Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1580: Chapter 496: Unwillingness and Resolve, Dongchuan Mobilizes Troops (2)

Everyone turned their heads towards Li Zihe, all showing confusion.

Li Zihe’s expression was grim. He cupped his hands towards Long Mingyuan and said, “Lord, last night Treasure Tower had five large carts leaving the city, led by Building Lord Zhang Fan, along with many upper-level members of the sub-buildings. At that time, I was puzzled, but now it seems they received the news early.”

They fled in advance!

Upon hearing this, Long Mingyuan’s face sank, and he swiftly waved his hand, saying, “It’s just a sub-building; it doesn’t matter if they’ve fled. Zihe, immediately seal the town; from today onwards, let no one out, only in, to prevent the leakage of information about the allied forces.”

“I obey!”

Li Zihe hurriedly cupped his hands and went down quickly to make arrangements.

“Lord Long is strategic in his planning. It seems Dragon Valley is safe. I shall return to Beishuo to report the news. If Lord Yang Zhun issues any military orders later, I will bring them over immediately. I take my leave.”

“Safe travels, Lord Chu!”

With his purpose fulfilled, Chu Renjie naturally saw no reason to stay. He cupped his hands to bid farewell to Long Mingyuan and directly turned to leave.

Long Mingyuan then assigned tasks to each person in the hall and finally dismissed them all, leaving his eldest son Long Wenhai alone.

“Wenhai, how many people in Dragon Valley Town are capable of fighting?”

As Town Chief, Long Wenhai was naturally well aware of the situation in the entire town, and he immediately responded, “Father, in recent years, Dragon Valley has developed rapidly. The town’s Cold Resistance Level totals more than 24,000, including 14,000 War Soldiers, 13,000 Defensive Army, plus 1,000 Iron Thorn Army under General Li. The remaining 10,000 has 2,000 in the Allies, 5,000 in the Hunting Team, and another 3,000 dispersed among other towns.”

Long Mingyuan heard this and frowned, speaking in a deep voice, “The 2,000 in the Allies and the 3,000 dispersed among other towns cannot be counted on, meaning we have at most 19,000 Cold Resistance Level available?”

Actually, this number compared to four years ago is already a tremendous change. Long Mingyuan remembered very clearly that four years ago, the Cold Resistance Level of the entire Dragon Valley town was only more than 6,000.

And now, it has reached 24,000, a fourfold increase.

Years ago, he wouldn’t have dared to dream of this.

Yet at this moment, he finds no joy at all, not only feeling no joy but even looking exceptionally heavy and somewhat defeated internally.

The reason is simple: he is aware of the overall strength of Great Xia.

It’s not just Long Mingyuan, his son Long Wenhai is also clear on this.

Seeing his father’s expression, Long Wenhai immediately guessed his thoughts and said, “Father need not worry; if Dragon Valley faces Great Xia alone, naturally it is like an ant trying to shake a tree. But now it’s a joint force of the Five Towns, and the Northern Three Towns are much stronger than us, with Chen Cang and Cai Qiu supporting the two vassal towns. Even if the heavens collapse, it won’t fall on us…”

He paused slightly and continued, “Dragon Valley Town has endured for over a century, united from top to bottom, unanimously confronting the enemy. Even if Great Xia’s military force is formidable, they can never conquer us!”

With strong external support and internal unity, what is there to fear?

Long Mingyuan, over a hundred years old, certainly understands his son’s words.

His expression suddenly shook as he resolutely strengthened his resolve to resist.

“Dragon Valley’s hundred-year town legacy must not be destroyed by my hands. Even powerful vassal towns are restricted and cannot move south to annex us. Great Xia’s eastward expansion is less than five years old. Why should Xia Hong ride over us? I don’t believe Chen Cang and Cai Qiu would sit by and let him unite the Southern Slope Territory!”

Long Mingyuan’s idea isn’t entirely unreasonable. A lord who developed the camp to a town-level scale naturally has some pride. In the early years of conquering territories from east to west, as they grew their camps, didn’t they have the idea that they were destined by heavens?

Perhaps, as years passed and they grew old, they lost the sharpness of their youth, but deep down, the pride remains.

Moreover, the current situation in the Southern Slope Territory hasn’t deteriorated to the point where they need to surrender to Great Xia.

The Northern Three Towns need no mention; importantly, there are two vassal towns backing them. The Five Lords are old and wise, surely they can understand these things?

Chen Cang and Cai Qiu, limited by geography, can’t move south for a while. If Xia Hong truly unites the Southern Slope, with Great Xia’s current momentum, it wouldn’t take years before they have no chance to influence the Southern Slope anymore.

………

The twelfth year of Da Xia, December 28, daytime

Beishuo Town, Extreme North Dongchuan City

Dongchuan originally had no city; it was just the northernmost district of the seven districts under Beishuo. Two years ago, Great Xia turned it into alliance territory under the guise of resisting infiltration from Chen Cang and built a city in the northernmost area of the Dongchuan district, near Danxue Peak.

East River City’s length and width are fifteen kilometers each, with four city walls twenty meters high, all constructed of piled five-cornered iron piles from iron material. From the scale of the city, it is clear that Great Xia’s establishment of a city here is not temporary but has long-term intentions.

As one of the seven districts under Beishuo, similar to the regulations of various southern slope towns, Dongchuan also has a camp dedicated to military control, right in the center of the district.

Originally, a similar camp area was the center of a district, but unfortunately, since the alliance established a city in Dongchuan two years ago, the situation has completely changed.

Great Xia directly opened the Ten Thousand Treasures Sub-building in Dongchuan City, then extensively gathered the population from village-level camps within the Dongchuan district. Later, using the alliance Hunting Order as an excuse, they continuously let Great Xia’s Hunting Team settle in. Until early last year, they directly established the Eight Ministries of Great Xia in the city…