Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 404 The Supply Caravan, the Impact of Ji Hong, the Outgoing Chen Yiqing, and Arrival at Hongmen
The eighth year of the Great Xia Dynasty, September 16th, late at night
On the bluestone road more than 30 kilometers north of Binjiang Daying, a large convoy is heading north in a grand procession.

The convoy had a total of over three thousand people. Although seven or eight out of ten were wearing gold armor, you could still tell the difference if you looked closely.

The entire convoy could be roughly divided into three parts. The first nearly a thousand people wore the brightest golden armor, which shone brightly under the firelight. They lined up in long rows of ten, with an overall orderly and disciplined manner. Even their walking pace was exceptionally uniform, like a golden torrent moving slowly northward.

In the middle are eight giant cargo wagons, each ten meters long and five meters wide. Fifty people are pulling each wagon with iron chains in front of it, and about fifty people are pushing it from the sides and rear. There are also other people waiting around to take turns. Obviously, these people who pull, push, and take turns are the source of power for the eight wagons.

The last thousand or so people following behind were the most scattered and casually dressed, some wearing light gold armor and others wearing black iron armor. Their faces ranged from young to old, and this group seemed the most relaxed, with many chatting as they walked.

Luo An, Zou Ping, Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, Zhao Yuanwu, Zhao Yuankong, and dozens of other young people from the Great Xia Dynasty were in the back of the group. Their eyes kept glancing at the Longwu Army in the front row, their faces full of curiosity and longing.

"Wasn't Yuwen Sizheng's Dragon Martial Army supposed to be stationed at Ba Shang? Why did they come back with us this time?"

Hong Ye, one of the team members, couldn't help but speak up and voice his confusion. The others turned to look at him, their expressions mirroring his, clearly wondering about the same thing.

"Perhaps the contents of these eight carts are too precious, have you forgotten? The things from White Tiger Pool, dragon scales, ores, spiritual plants, the silver mined in Ba Shang City recently, and the recent hunting team's harvest at the He Yin garrison... With so many things on board, it's probably because Yuwen Sizheng was worried that he personally escorted them with the Dragon Martial Army."

Upon hearing Zou Ping's answer, many in the team immediately nodded in agreement.

However, after a moment of thought, several of the older members, such as Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, Zhao Yuanwu, and Zhao Yuankong, shook their heads slightly.

"It shouldn't be. No matter how precious it is, there's no need for the Dragon Martial Army to escort it personally. We can reach Hongmen by starting from Ba Shang City, passing through Jiuqu and then Binjiang. Binjiang is Jiangxia territory, so what danger could there be? As for Hongmen, it's even less of a concern. It shouldn't be a safety issue."

As soon as Xiao Heng spoke, Zhao Yuankong immediately followed up, saying, "Definitely not. Don't forget, it's not just the Dragon Martial Army; there are also many elite members of mid-to-high-level hunting teams in the three outposts of Heyin, Jiuqu, and Bashang City. What kind of danger would require so many people to be mobilized together?"

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly looked up at the front of the line, nodded, and then their expressions immediately became puzzled.

As Zhao Yuankong said, of their more than 3,000 people, apart from the Dragon Martial Army at the front, the remaining 2,000 were all elites selected from various mid-to-high-level hunting teams, with the lowest level being the Earth Digging Realm. Considering the risk level of this escort route, there was no need to make such a fuss.

"Yuwen Sizheng is personally leading the team, and the exploration competition has also been suspended. This clearly indicates that something is about to happen. Could it be related to Xia City?"

Upon hearing Zhao Yuankong's words, everyone frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed again, shaking their heads as they looked at him.

"What could possibly happen in Xia City?"

"how is this possible?"

"If something happened in Xia City, the Longwu Army would have rushed back long ago. Why would they be here slowly escorting supplies?"

…………

"I was confused!"

Zhao Yuankong realized that his guess was wildly wrong, but after thinking about it, he still couldn't figure out why, so he could only continue to move forward, full of confusion.

"It's a pity Ji Hong isn't here; he definitely knows more than we do now!"

Yuan Bai suddenly spoke up, and everyone's expressions immediately filled with envy.

"With the help of the pound of dragon blood given to him by the lord, he actually broke through the 150,000 jin mark and achieved the aptitude of a top-grade battle body. Amazing!"

"Not only that, he also broke through to the Cold Resistance level in one fell swoop, and with that breakthrough he had the strength of a 3-mane beast. Even Ba Shang City was alarmed. Yuwen Sizheng even sent Yuwen Yong, the deputy commander of the Dragon Martial Army, to the Heyin garrison to verify the truth!"

"Lord Yuwen Yong personally invited him to join the Dragon Warrior Squad. I've heard that the Dragon Warrior Squad is now basically the reserve force of the Dragon Warrior Army. Whenever the Dragon Warrior Army needs to replenish its ranks, it will first select from the Dragon Warrior Squad."

"I know that this was first proposed by Lord Sicheng. He first used hunting teams with the same number as the army to recruit talented people. When there are vacancies in the army, they are immediately sent to fill them. I heard that other armies are following suit, but the selection criteria are currently the most stringent for the Yunjiao and Longwu teams."

"To join these two teams, the minimum requirement is the Cold Resistance level. If you don't have the Cold Resistance level cultivation, there's no point in even trying."

"You're thinking too simply about the Cold Resistance level. The Cloud Dragon Squad's announcement last month stated that the minimum strength required to apply is three manes."

"Gulp... I guess the Dragon Martial Army is about the same! So, with Ji Hong's strength, he's barely met the standard?"

"Ji Hong's strength mainly lies in his talent. What Lord Yuwen values ​​is his top-notch battle physique. His strength will only increase as time goes on."

………………

Everyone chimed in, revealing almost everything about Ji Hong.

The others around did not show much shock upon hearing this.

Ji Hong broke through three days ago, which shocked all the outposts in Heyin, Ba Shang, and Jiuqu, so it was basically common knowledge.

"The Department of Supply has not yet set a price for the Dragon Blood, but given Ji Hong's breakthrough, the final price should be on par with a level six spiritual pill, with each pound expected to cost at least 30000 contribution points."

As soon as Xiao Heng finished speaking, the eyes of the group of young people immediately lit up with interest.

3 contribution points is not a small amount. They certainly couldn't afford it with their own money, but they are all people with connections. If they can't rely on themselves, they can always rely on their fathers or brothers.

This dragon's blood is something you absolutely cannot miss.

"I originally thought that having a superior combat physique would be good enough, but now it seems that I was too easily satisfied. If I want to play a greater role in the camp in the future and go further, combat physique is the threshold. I still need to do my best to strive for the top-grade combat physique!"

A resolute look flashed across Xiao Heng's face as he clenched his fist beneath his sleeve.

Not far from Xiao Heng, Zhao Yuankong thought about how his current basic strength was only 98,000 jin, still a little short of the superior battle body, and his skin was already starting to feel strained. He looked somewhat frustrated and turned to see his older sister Zhao Yuanwu next to him. He couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Sister, your basic strength is already 110,000 jin. Is there any hope of continuing to strive for the top-grade battle body aptitude?"

Zhao Yuanwu's expression darkened upon hearing her brother's question. She then shook her head and said, "The chances are slim. However, given Ji Hong's example, I must do my best to postpone my breakthrough. This time it's the blood of a dragon. The lord is so powerful; who knows what treasures he might put in the supply department in the future? You come with me and accumulate more contribution points. Maybe the opportunity will come at any time."

Upon hearing his sister's words, Zhao Yuankong recalled how Lord Xia Hong had transformed Yuan Cheng, Lu Yang, and Xu Ning, who had already broken through the Cold Resistance level, into top-grade battle physiques. A glimmer of hope rose in his heart, and he nodded emphatically.

Yuan Bai glanced around at Xiao Heng, Zhao Yuanwu, and other friends of the same age. Seeing the expressions on their faces, he naturally understood what they were thinking.

"My basic strength is currently 99,000 jin, just one step away from a superior battle body. Before, I thought that just getting a superior battle body would be enough, but now it seems that it is far from enough. A superior battle body of 100,000 jin is at most considered excellent among my peers, far from being outstanding. I also need to postpone my breakthrough. Not to mention aiming for the top-grade battle body aptitude, I should at least try to make my battle body aptitude as good as possible!"

After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Bai's face was also full of determination.

The sensation caused by Ji Hong's breakthrough clearly stimulated Zhao Yuanwu, Zhao Yuankong, Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai and others. After all, they were close in age, and even without mentioning the desire to win, their vanity alone was enough to make them all look up to Ji Hong.

Xiao Heng and the others were all in their early twenties, and being a bit older, they would at least try to conceal their true thoughts. However, the teenagers like Luo An, Zou Ping, Lu Dong, Zhao Yuanshan, Hong Ye, Liu Peng, Xiao Yan, and Luo Cheng, who were only sixteen or seventeen years old, were much more blatant in their behavior.

"Zou Ping, I must strive for the highest-grade battle physique!"

"Me too. I heard from my father that without the aptitude for a top-grade battle physique, it will be very difficult to break through to the Manifestation Sun level in the future!"

"I'm going to make a run too!"

………………

The resounding, determined voices of the teenagers caused a small commotion in the group. The older members of the group, hearing the teenagers shouting with increasing enthusiasm, felt both gratified and wistful, and couldn't help but sigh as well.

"Look at them, breaking through to the Cold Resistance level is nothing now, these kids are all aiming for the top-grade battle physique."

"These kids are lucky to be born at such a good time. Back when I was at Five Ape Mountain, let alone the Cold Resistance level, even if they produced another Earth Digging Realm cultivator, the whole camp would be overjoyed!"

"Haha, not bad, I also came from Five Ape Mountain. Back then, you couldn't find a single Cold Resistance level expert in the entire Five Ape Mountain. It was terrible!"

"The Cold-Resistant level is probably nothing special now. There must be at least five or six thousand Cold-Resistant level people in our Great Xia, right?"

"There should be. I heard that more than 500 cold-resistant people are going to be incorporated into this round of population migration in Ba Shang, so there should be more than 6,000."

"The Cold Resistance level is definitely nothing. Now it's all about strength. There are a total of 58 outposts in our Great Xia territory. I heard that all officers above the garrison level have a strength of at least 15. As for breaking through to the Cold Resistance level, unless you have exceptional talent like Ji Hong and are immediately noticed by the Dragon Martial Army, you'll at most become a lowly soldier in the Thirteen Armies like the Dragon Slayer and Tiger Leopard."

"If we slow down any further, we might not even be able to become a common soldier. The number of Cold-Resistant soldiers in the Thirteen Armies of Dragon Slayer and Tiger Leopard is increasing. I heard that the newly established Black Arrow, Azure Dragon, Eastern Sun, and Flying Roc Armies now have as many as two hundred Cold-Resistant soldiers each, and the other nine armies probably have at least three hundred or more."

"That's not right! The number of Cold-Resistant level personnel in just the fifteen armies alone is more than five thousand. So how many Cold-Resistant level personnel does our Great Xia actually have right now?"

Upon hearing the last question, the crowd, who were engaged in heated discussion, suddenly fell silent. Everyone, including Xiao Heng and Luo An's group of young people, looked at each other in bewilderment.

They didn't really know how many Cold-Resistant level units the Great Xia currently had.

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

Unbeknownst to those behind, Ji Hong, the subject of their heated discussion, was currently guarding the army in a snow-covered forest area five kilometers ahead of the convoy.

"In just half an hour, I've sensed the presence of over a hundred people. Have so many people been going to Hongmen City lately?"

Inside the snow forest, Ji Hong, dressed in a thousand-forged thunderous golden armor, stood atop a large tree. He sensed several auras rushing westward from the north, and a look of confusion immediately appeared on his face.

The Great Xia army had rules for marching. Whenever the army set out, all the scouts had to disperse and be on guard. If any movement was detected within a 10-kilometer radius of the marching column, it had to be reported to the commander immediately.

This rule was set by Yuwen Tao himself, and the Longwu Army, as his direct subordinate force, naturally had to take the lead in abiding by and implementing it.

Ji Hong was on guard duty at that moment.

Logically speaking, Ji Hong is currently only a member of the Longwu Squad, not even a formal soldier of the Longwu Army. Guarding the marching troops is the job of the Longwu Army's scout battalion, which should have nothing to do with him.

This brings us to the importance that Ji Hong received in the Longwu Army!

Invited personally by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Yuwen Yong, and even specifically named by Yuwen Tao, the Director of the Ministry of War, Ji Hong naturally wouldn't receive the same treatment as the other members of the Longwu Squad.

When Ji Hong arrived in Ba Shang City two days ago, he thought he would have to hunt with the Longwu Squad for a while before he could successfully join the Longwu Army. Unexpectedly, Zhu Yang, the captain of the scout camp, gave him a set of thousand-forged thunderous golden armor and told him that he could now act with the Longwu Army.

"It's true that the Dragon Martial Army is a full-strength force of a thousand men, but that doesn't mean we can't make exceptions. Talent should be diverse. You're not a formal member of the Dragon Martial Army yet, but you can get familiar with the army and get used to it first. There's no problem."

These were Zhu Yang's words at the time. Ji Hong was naturally thrilled to hear them. Putting everything else aside, he had been eyeing the Thousand-Refined Thunder Kui Golden Armor that Zhu Yang had given him for several years. Now that he had finally gotten to wear it, he was naturally extremely excited.

After Ji Hong joined the Longwu Army, he was naturally assigned to the most elite scout battalion, currently under the command of scout battalion captain Zhu Yang.

"If I hadn't joined the Dragon Martial Army, I wouldn't have known that Lord Yuwen Tao had already stepped down from his position as Commander-in-Chief. Currently, the Commander-in-Chief of the Dragon Martial Army is Hou Quan, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief is Yuwen Yong, and the Scout Battalion Commander is Zhu Yang..."

Thinking of this, Ji Hong paused and thought to himself, "It's understandable. After all, Lord Yuwen is the Director of the Ministry of War, and he has too many things to manage. He certainly doesn't have time to attend to the daily training of the Dragon Martial Army. In that case, the Director should have already stepped down from his position as Commander of the Cloud Dragon Army. The current Commander of the Cloud Dragon Army should be Liu Yuan. That kid Liu Peng is really tight-lipped..."

Although Liu Peng was seven years younger than him, he was quite famous in the inner city, and Ji Hong naturally knew him. At the same time, he also knew that Liu Yuan was his elder brother. Liu Peng must have known that Liu Yuan had become the commander of the Yunjiao Army, but he hadn't revealed it to anyone for so long, which showed how tight-lipped this kid was.

"Ji Hong, is there any news?"

Suddenly, a voice came from below the tree.

Ji Hong quickly straightened his expression and jumped down. Upon seeing the person who had arrived, he bowed and said, "Reporting to the captain, six more of my men have gone over. Judging from their direction, they are heading towards Hongmen City. They should be the cold-resistant troops from the seven northern towns again, and they have nothing to do with the marching team."

The scout battalion consisted of five squads, each with 20 men. Ji Hong was assigned to the fifth squad, and the middle-aged man in golden armor in front of him was Zhang Qingyuan, the squad leader.

Two days ago, when he was assigned to the fifth team, Ji Hong couldn't help but feel a little resentful. He thought that with his top-grade battle physique and the strength of a 3-mane beast after breaking through, he should have been assigned to the first team.

But when he actually arrived at the military camp and saw the hundred men of the scout battalion with his own eyes, he realized how ridiculous his idea was.

He couldn't even see through the cultivation level of anyone in the scout camp, which meant that all the soldiers in the scout camp were stronger than him.

At that moment, Ji Hong finally understood what the word "elite" really meant, completely put aside his arrogance, and obediently became a good soldier.

After inquiring over the next two days, he learned that all one hundred men in the scout battalion had a basic strength of 6 or above, and none of the captains had a basic strength of less than 12. Not to mention the captains of the nine battalions, the captain of his own scout battalion, Zhu Yang, had a strength of 16.

For example, Zhang Qingyuan in front of us is a well-known expert at the Cold Resistance level from the original Zhaoyang camp, and his strength is now as high as 14.

What does 14 manes mean? Even if Ji Hong has a top-grade battle physique, he will only have 12 manes when he breaks through to the late stage of the Cold Resistance Realm. The key question is, will Zhang Qingyuan just stand still and wait for him to break through?
With the financial resources of the Longwu Army soldiers, they can fully redeem their monthly quotas for pills like Dragon Carp Pill, Green Cod Pill, and Black Fiend Pill. It would be no easy task for him to surpass any soldier in the army.

"You've changed quite a bit these past few days; you have a good temperament!"

Zhang Qingyuan couldn't discern Ji Hong's inner thoughts, but he clearly saw the changes in this young man in the Dragon Martial Army in just two days.

From being arrogant at the beginning to now humbled himself and obediently doing what a soldier should do, Ji Hong has made such a change in just two days. For someone his age, having this kind of mentality is truly commendable.

This is a top-tier battle physique!

Looking at Ji Hong, Zhang Qingyuan couldn't help but feel a little envious when he thought about how this kid had a top-grade battle physique.

He has the aptitude of a lower-grade battle physique. He is fifty-four years old this year. When he broke through to the peak of the Cold Resistance two years ago, his strength was only 10 manes. Originally, he had no chance to improve further. However, thanks to the lord's opening up of the Five Origin Waters last year, which produced three kinds of pills: Dragon Carp, Green Cod, and the subsequent Black Fiend Pill, he was able to continue to improve and has the strength of 14 manes now.

A mere 14 bristles is quite good; among the nine towns on the southern slope of Mount Mo'ao, he could be considered a top-tier fighter. However, compared to the current prodigies in the camp, he is indeed somewhat lacking.

Especially Ji Hong in front of me, who has already reached the strength of 3 manes after breaking through. In the future, when he breaks through to the late stage of the Cold Resistance Realm, his strength will easily surpass mine. He won't even need pills to directly improve to the strength of 24 manes and join the ranks of the Nine Towns experts. If he uses pills to improve further, he will be even more terrifying.

The key point is that the top-grade battle body still has a very high chance of breaking through to the Manifestation Sun level!
Leaving aside the increase in strength of the Xianyang level, the mere fact that lifespan is increased by 200 years is enough to drive someone of Zhang Qingyuan's age crazy.

Zhang Qingyuan took a deep breath to calm himself down. Thinking of the young man in front of him, he knew that as long as nothing unexpected happened, his strength would surely rise steadily and his status in the Great Xia would become higher and higher. He couldn't help but have some thoughts in his mind. He smiled and asked, "Ji Hong, you must be wondering why so many people from the seven northern towns went to Hongmen City just now?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Hong immediately nodded, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Zhang Qingyuan, as the captain of the Dragon Martial Army, naturally knew more than the others. Seeing the curiosity in Ji Hong's eyes, he smiled and said, "There's going to be a big commotion in Hongmen City the day after tomorrow. The three northern towns have jointly issued an imperial edict to our Great Xia, accusing Yuan Sizheng of killing members of the Northern Shuo Merchant Guild. Yang Fazheng is gathering people from various towns to cause trouble in Hongmen City, which is why the lord has summoned us..."

As Zhang Qingyuan recounted the murder of the members of the Beishuo Chamber of Commerce, Ji Hong suddenly understood why the Longwu Army had personally come to escort the supplies, why the exploration competition at the Heyin outpost had been terminated, and why they themselves had to come along to escort the supplies. All these questions were now answered.

After listening, Ji Hong only pondered for a moment before coming to an answer. He looked up at Zhang Qingyuan and asked, "The three towns want to use this matter to unite with other towns and suppress the rising arrogance of our Great Xia. The lord has transferred all of us back to our hometown, intending to subdue the towns of Mo'ao in one fell swoop and solidify the title of the number one town of Mo'ao for our Great Xia. Is that right, Captain?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingyuan's expression froze. To be honest, after learning about these things earlier, he hadn't thought about it this deeply. He only felt that the lord was worried that the three northern towns were too powerful, so he had them gather at Hongmen to prepare for resistance.

Only after being reminded by Ji Hong did he realize that Xia Hong's actions this time were indeed very likely to have this intention.

"Good lad, you're smarter than me!" At Ji Hong's age, Zhang Qingyuan would think he was too young to be his son, so he naturally didn't feel embarrassed and directly admitted that the other party had thought things through better than him, praising him.

"Captain, you flatter me. Ji Hong simply trusts the lord's strength..."

After making a modest remark, Ji Hong paused and continued, "If that's the case, I estimate that all the people stationed at various posts within our Great Xia territory should arrive at Hongmen City before the 18th. No wonder I heard in Ba Shang City that as soon as we set off last night, Xu Sizheng led the second group of people to set off the following night."

The total distance from Ba Shang to Hongmen City is about 130 kilometers. The 80 kilometers within Ba Shang and Jiuqu have been straightened and can be reached in half a night. However, the 50-kilometer section between Binjiang and Hongmen has not been repaired. With more than 3,000 people and eight giant iron-wheeled carts, the marching speed is naturally slow.

Tonight is their second night of marching since they set off from Ba Shang City.

It was also the last night; they would soon arrive at Hongmen City.

Although Xu Ning departed a day later than them, he had no cargo or supplies, so he should be able to arrive at Hongmen City tonight.

Zhang Qingyuan now completely agreed with Ji Hong's prediction. He nodded and smiled, saying, "You're quite clever, kid. You're good to be a scout. No wonder Captain Zhu put you in the scout camp right away."

"Captain, you flatter me!"

Being a young man, Ji Hong couldn't help but smile as he listened to Zhang Qingyuan's repeated praises, even though he tried to be modest.

"Alright, continue to stand guard ahead. The main force will be here soon."

"Ji Hong obeys!"

The scout battalion's dispersed vigilance was also organized in a structured manner. The overall coordination was led by Captain Zhu Yang, who divided the areas and assigned them to the five scout teams below. Then, the five team leaders further divided the areas that each person was responsible for guarding.

Ji Hong was a member of the fifth team, so naturally he had to obey Zhang Qingyuan's orders.

After nodding in agreement, he slowly headed north to keep watch.

After walking only five or six kilometers north, and turning west along the bluestone path, and walking another kilometer, we could see the outline and shadow of the Hongmen City wall.

"arrive!"

Ji Hong was in charge of the very front of the marching column, which was exactly five kilometers away from the main army.

If the Dragon Martial Army were to march alone, they could cover fifty kilometers in an hour, even on a normal snowfield. However, this time they were escorting a large amount of supplies, and there were also more than a thousand people at the limit of the Earth-Digging Realm following behind them, so they could only cover fifteen kilometers in an hour.

"Five kilometers shouldn't be a problem, you can relax a bit now!"

Although Ji Hong continued to keep watch in the snow forest, his attention was soon drawn to the crowds that kept appearing on the bluestone path.

That's right, it's a crowd.

Since Hongmen opened as a port in July, many people from the seven towns have indeed been flocking here in a steady stream, almost every night. Ji Hong had already heard about this situation.

But tonight's situation is clearly a bit abnormal!

On the bluestone path leading to Hongmen City, a group of people would pass by every few minutes, ranging from a dozen to three or five, all heading towards Hongmen City in groups.

Just by looking at their attire, Ji Hong could tell that they were all from village-level camps within the Eight Towns, equipped with cold-weather gear. Connecting this to what Zhang Qingyuan had just mentioned, he quickly figured out what these people were after.

"It's the day after tomorrow. Do you think Great Xia can withstand the pressure from the three northern towns?"

"It's unlikely. This time it's not just the three northern towns. Chuishan has already made it clear that it will support the three northern towns. There's no news yet from Yangqu and Longgu towns, but I estimate that they will eventually side with the three northern towns. That would mean the six towns are jointly threatening the Great Xia."

"Six towns? I think it should be eight. Muyin and Jiangxia haven't said anything yet. Haven't you noticed? Given the level of support that Great Xia gave to these two towns recently, their silence now is a form of statement, isn't it?"

"With the eight towns united, even if Great Xia is strong, it's useless. There's no other way but to hand over Yuan Cheng."

"Yang Fan and his group are really dead. Who knows if Yuan Cheng killed them? Maybe he really did lead the killings. Bei Shuo isn't entirely wrong about him!"

"If we hand over a judge to absolve us of this calamity, Great Xia should compromise!"

"Is it about handing over the people? Handing over the people is simple. The problem is that this confrontation will determine the future relationship between Great Xia and the three northern towns. If we compromise this time, what will happen next time? Great Xia should not compromise so easily."

"It's a pity. It's not easy for a great Xia to open its ports and share cultivation resources with us. The three northern towns couldn't sit still so quickly. If they really suppress the great Xia, we'll be slaughtered again in the future."

"What can we do? Our village-level camps are no different from ants in front of eight towns. We can only hope that Great Xia can withstand the pressure from the three towns."

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

As these people were heading towards Hongmen City, they were all discussing the matter of the three northern towns and the Great Xia without restraint. Ji Hong, who was hiding in the tree, overheard quite a bit of it.

"The three northern towns have made the matter known to everyone. Most of these people have probably come to Hongmen City to watch the excitement and want to know as soon as possible who won between the three northern towns and the Great Xia!"

Thinking of this, Ji Hong sneered and looked at the pedestrians along the way, his expression becoming much gloomy.

Since the opening of the port in July, Daxia has brought considerable benefits to the village-level camps in the eight towns of Mo'ao, including improved cold-weather protection. From Ji Hong's perspective, if these people had any conscience, they should have stood on the side of Daxia and helped resist the pressure brought by the three northern towns.

Judging from the content of their discussions, most of them were clearly trying to protect themselves and were unwilling to truly support the Great Xia. They only hoped that the Great Xia could hold off the three northern towns on its own.

"Humph!"

"who?"

In his emotional state, Ji Hong couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

But his cold snort alerted an eight-person team that was heading towards Hongmen City.

The leader of the group was a middle-aged man with an honest-looking face. He immediately noticed Ji Hong hiding in the tree and turned to stare at him.

Being discovered as a scout is not a very honorable thing, so Ji Hong's expression was naturally very unpleasant. However, considering that this group of people were just on their way and that he had alerted them first, he didn't get angry. He composed himself, jumped down from the tree, and came out, looking at the middle-aged man and saying, "I didn't mean to bother you. Please continue on your way!"

Upon seeing Ji Hong's thousand-forged golden armor, the middle-aged man's eyes lit up immediately. After staring at Ji Hong for a moment, he clearly noticed something, his body trembled slightly, and he hurriedly asked with a look of surprise, "Young friend, is this armor perhaps the thousand-forged Thunder Kui Golden Armor? Young friend, could you perhaps be a member of the Great Xia Dragon Martial Army and Cloud Dragon Army, which are now famous in the southern foothills of Mo'ao?"

Ji Hong is twenty-four years old this year. Judging from his appearance, the middle-aged man should be over fifty. It's not a problem for him to call himself a young friend. The main thing is that the middle-aged man's face is full of shock, which really hits Ji Hong's sweet spot.

He wasn't actually a formal member of the Dragon Martial Army yet, but being recognized like this greatly satisfied his vanity. Upon hearing this, a hint of arrogance appeared between his brows, and he nodded slightly.

"You are truly a promising young man! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Chen Yiqing, the leader of Guyang Village in Dongchuan District, Beishuo Town. These are all people from my Guyang Village. May I ask what they are, young friend?"

Since the other party had already introduced himself, Ji Hong hesitated for a moment before cupping his hands and saying, "Ji Hong, a soldier from the Great Xia Dragon Martial Army Scout Battalion, greets Senior Chen!"

Chen Yiqing was extremely outgoing. As soon as Ji Hong announced his name, he immediately turned to the seven people beside him and said, "Why don't you greet young friend Ji!"

"Chen Yimou has met with young friend Ji."

"Chu Dongning greets young friend Ji."

"He Yang has met with young friend Ji."

"Young friend Ji is indeed a promising young man. I am very pleased with you!"

There were seven people next to him, six men and one woman. Four of the men were about the same age as Chen Yiqing. Upon hearing this, they immediately greeted Ji Hong with smiles on their faces.

"Chen Yu greets Brother Ji."

"Chen Huang greets Brother Ji."

"Chu Yan'er greets Brother Ji!"

The remaining two men and one woman were around the same age as Ji Hong, in their early twenties. Their reactions were noticeably less enthusiastic than the four older men; they simply cupped their hands and gave Ji Hong a slight bow.

Seeing that the three young men were only at the Earth-Digging Realm, Ji Hong immediately lost interest and turned to look at Chen Yiqing with a strange expression.

He didn't even know how he got to this point with the other party. He had just jumped down from the big tree, and all he wanted was for these eight people to leave as soon as possible. But somehow, he ended up chatting with Chen Yiqing and even introduced himself.

"Young friend Ji, please don't take offense. Although I come from humble origins, I love making friends from all walks of life. It's rare to see such a young hero, and I couldn't help but want to befriend him. I was being presumptuous. Please forgive me..."

Hearing Chen Yiqing's sincere tone, Ji Hong felt a little embarrassed and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Senior Chen, there's no need for that. Ji Hong is not a big shot in Daxia, so there's no need for such formality."

Upon hearing this, the light in Chen Yiqing's eyes intensified, but he quickly suppressed his emotions and continued sincerely, "To be honest, young friend Ji, the reason I came to Hongmen City is twofold: first, to take my brothers and juniors to Wanbaolou to broaden their horizons, and second, to buy some cultivation resources."

Secondly, I've heard about the recent conflict between the three northern towns and Great Xia. I know that Great Xia will open its port at Hongmen in July, which will greatly benefit our village-level camps. Although my Guyang Village is weak, I still want to do my part and offer some support to Great Xia.”

Upon hearing these words, Ji Hong immediately felt a sense of goodwill towards them.

He could tell that although Chen Yiqing and his group of five were at the Cold Resistance level, their strength should not be much greater than his own, and the Great Xia Dynasty naturally did not lack their support.

The problem was that their attitude was so different from those who had just walked along the bluestone path, and Chen Yiqing's words had struck a chord with him.

The opening of Daxia Port brought such great benefits to the village-level camps in the eight towns. People like Chen Yiqing are the ones who truly know how to repay kindness.

At the same time, Chen Yiqing finally raised his demands.

"I have a favor to ask, I wonder if young friend Ji would be so kind as to..."

"Senior Chen, please speak. If it's not too much trouble, Ji Hong can agree!"

Chen Yiqing's face immediately lit up with joy, and he said excitedly, "I am new here and not familiar with Hongmen City or Wanbaolou. If young friend Ji doesn't mind the trouble, could you be my guide?"

Is that all the simple requirement?

Ji Hong looked up at Chen Yiqing with a strange expression, but considering that it was really the first time the other party had come to Hongmen City, it was not surprising that he made this request. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "Okay, but Elder Chen, you need to go into Hongmen City first. I have some things to do here. I'll come find you after I enter the city, how about that?"

Anyone entering Hongmen City must register their information, and there are only a few places for people from other towns to live, so it would be easy for Ji Hong to find them.

Upon hearing Ji Hong's reply, Chen Yiqing expressed his deep gratitude, saying, "Then thank you very much, young friend Ji."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He led the other seven people, bowed to Ji Hong, and headed towards Hongmen City on the west side.

"Beishuo Town, Dongchuan District, Guyang Village. This guy is indeed too outgoing, but his strength is average. Judging from the aura of the four people with him, they shouldn't even be more than ten..."

Watching the eight figures disappear into the distance, Ji Hong shook his head slightly.

With such limited strength, he wasn't afraid of any ill intentions. Besides, they were just strangers who had met by chance, and the other party's request wasn't unreasonable. At worst, he could just show them around the city once they were in town.

"Those three young people are too weak. They're about my age and only at the Earth-Digging Realm. I guess the strength of Guyang Village is not good either."

Ji Hong did not let this incident delay his main task. He continued to diligently guard the snow forest on both sides of the bluestone road. About half an hour later, the army finally arrived at his position.

The Longwu Army had strict discipline. Even when they saw the outline of Hongmen City, they did not make a sound. The commander at the front of the column, Hou Quan, did not order them to stop, and they continued to march.

However, the people escorting the vehicle, and the young people in the back row who were at the limit of the Earth-Digging Realm, were not so well-behaved.

Upon seeing the outline of Hongmen City, everyone's expressions immediately relaxed.

"arrive!"

"finally reached."

"We can go into Hongmen City to rest now."

"There are only three hours left until dawn, so we don't need to keep going, right?"

"Definitely not, we should rest at Hongmen today."

…………

Most people were unaware of what was going to happen next. They thought it was just a routine transport of supplies back to Xia City, so they would only rest for a day at Hongmen City and continue along the north bank of the Xinghe River back to Xia City after nightfall the next day.

"Zhu Yang, bring the entire scout battalion back to the unit."

"I obey my orders!"

Suddenly, Commander Hou Quan at the forefront gave the order. Zhu Yang shouted the order and immediately blew his whistle. Hundreds of scouts scattered in various places, including Ji Hong from earlier, quickly returned to their posts in less than a hundred breaths and stood at the forefront of the army, joining the marching ranks.

"Reporting to the Commander, all 105 members of the scout battalion have returned to their posts!"

Upon hearing Zhu Yang's report, Hou Quan immediately shouted, "The entire Longwu Army must speed up! Go to the city gate to register first, and enter the city quickly. Don't delay those who come after you."

"Yes!"

At Hou Quan's command, all the Longwu soldiers shouted in response. The originally slow Longwu soldiers immediately sped up, and their marching speed increased four or five times. They visibly widened the distance between themselves and the convoy behind them.

The sudden acceleration of the Longwu Army left Xiao Heng, Yuan Bai, Zhao Yuanwu, and the other young people completely dumbfounded.

"So that wasn't the Dragon Martial Army's true marching speed before?"

"It's probably to accommodate the speed of the convoy and our group."

"I just remembered that all the soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army are at the Cold Resistance level, so their marching speed shouldn't be that slow."

………………

(End of this chapter)