Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 518 The Dead End of Northern Shuo: Reunion and Fury
North Shuo City, Lord's Hall
Yang Zun sat alone at the head of the table, with a green beaded curtain in front of him. More than ten maids were moving inside the curtain, obviously cleaning his wounds. The faint sound of women sobbing could be heard from inside.

Below the main hall, in the front row, stood a total of eleven people. Five of them were Xianyang-level experts from Beishuo, and the other six were a group of Xianyang-level experts from Chencang, including Chu Xuankong, Chu Renjie, and Chu Qinghe.

"Reporting to the lord, the 50,000 Xia troops have not set up camp outside the city. Instead, they have been divided into four groups: 20,000 at the main city gate on the east side and 10,000 each on the other three sides. They have completely surrounded the city and are within 300 meters of the city gate!"

As Yang Rong hurriedly entered the hall and recounted the situation of the Xia army outside the city, the already oppressive atmosphere in the hall became even heavier.

Although everyone's faces were grim, no one spoke, and no one dared to make any big movements, let alone look up at the beaded curtain at the head of the table.

Only Chu Xuankong, who had lost both arms, turned his head several times to look at the beaded curtain above, his mouth slightly open, but he swallowed the words back with a somber expression.

"Elder Chu, please speak frankly if you have something to say..."

Suddenly, Yang Zun's voice came from behind the beaded curtain at the head of the room.

His voice was unusually weak, and the volume was not as loud as before. He was obviously forcing himself to speak. When the group from Beishuo below heard his voice, their expressions darkened slightly. Yang Rong and the other five Xianyang level cultivators looked so gloomy that it seemed as if they were about to bleed.

The silent crowd finally turned to look at Chu Xuankong and the other six, including Chen Cang.

It was clear that deep in the eyes of the people from Beishuo, there was a strong sense of hope. Obviously, they all realized that the only people who could help them right now were Chu Xuankong and his group.

Chu Xuankong knew exactly what the people from Beishuo were thinking. Hearing Yang Zun's words, he didn't hesitate and said in a deep voice, "Brother Yang, it's been almost three days and the people from Chencang still haven't arrived. It's safe to say that He Fei has been intercepted and we don't know whether he's alive or dead."

Last night I learned of the crushing defeat at Baimu City, and I sent Qinghe back to request reinforcements. Qinghe is a prudent man and adept at concealing his whereabouts, so he shouldn't be intercepted by the Great Xia again. But the problem is…”

He paused slightly at this point, then continued, "The journey is long. Even if Qinghe doesn't encounter any accidents along the way, the round trip will take at least sixteen hours..."

As soon as Chu Xuankong finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

He said that Whitewood City suffered a great defeat last night, which is not accurate, because Ice Abyss uses dawn as the dividing line between days. There is still more than an hour before dawn, so the great defeat of Whitewood City actually occurred in the first half of this night.

When Yang Zun fled back to Beishuo City, less than two hours had passed since the beginning of the night. Chu Qinghe also set off at that time. In other words, only seven hours had passed from the time he left the city to deliver the message until now.

The round trip from Beishuo City to Chencang takes at least sixteen hours, and seven hours is less than half of that.

Crucially, Chu Xuankong also mentioned that this was under the condition that Chu Qinghe encountered no unexpected events along the way. If something went wrong, it would only take longer, and they might even be intercepted by the Great Xia again...

In an instant, the faces of the people from Beishuo inside the hall showed even greater despair.

“Elder Chu, I am a military advisor in Yanling County. I shouldn’t have any objections to the prefect’s decision. However, before we set off south, the prefect repeatedly ordered that the Great Xia should not be allowed to annex Beishuo. Now you have seen the situation. If reinforcements do not arrive soon, we will not be able to stop the Great Xia’s advance…”

"I see!"

Hearing the faint threat in Yang Zun's voice, Chu Xuankong's expression also darkened. He had lost both arms in Xia City and was just as furious, but thinking of the two brothers Yang Zun had just lost, he suppressed his anger slightly and said in a deep voice, "Reinforcements won't arrive in the short term, and Cai Qiu's group won't come to help us either. Right now, we can only hold out in the city. Beishuo's defenses are quite strong; we should be able to hold out for a few days without much trouble."

The current hurdle is to buy time…

How long will it drag on?

Sixteen hours is just a guess; who knows when Chu Qinghe will actually be able to bring his men over?

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Chu Xuankong immediately knew what they were thinking. A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Your city has nearly 200,000 Digging Realm cultivators. The Xia army cannot choose to attack the city at night. In other words, as long as you hold out for two hours during the day, you will have held out for a whole day."

Thirty-five thousand people, what are you afraid of?

Everyone was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then turned to look at Yang Zun behind the beaded curtain at the head of the table, and immediately lowered their heads.

Who is not afraid?
In the Battle of Whitewood City, Yang Fa and Yang Jian were killed, the fate of the five Xianyang generals was unknown, and almost all of the 25,000-strong army was wiped out. Even their revered lord, whom they regarded as a god, was almost killed.

At this moment, everyone in the hall recalled the horrific scene of Yang Zun's neck being severed when he escaped back in the first half of the night, and their hearts turned cold.

"It seems unlikely that Beishuo can be saved..."

Suddenly, Yang Zun, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up.

As soon as he spoke, everyone below was startled and looked up at him, their eyes filled with incomprehension and confusion.

"I, the lord, have been rooted in Chencang for many years, neglecting the town's control and showing almost no concern for you. It's no wonder that Beishuo has fallen to this state, and I deserve it..."

Yang Zun sighed, then stood up from his chair, supporting his neck. He parted the beaded curtain and slowly walked out, looking at the group from Beishuo below. His gaze slowly settled on the three middle-aged men in the front row, and he said in a deep voice, "Haiwen, Dongxin, and Yuhe, you three should take your families and go out of the city to join the Xia army! Xia Hong is not a petty person. As long as you sincerely join him, he won't do anything to you."

"My lord, why do you say such things? My Mo family and Beishuo rose to prominence together; we share both glory and ruin. Haiwen will live and die with Beishuo City!"

"True character is revealed in times of adversity. Dongxin does not consider himself a great man, but he is unwilling to be a treacherous villain who betrays his lord and surrenders to the enemy. Lord, please do not say such things again. Dongxin swears to live and die with Beishuo!"

"Yuhe was born a Northern Shuo man, and he will die a Northern Shuo ghost. Either way, he will only suffer the destruction of his town and the death of his people. My Huang clan has been loyal to our lord for generations. How can we lose our integrity in front of our subordinates?"

Mo Haiwen, Yu Dongxin, and Huang Yuhe, three non-Beishuo Xianyang-level individuals, all changed their expressions upon hearing Yang Zun's words. They became agitated and refuted Yang Zun almost without thinking.

The Yang family members below, whose faces had been extremely somber, all looked much better upon hearing the three men's words.

However, Yang Zun gave a wry smile.

"There's no need for that..."

He waved his hand, shook his head and continued, "Don't be afraid. I, Yang Zun, did not mean to test you. I rose from humble beginnings. How could I not see through this situation? Even if the two vassal states come to our aid, they are only at the Xianyang level. Even if they can defend the town, they cannot reverse the general trend. The unification of the southern foothills by the Great Xia is a foregone conclusion!"

Having said these words, Yang Zun seemed to feel much better. He looked down at Mo Haiwen and the other two, and said sincerely and seriously, "Haiwen, Dongxin, and Yuhe, you are all third-generation descendants of my Beishuo. Your ancestors were the ones who followed me to conquer the world. In terms of true affection, our relationship isn't that deep. So whatever choice you make, I can accept it..."

Seeing that the three were about to retort, Yang Zun waved his hand to signal them to be quiet. After a pause, he looked around at the other Cold-resistant level cultivators of Beishuo below, pondered for a moment, then turned to Yang Rong and continued in a deep voice, "Rong'er, pass on my order: anyone in the city who wants to surrender to Great Xia, gather at the East Gate within half an hour. Half an hour later, I will go to the city gate to negotiate with Xia Hong and have them all leave."

"Lord..."

Yang Rong's pupils were bloodshot, and he didn't dare to nod in obedience.

Not only him, but all the Yang family members in the hall had extremely sorrowful expressions. They all tried to say something, but it was as if their throats were blocked, and they couldn't say a word.

Not to mention the core members of Beishuo who were not related by surname, from the three Xianyang level Mo Haiwen down to the group of Yuhan level, when they looked up at Yang Zun at the head of the table, their eyes instantly welled up with tears, and their faces were full of emotion.

A promise from Yang Zun is worth more than ten thousand catties of silver.

This statement is a well-known fact in the southern foothills region.

Therefore, at this moment, no one doubted the sincerity of Yang Zun's words. How could such a lord not move them?

"My lord, we still have 35,000 troops, and nearly 200,000 Digging Realm soldiers in the city. The Xia army has only 50,000 men. As long as we are united, we will surely be able to defend the city!"

"My entire clan has been blessed by our lord for generations. How could we betray him and defect to the enemy? I will live and die with our lord and with the Northern Frontier!"

"To wag my tail and beg for life before the Great Xia? Is that the spirit of a Northern Shuo man? Lord, do not speak such words again. I would rather die than bow my head to the Great Xia!"

"My Northern Shuo has stood tall on the southern slope for over a hundred years. What is the Great Xia? Your subordinates will live and die with you, Lord, and will never bow down to the Great Xia."

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

In an instant, all the non-family core members in the hall spoke up angrily.

If even they are like this, then the Yang family members are even more so.

Although none of them stepped forward to speak, the determination in their eyes was several times stronger than before, and some of them were even breathing heavily through their nostrils, clearly indicating that their emotions had risen.

"Enough with the nonsense. I am a man of my word. Since I have said it, I must do it. Set a half-hour limit. Consider it a way out I am leaving for the people of the town. Go and do it!"

Unaffected by the reactions of the people in the hall, Yang Zun waved his hand and ordered Yang Rong to go and relay the message.

Although Yang Rong was unwilling, he knew the lord's temper, so he cupped his hands, nodded, and reluctantly left.

"There's still more than an hour until dawn. Half an hour to assemble, and then another half hour to ask the Xia army for to leave the city, that should be about right..."

After saying this, Yang Zun turned his head back behind the beaded curtain with a sullen expression and sat back down in his chair.

"The Xia army will surely attack the city at dawn. Notify the garrison in the city to prepare! All of you, go down and leave me alone."

Everyone in the hall, including Chu Xuankong and the family members and maids who were treating Yang Zun's injuries, quickly left the hall.

As soon as everyone left, the main hall fell silent. But from behind the beaded curtain, a chilling growl could be heard.

"Third brother, second brother, your eldest brother will definitely avenge you! Xia Hong... Xia Hong, I will kill you! I will kill you! Ahh ...

………………

The east gate of Beishuo City, a snowfield 300 meters away.

Dozens of giant bonfires were burning fiercely, their flames shooting into the sky, reaching heights of over ten meters. Thick smoke turned the night sky a dark gray, and the snowflakes had long been driven away by the high temperature. The surrounding cold air could not get in at all.

Countless elite Xia soldiers, clad in armor and armed with weapons, had already formed ranks facing the city gate.

Several large golden banners gleamed in the flickering campfire. Not a single soldier spoke. Apart from the clatter of the banners and the occasional clanging of armor from the soldiers' movements, the vast army was completely silent.

The atmosphere had become extremely tense!

"Father, Ayao misses you so much..."

However, in front of such a solemn military formation, a little girl's slightly surprised and coquettish voice suddenly rang out.

There used to be an open-air command platform set up directly in front of the military formation.

The main platform was square in shape, about five or six meters off the ground, with a side length of about fifty meters. More than a hundred armored generals stood behind Xia Chuan, looking excitedly at the main seat above, their faces full of excitement.

The one sitting in the main seat at the head of the table was naturally Xia Hong.

However, Xia Hong had no time to observe the expressions on the faces of the Xia generals below; his attention was entirely focused on his eldest daughter, Xia Yuyao, in his arms.

After three years apart, the astonishing changes in his eldest daughter, Xia Yuyao, left Xia Hong somewhat bewildered.

Wearing a deep blue summer-style flowing brocade dress, adorned with silver-threaded cloud patterns and phoenixes, and with five or six strings of light blue tassels hanging from the hem, this noble and gorgeous attire did not overshadow Xia Yuyao's small face in the slightest.

The eldest daughter is not yet ten years old, but under the silver phoenix crown, her delicate and beautiful face is already extremely outstanding. Although she looks five or six parts like her wife Li Xuanling, she has more playfulness and innocence, and is more approachable than Li Xuanling.

Of course, appearance is secondary!
Just as his eldest daughter approached, before she even threw herself into his arms, Xia Hong discovered that Xia Yuyao's basic strength was already 28 jin.

Xia Hong's heart stirred slightly, and he turned to look at Xia Yusheng, the youngest son whom Li Xuanling was holding by the hand. His pupils also trembled slightly.

"Over 26 jin, it seems my two children are both aiming for 30 jin. Is there any hope that they can surpass me?"

"You've finally decided to come back..."

His thoughts were pulled back by a slightly resentful voice. Xia Hong looked up and saw Li Xuanling's beautiful eyes, which were slightly misty. His heart softened and a hint of guilt appeared on his face.

Being away from home for more than three years was indeed not his original plan. Although Li Xuanling knew that nothing serious had happened to her because of the existence of the Zongling Tablet, how could she feel at ease when the Ice Abyss was so dangerous and she could not see anyone?

Moreover, the southern foothills are not peaceful either. When he left three years ago, the Great Xia was not like it is today. At that time, Li Xuanling must have had to deal with the various towns in the north.

"Xia Chuan told me everything, Xuan Ling, these past three years have been tough for you!"

Seeing Xia Hong's solemn expression and hearing the guilt in his tone, Li Xuanling's nose tingled slightly. Her resentment and anger immediately dissipated by more than half. Knowing that a great battle was imminent, she did not continue the topic. Instead, she released her son's hand and gently pushed him forward.

"Didn't you always talk about your father? Now that you're back, you're just standing there like an idiot. Learn from your sister!"

Upon hearing his mother's words, Xia Yusheng's face instantly turned red. He stood frozen in place for a moment before slowly walking up to Xia Hong, cupping his hands slightly, and bowing his head, saying, "Sheng'er greets Father."

A son is still a son. At nine or ten years old, it's the perfect time for him to learn manners and gradually mature.

Although he had long known that this day would come sooner or later, when he actually saw Xia Yusheng bowing his head in greeting, Xia Hong instantly realized that he had missed his son's last period of childhood in the three years he had been away, and he immediately felt a sense of loss.

From now on, my son will interact with me more and more like a man.

Xia Hong couldn't help but sigh softly. Seeing his daughter in his arms brought him some comfort. He turned to look at his son, pondered for a moment, and then asked in a deep voice, "I heard from your second uncle that you've been very depressed for the past three days, hiding in the Star-Picking Hall and not coming out. What's wrong? Are you scared? Are you really planning to stay in Xia City until you break through to the Manifest Yang level?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yusheng's expression instantly darkened, his pupils reddened slightly, and he nodded gently, saying in a low voice, "Sheng'er originally didn't plan to come tonight, but I really missed my father, so..."

For a boy to say he missed his father was already quite unprecedented. Xia Yusheng was still a little embarrassed and stammered out the rest of his words.

Seeing his son's posture, Xia Hong's heart softened considerably, and he was instantly transported back to the time when his son would rush into his arms. He gently reached out and stroked his son's forehead, saying softly, "I've heard everything about what happened at Tiger Forest from your second uncle. The fault wasn't yours; you were at most a contributing factor..."

Upon hearing his father's words, Xia Yusheng felt a sudden pang of sadness. The pent-up frustration he had been suppressing for days surged into his heart, and he almost burst into tears.

"Over the years, your mother has kept you and your brother locked up in the Summer Palace, not letting you go anywhere. You probably both have some resentment in your hearts. After this incident, you should be able to understand, right?"
As my offspring, this identity dictates that you will inevitably attract a lot of attention. Among these people who pay attention to you, there are good and bad, and it is up to you to distinguish between them.

"I won't leave Xia City until I break through to the Manifestation Yang level. Your father wholeheartedly approves of your ambition and is very pleased, but..."

Xia Hong paused slightly, then looked up at Xia Chuan and the group of armored generals behind him. His tone suddenly became sharp, and he abruptly changed the subject, saying, "Whether you can leave Xia City or not is no longer just your business!"
"Our Great Xia Dynasty has a vast territory and countless people. People are constantly moving within its borders. The incident at the Tiger Breeding Forest has served as a wake-up call for me. If even my own descendants cannot move safely within its borders, or even leave Xia City, then how can we speak of the safety of the rest of us?"

Xia Hong's tone was filled with obvious anger. He looked up at Beishuo City and continued in a lower voice, "They even dared to plot against you, let alone others. If we don't teach these villains a lesson, I'm afraid our Great Xia will never have a peaceful day again!"

From the moment he transmigrated until now, Xia Hong's attitude towards the elderly, the weak, women, and children has always been very clear: in this cruel winter world, if these special groups are not given certain assistance, the final fate of humanity will certainly not be good.

Helping the vulnerable is the cornerstone of population growth and humanity's greatest reliance for survival in this harsh world.

On a grander scale, this is the first step in reconstructing human civilization;
On a smaller scale, any camp that starts neglecting the elderly, women, and children is not far from collapse.

Based on this attitude, when Xia Hong was annexing or attacking other camps, he always only eliminated the ringleaders and at most punished their families. For the vast majority of ordinary people, he had the same attitude: to integrate them as soon as possible and make them members of the Great Xia.

To lay a hand on a child under ten years old, and to mobilize a full 23 Xianyang-level experts, was absolutely intolerable and unacceptable to Xia Hong.

If everyone acts this way, then everyone will be in danger, and young people will all cower in the city. How can the various camps continue to grow and expand?

If this continues, is there any hope left for the entire human race?
Yang Jian's path to his death began the moment he appeared outside Xia City and attacked Xia Yusheng.

But his death was far from enough for Xia Hong to firmly establish this rule; it was merely the beginning.

Yang Jian was probably the leader. The other 22 Xianyang-level soldiers all came from the two major military regions of Chencang and Caiqiu. Seventeen of them were killed on the night of the raid, and after removing Yang Jian, there were five left.

None of these five people, including Yang Zun, will escape...

Xia Hong snapped out of his thoughts, turned to look at the group of generals below, and called out their names directly:

"Xiao Kangcheng".

"My subordinate is here!"

"You just said, where are the five people who escaped that night?"

Xiao Kangcheng had already come from the Zhongyang camp. Last night, he and Mu Longhe successfully chased down and killed Yang Qin and Yang Ping. Afterwards, he immediately went to Baimu City to report the news. Upon learning of the lord's return, he came here ahead of time.

"Reporting to the lord, there are two people in Beishuo City, and the remaining three are all located in Yangqu Town. They should be from Caiqiu."

His Soul-Permeating Incense has a remarkable tracking effect. When he was chasing that group of people that night, he had already tampered with their bodies. Although he didn't know the names or specific identities of the five people, he knew their locations perfectly.

"Gather the troops, beat the drums, and notify the remaining three armies to prepare to attack the city..."

"Report!"

As soon as Xia Hong finished speaking, a Dragon Guard soldier responsible for delivering the order rushed in from outside, holding a golden document in his hand. He immediately bowed and said, "My lord, please forgive me. This is a letter from Lord Yang Zun of Beishuo."

The soldier knew he had interrupted his lord, so he first bowed his head to apologize before handing the document forward.

Xia Chuan stepped forward, took the document, opened it and looked at it. Only after finding no problems did he place it in front of Xia Hong.

After Xia Hong finished reading the document, his gaze darkened slightly. He then pushed the document to the front of the table, gesturing for Xia Chuan, Xu Ning, and the others to come and take a look.

Everyone immediately gathered around the table. After reading the contents of the document, their expressions varied: some were surprised, some were wary, some were suspicious, some were disdainful, and some were deep in thought.

"This Yang Zun is indeed no simple man..."

(End of this chapter)