Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 504 A Belated Realization, a Choice, and a Helping Hand Finally Arrive
December 28th, 136th year of the Moo calendar, late at night

Wuchuan Town, Donggu Camp, Main Building Top Floor Hall

"Greetings, Young Lord!"

Qin He, the young lord of Wuchuan, flew in from the southwest in a hurry. Ignoring the guards at the gate, he rushed straight into the main hall and immediately bowed to his father, Qin Feng, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"Reporting to Father... Lord, Xiang Fuhai's 10,000-strong army did not head towards our East Valley. They changed course and went southwest, seemingly heading towards the Fushan camp."

Lord Qin Feng of Wuchuan, military commander Ye Tianhao, and a middle-aged man dressed in blue stood on the side of the hall. In front of them was a giant map depicting the five northern towns.

Behind the three, there were nine other people in total.

Upon hearing Qin He's words, everyone turned to look at the map, and a look of disappointment immediately appeared on their faces.

"After all, he's a town lord; Xiang Fuhai isn't that stupid!"

As soon as Ye Tianhao spoke, everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.

Only Lord Qin Feng nodded and immediately snorted coldly, saying, "It seems we'll have to join forces with Luo Yuan's 30,000 troops first. It's good that Xiang Fuhai has some self-awareness. If his 10,000 troops dare to advance directly west, my 50,000 troops in Donggu are not to be trifled with..."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces immediately revealed a hint of pride.

In response to the Xia army's advance, Wuchuan Town only conscripted a total of over 60,000 Yuhan-class soldiers, sending 50,000 to garrison Donggu, demonstrating Lord Qin Feng's emphasis on the Donggu camp.

"With 50,000 heavily armed troops guarding Donggu, it's a pipe dream for Daxia to open up its supply lines. We don't need a quick victory. As long as Beishuo and Jinshan towns put up a little effort and hold back Daxia's two allied forces, once the Xia army runs out of supplies, they'll be doomed!"

Qin Feng's face was full of sneers at this moment.

He had to admit that the development of Great Xia in the past two years had made him extremely envious. He knew very well that Great Xia's current overall strength was already enough to absolutely crush any of the five families in the North.

Without joking, if Wuchuan were the only town in the North, Qin Feng wouldn't even consider it; he would surrender to the Great Xia immediately.

But with five companies, the situation is different.

Moreover, it also has the support of the two major warlords of Chencang and Caiqiu. Although the two warlords cannot send a large army south to provide support at present, they can still influence the course of the war by sending a certain number of Xianyang-class troops.

Thinking of this, Qin Feng turned to look at the middle-aged man in blue on his right, and asked with a hint of confusion, "Mr. Cai, two days have passed, the aid from the two vassal states should have arrived by now, right?"

Cai Yuntong nodded first, then frowned slightly and said, "Yunhe set off in the latter half of the night before last, almost 20 hours ago. Even including the time it took to transfer people, they should be almost there..."

Having failed in their attempt to capture Xia Yu Sheng, the five towns in the north already harbored guilty consciences. So, on the night of the 26th, as soon as they received news of troop movements within the Great Xia territory, they immediately realized that Great Xia was preparing to take action.

Currently, the combined strength of the five towns in the North is indeed enough to rival the Great Xia Dynasty, but that's only on paper. In a real fight, to be honest, even the lords of the three northern towns, including Qin Feng, are not entirely confident.

Therefore, seeking help from the two major warlords was almost a foregone conclusion.

In fact, they didn't even need to say anything.

On the night of the 26th, during the operation to abduct Xia Yusheng in Xiacheng, Chu Xuankong of Chencang lost both arms, Cai Shiqi of Caiqiu was almost killed, and a total of 17 Xianyang-level warriors from the two vassal states also died.

This looting operation was actually initiated by the two vassal states. They didn't even involve the Xianyang-level commanders of the five northern garrisons, only bringing Yang Jian, who was familiar with the situation in Xia City.

This shows that the two vassal states did not actually take the Great Xia seriously.

The result was that they were thoroughly humiliated by the Great Xia Dynasty.

Chu and Cai already harbored deep hatred for the Great Xia, and before receiving news of the Xia army's mobilization, they had already decided to return to their respective vassal states to seek reinforcements.

Because Wuchuan is sandwiched between Jinshan and Beishuo towns, there is no passage to the two vassal states. However, this does not mean that Qin Feng is completely unaware of the news from the vassal states. He himself has been to the two vassal states, so he knows very well the distance between the two vassal states and the southern border.

Looking at the northern part of Dongchuan and Yinhe Valley in Jinshan, he frowned slightly and pondered in his heart: "It is understandable that the people from Caiqiu are slow to arrive. Taking the Bone-Eroding Path is risky and much farther away. Including the transfer of people, it will take at least two days to come and go."
But Chen Cang shouldn't be like this! A Xianyang-class soldier traveling from Danxue Peak in northern Dongchuan, through the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor to Yanling County, should normally take seven to eight hours, and a round trip shouldn't exceed sixteen hours. Even considering the prefect needs to transfer people from elsewhere, it should take about twenty hours. How come they haven't arrived yet?

Qin Feng pondered for a moment without reaching a conclusion. Finally, looking at the four Xia armies marked on the map, he clenched his fist slightly, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

If he could, he actually didn't want to rely on the power of the regional military governors to resist the Great Xia.

As the saying goes, it's easy to invite a god in, but difficult to send him away...

The Xia army in Jinyang and Dongchuan is a bloody example. If the vassal states really send a large number of Xianyang-level troops down, even if they eventually defeat the Xia, how will the five vassal states conduct themselves in front of the two vassal states in the future?
The two powerful warlords offered their assistance without even mentioning any conditions.

The fact that no conditions were mentioned is the biggest condition.

Having been a lord for so many years, how could Qin Feng not understand this principle?

"Damn it, he's only been in the East for four years, yet he already possesses such strength..."

If the previous nine towns on the southern slope and the six towns in the central and southern parts were just supporting roles, then the three towns in the north were the absolute protagonists. Qin Feng and Yang Zun rose to prominence at the same time. Both of them managed to develop the two village-level camps of Wuchuan and Beishuo into town-level camps under the intense pressure of Jinshan Town.

Yang Zun is exceptionally talented, but Qin Feng is no ordinary person either.
"Whether it's destiny or just a prelude, we'll see this time. The inability of the regional military governors' armies to march south is ultimately just a long-term concern. The real threat is the Great Xia, which is right at our doorstep. If we can use the power of the regional military governors to destroy the Great Xia and then divide it up, with the whole of Wuchuan united, it's not impossible to achieve this in more than ten years..."

"My lord, something terrible has happened!"

Qin Feng's thoughts were interrupted by someone who rushed in from outside the hall.

"Fourth brother, what's the rush?"

Upon seeing that it was his fourth brother, Ye Tianwu, who had rushed into the hall, Ye Tianhao immediately reprimanded him in a deep voice. With a great battle imminent, it was inevitable that the morale of the army would be affected if a Xianyang-level expert showed such a flustered demeanor.

The others in the hall were well aware of this principle, so their brows furrowed slightly.

Ye Tianwu completely ignored his elder brother's reprimand and said anxiously, "A scout from Longgu Town has sent word that Li Yangtian, the military leader of Longgu Town, has betrayed us, luring 15,000 troops out of the city to coordinate with the Great Xia..."

As Ye Tianwu recounted the events of Dragon Valley Town in detail, everyone in the hall, including Qin Feng, instantly became agitated.

boom…………

Their minds exploded with a bang, and they immediately turned to look at the map of the five northern towns on their flanks. Their pupils trembled violently, and their faces were filled with horror. "The four armies arrayed in formation is a ruse!"

"Their target is Dragon Valley Town..."

"Li Yangtian has betrayed us, and the Iron Caltrops Army of Longgu Town is now in his hands!"

"It's over, Dragon Valley Town is finished!"

………………

Just as everyone in the hall was filled with shock and anger, the young lord Qin He suddenly realized something and immediately bowed to his father Qin Feng, saying, "Lord, so many Xianyang-level beings from Great Xia are in Dragon Valley Town. We can immediately launch an attack on Fushan..."

"idiot!"

Qin Feng showed no mercy to his eldest son, angrily interrupting him. He then said in a deep voice, "Those at the Xianyang level are free to come and go. Since Li Yangtian, the military leader, has already rebelled, apart from the Long clan, there's no need for Xia Chuan and his group to deal with the rest of the people in Longgu Town. Our spies in Longgu are only at the Yuhan level. It will take them at least half an hour to return with their message. In that long, Xia Chuan's group might have already returned!"

The scouts reported that Long Mingyuan had been killed and that all 15,000 troops had surrendered. This had happened at least half an hour ago.

With Li Yangtian as the military leader, how could Xia Chuan's group of Xianyang-level soldiers possibly stay in Longgu Town forever?
Li Yangtian's reputation has been completely ruined in the Five Northern Towns for betraying his enemy and murdering his lord, and the probability of him repeating this is extremely low.

Even assuming Li Yangtian truly harbors ulterior motives, wouldn't Xia Chuan take some measures to guard against him? And even if he couldn't prevent it, what could he do now?
In a short time, Longgu Town has changed hands. It is not yet clear who the new owner is, but Li Yangtian is the actual controller. Long Mingyuan has a very high reputation in Longgu Town. With his death, the town is bound to be in chaos, and Li Yangtian will definitely have to put in a lot of effort to restore order.

This is almost equivalent to declaring that Dragon Valley has withdrawn from the anti-Xia coalition. If Li Yangtian's reorganization methods are ruthless enough and he is determined to follow Great Xia, then it is estimated that in a few days, the strength of Great Xia will even increase.

"We've been tricked! We've all been tricked! Great Xia never intended to fight on four fronts simultaneously. With the change of ownership of Dragon Valley, the Five Garrisons Alliance has suddenly become a Four-Garden Alliance. What a clever scheme! Great Xia is so cunning! Ah..."

boom!
The reason why Great Xia put on such a grand show in the past two days was not because it wanted to start a war directly, but because it was deliberately trying to provoke them.

Having grasped this principle, Qin Feng was instantly enraged and swiftly drew his sword, snapping the wooden frame in front of him.

The military commander Ye Tianhao beside him also looked grim, but he immediately reached out and steadied the map on the wooden shelf, then said in a deep voice, "With Dragon Valley changing hands, Yangqu is in danger. Yuancheng's rear army totals 40,000 men, including 10,000 elite Xia soldiers with unit designations and five Xianyang-level troops. Cao Qianyang's forces are less than 15,000. Yangqu Town is now completely trapped. Without outside help, they might even lose the town itself..."

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng turned his head to look at the location of Yangqu Town on the map, a hint of hesitation on his face, his pupils filled with struggle.

"Yangqu City's defenses are not bad. Cao Qianyang and his son Cao Yuankang, along with Yan Chenzhou and his apprentice Wu Tianfa, total four Xianyang-level troops. If the 15,000 men are deployed properly, holding the rear of Yuancheng shouldn't be too much of a problem. The real concern is that the Great Xia might send a large number of Xianyang-level troops to help, which would greatly increase the uncertainty."

As Ye Tianhao finished speaking, the struggle on Qin Feng's face slowly disappeared. He had clearly made a decision and said in a deep voice, "It's impossible for the army to launch a preemptive strike. Yang Zun said that our only mission in Wuchuan is to cut off the Great Xia's military supplies. Taking the initiative will only give the Great Xia an opportunity. Defending Donggu is the only right way..."

There are many reasons why the northern garrisons dared to go to war with the Great Xia, such as their own considerable strength and the support of two major vassal states. But the biggest reason is that the Great Xia was the attacker, while they were the defender.

What is the defending side's biggest advantage?
It means that we can wait for the enemy to attack us, remain calm and composed, and adapt to any situation. As long as we have strong city defenses and various fortifications, we can fight back even if the enemy's forces are several times or even ten times stronger than our own.

But once you switch to the offensive, the situation changes completely.

The strength of the Great Xia Dynasty surpasses that of the Five Towns. It's no joke that even if the Five Towns were to merge into one right now, the same would still be true, not to mention that Dragon Valley has changed hands and they only have four towns left.

If you are weaker than your opponent, taking the initiative to attack is suicidal!
"How did Li Yangtian manage to lure out those 15,000 troops? Wasn't it by inciting Long Mingyuan to march north and reinforce us? We absolutely cannot launch a preemptive attack. Right now, it's the Great Xia that's eager to unify the southern foothills, not us..."

Qin Feng's tone was firm, clearly indicating his determination to defend Donggu to the death.

Even so, his complexion didn't improve much.

Holding out to the death is no problem, but what about Yangqu Town?
Yangqu borders Chuishan, so the Great Xia can send troops over continuously. Even if Yuancheng doesn't use too many Xianyang-level troops, if there's no external support, it's only a matter of time before it's breached.

Longgu has already changed hands, and if Yangqu is also captured, only their three northern towns will remain. The key is that once Yangqu is captured, Yuan Cheng can immediately lead his army north to join forces with Luo Yuan's central army. At that time, Longgu and Yangqu will both become the territory of the Great Xia. Can he still hold on to them?
Therefore, Yangqu must not be breached.

"Notify Yang Zun to transfer Xianyang-level troops from the three towns to assist Cao Qianyang in defending the city. As long as the three northern Xia armies do not move, we will not move. Conversely, if the Great Xia suffers setbacks in Yangqu or invests too much force, then we will have the opportunity to take the initiative to attack!"

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Ye Tianhao's brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly realized something and shook his head, saying in a deep voice, "The Great Xia has at least 30 Manifestation-level beings. If you include those Beast King-level puppets, it's even more terrifying. How can we possibly..."

"Those Beast King-level puppets have limitations on their use. Yang Jian tested them out outside Xia City the night before last. After he and Chu Xuankong and the others escaped five kilometers from Xia City, those Beast King-level puppets couldn't catch up!"

Upon hearing Qin Feng's words, Ye Tianhao was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "It can't be used more than five kilometers away from Xia City, right? Four years ago, during the battle between Xia and Yang, those beast king-level puppets appeared at Hongmen and even broke Mu Longhe's arms."

Qin Feng also showed a look of confusion, then shook his head and said, "I asked him too, but Yang Jian's tone was very confident last night. He must have figured something out. Besides, if Great Xia can really use those Beast King-level puppets without restraint, then what are we still resisting for?"

Thinking of the twelve Beast King-level puppets he had seen at Hongmen, Ye Tianhao's expression changed slightly, and he immediately nodded.

Indeed, if the Great Xia could really drag those Beast King-level puppets around, then their current resistance would be meaningless.

"Not necessarily? Perhaps the Great Xia Dynasty isn't using puppets to ensure the safety of Xia City. After all, they're aware of the situation with the two major warlords..."

"coming!"

Before Ye Tianhao could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Cai Yuntong, who was standing next to him.

Cai Yuntong clearly sensed something, and his expression became unusually excited. After speaking, he immediately rushed out of the hall.

Qin Feng and Ye Tianhao exchanged a glance, their faces lighting up with excitement, and quickly followed behind him.

"What's coming?"

"What could it be? It must be reinforcements from the regional military governors."

"Yeah! It's been so long, let's go take a look."

………………

The aid from the two major warlords has finally arrived!

The people inside the hall quickly realized what was happening and hurriedly followed behind Qin Feng and Ye Tianhao, heading towards the outside of the hall to greet them.

　I've spent many days in the hospital this month, and I have to go again next week, so I haven't been updating much. I apologize to everyone, and I'm also embarrassed to ask for votes. I'll definitely get back to normal next month.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)