Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 409 The True Strength of Great Xia: Using Intimidation and Coercion to Force Submission, Post-Battle Settlement

The entire Hongmen City fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Before the outcome was decided, the group of players from the South City who were at the Cold Protection level were chatting enthusiastically, and there were even some who made bold guesses about who would win or lose.

But once the outcome was decided, no one dared to speak.

Everyone saw clearly what happened during the battle between the two in the sky.

Yang Zun, the lord of Beishuo, has been defeated!
"how is this possible?"

"The lord has been defeated?"

"How could the lord possibly lose?"

More than 10,000 people in Nancheng looked up at Xia Hong, their faces full of shock. Some of the cold-resistant level people from Beishuo had their pupils dilated and their faces were horrified. A very small number of Beishuo people even began to tremble, muttering "Impossible, impossible" repeatedly, clearly unable to accept the result of Yang Zun's defeat.

Before everyone could recover from their disbelief...

The situation in the sky took another dramatic turn.

No one expected that Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang would be so unruly as to attack Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, both of whom were at the Cold Resistance level.

"They're not going to admit defeat!"

"Before Xia Hong appeared, Liuzhen had already lost a match; Yang Zun's loss to Xia Hong was the second match Liuzhen had lost. Things shouldn't happen more than three times. If they don't get revenge soon, Liuzhen will become a laughing stock."

"Isn't it a bit too much to attack two Cold-Resistant level beings?"

"What's the big deal? As long as we get something in return."

"One is a Grand Secretary of the Great Xia Dynasty, and the other is Xia Hong's younger brother. The other is the Chief of the Military Affairs Department. Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao are currently the two most talented people in the Great Xia Dynasty. It is rumored that they both have top-grade battle physiques. They are the future Manifestation Yang level of the Great Xia Dynasty. Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang are really ruthless!"

"What's the big deal about arresting two people? At most, it's just venting their anger. Didn't you hear what Yang Zun just said? No matter how strong Da Xia is, it's only one town. Xia Hong isn't strong enough to act recklessly on the southern slope of Mo'ao. He's planning to gather the strength of six towns and completely break ties with Da Xia!"

"Will Lord Xia Hong compromise?"

"Highly likely!"

………………

"Losing strength is one thing, but don't lose face and manners along with it. Do you think the Six Garrisons haven't lost enough face today? You've crossed the line and attacked your subordinates. Can you bear the consequences?"

Xia Hong did not answer Yang Zun's question, nor did he look at Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao who were under control. Instead, he stared directly at Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang, and the ten Xianyang-level experts including Yang Zun. His tone was slow and low, and when he finally asked them if they could bear the consequences, his expression had become completely sinister.

Everyone could hear the threat in Xia Hong's tone. Not to mention Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang who had made a move, even the other ten people, including Yang Zun, who hadn't made a move, had their expressions slightly stiffen.

"Of the seven families—the Shangguan family of Jinshan, the Qin and Ye families of Wuchuan, the Yang family of Beishuo, the Duan family of Chuishan, the Cao family of Yangqu, and the Long family of Longgu—the Shangguan family has the most prosperous lineage, currently spanning seven generations. The Qin family is next with six generations. The other five families have at least four generations living together. My Great Xia has risen to prominence in just ten years. Why don't you six lords guess how many relatives I, Xia, have that you can kill?"

When Xia Hong asked the last question, his tone was not only stern, but he also glanced at the people from Nancheng unintentionally, his meaning clear.

Of the nearly 200,000 people gathered in the southern city at this moment, a small portion came from the eight towns, and among them must be direct descendants of the six towns.

As soon as Xia Hong finished speaking, the expressions of the twelve Xianyang-level beings froze.

Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang, in particular, were completely at a loss. When they made their move, they were only thinking about getting revenge today and didn't think about anything else. Now that they had calmed down, they realized that capturing Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao would not only not threaten Xia Hong, but would only bring them trouble. These were clearly two hot potatoes!
"Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang..."

Xia Hong suddenly called out the two men's names in a calm tone, and then, in the next second, he gathered his qi and blood to his throat and roared fiercely, "Release them!"

This roar instantly dispersed the snow mist above Hongmen, startling almost everyone in the southern city.

The key point is that Xia Hong's body seems to have undergone some changes.

After his roar, everyone in Hongmen City could clearly feel the temperature rising rapidly.

Keep in mind, it's daytime right now!
Those at the Cold Resistance level in the South City can sense the chill, but the hundreds of thousands at the Earth Digging level need coal stoves for heating even indoors.

But after Xia Hong's roar, they instantly felt no chill at all. Those Earth-Digging Realm cultivators hiding in the house even felt a bit hot standing by the coal stove.

"Lord Xia Hong, you didn't even unleash your full power just now?"

"That must be it. When those Manifestation-level beings appeared just now, only the temperature around the Siya Building rose. Now it's the entire Hongmen City!"

"How can this be?"

"So you were just playing around with the lords of the Six Towns all along?"

"But Lord Xia Hong's back is indeed injured!"

"What are these injuries to a Xianyang-level being? And even if Lord Xia Hong's injuries are severe, are they as severe as Yang Zun's? Yang Zun has a knife wound in his left chest and a hole in his abdomen, and he is still bleeding!"

………………

Around the Siya Building, the more than 30,000 troops of Daxia, including the Daxia people scattered throughout the city, clearly sensed something and became extremely excited. They all followed behind Xia Hong and roared.

"Release them...release them...release them..."

Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang's faces instantly turned a deep purplish-red, their expressions extremely unpleasant. Shangguan Yang's wrinkled old face even trembled slightly, his anger clearly reaching its peak.

He even twitched his fingers slightly, as if he wanted to do something drastic to Yuwen Tao in his hand.

"It was my oversight that led me to fail to consider this matter. I hope Lord Xia Hong will forgive me!"

Qin Feng, you've already given in.

After he finished speaking, he released Xia Chuan from his grasp and used a clever force to push him to the ground.

Shangguan Yang's anger vanished instantly after Qin Feng uttered those words. A hint of lingering fear even appeared in his eyes. He first gave Qin Feng a grateful look before releasing Yuwen Tao and, mimicking Qin Feng's skillful technique, sending him back to the ground.

However, just as Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao were out of the control of the two men...

Yang Zun, who was in mid-air, suddenly glanced subtly towards Chui Shan. Duan Hong immediately understood and gestured to Mu Longhe beside him.

The Mulong River has moved!

call out…………

In a flash, Mu Longhe's body shot out, and he suddenly drew the two silver swords from his waist. He thrust them out with two silver gleams, one on each side, towards Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao, who had just flown less than ten meters away.

"court death!"

Is it difficult to kill two Cold-Resistant level enemies that are less than ten meters away from you?

He could tell that Xia Chuan had a strength of 41 manes and Yuwen Tao had a strength of 39 manes. Considering their age, their strength was truly astonishing in the Nine Towns. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them prodigies.

But talent is talent after all. As long as one doesn't break through to the Manifestation Yang level, one is still no different from an ant in his eyes.

So from the moment he made his move, Mu Longhe never considered whether he could succeed. Even when he heard Xia Hong's words "courting death," he showed no sign of stopping. His sword light went straight forward and almost instantly reached the back of Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao's necks.

Just take another half step forward...

call out…………

A crimson afterimage suddenly flew out from inside the Siya Building, leaving two blood-red streaks in mid-air, which directly collided with the two points of sword light.

"what!"

The moment the blood and sword light collided, Mu Longhe let out a cry of alarm. The killing intent that had solidified in his eyes abruptly stopped, replaced by fear and horror. He frantically let go and tried to retreat.

call out…………

Kaka!

Both the blood-red light and the sword light were too fast. Although they were extremely powerful, the force was too concentrated, so the collision produced an extremely piercing and sharp buzzing sound.

But amidst this piercing buzzing sound, there were also two incredibly crisp sounds of bones cracking, making everyone in the room's hearts skip a beat.

"Ah... my hand!"

Mu Longhe let out a scream, drawing everyone's attention. After seeing Mu Longhe's condition, everyone's pupils contracted sharply, their faces filled with horror and shock.

Mu Longhe's hands were severed from the arms.

He hadn't let go of the silver longswords in either hand, and the veins on the back of his hands were clearly visible when he fell from mid-air, which showed just how fast those two streaks of blood were!
call out……

With Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao having landed safely, no one paid any more attention to them.

Because the crimson afterimage that severed Mu Longhe's arms returned.

Before most people could even see what it was, it turned back, and its target was none other than Mu Longhe.

With both arms severed, Mu Longhe broke out in a cold sweat. Without hesitation, he retreated to avoid the attack.

But how could his speed compare to that crimson afterimage?
Clang...

At the critical moment, Yang Zun finally made his move.

He appeared directly in front of Mu Longhe, and with a sudden sweep of his spear, he knocked the crimson afterimage dozens of meters away.

"Chirp..."

After the crimson afterimage stopped, it emitted an extremely faint, sharp cry.

A fox-shaped cold beast, no more than ten centimeters long, with a fluffy tail over thirty centimeters long, suddenly came into view.

The fox-shaped cold beast was extremely small in size, and its blood-jade-colored fur, which was as clear and translucent as jade, was exceptionally eye-catching. Its pair of black and white pupils were staring intently at Yang Zun and the other twelve people. The two sharp claws on its chest, which were gleaming with rainbow light, were still stained with the flesh and blood from Mu Longhe's arm.

Upon recognizing the true identity of the crimson afterimage, the pupils of the more than 10,000 Cold-Resistant level cultivators in Nancheng suddenly contracted, their faces filled with shock and horror.

"That's... a cold beast, it looks like a Blood Jade Fox?"

"A Blood Jade Fox, it's a Blood Jade Fox, only a little over ten centimeters long..."

"I remember that the body length of a high-grade Blood Jade Fox is over 20 centimeters."

"In other words, this Blood Jade Fox is..."

"A Blood Jade Fox of Beast King level? The Great Xia actually raised a Beast King?"

"this…………"

"Gulp... A Beast King-level Blood Jade Fox... Great Xia... Great Xia... Does it have the means to tame a Beast King-level Blood Jade Fox?"

………………

The species of cold beasts in the Mo'ao Mountains overlap to some extent with those identified by the Great Xia Dynasty, and the Blood Jade Fox happens to be one of them.

That's why many people recognized it at a glance.

Regarding the Frost Beasts, there's a common understanding in the Ice Abyss: the smaller their size, the more terrifying their true strength usually is.

Therefore, even though most of the cold-resistant level people below have never seen a Blood Jade Fox that is only a dozen centimeters long, they can instantly tell that it is a Beast King level.

Given the scene just now where the Blood Jade Fox severed Mu Longhe's arms, naturally no one in the audience would question this judgment.

In the Great Xia Dynasty, a Blood Jade Fox of Beast King level was kept as a pet...

The moment this thought popped into everyone's mind, they were instantly stunned.

Not to mention the more than 10,000 cold-resistant level warriors in the South City, even Yang Zun and the other twelve people were filled with horror on their faces. Their pupils trembled, and several of them couldn't help but open their mouths, but couldn't utter a single word. Clearly, they were shocked beyond measure.

………………

Snapped!
Unbeknownst to everyone, inside the Zhao Family Restaurant in Nancheng, Chen Yiqing, Chu Yan'er, and the other eight members of Chen Cang, upon seeing the Blood Jade Fox, also jumped up from their chairs as if by conditioned reflex.

"Taming the Beast King-level Blood Jade Fox!"

"This...how is this possible?"

"The Great Xia Dynasty has such methods?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

The eight people screamed in surprise, and even Chu Yan'er, who had been extremely confident from beginning to end, could no longer remain calm.

She turned her head to look at the blood-jade fox in mid-air, her pupils flashing.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible..."

After repeating himself several times, Chen Yiqing gritted his teeth and said, "I don't believe it, it's absolutely impossible! The Great Xia Dynasty couldn't possibly have the means to tame a beast king. Little Princess, we're too far away here. I need to get closer to see clearly."

Chu Yan'er frowned slightly upon hearing this, but quickly nodded and said, "Maintain the distance. Xia Hong and Yang Zun are very strong. If they are discovered, we will be in big trouble."

"Chen knows!"

Chen Yiqing nodded in a deep voice and quickly went downstairs.

………………

"It's not a Beast King-level Blood Jade Fox. Although it looks the same, it doesn't have any Beast King aura, and it's too obedient. Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

As everyone's pupils trembled, Yang Zun, who was in mid-air, was the first to notice the abnormality of the Blood Jade Fox.

Since Yang Zun was able to detect it, Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang, and the other nine Xianyang-level beings naturally discovered it as well.

Even after discovering this, the fear and horror in their eyes as they looked at the blood jade fox did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it increased.

Regardless of whether it's true or not, the beast king-level strength that this Blood Jade Fox just displayed was absolutely real.

Even now, Yang Zun and the others secretly hoped that it was real.

They've hunted Blood Jade Foxes of the Beast King level before.

If that were true, they wouldn't be so afraid right now!
The most fatal flaw of Ice Abyss is its information gap.

Dealing with a Blood Jade Fox of the Beast King level, whose background they know well, is far easier than dealing with this thing in front of them whose true identity they don't know.

"Chirp..."

As everyone looked on in surprise and uncertainty, Xia Hong, atop the Siya Building, finally made his move after confirming that Xia Chuan and Yuwen Tao were both safe.

His anger hadn't subsided when he first waved slightly towards the air. The blood jade fox, as if truly summoned by its master, immediately let out a low cry, then transformed into a rainbow of light and flew directly to Xia Hong's shoulder, even affectionately nuzzling his face.

"Lord Yang Zun just said that no matter how strong the Great Xia is, it's only one town. Whether it's military strength or the number of Xianyang-level experts, it can't compare to your six towns..."

At this point, Xia Hong paused slightly, then continued in an increasingly somber tone, "Lord Yang also said that no matter how strong I am, I am not strong enough to act recklessly on the southern slopes of Mo'ao..."

Xia Hong suddenly looked up, a hint of disdain in his eyes. He sneered and shouted at the six lords, "Then today I ask you six lords to open your eyes and see if I, Xia, have the right to act recklessly in the southern foothills of Mo'ao!"

"Roar…………"

As soon as the words were spoken, several angry roars suddenly rang out from the high sky to the west of Hongmen City.

As the roars began, the clouds in the sky were dispersed, the earth trembled, and the heartbeats of everyone present suddenly quickened with each roar. They all looked up to the west, their pupils filled with terror.

"It's heading towards Hongmen Pass!"

“A beast’s roar, I think I’ve heard that roar before during a beast tide.”

"Beast King, all of them are the roars of Beast King-level Frost Beasts."

"Look, something's flying over here!"

………………

Tens of thousands of people in the southern city, including Yang Zun's twelve companions in the sky, turned their heads to look west, their faces instantly turning deathly pale, their expressions filled with extreme terror.

Ten enormous creatures, each over thirty feet long, suddenly appeared from the western sky. The first to arrive was a three-headed bone-spiked frost wolf; followed by two long-tongued snow-maned wolves; then two golden-eyed demon sheep; then two golden-armored thunder kui; and finally a white bear.

huh... huh... huh...

The Bone-Spiked Frost Wolves are relatively the smallest, but the three-headed Frost Wolf Kings are all over 100 meters long. They are opening their blood-red mouths, and the frost breath exhaled from their nostrils instantly condenses the snowflakes falling from the sky into hailstones, which fall continuously to the ground.

The two long-tongued snow-mane wolves are about the same length as the frost wolves, but they are slightly larger. Their two long, white, sharp fangs point high into the air, and their long, icicle-like tongues are constantly protruding from their mouths.
The two golden-eyed demon sheep were even larger than the previous two, with a body length of nearly thirty-two zhang. Each of them had six golden horns on its head, and their bodies were covered with eyes, probably no less than 100,000. These dense and eerie eyes were already unsettling, but the fact that they were constantly turning around, as if they were scrutinizing everyone in the city below, made them even more terrifying.
The two golden-armored thunder wolves were about the same size as the demon sheep, but they were superior in that their muscles were bulging and their bodies were thicker. Their golden, solid skin had an amazing defensive power that could be felt with the naked eye. Not to mention the black horn on their foreheads that was ten feet high and was now flashing with lightning arcs, seemingly resonating with the clouds.

The last white bear was the largest of the ten beast kings. It stood upright and was over thirty-five feet long. Its body was covered with a long layer of snow-white fur. If you didn't pay attention to its ferocious beast face, you would think it was a huge giant standing in the air if you looked up from the ground.

"Plop..."

On the ground, someone was the first to make a sound of swallowing saliva.

The sound seemed contagious, spreading instantly from one to ten, then to a hundred. Over ten thousand people at the Cold Resistance level in the entire South City began to tremble violently in their pupils and bodies. Their mouths opened and closed as if they wanted to say something, but they couldn't utter a single word.

Thump... thump... thump...

In many houses in the southern part of the city, the sound of kneeling could be heard one after another.

The South City now has more than just these 10,000+ Cold-Resistant level cultivators; there are also over 100,000 Earth-Digging level cultivators from the Eight Towns.

That was the Earth-Digging Realm hiding inside. Unable to suppress his fear, he couldn't help but kneel down facing the sky.

Humans of the Ice Abyss cannot cultivate without the flesh of beasts.

Therefore, if you want to cultivate and embark on the path to becoming stronger, you will inevitably have to deal with cold beasts. Under normal circumstances, at the same cultivation level, the individual strength of cold beasts can almost crush humans, which makes them extremely difficult to hunt. Humans have become accustomed to and must cooperate with multiple people when facing them.

Even among those at the Manifestation Yang level, very few possess the ability to hunt down a Beast King alone.

Who doesn't start from humble beginnings and gradually grow stronger through hard work?

This has led to a common perception among most people that the Frost Beasts are stronger than humans.

With this ingrained understanding, most humans' fear of cold beasts is almost ingrained in their bones, especially when facing cold beasts of a higher level than themselves, such as encountering a low-level cold beast in the lumbering realm, a mid-level cold beast in the digging realm, or a high-level cold beast in the cold resistance realm...

This fear will immediately erupt!
Therefore, the excessive reaction shown by the more than 10,000 Cold Resistance level cultivators in the South City and the hundreds of thousands of Earth Digging level cultivators in the house when those ten beast kings appeared in the sky was completely understandable.

If you still don't understand, just look at Yang Zun and his twelve companions, and you'll get it!
At this moment, all twelve people's eyes were focused on the ten beast kings above their heads. Their pupils were dilated and their faces were numb. Apart from Yang Zun, Qin Feng, and Shangguan Yang in the front row, the remaining nine people were almost all trembling slightly.

However, this is not over yet!

"唳……"

A high-pitched, sharp cry suddenly rang out from thousands of meters in the sky.

A palm-sized black shadow suddenly appeared in the clouds. In less than ten breaths, the palm-sized shadow suddenly magnified hundreds or even thousands of times in the pupils of everyone below.

call…………

A strong wind swept in, instantly sending sand and stones flying and snow and mist filling the sky.

Everyone instinctively covered their eyes, and only looked up again after the wind subsided.

It was a cold-blooded bird-like beast covered in fiery red feathers. When the bird's arms were fully extended, it was a hundred feet wide. Every feather on its body shone with a fiery red luster, as if its entire body was pierced with crimson blades. Its black, hooked beak was about ten meters long, resembling a giant scimitar radiating a cold light.

The bird's pupils gleamed slightly with a bloody light as it kept turning its head to survey the more than 10,000 people in the southern city below. Finally, its gaze settled on Yang Zun and his twelve companions, its pupils revealing a fierce glint.

"唳……"

"Roar…………"

Xia Hong deliberately released the Blood Jade Fox from his arms in the end.

The Blood Jade Fox flew into the air, roared, and its body suddenly swelled and grew larger, expanding to nearly a hundred meters in an instant. A super long, blood-jade-colored giant tail swayed gently behind it. Its ferocious and menacing appearance was completely unrelated to its docile demeanor in Xia Hong's arms just moments before.

"Gentlemen, have you seen it clearly enough?"

Twelve beast king-level cold beasts stood in the air, covering almost half of the sky above Hongmen City. At this moment, Xia Hong's question was like a heavy hammer blow to the heart of the six town lords.

Their gazes slowly descended from the twelve beast kings above, finally settling on Xia Hong. Their pupils held both fear and horror, as well as deep confusion and bewilderment.

Xia Hong stood a dozen meters higher than the others from the Six Towns. Dressed in black, he stood in mid-air. Although his clothes were torn on the back and his black hair was slightly disheveled due to his battle with Yang Zun, this did not affect his aura at all. He was already far superior to the lords of the Six Towns.

Especially his excessively handsome face, coupled with his domineering gaze and composed, arrogant expression, made his image appear even more majestic in contrast to the horrified expressions of the twelve Xianyang-level warriors from the Six Towns.

Coupled with the twelve enormous beast kings surrounding the sky, this scene was instantly and deeply imprinted in the minds of everyone in Nancheng.

Xia Hong had no idea what the others were thinking.

He stared intently at Yang Zun and the other twelve, clearly not waiting for their response, but rather pondering something in his mind.

At the end of the second year of the Great Xia Dynasty, Xia Hong gathered more than two hundred Cold-resistant level cultivators and gathered at Yanglu Absolute Land. After killing the Frost Wolf King controlled by Bailu Gui, Great Xia already had a Cold Beast Stake with the ability to mimic the Beast King level Bone Spike Frost Wolf.

However, the Frost Wolf's Beast King level cultivation was forcibly increased by Bai Lugui using other means. At that time, Xia Hong had not yet broken through to the Manifest Yang level and dared not easily provoke the Beast King. Therefore, after extracting the essence blood of the Frost Wolf King and using it on the Cold Beast Stake, he simply placed the Cold Beast Stake in Xia City as a trump card.

That was the only way. At that time, the Cold Ruins Cauldron had not yet been upgraded, and the Frost Beast Stake's mimicry function could only be used within the cauldron's radiation range. He couldn't carry the Cold Ruins Cauldron around all day.

Therefore, although he possessed the strength of a Beast King at that time, he could not use it casually due to the function of the Cold Ruins Cauldron and the limitations of its use.

The turning point came in September of the third year of the Great Xia Dynasty, the moment the Level 4 Cold Ruins Cauldron was upgraded to the Level 5 Yang Ruins Cauldron.

The Level 5 Yangxu Cauldron can be stored inside the body, and it can also be ignited directly inside the body using system resources, with the radiation range and other effects remaining unchanged.

This is why, in early May of this year, at the last moment of the resurrection of the five-headed, masked Maitreya in Ba Shang City, he had the confidence to launch a surprise attack on the five great masters, because at that time, the Yangxu Cauldron within his body was burning fiercely.

Xia Hong frowned. Looking back now, he realized that his success in killing the three great masters and the failure of the five-headed, masked Maitreya to revive were probably due to the Yangxu Cauldron.

So much time has passed that Xia Hong naturally wouldn't dwell on it anymore.

Since breaking through to the Manifest Yang level last September, he has killed a total of twenty-six Beast Kings. Naturally, the essence and blood of these twenty-six Beast Kings have been poured into all the Frost Beast Stakes.

Twelve heads are not the limit of the Great Xia Dynasty; it's just the part that he's willing to show to the Eight Towns right now.

Seriously speaking, if it weren't for the fear of the so-called Caiqiu vassal state and other foreign forces that might be lurking in the Nine Towns, given the current situation of the Eight Towns, it wouldn't be too difficult for Great Xia to defeat them one by one and eventually establish its dominance over the southern foothills of Mo'ao.

The three northern towns, and even the other towns, probably all have some trump cards up their sleeves, but they are not strong enough to withstand the fifty Frost Beast Stakes of the Great Xia.

As long as Xia Honghua spends the time to give all the remaining Frost Beast Stakes the ability to mimic Beast Kings, the destruction of the Eight Towns will only be a matter of time!

"The 'warning shot' is over, but I don't know if it will work. If such a small thing can make Cai Qiu wary, then it proves that this so-called vassal state is not that powerful. If they dare to attack ahead of schedule, I still have many trump cards in hand, so I am basically not afraid."

If Caiqiu shows no reaction whatsoever, then either its strength far exceeds my expectations, or something in the north truly physically isolates the southern foothills from the Caiqiu garrison, preventing them from launching a large-scale southward invasion!

Xia Hong glanced subtly at the more than 10,000 Cold-resistant level warriors in the South City. After pondering for a moment, he turned to Yang Zun's twelve men and asked with a faint smile, "Lord Yang Zun just said that I must give you six towns an explanation today. What kind of explanation do you want? Feel free to make your demands now!"

hum...

The twelve people in Yang Zun's heart skipped a beat, and then they looked up at Xia Hong, their bodies trembling violently.

"Lord Xia Hong, Shangguan Long and I were both invited by Bei Shuo. The dead were members of the Three Towns Merchant Guild, which has nothing to do with Jinshan. How dare I ask Lord Xia Hong for any explanation?"

"Lord Xia Hong, we two were invited by Lord Yang Zun, so we have no reason to ask Great Xia for any explanation. We apologize for any offense we may have caused earlier and hope that Lord Xia Hong will forgive us!"

Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng immediately bowed to Xia Hong, shifting the blame to Yang Zun and absolving themselves of any responsibility.

Xia Hong neither interrupted nor responded, but simply nodded slightly, then glanced at the people in the other four towns.

"Lord Xia Hong, I have come here to investigate the cause of death of the Chamber of Commerce members, not to antagonize Great Xia. From beginning to end, I have not laid a hand on anyone from Great Xia. I urge Lord Xia Hong to investigate thoroughly!"

"Long Mingyuan is here to investigate the cause of those people's deaths and has no intention of making enemies of the Great Xia. If there is any offense, please forgive me, Lord Xia Hong!"

The more than 10,000 people in the southern city below twitched at the words of the two town lords, their faces filled with astonishment.

So breaking through to the Manifestation Yang level not only improved his strength, but also his acting skills!
What investigation into the cause of death? Xia Hong has already clearly admitted that he ordered the killing of the people from the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce. Long Mingyuan and Cao Qianyang are now claiming that they came to investigate the cause of death of the Chamber of Commerce members, and that they have no intention of making an enemy of Great Xia.

The lords of the four towns had already bowed and apologized to Xia Hong, begging for forgiveness; only the towns of Beishuo and Chuishan remained.

All eyes instantly focused on Yang Zun, the former number one in the Nine Towns.

Of course, there was also Duan Hong, the lord of Chuishan, who was not far from him.

Duan Hong's face was ashen, his pupils filled with terror. Mu Longhe, who was next to him, had his eyes closed, his face clearly showing despair.

Both of them were clearly in a state of utter confusion and were completely unable to utter a single word.

Upon seeing this, Yang Zun's eyes flashed with anger. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fist under his sleeve, and stepped forward. He bowed deeply to Xia Hong and said, "Lord Xia Hong, in my opinion, there must be other hidden reasons behind the deaths of those people from the Three Towns Merchant Guild. I suspect that someone is deliberately trying to sow discord among the Nine Towns and create war in my southern foothills of Mo'ao. I was momentarily confused and almost fell into the villain's trap, causing a great disaster. I hope that Lord Xia Hong will be magnanimous and forgive me for my unintentional mistake!"

Bang………………

The entire Hongmen City was completely silent at this moment, but everyone's hearts seemed to explode at the same time.

The status of Beishuo is extremely special!

Firstly, it is one of the three northern towns, and secondly, it is recognized as the strongest among the three northern towns. In addition, with Yang Zun as its lord, it has long held the title of the strongest among the nine towns. Beishuo is located on the southern slope of Mount Mo'ao, and it actually surpasses the other eight towns.

Since the opening of Hongmen Port in July of the Great Xia Dynasty, some people have given the Great Xia the title of the first town on the southern slope of Mo'ao, but everyone knows in their hearts that it is just the ulterior motive of busybodies. The real first town must be Beishuo.

But at this moment, from the moment Yang Zun took the initiative to suggest that there were other hidden reasons for the deaths of those people from the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce, and then bowed his head to Xia Hong, everything changed.

The strongest of the nine towns, the first town on the southern slope of Mo'ao.

These two titles have been completely changed!
Xia Hong remained silent, and the six lords did not dare to stand up. They remained suspended in mid-air with their heads bowed, maintaining their obeisance to him.

This scene will definitely be etched deep in the minds of everyone below, and it will probably be passed down for many, many years on the southern slope of Mount Mo'ao.

In fact, many artists in Nancheng were already excitedly waving their brushes at the air.

………………

"It seems Brother Yang knows quite a lot!"

Xia Hong had no time to care about what the people on the ground thought. After hearing Yang Zun's words, he immediately gave him a deep look.

He had a feeling that Yang Zun probably knew very well that those people weren't killed by Da Xia, and that taking advantage of the situation was his real purpose.

"Lord Cao, Lord Long, you both heard what Brother Yang said, didn't you?"

Cao Qianyang and Long Mingyuan were not stupid either. Upon hearing Yang Zun's words, they immediately frowned, clearly sensing something unusual.

But when Xia Hong asked the question, they didn't dare to think too much and immediately bowed to answer him.

"Cao thinks Lord Yang is right."

"This matter is indeed bizarre; we must find the real culprit!"

The two of them may not have really figured anything out, but given the current situation, they had no choice but to stop thinking about it slowly.

Xia Hong naturally understood this. He smiled, a hint of arrogance on his face, and said, "Since you two understand this principle, then I have nothing more to say. Let me be blunt, if I really wanted to kill someone, let alone those people from the Three Towns Merchant Guild, even the twelve of you..."

At this point, Xia Hong suddenly stopped, a cold smile appearing on his face. He then continued, "The cause of death of those people from the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce must be thoroughly investigated. Within ten days, all six towns must send the bodies of those people to Hongmen City. My Great Xia will be responsible for the investigation. Your six towns will send people to cooperate. If it is found that Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, and Yuwen Tao were the ones who killed them, I, the lord, will give everyone in the Nine Towns an explanation. Of course, if it is found that someone else deliberately framed them, then don't blame my Great Xia for being impolite!"

Xia Hong uttered the last three words, snorted coldly, and suddenly turned his head to scan the surroundings of Nancheng.

The more than 10,000 people below, who were clearly innocent, still couldn't help but tremble when they realized that Xia Hong's gaze might have swept over them.

After scanning the area below, Xia Hong looked up at the six lords of the town. Seeing that they still looked somewhat nervous, he waved his hand slightly and smiled, "Gentlemen, there's no need to be nervous. At the Hongmen Banquet at the end of April, I said that our Great Xia came out of the north bank of the Xinghe River to integrate into the southern foothills of Mo'ao. From beginning to end, we have never wanted to be enemies with the towns. Now, you should believe me, right?"

Xia Hong also said the same thing at the end of April. At the time, everyone's attitude was dismissive, especially Duan Hong, who completely disregarded it and thought Xia Hong was just putting on an act.

But now, upon hearing these words, they looked up at the twelve beast kings in the sky, their eyes no longer filled with doubt, and they all nodded.

"Hongmen City will remain open as usual, and trade with the Six Towns will continue. Now that Lord Yang Zun has made things clear today, the trade ban on Beishuo can be lifted, and trade with my Great Xia can continue as before!"

Upon hearing Xia Hong's words, Yang Zun's expression froze slightly, but he quickly cupped his hands and bowed to Xia Hong, saying, "Lord Xia Hong, I admire your magnanimity!"

Xia Hong waved his hand slightly to indicate that it was alright, and then smiled and said, "What's this talk about magnanimity? In the end, it's just business. Great Xia can make money and also share good things with everyone in the Eight Towns. It's a win-win situation, so why not? The stronger the human population in the Nine Towns, the safer the Southern Foothills will be, and Great Xia can develop more steadily. Don't you all agree?"

"Of course!"

"Lord Xia Hong's words were like a revelation to me."

"It is truly a blessing for the people of Jiuzhen to have the Great Xia Dynasty."

………………

Hearing the praise from the six lords, Xia Hong's smile grew even wider. However, after nodding repeatedly, he looked down at the government office building below and immediately showed a hint of difficulty. He shook his head slightly and said to the six men, "The six lords have caused considerable losses to our Great Xia today!"

The Sun-Illuminating Pills administered to 30,000 troops, the thousands of giant silver arrows from the Divine Crossbow, the manpower and resources expended in mobilizing such a large army, of course…

After recounting a series of losses, Xia Hong suddenly stopped, his expression darkening. He pointed at Mu Longhe in Chuishan Town and said in a chilling tone, "Commander Mu almost killed two of my Great Xia soldiers. I'm afraid he won't be able to leave Hongmen City today!"

(End of this chapter)