Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 334: Chapter 175: 5 Ape Mountain, Xiao He Camp_3

Hearing Xiao Yuan’s recounting, both Xiao Yu and Xiao Hen turned their gaze towards the Snow Mane on his back. Seeing the Snow Mane was all normal except for a neat, slender wound on its neck, they realized every word Xiao Yuan said was true. Their hearts were suddenly filled with shock and disbelief.

”So strong? Better than father?”

”Father’s Basic Strength is already nineteen thousand, and he can’t kill a low-class Cold Beast with just one slash. He looks about the same age as our eldest sister, how is it possible?”

...

Not to mention the shock in Xiao Yu and Xiao Hen’s hearts, upfront, the moment Xia Chuan saw the five neighboring hills from afar, he immediately knew his destination had been reached.

”This must be the spot my brother mentioned. As expected, there’s indeed a human camp here, and likely not just a few...”

Xia Chuan thought to himself, a glint of light rising in his eyes, as he quickly followed Xiao Kangcheng towards the hill on the far left.

The five hills had main peaks that were only slightly over two hundred meters tall, but their breadth below was astonishing, resembling an open hand placed on the ground with five thumb-like hills rising up.

The camp of the Xiao He was at the base of the main thumb hill.

”Lord Xia Chuan, we’ve arrived. Please!”

It was nighttime, and just before they’d approached the hill’s wall, a cave with a bright light came into view.

Seeing the cave beneath the hill’s wall, a trace of reminiscence flickered through Xia Chuan’s eyes; this camp was eerily similar to the previous Great Xia earthen slope.

But as he stepped into the cave, Xia Chuan’s thoughts immediately changed.

The camp of Xiao He was only similar to the Great Xia slope at the entrance, the interior was an entirely different setup, much more advanced than the Great Xia slope.

Outside the cave, there was over fifty meters of space lined with wood and coal stone. The way these resources were arranged clearly showed intentions for both storage and defense.

”The leader has returned.”

”The Hunting Team’s back, with three prey, wow!”

”Sister Ning is back.”

...

Since it was nighttime, several bonfires were lit in the outer space. Some adults were busy while some children were at play. Seeing Xiao Kangcheng’s return with his people, they greeted and hailed him, with some noticing the unfamiliar Xia Chuan, casting curious glances at him.

Walking fifty meters inside, there was a large iron gate embedded in the mountain wall’s crevice, clearly the strongest defense of the camp.

”This iron gate should weigh around fifty thousand pounds.”

Having encountered iron ore often, Xia Chuan could basically estimate the weight of the gate by its volume, noting that compared to this not-so-large gate and the weapons used by the likes of Xiao Kangcheng, this camp evidently lacked iron resources. The coal stone resources couldn’t be seen lacking, but based on the external storage, they weren’t abundant either.

The gate opened, and Xia Chuan, following Xiao Kangcheng inside, finally got a true look at the core area of the camp.

Behind the iron gate was a massive space about two hundred meters square and tens of meters high, with over twenty small wooden houses made from timber, people coming and going in between them.

Evidently, this was the core area of the Xiao He camp.

Xiao Kangcheng led the people all the way to the deepest part, to a house made entirely of Golden Frost Wood.

Inside, the house had an abundance of wooden appliances, and even a small stove burning coal stone, with several people bare-chested nearby, forging iron tools.

Walking to the main hall with them, Xia Chuan was invited to sit by Xiao Daoyin, who seemed about to speak when Xia Chuan quickly interjected with a humble tone:

”Leader Xiao, please don’t call me lord. I’ve just turned seventeen, you are more than sufficient to be my elder. If you don’t mind, we could refer to each other as uncle and nephew, how about that?”

Though upon seeing Xia Chuan’s appearance, Xiao Kangcheng had already guessed he wouldn’t be much older, probably just a few years more than his daughter, hearing Xia Chuan say he’d just turned seventeen made a thick surprise flash across his face, waves of shock rose in his heart so much that he forgot to reply.

Just from that slash Xia Chuan made in the dense forest, killing a Snow Mane, Xiao Kangcheng was certain his strength surpassed his own.

Judging from his attire and demeanor, it wasn’t hard to deduce this Xia Chuan likely came from a large, perhaps even enormous camp, far mightier than Xiao He.

This was why he was addressed as lord throughout the journey.

Just turned seventeen?

The same age as his eldest daughter!

Xiao Daoyin never thought Xia Chuan would be so young.

His eldest daughter, Xiao Ning, had just turned seventeen and reached the Earth-digging Realm. Xiao Kangcheng clearly understood this aptitude; it was definitely among the best around the Five Ape Mountain camps, and he always took pride in his eldest daughter.

Where did this Xia Chuan pop out from?

Truly seventeen, or is he fooling me?

”Dad, what are you daydreaming about? Brother Xia Chuan is talking to you!”

Shocked and absent-minded, Xiao Kangcheng was snapped out of it by a disgruntled Xiao Ning.

”It feels like I’ve lived my years in vain, alright, since Brother Xia Chuan is so reasonable, I’ll boldly call you dear nephew, but calling me uncle, I dare not take that title, just call me Leader Xiao.”

Xia Chuan slightly nodded; he had noticed the shock on Xiao Kangcheng and the others’ faces when they heard his age, his heart couldn’t help but chuckle lightly.

In the Great Xia Camp, many have talents exceeding his; not to mention his brother Xia Hong, just Yuwen Dao alone, as far as he knows, had started Reshaping Skin at merely fifteen. If these people were surprised by him at seventeen, they’d be even more shocked to see Yuwen Dao.

”Nephew Xia Chuan must not be from around the Five Ape Mountain?”

Five Ape Mountain should be the five earthen hills seen outside.

People from around Five Ape Mountain!

Indeed, there are other camps besides Xiao He around here.

Xia Chuan’s eyes slightly brightened, not hiding the fact, he immediately took out a token from his waist, handing it over to Xiao Kangcheng, declaring aloud: ”Leader Xiao is indeed keen-eyed, Xia Chuan comes from the Twin Dragon Valley Great Xia Camp, about ten kilometers from the Five Ape Mountain. This trip is to hunt with a small group, and if not for serendipity, meeting Leader Xiao’s group, I wouldn’t have known such a large human camp existed here.”

Just from a rough glance, Xia Chuan had a good sense of the population.

Xiao He Camp’s population should be over a thousand, with about twenty plus people in the Earth-digging Realm, similar to the previous Rogel Camp, a slightly stronger medium-sized camp.

Upon Xia Chuan saying ”a human camp this large,” Xiao Kangcheng lightly shook his head, hearing the politeness in the other party’s tone, directly asking: ”Nephew is too modest. I might not know the population of Great Xia, but judging from your displayed strength, attire, and weaponry, I can guess it’s much stronger than Xiao He Camp. If you don’t mind, we hope nephew can speak openly, so we can learn more, how about it?”

With Xiao Kangcheng’s question, everyone present became instantly interested, including the three siblings Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Hen, as well as other Hunting Team members, all turning their gazes to Xia Chuan, looking at him expectantly for a response.

Xia Chuan did not conceal anything, directly taking out a beast skin roll map, and while unfolding it for Xiao Kangcheng and the others to see, a proud touch appeared on his brows involuntarily:

”Since Leader Xiao asked, I won’t hide any secrets.

Twin Dragon Valley is right here!

Under my brother Xia Hong’s leadership, although Great Xia’s population is barely five thousand, it is filled with talent, and has conquered territories of over three hundred square kilometers.

The outer perimeter of Redwood Ridge to the east, the entire northern Arrow Bamboo Forest, are now hunting grounds of my Great Xia, with resources of beast skins, beast meat, beast blood, iron ore, coal mines, spiritual herbs, rare treasures, and more abundant... ”

Xia Chuan’s narrative quickly enchanted everyone.

Only Xiao Kangcheng, the more he listened, the more his brows furrowed, and his gaze upon Xia Chuan gradually carried a hint of scrutiny and suspicion.

”Leader Xiao, frankly speaking, Xia Chuan’s purpose in coming to the north bank of the Xing River is twofold: one, to expand the territory of Great Xia; two, to rescue more humans struggling for survival in the Ice Abyss, and bring them into the Great Xia Camp, to lead a better life.”

As expected!

No sooner had Xia Chuan finished speaking these final words, than not just Xiao Kangcheng, but also the three siblings Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, Xiao Hen, and all the Hunting Team members at the Xiao He Camp’s faces changed from originally amiable to:

Wariness, vigilance, scrutiny, doubt.

Seeing these emotions on their faces, Xia Chuan was slightly taken aback.

This was not what he had anticipated!

What’s going on?