Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 474: Chapter 217: Hesitation, Departure, and Sending Word

Hive Station, Top Floor of the Main Building

Above the spacious grand hall, a gap suddenly opened, and Chen Yingyuan was the first to descend from it, followed closely by Wu Tianxing and Chen Yingba.

Chen Yingyuan landed in the hall and directly took the seat on the high platform.

The other two sat on the left and right sides below.

The three of them remained silent for a good ten minutes before Chen Yingba couldn’t hold back and spoke first.

“Big brother, there’s nothing to consider, Hou Tong made a valid point. Li Tianhua hasn’t shown up for the last three alliance meetings, whether he’s still alive is questionable, even if he is, he doesn’t have much power left. Marquis Zhaoyang is in the prime of his power. Comparing the two, the choice should be obvious.”

Chen Yingyuan looked up at his brother, thought for a moment, and said, “You think it’s that simple, do you? Let me ask you, regarding the Alliance Leader Order issued by the eldest son last year, what do you think was the reason? Was it really because he went mad?”

Alliance Leader Order?

Chen Yingba was stunned for a moment at these words, but quickly remembered.

Last year, during the last alliance meeting, the eldest son of Long Mountain issued an Alliance Leader Order, stating: Each of the eleven camps of the Longyou Alliance was to tribute five million jin of iron ore, ten jin of jade bone, and additionally send a hostage to Long Mountain.

In May last year, the three of them got beaten by the Great Xia Leader at Jing Valley. On the way back, big brother Chen Yingyuan brought up the matter of the Alliance Leader Order. At the time, I thought the eldest son of Long Mountain had gone mad.

From a normal logical standpoint, my thinking was definitely not wrong.

Li Tianhua, the old alliance leader, hadn’t appeared for three years, and Marquis Zhaoyang was eyeing the alliance leader position. At such a critical juncture, instead of calming the camps below, the eldest son of Long Mountain is thinking about making a fortune, even at the expense of using the Alliance Leader Order to extort from them. If that’s not madness, what is it?

Five million jin of iron ore aside, even if all seven hundred Earth-digging Realm members of the Hive Camp were to dig, it would take at least two consecutive months;

Ten jin of jade bone is even more outrageous. The normal yield from an Advanced Cold Beast is just over three jin, ten jin would mean three Advanced Cold Beasts;

And as for sending a hostage, not just anyone can be one. It must be a leader’s direct offspring, and if there are none, a direct family member. When the Longyou Alliance was founded, each of the eleven camps initially sent one hostage. Since then, every fifteen years, one must replace the previous one.

It’s worth mentioning that his big brother Chen Yingyuan was the hostage sent by the Hive to Long Mountain fifteen years ago.

This is the forty-eighth alliance meeting this year, and three years ago, his big brother had just sent his eldest son, Chen Yuan, over there. In such a short time, they already demand another hostage to be sent.

Moreover, the eldest son’s Alliance Leader Order clearly states that all camps must send an additional hostage to Long Mountain, meaning the eleven camps of Longyou must have two hostages each on Long Mountain from now on.

This Alliance Leader Order, with its three demands, is more bizarre with each one. Issuing it at such a critical time makes no sense whatsoever.

“Was he really going mad?”

But this sentence, just used by Chen Yingyuan, was in a rhetorical tone.

Chen Yingba wasn’t foolish; after thinking for a moment, he quickly understood the meaning behind his brother’s words.

“Big brother means that the eldest son might already know that Hou Hu is secretly coaxing other camps to rebel against the alliance’s rule, so he’s using such harsh demands to test the loyalty of our ten camps?”

Chen Yingyuan didn’t answer, but his solemn expression said it all.

However, at this moment, Wu Tianxing spoke.

“There’s also the possibility that it’s all a bluff, using such measures intentionally to intimidate the camps below, making us wary, and preventing us from siding with Zhaoyang!”

Hearing Wu Tianxing’s words, Chen Yingba’s eyes lit up, nodding slightly.

But Chen Yingyuan clearly disagreed with these words.

He shook his head and said sternly, “You don’t know Li Xuanyan as I do. When I was a hostage on Long Mountain, I was in the same hunting team with him, so I understand him well. With his steady and reserved nature, he would never do something as ostentatious as this. In fact, this Alliance Leader Order doesn’t even seem like it was issued by him. Such domineering methods seem more like…”

At this point, Chen Yingyuan paused, a trace of fear flickering in his pupils.

“Li Tianhua’s handiwork!”

“So what if it is Li Tianhua? He’s about to die of old age, big…”

“Shut up!”

Chen Yingyuan snapped at Chen Yingba, sternly reprimanding, “Foolish!

Hou Hu at the pinnacle of Cold Resistance Level, with such significant power, even now only dares to send people to secretly coax a few of our families. Why do you think that is?

Hou Tong’s words come off well, but if Hou Hu were truly that confident, why not attack Long Mountain directly, instead of desperately pulling us in? The truth is, he’s also afraid, which is why he’s gathering people for support.

Until Li Tianhua’s death is confirmed one hundred percent, all eleven families of Longyou, including Hou Hu, dare not act rashly. Doesn’t this prove Li Tianhua’s terror?

Don’t be fooled by Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, and the other three families who are hopping now. If Li Tianhua is not dead, they will all suffer.

Moreover, don’t think there’s only one Li Tianhua on Long Mountain. His brother Li Tiancheng, his three sons and one daughter, along with the Longshan Eight Great Vajra under his command, and the Longyou army are not simple roles to deal with. If you rashly defect and something happens, when the autumn settles the scores, you’ll realize how miserable it can be.”

“But Leader, Hou Tong’s attitude today was quite unpleasant. If we continue wavering like this, we will offend both Long Mountain and Zhaoyang!”