Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 383 What exactly is Chuishan? Ruthless destruction, bad news piling up, the Six Garrisons in panic.
The 29th day of the fourth month in the eighth year of the Great Xia Dynasty
Fengshan is actually a small snow-capped mountain with an altitude of over 300 meters.

Because the mountain rises abruptly from the snow-covered forest and has a pointed shape, Jiangxia simply named it Fengshan (Peak Mountain) for convenience.

Fengshan and Hongguan are only about 20 kilometers apart. Logically speaking, there is no need to set up a large camp here. However, considering that the Fengshan camp was set up first in Jiangxia, while the Hongguan camp was set up later after the exploration of the Hengjiang area, it can be understood.

Fengshan Camp is located on the north side of this mountain.

The location of the camp reveals that Jiangxia's core purpose in setting up the camp here was to defend against Chuishan Town to the north.

Unfortunately, despite all the precautions, they ultimately failed to prevent it.

With Duan Chang leading two garrison troops to occupy this place last night, the Fengshan camp will henceforth belong to Chuishan.

However, Duan Chang was never happy after taking over Fengshan.

For example, even though it was already dawn, Duan Chang, inside the main tent of the camp, hadn't dared to close his eyes, his face clearly showing fear and panic.

Of course, he wasn't the only one. The other dozen or so army commanders in the main tent, all clad in thousand-times-forged armor, had similar expressions.

Suddenly, a man rushed in from outside, looking even more panicked than the people inside. He said with alarm, "Lord Duan, we've arrived! The enemy has arrived! They're only three kilometers from the camp and will be there in a few minutes."

boom!
Duan Chang slammed his fist on the table, stood up abruptly, and gritted his teeth, saying, "This is outrageous! We've already given them Hongguan Pass, and they still dare to press on Fengshan. Does the Great Xia really think our Chuishan is made of mud? Commander of the Eighth Battalion, go and inform everyone that Yuhan-class soldiers will come with me to meet the enemy. The rest of you, stay in the barracks and get ready."

"I obey my orders!"

Eight people immediately stepped out of the room and bowed in response. Although their voices were loud, the somber expressions on their faces when they came out of the main tent showed that they were not optimistic.

The four people remaining inside were even more visibly distressed, their expressions extremely unpleasant.

"My lord, if we engage them in battle during the day, we will be outnumbered, and both of our commanders have been captured by the Great Xia. We have no chance of winning no matter how we fight!"

Finally, it was one of the deputy commanders, Duan Yang, who spoke hesitantly.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Duan Chang immediately reprimanded him.

"So we'll just give up if we don't have a chance of winning? The commander's orders to us were to capture the four major camps of Hongguan, Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang. Now Hongguan has been captured by Daxia, and Longzhou and Xuyang have been taken over by Jiangxia. We can't even hold Fengshan. What are we going to tell the commander when he arrives?"

Duan Yang's expression froze, and the words he was about to say were immediately swallowed back down.

"There are only two hours in total during the day. We have more than 700 cold-resistant soldiers and more than 1,600 soldiers in the barracks. Although they cannot go out to fight, they can still threaten the enemy by shooting arrows with powerful bows from inside the barracks. Moreover, I have already sent someone to the town to deliver a message. As soon as the lord and the military commander receive the news, they will come to support us immediately. What is there to be afraid of!"

Thinking back to what happened last night, Duan Chang felt a burning hatred.

After escaping death from Hongguan Camp last night, his first thought was to lead more than 300 Yuhan-class soldiers back to Jiangyan Camp, prepare to report the situation of Daxia to Zhencheng, and then find a way to rescue Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan.

But he quickly realized that although Hongguan had been captured, there were still three large camps behind it: Fengshan, Longzhou, and Xuyang. He had already inexplicably had two commanders captured. If he failed to capture any of the four large camps, he would definitely not be able to explain himself to the military commander Mu Longhe when he returned.

So he immediately changed his mind. While sending someone back to deliver the message, he led more than 300 Cold-resistant soldiers to change course and come to Fengshan, successfully occupying the place.

He set off at dawn yesterday, so he only brought more than 300 cold-resistant soldiers. The more than 1600 garrison troops could only set off at night. After confirming that Hongguan had been occupied by the Great Xia, he naturally sent someone to inform the more than 1600 people to change their route and come to the Fengshan camp first.

Of course, he did not forget the terrifying strength of the Great Xia army. Just in case, he also transferred all the available cold-resistant troops around Jiang Yan's camp, totaling more than 400 people.

He hadn't expected these four hundred-plus men to be of any use. Given Jiangxia's current situation, even if they knew that Fengshan Camp had been occupied by Chuishan, they would never dare to bring troops to attack it. And the suddenly appearing Daxia had already occupied Hongguan Camp, so they shouldn't have continued to provoke Chuishan and come to attack Fengshan.

But he never expected that the Great Xia would actually dare to go so far!
With such a terrifying army just over 20 kilometers away, how could he not send scouts to keep an eye on them?

The Hongguan camp was heavily guarded, and the scouts he sent out dared not get too close. Although they could not observe much of the specific situation inside the barracks, they could still clearly see the army leaving the camp en masse. Half an hour ago, the scouts returned to report that the golden-armored army was marching rapidly toward the Fengshan camp. He was still a little incredulous at the time. After sending out three waves of scouts to confirm the military situation, he began to panic.

"They marched over twenty kilometers in half an hour; it must be that cold-weather-grade army. They deliberately chose daytime to attack Fengshan. Where did this Great Xia come from from..."

Duan Chang's face was extremely ugly. To this day, he still couldn't figure out where this Great Xia had come from.

"Only three northern families in the entire Nine Towns have the strength and resources to form a cold-resistant army. Therefore, it is basically certain that the Great Xia is an external force. An external force dares to take the initiative to invade the border mountains and arbitrarily interfere in the territory of the Nine Towns!"

Given the number of cold-resistant units in the nine towns, let alone a thousand-strong army, each town could probably muster at least four or five such units. The problem is that each town cannot possibly recruit all of its cold-resistant units into the army.

For the town to function properly, normal hunting and gathering activities cannot be stopped. The various institutions in the town and all the jurisdictions within its territory also need people to govern them. All of these things must be done by the Cold-resistant class.

Joining the army is different from other things. Once you become a soldier and a member of the army, you can't leave the camp at will.

Moreover, maintaining a large army requires a considerable amount of daily resources, including armor, weapons, healing pills, cultivation supplies, and so on.

Considering all these factors, among the nine towns of Mo'ao Mountain, only the three northern towns, with the strongest military force, could field troops equipped with cold-weather gear.

As the deputy commander of Chuishan Town, Duan Chang naturally knew a lot. He was well aware that the three northern towns had secretly cultivated an elite army composed entirely of soldiers of the Cold-Weather Rank.

Now, this suddenly emerging Great Xia also has it.

"We've found the Achilles' heel of their extraterritorial forces. I refuse to believe that they'd dare to risk public condemnation and continue attacking our borderlands before they've even secured this Great Xia Pass!"

Last night, the two commanders north of Hongguan were captured by the people of Daxia. At most, it can only be considered a minor conflict. Now that Daxia is leading its troops to press on Fengshan, if they dare to make a move, it would be considered an open declaration of war against Chuishan Town, or even the nine towns of Mo'ao.

"Hmph! I don't believe Great Xia has the guts to go out and meet them!"

Duan Chang snorted coldly, then waved to the four people inside the tent and led the way out of the tent. More than 700 fully armed Yuhan-class soldiers had already assembled outside the tent. After leaving the tent, he didn't say anything unnecessary and directly led the army to the only exit on the north side of the barracks.

The Fengshan camp only had one entrance and exit, the North Gate. When Duan Chang led his men to the gate, the Great Xia army in golden armor was just over 300 meters away from the camp.

"Stop!"

Clang...

A young man in white robes, who was not wearing armor, shouted at the front of the enemy ranks. The thousands of soldiers in golden armor immediately stopped in their tracks, and thousands of weapons slammed to the ground, producing a chilling clang.

Upon seeing this scene, not only the others in Chuishan Town, but even the deputy commander Duan Chang himself, had their pupils suddenly contract, their faces filled with horror and shock.

Although he realized last night that this army was very strong, his perception of their strength was more about their cultivation level.

Last night's exchange was too brief to reveal much.

But now that the army has appeared before them, this single act of stopping speaks volumes. Duan Chang, a seasoned commander, understands the significance of such discipline and obedience.

At the front of the army, five golden-armored soldiers were guarding a flagpole about eight meters high, on which hung a black banner two meters wide and four meters long. On the front of the banner was a large golden character "夏" (Xia), and on the back was embroidered a golden dragon soaring through the clouds. The banner fluttered in the cold wind of the day, and the dragon seemed to be soaring through the clouds, its momentum as imposing as a rainbow.

Duan Chang's gaze slowly moved down from the flag, finally settling on the white-clad youth at the forefront of the army, his pupils filled with apprehension.

The young man in white was the one who, along with three other golden-armored generals, captured Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan last night. Duan Chang knew very well that he was able to escape smoothly last night because the young man in white acted a little late. If the other party had acted earlier, his final fate would probably have been the same as Duan Xu and Mu Zichuan.

"Duan Chang, Deputy Commander of Chuishan Town, may I ask your esteemed name?"

At the front of the Yunjiao Army, Xia Chuan heard Duan Chang bow and introduce himself, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. He knew almost everything about the situation in the entire Nine Towns, and naturally knew everything about Jiang Yan's camp. He had even guessed Duan Chang's identity when they made their move last night.

Since the other party had spoken, he naturally couldn't be impolite, so he smiled and cupped his hands in response, "Xia Chuan, the Grand Secretary of the Great Xia Dynasty, greets Deputy Commander Duan!"

Although Duan Chang was unsure of the exact position of the Director of the Imperial Guard in the Great Xia Dynasty, he knew that the person in charge of an army composed entirely of Cold-resistant soldiers was no ordinary individual. His brows furrowed, and he angrily questioned, "Director of the Imperial Guard, the Great Xia Dynasty came from beyond the borders. Without even inquiring about the Nine Garrisons, they arbitrarily occupied Hongguan Pass. Last night, they captured two of my commanders, and now they are leading a large army to advance on the territory of Chuishan. Do they intend to start a war with the Nine Garrisons of Mo'ao?"

What a huge hat!
Xia Chuan's smile remained unchanged, his gaze fixed on Duan Chang. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "I remember that Fengshan, like Hongguan, belonged to Jiangxia territory. When did it become your Chuishan?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Chang's expression froze. The long speech he had prepared was instantly stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

However, he reacted quickly and organized his words, replying: "Fengshan was indeed Jiangxia territory before, but it was seized by Dajue Temple at the beginning of the year. Now that Dajue Temple has been destroyed, Fengshan has naturally become a no-man's land. Now that it has been occupied by my Chuishan, it is of course Chuishan territory."

"Then why should our Great Xia, having occupied Hongguan, concern itself with the Nine Towns?"

Xia Chuan, intending to tease Duan Chang, deliberately cut him off with a remark.

"The nine towns are of one spirit and connected branches, the entire southern foothills of Mount Mo'ao..."

Duan Chang's expression froze halfway through his sentence, and he couldn't continue.

He wanted to use the phrase "the nine towns are of one spirit" to retort to Xia Chuan, but the problem was that Chui Shan was currently occupying Jiangxia territory, so how could he have the nerve to say such a thing?

"What, have you run out of things to say?"

Xia Chuan looked at Duan Chang with a mocking expression, his face full of ridicule.

Duan Chang's face flushed instantly. The main reason was that Xia Chuan was too young, probably not even thirty years old, while he was already over sixty. To be ridiculed by a young junior in such a condescending manner, especially in front of more than seven hundred Yu Han level soldiers, how could he, as the deputy commander of Chuishan Town, save face?

Enraged, he roared, "Enough with the nonsense! The Nine Towns once signed an alliance that forbids any foreign power from interfering in even an inch of their territory. Whether your Great Xia can hold Hongguan Pass is another matter entirely. If you dare to attack my Fengshan camp today, you are declaring war on my Chuishan Town..."

What exactly is Chuishan?

Duan Chang was interrupted by Xia Chuan before he could finish speaking.

Xia Chuan deliberately turned his head to say this to Liu Yuan beside him.

Liu Yuan immediately understood and burst into laughter: "Hahaha, that fool who was getting beaten back by Dajue Temple in Jiangxia Town, and whose Bashang Town was even wiped out, and who just stood by watching the show, now actually wants to use the tiger skin of the Nine Towns to intimidate my Great Xia, hahahahaha..."

"Hahahahahaha..."

"Hahahahaha..."

All the soldiers of the Cloud Dragon Army were at the Cold Protection level. To some extent, cultivation level meant authority. When they were stationed in Wuyuan, they already knew everything about Dajue Temple and Jiuzhen. So when Liu Yuan spoke, all the soldiers of the Cloud Dragon Army burst into laughter, their voices filled with mockery and contempt.

Now it wasn't just Duan Chang who was affected; even the more than seven hundred Chuishan Cold-Resistant level warriors behind him instantly turned red in the face.

Duan Chang's chest heaved, clearly on the verge of exploding in rage. He repeatedly pointed at Xia Jun, his pupils almost spitting fire.

"Silence!"

Once the army had finished laughing, Xia Chuan raised his hand to signal them to stop, and the soldiers immediately shut their mouths.

Xia Chuan looked up at the furious Duan Chang, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes. He had no intention of wasting any more words and sneered, "I'm not going to waste any more words with you. I, the Commander, have led the army here to reclaim Jiangxia's lost territory. Fengshan does not belong to your Chuishan Town. I'm giving you a hundred breaths to get out of the Fengshan camp with your seven hundred men. As long as all the soldiers in the camp hand over their weapons and armor, I can let them leave after nightfall. Listen carefully, only a hundred breaths!"

After Xia Chuan finished speaking, he waved his hand sharply behind him.

"one two three…………"

The entire Yunjiao Army behind him gathered their qi and blood, faced the direction of the Fengshan camp, and shouted in unison.

The plan is to count from one to one hundred right in front of them.

"Xia Chuan, how dare you show such contempt for this old man!"

Duan Chang looked at Xia Chuan, his anger already reaching its peak.

"Twenty-one...twenty-two...twenty-three..."

Xia Chuan completely ignored him. Only the roar of the thousand Cloud Dragon Army gathered their auras and grew stronger. As the number increased, the anger in Duan Chang and the more than seven hundred people behind him intensified.

"Fire arrows!"

Being so blatantly disrespected by the Great Xia, Duan Chang finally couldn't suppress his overwhelming rage. At this point, he was completely at a disadvantage, and if he chose to retreat now, he would lose all face.

"There's still an hour and a half until nightfall. With 700 cold-resistant soldiers and over 1,600 archers in the camp, we can hold out for a while. As long as we can get through the night, we'll be fine. Besides, the lord and the military commander will come to our aid at any time. I don't believe these scoundrels can defeat me in an hour and a half!"

Swish swish swish…………

"Scout battalion raises shields, Ninth Battalion fires arrows!"

The moment Duan Chang shouted for the arrows to be released, Xia Chuan's pupils immediately flashed with joy. He had already given the order before the enemy's arrow rain even began.

The scouts were already standing at the front. At Xia Chuan's command, they immediately put down their weapons and raised the golden round shields on their backs to protect their heads.

The nine hundred men of the ninth battalion in the rear quickly raised their longbows, drew one silver arrow after another from their quivers, nocked them, and unleashed a furious barrage of arrows at Duan Chang's group of over seven hundred men.

Swish swish swish…………

One side had over 700 people, and the other side had over 900. The two waves of arrows were actually not that different in size, and their colors were also similar, both being silver.

However, after the mid-air collision, the expressions of Duan Chang's group changed instantly.

The airflow generated by Xia Jun's arrow barrage actually caused the arrows they fired to fall wildly to both sides.

Pfft...

As their own arrow barrage was destroyed, the Great Xia's arrow rain continued to pour in, and finally, someone on Duan Chang's side was hit.

The man grunted, pulled an arrow from his armor, examined it for a moment, then his pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Silver! All their arrows are silver!"

Arrows made of silver?

Duan Chang's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he shouted, "Retreat to the barracks!"

When he first saw that the arrows on both sides were silver, he subconsciously assumed that the Great Xia also used thousand-forged iron arrows.

How can you fight with arrows made of silver?
"Now you want to retreat? All troops, advance and get close to the main camp!"

At Xia Chuan's command, the scouts in the front row slung their round shields behind their backs, took out their longbows, and joined the archery ranks.

As the army advanced, they continued to shoot arrows, forcing Duan Chang and his men back into the barracks. The Yunjiao Army also successfully entered the camp through the north gate.

Swoosh...

As soon as we entered the camp, iron arrows were shot out from many of the barracks on both sides.

Xia Chuan raised his sword to deflect two iron arrows aimed at his face, turned to look at the barracks, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and loudly ordered:
"Wang Yuan, lead the scout battalion to destroy those barracks where people are hiding."

"I obey my orders!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Wang Yuan, the captain of the scout battalion, led ninety-nine elite scouts, discarding their bows and drawing their weapons, and charged toward the barracks where people were hiding.

Clang... Clang...

The soldiers of the Zhenyu Army in the barracks were not stupid. When they saw some Xia soldiers rushing towards them, they quickly changed their targets and tried to shoot arrows to block them.

However, when their iron arrows struck the armor of the Yunjiao soldiers, they all fell off without exception. They couldn't even leave a white mark on the surface of the armor, let alone penetrate it.

Wang Yuan, the captain of the scout battalion, was the first to rush to the vicinity of a barracks. He revealed a sinister smile and charged at the barracks in front of him.

boom…………

The barracks used a lot of iron, making them sturdier than ordinary houses, but expecting them to withstand a full-force impact from a cold-resistant weapon was clearly unrealistic.

Moreover, Wang Yuan was at the late stage of the Cold Control realm, with a strength of twelve manes.

He smashed a two-meter-high hole in the wall of the barracks.

call…………

"what……"

"what!"

A chilling aura, accompanied by a cold glint, instantly rushed in. Inside the barracks, the soldiers of the Chuishan Town Garrison screamed in agony. Some desperately tried to rush out and stop Wang Yuan, but their actions were futile, given their limited strength and circumstances.

Bang bang bang…………

Wang Yuan was having a great time destroying things. In less than ten breaths, without even lifting a finger, the twenty or thirty soldiers in the barracks were frozen to death by the cold light pouring in from outside. Not only him, but the other ninety-nine scout soldiers were not far behind.

The more than 1600 garrison troops of Chuishan Town were roughly distributed in more than 80 barracks near the main tent. Before they could be counted as three or four hundred, all of these barracks were destroyed by the scouts.

"what……"

"Commander, save me!"

"what……"

………………

For a moment, screams echoed throughout the entire camp.

"You beast, you beast, you beast! Ah, you treacherous dog of the Great Xia Dynasty!"

Duan Chang's furious voice was no less loud than the screams of agony.

He and his seven hundred-plus Cold-resistant soldiers were pinned down around the main tent by the Great Xia Ninth Battalion's bone-piercing arrows, unable to reach the barracks area to provide support. They could only watch as their soldiers died one after another.

He brandished his broadsword with furious eyes, knocking away the arrows in front of him. Turning his head, he saw the desolate barracks all around him and realized that the two garrison armies he had painstakingly built up over the years were all going to perish here today. His heart bled uncontrollably.

Of course, what he felt most deeply was hatred for the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Alright, discard your bows and follow me to fight the enemy!"

The battle has lasted for no more than four hundred breaths. In addition, the arrows fired by the Yunjiao Army's Ninth Battalion were only to suppress Duan Chang's more than seven hundred men, so the firing rate was not fast. In fact, the quiver behind everyone was not yet emptied.

Upon hearing Xia Chuan's order, the Ninth Battalion of the Yunjiao Army quickly abandoned their bows, drew their weapons, and roared as they charged toward the main tent area.

At the same time, Wang Yuan also led the scout battalion back to the team.

In the scout camp, five flag bearers rushed out immediately. The leading flag bearer, holding the Cloud Dragon Army Flag, and under the cover of the four deputy flag bearers, rushed all the way to the main tent and slammed the flag into the ground.

"kill!"

"Come on!"

…………

As soon as the military flag fell to the ground, a thousand soldiers of the Cold-Weather Protection level rushed toward the main tent area.

Although the soldiers were roaring and shouting, seemingly out of control, a closer look would reveal that they had not lost their formation. Three hundred men wielding giant longswords stood at the forefront, six hundred horizontal sword soldiers were positioned on both flanks, and the remaining one hundred elite scout soldiers were scattered around the main army, focusing on dealing with the stronger enemies.

The entire army was like a sharp knife, piercing straight into the center of the main tent, which held over seven hundred soldiers, following the position of the military flag.

Once the battle began, the Yunjiao Army moved with unstoppable force, completely occupying the main camp area in less than a quarter of an hour. They routed Duan Chang's more than 700 men, who retreated in disarray towards the east side of the main camp.

"We can't compete with bows and arrows, we can't compete with armor, and we can't compete with cultivation..."

"We can't fight, sir, we simply can't fight. If we don't retreat now, we'll all die."

"Let's retreat, sir. The Xia army is too strong; we can't defeat them."

………………

Hearing the screams of those around him, Duan Chang's pupils instantly turned bloodshot. He wanted to roar and shout, but seeing the people falling one by one and his own side showing signs of defeat, he held back his words.

"withdraw!"

"Retreat? Do you think you can even retreat?"

call…………

No sooner had Duan Chang finished speaking than a black blade suddenly slashed down from above his head. A look of horror appeared on his face, and he hurriedly raised his sword to defend himself.

Clang...

"Over fifty years old, how could that be..."

The moment Duan Chang felt the immense force of the blade between his thumb and forefinger, his pupils dilated violently, and his face instantly turned ashen.

Boom!

Although his silver-forged greatsword successfully blocked the opponent's blade, the bones in his wrist were shattered, and his hand holding the sword instantly lost its strength, causing the greatsword to slam down on his head.

boom…………

Duan Chang, the deputy commander of the army, who was at the peak of the Cold Control realm and had a strength of thirty-two hairs, was actually killed by that white-robed young man from the Great Xia with a single strike.

At least half of the Cold-resistant level warriors were killed in the battle at Chui Mountain, leaving only a little over three hundred survivors. Everyone turned to look at Xia Chuan in white standing on Duan Chang's corpse, their eyes filled with shock and horror.

Xia Chuan held a black knife in his hand. His already indifferent face, combined with the three blood-red vertical lines between his eyebrows, made him appear even more cold and ruthless.

"Lay down your weapons, surrender and you will not be killed; those who resist will be executed!"

Of course, it was impossible for all three hundred people to lay down their weapons and surrender, but the scene of Xia Chuan killing Duan Chang had shocked most of them. As soon as he finished speaking, at least thirty or forty people dropped their weapons.

The remaining people had basically given up the will to resist; only a few of the stronger ones were still trying to escape out of the camp.

Xia Chuan turned to look at the group of people, a dark glint in his eyes. He didn't lead his men to chase after them, but instead led Liu Yuan and the others to continue clearing out the remaining enemy forces in the camp.

Soon, the great battle was drawing to a close.

"Reporting to the Chief of Staff, in this battle, a total of 2102 enemy soldiers were killed and 252 were captured alive, all of whom were at the Cold Resistance level. Our army suffered 3 dead, 19 seriously wounded, and 42 lightly wounded."

Deputy Commander Liu Yuan, along with ten battalion captains, quickly tallied up the battle results and their own casualties.

Upon hearing this number, a look of satisfaction immediately appeared on Xia Chuan's face.

"Over the past six months, I have witnessed almost every major battle between Jiangxia and Bashang towns and Dajue Temple. The Nine Towns' army is not on the same level as Great Xia in terms of soldiers' equipment and combat tactics. I am confident that I can crush them even if we are of equal cultivation level, let alone the fact that the Yunjiao Army has personally mobilized."

Xia Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. Although today's battle benefited from the daytime light, it was still possible to see the difference in strength between the armies of Great Xia and the Nine Garrisons.

With 1000 against 700, in terms of cultivation, the Great Xia didn't really have much of an advantage. They only had less than 300 more men, and the casualties they suffered already speak volumes.

"Liu Yuan, go to the Longzhou camp..."

Xia Chuan turned his head, about to give Liu Yuan an order, but before he could finish speaking, he sensed something, his brows furrowed, and he abruptly turned his head to look at the east side of the camp.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then quickly guessed what it was. A smile appeared on his face, and he cupped his hands and said, "May I ask if you are a friend from Jiangxia?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Yunjiao soldiers, who had just finished preparing, immediately went on alert and all raised their longbows to aim at the east side.

The entire camp was completely silent, with only the sound of the cold wind howling past.

The scene remained frozen for more than ten breaths before five figures slowly emerged from the snow-covered forest on the east side of the camp.

Seeing the leader dressed in gold with his left arm hanging limply at his sides, Xia Chuan's pupils narrowed slightly. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "Xia Chuan, the Grand Minister of the Great Xia Dynasty, greets Lord Xiahou!"

I recognized myself at a glance.

Xiahou Zhang looked at the thousand Yunjiao soldiers before him, his eyes still showing surprise. He remained silent for four or five breaths before slightly bowing to Xia Chuan and replying, "You're too kind, Xia Sicheng."

After he finished speaking, he gestured to the four people behind him.

"Jiang Xinfan, the town head of Jiangxia, greets Xia Chuan, the magistrate!"

"Jiang Yuanlong, the military leader of Jiangxia, greets you."

"Xiahou Ying, Deputy Commander of Jiangxia Army".

"Jiang Xia, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Jiang Yuandong."

The look of astonishment on Jiang Xinfan and the other three was far more exaggerated than that on Xiahou Zhang's face.

As they introduced themselves to Xia Chuan, their eyes never left the Yunjiao soldiers, their gazes filled with shock, horror, fear, and deep envy.

"You've all arrived at the perfect time. I don't need to send anyone to inform you. Let's return this Fengshan camp to its rightful owner!"

Upon hearing Xia Chuan's words, a complex expression flashed across the faces of Xiahou Zhang and the other four.

Although they had already guessed it when they saw Xia Jun attacking Fengshan Camp, they were still inexplicably moved when they heard Xia Chuan say that he would return Fengshan Camp to Jiangxia.

"Lord Xiahou, my brother plans to host a banquet for the eight lords of the garrison at Hongguan tonight. Judging by the time, the other seven lords should be arriving soon. As for the matter at the Fengshan camp, we can send our subordinates to handle it. Lord Xiahou, why don't you come with us to Hongguan for the banquet now? My brother will be very happy to see you, Lord Xiahou."

A banquet was held to entertain the lords of the eight towns!

Xiahou Zhang's pupils narrowed slightly upon hearing this, and the phrase "no banquet is ever a good banquet" instantly came to mind. After a moment's thought, he nodded.

"Alright, Yuan Dong, go back to Long Zhou camp and prepare. After nightfall, immediately lead your men to occupy Feng Shan camp. Xin Fan, Yuan Long, and Xiahou Ying, the three of you will come with me to Hong Guan for the banquet."

"I obey my orders!"

After agreeing, Jiang Yuandong immediately turned and left to the east, while the remaining three followed Xiahou Zhang, preparing to return to Hongguan with the Yunjiao Army.

The Yunjiao Army gained a great deal from this battle: 2,300 sets of thousand-forged armor, along with matching bows and arrows, 252 prisoners of the Cold-resistant level, and various supplies they were carrying.

The Fengshan camp can be left to Jiangxia, but these prisoners and supplies are spoils of war, so naturally they must be brought back to Hongguan without missing a single item.

The Yunjiao Army moved swiftly and quickly finished packing up. With about half an hour left before dawn, Xia Chuan gave the order, and the army began their return journey.

Not long after the army embarked on its return journey, Xiahou Zhang, who was walking alongside Xia Chuan, immediately gave Jiang Yuanlong behind him a look.

Jiang Yuanlong understood immediately and cupped his hands in a smile to Xia Chuan, saying, "With such a strong army, the Great Xia must be much stronger than the Nine Garrisons of Mo'ao. If you don't mind, Xia, could you please give us a brief introduction to the situation of the Great Xia, so that we uncultured people can broaden our horizons?"

Xia Chuan turned to look at Jiang Yuanlong, a smile appearing in his eyes. He cupped his hands and replied, "Since our two families are allies, we should treat each other with sincerity. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, and Xia Chuan will answer them truthfully."

Although the two sides have not formally signed an alliance agreement, Jiangxia has just taken over the Fengshan camp from him, which can be considered as a de facto alliance. Xia Chuan is naturally willing to show more goodwill to Jiangxia and others.

Besides, it was just to find out the camp's strength.

Contact between Great Xia and the Nine Towns is inevitable. As the contact deepens day by day, the leakage of the camp's strength is bound to happen. It would be best to inform Xiahou Zhang and the others in advance to curry favor and at the same time reassure Jiangxia Town, so that they will obediently cooperate with Great Xia.

………………

On the third day of the fifth month of the 132nd month of the Moo calendar, shortly after nightfall...

Ba Shang City, Lord's Hall.

The main hall floor was filled with precious elixirs for cultivation, special spiritual materials for forging weapons, exotic spiritual materials for refining pills, and dozens of precious weapons of the 100,000-level forging grade. All sorts of precious materials were on display...

These massive amounts of precious resources were divided into six portions and allocated to six tables in the main hall. Those sitting at the six tables were naturally the twelve Xianyang-level leaders from the six towns of Beishuo, Jinshan, Wuchuan, Yangqu, Chuishan, and Longgu.

The supplies on the ground clearly show that Jinshan and Wuchuan towns have the largest share, while Beishuo, Yangqu, and Longgu have roughly the same amount of supplies. Only Chuishan town received the least.

"Gentlemen, after a night of searching, long discussions, and heated debates, we've finally reached a conclusion. The precious resources in the Ba Shang treasury, including 13,000 tons of silver reserves and the four unexploited silver mines within Ba Shang's territory, have all been distributed!"

As soon as Lord Shangguan Yang of Jinshan spoke, the other five town lords all nodded in agreement.

"From this day forward, Ba Shang City and Bai Song Camp will belong to Chui Shan Town, Jiu Qu to Bei Shuo Town, Zou Yang to Long Gu Town, and Qing Gu to Yang Qu Town. All the territories within Ba Shang will now have owners. Let me make this clear: since this division was agreed upon by the six families, once we leave this hall, no matter what happens afterward, none of the six families can go back on their word. Do you all have any objections?"

The division of the Ba Shang Treasury was clearly orchestrated by Shangguan Yang, and the five lords nodded slightly in agreement upon hearing his words.

"Very well, it's great that everyone agrees. Let's leave the matter of Ba Shang City here. I should return to Jinshan Town now."

Shangguan Yang stood up abruptly, a hint of excitement on his face, and eagerly led Bai Hongwu, the military leader of Jinshan Town, out of the main hall.

The remaining five town lords also led their subordinates out of the main hall, their faces showing varying degrees of gloom.

Many cold-weather supplies have arrived from all six towns. Naturally, these lords, military commanders, and town leaders don't need to carry the supplies distributed from Ba Shang themselves.

The six lords were in high spirits after their successful trip to Ba Shang City. They chatted amongst themselves after leaving the main hall until Shangguan Yang was the first to suggest returning to Jinshan Town. At that point, the others gave up their conversation, bowed, and prepared to leave Ba Shang.

But just then, a man suddenly rushed from outside the city toward the lord's hall. His face was obviously anxious, and his steps were extremely hurried. When he saw the lord of the six towns, he immediately rushed toward the border mountain.

"Duan Xing, what's the rush?"

Lord Duan Hong of Chui Mountain frowned, and Mu Longhe, the military commander beside him, couldn't help but rebuke the newcomer.

"My lord, please forgive me. Commander, please forgive me. I was in a real emergency, which is why I acted so rudely..."

The visitor was Duan Xing, the deputy head of Chuishan Town. He first apologized to the lord and the military leader, and then, seeing that the lords of the other five towns were also present, a troubled look appeared on his face, and he dared not say anything more.

Mu Longhe instantly guessed why Duan Xing was acting this way, and immediately shook his head repeatedly, no longer having the strength to reprimand him.

With all ten Xianyang-level beings here, Duan Xing knew that as long as these ten people didn't leave, he couldn't hide anything from them no matter what he said. His hesitant expression would only make him a laughingstock.

Seeing his junior's poor performance, Duan Hong shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Speak quickly if there's anything wrong. The sky isn't going to fall!"

Duan Xing held back for a long time, clenched his fists, and finally gritted his teeth and leaned forward to whisper to Duan Hong: "Lord, Jiangxia has sent troops to reclaim the two camps of Xuyang and Longzhou. Hongguan has been occupied by a camp called Daxia. Last night, Deputy Commander Duan Chang only led troops to occupy Fengshan. Just now, the Fengshan camp was slaughtered by a golden-armored army sent by Daxia. Two thousand Zhenyu soldiers were wiped out, and more than four hundred Yuhan-level soldiers were also lost. Only a dozen or so Yuhan-level soldiers escaped back. I know the situation is urgent, so I had to come to Bashang to inform the lord and the commander!"

After hearing what he said, Duan Hong and Mu Longhe's expressions changed drastically.

"what?"

"Great Xia? Where did Great Xia come from?"

The other five lords naturally heard Duan Xing's words clearly.

Lord Cao Qianyang of Yangqu and Lord Long Mingyuan of Longgu were stunned after hearing this. However, unlike the two of them, Shangguan Yang, Yang Zun, and Qin Feng immediately realized something and their expressions changed drastically.

Before Duan Xingdu could answer Duan Hong and Mu Longhe's questions, another person rushed in from outside the city and headed straight for Shangguan Yang.

The man's expression was also extremely anxious, but he was much smarter than Duan Xing. After rushing over, he directly cupped his hands to Shangguan Yang and said, "Lord, last night Lord Shangguan Ning led five thousand Zhenyu troops to attack the Yumen camp. Everything was going smoothly at first, but Muyin Town had somehow managed to ambush a golden-armored army in the camp. All the soldiers in that army had the Cold Resistance level of cultivation. Not only were they well-equipped, but their combat skills were also extremely high. We couldn't resist them at all. More than 40% of the five thousand troops were killed, and Lord Shangguan Ning was captured alive."

Snap...

Now it wasn't just Duan Hong and Mu Longhe who were affected; Shangguan Yang and Bai Hongwu also suddenly changed their expressions, which instantly became extremely ugly.

As fate would have it, bad news always seems to come in pairs.

After the people from Chuishan and Jinshan towns arrived, another person came rushing in from outside the city. The remaining four town lords felt a chill run down their spines, fearing that this person was coming to find them.

Soon, as the man hurriedly ran towards Qin Feng, Yang Zun, Cao Qianyang, and Long Mingyuan all relaxed considerably.

Correspondingly, Qin Feng's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Reporting to the lord, Deputy Commander Qin Yuanyi led his troops to capture Fushan last night. At dawn today, the golden-armored army from Muyin attacked. The Deputy Commander had no choice but to surrender, and the entire army is currently being held captive by Muyin Town."

Great Xia, a golden-armored army...

Even if Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan were completely dumbfounded, they would have realized what was happening by now.

Yang Zun had now basically figured out the whole story, and his expression instantly became extremely solemn.

(End of this chapter)