Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 373 Emperor Yu's Birthday, Jiangxia Falls, the Hunting and Fishing Pattern and a Turning Point

After the Battle of Hongguan, at least 70,000 to 80,000 Digging Realm cultivators died, and the remaining nearly 100,000 were captured by Dajue Temple. It is unknown what will happen to them afterward.

Distributing these 180,000 people across eight towns is essentially insignificant and doesn't amount to much. After all, these are just people from their subordinate village-level camps, and even though many of them are at the Cold-Resistant level, they don't care at all.

But for those village-level camps that produce manpower, it's a different story.

Let alone the Cold Resistance level, among these 180,000 Earth Digging Realm cultivators, which one of them isn't the pillar of their own family?
On a larger scale, this means 180,000 families shattered. Because the manpower drawn from the eight towns was extremely evenly distributed, covering almost all village-level camps within the territory, it is no exaggeration to say that once the news spreads, it will be an extremely heavy blow to all village-level camps under the jurisdiction of the nine towns.

However, this blow still needs time to build up.

However, no matter how fiercely the battles were fought between the Nine Towns and the Great Jue Temple on the east side of Hongguan Pass, it had no impact on the Great Xia Dynasty.

This point is beyond doubt.

………………

In the eighth year of the Great Xia Dynasty, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the last day of the Cold Yuan Festival.

"Big brother, Yuyao wishes you a happy birthday."

"Brother, Yu Sheng also wishes you a happy birthday."

"Yu Ning also wishes my brother a happy birthday! Cheers!"

In the main hall of the Star-Picking Hall, four little ones, whose average age was less than five and who were not even as tall as the chairs when they stood up, were sitting around a small round table.

Three of the younger ones, holding small wine cups in both hands, pretended to be adults and offered a toast to Xia Yuzong, the oldest person sitting at the head of the table.

The glasses were filled with milky white fruit syrup, but the three little ones imitated the way adults drink, picking up their glasses and drinking them down in one gulp. They even closed their eyes and kept smacking their lips as if they were really tasting the wine.

"Well……"

"Giggle giggle..."

Behind the round table, Han Yue and Han Shuang, along with their maids, watched the three little drama queens shrugging their shoulders and covering their mouths to stifle their laughter. A few of them couldn't hold back and let out soft laughter.

"Cough cough cough..."

Unlike his younger siblings, Xia Yuzong, who just turned five today, appears to be quite precocious compared to his three younger brothers and sisters. He probably noticed that the maids were laughing at him, and his cheeks flushed slightly. After coughing a few times, he whispered to the three younger ones, "Ayao, Asheng, and Aning, your aunt will be coming out soon. You should put down your cups and sit down quickly so she doesn't see you."

The three little ones were clearly caught off guard, especially Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng. Upon hearing that their mother was about to come out, they immediately put down their wine cups and adopted a proper sitting posture. Then they turned to look at the entrance to the Star-Picking Platform at the back of the main hall, only to find that there was no one there. They immediately glared angrily at Xia Yuzong.

"Brother, you big liar, humph!"

Xia Yuyao had quite a temper; she crossed her arms and pouted.

"Ah Yao, you've spoken rudely to Big Brother again!"

But as soon as she finished speaking, a cold female voice came from behind her.

Upon hearing the sound, Xia Yuyao quickly lowered her crossed hands and laid them flat on the table, immediately regaining her composure and transforming into a well-behaved girl.

Xia Yusheng was the same, and even Xia Yuning's posture became much more upright, clearly showing that her aunt was also very authoritative in her eyes.

"Only you, sister-in-law, can handle these four little ones, haha."

Just as Li Xuanling stepped down from the Star-Picking Platform, Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu arrived at the entrance of the main hall. Seeing the four little ones completely subdued, they couldn't help but laugh.

"They are at a mischievous age. If they are not disciplined now, they will cause trouble in the future."

Li Xuanling clearly had her own set of parenting tips. Although she spoke sternly, she walked to the table, picked up Xia Yuyao, put her on her lap, and then smiled at her two younger siblings, saying, "Come and sit down, your older brother and Xia Chuan will be here soon."

Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu nodded and took their seats.

"The Cold Yuan Festival went by so fast this year! It was over in the blink of an eye. If it hadn't been for Yu Zong's birthday, your older brother and Xia Chuan would probably still be staying in Wuyuan and not coming back."

Li Xuanling first gestured to Han Yue and the other maids to bring up the dishes, and then turned to talk to Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu.

Xiao Ning smiled and said, "The Great Xia has just increased its aquatic products. The Wuyuan waters are related to the production of many important pills, so naturally we have to put a lot of effort into managing them. My elder brother and husband are worried, so they can only keep an eye on things there themselves."

"Not only that, sister-in-law, I heard that the battle between Jiuzhen and Dajue Temple is extremely fierce, with new information coming in every day. My elder brother and husband have to go there to keep an eye on things from time to time, so it's more convenient for them to stay in Wuyuan."

Li Xuanling nodded. Xia Hong and Xia Chuan had been stationed in Wuyuan for some time, and she was in charge of many things in Xia City, so she knew a lot about the situation in Jiuzhen and Dajue Temple.

However, now is clearly not the time to discuss these things. She turned to look at today's protagonist, Xia Yuzong, who looked like a little adult. She couldn't help but reach out and pat his head, and said with a smile, "Yuzong will be five years old today. After the Cold Yuan Festival next year, he can eat beast meat and start formal cultivation. How about it? Aren't you a little impatient?"

Upon hearing the words "consuming beast meat and formally cultivating," Xia Yuzong's small face immediately lit up with excitement, clearly indicating that Li Xuanling had hit the nail on the head.

"Then your aunt is asking you, once you start cultivating next year, are you confident that you can break the Martial Arts Pavilion's record for breaking through to the Earth-Digging Realm?"

"Have!"

Xia Yuzong answered almost without hesitation, his face full of confidence.

Li Xuanling smiled and reached out to pat his head.

The answer to this question can actually be seen now.

Xia Yuzong, who just turned five this year, has already gained more than 4,000 jin of strength just by eating complementary foods. If this continues, he will definitely be able to break through to the lumbering realm before he turns six next year.

Both Xia Yuzong and Xia Yu Ning were born with sacred runes, so their cultivation talent is bound to be high. Once they start cultivating next year, their speed will definitely advance by leaps and bounds, without a doubt.

The youngest person to break through the Earth-Digging Realm in the Great Xia Martial Arts Pavilion is currently nine years and one month old. Given Xia Yuzong's current talent, breaking this record is practically a certainty.

"Mom, I can break the record too!"

Xia Yusheng seemed to feel neglected and, unconvinced, spoke up to his mother, indicating that he could also break the record.

Upon hearing his youngest son's words, Li Xuanling's expression immediately became somewhat strange.

Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu, the two aunts, subconsciously glanced at Xia Yusheng, their expressions becoming somewhat strange.

Xia Yusheng's basic strength is already over 8,000 jin. Judging from the current trend, he will probably break through to the Earth-Digging Realm before August next year. It would be too unfair to put this record in the Martial Arts Pavilion.

"Yu Zong, let me test you. Why is it that in our Great Xia Dynasty, children must be six years old before they can eat beast meat and officially begin cultivation?"

Suddenly, a voice came from the entrance of the main hall.

"Greetings, Lord! Greetings, Minister!"

Upon hearing the sound, the maids, including Han Yue and Han Shuang, immediately turned and bowed towards the door.

Li Xuanling, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Yu also stood up, but sat down again only after Xia Hong waved to them.

"Father!"

"father!"

Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng hadn't seen their father for so long. One jumped out of her mother's arms, and the other jumped off the chair, both rushing towards Xia Hong.

Upon hearing his uncle's voice, Xia Yuzong stood up excitedly. However, being older, he felt somewhat burdened by his role as the eldest brother. Remembering Xia Hong's question, he pondered for a moment before answering loudly, "In reply to Uncle, the Xia Li Xiu Zhi Pian states that only after reaching the age of six can the five internal organs and meridians be fully formed, allowing one to absorb energy from beast meat and use this energy to strengthen the body. Therefore, everyone in the Great Xia must be at least six years old before they can formally begin cultivation."

Xia Hong had already carried his two children to the table. Hearing his nephew's meticulous answer, his face showed satisfaction, and a barely perceptible glint flashed in his eyes.

Xia Chuan, who was following behind him, smiled when he heard his son's answer. He also gave Xiao Ning an approving look, clearly praising her for teaching her son well.

"Yu Zong answered correctly. When you can formally start practicing martial arts next year, your uncle will personally teach you. Consider it a reward for your correct answer, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yuzong looked at Xia Hong with delight and nodded emphatically.

Although he was only five years old, he knew very well that the strongest person in the entire Great Xia Dynasty was his uncle in front of him. His uncle personally taught him martial arts, which was such an honor. If the other children knew, they would probably be extremely envious.

"Brother, a six-year-old child starting martial arts training, what use is that..."

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Let's start the feast, I'm really hungry."

Xia Hong interrupted Xia Chuan and called on everyone to start the banquet.

Since returning to Wuyuan on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Xia Hong and Xia Chuan have not returned to Xia City. This year, even the Han Yuan Banquet was hosted by Li Xuanling. Therefore, today's family banquet is not only to celebrate Xia Yuzong's birthday, but also to make up for the Han Yuan Festival as a family.

After a period of feasting, the four little ones couldn't stay still, so they went to play in the training ground in the side hall. Seeing that only the adults were left at the table, Xia Hong also began to ask Li Xuanling about serious matters.

"How many soldiers in the Yunjiao and Longwu armies have not yet broken through to the Cold Resistance level?"

"The Yunjiao Army is still short 421, and the Longwu Army is still short 409."

Upon hearing this, Xia Hong frowned at first, then relaxed after a moment of thought.

If I remember correctly, the last two numbers were 587 and 562.

He instructed Xia Chuan in early October to free up all the cultivation slots in the Martial Arts Pavilion and give them priority to the soldiers of the Yun Jiao and Long Wu armies who had not yet broken through to the Cold Resistance level. Today is January 15th, and all in all, only a little over 70 days have passed. Each of the two armies has 150 or 160 people who have broken through, which is already quite good.

Li Xuanling saw what he was thinking and said softly, "Breaking through to the Cold Resistance level is not the same as breaking through to the Earth Digging level. One aspect is the pain of skin reshaping, and the other is that many soldiers want to obtain a higher level of battle body, so they deliberately suppress it and want to break through their cultivation in a way that pushes them to the limit. There is no way to do this. It is already the limit if four or five people can break through every day. I have observed in the Martial Arts Hall that it will take at least four more months for the remaining eight hundred people to break through."

Four months!
Xia Hong's relaxed brows immediately furrowed again.

Even Xia Chuan, who was standing to the side, put down his chopsticks and lowered his head, lost in thought.

Seeing their reactions, Li Xuanling immediately realized something, and a look of curiosity appeared on her face as she asked, "What, has there been a change in the Nine Towns War?"

Both men were clearly dissatisfied with the soldiers' slow breakthrough speed. Considering their continued presence in Wuyuan, Li Xuanling could easily guess the reason.

Seeing Li Xuanling's curiosity, and considering that she would continue to govern Xia City for some time to come, Xia Hong didn't intend to hide it from her. He gave Xia Chuan a look, signaling him to tell Li Xuanling about the situation.

Xia Chuan understood immediately and nodded, saying, "At the end of November, after the Battle of Hongguan, Dajue Temple only rested for five days. On the fifth day of last month, Dajue Temple led its troops to attack the Fengshan camp. None of the eight garrisons sent reinforcements, and Jiangxia Garrison only offered a token resistance before withdrawing."

After capturing the Fengshan camp, Dajue Temple advanced rapidly, seizing eighteen village-level camps in Jiangxia. Including the three already captured, Dajue Temple now controlled half of the entire Jiangxia region.

Upon hearing this, Li Xuanling's face immediately showed astonishment, her expression filled with disbelief as she said, "Forty-five days, half of the territory occupied? Isn't Jiangxia a town-level camp? They only lost two thousand garrison troops in the Battle of Hongguan, they still have five thousand left, surely they shouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat?"

"Dajue Temple's methods of winning people's hearts are too powerful!"

After Xia Chuan finished speaking, his expression became somewhat solemn. He continued, "The Dajue Temple released all the prisoners of the Nine Towns of the Earth-Digging Realm from the Battle of Hongguan. This included a large number of people from the Jiangxia village-level camps. After these people returned to their respective villages, when they encountered the Dajue Temple attacking again, almost no one resisted. Some even directly gathered crowds to revolt and helped the Dajue Temple occupy the villages. They all seemed to be possessed by demons."

But you can't say she's possessed!
Anyone who experienced the Battle of Hongguan and saw those people become invulnerable would find it hard to forget, not to mention the news of the daytime battle in Jinbi Village and Juedi Realm, which has now spread far and wide.

Appearing under the cold sun is fine; one can become invulnerable to swords and spears. These two methods from Dajue Temple are extremely attractive to those village-level camps at the Digging Realm. Who wouldn't be tempted?

"Without exception, all those village camps that were captured by Dajue Temple would defect within two days. Many of the Digging Realm cultivators would directly join Dajue Temple's army and serve as their vanguard."

Five days ago, the Digging Realm army under the command of Dajue Temple had reached 150,000 people, and it was still growing. Xiang Liang reported back that there were now over 500 people at the Cold Resistance level.

Upon hearing this, Li Xuanling's expression instantly became much more serious.

"With the number of people growing larger and larger, how can this war continue? Are the other eight towns just going to completely ignore Jiangxia? If Dajue Temple continues to grow and expand like this, they will also suffer in the end. The eight towns must know this, right?"

"Of course I know!"

Xia Hong smiled and continued, "But the three northern towns are far away. The fire at Dajue Temple has only reached Jiangxia Town so far. Even if Jiangxia is really gone, there are still the five towns in the central and southern regions to protect them. They won't be threatened for a long time to come. Do you think they will care?"

The general map of the Nine Towns appeared in Li Xuanling's mind, and he immediately understood.

"In early December, Jiangxia invited the leaders of the eight towns to the Fengshan camp for a meeting, but none of them offered any help. Jiangxia probably realized what the eight towns were thinking, so they simply retreated. For the first forty days, they basically did not organize any decent resistance, but just kept shrinking their defensive line, moving everyone they could to the town, and actually gave up half of their territory..."

Xia Chuan shook his head as he spoke, clearly disagreeing with Jiang Xia's approach.

Xia Hong smiled and said, "Since the eight towns refuse to help, they are also desperate. They can't win if they really resist, so they can only retreat. I guess they are all thinking that Dajue Temple will need people eventually, so they might as well give the village camps to Dajue Temple. As long as they hold the town, Jiangxia will not perish."

Add fuel to the fire!

These four words instantly popped into Li Xuanling's mind.

Giving up the village-level camp to Dajue Temple may seem like sacrificing a pawn to save the king, but in reality it is a sure way to aid the enemy. Dajue Temple is already so strong. If we let them continue to grow stronger, who will survive?

"Do you think Jiang Xia doesn't know?"

Xia Hong instantly saw through Li Xuanling's thoughts. After asking a question, his eyes flashed slightly, and he continued, "Jiang Xia is using this action to tell the other eight towns that if we're going to die, we'll all die together. Unless Dajue Temple directly attacks Jiangxia City, then they have no way to fight back. Otherwise, it's impossible to get Jiang Xia's family to fight Dajue Temple first."

Li Xuanling was momentarily speechless, unsure how to evaluate Jiang Xia's actions.

"Although it's a bit unscrupulous, this method really worked!"

Upon hearing Xia Chuan's words, Li Xuanling looked at him in confusion.

“Dajue Temple started mobilizing troops again three days ago. If nothing unexpected happens, their target should be the Binjiang camp. In the past month and a half, they have already lost the Hongguan, Fengshan, and Longzhou camps. Now they only have Binjiang and Xuyang left. The Binjiang camp is located on the east bank of the Xinghe River and is related to the water territory. It is a vital lifeline for Jiangxia. If it is taken by Dajue Temple, it will damage the foundation. Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Yinglong are reluctant to lose it, so they sent people to seek help from the five towns in the south and central regions.”

Xia Chuan paused for a moment before continuing, "According to the news from our scouts, this time it's Jiang Yinglong's son, Jiang Xinfan, the head of Jiangxia Town, who personally visited each of the five towns. It should have some effect; perhaps he can even bring in reinforcements."

"The three northern towns are strong and far away, so it's understandable that they would stand by and watch. But shouldn't the five central and southern towns be more foolish? Dajue Temple has taken Jiangxia Town, so aren't they their next target?"

Xia Chuan suddenly asked in a low voice, his face full of confusion.

Li Xuanling, also looking puzzled, guessed, "Wishful thinking?"

"It's a matter of both! It all depends on whether the Five Garrisons will help us this time. Jiangxia has already lost half of its territory. If it loses Binjiang as well, the remaining Xu Yang camp won't be of much use. In the end, we'll really have to retreat into the town to protect ourselves!"

"Then, brother, when should we make our move?"

Xia Chuan finally couldn't help but ask the most crucial question.

This question had clearly been on his mind for a long time. After asking it, his expression first relaxed, and then he looked up at Xia Hong with anticipation.

"It's still early, don't be in such a hurry. If the three northern towns don't move, we won't move either. I can give you a heads-up: the fire at Dajue Temple will never reach the head of our Great Xia!"

Upon hearing Xia Hong's last words, Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan were both stunned for a moment, but they quickly understood the meaning, their eyes filled with both surprise and curiosity.

“In the past forty days, Jiangxia has sought help from the Five Towns twice, but both times they were refused. It is said that things will not happen more than three times. If Jiangxia cannot get reinforcements this time, they should be disheartened. I estimate that they will most likely seek peace with Dajue Temple in the end.”

"Seek peace?"

Xia Chuan shook his head upon hearing this, saying, "Jiangxia is isolated and helpless, while Dajue Temple is in a very favorable situation. How could they possibly give up so easily?"

Xia Hong smiled and said, "There are many ways to seek peace. It all depends on the conditions. Doesn't Jiangxia still have half of its territory in its hands? Destroying Jiangxia is not the core objective of Dajue Temple. What they want is ultimately just population. Moreover, if Jiangxia Town is really destroyed, it will definitely do more harm than good!"

Destroying Jiangxia Town would certainly bring Dajue Temple a huge influx of people, but it would also inevitably arouse greater fear among the other eight towns. If the eight towns were to seriously form a coalition and attack, Dajue Temple, no matter how strong it was, would have to think twice.

Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan immediately understood and nodded slightly.

Xia Chuan suddenly realized something and said, "The Dajue Temple's troop deployment to the Binjiang camp this time was unhurried throughout, completely different from their previous actions. It's obvious they deliberately slowed their advance. I feel they're intentionally giving Jiangxia time to request reinforcements." With Bai Shanqiu and Xiang Liang, Xia Hong and Xia Chuan had a clear grasp of the Dajue Temple army's basic movements. The Dajue Temple began their advance on Binjiang three days ago, and the news reached Wuyuan the morning before yesterday.

When Xia Chuan saw the news the day before yesterday morning, he couldn't understand why Dajue Temple would slow down its march. Now, it seems he has the answer.

Upon hearing this, Xia Hong's eyes lit up slightly. He turned to look at Xia Chuan and asked with a hint of probing, "What's the reason?"

Xia Chuan had clearly thought about this question for a long time and had a plan in mind, so he directly said four words in a deep voice.

"Splitting the Nine Towns!"

Upon hearing these four words, Xia Hong looked at Xia Chuan with admiration on his face.

He felt more than just admiration; he was even somewhat amazed by Xia Chuan's astonishing rate of growth.

“I think similarly to you. The head of Dajue Temple, Yanxin, is very shrewd. If I’m not mistaken, Binjiang Camp is Jiangxia’s only chance to save itself. Whether they bring in reinforcements or negotiate peace with Dajue Temple, as long as they can hold this place, they can preserve their base and won’t have to retreat to the town. Moreover, the situation is about to change drastically, and a turning point is just around the corner.”

Xia Hong's words were vague, leaving Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu somewhat stunned. Xia Chuan and Li Xuanling, on the other hand, lowered their heads in deep thought, pondering what Xia Hong meant by the dramatic change in the situation and the turning point.

…………

January 21st, 132nd year of the Mo'ao calendar
Beishuo Town, Main Hall

Yang Fazheng stood below the main seat when Huang Tianxing strode in from outside the hall. Upon seeing Yang Fazheng, Huang Tianxing immediately bowed and said, "Your subordinate greets the town chief!"

"Any news?"

"Reporting to the commander, Jiang Xinfan has already returned to Jiangxia from Bashang. Bashang has definitely refused. Currently, only Yangqu and Longgu towns have mobilized their garrison troops, and it seems they intend to go to support Jiangxia."

Upon hearing this, Yang Fa smiled and said, "As expected, Cao Qianhai and Long Mingfeng were killed. These two towns have been harboring deep hatred for Dajue Temple for almost two months, and they finally couldn't hold back any longer."

Each of the nine towns has only two or three people at the Xianyang level.

Meanwhile, the six towns in the central and southern regions—Bashan, Jiangxia, Chuishan, and Muyin—are all two Xianyang-level towns.

No, there's only one Muyin left now.

Only Longgu and Yangqu towns have three.

Because of the presence of three Xianyang-level towns, Longgu and Yangqu towns have held a significantly higher position in the central and southern regions than the other four towns for many years.

But now, everything has changed.

How could Longgu and Yangqu not hate Dajue Temple?

For the past two months, the two towns have managed to refrain from helping Jiangxia deal with Dajue Temple, which surprised Yang Fa.

The two towns have finally come to a conclusion.

"What good is the support from the two towns? They are still doomed to defeat against Dajue Temple unless the lords of these two towns personally take action and bring out all their garrison troops and elites. Only then will they have any chance of winning."

Huang Tianxing immediately smiled and said, "In this way, all three towns will be dragged into the war by Dajue Temple."

He clearly knew Yang Fa's plan, but after speaking, he quickly thought of something, put away his smile, and said in a deep voice, "However, sir, the expansion speed of Dajue Temple is indeed too fast. It has already taken over half of Jiangxia's territory. If we continue to indulge it like this, won't it eventually become a tiger that will cause trouble?"

"Don't worry, the lord has obtained a lot of useful information from the battle at Dajue Temple. He is currently in Chencai with Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng to investigate methods to break the illusion. We'll be fine once they return."

Upon hearing the name "Chen Cai," Huang Tianxing's pupils narrowed slightly, and a look of excitement immediately appeared on his face. He nodded emphatically.

The governor of the province is in charge of a forbidden area, and Chen and Cai must have a clever way to break the mystery.

In this way, Dajue Temple would really not be considered a threat.

The three northern towns only need to let Dajue Temple continue to weaken the six central and southern towns, and when the time is right, they can...

………………

On the last day of the first month of the eighth year of the Great Xia Dynasty, during the day...
In the Xinghe Wuyuan River basin, a 20-meter-long iron boat is drifting in the water more than 100 meters from the shore.

"Put the bait!"

Snap...

With a shout from the leader, the more than thirty people standing on the boat immediately threw a large amount of unknown yellowish-white powder into the water. The powder was not heavy and floated up immediately after entering the water.

Five men wielding silver harpoons, each about ten feet long, were constantly shifting positions around the hull, their movements clearly indicating they were searching for underwater targets.

Although the harpoon handle is silver, a closer look reveals that it appears silver because of the numerous forging patterns, numbering in the tens of thousands, rather than being made of silver.

On the other hand, the twelve sharp hooks with a ring of barbs on the head are shiny silver. Unless you look closely, you can't see any forging patterns at all. An experienced person can tell at a glance that this is the real silver material.

The harpoon's tail is also fitted with a thick chain, also made of high-quality forging, which connects to the central part of the hull.

No one on the entire ship made a sound. Even the five men wielding silver harpoons walked quietly, trying to keep their steps still.

At the front of the boat, a young man in black, who looked to be around thirty years old, seemed to have made a discovery. He looked down at the water with a gleam in his eyes.

A man holding a powerful bow noticed his unusual behavior, turned to look at the water he was staring at, and immediately held his breath.

Two fist-sized lights did indeed appear underwater, accompanied by a large shadow, and were rapidly approaching the surface.

As the shadow grew larger, reaching about a quarter the size of the ship, the young man in black swiftly threw the harpoon into the water.

Hiss hiss hiss... Boom boom...

The harpoon entered the water, instantly pulling the thick chain at its tail down about ten meters before stopping with a loud crack due to its length limitation. The chain was taut, demonstrating the force with which the young man in black had thrown the harpoon.

"Coo coo coo..."

At the same time, a strange cry suddenly came from underwater, and the chains began to sway left and right, causing the ship to sink sharply.

However, the hull was clearly designed in terms of weight and size, and it just wouldn't sink no matter how much it was pulled underwater.

The underwater creature quickly realized it couldn't sink the boat, so it changed its strategy and swam south, trying to bring the entire boat to the middle of the water.

Boom!

However, after pulling forward for less than ten meters, a huge, thick iron chain, about half a meter in diameter, connected to the shore on the north side of the ship, suddenly taut and floated to the surface, firmly fixing the ship to the water a hundred meters from the shore. No matter how the creature pulled, it wouldn't budge.

"Here it is, come and help!"

At the command of the young man in black who had just thrown the harpoon, he gripped the chain connecting the harpoon with both hands, his face flushed, and pulled it back sharply.

Whoosh...

A black, strange fish, five or six meters long, was pulled halfway out of the water by the young man. The fish was covered with a layer of jet-black scales, which shimmered under the cold light, like pieces of black jade, possessing a unique beauty.

"Hahaha, new variety, new variety, come here quickly, hurry!"

Upon seeing the creature's appearance, the young man in black was overjoyed and immediately shouted for everyone on the ship to speed up.

Swoosh...

The other thirty-odd people on the ship were instantly excited when they heard the words "new species," but they did not forget their business. They took out their longbows, nocked silver arrows, and fired them wildly at the black fish monster.

Pfft... Pfft...

At the same time, four more harpoons flew swiftly toward the black monster fish, piercing its body. The four men who threw the harpoons quickly pulled up the chains and, together with the young man in black, held the monster fish tightly, allowing the others to shoot it.

The blood that flowed from the strange fish after it was shot by the arrow was a bluish-green color, exactly the same as the color of the bones of a high-level cold beast.

Pfft... Pfft...

As hundreds of arrows pierced his body, the black fish's thrashing in the water grew quieter, and the pressure on the five men pulling the chains lessened considerably.

"Drag it back!"

The young man in black immediately released the chains, and then ordered the other four men to drag the dying black fish to the side of the boat.

The black fish was completely exhausted and, after being dragged over underwater, it was unable to move its body.

"We have the right to name this new variety, so what do you all think we should call it?"

"How about calling him Hei Xuan?"

"Since Qiu Sizheng captured it, let's use Sizheng's name and call it Xuanpeng!"

"Hahaha, how did you even come up with that?"

"This strange fish is very strong, so calling it Xuan Sha sounds better."

………………

Wow!
Just as everyone was discussing it happily, the strange fish in the water suddenly opened its eyes, slapped its tail hard underwater, flipped its body over, and then leaped out of the water, opening its mouth wide towards the hull and spewing out a cloud of black, oily substance.

puff…………

"Get away!"

Qiu Peng was clearly caught off guard, but he still cried out for everyone to give way. The problem was that the strange fish had taken advantage of the situation, and the amount of black substance it spewed out was so great that it could almost cover the entire hull. This iron ship had no cabins, only a deck, and even if more than thirty people were moving fast, it would be impossible for them to avoid it all at once.

"It's careless!"

Qiu Peng looked somewhat flustered. With his late-stage Cold Resistance cultivation and Nineteen Manes strength, he was very fast and could certainly ensure that he could dodge, but the other thirty-odd people on the ship could not.

Seeing that the black substance was about to pounce on everyone, his expression instantly darkened, and he could only hope that it was not a deadly toxin.

Whoosh...

But at this critical moment, a wave a hundred meters high came from the north side of the ship, and the wave accurately knocked away all the black substance spat out by the strange fish.

Before the splashing was over, the power contained in the water waves was also terrifying. When it hit the black fish, it sent it flying more than ten meters away.

Boom!

Four of the five harpoons came out at once, and the entire ship was shaken violently several times. If the last harpoon hadn't been still attached, the strange fish would have been thrown more than ten meters.

Everyone had a premonition when they saw the waves. Once the waves subsided, they turned to the north and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Lord!"

Low above the north side of the ship, Xia Hong, dressed in black, stood in mid-air, holding a five- or six-meter-long golden whip, and shook his head repeatedly as he looked at Qiu Peng.

“You’ve been out of hunting for a long time, and you’ve become a bit rusty. I taught you when you were in the logging realm that you should never be careless before the prey is completely dead. It’s only been a few years, and you’ve forgotten it all. This strange fish is only strong because it’s agile underwater. If even it can kill a few of your people here, then the cost of fishing and hunting is far too high. In the future, the Great Xia will not need to come here.”

Hearing Xia Hong's stern reprimand, the more than thirty people immediately lowered their heads, especially Qiu Peng, who was named, whose face turned red with shame.

"The mistake you made this time has nothing to do with your water experience; it was purely due to your carelessness. This blackfish doesn't count as contribution points; it will be confiscated by the logistics department as punishment. Remember, you only have one life. I just happened to be here today; you won't be so lucky next time."

"Your subordinate will remember the Lord's instructions and will never repeat this mistake!"

"We will remember our leader's instructions and will never do it again!"

Qiu Peng led everyone in bowing and admitting their mistake. After a long silence, they finally mustered their courage and looked up, only to find that Xia Hong was no longer there.

"It was my fault today, I almost dragged you all into this. The lord was right, I've been in Xia City for too long and I've forgotten everything he taught me. Brothers, I'm so sorry!"

Qiu Peng faced the crowd, bowed deeply, and sincerely apologized.

"Master Si, what are you doing?"

"Fishing and hunting is a matter for everyone, not just the fault of the Director."

"We also made a foolish mistake; the Chief Justice didn't need to do that."

Everyone was naturally apprehensive and quickly indicated that they didn't need it.

………………

"Lack of experience in fishing and hunting in water is indeed a problem, but there's no way to improve it quickly; it can only be done gradually."

Standing in mid-air on the north bank of the Xinghe River, Xia Hong gazed thoughtfully at the more than 100-meter-wide stretch of flowing water beside the shore.

"Fishing and hunting are inherently difficult, and a distance of over 100 meters is sufficient for now. The aquatic beasts inside are too powerful, and even those at the Cold Resistance level would find them difficult to deal with. Moreover, being too far from the shore is also dangerous, so this is about enough."

The more than 100-meter stretch of flowing water on the shore was broken by Xia Hong using brute force. Iron boats, harpoons, and chains were used to secure it. The subsequent parts were gradually developed by Mu Dong and his craftsmen over the past three months, with Xia Hong's cooperation being indispensable.

"The ships currently being built basically lack transportation capabilities; at best, they can only be considered surface fishing and hunting platforms. Moreover, they might not be able to be effective against powerful aquatic beasts. Even so, each ship will take more than a month to build. As for the iron consumption, I remember Mu Dong saying that it would require at least ten million catties of iron ore to make. Tsk tsk..."

Xia Hong looked down at the small boat, which was no more than twenty meters long, and shook his head repeatedly.

It's understandable, really. The cold beasts in the water and the cold beasts on land are not the same species at all. In terms of strength alone, even the weakest of them has the strength of more than one mane, and the intermediate cold beasts on land also have the strength of more than one mane. So the two are completely incomparable.

The water is their home turf, and hunting them here is at least ten times more difficult than on land.

As a fishing and hunting platform, the hull not only needs to be protected from being dragged by underwater beasts, but also from being hit by them. The minimum standard is basically made of 10,000-ton iron, which was personally tested by Mu Dong.

Moreover, because these species live underwater, human strength is reduced by 70-80% when they arrive. Simple iron tools cannot harm them at all. Therefore, the harpoon hooks must be made of silver, and even archers must be equipped with silver piercing arrows to effectively kill them.

"The cost of fishing and hunting is indeed high, but the rewards are also great. The fishing and hunting model has been finalized, and we can proceed slowly from here on out!"

Xia Hong sighed softly, then seemed to remember something, looked down at the golden whip in his hand, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

"Driving away the water and waves is an unexpected bonus. I never thought that the golden cheeks of that red carp monster would have such a miraculous effect."

When Xia Hong came to Wuyuan in early October to drive away the red carp monster, he cut off a section of the golden tassel-shaped gill on its left side, which was about thirty meters long. After the alchemy pavilion determined that it could not be used for medicine, Xia Hong saw that the material was sturdy, so he asked the weapon-making workshop to make it into this five-meter-long golden whip.

"It's a pity that the only weapon I'm not good at is the whip, but Xuanling is very good at it, so we can let her use this whip for now."

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, put away his whip, landed on the north bank, and slowly walked back to Wuyuan. However, after walking for a while, he stopped, looked up at Shi Ping who was rushing over from the north, and revealed a shrewd look.

He didn't conceal himself, and Shi Ping saw him from afar. Immediately, his face lit up with joy, he rushed towards him, cupping his hands in a gesture of excitement:
"Reporting to the lord, there is news. Dajue Temple has been unable to break through the defenses for a long time and has withdrawn its troops from the Binjiang camp. Moreover, Jiangxia Town Chief Jiang Xinfan personally went to Hongguan camp two days ago to meet with Dajue Temple Abbot Yan Xin, presumably to negotiate peace. Judging from Dajue Temple's withdrawal, it is highly likely that they have succeeded."

Jiangxia's turning point has arrived!

Upon hearing this, Xia Hong's face lit up with a glint of shrewdness, and he immediately strode towards Wuyuan.

"Let's talk about it when we get back to Wuyuan."

(End of this chapter)