Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 438 Yinhe Valley, Bone-Eating Path, Han Peng's Choice, the Waiting Has Finally Arrived

Jinshan Town has nine districts, with Yinhe Valley being the westernmost one.

Although located at the westernmost point, a large portion of Jinshan Town's territory is embedded within the Mo'ao Mountain range, so it is actually adjacent to the Mo'ao Mountain.

"No wonder it's named after a valley. I saw it when I flew over. A large part of Mount Mo'ao has sunk here, forming a large valley area. It's like a Twin Dragon Valley that's dozens of times larger, right?"

At the northern end of Jinyang Village, Li Hu and Yang Zhong were leading Xia Hong deeper into Yinhe Valley to the north, excitedly introducing him to the situation of Jinyang Village.

Upon hearing Xia Hong's question, Li Hu immediately nodded and said, "Yinhe Valley is roughly oriented north-south. The overall area is unclear, but the area controlled by Jinshan Town is about 1600 square kilometers, more than 30 kilometers wide from east to west, and more than 50 kilometers deep from north to south. There are 23 village-level camps distributed in total, as well as many other large and medium-sized camps. Jinyang Village is located at the deepest part of the northern side of Yinhe Valley."

"The area controlled by Jinshan Town extends more than 50 kilometers from north to south..."

After pondering for a moment, Xia Hong looked to the north and asked, "The unexplored area of ​​Jinshan Town, 50 kilometers away, is the road leading to Caiqiu, right?"

Li Hu nodded and replied, "That's right. I've been here for over a year and I've already found out. More than twenty years ago, Jinshan Town originally planned to expand northward along Yinhe Valley, which is the inner side of Mo'ao Mountain. However, after traveling more than 50 kilometers north along Yinhe Valley, you will pass through an area called the Bone-Eating Path, where a black wind rages year-round..."

As the black wind raged, Xia Hong immediately recalled the dark cloud formation he had seen to the north when he first arrived in the Yinhe Valley area. He turned to look at Li Hu with curiosity, waiting for him to continue.

Li Hu clearly recalled some horrible scene, his eyes filled with horror as he said, "The black wind of that Bone-Corroding Path is terrifying; it can instantly tear away a person's flesh and blood. Even if someone at the Cold-Resistant level goes in, they will surely die. I only heard people in Jinyang Village say this before, and I didn't quite believe it. This May, I took some time to personally lead a team to investigate..."

As Li Hu recounted his exploration experience in May, Xia Hong finally understood why he had such an expression when he mentioned the Bone-Eating Path.

According to Li Hu, in May he led his men close to the edge of the Bone-Eroding Path and saw the Black Wind area with his own eyes. Of course, he would not go in to explore it himself. Instead, he led Yang Zhong and the hunting team to drive away three mid-level Thunder Kui and enter the Black Wind area to explore.

Among various types of cold beasts, the defensive capabilities of the Lei Kui's skin are absolutely among the best. The flesh and skin of a mid-level Lei Kui are comparable to those of a human with a cold-resistant cultivation level.

Even this three-headed intermediate-level Lei Kui had its skin and flesh torn apart the moment it entered the Black Wind Zone of the Bone-Corroding Path, and in no more than ten breaths, only a skeleton remained.

"The flesh and skin were all blown away by the black wind, leaving only the skeleton!"

Xia Hong's pupils contracted slightly, and a serious expression immediately appeared on his face.

Li Hu nodded emphatically and said, "That's right, we were dumbfounded at the time. The black wind looked ordinary and no different from normal airflow. I even tried it with fire-condensing oil and a small torch, but there was no reaction after throwing them in."

This is interesting!

Xia Hong lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then turned and asked, "In March of this year, a group of people from Caiqiu should have come over, right? Did you see them?"

Han Peng made it very clear last year that Cai Qiu would meet with him twice a year, once in August (this month) and once in March.

Li Hu immediately replied, "We saw them. On March 25th of this year, Cai Qiu brought a total of four people. We only know that the leader is named Cai Shiqing. He looks to be in his early forties. He is arrogant, domineering, and extremely lecherous. His subordinates are weak and can only roughly judge that he is at the Yuhan level. We were unable to see through their specific strength."

Those who came from the vassal states were naturally quite strong. Considering that Chu Yan'er and her group of seven were all above level 20, Xia Hong didn't show much surprise. However, when he heard Li Hu mention Cai Shiqing, his tone was clearly angry, so he turned his head to look at him curiously.

"What, you suffered a loss at Cai Shiqing's hands?"

Li Hu's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment. He cupped his hands and said, "Lord, you have a discerning eye. I dare not hide anything. In March, as soon as Cai Shiqing came over, he immediately asked Han Peng to gather the women in the village for him to choose from. I couldn't stand it, so I said a few words in Han Peng's defense, and as a result, I was beaten up."

Upon hearing this, Xia Hong's face immediately darkened.

Yang Zhong, who was standing to the side, stepped forward with a hesitant expression. He had noticed Li Hu's look of dissuasion, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Reporting to the lord, the captain's situation is not just about being beaten. Cai Shiqing pierced his left chest with a single sword, just half an inch away from breaking through his heart. He almost died."

"It seems the people from Caiqiu Prefecture are no good either!"

Upon arrival, Han Peng was asked to gather the women in the village for Xia Hong to choose from. Even without asking for details, Xia Hong could roughly guess what was going on.

This Cai Shiqing is clearly another foolish and wicked person who thinks too highly of his noble birth and looks down on everyone. He started selecting concubines as soon as he arrived, which means he regards the Nine Towns region as a poor and remote place where he can do whatever he wants.

In such an extreme environment as the Ice Abyss, there seems to be no shortage of people like this: Yang Ning and Li Hu from Beishuo many years ago; Chu Yan'er and her group of seven from Chencang last year; and now Cai Shiqing from Caiqiu...

Xia Hong shook his head and sneered, "With their Cold Resistance level cultivation, Cai Shiqing and his three companions couldn't possibly cross the Bone Corrosion Path on their own. They were most likely escorted here. With such meager strength, they think they can do whatever they want in the Nine Towns? Fools!"

"I don't know about that. Those four people came directly from the north. Even if they were escorted, we wouldn't have been able to find them."

Li Hu only had the strength of an 18-mane cultivator, so the things he could see were naturally limited.

Xia Hong continued to ask, "I've already heard from Lu Yang that the intelligence you sent back to Dongling said that Cai Shiqing and his three companions only stayed in Jinyang Village for a little over a month before leaving. Do you know where they went?"

Li Hu immediately shook his head and said, "My lord, please forgive me. Those four are too strong. I dare not even follow them, let alone send anyone. However, although I do not know their whereabouts, I have already sent their portraits to Lord Lu. As long as the four enter the territory of Great Xia, they will definitely be discovered immediately."

Xia Hong nodded and continued, "According to what you said, Cai Shiqing doesn't take Jinyang Village seriously at all, so Han Peng's loyalty to them must be quite limited, right?"

"Of course!"

Li Hu gave a direct affirmative answer and sneered, "I don't know who came before, but judging from Cai Shiqing's style of doing things, Han Peng must hate him to the bone. When I first came last year, I was quite wary of Han Peng, afraid that he would turn against me. But after seeing the style of Cai Shiqing and the other three in March this year, I am basically at ease about Han Peng."

Han Peng talks to me a lot on a regular basis. Cai Qiu just gives him some silver every year and doesn't treat him like one of his own. On the other hand, Lord Lu has already sent him quite a few Yang Yuan Pills this year, and his grandson Han Li is doing well in Dongling. In my opinion, Han Peng has no more suspicion towards my Great Xia.

Xia Hong smiled and nodded, then turned to look in the direction of the village and said, "Han Li got 99th place in the youth group at this martial arts competition, and Great Xia has invested a lot of resources in him. As long as Han Peng isn't stupid, he'll know how to choose."

Upon hearing about the martial arts competition, Li Hu's face immediately showed a hint of regret. Although he had always been in Jinyang Village, the news of the Three Towns Martial Arts Competition had spread like wildfire, and he had heard about it long ago. He knew that the rewards were exceptionally generous. Unfortunately, he was already 27 years old this year. If he were two years younger, he could have gone back to participate.

"No need for regrets. At 27, with the cultivation level of the late stage of the Cold Control Realm and the strength of 18 manes, you are only one step away from the peak of the Cold Control Realm. With your strength, you are definitely among the best of your peers in the Nine Towns..."

Xia Hong could tell what Li Hu was thinking just by looking at his expression. He smiled and offered a word of comfort. Then, after a pause, as if he had thought of something, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket and tossed it to Li Hu.

"Infiltrating Jinyang Village isn't a good job either. It will be a long time before our Great Xia truly establishes itself in the Nine Towns. You'll probably have to stay here and keep an eye on Cai Qiu's movements. Here are 30 Dragon Carp Pills. You and Yang Zhong can share them for now. Consider it a small reward from me. When we return to Xia City, I'll reward you according to your merits. I will definitely not treat you unfairly, so don't worry!"

Li Hu accepted the Dragon Carp Pill, his face immediately showing excitement. He and Yang Zhong bowed respectfully to Xia Hong, shouting in unison, "Thank you, Lord, for bestowing the pill. We will do our utmost to help you establish your rule over the Nine Towns and clear away all obstacles in your path."

Upon hearing their words, a smile immediately appeared on Xia Hong's face.

With only 18 manes and 12 manes, their strength is certainly insufficient to clear all obstacles in their path to establishing their dominance in the Nine Towns.

However, having this intention is enough!

With gradual improvement, strength will eventually rise.

"You all go back! I'll go check out the situation at the Bone-Eroding Path first."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu and Yang Zhong immediately showed a hint of tension on their faces and hurriedly tried to dissuade him, saying, "The Bone-Corroding Path is dangerous. No one from Cai Qiu has come yet. Lord, you must not risk your life alone..."

"rest assured!"

Xia Hong waved his hand and continued, "I'm just going to take a look. I only know about the Bone-Corroding Path. Once you enter the Bone-Corroding Path, you don't know anything about the route afterward. Why would I go in recklessly? I'll just take a look and come back."

The upper class of Caiqiu will be coming to Jinyang Village in August. It would be safer to go to Caiqiu Prefecture with those people, and Xia Hong naturally understood this.

Hearing this, Li Hu and Yang Zhong felt much more at ease, but they were still a little worried and said, "Then, Lord, we'll take you there!"

Without waiting for Xia Hong's refusal, the two of them led the way and flew north.

Xia Hong thought about it and didn't refuse. Jinyang Village is located 30 kilometers deep in Yinhe Valley. Going north for more than 20 kilometers will take you to the Bone-Eroding Path. Li Hu and Yang Zhong are both highly skilled, so it won't take them long to go back and forth.

………………

"Almost six hairs already, not bad, not bad, Li'er has made great progress, haha!"

At the same time that Xia Hong asked Li Hu and Yang Zhong about Cai Qiu's situation.

Inside the main building of Jinyang Village, Han Peng finally met his grandson Han Li, whom he hadn't seen for a year. Seeing that his grandson's strength had increased by more than 3 in just one year, he couldn't stop smiling.

Han Li, on the other hand, kept taking things out of his bundle, saying as he did so, "Grandpa, I got 99th place in the youth group of the Great Xia Martial Arts Tournament this time, and I was rewarded with a lot of things. There are 5 taels of silver alone, which I have already exchanged for cultivation resources."

Last year you bought Dragon Carp Pills at Hongmen, saying they cost 10 taels each, right? I exchanged them at the Supply Department in Xia City, and they only cost 50000 contribution points each! I exchanged 10 for Grandpa right away, you see…”

Han Li placed 10 Dragon Carp Pills in front of Han Peng, and then continued to introduce, "5 Yang Yuan Pills, 15 catties of refined salt, 5 catties of mid-grade Cold Blood Wine..." Seeing his grandson take out one precious resource after another, and hearing him talk about the prosperity of Xia City and the abundance of cultivation resources, Han Peng's expression became more and more shocked, and a trace of determination gradually appeared in his pupils, clearly indicating that he had made some important decision.

"Li'er, tell Grandpa, how has Lu Yang treated you this past year?"

Upon hearing this question, Han Li was taken aback for a moment, then his face was full of gratitude as he said, "Grandpa, my master is very good to me. He personally taught me martial arts, taught me many hunting techniques, and also many cultivation secrets. I get along very well with my other fellow disciples, and..."

Actually, having only been a disciple for a year, Han Li was not qualified to participate in the martial arts competition in Da Xia, especially since he was going to Da Xia via the secret passage down the East Ridge to Hanqiong. Han Li was already 24 years old this year, and he wasn't stupid. The East Ridge was located in the jurisdiction of Beishuo Jingxi. The moment he learned that his master Lu Yang was from Da Xia, he had already figured out many things.

After thinking it through, his first reaction was naturally to be grateful for his master's trust. Recalling the past year of his master's teachings and care for him, he had almost no resistance and immediately accepted the fact that he had become a member of the Great Xia.

Not to mention, he witnessed so much in Xia City that he clearly realized that joining the Great Xia Dynasty was the only way to go further on the path of cultivation.

“Grandpa, I’ve seen far too much in Daxia. If you ask me, even Jinshan Town can’t compare to Daxia. We shouldn’t stay in Jinyang Village any longer. Not only do we have to pay tribute to Jinshan Town, but we also have to worry about those villains coming from the north every year. Grandpa, let’s take the people of the village and join Daxia directly. I’ll talk to Master and we’ll go to Dongling first, and then go to Daxia. Master will definitely agree.”

Hearing his grandson keep praising Lu Yang and Da Xia, and even suggesting that he lead the whole village to join Da Xia, Han Peng's expression was initially complicated. Then, looking down at the 10 Dragon Carp Pills in his hand, he showed a hint of relief and said in a deep voice, "Li'er, you don't need to worry about these things. Grandpa doesn't want these cultivation resources. Keep them for yourself. In a couple of days, go back to Dongling and continue cultivating with your master. You don't need to worry about the village's affairs for now."

Han Li was taken aback upon hearing this, and hurriedly said, "Grandpa, I brought these Dragon Carp Pills back especially for you. Why would you ask me to exchange them for them if you don't want them..."

"Alright, Grandpa is so old. No matter how many Dragon Carp Pills I use, I can only raise my mane to 25 or higher at most. You are different. With the superior battle body, you can raise your mane to 16 or higher based on your aptitude. With enough Dragon Carp Pills, you may even reach 40 or higher in the future. Moreover, you have joined the Great Xia. With your master's help, you may even have a chance to become a Xianyang in the future. Listen to Grandpa, you should keep the pills!"

Han Peng shoved the pill back into Han Li's hand with an air of absolute authority. Seeing Han Li's puzzled expression, he smiled and changed the subject, saying, "By the way, that young man named Hong Yu who came with you this time, Li Hu and Yang Zhong were both so respectful to him. He must be some important figure in the Great Xia, right?"

Upon hearing this question, Han Li hesitated for a moment.

Xia Honglai had told him on the way that his identity should not be revealed.

Just as he was thinking about what lie to make up, Han Peng had already seen through his grandson's predicament and waved his hand with a smile, saying, "Alright, don't say what you shouldn't say. You haven't been back for a year, go back and see your parents, Feng'er and Ling'er first, and let Grandpa be alone for a while."

Han Li had no choice but to nod and go see his parents and younger siblings.

Han Peng watched his grandson walk away, and only after things quieted down did he let out a soft sigh.

"Sixty or seventy thousand people, how easy is it to move them all at once? If Cai Qiu finds out that I've revealed their whereabouts, it will be a catastrophe. Besides, Da Xia has even sent people here, clearly intending for me to continue keeping an eye on Cai Qiu's movements. Even if I wanted to leave, I probably couldn't..."

Han Peng pondered for a moment, then his expression brightened slightly. He said in a deep voice, "However, danger is accompanied by opportunity. The Great Xia is willing to invest so many resources in Li'er because it values ​​the location of Jinyang Village. Although Cai Qiu and his people are strong, they have bad tempers, are stingy, and don't treat us like human beings. Rather than working for them, we should serve the Great Xia!"

No matter how powerful the regional military governors are, Great Xia is not without power. The fact that Great Xia is willing to send two such talented young men as Li Hu and Yang Zhong shows how much they value Jinyang. We have to choose one side eventually, and we'll choose Great Xia!

After making his decision, Han Peng let out a long sigh of relief, and then finally felt completely at ease. He murmured, "Li Hu and Yang Zhong are just spies, but Hong Yu, who came with Li'er, should be a high-ranking figure in the Great Xia. I wonder how long he will stay in Jinyang Village. Let's hurry up and find him directly, and show our loyalty first!"

………………

Xia Hong, using the alias Hong Yu, settled down in Jinyang Village.

Han Li returned to Dongling alone on the third night, so only Li Hu and Yang Zhong in the entire Jinyang Village knew his identity.

Li Hu's Zhaoyuan Squad was already an advanced hunting team, with a full complement of 100 people. He only took 10 people to lie in ambush in Jinyang Village, while the remaining 88 people were scattered in other village-level camps in Yinhe Valley.

To be honest, the population of Great Xia is too large now, and very few people have actually seen Xia Hong's face. None of Li Hu's 10 team members had ever seen Xia Hong, so even without disguising their appearance, they did not know Xia Hong's true identity.

In the entire Jinyang Village, Li Hu was the strongest. Xia Hong's disguised strength was naturally undetectable. He displayed a strength of 15, and within two days, he was assigned to Yang Zhong's hunting team and began to hunt with them.

Li Hu and Yang Zhong were doing undercover work, but they still needed to make a living and earn money, so they had to go out hunting and gathering. Since waiting was pointless, Xia Hong simply put in some effort to help them hunt.

From the eighth to the twentieth, over twelve days, Xia Hong helped them hunt down a total of 35 high-level cold beasts. This was already quite low-key, but for Jinyang Village, it was still too astonishing and quickly caused a sensation.

Half a month later, everyone in Jinyang Village knew that Li Hu had a distant relative who was not only strong but also had amazing hunting skills. For a time, the whole village flocked to him, and some busybodies couldn't help but come to his door to inquire about his marital status and wanted to arrange a marriage for him.

Xia Hong was left speechless, realizing that he had caused the trouble while hunting. So he simply stopped intervening and went out with the hunting team every night, specifically targeting the northern area. He kept an eye on the movements in the Bone-Eroding Path while helping Yang Zhong's hunting team deal with any dangerous situations.

Until the 25th day of the eighth month in the ninth year of the Great Xia Dynasty
It was another night, two kilometers south of the Bone-Eating Path, where Yang Zhong and his group were besieging a high-level black demon antelope.

Not far away, Xia Hong, who was standing on a big tree watching them, suddenly noticed something, turned his head to look north, and his eyes flashed slightly.

"We've been waiting for this!"

It also comes on the 25th in March and August. It seems that Caiqiu comes on these two fixed dates every year.

"I'm heading towards the Bone-Corroding Path first. Be careful!"

Yang Zhong, who was hunting black antelopes in the distance, heard the voice in his ear and his expression turned slightly serious. After turning his head to look to the north, he immediately went back to hunting.

………………

Whew...

Deep within Yinhe Valley, a passage only about three kilometers wide was filled with howling black winds. To the naked eye, the entire passage seemed to be filled with a surging black mist. However, whenever the black mist was about to be blown out of the passage, it seemed to encounter some resistance and retreated.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the black mist.

Immediately afterwards, a fireball with an intense heat and a diameter of 100 meters slowly emerged from the black mist, and inside the fireball stood more than 50 people.

Above the group of fifty-odd people, a white-robed, elderly man hovered. Judging from the intense flames emanating from his body, the fireball that covered the group was clearly his creation.

From the appearance of the flames to leading everyone out of the black mist area, it took less than a hundred breaths. After all fifty-odd people had come out, the old man immediately withdrew the flames around his body and slowly floated down to the ground.

"We've finally arrived. Thank you for joining the army, Zhu!"

Of the fifty-odd people, eighty percent were middle-aged, with only about ten young people. Surprisingly, the first to speak was a boy in a blue robe who looked only seventeen or eighteen years old.

The young man in blue robes had an air of arrogance about him. After leaving the Bone-Corroding Path, he immediately turned to Zhu Canjun, the elderly man in white robes, and bowed to express his gratitude.

"Thank you for your hard work in joining the army."

The others immediately realized what was happening and quickly followed the example of the young man in blue, bowing to the old man to express their gratitude.

"It's Zhu Yan's duty, Young Master, there's no need to be so polite..."

The young man's identity was clearly not simple. Upon seeing him bow, the old man immediately returned the bow. He then paused, instructing the group, "The Nine Towns region still has some powerful figures of the Xianyang level. Young Master and the other young gentlemen, you must proceed with caution since you have ventured here rashly. You should first send visiting cards to Lord Shangguan Yang of Jinshan and Lord Qin Feng of Wuchuan. These two have a past relationship with the Prefect, and I imagine they won't let you suffer any losses in the Nine Towns region. Secondly…"

At this point, Zhu Yan paused, then said coldly, "Chen Cang is already trying to sow discord among the people of Jiuzhen, ruining the reputation of Caiqiu. The Blood Mist Plain is still a long way from being conquered, and the two sides are currently cooperating. Since Chen Cang is so eager to start his plans, then Caiqiu cannot fall behind. The young master and all the other young men should put in more effort, firstly to protect the reputation of Caiqiu, and secondly..."

Before Zhu Yan could speak, the young man known as the Crown Prince loudly proclaimed, "It would be impolite not to do what is proper here. Chen Yiqing's skills in altering memories and smearing others are hardly respectable. Now that I am here, how can I allow him to continue his misdeeds? Rest assured, Military Advisor Zhu, I will not only clear Cai Qiu's name, but also make Chen Cang's name completely tarnished throughout the Nine Towns!"

Upon hearing the young man's words, Zhu Yan smiled, as if he trusted him greatly. He nodded and said, "Then we shall await your good news, Your Highness. I shall rest here for a while. Your Highness, please take them with you. Jinyang Village is only about 20 kilometers away. We will arrive in a short while if we go south."

"Then I shall take my leave!"

"Congratulations on joining the army, we're leaving now."

"Farewell, best wishes for your military service."

…………

Cai Shiqi led the group to bid farewell to Zhu Yan and then sped off towards the south.

After watching everyone leave, Zhu Yan turned back to look at the black mist in the Bone-Corroding Path, a hint of apprehension in his eyes. He murmured softly, "If this Black Wind General isn't dealt with soon, it might become even more troublesome than the Blood Miasma Plain. If Lord Fangbo could spare the time to eliminate it, that would be wonderful..."

At this point, Zhu Yan seemed to remember something, shook his head, and sighed softly.

"This Black Wind General isn't just strong in terms of strength; even if Lord Fangbo came, he might not be able to defeat him. Alas..."

He took one last look at the black wind within the Bone-Corroding Path, then closed his eyes again to regulate his breathing.

(End of this chapter)