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Chapter 446 Treatment of Prisoners
Chapter 446 Treatment of Prisoners
It took Chen Beiwu three days and three nights to lead the Jingyue army back to Black Stone Gorge, a relatively slow march.
The reason is simple: the Mirror Moon Army needs to escort and guard the captured cultivators of the three allied sects to prevent these enemy sect cultivators from escaping. At the same time, it also needs to transport a large amount of cultivation resources and multiple batches of standardized spiritual weapons seized from the Broken Dragon Cliff Treasury.
Chen Beiwu didn't need to spend time counting these post-war spoils; instead, his subordinates Shu You and Mo Li were responsible for inventorying and transporting them.
But Schiller was still uneasy, fearing that Shuyou might embezzle the treasure, so he volunteered to take charge of supervising the matter.
Chen Beiwu had no objection to this.
He took most of the high-level resources stored in the treasure vault of Duanlong Cliff, but inevitably some high-level resources were missed.
With the notorious thief Sherler overseeing the operation, Chen Beiwu felt quite at ease.
Thinking of this, Chen Beiwu flicked his fingers, and a brand new storage ring appeared between his fingers.
It must be said that True Monarch Crimson Dragon and True Monarch Blood Origin are truly audacious; the military funds allocated by the three sects amount to approximately 600,000 mid-grade spirit stones.
As it turned out, these two had enormous appetites and directly embezzled a total of 570,000 mid-grade spirit stones, leaving only 40,000 mid-grade spirit stones for the army's supplies.
"These two deserved to die. They embezzled 95% of the military funds. In the end, I actually helped the three allied forces by eliminating two huge corrupt rats for them." Chen Beiwu chuckled.
He did not intend to hand over the 570,000 mid-grade spirit stones to the sect for the time being, but instead planned to use them to cultivate the power of the Beast Taming lineage.
The reason is simple: although his solo victory seemed glorious, it actually cost a lot, with 5,500 high-grade spirit stones alone.
It's important to know that high-grade spirit stones can generally be exchanged for mid-grade spirit stones at a premium.
The Earth Phase Returning Origin Pearl that Chen Beiwu purchased for 5,500 spirit stones was actually worth almost 600,000 mid-grade spirit stones.
If it weren't for the fact that Blood Source True Monarch and Crimson Dragon True Monarch's storage rings contained a considerable amount of high-grade spirit stones and fourth-tier resources, Chen Beiwu's breakthrough this time could even be considered a loss-making deal in terms of spirit stone value alone.
"A small loss is still a gain!"
Chen Beiwu looked down at the long black line below, which was a group of three sect cultivators captured and their energy was weak and listless.
Aside from spirit stones and cultivation resources, his biggest gain from this battle was four thousand allied cultivators!
Black Stone Gorge, outside the Great Pass.
Upon seeing the long, endless dragon in the distance, the scout responsible for reconnaissance narrowed his eyes and subconsciously activated his magic, intending to ring the bronze bell.
But the Mirror Moon Banner fluttering in the wind made a Foundation Establishment cultivator pause, not even noticing that the green pestle in his hand fell to the ground.
Is the news true? Has Daozi wiped out the entire Broken Dragon Cliff?
The Golden Core Elder, who was temporarily in charge of Black Stone Gorge in place of Chen Beiwu, looked hesitant.
There was no way around it; the news from the front was too terrifying, so terrifying that even a Golden Core cultivator like him found it unbelievable and inconceivable.
To put it bluntly, if a Golden Core cultivator were to guard Black Stone Gorge and suddenly hear of such a formidable record, they would instinctively question it, thinking that the frontline battle reports might have been replaced by enemy sect cultivators.
It really is true!
Upon sensing the figures of Daozi and numerous Mirror Moon cultivators with his divine sense, the Golden Core elder immediately ordered the door to be opened and then transformed into a rainbow of light to greet them.
"Look, those are scum from the Crimson Sun Sect!"
"Not only the Crimson Sun Sect, but also the scum from the Blood Luck Sect and the Azure Spirit Sect!"
"What a long procession of cultivators! How many cultivators from the three sects did Daozi capture in this battle?"
"Hehe, it seems that in a while, Qimeng Pavilion and Yunyu Pavilion will have a lot more new male and female cultivators."
In an instant, the sounds of discussion, exclamations, and gasps mingled together, creating a noisy cacophony.
But as they gazed at the leader at the forefront of the Mirror Moon army, the Mirror Moon cultivators present gradually fell silent, their eyes filled with awe, even a near-fanatical worship.
The cultivators of the Southern Wilderness are inherently powerful!
Upon seeing this scene, the high-ranking cultivators in Black Stone Gorge exchanged glances, their expressions complex.
The younger generation is truly formidable!
At this moment, without needing any words or using divine sense to investigate, the terrifying power brought by Daozi's great victory was enough to crush all sect cultivators.
"No need to greet them; open the side valley of Blackstone Gorge to house the allied cultivators."
Too lazy to listen to the flattery of his subordinates, Chen Beiwu's figure disappeared immediately after he finished speaking.
Black Stone Gorge, Supreme Abode.
"So, do you have any high-level resources suitable for you?" Chen Beiwu asked.
Previously, he had focused on increasing his own luck and counting his spirit stones, and only now has he begun to allocate the high-level resources in his storage ring.
The resources required for daily cultivation by the Demon Kings of the Four Realms are completely different from those required by the Demon Generals of the Three Realms.
Once a cultivator reaches the fourth realm of demon king, their cultivation increases extremely slowly when they interact with beasts. They either have to spend time slowly accumulating cultivation to improve their realm, or they have to consume rare and precious materials to rapidly increase their cultivation.
Chen Beiwu prefers the latter to the former.
Just because an ordinary Immortal Alliance True Monarch cannot afford to support four Fourth Realm Demon Kings does not mean that someone who possesses the resources of the Southern Wilderness cannot.
The faster the cultivation levels of Golden Egg, Iron Egg, Schiller, and Zhiling increase, the more benefits he can gain by feeding back through the Fellowship Contract.
"Woof."
Tie Dan barked softly, indicating that it would not participate in the subsequent distribution.
The Crimson Fire Jade Tumor alone, along with the Heavenly Flame in Chen Beiwu's hands, would be enough for it to refine for decades, or even centuries.
At that time, its cultivation level will easily reach over four thousand years, so there will be no need for it to compete with its partners for resources.
"I won't choose, let Zhiling pick," Jindan said generously.
With its three-phase furnace and profound understanding, it can consume any resource. It would be better to be humble and leave a good impression of unity and love for its young in front of its master.
Chen Beiwu glanced at the golden egg, somewhat surprised by its openness.
"Eek!"
Zhiling was quick to choose, and immediately took a liking to a token.
"???"
Both the golden egg and the iron egg looked on with curiosity.
In their divine perception, this token was utterly unremarkable!
"Can I take a look?"
Chen Beiwu also became curious and gently rubbed the token with his fingertips.
The inscription and craftsmanship of this token are very special, somewhat similar to the inner disciple token of the Taixu Array Sect that Chen Beiwu had obtained before, but the material is obviously better.
With this in mind, Chen Beiwu decisively took out the inner disciple token of the Array Sect from his storage ring for comparison.
"Eek!"
Zhiling raised her little head, indicating that the token in Chen Beiwu's hand possessed the power of the void and could perform a fixed-point teleportation effect in specific locations.
"You mean, this token can take you deep into the ruins of the Taixu Array Sect, to the treasure vault of the ruins, or to the place where traps are buried?" Chen Beiwu raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of amusement.
What a coincidence!
This array sect token arrived at the perfect time. Could it be related to the array sect ruins that appeared in the First Line Sky, or even to the miraculous encounter he triggered?
"Eek."
Zhiling pushed away another inner sect token with disdain, indicating that it contained no void power and was not worth paying attention to.
"Thank you for your hard work. This token is of great importance and cannot be refined by you for the time being. I will give you three more fourth-tier mystic herbs later."
.
Chen Beiwu rubbed Zhiling's head.
The latter squinted its eyes contentedly, making Jin Dan's three dragon eyes show envy.
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"This servant, Shuyou, requests an audience with my lord."
"Come in."
The cave's restrictions were lifted, the gate opened, and Shu Youdu walked over, bowing respectfully.
"Now that you are a Golden Core Elder of the sect and the Deputy Head of the Beast Taming lineage, you can just call me Daozi or Lineage Head from now on," Chen Beiwu corrected.
Unexpectedly, Shu You knelt down with a thud, revealing a look of fear: "In this servant's heart, the master will always be the master."
"I don't mean to reprimand you, but if you continue with this servile mentality, it will be difficult for you to attain the Dao of a True Monarch in the future," Chen Beiwu advised.
For a Golden Core cultivator who lacks ambition, the tribulations of inner and outer demons are undoubtedly insurmountable tribulations.
Shu You was slightly taken aback, then quickly corrected himself: "Disciple understands, Master. The prisoners from the three sects have been temporarily placed in the side valley of Black Stone Gorge as you ordered."
"But I have a question for you, Master. What should be done with the four thousand prisoners of war from the Allied Forces?" Shu You asked, voicing his doubts.
"How did your sects usually deal with prisoners of war from enemy sects?" Chen Beiwu asked, testing them.
"Master, according to sect custom, prisoners of war from enemy sects after a battle are dealt with according to their injuries, background, cultivation level, skills, etc., so as to make the best use of them."
Tell me in detail.
"Those who are seriously injured and whose foundation has collapsed have their path of cultivation cut off. Keeping them alive is of no use and only wastes spirit stones and medicinal materials. The usual practice is to kill them quickly and send their bodies to the sect's spirit plant garden to replenish the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."
At this point, Shu You noticed that the pulse master's brows were slightly furrowed, and her heart skipped a beat, her voice becoming softer.
"Go on," Chen Beiwu glanced at Shu You.
He knew very well that war was cruel and easily accumulated hatred between the two sides.
In the Southern Wilderness, being able to ensure that enemy sect prisoners are not mistreated and die a dignified and swift death is already considered the mark of a righteous cultivator.
If it were a cultivator from the Southern Wilderness Demonic Sect, they would not only abuse and vent their anger, but would even extract the souls of enemy sect prisoners and refine them, squeezing out all their value into spirit stones.
However, everything is subject to comparison. Compared to the Immortal Alliance system, the Southern Wilderness cultivators' style of doing things is really quite brutal.
Upon hearing this, Shu You pursed her lips and continued, "Those with special identities, whose elders or masters are high-ranking members of the enemy sect, are imprisoned in solitary confinement to investigate their backgrounds, assess their value, demand ransom, or exchange them for secret intelligence. They can also be kept for future bargaining and used to blackmail or trade."
"Those who are slightly injured and still have decent cultivation, and possess skills such as alchemy, artifact crafting, talisman formations, etc., can sign a contract, set up restrictions, which is half imprisonment and half employment, to serve the sect to the death."
Those with exceptional skills might be able to earn the status of an outer sect elder, but any unusual activity must be suppressed immediately.
Those with outstanding appearance, special physique, and intact primordial yin and yang are specially nurtured by sect cultivators and used as furnaces, and are classified into different grades.
Those of higher rank were given to high-ranking members of the sect, or to guest elders and affiliated families of the sect;
Those of lower rank are sent directly to the market for auction, with the highest bidder winning, or sent to the Maidens' Quarters to earn spirit stones.
"Those who lack skills and have shallow cultivation are directly assigned to labor camps and sent to various mines, dangerous places and civil engineering sites to mine, explore and build important markets for the sect. These prisoners are the most numerous and are consumed the fastest."
At this point, Shu Youwei looked up at Chen Beiwu cautiously and asked, "Master, what do you think should be done?"
Only the weak are required to obey conventions.
In Shu You's view, since the lord was able to seize the pass by himself, the ownership of these prisoners belonged to the lord alone, and even the sect's higher-ups had no right to interfere.
"What do you think should be done?" Chen Beiwu asked, testing him.
"The daily expenses for four thousand prisoners are a huge drain on resources. To maximize profits, the best approach is to select those with higher cultivation levels..."
"The best cultivators in terms of aptitude and skill will be selected, and the rest will be assigned to the hard labor camps." Shu You expressed her thoughts.
While selling prisoners as furnaces would be extremely profitable, given her understanding of her lord, the chances of it being approved were slim, and it would only lower his impression of her. It was best to avoid it.
Chen Beiwu continued, "What do you think of the current strength of the Beast Taming lineage?"
Shu You lowered her head: "It can't compare to the Mirror Moon main lineage, is slightly inferior to the Illusion Sea lineage, but far surpasses the Cold Marrow, Abyss Still, Flowing Wine, and Empty Spring lineages."
"Not enough." Chen Beiwu shook his head.
"It is because this disciple is incompetent!" Shu You quickly bowed.
"It's not your fault. Cultivating cultivators takes time. The Mirror Moon Six Meridians have tens of thousands of years of history. You've managed to bring the Beast Taming lineage to this level in just a few decades, which is already quite impressive. Otherwise, I wouldn't have given you a Golden Palace Pill back then."
"This disciple dares not take credit. Without the lineage master's presence, even if I exhaust my entire life's efforts, I would not be able to make the Beast Taming lineage surpass the Kongquan lineage," Shu You said from the bottom of his heart.
Even though Kongquan is the weakest of the six lineages of Jingyue, it still has a Nascent Soul True Monarch from the sect, namely the Supreme Elder, backing it up.
Without exaggeration, in her heart, the Beast Taming lineage is now ranked third among the Seven Lineages of Mirror Moon. Putting aside everything else, the lineage leader alone is equivalent to the combined strength of the Yuan Ting, Liu Jin, and Kong Quan lineages.
"Of these four thousand prisoners from the allied sects, how many cultivators do you think are qualified to become disciples of the Beast Taming lineage?"
Chen Beiwu smiled calmly and said something that made Shu You's pupils shrink in disbelief.
What's going on?!
Although the Beast Taming lineage lacks powerful geniuses, it doesn't mean they would even take in prisoners from enemy sects.
Once this news gets out, not only will the sect's higher-ups be shaken, but even the disciples of the Seven Mirror Moon Sects, including the Beast Taming Sect, will have objections, dissatisfaction, and even resentment.
Furthermore, these captured cultivators from the allied forces are no pushovers; they all have powerful families behind them. Even if they join the Beast Taming lineage and are placed under restrictions, they could betray the sect at any time, becoming spies within the enemy sect and turning their backs on it.
Such a foolish idea of doing the enemy sect a favor, if it hadn't come from the lord's mouth, Shu You would have thought the person who made the suggestion was crazy.
But the lord is different!
Thinking of this, Shu Youqiang suppressed his distracting thoughts and replied, "Among the prisoners of the Alliance Sect, there are four Golden Core True Persons from three sects, three Red Sun Generals, five Azure Spirit Generals, and two Blood Vengeance Generals."
"The Golden Core Daoist has secret techniques that restrict them. The high-ranking members of the three sects can kill them with a thought. The probability of them submitting to our sect is extremely low. However, if the lineage leader is willing to step forward, it should not be a problem to take in those four Golden Core cultivators."
Upon hearing this, Chen Beiwu laughed: "Four Golden Core cultivators alone are not enough to satisfy my appetite. Of the four thousand allied prisoners, I want at least half of the cultivators to be recruited into the Beast Taming lineage and work for me."
Shu You paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Although she didn't understand why her lord, with his current status and position, would waste his energy and time subduing those insignificant prisoners, if this was his goal, she would do everything in her power to achieve it.