Survival skills maxed out, I feed my wife and daughter by catching fish and shrimp

"By the way, Master Zhou, are all your injuries healed?"

After leaving the armory gate, Chen Changfan suddenly brought up this matter, leaving Zhou Xing a little confused.

"Okay, I'm fine now. I was just severely injured by Li Qiandeng at that time, and I lost my fighting ability for a while. I'll be fine once I recover."

"Oh," Chen Changfan slowly withdrew his gaze, a strange light flashing in his eyes, "That's good."

Judging from the art of qigong, this guy seems to be fine.

Maybe I'm worrying too much.

Chen Changfan actually had some doubts about Zhou Xing's condition.

In the previous battle at Shuiyunjian, Zhou Xing's performance was mediocre, and could even be said to be very poor.

Especially in the battle with Li Qiandeng, Zhou Xing hardly put in any effort.

This made Chen Changfan doubt whether Zhou Xing was one of them.

In addition, this guy had been paying attention to him secretly just now, which made him feel like he was being spied on, which made him very uncomfortable, so he started to act stupid in front of the other party.

Now it seems that there is no problem.

"Master Zhou, I have a general idea for establishing a garrison. On the one hand, we need to recruit laborers and build fortifications to prevent external invasion. On the other hand, we need to organize an army and collect food and fodder. I know you have military experience and are quite experienced in leading troops. I hope you will take care of the training of those new recruits."

Chen Changfan looked at Zhou Xing meaningfully.

Zhou Xing's expression suddenly became serious.

At the celebration banquet today, Chen Changfan proposed to establish a garrison. He thought that the other party was just saying it, after all, the difficulty of this matter was beyond imagination. However, Chen Changfan actually thought about it seriously, and it seemed that he was really determined to do it.

"Brother Changfan knew that establishing a garrison would be fraught with difficulties, yet he still persisted in doing so. This conviction alone makes me deeply admire him."

When Zhou Xing said this, it really came from the heart.

He came from a military background and had long been troubled by the situation in Qinghe County where "there were no soldiers to use and no strategic locations to defend", but he was just the owner of a small martial arts school.

Building fortifications, recruiting local militia, and forming an army not only requires great courage, but also sufficient financial and material resources, as well as the ruling power to command the entire Qinghe County.

In the past, the ten major sects restrained each other and no one submitted to the other. Not to mention ruling, even cooperation was extremely difficult.

If it weren't for the need for cooperation in hunting dragons, the ten major sects would still be fighting each other openly and secretly.

"If we can really build fortifications and recruit soldiers, I believe that within a year, the military strength of our Qinghe County will be greatly enhanced. Currently, the surrounding Shuibo County and Xuanyuan County are also secretly strengthening their power. I believe that by then, there will be a war."

What Zhou Xing said was exactly what Chen Changfan was worried about. Shuibo County was actually a group of water bandits, but they happened to be located in the upper reaches of Qinghe River. If they really targeted Qinghe County, the other party might go downstream at any time, and then it would definitely be a fierce battle.

The neighboring Xuanyuan County is an important stronghold of the Wushen Cult and also an invisible bomb that may explode at any time.

Chen Changfan has developed all his fortune to this day, and it can be said that he has placed all his wealth in Qinghe County. If Qinghe County is conquered one day, all his hard work will be destroyed.

Moreover, if you are defeated under the enemy's sword, it is hard to say whether you can save your life.

In the past, he had not yet developed and his vision was limited to the market, mines, and rivers. Now that he has many resources in his hands, he naturally has a longer-term vision.

First, hold Qinghe County firmly, and then develop it slowly. One day, maybe the two surrounding counties can be incorporated into your territory.

Speaking of military affairs, Zhou Xing immediately became active. He found a map and spread it on the ground to show Chen Changfan:

"Brother Changfan, please look. Although Qinghe County and Shuibo County border each other, if the enemy attacks, they will definitely rely on waterways, which are difficult to defend and quite tricky. Look here, it's where Qinghe County borders Xuanyuan County. Although there's a Xuanyuan between them, there's almost no other terrain to defend. Establishing a defense line is also difficult."

Chen Changfan frowned and thought, "Using these two border lines as a defense line is too costly. We can't do it in the short term. It's better to focus on the area around the county city. If the county city is not broken, there is still room for maneuver."

"Brother Changfan and I have the same opinion!" Zhou Xing didn't expect that Chen Changfan actually had such extraordinary insights into military affairs, and he immediately started talking.

"During the initial construction phase, we will first focus on the area around the county town. We can rely on the surrounding three passes and nine dangerous areas as a barrier. At the same time, we can build three garrisons here, here, and here, construct fortifications, and station elite troops. This will keep us occupied for a long time."

Zhou Xing quickly drew three circles on the map. It was obvious that he had considered this problem before and had done his homework in advance.

Looking at the positions of the garrisons on the map, Chen Changfan exclaimed in admiration, "What a great layout! The three garrisons surround the county city, supporting each other. No matter which direction the enemy attacks, they can all defend themselves and provide support to each other."

"Exactly. Building just three guard posts is no small undertaking, and it also requires recruiting a large number of soldiers, which is very costly."

"I'm not doing this alone. You four new sects will take on two of the guard posts, and my Xiaofeng Manor will take on the other one."

Chen Changfan didn't say this casually or arrogantly.

Although establishing a garrison is very costly, the benefits it brings are also considerable.

Especially now that the situation is becoming increasingly chaotic, you never know when the enemy will actually be at the gates of your city.

The importance of the garrison was highlighted at this time.

Moreover, the garrison built solely by Xiaofengzhuang is naturally under the jurisdiction of Xiaofengzhuang. Owning a garrison alone is a huge benefit.

"It's not difficult for the two sects to jointly build a garrison." Zhou Xing nodded.

Today, their so-called new four major sects are twice as powerful as before, and their relationships are more harmonious, so it is not difficult to cooperate in construction.

"With the garrison established and soldiers recruited, Master Zhou can begin training his troops. At the same time, he can also proceed with the various construction projects within the city with peace of mind."

A stable defense force is the prerequisite for development and stability. Chen Changfan has even thought that after the garrison is built, it may even absorb a large number of refugees, and the population will usher in a substantial increase.

After all, in today's chaotic world, who would be willing to wander around if they can have a safe place to make a living?

The two continued to discuss some details about the establishment of the garrison, and Chen Changfan finally left with satisfaction on his dragon.

Zhou Xing looked at the latter's gradually receding back, and suddenly a strange scarlet light flashed in his eyes, and then quickly disappeared.

A look of surprise suddenly crossed his face, as if he had been distracted for a moment, but he couldn't remember what had happened. He could only shake his head helplessly, "Maybe I was too exhausted from yesterday's battle. I feel weak today."