Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 350 - 18: Completion of the Nine Rings Task, Evaluation and Bets of the Three Kings! (Two in One)_4

Chapter 350: Chapter 18: Completion of the Nine Rings Task, Evaluation and Bets of the Three Kings! (Two in One)_4

"You don’t really intend to take these tens of thousands of people back, do you? We neither have the time nor the energy to transport so many people back."

"Of course not." Xia Jing laughed lightly. "According to the surrender rules of the barbarian tribes, all warriors are to be killed. I’m just saving some effort for the brothers."

"In a while, let Zhang Yi go and recruit a batch of barbarian soldiers. Not many, ten percent will do, about eight hundred men. Then let these people pick up weapons and separate the remaining warriors, making them kill their own people in batches."

"At most, there are seven to eight thousand graded warriors. What about the rest?" Zhao Xing asked. "The Hana Tribe does not revere the Great Zhou."

"Release all the old, sick, and infirm," Xia Jing said. "As for the rest, bury them alive."

"That’s good." Zhao Xing breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Xia Jing would soften, so he asked specifically.

Because, besides the Mechanical Master and Military Doctors present, the tasks from the fourth to sixth rings were basically about killing enemies.

In a race war, there was no talk of benevolence. Unless Xia Jing wanted to recruit barbarian soldiers, but these barbarians were not qualified to be recruited, and they did not revere the Great Zhou, they only believed in the Golden Feather Royal Court.

As for using the population to enhance Qi Fortune, there was no need for that at all.

After a thousand years of peace and development under Emperor Wen, the population of the Great Zhou had already grown explosively, and there was no shortage of people; what was lacking was land.

As long as land could be taken, filling it with Zhou Dynasty citizens would be much more cost-effective than assimilating these barbarians.

As for harsh environments, once they were taken, maintaining long-term rule would be just a matter of time for the Minister of Agriculture, unless the environment was extremely harsh and the time cost was too high.

...

Once weapons were put down, it was very difficult to pick them up again. Once knees were bent, it was very hard to stand straight again.

When the whole Hana Tribe surrendered, the task became much easier for over eighteen hundred people from Cloud City.

Eight people could drive more than a thousand barbarians to dig pits and then bury themselves.

Crying and begging for mercy were useless.

Zhao Xing and the others had long gone through mental training at the Ten Suns Cave Heaven.

In war, there was no right or wrong morally, only matters of standpoint.

When barbarian tribes invaded the Great Zhou, they did the same.

While others were dealing with the Hana Tribe, Zhao Xing was checking the tasks in the Military Realm.

The fourth ring task required killing one thousand unranked barbarians, one hundred ninth-grade barbarians, ten eighth-grade barbarians, and one seventh-grade barbarian.

The fifth ring task required killing two thousand unranked barbarians, two hundred ninth-grade barbarians, twenty eighth-grade barbarians, and two seventh-grade barbarians.

The sixth ring task required killing three thousand unranked barbarians, three hundred ninth-grade barbarians, thirty eighth-grade barbarians, and three seventh-grade barbarians.

The seventh ring task required killing six thousand unranked barbarians, six hundred ninth-grade barbarians, sixty eighth-grade barbarians, and six seventh-grade barbarians.

The eighth ring’s total kill number was eight thousand eight hundred eighty-eight.

The ninth ring’s total kill number was nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine.

To get the highest rating, all the above requirements had to be doubled, and no condition could be missing.

Why were they required to kill those below their own grade?

Because this time, it was to strike the barbarian tribes at their roots, and there could be no leniency.

For Zhao Xing, these three ring tasks were not difficult, because his strength had already far exceeded the tasks in the Military Realm.

In fact, the purpose of the Military Realm’s tasks was not to make it hard for these top-grade geniuses but to train them, not to put their lives on the line for merit.

A seventh-rank official position, if a top-grade genius still had to risk their life to complete the tasks, was obviously unreasonable.

Furthermore, on the Pacifying Barbarian Battlefield, no one could predict what kind of opponent they might encounter. It was already dangerous enough!

"Becoming a regular seventh-rank official is a certainty. To seek higher positions, one has to risk their life. Pursuing a mid-third rank position already starts to involve titles of nobility; the rewards of additional lifespan and Qi Fortune would also greatly increase... From the sixth rank onward, it truly represents a threshold."

As for the ninth ring tasks, they were just appetizers.

.....

On April 12, the Hana Tribe was exterminated; Zhao Xing completed his fourth ring task, and Xia Jing completed his third ring task.

The vast majority of others did not have as high requirements as Zhao Xing and Xia Jing. One Hana Tribe was enough for many people to complete their third ring tasks.

On April 13, the Grassman disguised as ’Zhao Ke’ appeared after the Hana Tribe was exterminated, leading the old, weak, sick, and infirm to flee. They were discovered by another tribe, the Waro Tribe, on the way.

The Waro Tribe was slightly larger than the Hana Tribe, with sixty thousand people. The chieftain, ’Waro,’ planned to take in this Insect Witch.

But then the army descended upon them.

Thus, on April 13, the Waro Tribe followed in the footsteps of the Hana Tribe.

Zhao Xing completed his fifth ring task.

.....

On April 15, besides the Zhao Ke Grassman, the Waro Grassman also came online.

Using the same trick, an Insect Witch and a Power Witch wandered around in the Fengming Mountain Range.

They quickly encountered scouts from the ’Golden Horn Tribe.’

On April 15, the Golden Horn Tribe was exterminated.

Zhao Xing completed his sixth ring task.

....

That day, Zhao Xing returned to Cloud City. Each department rested for half a day. Zhao Xing then entered the devine temple to receive his title.

He was promoted from Secondary Seventh Rank to Regular Seventh Rank.

His additional lifespan increased by ten years, with no significant increase in other areas.

After organizing the Golden Horn and Waro tribes’ data.

They set out again during the Chen hour on April 16.

They went four thousand miles into the Fengming Mountain Range and exterminated two more tribes in succession.

...

Afterward, the five divisions of Cloud City basically stayed in the Fengming Mountain Range. With the Military Minister of Agriculture Officer present, there was no need to worry about supplies, except that Ling Yuan would lead a group to transport supplies for the Mechanical Master.

They stopped at a depth of five thousand miles. The group did not continue deeper, because further ahead, they would encounter one hundred and eight major tribes.