Wu Liang's finger traced across the sand table, from Tiee Fortress all the way west, connecting to the Black Rock Tribe's territory.
"I want to build a railway here! Using Steam Locomotives, we will transport minerals and grain from the Western Territory back to our home in a steady stream. And these captives will be the first batch of road workers."
A railway! Steam Locomotives!
These novel terms left everyone present feeling confused and shocked.
They couldn't imagine what such a sight would look like.
Wu Liang looked at the expressions on their faces, knowing that explaining too much now was useless; the facts would prove everything.
"I will provide a detailed plan for this later."
"Sa Lan, what you need to do now is organize the captives."
"Break up their original organizational structure, form teams of a hundred people each, and appoint captains and vice-captains."
"Tell them that as long as they work honestly, they will have food to eat. Those who perform well can even have their sentences reduced and become official citizens of our Black Rock Tribe in the future."
"But if anyone dares to be lazy or cause trouble..."
A cold light flashed in Wu Liang's eyes:
"Drag them out and execute them in front of everyone. Let them understand that their lives are now in our hands."
"Yes! I understand!"
Sa Lan felt a chill in her heart and immediately accepted the order.
Replacing simple imprisonment with reform through labor, and using the threat of death and the hope of the future as a carrot-and-stick approach, was indeed the most effective way to manage a large number of captives.
"Suina."
Wu Liang looked at Suina again.
"The Flying Thunder Cannons performed very well this time. However, there is still much room for improvement."
Wu Liang said.
"I need cannons with longer range, better accuracy, and greater power. After we return, I will give you new blueprints and technology."
"The artillery will be our most important force in future wars; the burden on your shoulders is heavy."
"Task guaranteed to be completed!"
Suina's eyes sparkled with excitement.
For this tech geek, nothing made her happier than researching more powerful weapons.
After Wu Liang arranged various matters, his gaze finally fell upon Taiwen Merlin and his son.
"Where are those two?"
"They are locked on the top floor of the tower, guarded by elites of the Ember Fire Legion, ensuring they cannot escape even if they had wings," Akomann replied.
"I'm going to meet them."
Wu Liang said as he stepped toward the upper floors.
He wanted to see what this once-arrogant fortress lord looked like now, after experiencing a series of crushing defeats and being abandoned by everyone... Inside the room on the top floor of the tower, there was a dead silence.
Taiwen Merlin wore a prisoner's uniform, his hair disheveled, sitting in the corner with a face as ashen as death.
His once sharp eyes now held only emptiness and despair. On the bed beside him, Arthur remained unconscious, his face pale.
The door was pushed open, and Wu Liang walked in slowly.
Taven looked up, his cloudy eyes fixed on the man who had destroyed everything he had; his lips moved, but he couldn't make a sound.
"How does it feel, Lord Merlin?"
Wu Liang pulled over a chair and sat down boldly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"The taste of falling from the clouds into the mud isn't pleasant, is it?"
Taven's body trembled, a spark of anger igniting in his eyes, but it was quickly extinguished.
He had lost, lost utterly. Now, he was just a prisoner, without even the right to be angry.
"Kill me if you want."
Taven's voice was as hoarse as a worn-out bellows.
"There's no need to humiliate me."
"Kill you? That would be too easy for you."
Wu Liang shook his head.
"I'm keeping you because you're still useful. You and your son will see with your own eyes how I establish a brand-new kingdom on this land."
"Everything your Merlin Family was once proud of will be completely crushed by me, and then rebuilt using the rules I set."
"You... you demon..."
Taven was so angry that his whole body shook.
"A demon?" Wu Liang laughed. "It's just a matter of the winner takes all. If I were the one lying here today, my fate would likely be a hundred times worse than yours."
"You should thank Annia; if it weren't for her, you and your son would have turned into a pile of rotting meat by now, just like those Silver Armored Knights."
At the mention of Annia, a look of extreme pain appeared on Taven's face. His daughter's betrayal hurt him more than the defeat itself.
"I have no such daughter! She is a disgrace to the Merlin Family!"
He roared.
"A disgrace? No, she just made a smart choice."
Wu Liang stood up, looking down at him from above.
"Is it a hard choice between dying with your sinking wreck of a ship or jumping onto my promising great ship?"
Wu Liang didn't care to waste any more words on him and turned to leave.
"By the way, I forgot to tell you."
As he reached the door, Wu Liang suddenly stopped, turned back, and said,
"Your territory is about to undergo comprehensive reform. The first step is land reform: all land will be returned to the Tribe's public ownership,"
"and then redistributed to the commoners who have served your family as serfs for centuries. I think they will be very grateful to me."
"You... Pfft!"
Taven could no longer withstand this succession of blows; he spat out a mouthful of blood, fell backward, and fainted.
Wu Liang glanced at him indifferently and left the room.
He was never sparing in dealing the cruelest blows to his enemies. What he wanted was not just physical conquest, but complete spiritual destruction.
Returning to the command hall, Wu Liang's mood had completely calmed down.
"Akomann, come here." Wu Liang beckoned toward the sand table.
"Leader, what are your orders?"
"How much do you know about the Mist Forest in the east of the continent?"
Wu Liang asked.
Akomann froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting the leader to ask this suddenly.
After thinking for a moment, she replied:
"Not much. I've only heard about it in ancient books and mercenary legends."
"It is said to be the kingdom of the Elves, shrouded in a powerful magical barrier that ordinary people cannot approach."
"Furthermore, the Elves are naturally arrogant and extremely xenophobic; anyone who intrudes into their territory without permission will face ruthless attacks."
"Is that all?"
"Well... there's also a legend that the Elven Queen is the most beautiful woman on the continent, possessing nearly eternal life and god-like magical power."
Akomann added.
After hearing this, Wu Liang had a better idea of the situation.
It seemed that people in this world only knew about the Elves through legends. This was both a challenge and an opportunity for him.
An isolated race clinging to outdated notions—even if they possessed powerful magic, how long could they hold out against his dimensional reduction strike?
In Wu Liang's mind, he had already begun to conceive a plan to conquer the Elves.
"First, is intelligence."
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."
"He needed to send people to gather all information regarding the Mist Forest and the Elven Kingdom."
"Terrain, climate, troop deployment, social structure, and even their culture and beliefs."
"Second, is preparation."
"To deal with a magical civilization, rifles and cannons alone might not be enough. The magic technology tree he had just unlocked might come in handy."
"Using magic against magic, combined with the crushing force of industrial technology—that is the royal way."
"It seems our days ahead won't be boring."
Wu Liang's finger lightly tapped the area on the sand table representing the Mist Forest.