After settling the barbarian warriors, Qin Tian allowed them to reunite with the other won, elders, and children.
Compared to the strict control over the warriors, Feng Mochuan was much more lenient in managing these won and children. Apart from the slave collars on their necks and restricted movent, there were no chains or weakness potions.
Moreover, Feng Mochuan provided quite good als, and so children even gained a little weight during this ti.
Under his deliberate arrangents, at this mont, the children were holding clay bowls, squatting in the corner and eating heartily, with rice grains sticking to their faces, not bothering to wipe them off.
A few won sat nearby by the haystacks, keeping an eye on the children while whispering to each other. Although there was still worry between their brows, the terror of the past was gone.
The elders leaned against the wall, basking in the sun, with a trace of peace in their cloudy eyes.
And when the barbarian warriors saw this scene, their tense bodies instantly relaxed, and their eyes simultaneously welled up.
The bearded warrior with a beast head totem on his chest rushed over to a little boy holding a clay bowl and hugged the child tightly.
The little boy was stunned at first, then recognized him and burst into tears, "Dad!"
The warrior’s rough hand awkwardly patted the child’s back, a suppressed sob coming from his throat. This man, unafraid of death in tribal wars, now had eyes red like they were about to bleed—he had thought his family was long lost, never expected to see his child here.
A few young warriors rushed toward the won who were sewing, and as they embraced, the sounds of the won’s sobs and the warriors’ comforting words intertwined.
An elderly man with gray hair was helped to stand, trembling as he caressed the warrior’s cheek before him, muttering in the ancient barbarian tongue, probably inquiring about these past days. The warrior shook his head repeatedly, signaling with his eyes that "all is well."
Terreda stood at the edge of the crowd, seeing a familiar uncle being supported by a warrior, holding half a loaf of bread, his face weathered but in good spirits; seeing the naughtiest little girl in the clan waving a piece of jerky at him, the jerky shiny with grease, clearly just distributed.
He had expected the won and children to suffer inhumane treatnt, for in the slave trade, the old, weak, and won have always been the least valuable commodities, surviving was a luxury.
Yet the scene before him was entirely different—no beatings, no starvation, the children could even chase and play in the open space, with collars yet devoid of bloody stench.
"Hohulu..." a warrior suddenly shouted toward Qin Tian’s direction, with no hostility in his voice, only complex gratitude.
He had just seen his wife holding a bowl of warm at broth, food only free citizens could enjoy.
Terreda took a deep breath and walked up to Qin Tian, his heartfelt voice carrying unprecedented seriousness: "Thank you."
These two words were a hundred tis more sincere than any previous "thanks."
The warrior’s submission might have stemd from fair dueling, but seeing his family well, this submission now held a heartfelt loyalty.
Qin Tian looked at the group of clan mbers embracing and crying, with a faint smile.
He knew that compared to military deterrence, what truly earned the barbarians’ loyalty were precisely this bowl of hot rice, the children’s smiles, and the still alive look in the eyes of won and children.
Feng Mochuan’s lenient managent might seem rciful, but in reality, it was the smartest strategy—winning hearts has always involved more than just fists.
At this ti, Feng Mochuan stepped forward and handed over a controller: "Boss, should we unlock these won’s and children’s collars too?"
Qin Tian nodded.
With a light sound, the collars on all the won’s and children’s necks fell off in response. The children picked up the collars curiously, playing with them, while the won bowed deeply in Qin Tian’s direction. The motions were clumsy yet conveyed the most sincere gratitude.
Terreda watched this scene, suddenly raising his hand to thump his chest, producing a dull sound.
The surrounding warriors followed suit, over a hundred sounds of chest-thumping resonating in unison across the open space—this was the highest ritual of the barbarian race, representing an oath of loyalty sealed by blood lineage.
Qin Tian stood still, receiving this silent respect.
He knew that from this mont on, this group of barbarians truly beca a force he could rely on.
......
Thereafter, Qin Tian assessed the strength of the barbarians.
Except for Terreda, the strength of the other barbarian warriors was mostly between Tier Two and Tier Three. They did not possess Spiritual Energy, but their physical strength was astonishing, skilled in unard combat and cold weaponry. Moreover, the totem battle patterns on their skin could grant them various strange buffs, further enhancing their combat abilities.
As for Terreda himself, his combat strength could reach the level of a normal Tier Five.
This result made Qin Tian quite satisfied.
The overall combat strength of these barbarians was not inferior to the initial Hurricane rcenary Corps. More importantly, once the Superman Potion erged, the strength of the barbarian warriors would experience explosive growth.
An increase by several, even tenfold, was not out of the question.
Additionally, he had instructed Old Nelson to purchase as many barbarians as possible from the slave market and send them to Silver Gray Star. Afterward, the barbarian force would gradually grow, becoming an unignorable power in his hands.
After subduing the barbarians, Qin Tian did not rush to incorporate them into the existing system. Instead, he had Feng Mochuan transform the abandoned factory into a temporary residence for the barbarians.
After all, these barbarian warriors had distinct figures, skin tones, hair colors, and totem tattoos different from the Empire’s citizens. Without legal identity docunts and with language barriers, entering the city rashly would only bring unnecessary trouble.
However, in terms of living conditions, Qin Tian offered them the utmost kindness.
Every morning, cartloads of fresh at, grains, and fruits and vegetables were delivered to the camp’s gates on ti. Beast legs roasting with sizzling oil remained on the bonfire, and high-proof liquor brewed in clay jars, with elders and children able to hold steaming bowls of at broth every day, no longer needing to risk their lives for a al.
Qin Tian also specifically set up a makeshift training ground, bringing in a large batch of equipnt and weapons.
The barbarian warriors, already obsessed with martial arts, now had ample food and fitting tools, spending almost all day in the training field. The sound of fist eting flesh, the clanging of weapons clashing, and thunderous roars intertwined, becoming the most common background noise at the camp.
To overco the language barrier, Qin Tian hired professionals to input the barbarian language into translators and provided each person with a translator. At the sa ti, under Qin Tian’s request, the barbarians earnestly learned the Empire’s language.
Within a few days, the barbarian warriors could awkwardly utter simple terms like "weapon," "training," and "full."
In a flash, two weeks passed.
Karsas did not disappoint Qin Tian and successfully produced the first batch of Youth Potion and Superman Potion.
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