Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1200 - 404: The Arrival of the Six Garrisons, Hand Over the Culprit, Divine Machine Crossbow, Vows
Previously on Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely...
"Er... I recall that the Treasure Tower offers crossbow devices too. Why didn't the Great Xia offer these Divine Machine Crossbows for purchase to folks like us?"
"Hah, keep dreaming. Do you think they'd offer a weapon that could endanger the Xianyang Level?"
"Looks like Lord Xia Hong won't even need to appear after all!"
"The Six Towns are set to embarrass themselves this round."
"Hold on, that's off. Those silver bolts for the crossbows are obviously Thousand Forged Level. Crafting a single one could demand tens of thousands of pounds in silver. How many could Great Xia possibly stock?"
......
As though Great Xia had caught wind of the chatter among South City's crowd, a massive contingent of Golden Armored Soldiers suddenly hauled five enormous wagons from the encampment. Tarpaulins draped over every wagon. When they pulled up next to the twenty Divine Machine Crossbows, the troops yanked off the covers without delay.
The moment the tarps came away, a dazzling silver gleam erupted. Each of the five wagons brimmed with three-meter silver crossbow bolts. A rough tally revealed no fewer than a thousand per wagon.
"This..."
The spectators from South City weren't the only ones stunned; even the twelve Xianyang Levels hovering above, Yang Zhun included, went rigid at the sight of those bolts.
"Stop!"
Yet, in a shocking twist, Xia Chuan raised his hand and ordered the Divine Machine Crossbows to cease on purpose.
Right as the Divine Machine Crossbows powered down and the bolts vanished from view, the hostile stares from Yang Zhun, Qin Feng, and their allies shifted earthward. Yang Fa, Mu Longhe, and those who'd just taken some hits even seemed poised to dive in.
Still, it remained merely a feint!
For even though the bolts had ceased, the bowstrings on the Divine Machine Crossbows stayed taut. Yuwen Dao, joined by Yuan Cheng, Yue Feng, and the other nineteen, kept their weapons nocked and locked on them, primed to unleash.
"I've gone through the public statement from Lord Yang Zhun, as the Minister. Should the Three Towns come today to settle matters with Great Xia, I, the Minister, extend a welcome. It's not out of the question for the lord to emerge for talks. However, if trouble's your aim, don't fault Great Xia's Divine Machine Crossbows for lacking mercy!"
Xia Chuan addressed them once more, and the twelve beneath Yang Zhun aloft dared not repeat their earlier antics. They gazed down at Xia Chuan, faces etched with fury laced with deep bitterness.
.........
"They haven't clashed with the key players yet, and already this bunch at Cold Resistance Level has cornered them. Yang Zhun's slipping further with every year, and to believe Lord Landgrave once lauded him, claiming Beishuo could rise as a Feudal Town."
Within the South City Tavern, Chen Yimou shook his head over and over.
"Yang Zhun's power remains solid. The real problem lies in Great Xia's Divine Machine Crossbow packing real punch. From Yang Fa and the rest's reactions, those crossbow bolts hit at least nine Jins of force, sufficient to endanger nearly all at the Xianyang Level."
"What seals it is the rapid fire. One bolt from the Divine Machine Crossbow packs roughly seven Jins. But in a volley, air drag drops, boosting power by about thirty percent, pushing them to nine Jins."
Zhu Dong, versed in mechanical arts, chimed in. While he explained, the listeners pictured the barrage of bolts anew, and they nodded in agreement at once.
"Uncle Chen, Great Xia's Divine Machine Crossbow would prove invaluable for Chen Cang. Whatever happens, secure its blueprint and the bowstring components by any means!"
Chu Yan’er voiced this abruptly.
Her statement prompted Chen Yiqing to nod vigorously right away, then clasp his hands as he declared, "Fear not, Little Princess; I, Chen, get it!"
With a nod, Chu Yan’er’s features softened into a mild glow as she added, "Great Xia's got real talent there. It appears Xia Hong's picked up on something. By staying out of sight on purpose, he's letting Xia Chuan handle the talks with Yang Zhun and company first. This gives him flexibility to adapt his plan as needed. I'm eager to witness his counter!"
Chen Yiqing's face grew a tad somber hearing this, a flicker of odd emotion crossing his gaze.
"Picked up on something? Not likely."
.........
"Resolve issues, huh? Does that mean Great Xia refuses to own up to Yuan Cheng slaying thirteen from my Beishuo Chamber of Commerce?"
At last, Yang Zhun broke his silence. Despite the twenty Divine Machine Crossbows and thirty thousand soldiers facing him, he found himself compelled to parley with Xia Chuan, no matter his inner reluctance.
Silence now would force him to retreat!
"Claims without proof. You can't pin a murder on someone just because Lord Yang Zhun says so, right?"
Xia Chuan's retort thickened the tension in the air instantly.
Rage flared across Yang Zhun’s features at once, while nearby, Beishuo Town Chief Yang Fa’s glare burned with savage intent toward Xia Chuan.
Across the more than ten thousand souls in South City, plus the Five Towns’ Xianyang Levels overhead, odd expressions crept over their faces.
Catching the crowd's reactions, Xia Chuan pondered briefly before the realization dawned.
Securing a vow from Yang Zhun outweighs piles of silver in value—a saying echoed throughout the Moao Nine Towns. Yang Zhun's fame for honoring pledges rings true across the Nine Towns.
Those words landed like a resounding strike against Yang Zhun.
Though he grasped this, Xia Chuan refused to retract them. He simply regarded Yang Zhun steadily, awaiting his reply.
"Xia Chuan, you only..."
Yang Fa broke the quiet first, evidently set to scold Xia Chuan, yet after three words, Yang Zhun halted him with an upheld palm.
"Fetch Yang Ning!"
At the command, Yang Fa wheeled and soared away.
Yang Ning!
The name made Xia Chuan’s forehead crease faintly.
"Yang Ning, the witness named in the announcement who saw Yuan Cheng's deeds up close?"
"Another Yang by name, tied to Beishuo's Yang Family?"
"Is a Yang clansman's testimony reliable?"
"For Yang Zhun to summon him boldly, he must feel assured!"
......
South City's over ten thousand residents buzzed to life with heated talk in moments.
In the tavern, news of Yang Zhun calling for Yang Ning drew smiles from Chen Yiqing and his eight companions.
.........
Yang Ning had obviously traveled with Yang Zhun's entourage from the start, likely stashed close to Hongmen City. In under a hundred breaths, Yang Fa returned bearing him.
Though borne by Yang Fa, Yang Ning scanned the ground below intently upon arrival. He swiftly spotted his mark atop a Divine Machine Crossbow, eyes turning crimson as he jabbed a finger and bellowed at the figure:
"That's him, Yuan Cheng—him! He's incredibly powerful; he took out my third grandfather Yang Fan, plus grandfathers Yang Pu and Yang Yun! He slaughtered Brother Shou and Brother Ding too—thirteen in all, every one by his hand!"
"Lies, I slayed..."
"Yuan Cheng, be quiet!"
Yuan Cheng, restrained by the tether, couldn't contain his furious denial.
Yet Xia Chuan cut him off before the words ended.
Xia Chuan raised his gaze to Yang Ning and questioned gravely, "Leaving aside if Yuan Cheng could single-handedly eliminate all thirteen of your Beishuo Chamber folk, I know you got hurt that day, and Li Hu took heavy damage. Even supposing Yuan Cheng managed to kill thirteen straight, how did you and Li Hu make it out alive?"
The query brought tears to Yang Ning’s eyes, as though reliving that night's horror. Grim-faced, he replied, "The three grandfathers, two cousins, and various elders gave their lives for ours. They concealed us in a cavern. Yuan Cheng combed the area repeatedly, but we held still and slipped away purely by fortune..."
With that, he fixed a venomous glare on Yuan Cheng once more, countenance alight with retributive rage as he yelled, "It was him; my eyes beheld it! He handled it solo with that Double-edged Giant Axe..."
Midway through, his fervor surged. He faced Yang Zhun and Yang Fa, lifting his right hand to vow resolutely: "Great grandfathers, should Ning’er utter a single falsehood, let my cultivation stall forever, and five thunderbolts claim me hereafter!"
Oaths in the Ice Abyss don't always bind.
What matters is how deeply all dread harm to their cultivation.
Yang Ning's vow hushed South City's ten thousand-plus in an instant.
Yang Zhun and Yang Fa eased their eyes shut slightly, faces inscrutable yet bearing sorrow, as if lamenting the thirteen lost.
Xia Chuan showed mild astonishment, then naturally glanced toward Yuan Cheng on the Divine Machine Crossbow, his eyes holding an inquiring glint.
Was it truly you who committed the act?