97: Chapter 97 Victory Celebration Ceremony

According to the information in the spiritual imprint, this blade is named "three-pointed, double-edged blade." It was the weapon of Longduota's father, the previous Barbarian King, who ventured deep into the core restricted zone of the Southern Wilderness. Risking severe injury, he slew a terrifying exotic beast with power comparable to a Fourth-Stage Peak—the "Mountain-Breaking Bone Dragon." He took its hardest piece of spinal column and spent ten whole years, hiring the Southern Wilderness's top shamans and craftsmen, to finally forge it!

Its sharpness and durability are not in the least inferior to the three-pointed, double-edged blade in Gao Feng's hands!

As for the armor, it is a suit of form-fitting soft armor, dark red all over, with a ferocious design, as if it were woven from countless tiny, blood-colored scales.

It is named "Overlord Blood Scale Armor."

It was tanned and crafted from the toughest piece of reverse scale found on the lower jaw of that Mountain-Breaking Bone Dragon.

Its defensive power is strong enough to withstand a full-force strike from a Fourth-Stage Peak expert!

These two divine weapons and armors were the important assets that allowed Longduota to run rampant in the Southern Wilderness and rarely encounter an opponent.

Now, all of this has become Gao Feng's spoils of war!

Only after counting all the treasures in the Barbarian King's secret box did Gao Feng truly breathe a sigh of relief.

Although there was an accident with the Cultivation Technique, these few treasures alone are enough to make his overall strength surge by another thirty percent or more!

And this is merely the Legacy of Longduota alone!

Gao Feng stood up, his gaze sweeping across the brightly lit barbarian encampment that stretched for dozens of miles.

His eyes flashed with a greedy and fervent light, like that of a hungry wolf.

"Come here!" he shouted in a deep voice.

"Pass on my order! Send someone to tell Military Advisor Liu and General Du to speed up the cleaning of the battlefield and the inventory of supplies!"

"Before dawn, I want to see a complete inventory of wealth regarding the entire Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians Allied Army!"

He knew that a larger, more anticipated "Harvest Feast" had only just begun!

...

When the morning sun of the next day tore through the clouds and illuminated this plain soaked in blood, an unprecedented and massive task of counting supplies and taking a census was being carried out in an orderly manner inside and outside Linhuang City.

Liu Chengfeng was currently standing on a high platform temporarily piled up from captured grain bags.

In his hand, he held a thick register, and before him were countless, densely packed, endless lines of surrendered soldiers and rescued Qian people.

His voice, through several simple iron loudspeakers specially made by the Panshi Stockade craftsman battalion, clearly spread to every corner of the temporary camp.

"...After this battle, our Panshi Stockade has wiped out over nine thousand seven hundred enemies, captured thirty-one thousand six hundred barbarian soldiers, and incorporated a total of fifty-eight thousand family members, the elderly, the weak, and slaves from various tribes..."

Every time a number was read out, it would cause an irrepressible exclamation and commotion among the crowd below.

And when Liu Chengfeng read the next number, the entire camp completely boiled over!

"...Captured all the military provisions of the barbarian allied army, totaling two hundred seventy thousand shi! There are over seventy thousand head of various cattle, sheep, warhorses, as well as war beasts like giant wild boars and terror wolves!"

"We're rich! We've made a fortune!"

"So much food! It's enough for us to eat for several years!"

"And warhorses! So many warhorses! We can also form cavalry now!"

Whether they were veteran soldiers of Panshi Stockade or newly joined refugees, their faces were filled with heartfelt, irrepressible ecstasy!

They seemed to have already seen a prosperous, powerful, and beautiful future where they would never have to worry about their next meal again!

And those newly surrendered barbarian soldiers, upon hearing these astronomical figures of captured loot, felt a complex mix of emotions.

There was heartache, there was unwillingness, but more than that, it was a deep awe for the unfathomable strength of their new master.

Even a force as strong as the Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians Allied Army was destroyed like dead leaves in a gale overnight.

Following such a powerful new master, who was like a deity, perhaps, was not a bad thing after all.

Meanwhile, in another place, a temporary warehouse specifically used for storing gold, silver, and rare materials, Gao Feng was taking Uncle Sun and the Old Blacksmith, Sun Jiu, on another more exciting "treasure hunt."

Longduota, this King of the Southern Wilderness, had plundered the wealth of the Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians for hundreds of years. Inside his royal tent alone, the gold, jewelry, and rare ores that were counted filled over a hundred large chests, and their value was enough to support ten years of frantic expansion for Panshi Stockade!

But this was not what Gao Feng valued most.

His true target was that legendary private medicine storehouse of the Barbarian King!

Under the guidance of a Vulture Tribe shaman who had been captured and offered to lead the way to save his own life, Gao Feng finally found that legendary treasure house in a huge, heavily guarded cavern filled with poisonous snakes and traps.

When the heavy stone door was slowly pushed open, a rich, almost tangible, and vibrant medicinal fragrance rushed towards his face.

Even Gao Feng couldn't help but take a deep breath, an intoxicated look appearing on his face.

And behind him, Uncle Sun, the old doctor who had spent his whole life dealing with medicinal herbs, trembled all over the moment he smelled that medicinal fragrance, as if he were drunk. His old face flushed red, and he muttered to himself:

"A precious land... Immortal Cave... this... this is simply a place where immortals live!"

Inside the cavern, there was a whole new world.

On shelves made of warm jade, countless rare medicinal herbs, preserved in special jade boxes, were neatly displayed.

Three-hundred-year-old Fleeceflower, five-hundred-year-old Snow Lotus, eight-hundred-year-old Purple Gold Ganoderma...

Each stalk was radiant and filled with spiritual energy.

Each one, if placed in the outside world, would be enough to spark a bloody battle!

But here, they were as common as cabbages, visible everywhere!

And in the deepest part of the medicine storehouse, on a jade bed carved from a whole piece of thousand-year cold jade.

A legendary divine herb, red as blood, shaped like a sleeping coiled dragon, and even faintly emitting a warm breath, was lying there quietly.

It was exactly that peerless treasure herb with an age exceeding a thousand years—the "Thousand-Year Blood Dragon Ginseng"!

"Heaven bless our Panshi Stockade! Heaven bless my Lord!"

Uncle Sun could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart; he fell to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his old face, and prostrated himself before the divine herb.

Gao Feng was also surging with emotion.

With these countless rare medicinal herbs, his newly conceived plan to improve the "dragon blood body forging pill," as well as his grand blueprint for enhancing the strength of the entire core of Panshi Stockade, now had the most solid material Foundation!

"Panshi's takeoff starts today!"

...

The huge victory and massive harvest did not make Gao Feng lose his head.

He knew deeply that trying to become a fat man in one bite would only result in choking himself to death.

How to transform this huge population of nearly one hundred thousand and endless resources into truly powerful strength that belongs to him was the most important and difficult problem at the moment.

An unprecedentedly large post-war reorganization and planning meeting was held overnight under his personal direction.

First, there was the expansion and division of territory.

After this battle, no force in the entire Southern Wilderness border could compete with Panshi Stockade.

Gao Feng's sphere of influence pushed southward eight hundred miles in one breath from the Gui Jian Chou Mountain Range, encompassing the vast territories of over a dozen tribes such as the original Blood Vine Tribe and the Red Python Tribe.

He officially incorporated this fertile plain and mountainous area, which was as large as three wealthy counties, into the territory of Panshi Stockade and named it "Nanfeng Plain," making it the most important source of food and soldiers for the future of Panshi Stockade, fundamentally solving the problem of insufficient land.

Then, there was the resettlement and integration of the population.

Together with the tens of thousands of barbarian survivors who were subdued, and the large number of refugees who flocked from all directions to join after hearing the news, the total population of Panshi Stockade soared from fifteen thousand to a terrifying scale of one hundred thousand in just one month!

Panshi Stockade now truly possessed the Foundation of a regional warlord!

The joy of digesting victory was always short, and what followed was the even more arduous and exciting post-war reconstruction and power integration.

Gao Feng knew the truth that conquering a territory is easy, but holding it is difficult. Facing this suddenly increased population of one hundred thousand and vast territory, an unprecedented celebration ceremony and power reshaping were imperative.

Seven days later, when the last corpse on the battlefield of Linhuang City was buried, and the last batch of captured supplies was counted and stored, a grand ceremony worthy of being recorded in the history of the Northern Territory was held solemnly on the huge square that had just been cleared in the center of Linhuang City.

On this day, the sky was clear and the breeze was mild.

To the north of the square, a nine-story high platform for reviewing troops, urgently built from giant wood and rock, rose from the ground, appearing majestic and solemn.

On the high platform, Gao Feng wore the captured "Overlord Blood Scale Armor." The dark red scales flowed with a chilling blood-colored luster under the sunlight, making his figure appear even more upright like a pine tree, standing with the composure of a deep pool and the stability of a mountain.

He did not wear any helmet, simply tying his ink-black hair with a simple jade hairpin. On his young and heroic face, his expression was calm, and his deep eyes, as if containing the stars and the sea, were quietly overlooking the dense, endless sea of people below.

Behind him was the black-bottomed, stone-patterned great banner of Panshi Stockade, waving in the wind.

And below the high platform were nearly one hundred thousand new and old citizens of Panshi Stockade.

In the very front was the main force of the Panshi Army led by Du Wei. Each of them wore sturdy armor, held sharp blades, and formed neat, uniform steel phalanxes, their murderous aura piercing the sky.

Beside them was the barbarian legion led by Wulu. Although those burly barbarian men's formations were far less neat than the Panshi Army, that primitive, ferocious aura originating from their Bloodline was like a drawn blade, sharp and exposed.

Behind the army were tens of thousands of ordinary people, including the elders of Panshi Stockade who had followed Gao Feng all along, refugees who had just been allocated land and whose faces were filled with hopeful smiles, and even those barbarian family members who had just escaped enslavement and oppression, their eyes still carrying a trace of awe and trepidation.

Everyone's gaze was fixed upon the high platform, converging on that figure who appeared like a deity.

Their eyes were filled with fanaticism, adoration, gratitude, and anticipation.

Gao Feng slowly raised his hand and pressed it downward in the air.

The massive plaza, which had been somewhat noisy moments before, instantly fell into a silence so profound one could hear a pin drop.

"Today, I have gathered you all here for only three matters."

Gao Feng's voice was not loud, but bolstered by his Internal Energy, it rolled like thunder, clearly reaching every corner of the plaza and reverberating in the heartstrings of everyone present.

"The first matter is to honor the heroic spirits!"

His voice suddenly became grave and solemn.

He slowly turned to face the massive stone monument behind the high platform, which had just been completed and constructed from white boulders.

The stone monument was densely engraved with over two thousand names.

These were the names of the Panshi Army soldiers who had fallen forever during the defense of Linhuang City, having given their lives to protect this city and the homeland behind them.

Gao Feng took three pre-lit giant incense sticks from his personal guard and bowed deeply and solemnly three times toward the monument.

"I, Gao Feng, hereby take an oath!"

He straightened up, his voice resonant and firm.

"All those who have bled and sacrificed for my Panshi Stockade shall have their names forever engraved upon this 'Panshi Shrine of Heroes,' to be revered by all the people of my Panshi Stockade for generations to come!"

"Their families shall have the elderly cared for, the young educated, and the sick treated! My Panshi Stockade shall provide for them for the rest of their lives!"

"The compensation standard shall be tripled once more! For all who died in battle, their descendants shall have priority admission to Panshi Academy, priority for military enlistment, and priority in receiving land grants!"

"I will never let heroes bleed and then shed tears!"

These words left all the Panshi Army soldiers present with tears in their eyes, their hearts surging with burning passion!

Gazing at the stone monument, they seemed to see their fallen comrades-in-arms, and they also seemed to see their own future resting place.

It was no longer a cold death, but a supreme honor!

"Loyalty to the Stockade Master! Fight to the death for Panshi Stockade!"

It was unclear who was the first to let out a hoarse roar.

Immediately after, an earth-shattering oath rose to the heavens!

"Loyalty to the Stockade Master! Fight to the death for Panshi Stockade!!"

That iron-willed military spirit, forged by countless hearts, was completely solidified at this moment, becoming unbreakable!

Gao Feng's gaze swept across the crowd once more, his voice becoming impassioned.

"The second matter is to reward merit!"

"In this battle, my Panshi Stockade soldiers fought valiantly, and your contributions are undeniable! I, Gao Feng, am clear in my rewards and punishments! Those who have achieved merit shall be rewarded! Those who have achieved great merit shall be heavily rewarded!"

"Military Advisor Liu Chengfeng, who devised strategies from the command tent, ensured victory from afar, and stabilized the rear, has achieved monumental merit! I hereby confer upon him the title of 'Marquis of Civil Trust,' appoint him to oversee the Political Affairs Hall, and grant him one thousand taels of gold, one thousand mu of fertile land, and a Marquis mansion!"

"Thank you, my Lord!" Liu Chengfeng stepped out of the ranks and bowed deeply to Gao Feng.

"Commander Du Wei of the Tiger Guard Battalion, who defended Linhuang to the death, led from the front, and fought with fearless ferocity, has achieved unparalleled merit! I hereby confer upon him the title of 'Marquis of Martial Peace,' appoint him to command the entire Panshi Army, and grant him one thousand taels of gold, one thousand mu of fertile land, and a Marquis mansion!"

"Your subordinate, Du Wei, thanks my Lord!" Du Wei knelt on one knee, his voice booming like a bell.

"Commander Gao Yong (Big Fool) of the Imperial Guard, who slew enemy generals in battle and protected the commander-in-chief, has shown unmatched loyalty and courage! I hereby confer upon him the title of 'Marquis of Loyalty and Courage,' and grant him one thousand taels of gold, one hundred jars of fine wine, and ten thousand catties of prime meat!"

"Hehe... Thank you, my Lord!" Big Fool scratched his head, his honest face beaming with an excited, goofy grin.

"Commander Wulu of the Barbarian Legion, who has achieved extraordinary merit and possesses both wisdom and courage, is hereby conferred the title of 'Marquis of the Green Wolf.' He shall command all barbarian troops and be granted a large quantity of supplies, grain, weapons, and armor to assist him in rebuilding his tribe and pacifying his people!"

"Wulu thanks my Lord for your heavenly grace!" Wulu also knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with fanatical gratitude.

Gao Feng's voice continued to ring out, calling forth familiar names one by one to receive the glory they deserved.

"My four wives, Luo Qin, Luo Qi, Luo Shu, and Luo Hua, have made outstanding contributions to internal affairs, military matters, logistics, and education. Their hearts are as pure as orchids, and I hereby confer upon them the title of 'First-Rank Noble Lady,' granting them a position of great respect to be revered by all!"

"Scout Commander Li Xin (Thin Monkey), Logistics Supervisor Qiu Zhengde (Old Qiu), as well as Wang Tiger, Li Four, and all other meritorious generals—each shall be rewarded according to their contributions, whether through promotion in rank, grants of land, or gifts of gold and silver. None shall be overlooked!"

The unprecedented conferral ceremony lasted for nearly two hours.

Each conferral elicited bursts of envious exclamations and thunderous applause from the crowd below.

The gleaming silver, the golden land deeds, and the official appointments that symbolized supreme glory fiercely stimulated everyone's nerves!

The looks they cast toward the newly honored generals were filled with envy and longing.

They knew that as long as they were willing to risk their lives and serve this generous guardian, one day, they too could stand upon that high platform and enjoy this supreme glory!

When the last meritorious individual had been honored, Liu Chengfeng rolled up the scroll and stepped aside.

He exchanged glances with Du Wei, Wulu, and the others, then they all stepped forward in unison and knelt on one knee once more.

"My Lord!"

Liu Chengfeng's voice became incomparably solemn and earnest.

"Now that the Southern Wilderness has been settled and the Southern Wild Hundred Barbarians have pledged their allegiance, our Panshi Land possesses a population of one hundred thousand, a territory spanning eight hundred li, and strong troops and sturdy horses. We have already become a hegemon in our own right!"

"The title of 'Stockade Master' is no longer sufficient to manifest my Lord's heavenly might! Nor is it enough to reassure the hearts of the people!"

"We implore you, my Lord, to follow the mandate of heaven, ascend to the throne, establish a title, and institute a system of government! Only then will your status be legitimate, and only then can you begin a Foundation that will last for generations!"

"We implore you, my Lord, to ascend to the throne!"

Du Wei, Wulu, and the others also shouted in unison.

Beneath the high platform, the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, after a moment of astonishment, erupted like dry firewood set ablaze, their cheers of support roaring like a landslide or tidal wave!

"We ask the Stockade Master to ascend to the throne!"

"We are willing to follow the Stockade Master forever!"

The waves of sound rose higher and higher, converging into a force of public will capable of shaking heaven and earth, sweeping through the entirety of Linhuang City.

Gao Feng looked at the fanatical yet sincere faces below, his heart swelling with heroic ambition.

However, he was not carried away by this immense wave of sound; his heart remained absolutely calm.

Declare himself King? Declare himself Emperor?

The time was not yet right.

Although the Great Qian Dynasty was currently teetering on the brink of collapse, it was like a centipede that dies but does not fall—it still had lingering strength.

Its status as the orthodox ruler, inherited over nearly a thousand years, was still deeply rooted in people's hearts.

If he were to rashly declare himself King now, it would be no different from placing himself in opposition to all the powers in the world, making himself a target for everyone.

He understood the principle that "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" better than anyone.

But, the will of the people could not be defied.

Faced with such overwhelming support, he had to provide an explanation that would satisfy everyone.

Just then, Liu Chengfeng spoke up again. He had evidently foreseen Gao Feng's concerns and proposed a truly brilliant solution.

"My Lord, I have a strategy."

He said slowly, "We can draft a letter to the Great Qian Dynasty. First, we report our victory to the imperial court, stating that we have been guarding the border for the nation in the Southern lands, resisting the Southern Barbarians, slaying the Barbarian King Longduota, and ensuring the peace of the region."

"Second, we offer the heads of Longduota and the other barbarian leaders as 'tribute' to demonstrate our 'respectful' loyalty to the imperial court."

"Third, we 'implore' the imperial court to issue an edict conferring upon you the title of 'Jiedushi of the Southern Border,' granting us the legitimate authority to govern this land."

Once Liu Chengfeng presented this strategy, everyone present was struck by its brilliance.

This was simply treating the imperial court like a fool!

We fought a victorious battle, seized the territory, and then notified you—you had better quickly give us a title, or else it would prove your imperial court is incompetent.

The overt conspiracy and manipulation involved were simply exquisite.

Gao Feng's eyes lit up; he held Liu Chengfeng's intellect in even higher regard.

"Good, we shall follow the Military Advisor's strategy!"

He made the decision immediately, then slowly walked to the front of the high platform, facing the one hundred thousand soldiers and civilians to announce the third matter.

"Everyone! I, Gao Feng, appreciate your sentiments!"

"But I, Gao Feng, have no intention of declaring myself King or hegemon. All I seek is to protect the one hundred thousand soldiers and civilians behind me, so that in these chaotic times, we may find a peaceful land where everyone has food to eat and clothes to wear!"

"However, a nation cannot go a day without a ruler, and a land cannot go a day without a master. Since you all trust me, Gao Feng, then from this day forth, I shall temporarily assume the title of 'Guardian of the Northern Border' to protect this homeland for you all!"

"The land under my rule shall be named the 'Panshi Protected Land'! May we remain united as one, firm as rock, and never suffer the bullying of foreign enemies again!"

"Guardian! Guardian!"

"Panshi! Panshi!"

Although he did not declare himself King, the title of "Guardian"—which was more approachable and carried a more sacred meaning—instantly ignited everyone's passion!

They shouted Gao Feng's name and cheered for the name of Panshi, their heartfelt support and pride resounding to the heavens!

The clamor and fanaticism of the celebration ceremony lasted for three full days over Linhuang City before slowly dissipating.

However, the soaring heroic spirit ignited by victory did not vanish; instead, Gao Feng guided and transformed it in a more brilliant way, injecting it into every corner of this vast land, turning it into an unprecedented and majestic driving force that propelled the Panshi Land to operate with fervent intensity.

On the morning of the fourth day after the ceremony, as the sky began to brighten and while the vast majority of the soldiers and civilians were still immersed in the joy of their new rewards, a core meeting that would determine the future direction of the Panshi Land was quietly convened in the slightly crowded meeting hall of the City Defense Office.

In attendance were all the core leaders who had been conferred the title of "Marquis," as well as the primary heads of each battalion.

"Everyone," Gao Feng said, sitting in the main seat with a gaze as calm as water as he slowly swept over everyone present, "The celebration is over. From now on, the challenge we face will be even more severe and complex than defeating the hundred-thousand-strong barbarian coalition army."