Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 343 Seclusion, the Growing Generation of the Yu Family, Family Banquet, Rapid Development

As night fell on the tenth of September, Lu Yang led five hundred men to Dongling, while Xu Ning remained in Wuyuan. The preparations for the Great Xia's two-pronged eastward expansion began in an orderly manner.

Lu Yang and Xu Ning both possess superior battle physique aptitude. When they broke through, their basic strength was close to three manes. Currently, they are at the mid-stage of the Cold Resistance realm, and their strength is eight manes.

The eastward expansion is crucial to the future strategy of the Great Xia Dynasty. Xia Hong was certainly not at ease entrusting the entire responsibility to the two of them, which is why he sent Xia Chuan to personally oversee Wuyuan and then dispatched Yuwen Tao to keep an eye on Dongling.

One is the Assistant Director, and the other is the strongest Director. They are currently among the top experts in Xia City. Moreover, they each command the Cloud Dragon Army and the Dragon Martial Army. In the event of any unexpected situation, they should be able to handle it.

The order given to Wuyuan was to explore but not expand as much as possible, and ideally to secretly investigate the entire north bank of the Xinghe River, and then find out whether the area outside the north bank was within the sphere of influence of Beishuo Town.

The order given to Dongling was to establish a foothold in the Beining Mountain area as a new camp, coexist with the seven village-level camps, and take advantage of opportunities to exchange information to find out more about Beishuo and the nine towns of Mo'ao.

Ultimately, both instructions conveyed the message of lying low for now, focusing on gathering intelligence on the Nine Towns to buy more time for Xia City to fully transform the benefits of this round of building upgrades into real strength.

The Martial Arts Pavilion's capacity has only just increased from 200 to 1000;

The medicine field of the Alchemy Pavilion has only transplanted a dozen or so precious spiritual plants, such as Crimson Sun Fruit, Cold Beard Grass, and Double-Colored Liquid Spirit Fruit. Cheng Feng is trying to transplant the Cold Apple Tree in Longshan that is about to wither and die. It is still unknown whether he can successfully save it.
The weapon forging pavilion is still trying to forge weapons with a capacity of 100,000 forgings. The production of weapons with a capacity of 1,000 forgings is not high at present. The 1,000-forged Thunder Kui Armor is still in the research and development stage. Although the output rate of beast-suppressing weapons has slowly increased, most of them are still weapons with a capacity of 100 forgings.

There are only forty-five martial arts manuals in total, which is obviously too few for the Great Xia camp of more than 600,000 people.

The transplantation of many precious fruit plants to the Level 3 black soil, as well as the increased production capacity of various resources such as refined salt, spirit wine, and elixirs, are only just beginning.

………………

Transformation takes time!

Of course, the most important thing is Xia Hong's own cultivation.

"Judging from the information revealed by Yang and Li back then, the Yuhan level is definitely not the top combat force in Beishuo Town. The same applies to the other eight towns. If Daxia wants to go east to the southern foot of Mo'ao Mountain and compete with the nine towns, breaking through to the Xianyang level is the most basic requirement, and even that is not guaranteed. Therefore, my cultivation is of utmost importance next!"

On the Star-Picking Platform, Xia Hong sat cross-legged alone on the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, his expression solemn.

Xu Ning and Lu Yang weren't particularly strong, but they were steady and never compromised on their orders. With Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao keeping an eye on things, he could rest assured about Wuyuan and Dongling for the time being.

"Next, I need to focus entirely on cultivation. First, I need to raise my basic strength to seventy-two manes, complete the third round of flesh and blood reorganization, and then I can use the medicinal power to temper my bones and marrow and break through to the Manifest Yang level!"

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then opened a medicine bottle in front of him, poured out a Yang Yuan Pill, swallowed it directly, and began his cultivation.

Although those at the Cold Resistance level do not practice abstaining from grains, they can pre-store up blood and flesh energy in their bodies by eating large amounts of food. Moreover, this ability can be continuously improved. Xia Hong can currently eat once every three days. He had already notified Han Yue in advance to deliver food to the Star Picking Platform every three days, and no one would disturb him during this period.

When he emerged from seclusion on the fifth day of the ninth month, his basic strength already reached fifty-four bristles. At that time, Xia Hong calculated that he could raise his basic strength to seventy-two bristles in less than a year. At that time, he could use the medicinal power to temper his bones and marrow, and breaking through to the Manifest Yang level would be a natural outcome.

As long as the camp's activities are kept within the Pingxi Plain at this stage, Da Xia will basically not encounter any threatening enemies. With Xia Chuan and the Seven Tribes around, he doesn't need to worry about anything in Xia City.

Driven by his desire to break through to the Manifestation Yang level, Xia Hong began his first full-time seclusion cultivation since arriving in the Ice Abyss World.

While he was in seclusion cultivating, the camp was also rapidly improving its overall strength through the various benefits brought about by this round of building upgrades.

………………

Time flies, and soon it was the fourth year of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The fifth day of the eighth lunar month, just before nightfall.

The cold sun in the sky, though its light was gradually fading, was still relentlessly pouring its chill into the earth. Although there were still many light sources in the outer city, most people had already fallen asleep. Only a very small number of the more diligent captains of the mid-to-high-level hunting teams, as well as the people of the Seven Departments and Seven Divisions, were the first to wake up and begin preparations for nightfall.

Compared to the outer city, the inner city, though smaller, had significantly more people braving the cold sunlight to walk the streets. When they encountered someone they knew, they would greet each other and stop to chat for a few words. Although their voices were not loud, they added a touch of liveliness.

Compared to other areas of the inner city, the area around the main building was much quieter, especially the Star-Picking Hall above the main building. Although it was brightly lit and the flames of the Sacred Cauldron in the center of the top were clearly visible, and one could even occasionally see maids walking through the porch, the whole place was silent and solemn.

After all, it is the lord's residence, the most important and mysterious place in Xia City. Anyone who looks up at the Star-Picking Hall from below will feel solemn and awe-inspiring, and will not be able to help but feel a strong sense of fervor.

But no one expected that at this moment, in the Star-Picking Hall, which they considered extremely solemn and majestic, two childish voices suddenly rang out.

“Ee… Father… looking for… play…”

"Star... Platform... looking for Daddy... to play..."

The children's voices came from directly below the Star-Picking Platform. It was clear that both children were still at the age of babbling, and although their speech was not very clear, they could still express their meaning clearly.

"Your Highness, you can't go here! The lord is currently in seclusion, cultivating!"

"Go...to...father..."

"Go...I want some too..."

"Sister Hanyue, we're hosting a family banquet today to celebrate the birthdays of the two princes and Young Master Yu Ning. The lord should be out of seclusion by now, right?"

"We can't disturb them now, it's not even dark yet! The Star-Picking Platform isn't finished yet, so the two princes can't go there."

"Oh yeah! That was close, I almost forgot."

"Quickly carry the two princes back! It's almost night, they should rest."

"understood."

"Waaaaah..."

…………

Clearly, the talks broke down.

Directly below the Star-Picking Platform is the main hall of the palace. Two toddlers who have just learned to walk are struggling in Han Yue and Han Shuang's arms, stretching out their chubby little hands and constantly grabbing at the entrance to the Star-Picking Platform stairs.

The one on the left wore a white dress with two delicate red phoenixes embroidered on the hem, and the azure holy mark between her brows shone brightly in the firelight; the one on the right wore a black and gold robe with a very textured color, and the material was obviously the same as the one Xia Hong was wearing. The holy mark between her brows was gold and red, and when illuminated by the firelight, it seemed as if magma was flowing inside, which was extremely mysterious.

The two little babies were just over a year old. They were already exquisitely beautiful, and their clothes were very elegant. They were also meticulously cared for by the maids, such as Han Shuang. Anyone who saw them couldn't help but feel fond of them.

Especially now, both of them wanted to find their father and didn't want to be taken away by the maids like Han Yue and Han Shuang. They stretched out their chubby little hands towards the entrance of the Star-Picking Platform and cried their hearts out, making them even more adorable.

Even so, Han Yuehan Shuang couldn't really let them go, so she gritted her teeth and carried the two of them out of the hall.

It was clear that the two little babies were struggling and crying so much that Han Yue and Han Shuang were slightly unsteady on their feet.

"The Crown Prince's strength is getting greater and greater. My basic strength is almost 28,000. Sometimes, when I'm caught off guard, she can even break free."

Holding Xia Yusheng's frost, she heard her sister's words and quickly replied with a wry smile, "We're alright. Last time, when Nongying was carrying the Second Prince, she wasn't paying attention and he broke free, causing the Second Prince to fall to the ground. Madam was furious and almost expelled her from Zhaixing Palace."

Han Yue was obviously aware of this as well, and a look of lingering fear appeared on her face. Looking at Xia Yuyao, who was still crying in her arms, she said with a wry smile, "The two princes haven't even started cultivating yet. Madam was only weaned two months ago. She has been eating some beast meat and red crystal fruit as supplementary food, and her strength has increased by more than 100 jin. At this rate, she will probably be able to break through to the Digging Realm before she starts cultivating at the age of six."

Upon hearing this, Han Shuang and the other maids nodded slightly. Then, looking at the crying Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng, their faces showed both shock and envy.

Although Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng are over one year old, according to what the lord said at their birth, if they want to leave the Star-Picking Palace, they can only rely on themselves. They are now afraid even of the high edge of the porch, let alone the thirty-meter suspended staircase connecting the Star-Picking Palace and the main building. They dare not even get close to it.

So far, neither of them has stepped out of the Star-Picking Palace.

Having never been outside, they naturally had no contact with anyone in the camp. Therefore, apart from the lord and his wife, the Si Cheng family, and their maternal grandfather Li Tiancheng, probably only these dozen or so maids in the entire Great Xia knew about the special qualities of the two children.

Putting aside the extraordinary qualities of the two, the fact that they were born with a basic strength of 5,000 jin is enough to crush all the geniuses of the Great Xia Dynasty. Two months ago, they started eating complementary foods and their strength began to increase automatically without any cultivation. If this were to get out, the geniuses in the Martial Arts Pavilion who are busy breaking records all day long would probably go crazy.

"The lord and his wife are no ordinary people to begin with, and as their offspring, Your Highnesses' talents naturally far surpass those of ordinary people. Moreover, the Great Xia of today is different from the past; Your Highnesses' platform is rising ever higher, and in the future..."

"Eek, Your Highnesses, why have you stopped crying?"

Han Yue's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by her younger sister. Looking down, she realized that Xia Yuyao in her arms and Xia Yusheng in her sister's arms had both stopped crying and quieted down.

"Cuckoo..."

"Father...Father...is here..."

Not only was it quiet, but Xia Yusheng also laughed. Then, Xia Yuyao's words immediately made all the maids turn around and look behind them.

"Meet the lord!"

It turned out that they had been so focused on holding the two princes that they had unknowingly reached the entrance of the main hall. The entrance to the Star-Picking Platform behind them had been quietly opened at some point. Xia Hong was now standing in the middle of the main hall, winking at the two little ones facing him.

"Get up. The family banquet will be held in the main hall. You can start preparing now. After nightfall, go and inform Xia Chuan to come over."

"I obey my orders!"

Han Yue nodded and cupped her hands, preparing to leave the hall, only to realize that she was still holding Xia Yuyao in her arms. After receiving a signal from Xia Hong, she and her sister let go of each other's hands.

"Father..."

"father……"

The two little ones, no longer restrained, immediately rushed towards Xia Hong. Of course, since they weren't very steady on their feet, it was more like they stumbled and crawled all the way rather than rushed.

"It's alright, you all go about your business, I'll keep an eye on them!"

Seeing Han Yue and the others looking nervous, Xia Hong waved his hand to indicate that everything was alright. Then he clapped his hands at his two children, encouraging them to continue walking towards him.

Perhaps it was because girls are naturally weaker, but despite her best efforts, Xia Yuyao was overtaken by her younger brother, and in no time, the gap widened to three or four meters.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

Seeing her younger brother about to rush into their father's arms first, Xia Yuyao actually sat down on the ground and started wailing loudly.

Xia Yusheng was still running forward, but the sound of crying behind him immediately drew his attention. He first turned to look at his sister, then took a few steps toward Xia Hong, but after thinking for a moment, he stopped.

"Sister...you...come...wait..."

Hearing the few words slowly uttered by Xia Yusheng, a strange light appeared in Xia Hong's eyes, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

She's so young and already knows how to give way to her older sister.

But this kid looks like he's going to suffer a loss!

Xia Yuyao seemed to understand her brother's words. After standing up, she took a few steps forward tentatively. Seeing that her brother did not move, she immediately quickened her pace and ran towards Xia Hong. After passing her brother, she threw herself into Xia Hong's arms.

"Kekeke..."

Xia Yuyao, who had just been crying with tears streaming down her face, suddenly burst into giggles as soon as she threw herself into Xia Hong's arms. She even turned her head and pointed at her younger brother, her little face full of smugness.

"Wow…………"

"Hahahahaha!"

Seeing his son realize he had been tricked, stand there stunned for a moment, and then burst into tears, Xia Hong couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Silly boy, why are you crying after being tricked by your sister!" He held Xia Yuyao in his left arm, stepped forward and picked up his son with his right hand, gently comforting him for a few moments. Then he turned to look at his eldest daughter, his eyes full of smiles.

"They say you can tell what a person will be like at three years old, but you're already showing signs of it at this age. You're so naughty at such a young age, you'll probably be a troublemaker when you grow up."

"Save...oil lamp...oil lamp, oil lamp..."

"Hahaha, good, good, you're easy to deal with, you're a good oil lamp."

Xia Yuyao has already learned to speak by imitating adults. Since she can't understand the whole sentence, she focuses on the last few words and keeps saying "oil lamp". Her adorable and silly appearance naturally makes Xia Hong laugh out loud again.

Xia Hong sat down at the head of the round table in the main hall, playing with his two children and enjoying this family bliss. At the same time, he began to review the arduous training that had lasted for eleven months in his mind.

"It's pretty much what I expected last year. In less than a year, by the end of July, my basic strength had broken through the limit of seventy-two manes and completed the third round of flesh and blood reorganization. However, in the past few days, I have been studying the changes in my flesh and blood after the third round of reorganization. I haven't started to use the medicinal power to temper my bones and marrow yet. It seems that a year is still a bit not enough!"

If someone knowledgeable were nearby, they would notice that Xia Hong was not breathing through its mouth or nose at this moment. Its breathing originated from its own flesh and blood and then proceeded through the pores of its skin.

"After the third round of restructuring, putting aside the strength of the flesh and blood, my control over the internal organs and flesh and blood is already at the same level as the skin. Not only can I move the internal organs, but I can also freely mobilize the muscles in various parts of the body, and even change the density of the flesh and blood. I can even achieve a brief period of airborne motion without any problem. Similarly..."

Xia Hong's eyes flickered slightly. After three rounds of flesh and blood reorganization, the next step is to temper the bones and generate marrow. If he can improve his control over his bones to the same level as he controls his skin and flesh, does that mean he can also change his bone density?
The Ice Abyss World has no shortage of cold winds. If one could truly control the density of their body at any time, then flying through the air by riding the wind would be a natural consequence.

"Once a Frost Beast reaches the Beast King level, it can fly. You can see signs of this in its skeleton, as well as the bone core between its eyebrows. Although humans and Frost Beasts are not the same, their cultivation paths are somewhat similar, so it can be used as a reference!"

Since he had not yet used the medicinal power to temper his bones and marrow, Xia Hong only had a superficial understanding of the Manifestation Yang level. However, the superficial understanding he derived from the Enlightenment Lotus Platform was enough to support his subsequent cultivation.

"After the third round of flesh and blood reorganization, I have compared my physical body with that of the Frost Wolf King. My current flesh and blood strength is comparable to that of a quasi-Beast King-level Frost Beast. In other words, unless a true Beast King makes a move, no Frost Beast can even break through my defenses. Even if it can break through, I can reduce my own damage by changing the position of my internal organs and mobilizing the abilities of my flesh and blood. This makes me almost invincible!"

In other words, the current self—

Invincible below the Beast King level!

As he silently recited those seven words in his mind, Xia Hong's expression became extremely excited.

Five years ago, he could only rely on a small torch to try his luck scavenging the corpses of cold beasts on the outskirts of Redwood Ridge. How could he have imagined that he would be able to utter such seven words today?

Xia Hong turned his head to look in the direction of Longshan Mountain to the northwest, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes, but after thinking for a moment, he quickly suppressed it.

"We should be more cautious. The small silver mine on the north slope is enough for at least two more years. There is no crisis or demand at the moment, so there is no need to take such a big risk. We should continue to cultivate and strive to break through to the Manifestation Yang level as soon as possible. That way, we can be absolutely sure of success."

Having made up his mind, Xia Hong withdrew his gaze and looked through the gate of the Star-Picking Palace at Xia City, which was already shrouded in night.

Throughout the year, he had barely left the Star-Picking Palace. He usually only met with Li Xuanling and his children, and even saw Xia Chuan less often. Today's family banquet was not only to celebrate the birthdays of Yu Yao, Yu Sheng, and Yu Ning, but also to find Xia Chuan to learn about the current situation of Great Xia.

"I've been in seclusion at the Star-Picking Hall, and I've sensed quite a few people breaking through, but I don't know the specifics. I'll have to ask Xia Chuan carefully when he arrives!"

He lowered his head and continued to play with his two children, waiting quietly for Xia Chuan's family to come over.

Before Xia Chuan's family arrived, Han Yue and the other maids quickly set up the family banquet.

Fried pork tenderloin with aged tangerine peel, stir-fried pork belly with snow bamboo shoots, braised white bear paws with green leeks, roasted lamb chops with aged tangerine peel, stewed lamb ribs with crystal branches, and tiger soup with fragrant and cold fruit...

As one delicious dish after another was served on the round table, the main hall was filled with a wonderful aroma, which made the two little ones, Yu Yao and Yu Sheng, sniff the air and reach out their chubby little hands to grab at the table, as if they wanted to taste it too.

"You two can't eat all of this. Hanyue, go get some baby food."

"Yes, Lord!"

Xia Hong gave Han Yue an order and held the two little ones tightly in his arms. Unable to move, the two immediately started to struggle with him, but even with their faces turning red, they couldn't pry open a single finger of Xia Hong's. Realizing that they couldn't break free at all, the two showed their angry expressions.

"Eh, it's not Qingyang wine. Has the craftsmen's department recently produced a new wine?"

As Han Shuang brought over two wine jugs, Xia Hong smelled an unusual aroma in the wine and immediately asked a question out of curiosity.

As the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty continued to expand, the more areas were explored, the more new species were discovered, and naturally, productivity increased day by day.

Summer wine is no longer limited to just Blood Cold and Aged Wine. In the past year, Mu Dong's artisan department has brewed more than ten kinds of fine wines, among which Qingyang left the deepest impression on Xia Hong.

This time, it's clearly a new product again.

"This wine is called Fengyang Zui. I heard it was brewed from a new fruit that was sent back from Dongling last month."

Have things started coming back from Dongling?

Xia Hong's eyes flickered slightly as he took the wine pot and poured a full cup.

The pure blue liquor, as soon as it flowed out of the spout, began to slowly vaporize and dissipate, forming wisps of white smoke that floated upwards, clearly indicating its potent nature.

Xia Hong picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, his cheeks instantly flushing crimson.

"The liquor is scalding hot, feels like a knife as it goes down the throat, and pours down the stomach. It's about twice as strong as Qingyang liquor. Only those who can withstand the cold can drink it. It's a fine liquor!"

Xia Hong's eyes lit up, and he immediately poured himself another glass.

Han Yue and Han Shuang, who were standing to the side, immediately covered their mouths and chuckled.

They all knew that the lord was a heavy drinker.

"Meet the lord!"

The Xia Chuan family finally arrived.

Xia Hong looked up at Xia Chuan's family outside the door, his gaze falling directly on the child Xiao Ning was holding behind them, his face full of smiles.

The child was probably not even two years old. When he met his eyes, he immediately smiled, reached out his hands, and shouted loudly, "Uncle, uncle, uncle, hug me!"

"Yu Zong, you're not listening to me again..."

"Get up, get up! This is a family dinner, there's no need for so many formalities!"

Xia Hong interrupted Xiao Ning directly, waved for Xia Chuan to stand up, and then bowed his head to clap his hands and called out to Xia Yuzong, "Yuzong can walk now, right? Come, come to your uncle."

"It can walk now!"

Compared to Yu Yao and Yu Sheng, who were just over one year old and taking their first steps, Xia Yu Zong, who was almost two years old, was much more agile. As soon as Xiao Ning let go, he immediately ran towards Xia Hong.

"Wow…………"

However, as soon as he rushed into Xia Hong's arms, Xiao Yu's little niece, Yu Ning, who was being held in her arms, became unhappy and immediately started crying loudly.

"Hahaha, come here, come here, hug them all!"

Xia Hong was already holding three children, so when he saw his little niece crying, he couldn't show favoritism and went over to pick her up as well.

He was holding four children all by himself, which looked rather comical. Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, and a group of maids couldn't help but cover their faces and chuckle.

Xia Chuan shook his head, and was about to ask Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu to bring the child over, but at that moment Li Xuanling walked in.

"Yao'er, Sheng'er, come to your mother!"

Just moments ago, Yu Yao and Yu Sheng were full of energy, but upon hearing Li Xuanling's voice, they immediately became incredibly obedient. The two of them actually broke free from Xia Hong's grasp and walked obediently to her side.

Seeing this, Xia Hong shook his head repeatedly and pointed at his two children with annoyance, saying, "They only dare to act tough in front of me."

Children are usually more afraid of their fathers than their mothers, but Xia Hong had long noticed that his two children were the opposite. They were not afraid of him at all, and were ruthless and cunning. However, when they saw their mother, Li Xuanling, they were as docile as rabbits seeing a cat.

There was nothing she could do about it. Li Xuanling didn't go into seclusion as often as she did, and she was the one who usually took care of the two children. She was also quite strict, so it was normal for the children to be afraid of her.

Xia Hong didn't care about this. In his opinion, as long as one parent could keep the child in check, there wouldn't be any problems. The real fear was that the child would develop a fearless and reckless personality, which would be troublesome.

"Please sit down. It's a family dinner today, so please don't be shy."

When Xia Hong said this a second time, Xia Chuan's family naturally relaxed a lot, and the two families sat together and happily began their feast.

"I haven't checked on the camp for a year. I've called you here today for both a family dinner and some serious business. Tell me about the current situation in Xia City!"

After several rounds of drinks, Xia Hong finally got down to business.

Xia Chuan was clearly prepared, just waiting for Xia Hong to ask about this, and immediately replied seriously, "I won't talk about the population situation, as my elder brother has always been aware of it. I'll focus on the cultivation level and the situation of the Seven Departments."

【Population: 669274】

Xia Hong nodded. He knew that Xia Chuan didn't need to tell him about the population situation of the Great Xia Dynasty; he had always been able to see it. What he mainly wanted to know was the current population cultivation level and the situation of the Seven Departments.

"As of the beginning of this month, the entire Great Xia region has a total of 1074 people at the Cold Resistance level; 6920 people at the Digging Realm Limit; 123978 people at the Digging Realm; and 294072 people at the Logging Realm."

The Hunting Department currently comprises 3726 teams: 182 high-level teams, 976 mid-level teams, and the rest low-level teams. The current system continues the regulations from two years ago, with headquarters only controlling the 182 high-level teams, plus a small group of mid-level teams within the inner city. The remaining hunting teams are governed by the Seven Divisions in the outer city and other outposts.

Then there's the Tiger and Leopard Army in Luoyuan, which was officially established at the beginning of this year. I've recently been preparing for the creation of the Fifth Army, and it should be successfully established within the year.

My elder brother usually inspects the three places: the Alchemy Pavilion, the Martial Arts Pavilion, and the Weapon Forging Pavilion. I won't go into detail about the changes to the other six departments.
The population of the four outer cities of Daxia is concentrated in the East City. The East City has been planned into seven sections, from East Zone 1 to East Zone 7. The total usable area is only about one-tenth of the total area, and there is still a large area reserved for future use.

Then there are Wuyuan and Dongling.

Over the past year, Xu Ning has not been in a hurry to achieve results. He has slowly explored another 30 kilometers to the east, which should be located in the middle of the north bank of the Xinghe River. So far, he has not found any information about the nine towns of Mo'ao.

Lu Yang sends back a message every month. The last message he sent back said that Bei Shuo had sent people to Dongling to inspect. He adopted a very humble attitude, agreeing to obediently join the other seven families of Bei Ning Mountain in paying tribute every six months. He also made extra money to bribe the Bei Shuo inspector. There shouldn't be any problems. He's just waiting to set off for Bei Shuo Town with the leaders of those seven families next time. Then he can truly see the true strength of Bei Shuo Town.

Xia Hong nodded repeatedly after listening, especially when he heard the last piece of news that Dongling brought back, knowing that Lu Yang would soon be able to see the true strength of Beishuo Town, his eyes lit up a lot.

"Brother, are you planning to come out of seclusion?"

Having not paid attention to the camp's situation for so long, Xia Chuan naturally assumed that Xia Hong wanted to leave seclusion when he suddenly asked about it.

If he wants to emerge from seclusion, it means that his cultivation level is definitely...

"No, no, no, I still need to continue my seclusion. This time it might be longer, which is why I met with you in advance. It's also a way of letting you know before the North Slope Silver Mine runs dry. You can send someone to inform me before then. Apart from this matter, you can handle everything else on your own. Of course, if you encounter any difficulties that you really can't resolve, you can also call me."

"I know, brother!"

Upon learning that Xia Hong was going to continue his seclusion, Xia Chuan looked slightly disappointed, but he quickly composed himself and nodded emphatically in response.

"The Fifth Army will be out soon, and the Ministry of War will be almost ready as well. You will be in charge of appointing the head of the Ministry of War this time. I will not interfere!"

Xia Chuan was taken aback for a moment, then immediately nodded with a moved expression and said, "Thank you for your trust, brother. I will definitely do my best!"

The seven department heads were always personally appointed by Xia Hong. The fact that Xia Hong directly entrusted him with the power to appoint department heads, especially the most important department head of the military, shows the immense trust Xia Hong placed in him. How could he not be moved?

(End of this chapter)