Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1212 - 407: No Filial Piety Beyond the Mu Family, No Benevolence Beyond Xia Hong—Moao South Slope Dominator

"Army Chief Mu nearly slew two Great Xia members; today, it seems he won't manage to depart from Hongmen City!"

The initial terror gripping Yang Zhun and his allies had slowly melted away because of Xia Hong's gentler stance. Even as he referenced the severe damages Great Xia endured that day from the Six Towns, plainly suggesting reparations, the rulers of the Six Towns stayed fairly composed and even started estimating the compensation Great Xia might require.

Yet Xia Hong's sudden shift in tone sent their hearts racing in alarm.

True enough, Mu Longhe had just tried to end the lives of Xia Chuan and Yuwen Dao.

Why wouldn't Xia Hong hold him responsible?

Duan Hong's visage grew ashen, his lips parting as though to speak, but his legs seemed weighed down by iron, rooting him in place.

Useless!

Witnessing Duan Hong's wretched state, Yang Zhun's face darkened intensely. He clenched his jaws and finally advanced, clasping his hands in a bow toward Xia Hong, "Mu Longhe let his impulses guide him; it was purely accidental. I beseech Lord Xia Hong to show mercy and pardon him just this one time!"

Once he finished, he cast a quick look at Duan Hong.

Duan Hong caught the signal at once, moving ahead and forcing out through gritted teeth, "Should Lord Xia Hong agree to let Mu Longhe go, Chui Mountain pledges one billion taels of silver!"

Wow...

A billion taels of silver represents a hefty sum even for a Xianyang Level expert, much less for the rest in Hongmen City. Thus, the moment this figure was announced, the crowd below exploded in reaction.

At present, Great Xia's priciest offerings in the Treasure Tower include the Dragon Carp, Green Cod, and Black Death—three types of Spirit Pills that boost the Peak of Cold Resistance Level. The priciest among them, the Black Death Pill, costs 110,000 taels; with one billion taels, thousands could be acquired.

Furthermore, should Mu Longhe be a fit Xianyang Level, the cost for his survival would absolutely justify the expense, perhaps even more.

The catch lies in Mu Longhe's arms being already cut off.

What's more, Great Xia's forces retrieved those severed arms and swords after they dropped.

For a Xianyang Level deprived of arms, Duan Hong's readiness to pay this sum is indeed praiseworthy.

Right then, even Mu Longhe appeared somewhat touched.

"Should Lord Duan genuinely desire to use wealth to dodge calamity, I might not object. That said, Great Xia came close to losing two promising Xianyang Level talents; believing one billion taels could resolve it all, Lord Duan underestimates things too much..."

Xia Hong hesitated briefly, pondered momentarily, then grinned and added, "Fine, I won't complicate matters for you; ten billion taels ought to suffice. If Chui Mountain can muster ten billion taels of silver, I'll set Mu Longhe free. What do you say?"

Duan Hong's face turned rigid in an instant.

It wasn't just Duan Hong; Yang Zhun, Yang Fa, and the Xianyang Levels from the other four towns all creased their brows deeply.

The sum had jumped ten times over!

Ten billion taels of silver equals 25,000 tons of the metal.

While deposits under 100,000 tons qualify as micro silver mines, a standard one holds up to 70,000 tons at most; 25,000 tons is nearly a third of what a typical micro silver mine yields.

And yield means?

It's the outcome of pouring in huge amounts of labor and materials to extract it.

Certainly, Chui Mountain possesses the means to gather this quantity.

The question remains: shelling out such an enormous amount to redeem a armless Mu Longhe.

Does it merit the cost?

Duan Hong's somewhat hesitant look already revealed the truth.

Although Mu Longhe had consumed Dan Medicine to curb his wounds earlier, the agony of a Xianyang Level bone break was clearly hard to bear; beads of cold sweat rolled down his brow. Noticing Duan Hong's look nearby, his frame trembled violently, and his face grew a shade gloomier.

Yang Zhun's features betrayed a fleeting impulse to act, yet his eyes fixed on Mu Longhe's arm stubs, quelling his desire to intervene.

Xianyang Level cultivation focuses primarily on the skeletal structure; total arm bone breaks present a dire threat to retaining one's power. Even if retained, it amounts to being rendered ineffective; ten billion taels definitely aren't justified.

"Mu Longhe has wronged Great Xia; his present plight is fitting. How could I presume to have the Lord expend fortunes to save a disabled wretch like myself? I entrust my fate to Great Xia's judgment, merely requesting the Lord show kindness to the Mu Family disciples going forward!"

Being of advanced age, Mu Longhe grasped the reality sharply; in the end, he chose to voice this to spare Duan Hong. Upon saying it, he soared straight toward Xia Hong without delay.

Gazing at Mu Longhe's receding form, a hint of sorrow flashed in Duan Hong's eyes. In a low murmur, he declared, "Rest assured, Longhe; the Mu Family will not suffer under my watch!"

"Father."

"Great-grandfather..."

"Grandfather."

While Mu Longhe hurtled toward Xia Hong, thirteen Cold Resistance Level members from South City let out panicked cries, surging right up to the Ministry Building's entrance.

"Halt!"

Back among the troops, Xia Chuan spotted these thirteen advancing as one. Despite recognizing who they were, he bellowed for them to stop.

"Halt!"

Fresh from their recent setback, it wasn't only Xia Chuan—Yuwen Dao and Great Xia's over thirty thousand soldiers likewise refused to lower their guard. They bellowed collectively at once; five thousand mighty bows and over twenty thousand arms leveled weapons at that group of a dozen.

Within that thirteen were males and females, elders and youths. The imposing presence of the Xia Army halted them dead in their tracks, too terrified to advance further.

Up in the sky, Mu Longhe had stopped short at the commotion. Seeing the Xia Army's bows and blades all trained on those thirteen, he hastily implored Xia Hong, "Lord Xia Hong, those thirteen are my Mu Family's naive kin; they moved recklessly in their worry. I beg you to let them live; I guarantee they will never harbor grudges against Great Xia henceforth!"