83: Chapter 83 Protecting the Borders and Securing the People

The wheels of time rolled forward amidst the fervent construction and cultivation of Panshi Stockade.

In the blink of an eye, another two years of spring and autumn had passed.

During these two years, the changes in Panshi Stockade could be described as earth-shattering.

The abandoned beacon tower that could once only accommodate a few hundred people had now completely transformed into a sturdy mountain city, dominating the heart of the Gui Jian Chou Mountain Range.

According to Gao Feng's Panshi City plan, the outer city wall, three zhang high and one zhang thick, cast from a mixture of cement and giant stones, had been completely joined, like a gray dragon, firmly guarding the most core area of the entire valley.

Atop the city walls, battlements, watchtowers, and three formidable giant bed crossbows collectively formed a steel defensive line that would make any invading enemy despair.

Inside the city, the four major areas of military, government, civilian, and industry were planned in an orderly manner.

Wide and smooth cement roads extended in all directions, and a perfect underground water drainage System ensured that not a trace of filth could be seen in the city.

The planned residential wards were already full of people, and had even been expanded to the third phase. Rows of wooden houses with blue tiles were arranged in a staggered and orderly fashion, with cooking smoke curling up and the sounds of chickens and dogs heard, making it a vibrant and prosperous town.

Population is the most intuitive indicator for measuring a force.

Through the unremitting efforts of Liu Chengfeng's "Attracting the Phoenix" plan, and the widespread fame of Panshi Stockade as a paradise, refugees, craftsmen, and down-and-out scholars came in an endless stream to join over the past two years.

Now, the total population of the entire Panshi Stockade had officially broken through the 15,000 mark.

In the northern region, where war was frequent and corpses of those starved to death littered the fields, this was simply an incredible miracle.

In terms of wealth, with the complete opening and control of the Three-Forked Crossing trade route, the caravans of Panshi Stockade had become a force that could not be ignored in the northern region.

They used the refined salt, tempered steel, and various mountain goods and medicinal herbs produced by the stockade to exchange for large amounts of gold, silver, cloth, and scarce materials.

The stockade's treasury was no longer as strapped for cash as it was in the beginning; it was truly filled with gold and silver, and grain and grass were piled up like mountains.

And what Gao Feng was most proud of was the Panshi Army that he had built with his own hands.

After Du Wei's iron-blooded and ruthless training and repeated screening in actual combat, the total strength of the Panshi Army had expanded to 4,000 men.

Among them, 3,000 were standing troops responsible for defense and farming, and the core was 1,000 elite main forces equipped with full sets of tempered steel armor and weapons.

These 1,000 elites were subdivided into three core battle battalions: the 500 Tiger Guard Battalion heavy armored infantry led by Big Fool and Du Wei, who were the steel rampart of the Panshi Army, responsible for frontal assaults.

The 300-strong Wind Cavalry Battalion, expanded from the rangers, each equipped with captured warhorses and new steel sabers, was the sharp knife of the army, responsible for flanking raids and pursuing the fleeing enemy.

And the 200 Divine Mechanism Battalion archers led by Luo Qi, who were equipped with the latest improved three-shot arm-mounted crossbows from the craftsman battalion, which had longer range and stronger penetration, making them the most lethal long-range firepower on the battlefield.

This army, with strict discipline, excellent equipment, and high morale, was no longer the rabble composed of refugees and mountain bandits, but a true battle-hardened elite force.

As for Gao Feng himself, during these two years, most of his energy had been immersed in the practice of martial arts and the planning of the force.

Relying on the terrifying time flow of the spirit spring space and the nourishment of countless rare medicinal herbs, his strength had long stood firmly at the Peak of the fourth stage of Body Refining.

His bones were as hard as iron and stone, and as his Qi and blood surged, there was a faint sound of thunder, and he was only a thin layer of window paper away from the fifth stage of marrow cleansing and blood changing.

However, this layer of window paper was exceptionally tough; no matter how he tried to break through, he could never pierce it, which left him with a desire for higher-level Cultivation Technique.

As the sun set, the golden afterglow spilled over the valley, casting a warm hue over the steel mountain city.

Gao Feng finished his day's inspection and slowly walked back to the residence that belonged to him in the heart of the inner city.

The residence was not luxurious, but it was spacious, with bluestone flooring and lush vegetation.

Before even entering the door, he heard bursts of crisp laughter and milky shouts from the courtyard.

"Giddy up! Giddy up! Big tiger, run faster!"

Gao Feng walked into the courtyard and saw a scene that instantly softened his heart.

His two-year-old Eldest Son was riding on the back of the tiger king, Ada, which was as thick as a carpet. His small body rose and fell with Ada's movement, but he showed no fear at all; instead, he waved his little hands excitedly, treating this king of beasts that once dominated the mountains and forests as a mount.

Ada was obviously enjoying this game very much, walking with lazy cat steps, occasionally rubbing its huge head affectionately against its little master's legs, and making satisfied purring sounds in its throat.

Not far away, his Second Son, who had just learned to walk, was wobbling as he chased after two fluffy tiger cubs, giggling, occasionally falling on his butt, and then stubbornly climbing back up to continue chasing.

Those two former tiger cubs had now grown into half-grown tigers, but they were as docile as two big cats, deliberately slowing down their pace to tease their little master.

Su Yue and Luo Qin were sitting on a stone bench nearby, doing needlework while watching their children with doting eyes.

Their faces had long since shed the greenness of being new mothers, brimming with a mature and gentle halo of happiness.

"Husband, you're back." Su Yue was the first to notice Gao Feng, and a gentle smile immediately bloomed on her face.

"Daddy!" Eldest Son also saw Gao Feng, immediately slid down from the tiger's back, strided forward with his short legs, opened his arms, and threw himself into Gao Feng's arms like a swallow returning to the woods.

Gao Feng picked up his son, kissed his chubby little face, and felt the faint milky scent and the smell of sunshine on his son. The last trace of irritation in his heart caused by the Cultivation Bottleneck vanished into thin air.

This was everything he was fighting for.

"Did you listen to your teacher at school today?" Gao Feng asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Eldest Son answered loudly, then took out a small wooden board from his arms as if presenting a treasure. On it, written in wobbly charcoal characters, were a few large words: "Daddy, look, the teacher taught us how to write today! Protect the borders and pacify the people!"

Gao Feng looked at his son's earnest little face, and a warm current welled up in his heart.

He knew that Liu Chengfeng's education institute had already shown initial results, and the seeds of hope were taking root and sprouting in the hearts of the next generation.

He held Eldest Son and walked over to sit beside his wives, enjoying this rare family time.

Luo Qin considerately handed him a cup of warm ginseng tea, reporting the day's government affairs in a low voice.

Luo Qi was wiping her precious saber on the side, her eyes glancing at Gao Feng from time to time, filled with a sense of challenge.

As for Luo Shu and Luo Hua, one brought exquisite snacks, while the other chattered about what new inventions the Hundred Crafts Institute had come up with.

The warm atmosphere isolated them from all the turmoil and bloodshed outside the mountains.

However, just at this moment, a personal guard walked in with a solemn expression and knelt on one knee: "Reporting to the Stockade Master, Scout Captain Li Four has urgent military intelligence and requests an audience."

The tenderness in Gao Feng's eyes instantly faded, replaced by the composure and sharpness belonging to a hegemon.

He handed Eldest Son to Su Yue, stood up, and said in a deep voice: "Tell him to wait for me in the council hall."

Inside the council hall, the lights were bright.

Li Four had long been waiting here. On his weathered face, not much emotion could be seen, but his eyes were exceptionally heavy.

He respectfully presented a thick scroll of animal skin intelligence.

"Stockade Master, this is the latest intelligence that our scout battalion spent three months bringing back from the southern border; please take a look."

Gao Feng took the scroll, did not open it immediately, but first let Li Four sit down.

He personally poured a cup of hot tea for this trusted general: "You've worked hard."

Li Four's eyes grew hot, and he quickly stood up: "Serving the Stockade Master, I would not refuse even death!"

Gao Feng waved his hand, signaling him to sit down, and then slowly unfolded the intelligence that was stained with blood and sweat.

The content of the intelligence was detailed and shocking.

The Great Qian had been at peace for nine hundred years, but its national fate was nearing its end, and its Dragon Qi was exhausted.

In the capital, eunuchs and relatives of the emperor were fighting, causing the emperor's heart to be chaotic and the government to be derelict.

The northern Tianlang Tribe took advantage of the situation to invade, breaking through three passes in succession. Their military force had already reached Yunzhou, and the three northern provinces were in imminent danger.

In the southern border, because the imperial court was unable to suppress them, the long-resentful Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians rose in rebellion.

Dozens of tribes formed a coalition army, claiming to be 500,000 strong, with the Blood Vine Tribe as the leader, invading the north crazily.

Wherever they passed, cities were destroyed, and the common people were used as food; their methods were cruel, causing both humans and gods to be enraged.

Now, seven county towns in the three southern provinces had been broken, and hundreds of thousands of common people had been slaughtered, leaving the people in dire straits.

Gao Feng's expression became colder by the minute as the scroll was unfolded.

He felt as if he could see the Hell on earth where corpses littered the fields and blood flowed like rivers through these cold words.

Because of the wars on both the northern and southern fronts, the imperial court was unable to take care of itself, and the refugees in the south had nowhere to go, forming a torrent numbering in the millions, surging towards the direction of our Gui Jian Chou Mountain Range.

According to the scouts' estimates, within ten days at most, their vanguard would reach our sphere of influence.

When he saw the last sentence, Gao Feng's fingers tightened unconsciously, pinching deep marks into the tough animal skin.

Southern Barbarians invading!

A million refugees!

These two words, each represented immense pressure like mountains and seas, and now, they were simultaneously pressing down on Panshi Stockade, which had only been stable for two years!

"Have you found out which tribe is leading the charge?" Gao Feng's eyes instantly became as sharp as knives.

"Found out!" Li Four nodded heavily. "According to the confessions of several captured barbarian scouts, the leader of this northern invading coalition is the most powerful and brutal tribe among the Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians — the Blood Vine Tribe!"

Hearing this name, Gao Feng's pupils shrank slightly.

"Protect the borders and pacify the people."

Liu Chengfeng's eyes flashed with the light of wisdom. "Stockade Master, we can raise the banner of 'Protect the borders and pacify the people' and drive out the barbarians! We can take the initiative to attack and set the battlefield outside of Panshi Stockade!"

We will go to save those common people who are being hunted by the barbarians, and gather those refugees who have nowhere else to go!

In this way, we will be an army of justice. Not only can we gain immense popular support, but we can also, with justification, extend our influence from these deep mountains to the vast plains outside the mountains!

This is the first step for us to walk out of Ghost Sees Sorrow and compete for the world!"

Liu Chengfeng's words were resonant and powerful, causing a raging fire to ignite in the eyes of all the generals present!

"Good!" Gao Feng slapped the table, making up his mind. "We shall follow the strategist's plan!"

He scanned the entire assembly, his voice filled with unquestionable majesty and dominance.

"Pass on my orders! The Tiger Guard Battalion, Wind Cavalry Battalion, and Divine Mechanism Battalion—the main forces of all three battalions—are to mobilize in full! I will lead the army personally to Linhuang County to intercept the Southern Barbarians! Du Wei, King Tiger, and Zhao Iron Pillar, come with me on this campaign!"

"Liu Chengfeng, Luo Qin, you two are to remain in command of Panshi City, responsible for logistical coordination and pacifying the refugees! In this battle, we must not only fight, but we must also demonstrate the might of Panshi Stockade! We must carve out a bright, clear future!"

Three days later, Panshi Stockade mobilized its entire force.

Gao Feng, clad in black battle armor forged from refined steel and wielding his three-pointed, double-edged blade, personally led eight hundred elite Panshi Army soldiers—three hundred heavy infantry from the Tiger Guard Battalion, three hundred crossbowmen from the Divine Mechanism Battalion, and two hundred light cavalry from the Wind Cavalry Battalion. Like a black tide, they marched majestically out of the Gui Jian Chou Mountain Range.

On their banners, they no longer bore the simple word 'Panshi'. Instead, they were embroidered with a more striking and stirring slogan: 'Protect the borders and bring peace to the people, drive out the barbarians!'

The army marched rapidly. Everywhere they looked along the way, there were ruined walls and scattered corpses. The tragic sight ignited a roaring fire of rage in the eyes of every Panshi Army soldier.

Five days later, they arrived at the outskirts of Linhuang County.

This small border town, once relatively prosperous, had by now turned into a Hell of fire.

The city walls had collapsed in many places, thick smoke billowed from within, and the piercing screams of agony mixed with the arrogant, wild laughter of the barbarians could be heard clearly from miles away.

Outside the city, thousands of barbarian warriors from the Blood Vine Tribe were herding the last group of nearly ten thousand Dagan citizens like livestock, trapping them on a wide riverbank.

They lit bonfires and set up large cauldrons, intending to treat these defenseless citizens as military rations and boil them alive!

"Animals!!!"

Witnessing this inhumane scene, the eyes of every Panshi Army soldier behind Gao Feng turned bloodshot!

"All troops, heed my order!" Gao Feng's voice was as cold as a freezing wind from the Nine Netherworlds.

"Divine Mechanism Battalion, advance and occupy the high ground, prepare for free-fire! Wind Cavalry Battalion, flank from the left and right to cut off the enemy's retreat! Tiger Guard Battalion, follow me... for a frontal charge! In this battle, leave no one alive!"

"Kill!!!"

Following Gao Feng's command, the horns of war blared thunderously!

Three hundred crossbowmen from the Divine Mechanism Battalion quickly seized the slopes on both sides of the riverbank, aiming their new-style arm-drawn crossbows at the unsuspecting barbarian army below.

"Fire!" commanded Captain Luo Qi with a crisp, sharp shout!

Dense volleys of armor-piercing crossbow bolts, forged from hundred-refined steel, descended like the reaper's scythe, instantly enveloping the barbarian camp!

Those barbarian warriors who were still laughing wildly and preparing to enjoy their 'meal' were instantly turned into hedgehogs, collapsing into pools of blood with screams of agony.

With just a single volley, hundreds of barbarians fell!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The barbarian army fell into instant chaos.

However, before they could react, two black torrents of iron had already charged in from their left and right flanks!

It was the two hundred soldiers of the Wind Cavalry Battalion led by Zhao Iron Pillar and Li Four!

Like two sharp shears, they ruthlessly thrust into the chaotic barbarian formation. Steel blades flashed, flesh and blood flew, and in an instant, they tore the enemy's formation to shreds.

But the most terrifying force was the iron torrent coming from the front!

Gao Feng took the lead, his three-pointed, double-edged blade dancing like a whirlwind of death!

His terrifying strength at the Peak of the fourth rank erupted without reservation!

He was like a tiger among sheep; wherever he passed, no one could withstand a single blow!

A barbarian Centurion, a giant nearly nine feet tall, roared as he charged forward, wielding a mace in an attempt to stop him.

Gao Feng didn't even glance at him, casually swinging his long blade!

A massive head soared into the sky!

Behind him were three hundred soldiers from the Tiger Guard Battalion, clad in heavy armor and wielding tower shields and long spears!

They formed an impenetrable shield wall, like a moving mountain of iron, crushing forward step by step with unwavering determination!

Any barbarian warrior who dared to stand in their way was instantly skewered into a sieve by the forest of spears thrusting out from the gaps in the shields!

A crushing superiority in equipment! A crushing superiority in training! And, the dimensional strike of a top-tier martial artist against ordinary soldiers!

From the very beginning, this battle was destined to be a one-sided slaughter!

In less than an hour, the thousands of arrogant Blood Vine Tribe barbarians were completely routed and wiped out.

When the last barbarian warrior was cut down from his horse, the entire riverbank had already turned into a blood-red Hell on earth.

The tens of thousands of Dagan citizens who had been trapped looked at the army that had descended like divine soldiers before their eyes, and at the banner of 'Protect the borders and bring peace to the people' fluttering in the wind, falling into a deathly silence at first.

Then, they erupted into earth-shattering cries and cheers of those who had survived a catastrophe!

"The Royal Army! It's the Royal Army that has come to save us!"

"Heaven has eyes!"

Countless people knelt on the ground, kowtowing desperately to Gao Feng and his army, filled with gratitude.

Gao Feng dismounted and helped up an elderly man with white hair, his voice steady and powerful.

"Elder, we are not Government Soldiers. We are soldiers of Panshi Stockade. From this day forward, as long as I, Gao Feng, am here for a single day, this Linhuang County will never again allow a single barbarian to step foot inside!"

With this battle, Panshi Stockade demonstrated its might in its first engagement and gained great renown!

From the mouths of the captives, Gao Feng also learned in depth about the internal situation of the Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians for the first time.

It turned out that the so-called Hundred Barbarian Allied Forces were not a monolithic entity, but a motley crew cobbled together from over a dozen powerful tribes.

Internally, they were riddled with conflicts and often fought fiercely over territory and slaves.

Their unique Shaman-Martial Cultivation Technique System, in particular, piqued Gao Feng's great interest.

This System did not prioritize Cultivation Techniques or Moves; instead, it used bloody sacrifices and special totems to directly stimulate the body's Qi and blood potential.

Although wild and fierce with great destructive power, it had endless side effects, easily shortened one's lifespan, and had a very low ceiling, making it difficult to produce truly top-tier experts.

"Just a bunch of savages who have taken a crooked path," Gao Feng thought, feeling reassured after hearing the intelligence.

He immediately made a decision that surprised everyone.

He would not leave.

He would use the ruins of Linhuang County, destroyed by the barbarians, as the foundation to build the first forward fortress for Panshi Stockade on the plains!

He ordered all the rescued citizens to be settled on the spot.

He opened the storehouses to distribute grain and provide relief to the disaster victims.

He even announced publicly that all citizens willing to stay and participate in the reconstruction would be allocated land!

In an instant, the people pledged their allegiance, and everyone was united as one!

Gao Feng distributed the high-yield grain seeds he had brought from Panshi Stockade, which had been improved by the spirit spring space, and implemented a military colony System.

A brand-new, majestic border city, filled with vitality and hope, rose from the ruins that had once been soaked in blood at an incredible speed!

Under Gao Feng's personal supervision and the cost-no-object resource allocation from Panshi Stockade, the reconstruction of Linhuang County erupted with a near-fanatical fervor for construction.

An emotion called 'hope' grew stubbornly and vigorously on these ruins, which had been soaked in blood and war, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

Time quietly slipped into the seventh month after the autumn harvest.

The warm sun of early winter shone weakly on the brand-new battlements of Linhuang County.

Gao Feng, draped in a thick black cloak, rested his hands on the cold battlements and looked out over the vast and vibrant land outside the city.

Half a year ago, this place was a Hell on earth where barbarians slaughtered the people; half a year later, it had become a paradise with crisscrossing fields and curling wisps of cooking smoke.

The tens of thousands of refugees he had saved from the barbarians' butcher knives, after experiencing initial fear and anxiety, erupted into long-suppressed, earth-shattering cheers when they received their own land deeds from the hands of the officials sent by Panshi Stockade.

They knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces, chanting the name 'Stockade Master Gao Feng' over and over again.

For these tenant farmers who had been exploited for generations and had never owned an inch of land in their entire lives, Gao Feng's actions were tantamount to the grace of rebirth.

The hearts of the people were thus simply and purely, completely won over.

Gao Feng distributed all the ownerless wasteland around Linhuang County according to the principle of 'allocating land based on the number of people'.

At the same time, he promulgated the fundamental law of Panshi Stockade—an ultra-low tax rate of 'one tax for every thirty'—and promised 'no tax increases for three years'.

When the news spread, it not only made the local people grateful but also acted like a huge magnet, attracting more refugees from surrounding areas who had suffered under the oppression of the government and local tyrants, all bringing their families to seek refuge.

In just half a year, the registered population of Linhuang County had surged from the initial twenty thousand to nearly fifty thousand!

With people, everything became possible.

Although the city walls of Linhuang County were not as tall and thick as those of the main Panshi City, they had been reinforced to two zhang high and eight chi thick using Gao Feng's unique 'cement-rammed earth-wooden pile' mixed structure. The critical city gates and corners were even cast with huge stones and cement, making them exceptionally sturdy.

On the city walls, arrow towers stood in rows, and several bases for catapults, specifically designed to launch 'fierce fire oil jars', stood silently, exuding a cold murderous intent.

Inside the city, the streets, replanned strictly according to the 'ward System', were wide and clean. Underground drainage channels, built with cement, unified all domestic sewage and discharged it into designated areas outside the city, fundamentally eliminating the possibility of plagues that could be caused by large-scale settlements.

The branch of the 'Linhuang School' had been established, with an impoverished old scholar, personally selected by Liu Chengfeng, serving as the headmaster. All children over the age of six, regardless of gender, were mandatorily required to enroll to learn literacy, basic arithmetic, and the 'Panshi Stockade Ideological and Moral Course'.

A branch of the 'Hundred Crafts Institute' had also been established, absorbing a large number of skilled craftsmen. They were not only responsible for repairing farm tools and crafting daily necessities, but under the guidance of technical experts sent from Panshi Stockade, they also began attempting to assemble and maintain military equipment such as crossbows and armor.