Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1206 - 406: Great Xia’s True Strength, Intimidation and Coercion, Postwar Reckoning
Previously on Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely...
Hongmen City suddenly sank into utter quietness.
Prior to the battle's resolution, folks at the Cold Resistance Level in South City were buzzing with excitement, guessing the victor between the contenders.
Yet as soon as the winner emerged, silence gripped everyone.
All had witnessed the clash of those two silhouettes high above.
Yang Zhun, the Beishuo Lord, had been beaten!
"How is that possible?"
"The Lord lost?"
"How could the Lord possibly lose?"
The more than ten thousand spectators in South City gazed upward at Xia Hong, their countenances etched with astonishment. Certain Cold Resistance Level members from Beishuo showed widened eyes and faces of terror. Some began to shake, whispering "impossible," evidently struggling to grasp Yang Zhun's loss.
Before the crowd could shake off their incredulity,
the scene overhead shifted once more in a stunning turn.
Nobody foresaw Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang behaving so boldly, striking at Xia Chuan and Yuwen Dao, both Cold Resistance Levels.
"They’re not planning to concede!"
"Before Xia Hong appeared, the Six Towns had already dropped one bout; now with Yang Zhun falling to Xia Hong, that's two defeats for the Six Towns. Without some move, the Six Towns would become total jokes this day."
"Hitting two Cold Resistance Levels, isn't that over the top?"
"Over the top? If it gives them an edge, it's worth it."
"A Great Xia Minister, Xia Hong’s brother, and a Military Department Director overseeing the forces—Xia Chuan and Yuwen Dao stand as Great Xia's brightest stars right now, said to possess Top-grade Battle Body aptitudes, destined to reach Xianyang Level in Great Xia. Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang sure are merciless!"
"Snatching those two, what's the gain? It's merely blowing off steam at best. Didn't Yang Zhun just mention it? No matter Great Xia's might, it's only one town. Xia Hong lacks the power to rampage freely on the Moao South Slope. They aim to rally the Six Towns' might to sever ties completely with Great Xia!"
"Will Lord Xia Hong give in?"
"Quite possibly!"
......
"Power loss matters little, but losing honor and pride is unacceptable. Do you believe the humiliation the Six Towns endured today isn't severe enough? Turning on allies crosses all bounds. Are you ready for the fallout?"
Xia Hong ignored Yang Zhun's query and avoided eyeing the restrained Xia Chuan and Yuwen Dao. He fixed his gaze on Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang, and the remaining ten Xianyang Levels, speaking measuredly and solemnly, ending with a dire question on handling the repercussions.
The warning in Xia Hong's voice rang clear to all. Even Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang, the perpetrators, along with the other ten Xianyang Levels who stayed idle, saw their faces tighten faintly.
"The Shangguan Family of Jin Mountain, the Qin and Ye Families of Wuchuan, the Yang Family of Beishuo, the Duan Family of Chui Mountain, the Cao Family of Yangqu, the Long Family of Dragon Valley—from these seven, the Shangguan Family boasts the largest lineage, with seven living generations, then the Qin Family with six. The rest hold at least four generations each. Great Xia's ascent spans just ten years; how many kin do you suppose I can pursue?"
With his final words, Xia Hong's voice turned menacing, and he subtly scanned the South City assembly, the message unmistakable.
In the crowd of almost two hundred thousand in South City, some hailed from the Eight Towns, undoubtedly including kin from the Six Towns.
Once Xia Hong concluded, the twelve Xianyang Levels' faces had turned rigid.
Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang felt especially trapped. In their haste to act, they'd focused solely on salvaging the day's events, overlooking deeper issues. Now, with clearer heads, they saw that holding Xia Chuan and Yuwen Dao wouldn't pressure Xia Hong but would invite disaster upon themselves. The pair resembled scorching burdens!
"Qin Feng, Shangguan Yang..."
Xia Hong uttered their names steadily, then abruptly surged blood to his mouth and bellowed in fury: "Release them!"
His roar scattered the snow mist over Hongmen in a flash, jolting almost every soul in South City.
More strikingly, Xia Hong's form appeared transformed.
Following the yell, inhabitants across Hongmen City sensed the chill vanishing as warmth spread swiftly.
Remember, this was broad daylight!
South City's Cold Resistance Levels felt the bite of cold, while the myriad in the Earth-digging Realm relied on coal fires for indoor comfort.
Yet post Xia Hong's outburst, the cold evaporated for them, and Earth-digging Realm folks indoors sweltered by their stoves.
"Lord Xia Hong held back earlier?"
"Has to be. When the Xianyang Levels arrived, warmth touched only the Ministry Building area. Now it's all of Hongmen City!"
"This... how could it be?"
"Did Xia Hong toy with the Six Towns' Lords?"
"But Lord Xia Hong bore a genuine wound on his back!"
"To a Xianyang Level, that's nothing. Besides, no matter how grave Lord Xia Hong's hurts, do they surpass Yang Zhun's? Yang Zhun took a stab to the left chest and a gut puncture. Blood still flows from him!"
......
Near the Ministry Building, Great Xia's over thirty thousand soldiers, plus those spread through the city, detected the shift and grew wildly thrilled, joining Xia Hong in chants.
"Release them... release them... release them..."