Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 560 Cleverness Backfires: Powerlessness and Elimination
Cai Qiuhu knew that traps and fires alone could not stop his 150,000-strong army. At the same time, he had assumed that the rebels, who were being guided by someone behind the scenes, must also know this.

Since you know you can't stop it, why go through all this trouble?
Someone was advising the rebels, so the fire and the pitfalls were just the first move; once the main army arrived, there would definitely be more tricks up their sleeves.

The army was ordered to slow its march; five thousand elite troops were sent to scout ahead; and more than ten Xianyang-level soldiers were dispatched to investigate the situation at the valley entrance. All this caution stemmed from this idea in Cai Qiuhu's mind.

He always felt that if these rebels dared to come and block Cai Qiu's 150,000-strong army, they couldn't have done it all on their own; they must have something else up their sleeves.

But at this very moment, as the water rushed in from the east, the ravines outside the valley mouth were being filled at an extremely rapid pace. At the same time, the rebel army on the north side of the ravines was in a massive retreat, their numbers dwindling from 60,000 to 70,000 to less than 50,000 in the blink of an eye, with no will to fight whatsoever...

Seeing all this, how could he not react?
This rebel group had absolutely no trump cards; all their previous tactics were just feints and delaying tactics.

The rebels' greatest asset is the surging water flowing in from the east.

All the caution he had shown along the way had become a joke at this moment. How could Cai Qiuhu not be furious? His chest felt like it was about to explode. He stared at the front row of the rebel army on the north side with bloodshot eyes, trying to find the key figure and kill him immediately.

However, he couldn't see a single Xianyang-level soldier among the rebels. The people in the front row were dressed in the most common clothes in Changqing Valley, and he couldn't tell the difference at all.

This undoubtedly further confirms the fact that this group of rebels has no backing.

Hmm...

Cai Qiuhu was so angry that blood rushed to his head, and his fists clenched so tightly they bled.

"Follow me to repel the rebels. He Yang, block the water and let the brothers rush out of the pit first. The main force behind us can speed up and fill the pit with stones first."

Despite his fury, Cai Qiuhu immediately made arrangements.

The rebels number less than 50,000. He could hold them off for a while with his dozens of Xianyang-level subordinates. He Yang was one of his generals, who possessed a water-controlling trick. He could hold them off for a moment, which would allow the 5,000 elite troops to break out of the pit. The ravine outside the valley was not very large. Even if the floodwaters on the east side filled the pit, they could be filled with stones.

The only thing to worry about now is the 100,000 Xia troops in the rear.

"It's a pity that I was so paranoid and overly cautious that I failed to discern the rebels' strengths and weaknesses immediately, wasting a quarter of an hour. The Xia army will arrive in less than a quarter of an hour, and time is running out!"

Xia Jun was initially more than 20 kilometers away from them, and it would take about half an hour to catch up. However, due to his excessive caution, the soldiers slowed down their march, and the distance between the two sides is getting closer and closer. It is now estimated that they will arrive in just 45 minutes.

Cai Qiuhu realized he had been tricked and, enraged, drew his broadsword from his waist, leaped forward, and charged straight at the front of the rebel army.

For a Tribulation Realm expert, dealing with a Manifestation Sun Realm expert is already a dimensional reduction attack. Not to mention the rebel army in front of us, which is mostly composed of Earth-Digging Realm experts, and even the Cold-Preserving Realm only has three or four thousand people in the front row.

boom…………

The enormous blade, swirling with fiery, calamity-inducing energy, surged towards the front ranks of the rebel army, instantly sucking away the air. The violent blade instantly turned hundreds of rebels along its path into dust. Those in the rear ranks and those too close to the flanks were also blown to pieces by the blade's energy. Under the blade's overwhelming force, even those who survived had most of their skin and flesh dissolved, and their bones were broken inch by inch, likely leaving them crippled for the rest of their lives.

The Five Elements Calamity Qi and the Body of Calamity—this is the power of a Calamity Body Realm expert. Even if tens of thousands of troops were in front of them, they could not diminish their sharpness in the slightest.

The rebels were stunned when Cai Qiuhu struck with his knife.

What's worse, it wasn't just Cai Qiuhu; his dozens of Xianyang-level warriors also charged towards the rebel army like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey. The immense power amplified by various weapons struck fiercely. Although their might couldn't compare to Cai Qiuhu's, their powerful strikes, often reaching tens of meters in length, were equally devastating to this weak rebel force.

"Don't retreat, don't retreat! Hold them off! They're only a hundred men. Even if they're strong, they have their limits. Force them to the edge of the ravine from both sides. As long as we block Cai Qiu's army, we have hope!"

"You've already started a rebellion, what's the use of running away now? If Caiqiu's army breaks through the valley, they'll all die anyway. Hold on, the foreign army will be here soon, and once they arrive, Caiqiu will surely be defeated!"

"How many years has Changqing Valley been oppressed by Cai Qiu? Now that we finally have a chance to turn things around, what are you afraid of? At worst, you'll die, but it's worth it to secure a better future for your descendants!"

………………

Cai Qiuhu led a group of powerful warriors in a fierce attack, their power devastating the heavens and the earth. How could a group of civilian laborers resist them? Seeing hundreds of the front-line Yuhan-level warriors die instantly, the people behind were terrified and began to retreat to the sides and rear.

It crumbles at the slightest touch, and this moment has become a concrete manifestation of that.

As the rebels began to crumble, a dozen or so loud roars quickly erupted from within their ranks, attempting to halt the retreat.

And you know what? It actually works a bit.

"That's right. Retreating means certain death. If Changqing Valley doesn't change hands today, we'll still be doomed. Do you think the corrupt officials of Qinghua City will let us go?"

"Where can we retreat to? The army that is pressing us in Qinghua Town has already arrived and is right behind us. Retreating will only lead to our quicker demise. We can only survive if we hold out until the outer vassal army arrives."

"We're all going to die anyway, so let's stop them! Brothers, follow me and charge!"

"We don't need to fight them. We just need to hold off Cai Qiu's army in the pit. The foreign army is right behind us and will be here soon."

"Charge!"

………………

Upon hearing this, the rebel soldiers in the front row instantly blazed with fury. Remembering the hardships of Evergreen Valley over the past hundred years, they were filled with rage and shouted one after another as they charged toward the sides.

Despite their anger, no one was confused in the face of life and death. They knew that even if they joined forces, they could not stop Cai Qiuhu and his group of experts. However, they could still manage to go around to both sides and block the Cai Qiu soldiers who were trying to rush out from below the pit.

"Damn it, split up and block them!"

Although Cai Qiuhu in the front row had killed two or three hundred people, he did not fall into endless slaughter. Seeing the rebels going around to the sides, he immediately ordered the dozens of Xianyang-level soldiers beside him to split up to block the rebels on both sides, buying time for the five thousand elites in the pit.

However, the rebels' only advantage—their sheer numbers—came into play at this moment.

Dozens of them were at the Yang level, and their strength was terrifying. They were practically invincible in the rebel army. Even if swords or blades were occasionally brought at them, their skin alone was enough to withstand the attack.

The problem is that their numbers are simply too limited.

There are only about forty people in total. With the momentum they made when they attacked, they could hold off several thousand people without much trouble, but they would have a hard time against more than ten thousand. Moreover, the number of rebels is far more than ten thousand.

Tens of thousands of civilian laborers and rebels roared and charged to both sides. They completely ignored Cai Qiuhu and his group of experts in the middle, and only desperately blocked the five thousand Cai Qiu elites in the pit. For a time, they actually managed to stop them.

gurgling...

At the water inlet on the east side of the pit, a middle-aged man dressed in white brocade robes placed his hands at the forefront of the flowing water. His hands were emitting a faint blue light, and the surging water froze upon contact with this light, ceasing its westward flow. However, the middle-aged man's face was flushed, and his hands were trembling violently. As the water continued to pour in from behind, his expression became increasingly strained, and the blue light from his palms grew weaker, clearly indicating that he had reached his limit.

"Hurry, I can only hold on for a quarter of an hour at most!"

Water is probably the most dangerous thing in the Ice Abyss. He Yang's water manipulation technique is one of Cai Qiu's major weapons. However, this technique is not omnipotent. If the water flow is too strong, his ability will be greatly weakened. And the current wave of water brought by the rebels is obviously beyond his control.

Upon hearing He Yang's voice, Cai Qiuhu and the other Xianyang-level soldiers' expressions immediately became much more serious, and their movements in killing the enemy suddenly accelerated, trying to speed up the process to help the soldiers trapped in the pit to break out.

In a quarter of an hour, not only must the army in the pit rush out, but the main force in the rear must also arrive. The effect of filling the pit with stones after it has been filled with water is completely different from that after it has been filled with water.

The pit outside the valley mouth is over a hundred meters long and thirty meters wide. Most surprisingly, it is five meters deep. Once it is filled with water, let alone filling it all up, even just making a path through it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

"Kill them! Scatter them all! Quickly!"

Time was passing, and Cai Qiuhu was becoming increasingly anxious. He had given up on the idea of ​​capturing the rebel leader. He had wasted a quarter of an hour since leaving the valley, and the Xia army would catch up in less than two quarters of an hour.

Anxious and distraught, Cai Qiuhu became even more ruthless in his attacks. Seeing the rebels still charging forward recklessly, he forcibly suppressed his anger, calmed his voice as much as possible, and said loudly:

"I am Cai Qiuhu, the Junior Prefect of Caiqiu. I promise that as long as all the rebels retreat immediately, Caiqiu will not pursue the matter further!"

Cai Qiuhu ultimately yielded to the rebels.

There's no way to back down now; once Xia Jun arrives, there'll be no hope left!

It must be said that Cai Qiuhu's submission had a tremendous effect.

Upon hearing this, the civilian laborers and rebel soldiers who were fighting frantically became much more alert. Those in the back ranks who hadn't yet rushed over turned their heads to look at Cai Qiuhu, who was standing in mid-air, all with hope in their eyes.

"It's just a temporary measure. Do you all really believe the nonsense of the young governor? Once Cai Qiu's army leaves the valley and has no worries about their rear, they will probably immediately raise their swords against you. The Qinghua City army is less than 20 kilometers away from here. If you retreat now, you will only die. Only if my Great Xia army comes will you have a chance to survive!"

However, a voice from high above immediately extinguished the hope that had risen in their hearts.

"Changqing Valley has been weak for over a hundred years. If it continues to follow Cai Qiu, what way out is there but to be a slave to the high-ranking officials and nobles in the city and be slaughtered at will? My vassal governor has said that if Changqing Valley comes under the rule of my Great Xia, the first priority will be to abolish the six-class registration system; secondly, the population can move out at will and can enter Xia City to make a living; finally, everyone can be registered as a citizen of my Xia, and can freely enter and leave all resource areas within the territory of Great Xia!"
"Gentlemen, just hold on a little longer, and the good days for Evergreen Valley will begin. What are you still hesitating for?"

Above the rebel army, a young general clad in golden armor spoke in a loud voice. He had a handsome face and a sharp look between his brows. A giant broadsword was hanging at his waist, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present.

Yuwen Sizheng, we've finally arrived!
At the front of the rebel army, Xiang Liang, who was mixed in with the crowd, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense expression relaxed a lot in an instant.

The appearance of Yuwen Tao proves that the Xia army is not far away.

The time he painstakingly gained ultimately proved useful.

"Yuwen Tao, it really is the Great Xia that is wreaking havoc in Changqing Valley. I'll kill you!"

Cai Qiuhu witnessed the entire battle on the southern slope and was naturally familiar with Yuwen Tao. In fact, as soon as Yuwen Tao appeared, he immediately released his mind to sense the situation in the valley. Realizing that the Xia army had not yet arrived, he could no longer suppress his anger and immediately rushed into the sky, heading straight for Yuwen Tao.

If Yuwen Tao were hiding among the rebels, it wouldn't be so easy to make a move, but he was so arrogant, standing horizontally in the air above the rebels. How could Cai Qiuhu miss such a good opportunity?

As one of the four marshals of the Great Xia Dynasty and the head of the Ministry of War, Yuwen Tao's status in the Great Xia Dynasty is beyond question. However, this man only has the cultivation level of Xianyang. If we can kill him here, it can be considered as getting some interest back from the Great Xia Dynasty in advance.

Having reached the Tribulation Realm, Cai Qiuhu was overwhelmed when facing tens of thousands of rebels, but he couldn't exert his full strength. However, now that his target was Yuwen Tao, his actions became much more ruthless.

The aura of calamity enveloped the longsword, drawing a trail of flame in mid-air. Almost instantly, it was upon Yuwen Tao's face. Without a word, Cai Qiuhu slashed down with his blade, aiming straight for the top of Yuwen Tao's head.

call…………

The hundred-meter-long blade, imbued with fiery, calamity-inducing energy, instantly illuminated the night sky outside the valley entrance, as if drawing a molten lava crack across the heavens. The ferocious blade's aura caused the rebels below to hold their breath, their pupils filled with horror.

As for the five thousand elite troops of Caiqiu who had already broken through the ravine, and the main force of Caiqiu that had finally arrived from behind, their expressions were extremely excited, just waiting for their little governor to cut down the general of Daxia in mid-air.

Clang...

"Young Master Fang, there's no need to waste time here. Hurry up and go check on Linchu County! If you're too late, your father and uncles might be killed by Chu Longteng!"

The blade slashed downwards, colliding fiercely with a narrow, long sword, creating an invisible shockwave in mid-air that instantly swept away the molten lava produced by the fire elemental energy.

Upon seeing the man in black blocking his way, Cai Qiuhu's expression froze instantly, his pupils filled with incomprehension and horror.

"Xia Hong...you, weren't you severely injured by your father and uncles? How could this be..."

Yuwen Tao had already been thrown more than a hundred meters away by the shockwave. Looking at the intertwined blades of Xia Hong and Cai Qiuhu in front of him, his pupils were filled with deep shock and tremor.

He stayed close behind Cai Qiu's army, not showing himself in front, because he was worried that the experts in the Tribulation Realm within Cai Qiu's army might attack him.

His caution was indeed justified. Although Cai Qianshan had left, he had left Cai Qiuhu behind. If he made any small moves in the Bone-Corroding Path ahead, he would likely suffer a terrible death.

At this moment, his daring to appear so openly is naturally due to something he has to rely on.

In the previous battle at the south exit, the lord who fought against Cai Qianshan was not seriously injured at all; it was all an act, something he had only just learned.

Not only will it unify the southern foothills, but this time, the Great Xia may be able to extend its reach directly to the Mo'ao River region!

As soon as the thought crossed Yuwen Tao's mind, he looked up at Lord Xia Hong, who was confronting Cai Qiuhu in front of him. A look of reverence immediately rose in his eyes, and his face showed a clear fanaticism.

Xia Hong, unaware of Yuwen Tao's inner thoughts, looked at Cai Qiuhu with a slightly mocking gaze and spoke slowly:
"If we don't pretend to be severely injured, how could Cai Qianshan feel comfortable leading his men to Linchu County? Little Fangbo, if Changqing Valley can't be held, Linchu County will most likely be lost as well..."

At this point, Xia Hong paused, and seeing Cai Qiuhu's increasingly grim expression, he couldn't help but add fuel to the fire, continuing with a more emphasizing tone:
"You Cai Qiu are out of the game!"

They're out.

In the battle for supremacy over the Mo'ao River, Cai Qiu is no longer a part of the story!
Cai Qiuhu instantly understood the meaning behind Xia Hong's words. His pupils turned bloodshot and red, his anger surged, and he became agitated.

"Insanity!"

(End of this chapter)