Endless Winter: My Camp Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 582 Panlong Palace, First Encounter with Xiahou Xuan

"I remember now, Crimson Dragon Lake is a forbidden area, inhabited by an extremely powerful blood-red demonic dragon. Five years ago, during the chaos at Dajue Temple, that demonic dragon was briefly revived under the control of Master Wusheng. Could the anomalies in Crimson Dragon Lake be related to the demonic dragon?"

Xiahou Yong, who was following the soldier towards Chilong Lake, suddenly realized something, looked up at the soldier in front of him, his eyes full of surprise and doubt.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiqing quickly realized what was happening and looked at the soldier with a slightly confused expression.

Speaking of the demonic dragon incident five years ago, the main participants were the lords and military leaders of the various towns on the southern slope, plus three powerful Xianyang-level experts from Chencang. Apart from these people, only the local people of Qinghepu and some of the Xia soldiers present knew about it.

However, the Great Xia Dynasty kept records of such an important matter, so it was recorded in the Great Xia Annals immediately. The Annals and the Xia Rituals were two books that the Xia people had to read. Xiahou Yong and Jiang Yiqing had been in the Great Xia Dynasty for so long, so they had read them in detail and thus learned about the demon dragon long ago.

"You two are overthinking it. It shouldn't have anything to do with the demonic dragon. I heard that the brothers on duty there saw several figures disappear into the lake before dawn. They were worried that they were spies from the local warlords, so they reported it to the three of you immediately. However, it has been more than three hours since the three of you arrived, and there has been no news. It should be fine. Maybe they just saw things."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yong immediately frowned, then exchanged a glance with Jiang Yiqing, both of them showing a hint of seriousness on their faces.

There is a demonic dragon sleeping in Chilong Lake. Such an important place is usually guarded by the army. It's not that the army can prevent the demonic dragon, but mainly because there is a precedent of Master Wusheng manipulating the dragon's body. The Great Xia is worried that other people with ulterior motives will try to use this demonic dragon again.

If someone were to awaken the demonic dragon ahead of time, it would be nothing short of a catastrophe for the Great Xia Dynasty.

The soldiers on duty saw several figures disappear into the lake. This was definitely not a random occurrence. What kind of simple character would dare to target this demonic dragon?
"Rest assured, my lords. Before the five northern towns were destroyed, spies would infiltrate the area around Red Dragon Lake from time to time. We were used to it. Now that the five towns have been destroyed one after another, and even Caiqiu has been defeated by our lord, why would they dare to send spies to their deaths? They will definitely be fine!"

The reason why the soldier claimed that the guards were seeing things was actually based on this.

Xiahou Yong remained silent for a moment, shaking his head inwardly, but said nothing.

Jiang Yiqing, standing beside him, clearly disagreed as well. He wouldn't argue with the young soldier, but simply quickened his pace, eager to see Chenghe as soon as possible.

Chilong Lake is only three kilometers away from Qinghe Village. The three quickened their pace and arrived at the lake shore in a short while.

"Forbidden area of ​​Crimson Dragon Lake, halting all entry!"

On the west bank, the Zhenyu Army had already sealed off the area, and the three of them were stopped by the soldiers as soon as they approached.

"Chengyang, what brings you here?"

Fortunately, someone led the way, and Jiang Xinfan then learned that the young soldier who brought him here was named Cheng Yang. He immediately thought to himself, "Just as I thought. Judging from his age, he is most likely a relative of Cheng He."

Cheng Yang was clearly somewhat famous among the Imperial Army in Qinghepu Town. After exchanging a few words with the soldiers blocking the road, he quickly gained the right of way.

"The three lords are currently inspecting the situation in the middle of the lake. Please follow me, you two!"

Although Xiahou Yong and Jiang Yiqing had not yet taken office, they were still considered to have official positions. After learning the reason, the soldier was very polite and led the two of them inside.

The two followed the soldier through the army's blockade and arrived at the shore. When they saw the scene in the middle of the lake, they were both suddenly stunned.

The Ice Abyss is extremely cold, and almost all bodies of water are covered with solid ice. Moreover, the ice is incredibly thick. Unless a camp like the Great Xia has fishing and hunting capabilities to break through the ice, it is almost impossible to see any flowing water.

Chilong Lake is no exception.

The lake was also frozen solid, and many soldiers were even walking and exploring on the ice. Some of them were holding torches, some were applying fire-resistant oil everywhere, and some were patrolling around with red-red detection stones...

This scene was not unfamiliar to Xiahou Yong and his companion. They could tell at a glance that they were investigating the aura of the strange creature. They had been trained in various parts of the Great Xia before being promoted to garrison commanders.

Normally, the dangers of waterways are much greater than those of land. The waterways that the Great Xia currently controls are mainly the Xinghe River, with five major river basins: Wuyuan, Qinghepu, Hongmen, Binjiang, and Jiuqu. The strength of the aquatic cold beasts is already terrifying, and since waterways are their home ground, the situation of them moving freely on the ice like this would be virtually impossible in the other river basins.

However, Crimson Dragon Lake is an exception. The Great Xia Chronicle clearly records that there is not a single aquatic cold beast in the waters of Crimson Dragon Lake, and the reason is obviously due to that blood-red demonic dragon.

That makes sense. With such a terrifyingly powerful demonic dragon living in the lake, there's simply no way for other aquatic beasts to survive.

However, what stunned the two men at this moment was not the Xia soldiers exploring the lake, but the scene in the center of the lake.

The central area of ​​the lake was radiating an extremely dazzling golden light. Although the light was not strong, it could still be seen from hundreds of meters away. Moreover, Xiahou Yong could see very clearly that Cheng He and others in the central area of ​​the lake were surrounding a patch of flowing water.

The light emanated from the bottom of the lake, as if some rare treasure at the bottom of the lake was emitting golden light, which pierced through the water and reflected on the surface.

"Xiahou Yong, the newly appointed garrison commander of Jinbi Village, pays his respects to Lord Cheng!"

"The newly appointed garrison commander of Longhe Village, Jiang Yiqing, pays his respects to Lord Cheng!"

The two quickly followed the soldiers to the center of the lake. Their first instinct was to salute Chenghe, but as they did so, they also glanced down at the water in front of them.

Upon seeing this, the two swallowed hard, their faces filled with horror, and then a hint of bewilderment flashed across their pupils.

A crater about 100 meters in diameter appeared in the center of the lake. The solid ice was scattered haphazardly on the water's surface, some with straight cuts, clearly indicating that it had been broken open by a sharp tool.

The ice in the Ice Abyss waters is easily tens of meters thick, and some are even tens or hundreds of meters thick. This ice has been solidified over many years and is harder than copper or iron. It is not something that can be easily broken!
The Great Xia now controls a lot of waters and has a lot of experience in breaking ice. For a waterway like the Xinghe River, which is hundreds of kilometers long, the ice thickness along the shore is usually between ten and thirty meters. To break it with brute force, one would need to be at least at the Xianyang level with a strength of 3 jun or more, and would need to continuously exert force to hit it.

This is still referring to enclosed waterways like the Xinghe River and Chilong Lake. Given the lack of human activity for a long time, the thickness of the ice layer on the lake surface will only be more exaggerated.

The ice on the lake surface before us was broken cleanly and neatly, with some of the edges cut so precisely that it looked as if... as if someone had casually made a few cuts and then stepped on it, and the ice had simply cracked open...

This... how could this be... The reason why the two of them swallowed hard and looked horrified was this, and the reason why their eyes later flashed with a hint of confusion was because of the scene under the water.

They finally knew where the golden light came from!

Beneath the water lies a tiny golden palace, no bigger than the palm of your hand…

No, it's not that it's only the size of a palm. It's that the golden palace is located so deep underwater that it only looks like the size of a palm when viewed from the surface.

Due to the refraction of light, the underwater palace was distorted from time to time with the flow of water. The golden light already aroused people's inexplicable longing, and the slight distortion of light and shadow added a touch of divinity to it. Xiahou Yong and Jiang Yiqing couldn't help but show a look of fascination.

“Please rise, both of you! Since you’re already here, why don’t you give me some advice? I’ve already sent soldiers down to scout. Crimson Dragon Lake is about two hundred meters deep. According to the soldier, he clearly followed the golden palace’s guidance all the way to the bottom of the lake, and the closer he got to the bottom, the larger the palace appeared in his line of sight. This proves that he was indeed approaching the palace, but every time he was within reach, the palace would immediately disappear…”

Cheng He was somewhat excited at this moment. The appearance of this golden palace alone was enough to prove that it was extraordinary. Although he knew that it was most likely related to the Crimson Blood Demon Dragon, no matter what, this golden palace was discovered under his jurisdiction. If it was really a rare treasure, it would definitely be a great achievement.

"Has the lord not found those who dived to the bottom of the lake?"

Xiahou Yong was aware of Chenghe's plan, but he instinctively sensed something was wrong and quickly asked about someone diving into the lake.

Cheng He's expression turned slightly serious upon hearing this, and he shook his head, saying, "You saw how neatly the ice on the lake was arranged and are worried that the people who dived into the lake are very strong, right? I'm worried too, but the problem is that we can't find them. We've searched almost the entire area around Chilong Lake, but we've found nothing."

He paused, then pointed to the underwater palace and said, "According to the eyewitness, before he could react, those men broke through the ice and dived into the lake. Not long after, golden light appeared at the bottom of the lake, and then he saw the golden palace..."

Therefore, it can be basically confirmed that those infiltrators are related to the Golden Palace.

Xiahou Yong's expression turned slightly serious after hearing this, and he immediately shook his head and said, "My lord, you should be careful. First inform the Minister of the Palace Administration or even the Lord that this palace is most likely related to the demonic dragon. If it is not handled properly, it could very well cause a disaster."

Cheng He frowned slightly upon hearing this. How could he not have thought of what Xiahou Yong was saying? The problem was that he couldn't find the group of infiltrators, and the golden palace was right at the bottom of the lake. He just wanted to find out what the palace was all about first.

"The soldiers have been searching the lake for three hours and haven't found any trace of the strange creature. It's basically certain that the golden palace has little to do with the monster. Furthermore, the body of the Crimson Blood Dragon hasn't been found at the bottom of the lake. Either the dragon has already left, or it's hiding in this golden palace. In either case, we must first find out the origin of this palace..."

Xiahou Yong said no more. The Great Xia had recently unified the southern foothills and defeated Caiqiu, showing the potential of a regional warlord. Anyone with eyes could see that there would be changes in authority soon. There were far too many people like Chenghe who were eager to make a name for themselves and rise in rank. If he continued to speak, he would surely displease the other party.

"Alright then! I'll go down and take a look myself..."

"My lord, you mustn't!"

As soon as Cheng He opened his mouth, many of the generals around him immediately spoke up to stop him.

Xiahou Yong couldn't help but want to speak, but Jiang Yiqing, who was standing next to him, subtly pulled him back, then stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "Since you are leading by example, how can I sit idly by? I will go down with you, Brother Xiahou. If we find anything, at least we'll have someone to look after us!"

Chenghe looked surprised upon hearing this, turned to look at the two men, and after thinking for a moment, smiled and said, "Good, you two have great courage. No wonder you were recommended by the jurisdiction to come to Qinghe Town. In that case, come down with me."

Several generals nearby also volunteered, but such matters are always better done sooner rather than later. Cheng He waved his hand and refused them. He then led Xiahou Yong and Jiang Yiqing to prepare, ordered people to keep watch outside, and then jumped into the water and dived to the bottom of the lake.

………………

“My father told me before that he only discovered Panlong Palace after defeating Chiyuan in the thirty-fifth year of the Great Xia Dynasty. Thanks to the gold in the palace, Great Xia experienced a period of rapid development, and the strength of our camp increased dramatically. Only then did we quickly widen the gap with the four vassal states of Mo'aochuan. Now that I have allowed him to find this place more than twenty years ahead of schedule, the development trajectory of Great Xia will be completely changed…”

At the Qinghe Town Inn, a woman in white sat by the window, holding a wine glass and looking at the bustling street, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"The early rise of Great Xia was also due to my interference in my father and mother's first meeting. Everything in the future will change. All I need to do now is wait for a pivotal event that can turn the tide. Xia Yulong should cease to exist completely. Take advantage of these last moments to thoroughly examine my fiefdom..."

A look of sadness rose on Xia Yulong's face, but when she turned her head and saw the bustling crowd on the street outside the inn, a look of determination rose in her eyes.

"Without me, Father would not have given Weibo a chance to breathe, Weibo would not have harbored any illusions about Father, Mother would not have been branded as a jealous woman, and Mother... In the end, when Weibo fell, in order to make Father develop a demon in his heart, she actually revealed my background in front of everyone in Daxia, and then committed suicide. This shows that she never loved Father from beginning to end. The two of them only came together by chance and I was born. She had no kindness in raising me and never loved me, her own daughter. If that's the case, why did I come into this world!"
Having been fortunate enough to be a Xia citizen for a lifetime, and having received such great love from my father and mother, as well as the honorific title of Princess Yupan Tianlong, I should be determined to dedicate everything to the Great Xia. If I could sacrifice my life to reduce the war in the Great Xia, it would be more than worthwhile..."

After a moment of contemplation, Xia Yulong's eyes hardened, and a resolute look appeared on her face. She stood up and prepared to walk onto the street to take a good look at the Great Xia Dynasty of more than a hundred years ago.

As soon as she stood up, she found a child of about seven or eight years old standing at the top of the stairs, staring blankly at her.

The child's clothes seemed rather shabby to her, but considering that this was the Great Xia Dynasty more than a hundred years ago, and taking into account the clothing of other children on the street, she immediately realized that this child must have come from a relatively well-off background.

“To look directly at the princess without an imperial edict is, according to the rites of the Xia Dynasty, a capital offense…”

Xia Yulong chuckled to herself, then a mischievous glint appeared in her eye as she slowly walked toward the child.

The child's blank expression vanished instantly. When he saw Xia Yulong walking towards him, his breathing became rapid, clearly indicating that he was very nervous.

"Kid, do you know me?"

When the child saw Xia Yulong up close, his breath caught in his throat. His expression froze for a few seconds before he quickly recovered, his face turning bright red, and he stammered:

"No, no...I don't know him. My name is...Xiahou Xuan!"

Xia Houxuan!
Xia Yulong was stunned when she heard those three words.

She seemed to realize something, her body suddenly stiffened, and she looked down at Xiahou Xuan in front of her, tears slowly welling up in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)