Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 374 Retreat and Ceasefire, Entrustment, Panic in Ba Shang, Sudden Change in Situation
Wuyuan should originally be called Wuyuan Mountain.

The mountain is named Five Ape Mountain because it has five steep peaks that resemble a giant upright hand, and a large number of cold beasts called Frost Lightning Apes inhabit the mountain.

In April of the first year, the Great Xia destroyed the Three Tigers Camp and incorporated the entire Five Apes Mountain into its territory. Initially, for convenience, it was collectively called Five Apes, but later, feeling that the word "ape" was unlucky, it was changed to "original," thus giving rise to the name Five Plains.

Seven years have passed, and Wuyuan has undergone tremendous changes.

Especially four years ago, after Xia Hong established this place as the bridgehead for the eastward expansion of the Great Xia Dynasty and added eight subordinate departments, the changes here have been rapid and dramatic.

In addition, last October, Xia Hong personally drove away the red carp monster and took control of 15 kilometers of water along the coast, which added fuel to the fire in Wuyuan. It has now become the most important outpost in the Great Xia territory, and it is undisputed.

Xia Hong led Shi Ping through the snow-covered forest and walked three kilometers north. In the distance, they saw a fan-shaped city wall stretching fifteen kilometers from east to west.

Wuyuan was already a city during Xu Ning's administration.

The city wall was modeled after the original Longshan garrison, with hundreds of pentagonal iron stakes, each eight meters long, driven into the ground to form a fan-shaped city along the mountain wall of Wuyuan Mountain. The overall length of the city wall was three kilometers longer than that of the original Longshan garrison.

"Greetings, Lord! Greetings, Lord Shouzheng!"

"No need for formalities, continue your duty!"

Xia Hong led Shi Ping through the city gate and headed straight for the main hall of the yamen.

Inside the main hall, Xia Chuan was having a lively discussion with Yuwen Tao, Yuan Cheng, and Luo Yuan when he saw Xia Hong enter and quickly bowed to him.

"Meet the lord!"

Xia Hong took the main seat and saw that Xia Chuan was about to hand him the letter that Bai Xiang and the other man had sent back. He simply waved his hand and said, "I won't read it. Just tell me the details."

Xia Chuan nodded, put away the letter, and cupped his hands, saying, "On the 17th of this month, Yang Qu and Long Gu, a total of 5,000 Zhenyu troops, detoured from the east into Jiangxia territory and went straight to the Binjiang camp. Adding to Jiangxia's own 5,000 Zhenyu troops, that makes a total of 10,000 troops. In addition, Jiangxia transferred 90,000 Digging Realm warriors from the town and also drew out all the Digging Realm warriors from the remaining 24 village-level camps within its territory, making a total of 150,000 Digging Realm warriors. In terms of troop strength, we have an absolute advantage over Dajue Temple."

On the 19th, 21st, and 23rd, Dajue Temple launched three attacks on the Binjiang Camp, two during the day and one at night, all of which ended in failure. On the Dajue Temple side, the three chief monks, Jin Yang, Ju Kong, and Hei Yan, as well as more than fifty formal monks, were killed in battle. Only a little over two thousand monks remained in the Zen Temple, while the Digging Realm forces still numbered around ninety thousand.

The three towns were also badly affected. It's estimated that over three thousand of the Cold-Resistant level soldiers died, primarily in Jiangxia. Of the ten thousand town-level troops, only four thousand remain. The Earth-Digging Realm still has around eighty thousand, similar to the casualties at Dajue Temple.

Upon hearing about the casualties on both sides, Xia Hong raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is that all? What about the Xianyang-level soldiers on both sides?"

"I was just about to say that in the battle two days ago, on the 23rd, the Binjiang camp was almost breached. At the last moment, Jiang Yinglong, Xiahou Zhang, Long Mingyuan, and Cao Qianyang all made their moves. Although Dajue Temple only sent three great masters, Vajra, Yanlong, and Heiming, they managed to suppress the four of them throughout the entire battle."

According to Bai Shanqiu, Jiang Yinglong and the other three fought desperately, managing to drag the battle into the night. They barely managed to break through the enemy lines with the help of 100,000 Earth-Digging Realm cultivators. Seeing no hope of breaking through, the three Grandmasters finally stopped and ordered Yan Xin to withdraw his troops.

As soon as Xia Chuan finished speaking, Yuwen Tao and the others' expressions tightened slightly.

The total strength of both sides has exceeded 300,000, not to mention that this includes several thousand cold-resistant troops and tens of thousands of garrison troops.

Even seven beings at the Manifestation Yang level have made their move!

Just by listening, you can imagine how fierce the battle at Binjiang Camp must have been.

Although Xia Hong's eyes flickered slightly, he did not show much surprise when he heard about the battle situation of the Xianyang level.

Two of the eight Xianyang-level warriors lost their lives and three were seriously injured when they went to Dajue Temple. It would be even more difficult for four Xianyang-level warriors. Fortunately, this was a life-or-death battle on the battlefield, unlike one-on-one combat. Moreover, the three masters of Dajue Temple must have had some methods that they dared not use in front of so many people. Otherwise, Jiang Yinglong and his companions would most likely have died.

The two of them, Bai and Xiang, had clearly sent back quite a bit of information this time. Seeing that everyone's expressions had calmed down, Xia Chuan continued.

"After the great battle on the 23rd, Dajue Temple withdrew its troops back to Hongguan. The next day, the 24th, Jiang Xinfan, the leader of Jiangxia Town, went to Hongguan to personally meet with Chief Yanxin."

It's unclear what Jiang Xinfan and Yan Xin specifically discussed, but that very night, the 24th, tens of thousands of troops stationed west of the Binjiang camp at Dajue Temple withdrew back to Hongguan.

"Peace has been reached."

"They must have made peace. They've been besieging Dajue Temple for so long and still can't take it. Continuing to fight would just be a waste of time."

"Now that the leaders of the three towns have appeared, if Dajue Temple continues fighting, aren't you worried that the other six towns will get involved?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Tao and the others immediately spoke up.

Xia Chuan nodded in agreement upon hearing the three's words.

This is obvious, and there's basically no way it's wrong.

"Should we negotiate peace, or sue for peace?"

However, Xia Hong suddenly raised a question at this moment.

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, and then lowered their heads to think.

Peace talks indicate that neither side wants to continue fighting;
Seeking peace is something that only happens when one side is unwilling or dares not continue fighting, and will take the initiative to negotiate a truce with the other side.

"It was Jiang Xinfan who took the initiative to go to the Hongguan camp; of course, he was seeking peace!"

Xia Chuan was the first to give an answer, and Yuwen Tao and the others immediately nodded in agreement.

"Brother, there's another important message from our spies in Jiangxia..."

Xia Chuan suddenly took out another letter, paused after speaking, and then continued with a hint of excitement in his eyes: "In the second half of the night of the 20th, Jiangxia suddenly sealed off the town, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. All the town's guards and the Yuhan-class soldiers stationed outside were recalled to the town."

Jiangxia spy?

Last year, Xia Hong had Xia Chuan send several Cold-Resistant spies to infiltrate the Eight Towns from the East Ridge. Now, these spies have begun to send messages back.

"The town will be sealed off in the latter half of the night of the 23rd. No one is allowed to enter or leave..."

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something and looked up at Xia Chuan.

"Has something happened to Jiang Yinglong?"

On the 23rd, Jiang Yinglong and his three companions fought desperately to drag the battle into the night. Then, in the latter half of the night, Jiangxia sealed off the town, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. This was clearly an attempt to suppress some important news, and it was highly likely to be news that was unfavorable to Jiangxia.

Aside from Jiang Yinglong's incident, it seems there's no other reason to believe it.

Xia Chuan had obviously thought of this, and nodded excitedly, saying, "It could also be Xiahou Zhang. Something must have happened to those two."

It's most likely Jiang Yinglong!
Xia Hong didn't say those words. During the Battle of Hongguan at the end of November, when he rescued Xiahou Zhang from the two great masters Yanlong and Jingang, he personally witnessed a heavily injured Xianyang-level expert flying towards Jiangxia Town. That was most likely Jiang Yinglong.

That injury was much more serious than Xiahou Zhang's; it didn't seem like it would heal in just two or three months.

Given this news, and considering that Jiang Yinglong's injuries have not yet healed and he was fighting for his life against the three masters at the Binjiang camp, it is highly likely that something bad will happen to him.

The town was sealed off to prevent the news from reaching the other eight towns.

Yuwen Tao also realized what was happening and said in a low voice, "This way, we can really face each other. Jiangxia is severely weakened and unable to fight anymore. They will cede territory and make a treaty. No matter what the conditions are, as long as they can protect the town, that's fine. Dajue Temple is fighting against three opponents and has suffered considerable losses. They don't dare to push too hard, so they simply agree to withdraw their troops and cease fighting."

"The troops have withdrawn, but whether they will cease hostilities is another matter."

Xia Hong suddenly picked up where Yuwen Tao left off.

Xia Chuan and the others were stunned when they heard the sound.

But they quickly understood the meaning behind Xia Hong's words, and their expressions changed drastically.

"So that's what you meant by the turning point in Jiangxia, brother."

Xia Chuan, in particular, immediately understood what Xia Hong meant when he said at the family dinner half a month ago that Jiangxia would see a turning point.

"It's getting colder and colder lately, have you noticed?"

Everyone was puzzled by Xia Hong's question.

"February is almost here, and a cold wave is coming to Xinghe!"

Shi Ping was the first to react and respond to Xia Hong's words.

After Shi Ping's reminder, Xia Chuan and the other three also understood.

Every year in February, the Xinghe River experiences a flood season that lasts for two months. During this time, the ice on the river surface rises along with the water level, and the cold air spreads to the north bank, causing a sharp drop in temperature throughout the Wuyuanshan area.

"Shi Ping, it seems you've lived up to your reputation as Gohara Morimasa. Not bad!"

Shi Ping was clearly excited to receive Xia Hong's praise. He cupped his hands and said, "You flatter me, Lord. As the ruler of a region, I must be familiar with all the local conditions. I notified the various departments of Wuyuan ten days ago to prepare for the arrival of the cold wave."

Xia Chuan then realized why Xia Hong had brought up February, and suddenly looked up, saying, "February isn't just about cold waves; it's also the time when the monks of Dajue Temple are selecting children. They're going to start recruiting six-year-old boys from various villages..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Could it be that Dajue Temple agreed to Jiangxia's request for peace because of this matter?"

"It's not that serious. It's just taking in children. We can just send a few people. It won't affect the war. But aren't you curious about what the Great Awakening Temple did with all these six-year-old children it took in?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and the other four stiffened slightly and fell silent.

Since Dajue Temple is associated with ghosts and monsters, it's not hard to guess what they're going to do with these six-year-old children; it certainly won't be anything good.

Xia Hong couldn't possibly be unaware of this.

By raising this question now, Xia Hong's deeper meaning is clearly that they don't want to do anything about those six-year-old children?
After hesitating for a long time, Xia Chuan finally broke the silence:

"If anyone should be in charge, it should be the Nine Towns!"

As soon as he spoke, Yuwen Tao and the other three followed suit:
"If the Nine Towns could truly work together, we wouldn't need to worry about this at all. The Great Awakening Temple was able to grow and prosper entirely because they indulged it. They should bear the consequences of the troubles they brought upon themselves."

"At this critical juncture, for whatever reason, Great Xia cannot expose itself unless it is prepared to move east."

"Yes, I sympathize with those children, but the timing is not right!"

…………

After listening to the five people's words, Xia Hong nodded slightly and said nothing more.

He clearly saw the changes in the five people's expressions from hesitation to determination, and knew that hesitation meant they still had a sense of awe for life.

The cold-bloodedness displayed by those in power in the Nine Towns during their confrontation with the Great Awakening Temple was somewhat disheartening to him. If they didn't even treat those at the Earth-Digging Realm as human beings, how could he expect them to have any compassion for others?

He worried that Xia Chuan, Yuwen Tao, and all the high-ranking officials of Da Xia would gradually become like those people as the camp continued to grow and expand, and their own strength increased.

Fortunately, there is no such trend at present.

Xia Hong stood up and looked towards Qinghepu in the east, asking in a low voice, "How many people in the Yunjiao and Longwu armies haven't broken through yet?"

"Yunjiao Army 386, Longwu Army 375."

Li Xuanling's prediction from half a month ago is probably still correct; everyone will break through to the Cold Resistance level by April at the earliest.

Seeing Xia Hong frowning, Xia Chuan continued, "I have already sent a message back to urge them. In addition, the extra spots in the Martial Arts Pavilion have been given priority to those in the Dragon Slaying Army who have not yet broken through."

With ample resources, there's no point in urging someone to cultivate; it all depends on individual affinity. Xia Hong certainly understood this principle.

But with military action imminent, there's nothing else we can do but urge them on.

"Try to get them to speed things up; we'll need them soon."

"I obey my orders!"

………………

February 4th, 132nd year of the Moo calendar
In the main hall of Jiangxia Town, a group of about a hundred people, young and old, were gathered.

Everyone looked up at the living quarters behind the main hall, their expressions extremely tense. A few people seemed to have already sensed something, their eyes filled with tears and their faces showing grief.

In the living quarters behind the main hall, Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan were keeping watch by the bedside.

The two men looked emaciated, clearly having not slept for days and nights, yet they still kept staring at the person on the bed, their faces showing both fear and anticipation.

The person lying on the bed was none other than Jiang Yinglong, the lord of Jiangxia.

Jiang Yinglong had three cone-shaped wounds on his left chest, clearly caused by being pierced by a spear. Although the wounds had stopped bleeding, the surrounding area had turned charred black, as if scorched by fire.

Not only his chest, but also his right shoulder and forehead each had a large dent, and he had more than twenty unexplained edemas all over his body.

Jiang Yinglong was barely breathing at the moment, clearly not in a normal coma.

"Master!"

"Father."

Suddenly, Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

It turned out to be Jiang Yinglong on the bed, who opened his eyes.

Jiang Yinglong seemed to have difficulty even opening his eyes. He didn't speak, but looked at his apprentice and son by the bedside. As if he had made a decision, a resolute look flashed in his eyes, and his body trembled slightly.

"Master!"

Xiahou Zhang clearly sensed something and immediately rushed forward in alarm.

"Alright, stop wasting pills on me. If there's really a chance to save me, I'd rather live than you do. The lifespan of a Xianyang-level cultivator is two hundred years. I'm already one hundred and fifty-seven this year. I've lived this long, so it's not a bad thing!"

Upon hearing this, both Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan showed a look of sorrow in their eyes.

"Xinfan, what conditions did Dajue Temple offer in agreeing to a ceasefire?"

Jiang Xinfan knew that his father was about to give his last instructions, so he disregarded his grief and hurriedly said, "There are three conditions: First, cede the thirteen village-level camps surrounding Xu Yang's camp to them, and do not tamper with the population; second, compensate with eight thousand sets of thousand-forged armor, to be collected and delivered within two months; third, under no circumstances should they become enemies of Dajue Temple in the future."

The third condition applies not only to Jiangxia, but also to Yangqu and Longgu towns.

Upon hearing these three conditions, Jiang Yinglong's face on the bed instantly paled even more. After coughing twice, he said with a sorrowful expression, "My Jiangxia only has forty-seven village-level camps. We lost twenty-one and thirteen more. Three-quarters of our territory has been lost. I have failed our former leader and my brother!"

Seeing him so remorseful, Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan quickly offered words of comfort.

“Master, the villains are powerful, it’s not your fault, there’s no need for this.”

“Father, it’s not your fault. Beishuo, Jinshan, Wuchuan, Chuishan, and Bashang, it’s all the fault of these five towns for being short-sighted and refusing to help us in our time of need. Otherwise, how could Jiangxia have fallen to this state?”

However, their words of comfort were clearly of little use.

Jiang Yinglong's grief hadn't faded much, but realizing his time was running out, he suppressed it, turned to the two men, and said in a deep voice, "After the Battle of Binjiang, Jiangxia will have no chance to compete with the Eight Towns for supremacy. Once news of my death spreads throughout the Eight Towns, your situation will be similar to that of Muyin Town. Zhang'er, I'll get straight to the point..."

thump……

"Zhang'er, heed your master's teachings!"

Upon hearing his master address him, Xiahou Zhang's eyes immediately welled up with tears. He knelt down in front of the bed with a thud, sobbing uncontrollably.

Zhang'er was what his master called him when he was young. Jiang Yinglong hadn't called him that for nearly seventy years. Now, on his deathbed, he called out that name again. How could he not be moved?

"The fact that we ceded thirteen villages from Xuyang's camp shows the wolfish ambitions of Dajue Temple. This retreat has only given Jiangxia a brief respite; future troubles are inevitable. To protect ourselves, an alliance with Yangqulong Valley alone is far from enough. Go find the three northern towns and surrender!" "Father, if the three towns hadn't intervened, how could Jiangxia have fallen to this state? How can we betray our people…"

"Junior brother, shut up and listen to your master!"

Upon hearing his father order Jiang Xia to surrender to the three towns, Jiang Xinfan became agitated. However, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Xiahou Zhang in front of him. He looked up at his father, Jiang Yinglong, on the bed, his body trembled violently, and he immediately lowered his head and shut his mouth.

"My brother entrusted the camp and you all to me back then. In just over forty years, I have led Jiangxia to such a state of decline. I really don't know how I can face the former leader and my brother after I die..."

Jiang Yinglong, with a self-deprecating smile and a sigh in his voice, looked at Xiahou Zhang kneeling beside him, sobbing uncontrollably. He reached out and gently patted his head, saying with guilt, "Zhang'er, I am not as good as your father, so I can only hand this mess over to you. The current situation is extremely difficult, so be careful in everything you do. Since you have lost the opportunity to compete for supremacy, then accept your fate and find a good way out for your Xiahou clan and for my Jiang clan."

Though you don't say it, I know you, like Fan'er, hate the Three Towns. But now is not the time to act rashly. The lives of over 600,000 people in the town depend on you alone. Do you understand?

Xiahou Zhang, whose hair was half-white and who was nearly a hundred years old, heard Jiang Yinglong's dying words filled with remorse for himself and the Xiahou family. Tears streamed down his face like a burst dam, showing none of the dignity of the Jiangxia army leader. If outsiders had seen this scene, they would have been astonished.

Bang...bang...bang...

Seeing Jiang Yinglong's breath growing weaker and weaker, Xiahou Zhang suppressed his grief, knelt back two steps, and kowtowed three times on the ground. Then, looking up at Jiang Yinglong on the soft couch, he said with unwavering determination, "Disciple understands, Master, rest assured. Disciple swears to defend Jiangxia with his life and will definitely find a good way out for the people of our two clans and the more than 600,000 people in the town."

Jiang Yinglong, who knew his apprentice's personality very well, finally relaxed upon hearing this. He then turned to look at his eldest son, Jiang Xinfan, his face filled with even more guilt. He said in a low voice, "Fan'er, for the past forty years, although you haven't said it, I know that you have always held a grudge against those five Heavenly Sun Fruits from back then. I am sorry for what happened to you."

Upon hearing Jiang Yinglong's words, both Jiang Xinfan and Xiahou Zhang trembled simultaneously. Xiahou Zhang's face showed guilt, while Jiang Xinfan's expression was incredibly complex.

More than sixty years ago, Xiahou Ming, the former lord of Jiangxia and father of Xiahou Zhang, risked his life to fight a bloody battle against the Red Carp Monster that occupied the Hengjiang River in order to open up the Hengjiang River area. Although he finally succeeded in driving away the Red Carp Monster, he was seriously injured and on the verge of death.

At that time, Jiangxia only had two Xianyang-level beings. Lord Xiahou Ming was on the verge of death, and Jiang Yinglong, who was then the military leader, became the only pillar of support. In order to get out of the predicament, Jiang Yinglong risked his life to collect five Tianyang Fruits from Mount Mo'ao, hoping to cultivate another Xianyang-level being.

At that time, both Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan actually had a chance.

Jiang Yinglong didn't even ask any questions and directly gave the opportunity to Xiahou Zhang.

Jiang Xinfan is now in his early nineties. According to the cold-resistant lifespan standard, he is already halfway to the grave. When he suddenly heard his father bring up the old story again and apologize to him, the last bit of resentment he had towards his father completely disappeared.

He suddenly looked up at Jiang Yinglong and said in a deep voice, "Father, don't worry! I don't have many years left to live. I understand what you mean. From now on, no matter what, I will work together with my senior brother. The clan motto that the Jiang and Xiahou clans are interdependent and of one body will never change!"

"The Xiahou clan is the same. If I, your disciple, violate this instruction in the future, my cultivation will never advance, and I will surely be struck down by the Five Thunderbolts!"

“Good, good, good… Our former leader Xiahou Wu and my father were just as united as you brothers back then, which is why Jiangxia rose from a large camp to become one of the Nine Towns. As long as you two can work together, our two clans will surely survive in the Ice Abyss for a long time. Good… good…”

Jiang Yinglong was extremely agitated. His voice grew louder and louder as he spoke, and his face became increasingly flushed. When he finally said the word "good," he choked on his breath and could not catch his breath. His hands went limp and fell to his sides.

His eyes remained fixed on his apprentice and son until the very end, a contented smile on his face, clearly indicating he had no regrets.
"Master!"

"Father!!!"

The cries of Xiahou Zhang and Jiang Xinfan reached outside the palace.

The hundreds of people gathered outside the hall trembled violently upon hearing the sound, and regardless of age or gender, they all knelt down in unison, facing the direction of the room.

"grandfather!"

"Grandpa..."

"uncle."

"Lord!"

"Great-grandfather, waaaaah..."

The entire hall was instantly filled with weeping and wailing, and the atmosphere became extremely somber.

Although the main hall of Jiangxia was built in the very center of the town, there were no other buildings within a mile radius. Moreover, it was clear that arrangements had been made during this period, and there was no one around the main building. Otherwise, such a loud cry would have spread to everyone very quickly.

"Keep the death a secret and continue to seal off the town. No one, regardless of who they are, is allowed to leave the town without a single step unless they possess a town decree personally signed by you or me!"

Inside the main hall, after the initial grief subsided, Xiahou Zhang rose and sat down by the bed. While preparing his master's remains, he gave orders to Jiang Xinfan.

"Can we keep this a secret, senior brother?"

Hearing Xiahou Zhang's words, Jiang Xinfan's voice sounded weak.

Unlike other village-level or giant camps, the Nine Towns do not interact with each other. Not to mention the spies and agents in each town, there are also many marriages between the high-ranking officials of each town. In fact, many descendants of the Jiang and Xiahou clans have married into the high-ranking officials of Yangqu, Longgu, and Muyin towns. At this moment, they are standing outside the hall.

This news can be kept secret for a while, but it's impossible to hide it for a long time.

"I don't plan to keep it a secret for long. As long as it lasts until the tenth, that's enough. Didn't Dajue Temple say that they would send people to take over Xu Yang's camp and the thirteen surrounding village camps on the tenth? We should cooperate with them fully, conceal the news from all over the place, and do our best to keep it a secret until then!"

Upon hearing Xiahou Zhang's words, Jiang Xinfan trembled slightly, quickly reacted, and looked up at Xiahou Zhang with a hint of shock in her eyes.

Xiahou Zhang's eyes were filled with hatred. He roared in a deep voice, "The three northern towns, as well as Chuishan and Bashang, these five towns all like to watch the show, right? Now it's my turn in Jiangxia to watch their show. Even if I die, I will avenge my master!"

Xu Yang's camp borders Ba Shang. The ceasefire agreement that Jiang Xinfan discussed with Dajue Temple already stipulated that Jiangxia must not disclose the news of the cession of territory before the tenth of the month. In addition, Dajue Temple also made Yang Qu and Long Gu promise not to be enemies with them in the future.

It's pretty clear what Dajue Temple is going to do next.

Judging from Xiahou Zhang's tone, he clearly did not intend to follow his father Jiang Yinglong's last wish and surrender to the three northern towns.

Jiang Xinfan hesitated for a moment, but when she looked up and saw her father lying lifeless on the bed, and recalled his last words, her eyes hardened, and she bowed deeply to Xiahou Zhang.
"As you command, Lord!"

........................

February 10th, 132nd year of the Mo'ao calendar
At the southernmost point of the east bank of the Hengjiang River, there stands a city built right on the water's edge.

Its name is Ba Shang!

While it's true that Ba Shang City was built along the river, that's not entirely accurate. Although Ba Shang Town, like Jiangxia, is located on the east bank of the Hengjiang River, its overall territory is significantly smaller.

The reason is simple: the source of the Hengjiang River is not far to the west of Ba Shang, which is the southeast side of the Mo'ao Mountains.

As the source of the river, the western territory of Ba Shang has been impacted by the water flow for a long time, so its area has become smaller and smaller. If you look at the map, you can see that the eastern part of Ba Shang is the source of the Hengjiang River in Mo'ao Mountain, and the western part is the Hengjiang River basin after its course changed. Sandwiched between these two, the overall map presents an inverted triangle shape.

Ba Shang Town is located at the very bottom of this inverted triangle, in the narrowest part of the area.

In this way, it doesn't matter whether he is near water or near mountains.

The intention behind building the town of Ba Shang in this way is not hard to guess. It is simply to obtain both the land resources of Mo'ao Mountain in the east and the water resources of Hengjiang River in the west. Of course, the more resources the better. This approach of grasping both land and water resources is also in line with the normal mentality of most camps in Bingyuan.

Tonight, things are clearly different in Ba Shang Town.

During the day, a large number of cold-resistant troops arrived from various places. Shortly after nightfall, the two thousand fully armed Zhenyu soldiers who had been stationed at the Baisong camp in the east also returned to the town.

As spring arrives and the river warms, those living in the town are naturally the ones who feel the change in atmosphere most strongly.

As many people watched wave after wave of the Cold-resistant class soldiers and the army entering the town, their mood grew heavy, and they could only speculate wildly.

"What are you doing?"

"Why did the army return out of nowhere?"

"Are we going to war with Jiangxia?"

"Jiangxia is fighting against Dajue Temple, how could they possibly be fighting against us again?"

"I don't know, but it seems the town chief has summoned a lot of people to the lord's hall."

"Something big is definitely going to happen. Let's stock up on more meat and grain!"

………………

"Township Chief, Jiangxia offered no resistance whatsoever. All the village-level camps surrounding Xu Yang's main camp have been taken over by Dajue Temple. Their 90,000 troops have all entered Xu Yang, and the area within a three-kilometer radius of the main camp is under guard. We can no longer gather any information."

boom!
Ba Shang, Main Hall

"what…………"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Fanyun's face flushed crimson. He slammed his fist on the table in front of him, roaring, "Those traitors of Jiangxia! In their attempt to sue for peace, they actually ceded the Xuyang camp and deliberately sealed off the town to prevent the news from spreading! How despicable... how despicable... cough cough..."

The redness on his face was clearly abnormal, not only due to anger and emotional outburst. He coughed several times as he spoke, and a small amount of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Although he quickly wiped it away, it was still noticed by many people below.

"Commander, there's no need to get angry. Dajue Temple is only stationed in Xuyang; they may not necessarily be targeting us. The most urgent task is to send a large army to Zouyang's camp to keep an eye on things, just in case. Then, we should inform the other towns that if Dajue Temple really attacks our Bashang, we'll need their help!"

The town chief, Xiang Tianlin, spoke, but as soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the hall, including the military chief, Xiang Fanyun, immediately turned to look at him with strange expressions and a hint of embarrassment.

Xiang Tianlin clearly understood the meaning in everyone's eyes, and said without batting an eye, "During the attack on Jiangxia by Dajue Temple, none of the six towns helped. It wasn't just my Bashang. Dajue Temple has wolfish ambitions. Such leniency will surely lead to disaster. I think the eight towns know what is more important."

Upon hearing his nephew's words, Xiang Fanyun lowered his brows and after a long while spoke in a deep voice: "Alright, then you will personally go to request aid from the Eight Towns this time."

If the three towns of Jiangxia are fighting like this against Dajue Temple, how can Bashang possibly fight?
Seeking help was the only way out, even though he knew that Xiang Tianlin's words were complete nonsense. He had no choice but to try anything.

"We must send the three towns. Tianlin's request for help will most likely fail. We still need to send our eldest brother to the three northern towns!"

Xiang Fanyun pondered for a while, then stood up and walked towards the lord's quarters at the back of the main hall.

………………

The eighth year of the Great Xia Dynasty, February 20th, daytime

The waterway spanning 15 kilometers from Wuyuan, located on the eastern side.

A steel boat, more than twenty meters long, drifted silently on the dark water.

Xia Hong, dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat, sat alone at the bow of the boat.

He was holding a pure silver fishing rod with a silver-white transparent fishing line attached to the front. The line was about two centimeters in diameter; it was more like a fishing rope than a fishing line.

The thickness of the snow on his straw hat showed that he had been maintaining this posture for a long time.

"Another day for the Air Force..."

After a long while, Xia Hong sighed softly, then suddenly pulled up the fishing line. Looking at the yellowish-white powdery bait on the line, he frowned slightly.

"The powder bait that Mu Dong developed is made by mixing low- to mid-grade animal bones and berries together. It requires a large-scale groundbaiting to attract underwater cold beasts. It's not attractive enough for fishing. Does that mean we really have to use bait made of jade bones to fish?"

Using jade bones as bait would be far too expensive.

Xia Hong shook his head slightly, but considering that it had only taken a little over four months for the Great Xia to develop the waters, he felt relieved.

“A large number of high-level hunting teams have come to Wuyuan. Mu Dong is leading people to test various baits every day. Given enough time, they will eventually find suitable baits. If we don’t use them now, we will eventually be able to take them down.”

He turned his head and looked at the Great Xia hunting team on another iron boat three or four kilometers to the west, who were busy fishing. He chuckled and put away his fishing rod. Then he stepped onto the water, pushed the boat hard, and drifted eastward for another hundred meters or so. He found a new spot and continued fishing.

To facilitate fishing and hunting, the Great Xia Dynasty has deployed three iron boats in this 15-kilometer stretch of water. A fourth boat is under construction. The one he is currently on is newly built, and a few chains are still incomplete, so it cannot be used for fishing or hunting for the time being. He had nothing to do these past two days, so he had the craftsmen make this fishing rod and came here to enjoy the long-lost feeling of fishing.

This fishing rod is made of high-grade silver, and the fishing line is made of a mixture of high-grade dragon tendon and silver wire, which can withstand a tensile force of about twenty strands.

In terms of fishing equipment, Xia Hong has gone all out. Unless he encounters a beast king, he's willing to catch any aquatic or cold-blooded beast that dares to take the bait.

Unfortunately, he fished for two days but caught nothing.

"The bait is no good, it has nothing to do with my fishing skills!"

Xia Hong shook his head, yanked the fishing line hard, and prepared to try again.

Tap tap tap...

However, he was quickly interrupted this time.

Xia Chuan, dressed in white, walked across the water from the shore. When he saw Xia Hong still sitting on the boat fishing, a strange look appeared in his eyes.

"Two days, brother, and you still haven't caught a single one?"

"Cough cough cough... Mind your own business, Mu Dong's bait is terrible."

Xia Hong coughed lightly a few times, pulled up the fishing line, took off his straw hat, and seeing the obvious excitement on Xia Chuan's face, asked with a slight change of heart, "Is there any new progress in the battle of Ba Shang?"

Xia Chuan had obviously come to talk to him about this matter. He nodded emphatically and said with a happy face, "After the fall of Zou Yang's camp ten days ago, Qing Gu's camp was lost in Ba Shang last night. More than half of the territory has fallen. So far, nineteen village-level camps have been lost. Moreover, the army of Da Jue Temple has not stopped. They have already sent scouts to spy on Jiu Qu's camp. Just as I guessed, Da Jue Temple is really aiming to destroy Ba Shang Town this time."

Xia Hong had predicted half a month ago that Dajue Temple's attack on Ba Shang would not be like its attack on Jiangxia. Instead, it would fight all the way to the town and eventually destroy Ba Shang.

Now it seems that's really the case.

Ba Shang Town has a smaller territory than Jiangxia. There are only forty village-level camps in the entire area, and only four major camps: Baisong, Zouyang, Qinggu, and Jiuqu. Now two of them have fallen. Baisong is located at the foot of Mo'ao Mountain to the east, while Jiuqu is located to the north of the town, which can be considered the last line of defense.

The fact that Dajue Temple sent people to spy on Jiuqu has confirmed that Xia Hong's assertion half a month ago was correct.

Xia Chuan looked at Xia Hong, a hint of admiration appearing on his face.

"Brother, you're amazing! Even the peace plea from Ba Shang was useless. Ten days ago, Zou Yang's camp fell, and Xiang Fanyun personally came to sue for peace the very next day. Although we don't know the specifics of the negotiations, it seems that Dajue Temple completely ignored him!"

Xia Hong smiled and said, "Ba Shang doesn't understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.' Jiangxia was beaten so badly a while ago, and Ba Shang, as a neighbor, refused to help at all. On the contrary, Yang Qu and Long Gu sent troops, and Jiangxia deliberately blocked the news of ceding Xu Yang. It's obvious that they want to harm them. Now they can only suffer in silence."

After Dajue Temple's series of actions, the Nine Towns have completely fallen apart. Ba Shang has nowhere to turn for help, and ceding territory to make peace is also futile; the only path left is to fight Dajue Temple to the death.

"Even if they fight desperately, can they win?"

The five great masters of Dajue Temple, eight hundred monks, and as February passed, the number of monks with hair began to increase sharply again.

It seems that destruction is the only path for Ba Shang.

Suddenly, Xia Chuan thought of something and said, "Is there another way?"

Xia Hong's expression flickered slightly, and he immediately understood.

“Dajue Temple is a force controlled by monsters. Those below may not understand, but do you think the Xiang brothers, Xiang Fuhai and Xiang Fanyun, and so many high-ranking officials in Ba Shang Town are not? Surrendering means completely standing on the opposite side of the Eight Towns.”

"But that's the only way to survive, it's better than annihilation, isn't it?"

Xia Hong shook his head without replying, then changed the subject and asked, "Any new developments in Muyin Town?"

"Not yet. Murong Chui has probably made contact with people from Bei Shuo, but hasn't made up his mind yet. Brother, are you planning to start with Muyin Town?"

Xia Hong's eyes flickered slightly as he said, "It's not that I want to, but we can only start with Muyin Town. Let's not even talk about the three northern towns. Jiangxia, Yangqu, and Longgu are allied. Chuishan has an ambiguous relationship with Beishuo, and Bashang is on the verge of collapse. At present, Muyin Town is the only breakthrough point."

"Jinshan and Wuchuan are eyeing us covetously, and Beishuo, though seemingly trying to win us over, is actually also plotting to annex us. The other five towns in Zhongnan are preoccupied with their own problems. Murong Chui is now in a dilemma and has nowhere to turn."

Xia Chuan, having managed intelligence in Wuyuan, was well aware of Mu Yin's predicament.

Hearing his words, a dark glint flashed in Xia Hong's eyes, and he said in a low voice, "At this moment, if someone were to help Mu Yin without asking for anything in return, what do you think their reaction would be?"

Xia Chuan immediately understood, his expression brightening: "What Big Brother means is..."

(End of this chapter)