If I made you cannon fodder, how did you manage to achieve your goal of conquering the wolf's l

However, this team also has obvious weaknesses.

Zhou Laoqi is lame, Hou San is cunning, Tie Niu is slow-witted, and Xiao Qi is timid.

But it's not a big problem, as long as it works.

Xu Qingshan looked at the four of them and said calmly, "Alright, come with me."

Hou San's eyes darted around.

"Where to?"

Xu Qingshan said, "Let's go back to the courtyard."

Hou San immediately became alert.

"Why are you going back to your yard?"

Xu Qingshan glanced at him.

"Have a meal."

The four people were stunned at the same time.

"Eat?" In Blackrock Fortress, those two words carry more weight than any fancy phrase.

Especially for those despised and useless soldiers, the rations they received were either the smallest or the worst.

Sometimes, even a bowl of thin porridge so clear you could see your reflection in it depends on the whim of the person in charge of the grain.

Zhou Laoqi frowned. "Are you really going to feed them?"

Xu Qingshan said, "It's fake. I'll take you back to see me eat."

Zhou Laoqi: "..."

Hou San's lips twitched. This sergeant was really asking for trouble, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

The four followed Xu Qingshan toward the courtyard.

Many soldiers on the road looked at them with strange expressions.

Someone chuckled softly, "Commander Liu's move is ruthless enough."

"How could he even think of stuffing these four good-for-nothings into Xu Qingshan's hands?"

"A cripple, a sly one, a simpleton, and a child soldier—they could put together a circus troupe."

Hou San's expression was rather unpleasant.

Xiaoqi kept her head down, and her ears turned red.

Tie Niu didn't react much, probably because he didn't quite understand.

Zhou Laoqi remained silent. He had been in Blackstone Fortress for seven years and had heard this kind of talk far too often.

Ever since his leg injury, the word "useless" has been like a tattered rag hanging over him every day.

At first I would get angry, but later I got too lazy to get angry anymore.

Xu Qingshan suddenly stopped and turned to look at the soldiers who were chatting and laughing.

The group paused.

Xu Qingshan smiled.

"What are you laughing at?"

One of them chuckled, "It's nothing, Corporal Xu, we were just saying it casually."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

"Alright, then remember this. Today you laugh at them for being useless, but if they do something good in the future, remember to laugh even louder."

The soldiers were stunned.

Xu Qingshan ignored them and turned to continue walking.

Hou San watched his retreating figure, his eyes flickering slightly.

Zhou Laoqi also looked up and glanced at Xu Qingshan.

They were somewhat surprised that Xu Qingshan didn't step on them in front of outsiders.

Upon reaching the entrance of the courtyard, the four of them stopped simultaneously.

Because the courtyard was even more dilapidated than they had imagined.

Hou San was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but say, "Squad Leader, this place of yours... is quite airy."

Xu Qingshan nodded.

"A good talker can make even a draft sound like a crystal clear conversation."

Hou Sanqian chuckled.

Tie Niu looked at the courtyard wall and said in a simple-minded way, "Even a dog could climb over this wall."

Xu Qingshan said, "Not only dogs, but people can also do it."

Xiao Qi whispered, "That's not very safe at night."

Xu Qingshan looked at him.

"Good eyesight, and not too bad-minded either."

Xiaoqi blushed even more after being praised.

The courtyard gate was pushed open, and everyone inside looked over.

Zhou Laoqi, Hou San, Tie Niu, and Xiao Qi also looked over.

Then, all four of them froze in surprise.

It's not that they haven't seen women before; in places like Blackstone Fortress, there are quite a few women from military households, refugees, and those fleeing from war.

But these few in front of me are clearly different.

The dilapidated house was drafty, the firelight was dim, patches of plaster had fallen off the walls, and firewood and rags were piled on the ground.

Yet, in this shabby place that even a dog would despise, sat several people who, by all accounts, shouldn't be there.

Shen Qinghe stood by the fire pit, her clothes were old and the cuffs were frayed, but she just stood there quietly, and there was an indescribable elegance about her.

Her eyes were gentle and her complexion was pale from the hardships of the journey, but she still couldn't suppress the scholarly air in her bones.

Zhao Lihua squatted by the stove, her face still covered in cigarette ash.

But she was born with a round and gentle appearance, bright eyes, and a nose that was slightly red from being roasted by the fire. The way she held the wooden spoon didn't look like a young lady from a wealthy family, but she made people feel warm just by looking at her.

Bai Zhi sat in the corner, still holding the broken hook in her hand.

She looked young, with cool and aloof features and very fair skin, as if she had never seen the sun. However, the way she looked at people was unlike that of an ordinary woman; her gaze was quiet and somewhat indifferent.

Qin Yuenu leaned against the side, with several clean strips of cloth in front of her. Her features were delicate, and her eyes held a faint chill.

Su Jinniang was looking down at the tattered leather armor that had been seized the night before.

Her eyes and brows were charming, yet she was not frivolous. Even in coarse, old clothes, she could not hide the shrewdness and agility that came from being raised in a merchant family.

Liu Ruyan sat in the shadows.

She didn't do anything intentionally; she just glanced at him, and Hou San subconsciously looked away.

Those eyes are so perceptive; they seem to be able to see right through you with just a glance.

She was extremely beautiful, with a smile in her eyes and brows, yet one could not take that smile for real.

As the saying goes, the more beautiful, the more dangerous.

Xiao Hongluan stood by the door; she was also the woman least likely to be exiled to the border.

Even though her clothes were old and her hair was just tied up casually, her shoulders were straight, her eyebrows and eyes were sharp, and her whole person was like a knife sheathed. The firelight fell on her face, illuminating a cold beauty.

Finally, there's Aman.

She sat at the very back, her skin was a bit darker than the others, but her eyebrows and eyes were extremely striking.

With a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, her pupils appeared exceptionally clear in the firelight. Unlike the gentle and graceful women of the Great Qian Dynasty, she possessed a wildness honed by the winds and snows of the grasslands.

Eight people, each with their own unique charm.

It's strange that everyone is crammed into this drafty, dilapidated house.

It's like passing by a dilapidated temple that's about to collapse, pushing open the door, and finding eight dusty jade statues inside.

Having lived for so many years, Zhou Laoqi has seen quite a few things.

But he was still stunned for a moment.

Hou San's eyes widened in disbelief.

Tie Niu opened his mouth, but didn't say anything for a long time.

Xiaoqi was even more exaggerated; her face flushed red instantly, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to look any further.

Hou San swallowed hard and muttered to himself.

"Sergeant, your yard... is quite well hidden."

Xu Qingshan glanced at him.

"Don't you want your eyes anymore?"

Hou San shrank his neck and immediately lowered his head.

"I didn't see anything."

Xu Qingshan sneered.

"Your eyes were practically popping out of the pot, and you still didn't see anything?"

Hou Sanqian chuckled twice, but dared not reply.

Zhou Laoqi also withdrew his gaze and said in a low voice, "No wonder Li Kui would have such thoughts."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room instantly turned cold.

Xiao Hongluan's eyes turned cold.

Xu Qingshan also looked at Zhou Laoqi.

Zhou Laoqi immediately realized he had misspoke and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I didn't mean anything by it, I just said that this place is full of all sorts of people, and it's easy to get into trouble here."

Xu Qingshan stared at him for a while before saying calmly, "It's good that you know it's easy to get into trouble."

He turned and walked into the courtyard, standing in front of the four people.

"From now on, follow the rules."

The four men straightened up.

Xu Qingshan pointed inside the house.

"First, once you enter this courtyard, don't look around aimlessly, and don't say anything carelessly."

"The people here are not for you to concern yourself with."

Hou San nodded quickly.

"Understood, understood."

Xu Qingshan slowly drew his barbarian scimitar half an inch from its sheath.

A flash of cold light.

"I'm not talking about understanding, I'm talking about remembering! Whoever can't control their eyes, I'll help them control them! Whoever can't control their mouth, I'll help them shut up!"

Hou San felt a chill run down his spine. Only then did he realize that the man in front of him was not some young corporal who only knew how to joke.

This man just killed two barbarian scouts last night; he's seen blood.

Zhou Laoqi also lowered his head and said, "I'll remember."

Tie Niu said in a gruff voice, "I'm not looking."

Xiaoqi was so nervous that her voice trembled.

"I...I won't watch it either."

Xu Qingshan then put the knife back down.

Second, obey orders.

"I told you to practice, so practice."

"I told you to guard it, so guard it."

"I told you to run, so run."

"Anyone who dares to betray me in battle, I'll chop them down first."

Tie Niu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Are you sending us to our deaths?"

Xu Qingshan looked at him.

"I won't let you die in vain, but when it comes to fighting to the death, no one can shirk their duty."

Zhou Laoqi looked up.

"On what grounds?"

Xu Qingshan said, "I'll feed you."

All four of them fell silent.

In Blackstone Fortress, food is the most important thing.

Xu Qingshan added, "Follow me, and you'll have food to eat, merit to earn, and a chance to live. If you don't follow, the door is behind you; you can still leave now."

None of the four people moved.

In the wind and snow, the aroma of porridge wafted from the pot; anyone who left at that moment would be a fool.

Xu Qingshan looked at Zhao Lihua.

"Serve the rice."

Zhao Lihua nodded and served a bowl to each of the four people.

However, it's not white rice porridge, it's brown rice porridge.

But it was cooked to a very thick consistency, much better than the thin soup they usually drink.

The four people took the bowls and initially held them up, but after taking a sip, they couldn't hold them anymore.

Hou San's eyes turned red.

"This porridge...has rice in it."

Xu Qingshan remained silent.

Nonsense, can it be called porridge if there's no rice?

But seeing the four of them wolfing down their food, he couldn't laugh anymore.

Blackstone Fortress is such a place that it can starve you to death.

After finishing a bowl of porridge, the expressions on the four people's faces changed.

Xu Qingshan looked at them and said calmly, "Those who have eaten my food are my people."

"If anyone dares to cheat me in the future, I'll make sure they don't even get their last meal."