Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 472 Inquiry and Caution, Inside Chencang, Homecoming in Glory and a Bolt from the Blue
October 18th, 299th year of Caiqiu calendar, late at night
laugh…………

Zhang Qinggu, covered in dust and grime, dragging his weary body, finally returned to his small courtyard. As soon as he got back, he immediately took off his clothes and jumped into the bucket of ice water that had been prepared in advance.

His skin was dark red and charred black, emitting a scorching, toxic aura. He looked like a giant burning coal. As soon as he jumped in, the ice bucket reacted violently, and the room was instantly filled with thick smoke.

"Another day has passed since I was born. Harvesting millet is truly inhuman work!"

After a long while, sensing that the fire poison in his body had subsided somewhat, Zhang Qinggu slowly opened his eyes and couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

"Those corrupt officials really don't treat us like human beings anymore..."

These are words that can only be spoken in this small courtyard of our own home.

Zhang Qinggu couldn't help but sigh again, then, as if remembering something, a glint of excitement appeared in his eyes as he said, "Zhu'er and Hong'er have both started to regenerate their skin membranes. Luckily, I gave them leave in August. If the people in charge of the jurisdiction had found out, they would have been taken away to harvest millet. I need to remind them again that they can't go out..."

dong dong dong...

"grandfather!"

Just as he wished, upon hearing his granddaughter's voice outside the door, Zhang Qinggu hurriedly got up and dressed, asking as he did so, "What's wrong, Hong'er?"

"The master said he has something he wants to ask you."

"Okay, you go first, Grandpa will be here soon."

Upon hearing that it was Hong Yu who had summoned him, Zhang Qinggu quickly dressed and hurriedly got up and walked towards the main house.

Upon entering the main house, Zhang Qinggu saw that his two granddaughters were only waiting outside the door and not inside Xia Hong's room. A hint of disappointment immediately appeared in his eyes. He quickly composed himself, walked to the door of the room, bowed, and said, "This old man greets Your Excellency!"

"come in."

Inside the main room, Xia Hong sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, still wearing the same blue linen robe. Seeing Zhang Qinggu with his head down and a very reserved expression, he smiled and said, "I've been staying here with you for two months now, so there's no need to be so nervous."

"Your Excellency possesses an extraordinary bearing and refined manner. Compared to you, a humble old man like myself is like a firefly compared to the sun and moon. I am dazzled and shaken, and feel ashamed of my own appearance."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Having lived for many years, Zhang Qinggu was truly skilled at flattery. Xia Hong couldn't help but laugh a few times and shook his head, saying, "I summoned you here to ask you if you know about the Frost Ashes Society?"

Frostbite will...

Upon hearing the name "Frost Ashes," Zhang Qinggu's body jolted. He instinctively turned to look outside the door before looking up at Xia Hong with a startled expression and asking in a low voice, "Sir, these three words cannot be spoken carelessly."

Xia Hong raised an eyebrow and continued, "It seems you know. Tell me, what's the situation with this Frost Ash?"

After asking the question, Xia Hong reached into the bag of mustard greens next to him, took out a plant about half a meter long, and a silver box, and examined them carefully.

The plant was entirely brownish-jade in color, with only one main stem. Dozens of palm-sized leaves grew at the top, and among the leaves was a flower bud that had not yet sprouted. The flower bud emitted a rich, sweet fragrance, and as soon as it was taken out, the whole room was immediately filled with its aroma.

After examining the plant, Xia Hong opened the silver box, inside which lay five tiny, dark insects, each about the size of a thumb, with pointed heads and thick tails.

The five worms were not dead yet; they were still alive. The moment the box was opened, they immediately raised their tails and shot towards Xia Hong's face.

bite…………

Unfortunately, Xia Hong was too fast. With just a light reach, he caught all five worms in his hand. Then, he opened his palm, and a powerful aura of blood pressure was suddenly released. The five worms immediately began to writhe and struggle in his palm, clearly in extreme pain.

"Poppy seeds, black fireflies, sir..."

Upon seeing the top-quality brown-jade-colored millet seed and the live black fireflies, Zhang Qinggu's expression froze for a moment, but he immediately realized that Xia Hong had already been to the millet field, and he was fully aware of the turmoil that had occurred in the village during the millet harvest over the past two months.

Combining all this with Xia Hong's question about the Frostfire Society, Zhang Qinggu immediately had a guess. After a moment of stunned silence, he slowly began to tell Xia Hong about the Frostfire Society.

"It must be some loose-tongued person in the village who was talking nonsense, and the adults heard it. This Frostfire Society..."

"Don't be afraid, I'm not from Chencang..."

Xia Hong immediately saw Zhang Qinggu's concerns and quickly waved to reassure him. Then he continued with a smile, "This Frost Ash Society is a rebel organization. Its core purpose is to overthrow the Chu family's tyranny and abolish the six-rank system. I know all of this. Just tell me what you know."

Zhang Qinggu's expression relaxed a little, but being cautious by nature, he hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"The Frost Ashes Society is an underground resistance organization with a long history in Chencang, which has been around for more than 20 years. It is said that they have headquarters in five counties and seven cities, and then they establish branch headquarters in the surrounding slave villages with the headquarters as the core, and develop a large number of members.

In their early years, they joined forces and committed several major crimes in various places, which even alarmed the prefects. However, they were quickly suppressed by the troops. The five prefectures and two cities deeply hated the Frost Ash Society. Whenever they discovered their members, they would kill them without mercy. Under such high-pressure and cruel targeting, this organization should not have been able to develop.

But the truth is quite the opposite. As far as I know, the Frostfire Guild seems to have grown larger and larger in recent years, even…”

Zhang Qinggu suddenly paused at this point and did not continue speaking.

Xia Hong smiled and replied, "Even your Qingwu Village has one, so they should have already invited you to join, right?"

Zhang Qinggu gave an awkward smile, then suddenly remembered something, gritted his teeth and walked towards the wooden frame on the left side of the house. After groping around on the top of the frame, he quickly pulled out a grayish-white letter.

The letter was clearly quite old, its color had turned yellowish, but the few lines of text on it were still barely legible.

The first sign prominently displayed the three large characters "Frost Ashes Society".

Below that are three slogans and a text:
With the resilience of frost, the Chu frontier was burned to ashes.

[Resist all oppressive taxes, and restore my food and clothing.]

Smash the household registration system; no one is superior or inferior.

If you are interested in joining the association, please leave your name in this letter and bury it under the bitter rice tree ten miles east of the village. Once confirmed, you will enter the assessment period.

"To be honest, sir, five or six years ago, I did receive an invitation from the Frostfire Society. It was during the day when someone delivered this letter to my home. I am loyal to the Chencang faction and would never associate with such a rebellious group."

This old man is being overly cautious!
Hearing Zhang Qinggu's final assurance, Xia Hong was both amused and exasperated, but also felt a greater sense of admiration for the old man's cautiousness.

It's truly remarkable that someone could live to this age in a slave village!
It's understandable, considering this is Chencang after all. In Zhang Qinggu's eyes, a strong person like him is very likely to be a high-ranking member of Chencang. If he says the wrong thing at this time, he could very well get into trouble.

While he appreciated it, since the other party didn't believe him, Xia Hong naturally wouldn't waste his breath explaining further. He simply looked down at the membership letter of the Frost Ashes Society in his hand, silently recited three slogans, and then his eyes lit up slightly.

With the resilience of frost, I burned the lands of Chu to ashes. I resisted the oppressive taxes and restored my food and clothing. I smashed the household registers, and all people, regardless of rank, were honored.

The charter and slogans are the soul of the organization. Just like the four words "Great Xia for Ten Thousand Years" that the Xia people often say, you can see from these three highly inflammatory slogans that this Frost Ash Society is by no means a small-scale movement, but a real rebellion against the rule of the Chu clan.
If you are interested in joining the association, please leave your name in this letter and bury it under the bitter rice tree ten miles east of the village. Once confirmed, you will enter the assessment period.

With such caution in recruiting members, it's no wonder that they can continue to develop under such extremely cruel suppression in Chencang. Qingwu Village alone has tens of thousands of formal members. How many members must there be in Luhe Valley, Yanling County, and even the entire Chencang territory?

Xia Hong's expression shifted slightly, and he continued, "Do you know who the Little Dragon Leader of the Frost Ashes Society is?"

This question was clearly outside Zhang Qinggu's area of ​​expertise. He first shook his head, but after a moment's thought, he quickly realized something and said:

"I remember now. Sixteen years ago, the Frost Ash Society caused a major riot in the south of Fengyang County. I heard that it even alarmed Lord Fangbo. Rumor has it that the leader was the head of the Frost Ash Society. However, these are all rumors that I heard from others."

Chencang has five prefectures and two lakes, and the number of large cities is the same as Caiqiu, with seven cities after excluding towns.

The five prefectures are roughly arranged in the order of east, south, west, and north: Heyang, Yanling, Xichuan, Fengyang, and then Donglin Prefecture, which is located in the center and is also where the town is located.
The two lakes refer to Pingyang Lake and Yanze Lake. Pingyang Lake is located at the junction of Fengyang and Xichuan counties. To facilitate administration, Chencang also established Pingyang City there. Yanze Lake only has a small section in the west that belongs to Chencang. Due to the influence of blood miasma, Chencang naturally dared not establish a city there. Chencang's seventh city was located north of Fengyang, in the area bordering the Hecang vassal state, and was named Longxing City.

Xia Hong closed his eyes and pondered for a while. After roughly sketching out the entire Chencang region in his mind, he set the location to the south of Fengyang County, and his expression immediately became slightly serious.

To the south of Fengyang County is Donglin County, which is almost adjacent to the town. In other words, it is practically the heartland of Chencang. No wonder it alarmed the governor.

This is equivalent to a rebellion breaking out in the Great Xia Dynasty. The area of ​​the rebellion is almost adjacent to Xia City. How could it not alarm Xia Hong?
Sixteen years ago, the Frost Ashes Society was able to cause such a big commotion in the heart of Chencang!

"Alright, you can leave now! By the way, I'm going into seclusion soon, so don't let anyone disturb me for the time being."

"Little man obeys!"

After pondering for a moment, Xia Hong waved Zhang Qinggu away, then looked at the Zhang sisters and continued, "You two can continue your cultivation in the outer room. I will call you if I need anything."

"Slave, you obey!"

Upon hearing the noise, the two women hurriedly retreated to the outer room, making sure to close the door behind them.

"Although they've been squeezed out, they're still Beast King blood after all. Their basic strength is just over 10 jin, which is their limit. Their aptitude is still too poor. If they hadn't met me, they probably wouldn't even have been able to reach the lower-grade battle body level!"

Watching the two women leave, Xia Hong shook his head slightly. In more than two months, the Zhang sisters had not yet broken through to the Cold Resistance level, which spoke volumes, not to mention that he had generously shared some of the Beast Emperor's blood.

During the reshaping stage, his basic strength was just over 10 jin, which was only a slightly inferior superior combat body. This aptitude did indeed disappoint him a little.

However, it's impossible for everyone he encounters to be a genius. In a place like Changqing Valley, finding someone with such a top-tier battle physique as Su Xing'er is already incredibly lucky. Asking for more would be too greedy.

Xia Hong pushed aside his thoughts and recalled the details of Chencang that he had gleaned from Zhang Qinggu over the past two months, revealing a playful smile.

"Unlike the other three vassal states, which each had only one lineage of regional governors, Chencang had two major lineages of regional governors, namely the Chu and Chen families. This is because the entire territory of Chencang today was formed by the merger of the Chen and Chu families, who each ruled a region more than a hundred years ago."

This is somewhat similar to Jiangxia Town in the southern foothills, where the Jiang and Xiahou families reside, except that these two families are much more powerful.

Strictly speaking, the merger of the two was forced by the combined forces of Caiqiu and Hecang, two major warlords. Given the overall situation of Chencang at the time, if they did not unite, they would inevitably be swallowed up by these two warlords.

Both sides reached a compromise: the Chu family secured the position of regional governor, while the Chen family retained their claim to Chencang and Longxing, a large city that could be considered a state within a state!

Xia Hong took out a piece of rough paper and used a coal pen to roughly draw the outline of the territories of the two major warlords, Chencang and Caiqiu, on it. Then he pointed out the locations of the three major cities, Linchu County, Yanling County, and Longxing.

Longxing City was the stronghold of the Chen family back then!
The fact that the Chen family has retained the name "Longxing" for over a hundred years basically reveals that while the Chen family as a whole may be of one mind with the Chu family, there are definitely ambitious individuals within their ranks, and perhaps even the Frost Ashes Society...

Xia Hong put away his playful smile and looked at Yanling County on the map.

"No wonder the westernmost part of Caiqiu, bordering Yanling, is called Linchu. Yanling County was the stronghold of the Chu clan back then, and the city of Yanling was the former Chuqiu. Chu Longteng renamed it Yanling fifty years ago. The name change was tantamount to actively diluting the influence of the Chu clan and seeking to accelerate integration with the Chen clan. The demeanor of a regional governor is truly extraordinary!"

While Xia Hong showed a hint of admiration, there was also a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes.

Chu Longteng changed Chu Qiu's name, but the Chen family didn't care and insisted on keeping the name Longxing City to this day. This shows that there is still some estrangement between the two clans.

"For over a hundred years, the two clans have still not been able to fully integrate. This is the power of long-established powerful clans. Their cohesion is too deep. But because of this, their subjective consciousness is also strong. It is difficult for them to be content to be mere supporting characters. Fortunately, the Great Xia started in a small place like the southern foothills of Mo'ao. If it had been in Mo'aochuan, let alone developing to its current scale, it would be a question whether it could even keep the name Great Xia!"

Recalling Chu Yan'er and her group of seven who broke into Xia City four years ago, Xia Hong shook his head slightly: "The conflict between the two races should only focus on the top level, because those at the Tribulation Realm and Manifestation Realm are all witnesses to the merger of the two races and are also stakeholders; while the middle and lower levels and those younger generations have not personally experienced that merger, so their centripetal force towards Chencang is still very strong."

Chu Longteng probably also had a slow and steady approach, hoping that once these highly cohesive younger generation members grew up, or even came to power, the divide between the two clans would disappear. At that time, Chencang could finally become a cohesive unit like the other three vassal states. It's just a pity..."

You've run into me!

A smile appeared on Xia Hong's face. Regardless of whether this Frost Ash was related to the Chen family or not, the Great Xia would definitely make use of it.

Even if they don't have connections, we can find a way to make them have connections!

Recalling the despicable things Chen Yiqing had done in the Nine Towns region, a cold glint flashed in Xia Hong's eyes.

It's not about finding a justification for his actions. To be frank, even without the bad things Chen Yiqing did, he would still have adopted a hostile attitude towards the four vassal states of Mo'aochuan, including Chen Cang.

The basic principle of the Ice Abyss world is the survival of the fittest. If the Great Xia does not continue to develop and grow stronger, at best it will become a mere supporting character to others, and at worst it will perish at the hands of cold beasts and monsters, completely annihilated in this extremely cold world.

Xia Hong could not accept either of them!
Therefore, it was inevitable that they would become enemies with the four domains of Mo'aochuan.

He took such a great risk to cross the Bone-Eating Path to come here, precisely to investigate the strength and weaknesses of the regional military governors, so as to prepare for confronting them later.

Having grasped such an important situation, we naturally want to find a way to make use of it.

"The Chen and Chu families haven't been able to fully integrate even after more than a hundred years, which serves as a reminder to me. Although the Eight Towns' lineages aren't as long as these two, they're all basically over a hundred years old. If things aren't handled properly when they finally merge, it will be a huge hidden danger, and they might inevitably be used by others in the future..."

Thinking of this, Xia Hong shook his head and sighed slightly, then muttered to himself, "It's been twelve years since the Great Xia Dynasty began. Jiangxia and Muyin towns should be almost fully integrated by now, and the time for an alliance is ripe. I need to hurry and find a way back!"

Having made up his mind, Xia Hong summoned the Enlightenment Lotus Platform with a wave of his hand, then sat cross-legged on it, took out a Bone Gathering Pill and swallowed it, then closed his eyes.

Soon, a skeletal figure seven feet and eight inches tall appeared behind him. After the skeletal figure appeared, a blood-red medicinal power instantly emanated, enveloping his body and quickly condensing into a blood cocoon.

"After more than two months, my injuries have almost healed. I can try formal cultivation now and see if my cultivation speed has been affected after taking the Bone Burning Pill!"

The cultivation process at the Manifestation Yang level is specifically reflected in the growth of bone structure. Every bit of growth in bone structure is extremely rare and not so easy to perceive. Xia Hong needs to absorb all the medicinal power of this pill to know whether his cultivation speed is normal or not.

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3...

Xia Hong calmed his mind and began to cultivate in seclusion. The Zhang sisters outside did the same, but their progress was completely different.

On the fourth day of his seclusion, October 22nd, Zhang Yuzhu broke through to the Cold Resistance level with a basic strength of 107,000 jin; on the sixth day, October 24th, her younger sister Zhang Yuhong also broke through with a basic strength of 105,000 jin.

When his two granddaughters broke through to new heights, Zhang Qinggu was so excited that he kowtowed to Xia Hong to express his gratitude twice, but Xia Hong was in seclusion and ignored him.

The Zhang family seems to have one happy event after another.

It was the day after Zhang Yuhong broke through to the Cold Resistance level.

That is, October 25th, during the daytime.

Zhang Yuchuan, the eldest grandson, has actually arrived home.

"Grandpa, Chuan'er has come back to see you!"

Inside the Zhang family compound, Zhang Qinggu rushed out with his two granddaughters. When he saw his eldest grandson, whom he hadn't seen for almost two years, his face showed a mix of surprise, bewilderment, and even panic—a jumble of emotions.

The Zhang Yuchuan before me was dressed in white, with a long sword at his waist. He had a handsome face, and his full head of black hair was tied back with a silver hairpin. His handsome eyebrows and eyes revealed a sense of pride and confidence. He was no longer the unkempt and slightly timid young man that I had personally seen off last January.

Not only Zhang Qinggu, but also the two sisters Zhang Yuzhu and Zhang Yuhong, did not rush to their cousin as they did in previous years. Instead, they hid behind their grandfather, looking at Zhang Yuchuan with fear and confusion in their eyes.

"Yu Chuan, why are you wearing silk and silver ornaments? This is a serious offense. If the local officials see you, you will be arrested. Hurry up and come in."

Eyes don't lie. Although Zhang Qinggu was stunned for a while, he immediately recognized his grandson's identity when he met the young man's eyes and quickly pulled him into the side room. Zhang Yuchuan let his grandfather pull him in. Before entering the side room, he turned his head to look at the main house, his brows furrowing slightly, but he didn't say anything.

boom…………

After entering the house, Zhang Qinggu quickly closed the door before turning to examine his grandson closely. As he discovered more and more familiar details, the unfamiliarity in his eyes quickly disappeared, replaced by a look of deep joy.

"Yu Chuan, what's wrong with you...?"

Despite his confusion, Zhang Qinggu found himself at a loss for words, unsure where to begin.

Zhang Yuchuan knew exactly what he wanted to ask, but he wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he first helped Zhang Qinggu to a chair before slowly speaking:

“Grandpa, don’t worry. With the young master’s favor, Yu Chuan successfully registered as a citizen two months ago, so this outfit is no longer considered presumptuous.”

Upon hearing his grandson's explanation, Zhang Qinggu's face lit up with joy, then he suddenly realized something and exclaimed in delight, "Yu Chuan, your strength..."

He had just discovered it in the yard; he couldn't see through his grandson's abilities.

Zhang Qinggu remembered clearly that his grandson sent a message back in March of this year, saying that he had broken through to the Cold Resistance level and his strength was 2.8. It's only October now, seven months. How much strength could he have gained in that time?

"Grandpa, the young master has bestowed upon me many precious cultivation resources. I have made up for the defects in my skin membrane and now have the aptitude for a top-grade battle body. I am currently at the late stage of the Cold Resistance cultivation level and have the strength of 16 manes."

"Gulp... 16 bristles?"

Zhang Qinggu's pupils dilated, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

Although he only has the strength of a level 6 warrior, he is old and has considerable experience.

The strongest person in Qingwu Village, the village chief and chief steward Zhang Long, is 56 years old this year, but his strength is only 35. His eldest son, Zhang Ying, is known as the number one genius in the village. He has only the aptitude of a superior battle body and is currently 26 years old with a strength of 20.

His grandson, who is not yet 20 years old, already has the strength of 16 manes and has a full six years to catch up. Not to mention, his grandson just said that he already has the aptitude of a top-grade battle body.

This level of qualification would likely rank among the best not only in Qingwu Village, but also in the entire Luhe Valley region.

However, Zhang Qinggu's surprise was far from over.

Zhang Yuchuan always carried a bundle on his back. After he finished speaking, he took the bundle off and took out a lot of things from it.

"High-grade beast meat and blood, white cinnabar powder, mid-grade spirit wine, Qingyu brew, as well as Jade Bone Pills for cold-resistant cultivation, Cold Extreme Pills for peak cold-resistant cultivation to enhance strength, and Blood Reshaping Pills for reshaping the skin membrane..."

Zhang Qinggu felt dizzy after hearing only a few things. His gaze was fixed on his grandson's bundle and he couldn't look away.

Because inside that bundle were two large silver ingots.

An ordinary silver ingot weighs only about 80 jin (40 catties) and at most about 800 taels (400 liang), which is not enough to elicit such a reaction from him. The problem is that the two silver ingots in his grandson's bundle have ten forging marks on them.

Ten silver ingots of the same size, but weighing ten times more, means that each of these two ingots weighs 800 jin, and the two of them weigh 16000 taels!
He lived frugally his whole life and only managed to save a little over 5000 taels of silver.

But now his grandson has actually returned with 16000 taels of silver?

"Grandpa, this Extreme Cold Pill alone is far more valuable than silver..."

Seeing his grandfather's eyes, Zhang Yuchuan was both amused and exasperated, but he would only say this to himself. If his grandfather hadn't spent money to send him to the Chen family in Yanling County, he wouldn't be where he is today.
“Grandpa, I’ve already bought a house in Yanling City. I’ve come back this time to take you and Yuzhu and Yuhong to the county town to enjoy your retirement. Oh, by the way…”

After Zhang Yuchuan finished speaking, he seemed to remember something, took out three documents from his pocket, and placed them directly in front of Zhang Qinggu.

[Civil Registration]

Upon seeing the words at the top of the three documents, Zhang Qinggu's body trembled violently. He quickly scanned the contents of the documents and noticed that the last line of names was empty. He immediately looked up at Changsun, a hint of speculation in his eyes.

“Grandpa, I bought these three civil registration documents from the local government office. As long as you write your names on them, they will be effective immediately. From now on, all four of us in our family will be registered as citizens.”

Upon receiving confirmation from his grandson, Zhang Qinggu instantly burst into tears, choking back sobs for over ten breaths before turning to his two granddaughters, exclaiming excitedly, "Yuzhu, Yuhong, we, grandfather and granddaughters, have finally made it through! We've finally made it through! Hahahaha! My son, if he knew this in the afterlife, he could rest in peace! Hahahaha..."

"grandfather……"

"Grandpa, don't cry, Grandpa, sob sob sob..."

Upon hearing Zhang Qinggu mention his father and uncle's names, Zhang Yuchuan's eyes instantly welled up with tears; Zhang Yuzhu and Zhang Yuhong rushed to their grandfather's side, trying to comfort him, but they couldn't help but burst into tears themselves.

We've finally made it through! We've finally made it through...

Zhang Qinggu felt a surge of pent-up emotions that had been building up for years rush to his throat, causing his body to sway violently. His face turned deathly pale at first, then flushed an unnatural crimson.

He seemed to sense something, suppressing his excitement, he took his grandson's hand, his eyes filled with praise and excitement, and whispered, "Yuchuan, very good, very good. Grandpa knew that those five thousand taels weren't a mistake. The Zhang family has finally turned their lives around, and your two younger sisters will have a place to live from now on..."

Hearing his grandfather's intermittent tone, Zhang Yuchuan was stunned for a moment, then realized something, quickly got up and grabbed his grandfather's arm, his face instantly filled with panic and confusion.

"Grandpa, why is your breath so weak? Fire poison, did you go to harvest millet again this year? I gave Zhang Long some money two months ago to exempt you from this year's corvée labor, how could this be, how could this be..."

Zhang Yuzhu and Zhang Yuhong also sensed something and quickly stepped forward to grab Zhang Qinggu's arm. The two sisters' faces were instantly filled with panic, and tears streamed down their faces.

"grandfather……"

“For the past two months, Grandpa has been going out to harvest millet during the day and for the first two hours after nightfall, which is longer than in previous years.”

Upon hearing his second sister Yuzhu's explanation and realizing that the money he had given her had no effect, Zhang Yuchuan was instantly enraged. He turned his head to look in the direction of the main building in the village, his pupils filled with overwhelming hatred.

"Grandpa, try using the healing pills first..."

But he quickly realized that now was not the time to be angry. He hurriedly took out several kinds of healing pills from his bundle and, with trembling hands, held them to Zhang Qinggu's lips, gesturing for him to try them.

"Hoo... Silly child, although Grandpa's strength is not as great as yours, I know my own physical condition. Don't waste the pills. I'm already content to see you succeed before I die..."

After letting out a deep sigh of relief, Zhang Qinggu's spirits suddenly improved, and he even reached out to brush away the pills his grandson offered.

Seeing him like this, Zhang Yuchuan, who had been holding back his tears for a long time, finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears, kneeling down directly in front of Zhang Qinggu.

"grandfather…………"

"Silly child, why are you crying? You've already made something of yourself. By the way, look at your two younger sisters. They've both broken through to the Cold Resistance level, and they even have the aptitude for a superior battle physique. What do you think? Although Grandpa can't compare to you, the path I've found for them isn't bad, is it?"

"Grandpa...Grandpa, please stop talking. Yu Chuan doesn't want you to die, he doesn't want you to die. Yu Chuan wants to take you to the county town to enjoy a life of luxury, to fulfill his filial duties to you, and to live a long and healthy life. You also want to see Yu Chuan get married and have children, and to see Zhu'er and Hong'er get married. Grandpa...Grandpa..."

"Waaah... Grandpa, Yuzhu doesn't want you to die either."

"Hong'er wants to go to the county town with Grandpa, Grandpa, sob sob sob..."

The heart-wrenching cries of his three children and grandchildren added to Zhang Qinggu's already precarious state of mind, filling him with even more longing and worry.

In fact, he had realized his death was imminent months earlier and was desperately clinging to life in order to see his grandson one last time.

Now, not only have they seen him, but they have also seen a completely transformed, outstanding eldest grandson. His lifelong pursuit has finally come true, and the pride in his heart can no longer be suppressed.

"Yu Chuan, don't cry. You're the eldest brother, listen to me..."

Hearing his grandfather's words, Zhang Yuchuan choked up several times before managing to stop sobbing, but tears still streamed down his face as he looked up at his grandfather.

"The Lord Hong in the main house is a good man. Grandpa didn't actually help him much. He just brought him back and answered a few questions. Compared to what he gave Yuzhu and Yuhong, it was insignificant."

Listen to your grandfather, you should go and pay your respects to him later. On my behalf, kowtow three times to Lord Hong to express your gratitude. If he is willing to accept Yuzhu and Yuhong as maids, that would be wonderful. If not, then you will have to take care of your two younger sisters from now on.

Can you promise Grandpa?

Zhang Yuchuan instinctively showed a hint of resistance, but seeing his grandfather's breath growing weaker and weaker, knowing that this was his grandfather's dying request, he could only sob and nod heavily.

"That's good...that's good. Zhu'er, Yu'er, don't blame your grandfather. Sending you away to be maids is the best way out for a slave family like ours. In the end, it's all because your grandfather is useless. If your grandfather were capable, how could he bear to let his children and grandchildren be slaves to others?"

Zhang Qinggu's deepest obsession finally surfaced at the last moment. Looking back on his life of more than sixty years, he had been trying every moment to change the fate of himself and his family. Heaven had mercy on him, and he finally saw this day in his last moments before he died.

The eldest grandson has made something of himself. As long as the Zhang family can continue its lineage, one day his descendants will also become noblemen and upper-class people in the eyes of others.

"This life has not been in vain, this life has not been in vain. Mountain torrents, rivers and mountains, my children, your father has come to see you, your father has come to reunite with you, hahahahaha..."

Zhang Qinggu used his last breath to laugh, a laugh that expressed the satisfaction of successfully defying fate and the bitterness of more than sixty years of wasted time and hardship. The laughter pierced through the roof. Fortunately, it was daytime and most of the neighbors were asleep, otherwise it would have certainly disturbed many people.

What was originally a joyous family reunion suddenly turned into a permanent separation between grandfather and grandchildren. The impact on the three siblings, who were only twenty years old, can be imagined.

Zhang Yuchuan, in particular, returned home with so many things and full of hope, ready to bring his grandfather to the county town to enjoy a life of luxury, but unexpectedly his grandfather died right in front of him.

“Zhang Long…Zhang Long…Commander…”

The Zhang sisters, who were sobbing, were suddenly frightened when they heard their brother's hysterical and angry growl.

Seeing the expressions on his two younger sisters' faces, Zhang Yuchuan immediately suppressed his anger and said in a gentle tone, "Zhu'er, Hong'er, don't be afraid. From now on, you will follow your elder brother. I swear I will make sure you live a good life!"

As he spoke, he got up to tidy up his grandfather's remains, making a promise to his two younger sisters and a guarantee to his deceased grandfather.

"May I ask you two protectors, what is the approximate strength of the one in the main house?"

Suddenly, Zhang Yuchuan's inexplicable remark startled the Zhang sisters, who were immediately filled with confusion, wondering who their elder brother was calling.

"They are much stronger than us, with at least 50 more bristles, and possibly even stronger!"

But soon, a rough middle-aged voice rang out, and the two women realized who he had just called and that the voice was coming from behind them. They quickly turned their heads to look behind them.

Upon seeing this, the two were immediately startled.

Two men in black were standing in front of the tightly closed door.

The two men were burly and each carried a large knife at their waist. What was most striking were the crimson demon masks they wore.

The mask was entirely crimson, with eyes that glowed with a yellowish fluorescence. Two curved black horns protruded from its forehead, and two sharp fangs grew from its mouth. If you only looked at its head and not its body, it would look exactly like a red-faced, fanged demon.

"More than 50 bristle..."

Upon hearing the middle-aged man's reply, Zhang Yuchuan's brows furrowed sharply. He thought to himself, "Such strength could potentially disrupt Little Dragon's plans. No, I need to pay him a visit..."

He pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said to the two men, "Please take my sister to Windless Valley first. I will lie in wait in the village and make contact with the branch here. At the latest, I will lead people to Windless Valley to retrieve the weapons the day after tomorrow."

"No need to be polite. Little Dragon Chief instructed that the uprising in Luhe Valley should be led by the heads of each branch. Since you are the head of the Qingwu branch, we will naturally all listen to you!"

The two masked men were very polite. Looking at Zhang Qinggu, who had died on the chair, they knew that Zhang Yuchuan still had things to do, so they didn't say anything more and decided to leave with the Zhang Yuzhu sisters.

"Yuzhu, Yuhong, don't be afraid. Follow the two protectors to Wufeng Valley and stay there for now. At the latest, on the second day of next month, your elder brother will take you to Yanling County City. Once you're settled in the county city, everything will be fine!"

"But what about the adults..."

Both sisters looked hesitant, while Zhang Yuzhu turned her head directly to look at the main house and expressed her concerns.

"It's alright, I'll go explain to that person right away, you guys go first!"

Zhang Yuchuan reassured her, then had two men in black take the two sisters away.

Seeing that the four had all left, Zhang Yuchuan slowly walked out the door, first looking up at the fiercely cold sky, his expression slightly shifting.

He didn't choose to return during the day for no reason. There aren't many people with the Cold Resistance level in Qingwu Village, and at this time, almost everyone is immersed in their dreams. With the strength of those two protectors, no one would be able to detect them taking their two younger sisters out.

Of course, the most important thing is that he returned this time to lead the people of the Qingwu Village branch to support the uprising of the sixteen villages in Luhe Valley. His identity is quite sensitive, so he must not reveal his whereabouts casually.

"Flying down from the sky, even a Cold-resistant level being falling from a great height can create the illusion of flying down. Grandpa's strength isn't that great after all; either he's exaggerating, or he's just mistaken. How could a dignified Yang-level being be holed up in this small village..."

Zhang Yuchuan slowly walked to the front of the main house. Looking at the tightly closed door, and thinking of his grandfather's dying words, he took a slight breath, and without knocking, knelt down directly facing the house and kowtowed three times.

Bang...bang...bang...

"This junior, Zhang Yuchuan, bows three times on behalf of my grandfather, Zhang Qinggu, and also on my own behalf, to express my gratitude to you, senior, for your kindness to my two younger sisters. Yuzhu mentioned that you gave them some precious beast meat and elixirs, and I am returning them to you on their behalf..."

At this point, he took off the bundle behind him, took out all the high-grade beast meat inside, and after thinking for a moment, took out a bottle of Cold Extreme Pill and a bottle of Blood Shaping Pill. Finally, he also took out two silver ingots and placed them at the door.

"These things should be enough to repay the favor you bestowed upon me, senior. There is another matter, and I humbly request that you grant my request..."

Silence remained for a long time inside. Zhang Yuchuan frowned slightly, but considering the other party's strength, he patiently continued, "I wonder how long you intend to stay here, senior. If the villagers discover me, please do not reveal my whereabouts..."

"Alright, stop nagging. Take all your things! I won't reveal your whereabouts, and don't bother me."

Finally, there was a response, but the other party's tone was clearly very impatient.

Remembering what Zhang Qinggu said about the other party being in seclusion and cultivating, a look of understanding flashed across Zhang Yuchuan's face. If he was really focused on cultivation, then what he was doing was indeed a bit of a disturbance.

"In that case, thank you very much, senior!"

Zhang Yuchuan was about to leave, but looking down at the things on the ground, a hint of reluctance appeared in his eyes. He went forward and collected everything.

Firstly, everyone said he took it; secondly, if the other party really didn't want these things, and the villagers found out, eventually leading to his identity being exposed, then it would be a loss.

Of course, there is another, most important reason.

These things are really valuable!
Zhang Yuchuan carried his grandfather's body on his back and quickly fled, without lingering at home.

As a result, the entire Zhang family courtyard, which originally housed the family of three, along with Zhang Yuchuan who had just returned, was now empty, leaving only Xia Hong, the guest, who remained in the main house in seclusion to cultivate.

"They haven't left the village; they plan to continue organizing there. They'll start an uprising at the end of the month with just two level 38 Cold-resistant cultivators. Let's see how much trouble this Frost Ashes Society can cause..."

(End of this chapter)