Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 440 Murder and Interrogation, Five Major Military Commands, the Four Su Siblings, and the Long-Awaited Excitement
When Xia Hong heard the words "travel fee" from General Black Wind in the Bone-Eating Path, he was both shocked and puzzled.

The monster actually knew to set up a tollbooth!
But what can it collect?

Based on the strange demands, Xia Hong actually had some guesses about this toll, but considering that Cai Qiu was, after all, a powerful regional force, he felt there were other possibilities.

It wasn't until he was almost out of the Bone-Corroding Passage and clearly sensed the situation outside that he truly realized the so-called toll was actually paid by living people, all of whom were young people under 20 years old.

puff…………

Xia Hong spat out another mouthful of blood, looked down at the black smoke emanating from the knife wound on his chest, his brows furrowed, and he quickly took out a piece of Fire Condensation Oil from his bundle, applied it to his chest, then swallowed a Jade Sore Pill for healing, and then quickly closed his eyes and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.

laugh…………

Upon contact with the wound, the Fire-Condensing Oil immediately sparked, and together with the Jade Sore Pill, it quickly suppressed the injuries.

"May I ask, senior, where do you come from?"

Before three or four breaths had passed, He Qing arrived with a group of soldiers.

Xia Hong slightly opened his eyes and saw He Qing, who was standing respectfully with a large sword in his hand, approaching him. He was initially confused, but then he noticed the soldiers around him, who seemed to be doing it unintentionally but were slowly surrounding him. He was immediately puzzled.

He looked up at He Qing and noticed that the other man's eyes kept glancing at the Shattered Star Sword and the bundle he had just placed on the ground. He realized that he hadn't released any aura since leaving the Bone-Eating Path, and as he understood He Qing and the others' actions, he couldn't help but chuckle.

He felt his injuries were too severe and had the idea of ​​killing someone to steal their treasure!
"Senior, I have some healing pills, why don't you give them a try?"

He Qing kept tentatively approaching, and when he was only five meters away from Xia Hong, he took out a bottle of pills from his pocket with his left hand and continued to walk forward, seemingly intending to hand the pills to Xia Hong.

Xia Hong did not respond, but simply looked at He Qing with a calm expression, letting him walk all the way to him.

call…………

When He Qing was only two meters away from Xia Hong, his eyes suddenly turned cold, and he made a sudden move, slashing the large knife in his right hand straight at Xia Hong's chest.

Xia Hong didn't make a move from beginning to end. When He Qing realized that his broadsword had touched the other's chest, a sinister smile appeared on his face, and his eyes became extremely fiery.

If we could kill this heavily injured Xianyang-level cultivator, we'd be rolling in money...

This is my chance, He Qing's chance!

Clang...

However, the next second, the sneer on his face came to an abrupt end, and his originally fiery eyes were as if they had been doused with cold water, instantly replaced by fear and horror.

With his base strength of 38 manes, combined with the enhancement from his cultivation technique, the power of this strike was at least 45 manes, and it targeted Xia Hong's already injured chest area.

But this one cut didn't even break Xia Hong's skin membrane.

Not only did it not break, but the greatsword he held even snapped in two.

"It's over!"

The two words flashed through He Qing's mind. Without thinking, he quickly discarded his sword and exclaimed in surprise, "I am He, the commander of the Baishui County Guard in Caiqiu..."

boom!
Xia Hong didn't give He Qing a chance to speak at all. In a flash, he caught the knife He Qing had thrown away and, with a backhand motion, severed both of He Qing's legs as if cutting rice.

"run!"

The fifty-odd soldiers around them also realized that the injured young man in front of them was someone they could not afford to mess with. Someone cried out in alarm, and the rest quickly scattered and fled.

"run?"

At this moment, the roles of the two sides had been reversed. Xia Hong turned his head to look at the soldiers who were scattering and fleeing, a sinister smile flashing across his face. He held the piece of the blade that He Qing had just broken in his hand, and then forcefully folded it in half.

Clang...

He Qing's knife, despite being a ten-thousand-fold forged blade mixed with silver, was no different from a piece of paper in Xia Hong's hands. With a forceful snap, the blade shattered instantly, turning into dozens of small blades that flew outwards.

The direction in which it was blown away was none other than the soldiers who had scattered and fled.

And without exception, their targets were all the backs of their heads.

Pfft... Pfft... Pfft...

The sound of blades piercing skulls was so dense that it seemed as if only three or four sounds were made before more than twenty corpses fell around them.

The soldiers on the outer perimeter hadn't even escaped twenty meters away.

"Anyone who dares to move again, just try it!"

Xia Hong's deep voice was like a death knell, instantly stopping the remaining 20-odd soldiers. But five of them, unafraid of death, paused for a moment or two, gritted their teeth, and continued to flee towards the outer perimeter.

Seeing the five people's actions, a cold glint appeared in Xia Hong's eyes. He picked up the small razor blades scattered on the ground and shot them at the five people.

Pfft...

A slight piercing sound rang out, and a small spray of blood immediately appeared on the back of the five people's heads. Then their bodies stiffened and straightened, their life force was cut off, and they collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The remaining dozen or so soldiers, seeing the miserable state of the five men, were finally terrified and dared not make any further moves, not even begging for mercy. With their backs to Xia Hong, they continued their escape, their faces filled with fear and unease.

"All of you, get over here and kneel down!"

Only after Xia Hong spoke did the seventeen soldiers turn around quickly and practically tumble and crawl to Xia Hong's side, kneeling down directly before him.

"Spare me! My lord, spare me..."

"Please, sir, spare our lives! Spare us!"

"We were blind and didn't recognize your greatness, sir, please forgive us..."

…………

"Shut up, everyone!"

Xia Hongxian interrupted the crowd in a deep voice, then pointed at He Qing, whose legs had been severed and who had fainted from the pain, and coldly gestured to one of the soldiers:

"Wake him up with one stomp! If he doesn't wake up with one stomp, you can die!"

The soldier stood up tremblingly, his face full of fear, and walked up to He Qing. Thinking of Xia Hong's threat, a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes, and he stomped hard on the broken parts of He Qing's legs.

Pfft...

He Qing must have swallowed some kind of pill before he lost consciousness, because the blood in his legs had already shown signs of congealing. However, when the soldier stepped on him, his legs, which had been severed at the root, immediately broke open, and two clumps of blood burst out with a "poof".

"what…………"

He Qing, who was unconscious, naturally felt the pain. He let out a miserable scream, opened his eyes and saw the soldier who had stepped on him. His face first showed a murderous intent, but he quickly realized what was happening and turned to look at Xia Hong with a face full of terror.

“Senior, I am Bai Shuijun…”

"Shut up!"

Xia Hong had already closed his eyes and resumed regulating his breathing to heal his injuries.

He Qing was interrupted by a single word and dared not make a sound. He didn't even dare to look at his legs, which had been severed at the root. He could only suppress the pain and tremble with his head down.

So, without Xia Hong speaking, the seventeen soldiers knelt on the ground, trembling along with He Qing, and the scene fell into silence.

If even these soldiers at the Cold-Resistant level are performing so poorly, then the hundred or so young men on the outer perimeter are even worse.

They all looked at Xia Hong, their eyes filled with a mixture of relief and deep fear. They wanted to run away, but were afraid that Xia Hong would attack them, so they could only stand still.

"Little sister, quickly put your clothes on!"

However, there are still some people who are quite brave, such as Su Jing, who just came out of the Bone-Eating Path.

Su Jing's left arm had just been severed at the root and was still bleeding. Despite his pale face from excessive blood loss, he rushed to his sister Su Xing'er's side immediately, took off his own clothes, and wrapped his sister up.

"Big brother, your arm..."

With tears welling up in her eyes, Su Xing'er looked at her older brother's arm, quickly tore off a few strips of cloth from her clothes, and bandaged it up first. Then, with a hint of fear, she turned her head to look at Xia Hong.

"Run!"

"This sir should not lay a hand on us."

"Someone has already run away, hurry up!"

………………

Su Jing's move immediately triggered a chain reaction. Many young people tentatively moved to the outer perimeter, only to find that Xia Hong didn't care at all, and quickly fled into the distance.

As a result, more and more young people realized what was happening and fled to the outskirts.

Su Xu and Su Zhi then approached their elder brother Su Jing. The two first helped their younger sister Su Xing'er up, and then Su Xu whispered to Su Jing, "Brother, let's run quickly!"

Upon hearing his second brother's words, a flicker of hesitation crossed Su Jing's face. He turned to look at Xia Hong, clenched his right fist slightly, and a glimmer of hope rose in his eyes. He whispered in a low voice, "No, we won't run..."

I must have survived in the Bone-Corroding Path because of this lord.

This alone is enough to show that although this official killed so many soldiers as soon as he appeared, he was by no means a person who killed indiscriminately.

Moreover, these soldiers deserved to die!

Su Jing turned to look at her younger brother and sister, a hint of fear flashing across her face before turning into determination. Without saying a word, she pulled her sister Su Xing'er and walked towards Xia Hong.

When Su Xu and Su Zhi saw their elder brother walk towards Xia Hong, a hint of fear appeared on their faces, but they gritted their teeth and followed him.

thump…………

Su Jing walked to the side of the group of soldiers, and with his sister, he knelt down in front of Xia Hong with a thud. Su Xu and Su Zhi immediately followed suit, having already guessed their elder brother's thoughts.

After about two hundred breaths, Xia Hong finally opened his eyes.

He looked at the eighteen soldiers in front of him, took a slight breath, put the Shattered Star Sword into his bundle, and then said in a deep voice: "You all know the consequences of being talkative. From now on, you will answer whatever I ask!"

Without waiting for anyone's response, he immediately posed a question.

"What kind of place is this? How far is it from Caiqiu Town?"

"This place is called Changqing Valley, and it is 900 li away from Caiqiu Town."

What areas were under the jurisdiction of Caiqiu? What was its total territory?

"Besides the town, it has jurisdiction over four prefectures, two lakes and one valley. The four prefectures are Linchu, Baishui, Qingcang and Donghe; the two lakes are Yanze and Hanbo; and the last valley is Changqing Valley. The total territory is 15 square kilometers."

"What are the population and military strength of the regional military governorships?"

“The total population of Caiqiu is about 1800 million, with a total army of 30.”

"Service branches and combat capabilities!"

"There are three military branches: Silver Scale, Garrison Guard, and County Guard. The most elite is the Silver Scale Army under Lord Fangbo, whose soldiers all have a strength of 20 or more. Next is the Garrison Guard, whose soldiers all have a strength of 10 or more. The weakest is the County Guard, whose soldiers all have the Cold Resistance level. We are all County Guards of Baishui County."

"What are the cultivation levels of your regional governor and prefect?"

The soldiers had been answering fluently until Xia Hong asked this question, at which point they froze, looking at each other in silence for a long time.

Finally, barely clinging to life, He Qing, with an overwhelming will to survive, spoke tremblingly: "I've heard that the Prefect is at the Tribulation Realm, but I don't know about Lord Fangbo. He should be above the Tribulation Realm."

"At the Venerable Minister level?"

Xia Hong's face first showed a serious expression, then when he saw He Qing's slightly evasive eyes, he immediately sneered and stood up to walk towards him.

"My lord, spare my life! My lord, spare my life..."

He Qing clearly sensed something and immediately opened his mouth in terror to beg for mercy.

Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Xia Hong kicked him into the Bone-Corroding Path.

"what……"

The black wind from the Bone-Eating Path instantly dried up his flesh and blood. His scream lasted for less than two breaths before he was completely reduced to a skeleton and collapsed to the ground.

"What other regional military governorships are around Caiqiu?"

"To the west is Chencang, to the north is Hecang, and to the east is Weibo. I've also heard that to the northeast, behind Hanbo Lake, there's Lulong. These are the four I know."

"What are the names of your regional governor and the four prefects?"

"Lord Fangbo's name is Cai Qianshan, the Prefect of Linchu is Cai Qiuyang, the Prefect of Qingcang is Cai Qiuning, the Prefect of Donghe is Fan Zijing, and finally, our Prefect of Baishui is Cai Qiuhong."

How did Caiqiu govern the local area?

…………

In any power, the authority of soldiers is definitely much higher than that of ordinary people, and this is also true for the Great Xia Dynasty.

The higher the level of access, the more you naturally know.

Xia Hong never expected that he would be so lucky. He ran into this group of county guards as soon as he left the Bone-Eating Path. His primary purpose in coming to Caiqiu was to find out about the news of the vassal states. Since he didn't have to bother with infiltration and inquiries, he naturally wanted to find out everything he wanted to know here.

From Caiqiu's approximate strength to its local governance methods, from the high-level system of the regional military governors to the local official system, from the army's approximate combat strength to its management model...

Xia Hong asked almost every question that came to mind, taking almost half an hour to finish. He only stopped when the soldiers could no longer answer his questions, and then asked another one.

Where is the Blood Miasma Plain?

Just like before, the soldiers looked confused when they heard the question.

Only one soldier in the back row lowered his head and pondered for a moment before answering, "I know, it seems to be south of Linchu County, next to Yanze Lake. It is said that there are many strange things there. Last year, a commander of the Zhenwei Army came and transferred a group of elites from among us. I heard that some kind of battle is taking place there!"

Thinking of the route Chu Yan'er had told him, Xia Hong frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Is Yanze Lake the territory of your Cai Qiu family? Can the Chencang people also travel from there?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment, then immediately said, "Yanze Lake is very large. Our Caiqiu only occupies a small part extending to the east. The western part is Chencang's territory..."

Based on the soldiers' descriptions, a map slowly appeared in Xia Hong's mind.

The Blood Miasma Plain is roughly a circular area with a radius of 50 kilometers, covering an area of ​​more than 7000 square kilometers, which includes the Yanze Lake in the south. The Yanze Lake is long and narrow from east to west, with both ends cut off by the Mo'ao Mountain. The eastern part belongs to Caiqiu, while the western part belongs to Chencang.

"As its name suggests, the Blood Miasma Plains got its name from the blood-red miasma that has long shrouded the snowfield. The cold beasts and monsters inside are several times stronger than their counterparts outside, both in terms of ferocity and strength. It is said that the blood-red miasma can bewitch people's minds and make them violent and bloodthirsty. Those who are at the Cold Resistance level will either go insane or die if they inhale it, and even those at the Yang Realm cannot stay inside for long."

Upon hearing the last sentence, a cold smile immediately appeared in Xia Hong's eyes.

The route Chu Yan'er gave was indeed treacherous.

"My lord, please spare us!"

“Sir, you probably don’t know the route to Caiqiu. Spare our lives and we can lead the way for you.”

"Yes! Please, sir, spare our lives after answering so many questions!"

"Sir, please spare my life!"

………………

After answering so many questions, the soldiers naturally understood that Xia Hong was a powerful figure from another place. Realizing that he was unfamiliar with the road, they immediately bowed down and begged him to spare their lives, each patting their chest and offering to lead the way for him.

"Want to live? Fine..."

Xia Hong sneered and continued, "One last question for you: how did you get those toll fees?"

Upon hearing this question, the soldiers froze, remaining motionless for more than ten breaths, none daring to answer.

"Sir...man...sir..."

Su Jing, who was kneeling on the side, finally couldn't help but speak up.

He was clearly still afraid, and he called out tremblingly. Seeing that Xia Hong did not speak, his courage slowly came up. He cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to my lord, although the camp in Changqing Valley is under the jurisdiction of Baishui County, they have never treated us as their own people. Every year, apart from sending people down to collect the annual tribute and occasionally taking in some servants, they don't care about us at all."

We are all from Qingtan Village. Three days ago, they came to Qingtan Village and said they wanted to recruit 500 people under the age of 25 to work as farm laborers in the county town. We all happily signed up, only to find out later that they were forcing us to come to the Bone-Eating Path to our deaths.

Upon hearing Su Jing's words, all the soldiers immediately lowered their heads.

Xia Hong's face turned cold as he sneered, "Using human lives as tolls shows you're no good either. I haven't paid any tolls myself, so you can be my tolls!"

"run!"

Upon hearing Xia Hong's last words, the soldiers knew they were doomed and finally fled in hysterical fury.

"call…………"

Xia Hong naturally wouldn't give them a chance. He simply inhaled slightly and then blew a breath sharply at the soldiers in front of him.

With a physical body possessing a basic strength of 40 jin, even just by mobilizing the energy of the bones to exhale air, the force is already several hundred jin or more.

"what……"

"Ah... have mercy..."

Before the soldiers could even take two or three steps, the gale blown by Xia Hong blew them directly into the Bone-Corroding Passage. Just like He Qing before them, they didn't even have time to let out a few screams before their flesh and blood were instantly swept away by the black wind, leaving only skeletons.

"You beast, this is your toll fee. Are you happy?"

Xia Hong looked up at the Bone-Eating Path and deliberately called out in a slightly teasing tone.

Whoosh whoosh…

The sound of airflow within the Bone-Eroding Path suddenly increased, and one could even faintly see some airflow trying to break free, clearly a reaction of the Black Wind General in his exasperation.

"If we can't get out, then everything is fine! But for those with strength exceeding 100 jun, returning from here might be a bit risky..."

Recalling the horrific scene of being chased by General Black Wind in the Bone-Eating Path, Xia Hong's expression darkened. After pausing for a moment in thought, he flashed and flew north. "My lord, I am Su Jing, and I wish to bring my younger siblings to serve you from now on. Please accept me..."

The moment he saw Xia Hong turn to leave, Su Jing hurriedly began to kowtow on the ground. Su Xu, Su Zhi, and Su Xing'er behind him also quickly followed suit and kowtowed to Xia Hong.

Unfortunately, the four of them kowtowed more than a dozen times on the ground, until Su Jing's mouth was dry, but they still didn't hear any reaction from Xia Hong.

"Brother, that sir has already left."

The youngest, Su Xing'er, was the first to look up. Seeing that there was no one in front of her, she immediately spoke to her eldest brother with great disappointment.

The third brother, Su Zhi, revealed a self-deprecating smile and said in a defeated tone, "The four of us are not even considered good enough by the county city stewards. How could this lord, who is so strong and so young, possibly be interested in us?"

The second brother, Su Xu, also looked extremely gloomy. He stood up and walked to the side to pick up his eldest brother Su Jing's severed arm. Turning his head to look at the mutilated body and severed arm on the ground, he said with a slightly desperate expression, "Big brother, so many people have been killed. Baishui County will find out sooner or later. Not to mention Qingtan Village, we won't be able to stay in Changqing Valley anymore."

It's not a big deal that they don't go back to Qingtan Village, since their parents are already dead. The problem is that they can't stay in Changqing Valley anymore, so where else can they go?

With their strength, leaving Evergreen Valley is absolutely impossible!
Realizing this, Su Zhi and Su Xing'er's expressions turned despair.

"wrong!"

However, Su Jing, who had been kneeling without moving, suddenly raised his head. Instead of showing any despair, he turned to look at the corpse on the ground, his face full of hope and ecstasy.

He stood up abruptly, picked up a corpse, and threw it towards the direction of the Bone-Eroding Path. Then he shouted to Su Xu and the other two, "Quick, come with me and throw all the corpses on the ground into the Bone-Eroding Path. Let's clean up and restore this place."

Su Xu and the other two were stunned. Although they didn't understand their eldest brother's meaning, they saw how enthusiastically Su Jing was handling the matter, so they helped him deal with it.

"That's right! That lord just asked so many questions, he must be from another realm. He definitely doesn't want his information to be exposed, so he deliberately left these corpses for us to dispose of!"

Soon, the third brother, Su Zhi, was the first to react.

Upon hearing his words, Su Xu suddenly realized what he meant, and a look of joy immediately appeared on his face. He then worked even harder.

Even the youngest, Su Xing'er, realized what was happening and turned to look north, her eyes filled with anticipation.

The four siblings quickly cleaned up the scene.

Finally, Su Xu and Su Zhi laboriously dragged the broken sword to Su Jing and asked in a low voice, "Brother, this is He Qing's sword, a ten-thousand-times-forged sword, and it's even coated with a layer of silver..."

Su Jing looked at the broken sword of the Ten Thousand Refinement level. Although a hint of greed flashed in his eyes, he quickly suppressed it and said in a deep voice, "Throw it in!"

Su Xu and Su Zhi were reluctant to part with it, but they still worked together to lift the broken sword and throw it into the Bone-Eating Path.

After tidying up, the four brothers stood facing each other, waiting for forty or fifty breaths, but they heard no sound and could not see Xia Hong.

"That sir, didn't he come?"

"Brother, could it be that you're mistaken?"

"That lord is so powerful, he's not afraid of being investigated at all!"

Upon hearing what Su Xu and the other two said, Su Jing's expression became somewhat hesitant, wondering if he was overthinking things.

But soon, he clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "That man is our only chance to survive. Let's chase him to the north. He was just injured, so he shouldn't have gone too far."

Su Xu and his two companions clearly trusted their elder brother Su Jing. Seeing him lead the way north, they immediately followed.

Since it's a chase, the speed can't be too slow.

The four siblings quickly flew four or five kilometers north, but unfortunately, they couldn't even find a trace of Xia Hong, let alone catch up with him.

"Brother, it's almost dawn, we can't catch up now, let's find a place to hide!"

Upon hearing the second brother's reminder, a hint of disappointment flashed across Su Jing's face. Looking at the sky, which was already turning slightly white, he could only nod helplessly in the end.

"Let's find a cave to rest first, and then we'll chase after them when it gets dark."

Su Xu and the other two had actually given up hope. Seeing that their eldest brother was still unwilling to give up the chase, they didn't say anything, but they all sighed inwardly.

There were many small hills in the middle of Changqing Valley. The four brothers headed straight north and soon found a small cave.

The four of them casually gathered some branches to use as firewood and soon entered the cave together.

"This cave is so warm!"

"It feels like we don't even need to start a fire, right?"

As soon as they entered the cave, they noticed that the temperature inside was several times higher than outside. The four of them were puzzled, but after taking a few more steps, their puzzlement instantly turned into ecstasy.

Deep inside the cave, a young man dressed in black was sitting cross-legged.

It was none other than Xia Hong, who had just saved them at the entrance to the Bone-Corroding Path.

boom…………

The four men instinctively rushed forward, their knees just about to bend, when a force stopped them, and they all fell backward on their butts.

"Don't kneel down so easily, sir, cook!"

The four of them stood up and realized that what Xia Hong had thrown at them was actually a tiger-shaped beast with red fur, only a little over a meter long.

"Over a meter long?"

"This is... a high-grade Crimson Mane Tiger!"

"His entire body only has one sword hole on his forehead, *gulp*..."

The scene of Xia Hong killing the county guards was still fresh in their minds. Su Jing and the other three could certainly sense that he was very strong, but they did not feel it strongly in reality.

But the red-maned tiger in front of them was different. Qingtan Village also had a high-level hunting team. The four siblings had seen high-level cold beasts before, and they knew very well how strong a cold beast of this level was.

The four men quickly drew their daggers, intending to bleed them, skin them, and cut off their flesh.

Clang...

However, when Su Jing, the strongest of the four siblings, struck with his sword, the scene immediately became incredibly awkward.

The knife in his hand was only of the hundred-fold forging grade; how could it possibly cut through the skin of this high-level cold beast? Because he used too much force, it broke in one go.

Xia Hong rummaged through the package for a while and finally picked out a small, pale gold dagger. After weighing it in his hand for a few moments, he tossed it to the four of them.

Su Jing reached out to catch the dagger, but he stumbled. Luckily, Su Xu and the other two caught him in time, otherwise he would have definitely fallen head over heels.

"This dagger must weigh over ten thousand pounds..."

Su Jing looked at the pale gold dagger in his hand, which was no more than thirty centimeters long. His eyes first showed a look of horror, but then he quickly became excited. He turned to his three younger brothers and sisters and called out, "Fourth brother, start the fire. Third brother, go prepare clean water. Second brother, go chop some wood and make a wooden basin. Hurry up."

The four siblings clearly all have extensive wilderness survival experience.

Su Jing gave a brief address, and the four of them each took on their assigned tasks, keeping themselves very busy.

In less than ten minutes, the meat of the red-maned tiger was hung on the campfire and sizzled as it roasted.

The excess tiger meat, tiger skin, tiger blood, and of course the most precious blue jade bone were all neatly arranged by Su Jing. Afterwards, he bowed to Xia Hong before joining his younger siblings to grill the meat on the side.

As the four of them grilled the meat, they frequently turned their heads to look at the basin of tiger blood on the ground, their eyes brimming with longing.

Xia Hong quietly opened his eyes and saw that the four of them had only roasted one piece of tiger meat. He took out a bag of fine salt from his bundle and threw it over, instructing, "Roast another piece for the three of you to share. Put this on top of it."

"Thank you, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Su Jing's face immediately showed emotion. He turned to Xia Hong and respectfully thanked him before picking out a small piece of tiger meat and placing it on the rack to roast.

Upon seeing the tiger meat, all four of them couldn't help but swallow hard.

"This is... phthalocyanine powder?"

Once the tiger meat was cooked, Su Jing opened the bag Xia Hong had given him and saw the crystal-white salt inside. His face immediately showed a look of shock.

"It smells so good, it's white cinnamon powder. I've seen it once before at the leader's house."

Su Jing immediately applied the salt, which melted under the high temperature, making the aroma of the tiger meat more than ten times stronger than before.

Slurp...

The youngest, Su Xing'er, couldn't help but drool. When she saw her three older brothers turn to look at her, she blushed bright red.

"Eat it!"

Hearing the sound, Su Jing and the other three realized that Xia Hong had already walked to the campfire, and they quickly stood up.

"No need to get up, sit down and eat with me!"

Xia Hong waved his hand, signaling the four of them to sit down again.

The four of them then nervously moved to the other side and sat down respectfully.

Xia Hong picked up the large piece of tiger meat with his bare hands, tore it into four pieces, and threw them to the four people before taking a piece of tiger meat for himself to eat.

"Thank you for the reward, sir!"

The four men took the tiger meat, but did not start eating immediately. Instead, they stood up and bowed to Xia Hong to express their gratitude before sitting down to eat again.

It was clear that the four of them were trying their best to suppress their physical reactions the moment the tiger meat entered their mouths. The problem was that this high-grade tiger meat was not just delicious to them.

"Please forgive me, sir!"

The four men's faces flushed instantly as they sensed the rapid collision of energies within their bodies. They quickly stuffed the tiger meat into their stomachs, then stood up, apologized to Xia Hong, and began punching behind him to release the energy within their bodies.

Xia Hong didn't interrupt them. He looked up at the boxing techniques the four of them were using, immediately lost interest, and continued eating his barbecue.

After about half an hour of boxing, Su Jing was the first to stop, his face full of excitement and agitation. Su Xu, Su Zhi, and Su Xing'er followed suit and their expressions were almost identical.

"This one bite of beast meat increased my strength by more than 300 jin. Isn't it said that after reaching the peak of the Earth Digging Realm, the only way to improve strength is to reshape the skin membrane?"

"Brother, I've also gained over 200 pounds."

"I've gained over 400 pounds."

Su Xing'er was the most excited. Hearing her three older brothers' words, she quickly chimed in, "Over 800 jin! I've reached the peak of the Earth-Digging Realm!"

"Who said that after reaching the peak of the Earth-Digging Realm, you can only improve your strength by reshaping your skin membrane? Your previous diet was too poor. There is still a lot of untapped potential in your flesh and meridians. If you break through to the Cold Resistance level like this, you will at most be a low-grade battle body for the rest of your life..."

After finishing speaking about Su Jing, Xia Hong turned to the other three and continued, "The other two are about the same as you, but this little girl has much stronger aptitude than the three of you. She should have a chance to break through to the top-grade battle body."

Upon hearing this, Su Jing and the other two immediately turned their gazes to Su Xing'er, their faces filled with ecstatic joy.

Clearly, they all knew what a top-tier battle physique meant.

Su Jing's expression suddenly froze. He turned to look at Xia Hong and subconsciously wanted to kneel down again, but Xia Hong's words flashed through his mind. He suppressed the urge to kneel down and bowed, pleading, "I dare to be so bold as to ask you, sir, to accept my sister as your disciple. We three brothers will serve you from now on. Even if you order us to die, we will not hesitate."

Upon hearing this, Su Xu and Su Zhi also quickly bowed to Xia Hong.

Su Xing'er opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she held back and bowed down with her three brothers.

"Get up!"

Xia Hong first woke up the four of them, then looked at Su Jing with a teasing look in his eyes and said, "You kid, you're pretty good at taking advantage of people. You helped me clean up those corpses just now, you're smart. I stayed here to give you guys a chance, and since you seized it, I won't kick you out. As for taking you on as a disciple, don't even think about it. I don't have the habit of taking on disciples, and besides, in my opinion, your sister's aptitude is at most just good."

He refused to take on any apprentices, but promised not to send the four of them away.

Although there was regret on the faces of Su Jing and the other three, there was more joy than regret.

"Tell me your name and age!"

"Su Jing is 21 years old this year."

"Su Xu is 19 years old this year."

"Su Zhi is 17 years old this year."

"Su Xing'er is 15 years old this year."

The three Su brothers are all at the limit of the Earth-Digging Realm and have begun to reshape their skin membranes, but their progress is different. Their basic strength is 61,000, 57,000, and 52,000 respectively.

The youngest, Su Xing'er, who also has the best aptitude, has just reached the limit of the Earth-Digging Realm.

"You are siblings, but where are your parents?"

Upon hearing Xia Hong's question, the expressions of the four of them dimmed slightly. Su Jing answered, "Our parents died three years ago while hunting."

This makes sense. The parents of these four siblings must have been quite strong, with at least one of them at the Cold Resistance level. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to raise four children at the limit of the Earth Digging Realm.

That gives a rough idea. After their parents died, the four siblings lost their support in the village, and their cultivation progress slowed down considerably. Then, they encountered the county guards who came to their door to deceive them. The four siblings believed them and decided to try their luck in the county city, which led to this disaster.

Xia Hong looked at Su Jing's severed left arm, took out a transparent silk thread and a fine needle from his bundle, and then took out a Saint Vein Pill and threw it to him, saying, "Sew your severed arm back on first, and then take this pill!"

Su Jing's expression froze for a moment. Looking at the needle, thread, and pills in his hand, a look of wild joy suddenly rose in his eyes. He even forgot to thank Xia Hong and directly called Su Xu and the other two to help him sew up his severed arm.

With Xia Hong's strength, there was no need for him to deceive them.

Therefore, this needle, thread, and medicine will definitely help him reattach his arm.

Despite being certain of this, Su Jing still found it hard to believe until he felt his severed arm heal. After working for half an hour, with the help of Su Xu and the other two, his severed arm was finally stitched up. He took the Saint Vein Pill, and less than a hundred breaths later, his mind stirred slightly.

"It moved! Big brother, it moved! Your little finger moved."

"It's been reattached, the severed arm has really been reattached."

"Brother, that's great, that's great, your severed arm has been set."

When Su Xu and the other two saw their eldest brother Su Jing twitch his left thumb, their faces lit up with joy. The youngest, Su Xing'er, was so overjoyed that she burst into tears and hugged her eldest brother tightly.

"Quickly thank the master!"

When it comes to excitement, how could Su Xu and the other two compare to Su Jing, the person in question? Realizing that his left arm had truly been reattached, he suppressed his inner elation and excitement, pushed his sister aside, and knelt directly in front of Xia Hong.

"I will never forget your kindness in saving me. From now on, no matter what, I will do whatever you command, without hesitation."

"Su Xu had no objections."

"The same applies to Su Zhi."

“I am the same as my three older brothers.”

Seeing the four kneeling down again, Xia Hong shook his head and joked, "You're all still living in the shadows, how can you go through fire and water for me?"

After making the joke, he reached out and looked at the tiger blood on the ground, saying, "Use that to improve your strength first! I need to rest here for a while, so you'd better break through to the Cold Resistance level as soon as possible and not waste my time."

Su Jing and the other three looked at the basin of tiger blood, their eyes filled with wild joy and excitement, and they couldn't help but kowtow to Xia Hong.

In Qingtan Village, no more than ten people can enjoy the privilege of having their skin reconstructed with high-grade tiger blood.

No, probably very few people in the entire Evergreen Valley can enjoy this.

And now, that large basin of high-grade tiger blood, weighing over a hundred pounds, on the ground, has all gone to them.

Before the four of them could finish being moved, Xia Hong spoke up again.

"Tiger skin, tiger bones, and excess tiger meat—I have no use for them, so keep them all! You can sell them for money when we get to Linchu County!"

Upon hearing this, Su Jing and the other three were stunned. When they confirmed that Xia Hong was going to give them all these things, their expressions froze for a long time, and tears even welled up in their eyes.

"My lord, this is your knife..."

Su Jing was about to pack his things when he noticed that he was still holding Xia Hong's pale gold dagger in his right hand, so he immediately handed it back to him.

"Alright, with your skills, you probably wouldn't be able to cut through any of the prey I hunt later without this little dagger. Here, take it."

"Thank you for the sword, sir!"

Su Jing gripped the knife, his eyes filled with emotion. Looking down, he noticed a small "Xia" character engraved on the underside of the handle.

"Those who need to tidy up, tidy up; those who need to cultivate, cultivate. Go and do your own thing. Don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary."

Xia Hong gave a brief instruction and then closed his eyes to continue regulating his breathing and healing his injuries.

Thinking about the subsequent chase, Xia Hong felt a slight tremor in his heart.

If it weren't for the Shattering Divine Light, he would most likely have died in the Bone-Corroding Path.

The Black Wind General's strength far exceeded his expectations, and the injuries he inflicted on his body were extremely terrifying. He estimated that it would take at least three months to fully recover.

"Without the Yangxu Cauldron, besides my own strength, the Shattering Divine Light is my strongest reliance. There are quite a few people stronger than me in Caiqiu, and even more if you include the other vassal states. I must do everything I can to continue to improve my strength, otherwise my safety will not be guaranteed, and how to get back is also a big problem..."

Many thoughts flashed through Xia Hong's mind, and he couldn't help but feel a long-lost sense of urgency.

Along with this sense of urgency arose a faint hint of excitement.

Since breaking through to the Manifestation Yang level and emerging from seclusion in the seventh year of the Great Xia Dynasty, he had not felt this excited for a long time.

"General Black Wind also recognizes the Yin-Yang Mirror, the Blood Miasma Plain, the Smoke Lake, and the Five Great Garrisons. Let's see how many surprises this place can bring me!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)