There will inevitably be those who are greedy for money, so Qin Mu must use strong measures to prevent it, because he wants to peacefully subdue the Black Ape tribe. He cannot incite their hatred towards humans.

"Yes, I've got it. I'll give them a good talking to when I get back this time." Cheng Huailiang nodded solemnly in agreement.

After Qin Mu arrived in Luofu Prefecture, he realized that Cheng Huailiang and his ilk were truly unsuitable for civil administration; aside from the assigned tasks, they made no progress whatsoever. Fortunately, they carried out their orders very well, preparing ample timber and re-plowing the land. The Heavenly Mystery Tower also contained iron ore and ironware seized from the monkey tribe. Although the ironware was of poor quality, it was perfect for remelting and making farm tools. He also transferred 10,000 men from Tang Prefecture to provide guidance, and after a month of hard work, they finally completed this year's spring planting.

Luofu Prefecture is not far from the South Seas, a round trip possible in a month, which has led to a continuous increase in the population under Qin Mu's rule. More and more boatmen from Jiangnan are arriving, and Qin Mu is also purchasing large quantities of timber from Jiangnan, resulting in a rapid increase in shipbuilding. The Sun family is the fastest, as they possess a large quantity of timber for shipbuilding. Previously, it was only for reserve, as they already had too many ships and they were not of much use. Now that ships are of great importance, they are being put to full use.

Qin Mu had no choice. Although there was plenty of good timber in Lingnan, the timber needed for shipbuilding had to be air-dried, which took time—at least six months. Fortunately, he wasn't in a hurry. His first priority was to stabilize Luofu Prefecture and Tang Prefecture, ensuring the black ape tribe could live peacefully. This would also make it easier to lure other black ape tribes.

Qin Mu actually preferred life in Lingnan. Although it wasn't as prosperous as Chang'an, it was more rustic, and Qin Mu's will would be perfectly executed there. Plus, the area was rich in resources, offering a wider variety of food.

In the westernmost part of Luofu Prefecture, near the territory of the monkey tribe, a new camp, or rather a large town, was built. Living there was a group of short, cataract-like wolves. Cheng Huailiang cracked his whip, producing a series of crisp "crack!" sounds. Each time the whip cracked, the wolves couldn't help but shudder, then desperately swung their wooden clubs forward.

Seeing the wolf clan training diligently, Cheng Huailiang nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the sky, he said to his personal guards, "Dismissed."

"Oh!" The wolves cheered excitedly, then ran frantically towards the shade of the trees, where large wooden barrels were placed. The wolves desperately reached into the barrels and grabbed out blackened buns, stuffing them into their mouths as they went.

"These guys, after all this time, they're still starving. It's not like we're not feeding them enough," Yu Chi Baoqing said, pouting. Although the wolf clan was fed mostly coarse grains, they were indeed full. Of course, the last few might not have been so full; they might have only eaten half. What Yu Chi Baoqing couldn't understand was, were the steamed buns made from the leftover scraps from making vermicelli really that delicious? Why were they always wolfing them down?

“Hey! You know these guys have never had a full meal before,” Cheng Huailiang laughed.

"I'm really worried about them. It's like when they first arrived, dozens of them died at most," Yuchi Baoqing said with feigned concern.

“Yes.” Cheng Huailiang deeply agreed. If he hadn’t been forced to stop eating that day, he probably would have been stuffed to death.

"The Sun family hasn't arrived yet?" Yuchi Baoqing asked, looking around.

"We've arrived. Sun Hu came personally and is supervising the new wolf clan members," Cheng Huailiang said.

"If you ask me, these white-eyed wolf clan members don't need any training at all. These guys, just like Huai Dao said, have a ruthless streak in their bones. They'd dare to fight the monkey clan to the death with just that stick," Yu Chi Baoqing said with dissatisfaction. In his opinion, training these guys would be a waste of time and energy.

“Training does have its benefits; at least it lets them understand who their master is,” Cheng Huailiang sneered.

"Hmm! If they don't learn a lesson, they really won't listen! I don't know how the Sun family managed to get so many people."

"They traded grain for it, didn't they? Look how poor they are! Fifty thousand men, send them to the monkey tribe, and there'll be a good show to watch!" Cheng Huailiang said with a wicked smile.

"I estimate there won't be many more in the future, after all, such a large number is also a big problem for the wolf clan!"

"That's none of our business! When are we leaving? Keeping so many animals is a huge waste of food," Cheng Huailiang asked, shaking his head.

“Sun Hu is here. He should be setting off soon. Lingnan is really nice here, and it’s not cold in winter,” said Yuchi Baoqing, stretching his arms.

As they were talking, Qin Mu and Sun Hu led their men into the camp. Upon seeing Qin Mu, the two became excited, which indicated that the war had begun.

"Let's prepare today and set off tomorrow!" Qin Mu understood their feelings and said with a smile.

"Haha, that's great! I'm getting moldy from being cooped up in the camp every day," Cheng Huailiang laughed.

Following Qin Mu to Lingnan, there was plenty of good food and drink, and also a lot of war. Many of them didn't seem to miss Chang'an at all.

"Hurry up! Go pack your things! Get ready to go!" Soon, Cheng Huailiang's excited roar echoed through the camp.

“The White-Eyed Wolf Clan has been capturing fewer prisoners lately; they’re unwilling to sell us too many. It seems they know it’s not good for them,” Sun Hu said.

"That's because they got enough grain and salt. But it doesn't matter, over 50,000 is enough. Without these 50,000 people, the wolf clan's strength will be greatly reduced," Qin Mu said with a cold smile.

"Yes, for the sake of these 50,000 people, the wolf clan will definitely launch a large-scale plundering campaign. The civil war should stop, because they can't withstand this kind of attrition," Sun Hu speculated.

"Selling the men to us and keeping the women is actually a good thing for them. Not only do they have fewer people to eat, but they also gain more wealth. Although the civil war has stopped, the hatred is deeply rooted and will start again sooner or later."

"You mean this is a long-term business? You'll switch to something else in a few years?" Sun Hu asked with a smile.

"No! I don't want them to survive in the long term!" Qin Mu shook his head and said.

"There's nothing we can do about it. We're not strong enough in the short term, and with the surrounding areas still unsettled, His Majesty won't send a large army on an eastern expedition," Sun Hu sighed.

"What if we don't use the imperial army?" Qin Mu asked with a mysterious smile.

"Not using the imperial army? Don't take the risk. Although the White-Eyed Wolf Clan's territory isn't as large as the Monkey Clan's, our people estimate it still has four or five million inhabitants," Sun Hu said, looking at Qin Mu with a puzzled expression.

"Don't worry, this matter hasn't been finalized yet. Right now, our most important thing is to win the battle at hand." Qin Mu nodded to indicate that he understood.

"I have never commanded such a large number of troops before," Sun Hu said excitedly.

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