Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1081: Chapter 378: Shocking News, Deployment, Excitement and Encounters—The Importance of Being First (Part 2)

“This piece of liver from Master Wusheng should help Xu Ning return to normal. I’ll first make a trip back to Xia City and let the Craftsmen Department assist Xiang Fuhai. I’ll try to return before nightfall. You lead the Cloud Dragon Army to occupy Hongguan Camp. Once all the Seventh Army of Wuyuan arrives, the North Bank of Xing River will be fully under our Great Xia’s control.”

“Understood, big brother!”

Xia Chuan’s expression brightened on hearing this. He was already aware of Xia Hong’s plan, so he didn’t object to only occupying Hongguan.

“When I launched a surprise attack on the three Great Masters, someone was watching nearby and seemed to be planning to intervene as well. It’s likely Xiahou Zhang, who found out about Bashang’s outcome earlier than the other Xianyang Levels of the Seven Towns. Jiangxia should already be reclaiming their lost land; we won’t interfere with other places, only occupy one Hongguan, which shouldn’t be a problem.

After you take Hongguan, immediately send someone to inform Jiangxia and show this soft sword to Xiahou Zhang. He will understand.”

As Xia Hong spoke, he retrieved a black soft sword from his waist and handed it to Xia Chuan. This soft sword was originally Xiahou Zhang’s, which he obtained last year while rescuing him above Peak Mountain Camp.

“I obey!”

Xia Chuan took the soft sword and bowed with clasped hands, then quickly retreated.

“Will you stay here on the North Shore, or go back with me?”

Only Li Xuanling remained in the hall, and Xia Hong was obviously asking her.

Li Xuanling didn’t hesitate and directly replied, “I’ll go back with you. I still need to seize the time to focus on cultivation.”

“Alright, let’s go back together!”

Xia Hong nodded, and with that, he and Li Xuanling headed back to Xia City.

Bashang is gone now, and apart from Muyin and Jiangxia, the remaining Six Towns mostly have two Xianyang Levels each. Great Xia only has Xia Hong, which is clearly insufficient. Currently, the one in all of Great Xia most likely to break through first is Li Xuanling, and it’s natural she feels some urgency.

………

Moao Calendar, Year 132, May 2, Dusk

Fifteen kilometers north of Hongguan, in the Snow Forest, a small, heavily armed military force of over three hundred is rapidly advancing south under the cold light. From the soldiers’ slightly heavy breathing, it is clear they’ve been traveling for quite a while.

“Heh heh, we can take Hongguan without shedding a drop of blood. This time, Chui Mountain has scored a big win!”

“Hongguan isn’t much; it’s mainly the over two hundred kilometers of the North Bank of the Heng River west of Hongguan, and even further west, a large territory—that’s our biggest gain.”

“Yeah, Dajue Temple is gone, and this time we can not only swallow the entire Qinghepu but also take the lands west of it.”

“Key is, we get such a big chunk of land, and not a single one of us lost our lives.”

“Hahaha, with Bashang wiped out and Jiangxia retreating to the Town, we’ve truly struck it lucky this time at Chui Mountain!”

………

Duan Chang, commanding at the front of the troops, couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement as he listened to the discussions around him.

He is the Deputy Army Chief of Chui Mountain Town, responsible for the Jiangyan Camp in the south. An hour ago, Town Chief Mu Longhe sent someone to notify him at Jiangyan Camp to immediately head out with troops and occupy Hongguan, Peak Mountain, Longzhou, and Xuyang camps to the south.

Upon receiving the message, he immediately realized the battles at Bashang Town and Dajue Temple had been concluded. As expected, the messenger informed him that Bashang Town had been destroyed and all five Great Masters were dead. Dajue Temple was also gone.

Knowing the value of time, Duan Chang dared not delay. During the day, the Defensive Army couldn’t mobilize entirely, so he simply drew out all Cold Resistance Levels from his two-thousand Defensive Army and departed first, allowing the remaining one thousand six hundred to leave after nightfall.

“Even if Jiangxia knows the outcome at Bashang City, they can’t react that quickly. They’ll have to reach Xuyang Camp first, then Longzhou Peak Mountain, and finally Hongguan. As long as I’m fast enough, I can occupy two to three camps before them!

Also, Jiangxia has been severely weakened recently, with their Defensive Army nearly obliterated. They probably can’t gather any decent troops. As long as we can seize these camps, once the follow-up Defensive Army arrives, these places will all belong to us at Chui Mountain.”

The more Duan Chang thought about it, the more excited he became. He couldn’t help but turn back to his troops and quietly urged them, “Speed up, we have less than ten kilometers to go!”

“Yes, sir!”

“First take Hongguan, then capture Peak Mountain, Longzhou, and Xuyang.”

“That’s nothing. Jiangxia’s holding on with just Xiahou Zhang. Once Lord and Town Chief return, I think we might even take Binjiang too, keeping Jiangxia forever trapped in their Town. Wouldn’t that be delightful?”

“Hahaha, you’re quite scheming!”

………

The more they talked, the more exhilarated they became, and they moved faster and faster.

As soon as night fell, they reached the northern edge of Hongguan Camp.

But as soon as they spotted Hongguan Camp from a kilometer away, Duan Chang and the others froze.

“There’s firelight, what’s going on?”

“Weren’t all people within Dajue Temple’s territory supposed to be dead?”

Many of the barracks within Hongguan Camp were ablaze, and in front of the main tent was a giant bonfire more than a dozen meters high. Though they were still quite a distance away, they could vaguely see several figures moving about inside.

This clearly indicated it had been occupied first.

Could Jiangxia have responded this quickly?

Duan Chang’s expression instantly turned grim. The order from Town Chief Mu Longhe was to occupy Hongguan, Peak Mountain, Longzhou, and Xuyang camps. If there was trouble with the first Hongguan Camp, what about the remaining three?