Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1220: 408: The Aged Li Tiancheng, a Powerful Foundation, Hidden Motives, and the Merger of the Three Towns (Part 4)

Xia Hong’s interrogative look was so obvious that Xiang Fuhai, Xiahou Zhang, and Murong Chui spotted it right away.

“Salutations to the Lord, salutations to the Lady, salutations to Your Highnesses!”

Xiang Fuhai got to his feet first, his expression tinged with a bit of nervousness and worry, obviously aware that he had committed a serious blunder just moments ago. He hurriedly bowed low to Xia Hong.

Yet even after he had bowed his head, Xia Hong stayed quiet, so he, along with the other six hundred individuals in the vast hall, kept their heads lowered in obeisance.

Now, only Xiahou Zhang and Murong Chui remained seated in the entire grand hall.

They had already picked up on Xia Hong’s stare, and their eyes still held a flicker of discontent. Observing Xia Hong’s prolonged silence and the six hundred people in the hall all standing rigidly bowed, they shared a look, and finally, their faces displayed a touch of resignation. Then, they both stood up from their seats and paid respects to Xia Hong:

“Salutations to the Great Xia Lord, salutations to the Lady, salutations to Your Highnesses!”

At their words, Xia Hong gave a slight shake of his head, but in the end, he didn’t comment. Smiling, he gestured with his hand and declared, “Enough with the ceremonies, everyone, please stand!”

Clang…

The over six hundred people at last straightened up.

As Xiang Fuhai, Xiahou Zhang, and Murong Chui rose once more, they glanced back at the chairs behind them but in the end lacked the boldness to take their seats again.

“Ever since the fresh policies rolled out at Long Mountain, folks of Great Xia haven’t assembled in such numbers for ages. Back then, the best you could manage was heading a hunting squad, but just like that, six years flew by. These days, some of you oversee a division, some manage a territory, while others lead a base or a force. At the very least, you all occupy key roles in the Eight Departments, which explains your elevated rank and power…”

When Xia Hong abruptly uttered these lines with a voice full of sentiment, the assembly revealed even more traces of nostalgia on their countenances. Noting their reactions, he halted briefly before pressing on with a grin, “To think about it, among you over six hundred souls, some hail from Great Xia’s Mud Slope era, others from Redwood Ridge, Wuyuan, Northern Mountain, Longyou, Beiyuan… A few arrived of their own accord and blended into Great Xia, some were absorbed after their bases fell, and others were compelled to unite under Great Xia’s banner. All in all, your backgrounds differ widely.”

As Xia Hong brought up this topic, the faces of the more than six hundred in the hall shifted subtly, particularly for those such as Hou Ming, Hou Quan, Hou Tong, Wang Tao, Wang Lie, who had integrated after the Longyou clans were vanquished, displaying clear signs of unease.

“The previous big surge in our numbers ought to be pegged to Great Xia’s second year, back in Longyou. If memory serves, our populace jumped from 140,000 straight to beyond 400,000. Out of you six hundred plus here, no less than half must have come aboard Great Xia during that surge, am I right?”

“Indeed, this subordinate Li Tiancheng became part of Great Xia in that very batch!”

Li Tiancheng, being the eldest present, grasped the circumstances sharpest. He appeared to have already divined Xia Hong’s aim and promptly clasped his hands while replying to Xia Hong.

“This subordinate Hou Quan joined Great Xia that same year.”

“This subordinate Hou Tong did too.”

“This subordinate Peng Bo as well.”

“This subordinate Chen Yingyuan likewise.”

“This subordinate…”

Suddenly, declarations echoed successively across the hall. Within more than twenty breaths, well over three hundred such affirmations rang out one by one.

Xia Hong made no move to cut them off, merely biding his time until the responses tapered off before inquiring deliberately, “To you three hundred folks, after six years under Great Xia’s wing, have any of you ever felt remorse?”

“No regrets at all; without aligning with Great Xia, this subordinate Hou Quan would’ve never shattered into Cold Resistance Level in this life, much less reached the present might of 25 Zong!”

“Forget my cultivation progress; had it not been for the Lord, my whole clan would’ve perished in Hanqiong Gourd Valley six years back. My eight relatives never cease to recall the Lord’s immense grace—how could there be any regret?”

“No regrets whatsoever; absent Great Xia, I’d likely be scraping by in uncertainty even now, and goodness knows if I’d have survived this long!”

“No regrets!”

“No regrets.”

“This subordinate harbors no regrets.”

……

Deep down, everyone harbors a measure of judgment; whether existence is advancing, whether daily life is elevating, it’s plain to sense and perceive. Just probe your own heart, and the truth emerges instantly. Even if you claim indifference to such matters, at minimum, you ought to value if your prowess is growing.

The six hundred gathered here form Great Xia’s mightiest cadre at present. Amid the close to two million souls in Great Xia, they stand as the prime beneficiaries.

Hence, when confronted with Xia Hong’s query, their replies come as no shock.

Up front, Xia Chuan, Yuan Cheng, Yuwen Dao, and the rest displayed no astonishment, plainly viewing it as par for the course.

However, Xiang Fuhai, Xiahou Zhang, and Murong Chui’s reactions diverged sharply.

They lacked deep insight into Great Xia’s inner workings. As the hall’s occupants voiced their thoughts in succession, astonishment etched their features. Subsequently, upon hearing the fervent cries of “no regrets,” their gazes betrayed deeper layers of intricacy.

Not just wielding Xianyang Level prowess, they were also advanced in years; the least senior among them, Xiahou Zhang, approached 100.

Years bring wisdom, and also a keen eye for truth. They discerned the profound thanks and ease woven into those utterances.

Naturally, most crucially, they grasped that Xia Hong’s setup in the grand hall zeroed in exactly on the trio of them.

Or to be precise, on the pair: solely Murong Chui and Xiahou Zhang.