9: Chapter 9 Demolition

Regarding the ownership of loot, players have always followed a simple and efficient law of the jungle—whoever has the biggest fist, the most urgent need, and contributed the most in battle.

The [fine steel broadsword] fell into the hands of "War God Number One" without any suspense.

Having died three times, the cost of resurrection was painfully high, but he had essentially traded his life for the decisive opportunity for the team to kill Wang Two Tiger.

When he gripped that cold, glinting broadsword—three times heavier than the crude iron sword he had used before—the gloom from losing contribution points due to resurrection vanished, replaced by an irrepressible ecstasy.

With a casual swing, the blade sliced through the air, the "whoosh" sound carrying a fierce aura.

"It was worth it! Brothers, this death was totally worth it!" Carrying the broadsword on his shoulder, he felt like the center of attention.

As for that [Black Wind Saber Technique], it sparked an even greater debate.

This was a skill book, a hard currency that could directly enhance combat power!

Ultimately, at the suggestion of "Demolition Office Director," everyone decided to temporarily "confiscate" this remnant volume, placing it in the clan warehouse and setting a very high exchange price in contribution points.

Whoever earned enough contribution could exchange for it.

This measure instantly ignited the passion of all players to earn contribution points.

As for the [Black Wind Stockade Master's Eyepatch] that "Appearance is Justice" treated like a treasure, since it didn't add any attributes, everyone unanimously classified it as "trash" and gave it to her without dispute.

She joyfully put it on, covering one eye and striking several poses she thought were cool, drawing a round of good-natured laughter.

However, as the initial ecstasy and clamor gradually subsided, the surviving players looked at the mess on the ground, the motes of light left by fallen companions, and the bone-deep wounds on their own bodies, and a deeper, more exciting question surfaced in everyone's minds.

"Brothers, is this it?" someone in the crowd asked.

Indeed, was this it?

They had paid the painful price of nearly half their number dying once or even several times just to barely hold the gate and kill the invading enemies.

But Black Wind Stockade was still there; the bandits' nest was still there!

Who could guarantee they wouldn't make a comeback?

Who could guarantee the next time wouldn't be even fiercer?

"We can't just let it go like this!" "Demolition Office Director," carrying the "Filial Piety" banner, stepped forward. Although he had been hacked half to death in the recent battle, he was now energetic, his eyes flashing with a dangerous and excited light.

He slammed the tattered flagpole heavily onto the ground and roared with a raspy voice:

"So many of our brothers died and so much blood was shed just to guard a door? What the hell is that! We're here to play a game, not to be guard dogs!"

His words were highly inflammatory, instantly hitting the sweet spot of all the players.

"We have to take the initiative! If he hits us once, we'll dig up his ancestral graves! Wang Two Tiger is dead, but there must be plenty of good stuff in his nest! Gold, silver, treasures, food, cloth, weapons, and armor! That's the real prize!"

"Demolition Office Director" raised his arms and shouted, his voice filled with unquestionable fanaticism: "Brothers, while they're down, take their lives! Their main force is wiped out, and their home base must be empty! We'll charge over right now, raze Black Wind Stockade to the ground, tear down their houses, and loot their treasures!"

"Demolish! Demolish! Demolish!"

This suggestion was like a spark dropped into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire scene!

"Right! Raid their home base!"

"We can't die for nothing! We have to make it back!"

"Hahaha, I've wanted to do this for a long time! What's the fun in defending? Demolition is the way to go!"

Everyone's breathing became heavy, their eyes sparkling with a mix of greed and a desire for destruction.

Fatigue and pain seemed to be instantly forgotten, replaced by the endless excitement before an expedition.

Led by "Demolition Office Director," this "Mad Demon Legion"—which had just gone through a bloody battle and was scarred but had morale at an all-time high—didn't even have time to rest before marching grandly toward Black Wind Stockade.

...

Black Wind Stockade was currently in a state of panic.

The First and Third Chiefs had taken all the elites of the stockade to go on a campaign and had yet to return, filling the dozen or so old, weak, and disabled bandits left behind with an ominous premonition.

When they saw the tattered but still high-flying "Filial Piety" banner on the distant mountain path, everyone's faces turned pale.

"It's... it's those lunatics!" A bandit responsible for lookout duty trembled, nearly falling from the watchtower.

"How did they find this place? Where's the First Chief? Where are they?"

The answer was already self-evident.

Not only had these people won, but they were also here to wipe them out!

Fear instantly gripped the hearts of all the remaining bandits.

They didn't even organize a decent resistance before being swarmed by the wolf-like players and dealt with like chopping melons and vegetables.

The battle ended in an instant, and the real "carnival" had only just begun.

"Hahaha, brothers, this place is now the private property of our 'Filial Sons and Virtuous Grandchildren' clan! Tear it down!" Standing before the meeting hall of Black Wind Stockade, "Demolition Office Director" waved his hand and gave the order for the general offensive.

The players completely unleashed their true nature.

"Infrastructure Maniac" was the first to rush toward the wooden perimeter wall of the stockade. He didn't hack at it; instead, he studied the base of the wall for a long time and shouted excitedly: "This wall has structural weaknesses! Brothers, follow me, attack this support point! Its structural HP isn't high!"

A group of players immediately surrounded it, hacking with sabers, poking with spears, and smashing with stones.

[System Notification: You have dealt 12 points of structural damage to the 'Black Wind Stockade Wall'.]

[System Notification: You have dealt 9 points of structural damage to the 'Black Wind Stockade Wall'.]

Along with the gamified prompts, that sturdy perimeter wall actually had its durability drop rapidly under the players' concentrated fire, just like a building in a game, finally collapsing with a loud bang.

[Ding! Congratulations on successfully destroying the 'Black Wind Stockade Wall'! All participants receive +10 contribution points. Clan resources obtained: Round Log x50, Stone Material x30!]

"Holy crap! Tearing down walls even drops materials?"

"We're rich! This is practically sustainable overfishing!"

This discovery completely ignited the players' desire for destruction.

They were no longer satisfied with simple killing and looting; they treated the entire Black Wind Stockade as a massive, dismantlable dungeon.

The doors of the meeting hall were kicked off, the tables and chairs inside were smashed to pieces, and even the roof beams were torn down by several strong players working together.

"War God Number One" held his [fine steel broadsword] and hacked wildly at the Black Wind Stockade's blacksmith shop, smashing the entire shop to bits and dropping Iron Ingots and Coal all over the ground.

"I Love Exploiting Loopholes" utilized his keen insight to knock open a hollow floor tile in Wang Two Tiger's bedroom, discovering a hidden compartment containing a small box of gold and silver and several bottles of unknown pills.

The female players took looting to the extreme.

"Skillful Hands Mending" led the lifestyle players into the warehouse, plundering all the grain, cloth, and medicinal herbs, not even sparing needles and thread.

"Gossip Reporter Little Trumpet" found a stack of letters in a bandit leader's room, which vaguely recorded Black Wind Stockade's collusion with a wealthy merchant in town, and... a rumor about a "Neighboring Demon Venerable" offering a high price for special bone ash.

She quietly noted this intel; her keen intuition told her this might be an incredible hidden quest clue.

The entire Black Wind Stockade turned into a grand demolition site.

The players were like a swarm of locusts; wherever they passed, not a blade of grass remained.

Whatever could be taken was packed away.

Whatever couldn't be taken was destroyed on the spot to see if it would drop materials.

When the sun rose and the first ray of morning light shone on this mountain forest, the once-notorious Black Wind Stockade had been completely leveled in a physical sense.

Only a mess of ruins remained, along with the silhouettes of the players returning fully loaded.

The impact of this battle was far-reaching.

First, the clan's survival crisis was completely resolved.

The supplies seized from Black Wind Stockade were enough to feed this impoverished clan for three years, and the surplus resources provided a solid first pot of gold for subsequent development and expansion.

The contribution shop in the ancestral hall became dazzling overnight, with everything from food to weapons available.

Second, the reputation—or rather, the "notoriety"—of the "Filial Sons and Virtuous Grandchildren" clan spread across a hundred miles overnight.

Nearby villages and towns, passing merchants, and even other small factions all turned pale at the mention of the protagonist's clan.

The rumors they heard were of a group of beggars who looked like mad demons, not only fearless of death but also incredibly vindictive.

If you punch me once, I'll slaughter your whole family and even dig up your house's foundation!

This "fight to the death, leave no grass standing" style of mad demon combat was far more deterrent than simple strength.

For a time, the protagonist's clan territory became a forbidden zone, and no one dared to provoke them again.

Legends of these "Mad Demon Private Soldiers" began to circulate among the people, winning the clan precious time to develop.

Of course, this high-profile rise was like a stone thrown into a calm lake; the ripples inevitably caught the attention of more distant and higher-level existences.

Certain immortal cultivation families began to turn their gaze toward this suddenly emerging "heterodox" force.

Meanwhile, inside the ancestral hall, the biggest beneficiary—Lu Bei—was immersed in an unprecedented sense of power.

Defeating the main force of Black Wind Stockade brought him pure incense of "protection" and "victory."

And the subsequent razing of Black Wind Stockade brought a completely different, vast "baleful aura" filled with destruction and dominance.

The two forces intertwined and poured into his soul body; far from conflicting, they formed a wonderful balance.

His soul body completely solidified, almost identical to when he was alive, and even faintly radiated a slight pressure.

More importantly, in his mind, the notification sounds from the "system" rang out one after another.

[Ding! Detected clan reputation has reached 'Regional Deterrence' level!]

[Ding! Detected clan resource reserves have reached 'Affluent' level!]

[Ding! Detected player group cohesion has improved, a combat prototype has formed!]

[System functions upgrading... Upgrade complete!]

[New function unlocked: Basic Cultivation Method Exchange!]

[New function unlocked: Equipment Enhancement (Basic)!]

[New function unlocked: Clan Building Sequence!]

A string of prompts invigorated Lu Bei's spirit.

With a thought, a gentle yet majestic voice rang out in the minds of all players simultaneously:

"My Filial Sons and Virtuous Grandchildren, your bravery and loyalty have been seen by this Old Ancestor. Black Wind Stockade is gone, and the clan shall flourish. To reward your achievements, the 'Scripture Pavilion' and 'hundred refinements furnace' are now open."

"From this day forth, you may use your contribution to exchange for cultivation methods in the Scripture Pavilion and step onto the true path of immortality; you may also use the hundred refinements furnace to enhance your weapons, making them even sharper."

"Furthermore, clan reconstruction is urgent. A Clan Building Sequence task is hereby issued. I hope you will work together to build our clan's eternal foundation!"

This sudden "version update" instantly sent the players—who had just finished the loot distribution meeting and were calculating how to spend their contribution points—into a new frenzy.

"Holy shit! New functions! We can exchange for cultivation methods now!"

"Equipment enhancement! My fine steel broadsword can get even stronger!"

"The clan building system is open too? Does this mean we get to build houses ourselves? Infrastructure Maniac must be ecstatic!"

The players' enthusiasm was pushed to a peak once again.

The fatigue of the bloody battle and the labor of demolition seemed so insignificant in the face of new goals and a brighter "financial future."

They were already eager to start planning how to earn more contribution points and how to seize the initiative in the new version.

Inside the ancestral hall, Lu Bei "watched" this group of infinitely energetic "Filial Sons and Virtuous Grandchildren" with satisfaction, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

The first stage of the crisis was completely resolved.

And he, this fake Old Ancestor, had finally truly gained a foothold in this world of immortals thanks to this group of bug-like players.