Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 437 Making Friends, Departure, Beining Sword Master Arrives in Jinyang

Of the seven people present, Lu Yun was undoubtedly the one most severely affected.

Lu Yun is twenty-one years old this year and has been a disciple of Lu Yang for nearly five years. Not only has he been a disciple the longest, but in terms of strength, he is also the undisputed number one among Lu Yang's seven disciples.

Han Li, the second junior brother who joined the sect last year, is two years older than him. His cultivation level is currently at the mid-stage of the Cold Resistance Realm, and his strength is at the 5th level. Although his strength is extremely close to Han Li's, the two had already fought in Dongling, and in the end, Han Li was slightly defeated.

It can be said that Lu Yun's greatest strength is his ability to secure his position as the senior disciple of Dongling.

Having been a disciple of Lu Yang for nearly five years, Lu Yun has not only entered Jingxi District, but also Beishuo City several times. Having met many geniuses of his age, and even fought with many of them in recent years, Lu Yun's confidence has grown increasingly inflated.

In particular, in April of this year, Beishuo, probably in order to offset the influence of the Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament, specially had the Supervisory Council organize a martial arts competition, bringing together all young geniuses under the age of 25 from the town and the seven major jurisdictions.

Lu Yun also participated, and ultimately ranked 12th with a strength of 4 manes. It can be said that, apart from the Yang family and a few wealthy families in the town, all the young geniuses in the seven districts of Beishuo were defeated by him.

Master Lu Yang has gained fame in Beishuo in recent years, especially after defeating Zhu Yang, the head of the academy in charge of the Jingxi area, in a battle last March, earning him the title of the Sword Master of Beining.

Because of his master Lu Yang's illustrious reputation, Lu Yun, as his eldest disciple, achieved an impressive 12th place in this year's Beishuo martial arts competition, and was thus dubbed the "Little Sword Master of Beining" by well-meaning people.

These events undoubtedly accelerated Lu Yun's self-confidence from growing too high.

In May of this year, after his master Lu Yang revealed his identity as a member of the Great Xia Dynasty to the seven of them and explained that he would take them back to Great Xia to participate in the martial arts competition, Lu Yun immediately patted his chest and promised that he would do his best to strive for the top three, or at least enter the top ten, so that his master could make Great Xia proud.

When his master heard what he said, he just smiled strangely.

At the time, Lu Yun didn't understand why his master reacted that way. Now that the martial arts competition was over and the results were in, he suddenly realized why.

With such limited ability, he dared to boast that he would be in the top three. The fact that his master didn't laugh at him to his face was already a great effort to protect his dignity.

78 people!
"If we were to simply compare cultivation levels, my 78th place ranking might even be a bit inflated. My second junior brother is also at the 5th level, which is about the same as mine, but he ranked 99th. Not to mention those beyond the top 100, I saw some with strengths above the 5th level. In other words, my 78th place ranking is based on my martial arts and combat talent."

As soon as Lu Yun spoke, everyone else immediately fell silent.

After listening, Han Li shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "Senior Brother, you may not know this, but the disciples of Great Xia who participated in the martial arts competition have had their strength restricted. If the restrictions are lifted, their true strength can increase by another 30%."

"what?"

Upon hearing Han Peng's words, not only Lu Yun, but also Zhu Baixu and the other four immediately stood up, looking at him with disbelief.

"It was Junior Uncle Lu Dong who told me this personally during the martial arts competition. I don't think he would lie to me."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yun and the other six fell silent.

What does it mean if a company's strength can increase by another 30%?
Zhu Baixu and his group of five are one thing, since they weren't even in the top 100 to begin with; the key issue is Lu Yun and Han Peng. This means that if the disciples of Daxia hadn't been restricted, the two of them would most likely not have even made it into the top 100.

"Gentlemen, why are you all sitting here in a daze?"

Just as the seven people fell silent, Lu Dong, dressed in black, strode in from the side hall entrance. He had a kind smile on his face and quickly looked at the six people except Han Peng as soon as he entered the hall.

"Greetings, Junior Master!"

Inside the hall, Lu Yun and the other six people saw Lu Dong walk in and immediately bowed respectfully to him. Lu Yang was their master, so according to seniority, they should call Lu Dong Junior Uncle.

After the ceremony, apart from Han Peng, who had already met Lu Dong, Lu Yun and the other six looked up and carefully examined the junior uncle in front of them, who was younger than them but whose strength was unfathomable.

Lu Dong, dressed in black summer clothes, did not carry the longsword he used in the competition. He had a faint smile on his face. Although he did not exude any aura at the moment and there was no trace of arrogance on his face, Lu Yun and the other six still felt a sense of inferiority when they thought of his heroic performance on the stage and his title as the junior group champion. They unconsciously lowered their heads slightly.

"Brother Han, didn't I just say that? Why are you calling me Junior Uncle again?"

Lu Dong spoke up again at this moment. He first addressed Han Peng with a reproachful look, and then looked at Lu Yun and the other six with a smile, saying, "Although you are all my brother's disciples, he is him and I am me. We are not that far apart in age, so from now on we will address each other as brothers. Please don't call me Junior Uncle anymore, it makes me feel old."

Looking at Lu Dong's young face, which bore a striking resemblance to his master Lu Yang, Lu Yun and his companions naturally felt a sense of closeness. Hearing his approachable words, their goodwill towards him only grew stronger.

"I only met Brother Han on the stage just now. The rest of you are people I'm meeting for the first time. Let me guess, they should be Brother Lu, Brother Zhu, Brother Bai, Brother Wan, Brother Nie, and Brother Yang. Am I right?"

Seeing that Lu Dong accurately recited his surname, Lu Yun and the other six people immediately showed surprise on their faces, clearly confused.

"Hahaha……"

Lu Dong laughed and said, "My elder brother introduced you to me a long time ago. He also said that this is your first time in Xia City and that I must treat you well. We've been busy with the martial arts competition these past few days, so I haven't been able to visit you. Tonight, you finally made it into the inner city, and now that the competition is over, I've asked my sister-in-law to prepare a banquet for you in the main hall. Come with me, let's eat first, and after we finish, I'll show you around the inner city!"

Without waiting for a response from the seven people, Lu Dong led the way towards the main hall.

Lu Yun and the other six exchanged glances, all showing a hint of surprise on their faces, but quickly followed behind him.

The master's younger brother, this prodigy of the Great Xia Dynasty, was clearly much more approachable than they had originally expected.

Especially Lu Yun, who was walking at the front, thought of the wealthy young men he had met in Beishuo City, and when he looked at Lu Dong's back in front of him, he couldn't help but think of a sentence.

"Compared to those arrogant people in Beishuo, Junior Uncle is a true scion of a noble family!"

Even Han Li, with his calm and collected personality, couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards Lu Dong as he looked at him.
"Brother Lu, just how large is the territory of the Great Xia? We came down from the East Ridge secret passage and traveled more than a hundred kilometers to reach Xia City. Master said that this is only a very small part of the Great Xia's territory. Is that true?"

"Brother Lu, Master has an Eastern Yang Army under his command. We saw it the day we descended into Hanqiong. There were at least five hundred Cold-resistant soldiers. Master said that the Eastern Yang Army is the weakest of all the military branches in the Great Xia Dynasty. Is that true?"

"I don't believe it. Half of them are at the Cold-resistant level. That's stronger than the Northern Shuo's Zhenyu Army. How could they be at the bottom? Master must be being modest."

…………

Not to mention Zhu Baixu and his group of five, they quickly followed behind Lu Dong and immediately began to ask him about things in Xia City with smiles on their faces.

"The Great Xia territory covers more than 20,000 square kilometers. Since your elder brother brought you to Xia City to participate in the martial arts competition, you will gradually find out. As for the Dongyang Army being the weakest, that's probably true. Our Great Xia currently has a total of fifteen armies..."

Since his elder brother Lu Yang had brought all seven disciples to his home in the inner city, they were now officially members of the Great Xia Dynasty. Lu Dong naturally wouldn't hide anything anymore and answered Zhu Baixu and the other four's questions directly.

Upon hearing his answer, Lu Yun and his six companions were naturally astonished, gaining a deeper understanding of the strength of the Great Xia Dynasty, and at the same time, they raised even more questions.

Lu Dong led the seven people to the main hall and they took their seats. He remained open and honest, thoroughly satisfying their curiosity.

"Come, come, have a drink first. After we finish eating, I'll take the seven of you to explore the inner city. My elder brother has already instructed that the seven of you will stay at the mansion tonight. My sister-in-law has prepared guest rooms for you."

Lu Dong raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp. He watched as the other seven people also picked up their glasses and began to drink, and a thought stirred within him.

"After the martial arts competition ends, I will officially join the Dongyang Army. My elder brother will probably place me in the scout camp. From now on, I will also change my identity and go to Dongling to operate. I will first befriend my elder brother's seven disciples. It will be much more convenient when I get to Dongling."

………………

The ninth year of the Great Xia Dynasty, the sixth day of the eighth month, during the day.
North of Xiacheng, in the Arrow Bamboo Forest area.

A group of four people were slowly making their way north in the freezing cold.

The leader, dressed in a black cotton coat and carrying an earth-yellow bundle, exuded an air of authority despite his less-than-ideal attire. He turned to the man half a step behind him and asked with a smile, "I heard from Xia Chuan that you've made a name for yourself as the Sword Master of Beining, and are quite famous throughout the entire Beishuo region. Is that true?"

"This empty reputation created by busybodies is nothing but a joke to make the lord laugh!"

Hearing Lu Yang's slightly modest reply, Xia Hong smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need to be modest. With your current strength of 46 hairs, even without considering the Saintly Mark, there aren't many people in the Three Northern Towns who can defeat you, except for those few at the Manifestation Yang level. The title of Sword Master of Beining isn't prestigious enough. If you ask me, you should at least be called Sword Master of Jingxi, or even bolder, just call yourself Sword Master of Beishuo. That wouldn't be bad either, hahaha..."

When Xia Hong came out of seclusion last night, he could tell that Lu Yang's strength of 46 was such that, in terms of cultivation, the only people in the Great Xia Dynasty who could reliably defeat him at the Cold Resistance level were Xia Chuan with 57 and Yuwen Tao with 54. Yuan Cheng and Xu Ning were basically on par with him, with little difference in strength.

It's no exaggeration to say that, considering the Great Xia Sacred Mark, Lu Yang's true strength would make him virtually invincible below Xian Yang in Beishuo Town.

The title of "Sword Master of Beishuo" is not an exaggeration when it is given to him!
Upon hearing this, Lu Yang's face immediately showed a hint of confidence. However, he understood Xia Hong's implied meaning and immediately cupped his hands, saying, "Lord, rest assured, although my title is the Sword Master of Beining, in the past six years, the infiltration of Beishuo by me and the Dongling group has not been limited to the Beining Mountain area..."

As Lu Yang recounted everything he had done in Dongling over the past six years, Xia Hong's eyes shone with increasing intensity, and his expression towards Lu Yang grew more and more satisfied.

The Cold Jade Passage was opened in the third year of the Great Xia Dynasty. According to this timeline, Lu Yang has been infiltrating Beishuo Town for as long as six years.

In six years, with the backing of the Great Xia Dynasty, Lu Yang could do so much.

According to Lu Yang, he has now firmly controlled all seven villages in Beining Mountain. In the remaining 28 villages under Jingxi's jurisdiction, he has not only placed his own people in all of them, but he has also grasped the weaknesses of a large number of high-ranking officials in these villages. Although they are not under his control like the seven villages in Beining Mountain, these villages now basically dare not go against Dongling.

Moreover, Dongling's influence has already begun to extend to the two jurisdictions of Linya and Hegu. In addition, after the Chen Yiqing incident in March of this year, he even sent people to infiltrate the Dongchuan jurisdiction in April.

After listening to Lu Yang's general introduction, Xia Hong lowered his head and pondered for a moment before asking, "I remember that Beishuo has seven jurisdictions: Zhongyang, Dongchuan, Baimu, Kuling, Hegu, Linya, and Jingxi. The jurisdictions that Beishuo Town focuses on expanding northward are Zhongyang, Dongchuan, and Linya, right?"

Lu Yang immediately nodded and said, "Lord has a good memory. These three jurisdictions are actually all north of Jingxi, but in terms of direction, Linya is due north; Zhongyang is due north-northeast; and Dongchuan is a little further east, which is the northernmost border of Beishuo, almost touching Mo'ao Mountain."

Starting from the northern border of Beishuo Town, travel north along Mount Mo'ao for about 50 kilometers. You will see a giant lake called Yanze Lake. After passing Yanze Lake, you will see an area shrouded in red mist called Xue Zhangyuan. After passing Xue Zhangyuan, you will reach Chencang.

Xia Hong recalled Chu Yan'er's words from last year, and when he connected them with Chen Yiqing's identity as a resident of Guyang Village, a cold smile immediately appeared on his face.

"You said last night that Chen Yiqing returned to Chencang in late June?"

Lu Yang immediately nodded and said, "According to the message left by Ji Hong before he left, Chen Yiqing had people come to Chencang before he returned. They should be Xianyang-level people who were specially escorting them back. As the lord expected, the route to Chencang should be very dangerous. It is highly likely that Yuhan-level people cannot cross it."

At this point, Lu Yang's face showed a hint of worry, and he hesitated before saying, "Lord, on this journey, perhaps you should take me with you. If there is any danger on the road, I can go and scout ahead first!"

Xia Hong shook his head and chuckled, "Who said I was going to Chencang?"

Lu Yang was stunned upon hearing this.

Not only him, but also Xia Chuan and other high-ranking officials of Da Xia unanimously believed that Xia Hong would definitely go to Chencang first.

Only then did he realize that Xia Hong's target was not Chencang.

Lu Yang pondered for a moment, then immediately showed a look of approval on his face, nodding emphatically and saying, "That's right, the lord is indeed very thoughtful. August is the time when the Cai Qiu people come to Han Peng to ask for intelligence. Today is only the fifth day of the month, and someone from Cai Qiu should be coming to Jinshan Town soon. As long as the lord waits in Jinyang Village, it will be much safer to go to the Cai Qiu vassal state with him when the people from Cai Qiu arrive."

Lu Yang also knew about Chu Yan'er's situation. Si Cheng had said that the route that woman provided was definitely not safe, which was why he was worried about Xia Hong going to Chencang alone.

When Xia Hong mentioned that the target was Caiqiu, he suddenly realized that the situation of the vassal states that the Great Xia knew about was not limited to Chencang, but also included another one, Caiqiu.

Upon hearing Han Peng's name, Lu Yang suddenly turned his head to look behind him.

"Han Li, it's been almost a year since you last returned to Jinyang Village, hasn't it?"

The two people behind him were his eldest disciple, Lu Yun, and his second disciple, Han Li.

Upon hearing the question, Han Li immediately nodded and replied, "Reporting to Master, this disciple has indeed not been back for almost a year."

Xia Hong smiled and turned to look at the two people behind him.

When Lu Yun and Han Li noticed Xia Hongchao looking at them, their expressions immediately became slightly tense.

Just as they set off from Xia City, their master, Lu Yang, suddenly brought a young man who looked even younger than them. At first, they didn't know Xia Hong's identity, but seeing how respectful their master was to that person, they vaguely guessed that the other party's identity was not simple.

Before leaving the city, Xia Hong remained silent, leading them to believe he might be a descendant of the Great Xia lord or something similar.

As soon as Xia Hong and Lu Yang started talking, they realized that the man in black who looked even younger than them was actually Xia Hong, the current overlord of the southern slopes of Mo'ao, the strongest person in the Nine Towns, and the lord of the Great Xia.

The two realized this, but remained numb, simply following behind without even hearing what their master and Xia Hong were talking about.

"One is a top-grade battle physique, and the other is a superior battle physique. You've done a good job taking on these two disciples."

Upon hearing Xia Hong's praise, Lu Yang smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Lu Yun is a buried genius. I was lucky to discover him six years ago after we annexed Bai Song. As for Han Li..."

When Han Li was mentioned, Lu Yang's expression faltered slightly. Strictly speaking, Han Li was a hostage he used to control Han Peng, but the two had been together for almost a year and had truly formed a master-disciple relationship. He really couldn't bring himself to say the truth.

"This time I'm going to accompany the lord to Jinyang Village. Han Li, you'll come back with me! Didn't you get 99th place in the martial arts competition? It's a good time to go back and see your grandfather, tell him the news, and let him be happy."

Upon hearing this, Han Li's expression immediately brightened, and he nodded emphatically.

Although Lu Yang's change in expression was subtle, Xia Hong still caught it. After only a moment's thought, he immediately understood why Lu Yang had reacted that way. He smiled and waved his hand, saying, "This time when we go to Jinyang Village, you don't need to come with me. Han Li can accompany me..."

At this point, Xia Hong paused, then chuckled and asked Han Li, "You got your 99th place in the youth group and all the rewards from the martial arts competition, right?"

When Xia Hong asked him directly, Han Li's expression immediately became excited. He quickly nodded and cupped his hands, saying, "Reporting to the lord, I have received 5 taels of silver, 5 Yang Yuan Pills, a thousand-forged weapon, refined salt, and other things. I have already converted all the silver into contribution points and exchanged it for cultivation resources."

"That's good. I've heard about your grandfather. He'll be very happy to know that you've improved so much this year and received so many cultivation resources!"

Leaving aside Han Li's excited reaction, Lu Yang, who was standing to the side, had already realized what was happening and silently nodded in agreement.

The Great Xia Dynasty has already invested a lot in Han Li. Not to mention the master-disciple relationship they've built over the past year, the rewards from this martial arts competition alone are enough to make Han Peng change his mind.

Judging from the financial resources Han Peng displayed in Hongmen City last year, Cai Qiu did not invest too much in him, at least not in Da Xia.

It's good to let Han Li go with Xia Hong alone. Lu Yang basically trusts his disciple. The only thing to be wary of is Han Peng. But then again, since Xia Hong is going there in person, if Han Peng really has ulterior motives, he will surely die a very, very tragic death.

"Don't give up monitoring Dongchuan Guyang Village. Chencang currently only has this one line south to Jiuzhen. If they make any unusual moves, this place will be the first to react. Report any situation to Xiacheng in time."

Lu Yang immediately cupped his hands and whispered, "Don't worry, my lord. In March, I had Hou Bing's Golden Frost Squad disperse and infiltrate various parts of the Dongchuan jurisdiction. There are two of our spies inside Guyang Village. If there is any unusual activity, I will receive the news immediately."

Xia Hong nodded slightly, then asked, "You should have released the people in Jinyang Village as well, right?"

Lu Yang immediately nodded and said, "I released the Zhaoyuan Squad. By the way, the lord should still remember Li Hu, the captain of this squad, right?"

Li Hu...

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Is it Li Hu from the Li family of Longshan?"

Lu Yang nodded and said, "Captain Li Hu and Vice Captain Yang Zhong are both good young men. In the third year of the Great Xia Dynasty, when they first arrived at Dongling, I remember they were only at the limit of the Digging Realm and their basic strength was less than 45,000. The Zhaoyuan Squad was also just a low-level squad."

Six years have passed, and these two are no longer simple figures. Captain Li Hu broke through to the Cold Resistance level with a base strength of 12 jin, possessing superior combat physique aptitude. He is currently at the late Cold Resistance level and has already reached the strength of 18 manes. Vice Captain Yang Zhong has slightly lower aptitude, possessing only a medium combat physique, but is also currently at the late Cold Resistance level and has the strength of 12 manes.

Their Zhaoyuan squad was promoted to a senior squad last year. I sent them to Jinyang Village at the end of last year. Li Hu is quick-witted and has now become the deputy leader of Jinyang Village.

Xia Hong smiled upon hearing this. He remembered clearly that Li Hu and Yang Zhong had played a significant role in the successful conquest of Longshan back then.

Although Li Hu was unwilling to admit it, he was indeed the son of Li Xuantian, and the blood of the Longshan Li family flowed in his veins. Therefore, he was both Li Tiancheng's grand-nephew and Li Xuanling's nephew, and should call Li Xuanling "aunt".

So, by that reckoning, he is actually Li Hu's uncle.

"Breaking through 12 jin, achieving a superior battle physique, and now possessing the strength of an 18-mane warrior, it seems this Li Hu is quite hardworking..."

As Xia Hong chatted, he smiled and quickened his pace slightly.

Of course, he still took care of the three people behind him.

He chose to walk here so that he could talk to Lu Yang about the situation in Beishuo along the way. If he really wanted to get there quickly, he could have just flown there.

"Lu Yun, Han Li, come here!"

As Lu Yang was speaking, he noticed the bundle on Xia Hong's shoulder and suddenly called over Lu Yun and Han Li behind him. Then he looked at Xia Hong and said, "Lord, shall we have the two juniors carry that bundle for you?"

Xia Hong's expression immediately turned extremely strange upon hearing his suggestion.

Lu Yun and Han Li were even more direct. Eager to show off, they immediately went behind Lu Yang and helped him unload his bag as soon as they received a signal from him.

"Don't, don't, don't..."

Xia Hong hurriedly refused, but it was too late; the bundle slipped off his shoulder.

Lu Yun and Han Li instinctively reached out to take it, but...
Click...

Both of their arms dislocated with a snap. If Xia Hong hadn't caught the bundle in time, it probably would have been more than just a dislocation.

"This……"

"Why is it so heavy?"

Lu Yun and Han Li stared at the bundle, their expressions instantly freezing. But what happened next was when they saw Xia Hong gently lift the bundle back onto his back. Their pupils trembled violently, and their faces were filled with horror.

“They can’t carry it, so let me do it, my lord.”

Seeing that his two apprentices couldn't even lift the bundle, Lu Yang frowned, but still quickly stepped forward, ready to help Xia Hong carry it himself.

"No, this bundle weighs over 20 million pounds, you couldn't possibly carry it..."

After Xia Hong finished speaking, he saw Lu Yang looking at him with a look of astonishment. Knowing that Lu Yang did not believe him, Xia Hong immediately shook his head, picked up the bundle, hooked it with one hand, and then gestured for Lu Yang to feel it.

Lu Yang walked forward with a look of disbelief, lifted the bottom of the bundle with both hands, and then lifted it upwards with force.

"Well…………"

His face turned bright red, but he couldn't lift the bundle an inch. If he hadn't seen that Xia Hong was holding it with one hand, he would have thought that Xia Hong was deliberately pressing down on the bundle to prevent him from lifting it.

"More than 20 million jin, this bundle..."

Lu Yang finally gave up, his eyes filled with surprise as he looked at the bundle.

One hundred thousand catties per bristle, more than twenty million catties, that's more than 200 bristles. Converted to the power unit of the Manifestation Yang level, that's 2 jun. In other words, without the cultivation of the Manifestation Yang level, one cannot even lift this burden, let alone carry it.

Xia Hong can not only carry it on his back, but he can even lift it with one hand without any problem.

The key point is that they had just walked from Xiacheng to here, a distance of fifty or sixty kilometers, and Xia Hong hadn't blushed even once during the entire journey.

"Just how powerful is the lord...?"

After Lu Yang realized what was happening, he was filled with horror. Looking at Xia Hong's back, the fanaticism and reverence in his eyes became even stronger.

Unlike him, Lu Yun and Han Li had no concept of the Xianyang level at all. When they heard that it weighed more than 20 million jin, their expressions were already numb, and their faces were full of disbelief and incomprehension.

"More than 20 million kilograms in weight, all in one bundle? How is that possible?"

"Is this for real? But even Master can't lift it!"

From Xiacheng to Hanqiong, it's only a little over 100 kilometers. And if you go up the Hanqiong secret passage to the Dongling outpost, it's only about 40 kilometers.

The group of four quickly traversed the distance and arrived at Dongling.

Xia Hong did not stay in Dongling for long. He met with Zhao Hu, Wang Tao, Zhu Shun and other leaders of the eight departments in Dongling, and then set off directly for Jinshan Town.

This time, instead of traveling slowly, he picked up Han Li and flew directly towards Yinhe Valley in Jinshan Town.

Upon arriving at Yinhe Valley, he followed Han Li's instructions and flew towards the location of Jinyang Village.

He soon arrived at Jinyang Village.

　Just a little more, I'll add more tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)