up the mountain.

As long as they guarded the entrance to the post road, this place would be a kingdom isolated from the world where they could farm and develop in peace!

They could advance to attack and retreat to defend!

How was this "Ghost Sees Sorrow"? This was clearly a treasure land that would make even immortals worry!

Gao Feng held the saber manual, feeling the iron-blooded Killing Intent rushing towards him; his heart surged, and his plans for the future became clearer than ever before.

He was no longer just a refugee seeking to survive; from today on, he was the Dominator of a force.

A grand blueprint was slowly unfolding in his mind.

First, he needed to reorganize the existing population.

Those dozen or so farmers were the future agricultural foundation and must be treated well.

The rescued women could be arranged for logistics work such as sewing and cooking.

Of course, if they were willing, they could also take up weapons and become a female guard unit.

The recruited refugees would be the prototype of the future army and the main force for construction.

Gao Feng decided to implement a "military garrison system."

Everyone would be a soldier in wartime and a civilian in peacetime.

Reclaiming land and solving the food problem were the top priorities of all plans.

With the spirit spring space, he was confident that he could achieve food self-sufficiency in the shortest possible time.

At the same time, they would build fortifications, reinforce the beacon tower, and turn this place into a true wall of bronze and iron.

After the food problem was solved, he would start building a true elite army.

Using the Five Tiger Fists from the "Tiger Venerable Art" and the "Bloody Battle Saber Technique," combined with modern training methods, he would train those refugees into soldiers who followed orders and were fearless in the face of death.

He wanted to establish a strict military merit and land grant system to stimulate everyone's desire to fight.

When his strength was sufficient, he would walk out of the valley and take the initiative to attack.

The targets would be the government grain storehouses with lax defenses, wealthy towns, and even county seats marked on the military map!

He would support the war with war, snowballing his strength, population, and territory.

Of course, his ultimate goal was by no means just to be a mountain king.

He wanted to tear a piece of meat off this decaying Great Qian Dynasty and establish a territory of his own.

A new world without hunger, without oppression, where everyone had food to eat and clothes to wear.

He would use his knowledge that surpassed this era to develop agriculture, industry, and the military, and carry out a dimensionality-reduction strike against this decaying feudal Dynasty.

By then, the Black Mountain Thirteen Devils, the aristocratic families, the Sects, and the Great Qian Dynasty would all be reduced to powder under his iron hooves!