Recognition

In front of the grand manor, several massive cauldrons had been set up, steam billowing above them as thick porridge bubbled within. The sight made the gathered disaster victims salivate uncontrollably.

"Wuwuwu..."

An old man cradled a chipped clay bowl in his trembling hands. He accepted a ladle of the scalding porridge and immediately shoved it into his mouth, entirely heedless of the heat. Even as the searing liquid blistered his lips and throat, he did not pause for a single breath.

They were simply too hungry. As long as it was something to fill their bellies, these people would have devoured filth and excrement without hesitation.

"Ah, this world is truly cursed," Zhou Changhe spat, unable to suppress his anger.

"Great masters! O benevolent lords from the very heavens!"

Having swallowed the hot porridge, the villagers wept with profound gratitude, kneeling and kowtow-ing repeatedly before Zhou Changhe and the others. To these miserable souls, the Zhou family at this moment was nothing less than savior-deities descended to deliver them from torment.

"Brother Changhe, what is our next step?" Zhou Minghu asked in a low voice, unable to bear the sight of the wretched villagers.

"Reorganize the men immediately, then advance eastward. There are still countless refugees waiting for us out there," Zhou Changhe replied, his voice heavy.

Before setting out, Zhou Changhe and his brothers had primarily intended to seize territory and expand their holdings. Yet, witnessing this horrific misery firsthand, something within them shifted.

They would still claim the land, but within the limits of their capabilities, they would save as many lives as possible. It was exactly as their eastern expedition's banner proclaimed: Save the people!

Shortly after, the entire force was reassembled.

This time, a significant number of men from Niu Family Village volunteered to join their ranks, including Niu Zhou and his personal guard. In an instant, the expeditionary force swelled to three hundred men.

While the porridge was being distributed, Niu Zhou had naturally mingled with the Baixi Village locals to pry for information, and the revelations he unearthed left him utterly shaken.

He had known for some time that the Zhou family had transcended into a clan of immortals. Now, hearing that Zhou Changhe was executing imperial decrees to pacify the refugees-and that every piece of land they claimed would fall under Zhou family governance-the notion seemed completely absurd at first glance. Yet upon deeper reflection, he realized it was highly likely the absolute truth.

He did not believe the Zhou family would dare commit an act of such blatant, short-sighted treason. The imperial court possessed unfathomable power; even if the Zhou family had become cultivators, they were still nothing more than a speck of dust before the grand might of the dynasty.

If they merely used the imperial court's name as a false front for private conquest, the court would inevitably purge and crush them the moment the broader rebellion settled.

Therefore, only one logical conclusion remained: the Zhou family spoke the truth. They were indeed acting on imperial orders, and every village they secured would legally become part of their domain.

In other words, Niu Family Village already belonged to the Zhou family.

As a prominent local landlord, Niu Zhou naturally understood how to pursue advantage, avoid disaster, and secure his family's future.

This was his golden opportunity. Since all conquered territories were reverting to the Zhou family, if he led his own kinsmen and guards to join the vanguard and assist in quelling the surrounding chaos, he would be counted among the founding meritorious officials. How could his future status be low? It would be vastly superior to remaining holed up in a single village as a petty squire.

Conversely, the Wang and Sun families, along with Qian Fangsu's faction, cast icy glares at Niu Zhou. The introduction of another faction meant their own future merits would be diluted, so they naturally refused to grant him a warm reception.

Zhou Changhe surveyed the sprawling, disorderly horde before him, noting how the various factions fractured the unity. There were forty to fifty of his own family guards, over forty able-bodied men from the two branches of the Wang family, thirty-eight strong youths from the Sun family, the grassroots hunters of Baixi Village led by Qian Fangsu, and the remaining desperate rabble from their home village. Now, Niu Zhou's faction and the refugees of Niu Family Village had thrown themselves into the mix.

Humans were naturally inclined to cluster together for mutual warmth within a massive group. A single glance revealed several distinct factions forming their own little hills.

He realized he had to carefully divide and organize the force. If the distribution was handled poorly, one faction might grow disproportionately powerful, making them impossible to control in the future.

An dynamic strategy quickly formed in his mind: he would personally remain behind to secure Niu Family Village, while Zhou Minghu and the other two brothers would each lead a detachment to strike out in three separate directions.

He completely severed the two branches of the Wang family. Wang Feng's group was placed under Zhou Minghu's command, along with the newly arrived Niu Zhou faction.

This was a calculated arrangement. Zhou Minghu was not only a cultivator but also possessed a magical artifact, making his detachment far more secure than those of Zhou Changxi and Zhou Xuanya. Furthermore, Niu Zhou's faction was the one Zhou Changhe trusted least; if they attempted any underhanded maneuvers, neither of his other two brothers would have the strength to suppress them.

Wang Hui's group was assigned to Zhou Xuanya, and Qian Fangsu's vanguard was sent along with them. Qian Fangsu possessed unwavering loyalty to the Zhou family, and Wang Dashi shared a close personal bond with Zhou Xuanya, meaning the likelihood of either side staging a betrayal was virtually nonexistent.

The remaining Sun family and the common villagers of Baixi Village were placed entirely under the command of his younger brother, Zhou Changxi. The Sun family was Zhou Changhe's maternal marital clan, explicitly dependent on the Zhou family for survival, while most of the Baixi villagers harbored a deep-seated reverence and affection for the clan. As long as no extreme crises arose, the probability of these two groups defying Zhou Changxi was practically zero.

As for the refugees of Niu Family Village, Zhou Changhe kept them under his direct supervision. Though these newly recruited victims currently favored the Zhou family out of gratitude, they were so physically depleted that any sudden crisis would cause them to fracture and collapse at the first blow. He could not rest easy sending them with his brothers.

Finally, the forty to fifty elite Zhou family guards were split into four small squads, tasked with providing close-quarters protection for each of the four brothers.

Just before the columns departed, Zhou Changhe called his brothers close, grasping their hands tightly as he spoke in a low, solemn voice. "Remember, your safety is paramount. If you notice even the slightest hint of treachery or unrest among the men beneath you, abandon the advance and return here immediately. Do not force the campaign."

He was acutely aware that no matter how grand the promises made by the Zhou family, wealth and power could distort men's hearts. With every village they conquered, their respective forces would expand. If these mortal factions suddenly found themselves commanding hundreds or thousands of men, dark ambitions would inevitably breed.

After all, when given the choice between becoming a warlord ruling over thousands on a mountain or remaining a subservient vassal under the Zhou family, the temptation of the former was difficult for ordinary men to resist.

"Brother Changhe, put your mind at ease. I will halt and march back to rendezvous with you after securing four villages," Zhou Minghu said with a reassuring smile. He then turned to Zhou Xuanya. "Little brother, once you conquer three villages ahead, set up a defensive position and stop. No matter what arguments the men below make, do not take another step forward."

"Our family's current foundation is still small; we cannot swallow too much territory at once."

Zhou Xuanya nodded silently, his fingers tightening firmly around the shaft of his long spear.

Zhou Changhe turned toward his other side, speaking with profound gravity. "Changxi, the same applies to you."

"I understand," Zhou Changxi replied somewhat absentmindedly, his mind drifting as hidden thoughts began to stir.

Among the third generation of the Zhou family, he had always been the most inconspicuous-or rather, the most thoroughly disregarded. Changhe managed the entire household affairs, Minghu and Xuanya possessed the spiritual roots to cultivate, Chang'an pursued classical literature to enter governance, and young Zhou Bai was the pampered darling of the entire clan.

Only he, despite being the second eldest son of the third generation, was perennially overlooked. He lacked his elder brother's administrative brilliance, fell short of his younger brother's scholarly intellect, and could not stand as a pillar of the family's strength like the two cultivators.

Because of this, Zhou Hong rarely paid any attention to this son, and the patriarch, Zhou Ping, seldom even cast a glance his way.

This neglect had shaped him into the man he was today. His constant wandering through the mountains, hunting, and seeking shallow pleasures were merely outlets to release the bitter resentment festering in his heart.

But now, his chance had arrived. If he could conquer the largest swath of territory for the clan during this campaign, he would surely force his father to hold him in high regard, and compel his grandfather to finally look at him with pride!

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2