Chapter 61

As noon approached, Liang Ziyue and Cheng Fei, led by two young Taoist boys from the Jade Void Temple, arrived at the Five Tiger Fort with two horse-drawn carriages. Zhang Weixin and the others went to the gate to welcome them and directly led them to Liu Wanbao's residence. The two young Taoist boys, having completed their task, unloaded the items from the carriages and returned to the Jade Void Temple.

This time, the Jade Void Temple brought quite a lot of things for Zhang Weixin and the others. In addition to a 7.62mm machine gun, there was also a box of small bombs, a pair of binoculars, an infrared night vision device, and a hand-cranked generator for charging the radio. All these items were brought to ensure their safety, specifically at the request of Liang Ziyue.

Liu Wanbao, standing to the side, did not know the exact uses of these strange items, but he could tell that they were not from the Central Plains. He suspected that their power might not be inferior to the magical weapon that could kill from a hundred paces in the dark. However, since the Taoist masters did not tell him, he did not feel it appropriate to ask. He could only watch with a sense of reverence as the Taoist masters carried these items into their rooms, and then immediately arranged for the servants to prepare a meal to welcome the new arrivals.

After a sumptuous lunch, Liang Ziyue asked Liu Wanbao for some white paper and took out a pen from his previous life, drawing grids on the paper to prepare for the registration. Others who had pens also sat down to help him, and the preparations were quickly completed.

At the beginning of the afternoon, the Taoist masters, accompanied by Liu Wanbao, returned to the assembly hall. Liu Wanbao's personal guards set up a few tables and added some chairs. After everyone was seated, Liu Xiaoliu, on their instructions, sounded the assembly gong again.

This time, the bandits responded very quickly. In just a few minutes, nearly three hundred bandits, led by their leaders, formed a line, with no one being late. After Liu Erxing reported that everyone was present, Liu Wanbao, after consulting with Zhang Weixin, ordered the registration to begin.

The bandits then entered the assembly hall in groups of ten, lining up in front of the table where Liang Ziyue and Zeng Zhilin were seated. They reported their names, ages, hometowns, the time they joined the gang, and their current positions. Liang and Zeng carefully observed these bandits while recording the relevant information, and the teams that had not yet been called waited on the spot.

At first, they waited outside the assembly hall, but later, Zhang Weixin, fearing they would be frozen, had the bandits who had not yet registered move to the side halls of the assembly hall to avoid the wind, and lit charcoal fires to keep them warm. Although Zhang Weixin saw this as a minor effort, the bandits were deeply moved, and many began to think well of him.

Due to the large number of bandits, the registration work did not end until dusk. After sending the last group of bandits back to their quarters to rest, Liang Ziyue rubbed his eyes, which were sore from the dim light, and said to Zhang Weixin, "Old Zhang, let's call it a day. After we return, I'll organize these materials with Dazhi and report back to you and the committee."

Zhang Weixin waved his hand and said, "This matter doesn't need to be rushed. You and Cheng Fei have been traveling all morning and have been busy all afternoon. You must be very tired. After we return, have a good rest after dinner, and we can continue the work tomorrow."

Liang Ziyue and Cheng Fei felt a warm feeling in their hearts and did not insist. After returning to their quarters and eating the dinner prepared by Liu Wanbao, Liang and Cheng went to rest. Zhang Weixin and the others, after reporting the day's events to the Jade Void Temple, went to another bedroom to discuss the subsequent work arrangements.

According to the previous plan, after completing the registration, they should begin a detailed evaluation of the current bandits and their leaders to assess their actual capabilities and determine if they were suitable for their current positions.

The current leaders were appointed by the previous leaders, some through their strength and others through their close relationships with the leaders. As the saying goes, "A new emperor has new ministers," and this principle also applies to the bandit fort. Since the leadership has changed, those who rose to power through connections must be removed. However, to maintain stability, the removal should not be too abrupt. Therefore, after discussion, they decided to conduct a quality assessment to eliminate the unqualified leaders. This would not only make them accept the results but also help identify and cultivate capable individuals, thus establishing a solid foundation for the Jade Void Temple.

Over the next five days, Liang Ziyue and Zeng Zhilin systematically organized the data, had individual conversations with all the leaders, and verified the information provided by the leaders through Liu Wanbao, Liu Xiaoliu, Li Fu, and others. They also observed the bandits' daily training and life to form a general impression. Additionally, they gathered as much information as possible from Liu Wanbao and others about the bandits who performed well or were unique, using this as a reference.

On the morning of the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Liu Xiaoliu and his subordinates, led by Qian Yuanshan, Tang Chao, Yang Xin, and Zeng Zhilin, came to the open space in front of the assembly hall. They then called over some idle bandits and, under the command of Qian Yuanshan and others, began to transform the open space.

As white lines were drawn on the ground and various sizes of wooden poles were placed in designated positions, a facility called an obstacle training ground by the Taoist masters appeared before the bandits. Although no one understood what this training ground was for, rumors had already spread among the bandits that it was for testing them. However, the details of the test were unknown. This question was quickly answered.

The next day, on the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, the assembly gong sounded again. The bandits quickly lined up in front of the assembly hall, waiting for the new leaders to speak. All the Taoist masters from the Jade Void Temple, except for Cheng Fei who was guarding the radio, came to the front of the assembly hall. Zhang Weixin personally announced to the bandits below, "Brothers, to better develop the Five Tiger Fort and to give capable brothers a chance to show their abilities, after discussion with my fellow Taoist masters and Liu the leader, we have decided to hold a three-day quality assessment three days from now. Those who perform outstandingly, whether they are ordinary bandits or leaders, will have the opportunity for promotion. Those who perform poorly, below the average of their teams, will be given short-term training by my junior Taoist masters. After passing the retest, they will retain their positions; if they fail, they will be demoted. Have you all understood?"

The bandits below had varied reactions: some showed joy, some were eager to try, and some were worried. However, regardless of their feelings, they all loudly answered, "Understood," and now understood the purpose of the training ground. They suspected that the assessment would take place there.

Zhang Weixin then pointed to the newly completed training ground and announced the assessment items, which were endurance running, obstacle running, and martial arts competition. Tang Chao and Yang Xin demonstrated the obstacle training actions to give the bandits a clear understanding. Zhang Weixin also announced that Tang Chao and Yang Xin would conduct three demonstrations each day for the next three days, hoping that the bandits would learn and practice hard to achieve good results in the assessment.

Since this was directly related to their personal interests, all the bandits gathered around to watch Tang Chao and Yang Xin's demonstrations, not taking their eyes off them. Many bandits who were blocked from the front tried hard to push forward and stretch their necks to see, and some even quarreled and fought over positions. Fortunately, Liu Xiaoliu reacted quickly and led his guards to separate the two sides and put them in solitary confinement, preventing a major disturbance. Later, under Zhang Weixin's direction, the bandits were divided into groups and orderly dispersed around the training ground. This ensured that each group could see the entire demonstration clearly and avoided crowding, maintaining good order.

After the demonstrations, Tang and Yang began to let the bandits try their hand. At first, the bandits pushed and shoved, none willing to be the first to lose face. Eventually, Liu Wanbao personally called out two bandits who he thought were smart and agile to start, setting an example. Gradually, more and more bandits had the courage to try, and Liu Xiaoliu had to bring his guards to maintain order in the training ground.

For the next three days, the bandits' training enthusiasm was unprecedented, and the training ground was busy from morning to night. Tang Chao and Yang Xin only had to demonstrate three times a day, but Liu Xiaoliu and his guards had to work from dawn to dusk, maintaining order in the training ground. They were exhausted and had no time to familiarize themselves with the assessment content like the other bandits. If it weren't for Zhang Weixin's promise that they would not have to participate in the assessment and would continue to serve as guards with the possibility of promotion, they would have been very dissatisfied.

The three days passed quickly, and on the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, all the bandits of the Five Tiger Fort, except for a few on duty, gathered in front of the obstacle training ground. With Zhang Weixin's command, the first day of the assessment began—the endurance run.

This assessment was simple: all bandits, in groups, carrying their usual weapons, ran five laps around the vast fort, covering a total distance of about ten miles, equivalent to the five-kilometer cross-country run that Tang and Yang used to do in their previous lives. Although it was the simplest assessment, it was also the most challenging test of the bandits' physical endurance.

Shortly after the first group of fifty bandits set off, some began to fall behind. As the distance increased, more and more bandits fell behind. If it weren't for Liu Xiaoliu and his guards monitoring the start, finish, and route, many would have stopped halfway and waited for the more capable bandits to pass before joining them, pretending they had run far. By the end, a few bandits, exhausted, had to raise their hands and admit defeat, including some leaders. Zhang Weixin and the others did not scold them but let them rest and taught them how to adjust their bodies to avoid danger from overexertion.

The assessment continued until noon, with some bandits giving up or collapsing from exhaustion in each group. Thanks to the guidance of experienced former soldiers like Tang Chao, no life-threatening situations occurred. After learning some methods to quickly recover their strength, the bandits, exhausted, returned to their quarters to rest and prepare for the next day's assessment.

The second day's assessment was more complex and technically demanding. Some bandits who performed well on the first day appeared clumsy in this skill-based test. Conversely, some bandits who failed the first day showed good learning ability, short-distance sprinting, and explosive power. Those who excelled in both were few, but this was expected by Zhang Weixin and the others.

The third day's assessment, or selection, was the most exciting and attractive. A platform was set up next to the assembly hall and the obstacle training ground for martial arts competition. All bandits could participate, and those who won five consecutive matches could enter the final. The top three winners would receive monetary rewards and priority for promotion. With the promise of rewards, the bandits were highly motivated. On the platform, one after another, the bandits fought fiercely. Below the platform, the crowd cheered and supported their favorites.

The competition lasted from morning to night, and the top three and seven honorable mentions were finally decided. The first place was Liu Xiaoliu, who, apart from the leaders, was the best martial artist in the fort. His success was partly due to Qingchen's help. Liu Wanbao did not originally intend to let his adopted son participate in the competition, not because he feared poor performance, but because he was confident in his son's abilities and feared that if he won, the Taoist masters from the Jade Void Temple would give him a promotion out of respect, causing resentment. Since Liu Xiaoliu and his guards did not participate in the first two assessments, a direct promotion might seem unfair and invite criticism.

If it were in the past, Liu Wanbao would not have cared, but the situation had changed. He no longer held the second-in-command position in the fort, and capable bandits would not miss any opportunity to undermine him and his guards.

Liu Xiaoliu, though resentful of his father's concerns, had no choice. Just as he was about to give up, Qingchen spoke up for him. Qingchen, satisfied with the young man he had saved, believed that his performance in repelling Wu Xingji's attack on the Xing residence was commendable and should not be wasted due to potential gossip. He argued, "Leader Liu, Brother Xiaoliu did not participate in the first two assessments, but his defense against Wu Xingji's sudden attack, which saved you and the Xing family, is a significant achievement. Even without participating in the competition, he should receive appropriate rewards."

Qingchen's words were supported by Zhang Weixin and the others, and Liu Wanbao no longer opposed Liu Xiaoliu's participation. Liu Xiaoliu did not disappoint and won the competition. Qingchen was very pleased and even considered recommending Liu Xiaoliu to his master, Yu Xuzi, to become his junior disciple.

The second place was a surprise, going to one of the three bandits who survived the Jade Void Temple's front hall battle. His name was Wang Baoshan, and he was only twenty-six years old, a squad leader in the fort. Although he looked small and thin, he was skilled and intelligent. His performance in the obstacle run was excellent, and his endurance run was also top-notch. According to Tang Chao, he only needed to watch the demonstrations a few times before he could perform them well, showing great potential. Even without these achievements, his survival in the hellish front hall of the Jade Void Temple, along with two companions, proved his exceptional abilities. Liu Wanbao and Liu Xiaoliu mentioned that he had not received enough attention from the leaders due to his lack of social skills and self-promotion.

The third place went to Gao Gui. His name was interesting, as his parents likely hoped he would become a noble person, but he ended up as a bandit. Gao Gui was thirty-one years old and held a relatively high position, managing dozens of bandits. He thought he could not beat Liu Xiaoliu but was confident in second place. However, he was defeated by Wang Baoshan, whom he had not taken seriously, and felt resentful. But in front of the Taoist masters, he dared not show his dissatisfaction, as the competition was fair, and his previous position did not give him an advantage.

The seven honorable mentions included both leaders and ordinary bandits, and the Jade Void Temple did not consider their previous positions, giving them appropriate material rewards. Promotions would be determined after a comprehensive comparison of all assessment results.

The work of compiling the assessment results and the reorganization plan took a day. After careful and detailed research, the Jade Void Temple and Liu Wanbao finalized the plan. Liu Wanbao then communicated with the leaders who would be demoted to avoid unnecessary trouble. Although these leaders were reluctant to be demoted, they could not provide valid reasons to support their positions. The competition was fair, and the leaders did not favor anyone.

On the evening of the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhang Weixin and the others reported the fort's situation to the Jade Void Temple via radio. After discussion, they agreed with Zhang Weixin's suggestion to have Wang Xiaojun and other committee members and functional group leaders from the Jade Void Temple visit the Five Tiger Fort in two days, on the twenty-first, to announce the reorganization plan and appoint new leaders.

This suggestion, on the surface, was to introduce the new leaders to the bandits and show them that there were many leaders, which would help with future management. In reality, Zhang Weixin had some personal motives. As a staunch supporter of Wang Xiaojun and a core member of the Dongshan faction, he valued the three-hundred-strong bandit group. In his view, controlling this small group would be a crucial guarantee for the team's future survival, as important as Zhong Yuwai, Hu Zhixian, the tens of thousands of gold and silver, and even any time traveler. Given the existence of different factions within the team and the inherent advantages of the Xigu faction in military leadership, Zhang Weixin had to prioritize his own faction.