Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1226 - 409: The Dilemma of the Two Towns, the Longyou Model, Golden Order Prison Warden, Lin Kai’s Reminder_5

Praised by the numerous onlookers, Hou Ming promptly lowered his head to display modesty.

After listening to his statement, Xia Chuan's brows furrowed lightly, and he commented, "Engaging in combat is certainly a talent, yet probing into mysteries, bringing evildoers to justice, and safeguarding the tranquility of Xia City represent talents as well. Your accomplishments hold equal weight to those of others, so no need to downplay them excessively."

A subtle shift appeared on Hou Ming's face as he absorbed these words.

The previous occasion he encountered such encouragement came from Lord Xia Hong himself, allowing him to dedicate himself fully to his duties in the Prison Department. Now, receiving the same affirmation from Xia Chuan proved immensely motivating.

"As for the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce incident, what's your strategy moving forward? Any prospects for cracking it?"

Hou Ming perked up instantly at Xia Chuan's inquiry, offering a respectful bow and replying with a resolute tone, "Minister, you can count on me—the lord has commanded the Three Towns to deliver all the remains within ten days. Should I examine those bodies, I'd estimate a fifty percent success rate in unraveling the truth, and with the Three Towns' witnesses providing full collaboration, I can confidently state that barring an absolute impossibility..."

Realizing his slip at that moment, Hou Ming halted, casting a quick glance toward Yuwen Dao, Yuan Cheng, and Qiu Peng before trailing off.

"Our vindication rests with you then."

Yuwen Dao grasped the reason for his pause and responded right away with a grin.

By contrast, Yuan Cheng shot back with evident irritation, "I'd give anything to have been the one who did it. When we unmask the real offender, I'll make sure they pay dearly."

Qiu Peng stayed silent, merely giving a faint head shake, mulling things over briefly before speaking with an odd look on his face, "I'm merely wondering why Yang Ning and his group would risk swearing that vow before such a large audience."

This remark prompted recollections of Yang Ning and the others' solemn pledging, causing everyone's faces to stiffen momentarily—even Yuan Cheng and Yuwen Dao displayed a fleeting awkwardness.

Within the Ice Abyss, oaths tied to one's cultivation were never taken lightly.

Such vows carried unbreakable weight, suggesting that Yang Ning and his companions' claims rang true, or at least they held unshakeable conviction in them.

That element stood out as the most baffling.

After all, wouldn't they know their own guilt?

"It's unlikely that three look-alikes of us, wielding immense strength, showed up and slaughtered the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce members, is it?"

Yuan Cheng blurted this out unexpectedly, his furious delivery underscoring the offhand nature of the remark.

Even so, that offhand remark caused Xia Chuan, Yuwen Dao, and the rest in attendance to pale noticeably.

"Stay calm—it's entirely feasible!"

Startled, Yuan Cheng turned to Xia Chuan with bewilderment.

"Connect it to the deceptive monster, and it all makes sense!"

Yuan Cheng caught on at once to Xia Chuan's explanation.

Indeed, hadn't the Wooden Puppet Monster during the Mud Slope days mimicked thirteen loggers perfectly, sowing chaos throughout the cavern?

Xia Chuan's forehead creased as he directed Hou Ming, "Carry on with the standard inquiry for now; if it yields nothing, explore this possibility."

Hou Ming bowed deeply without delay, affirming, "I obey!"

"Very well, we've covered the main issues..."

Xia Chuan scanned the group and commanded, "Yue Feng, Zhao Long, Meng Yi, Hou Tong—you're to command the Mountain River, Falcon Hunting, Xiong Wu, and Beizhao forces and head out right away to secure Long Mountain."

"Understood!"

"Hou Quan, lead the Dragon Martial Army back to Bashang City for defense, and from here on, the Tiger Leopard, Black Arrow, and Dragon Slayer units will also hold positions around Bashang."

"Understood!"

"Divine Martial to hold Mirror Valley; Longyuan at Zhaoyang; Xuanwu in Wuyuan; Dongyang Army proceeds to Hanqiong as planned."

"Understood!"

"Cloud Dragon Army stays put at Hongmen; Falcon and Beizhao units keep supporting Bashang with the civilian transfers."

"Understood!"

At this juncture in the hall, beyond the Eight Departments Director, only the leaders of Great Xia's fifteen armies lingered. Xia Chuan dismissed the others deliberately, holding these back to delegate the upcoming defense assignments for the troops.

"Assuming no surprises, Great Xia can expect years of peace without conflict. Long Mountain, Bashang, Mirror Valley, Zhaoyang, Wuyuan, Hanqiong—these six zones boast abundant resources or proximity to them, making them ideal for drills. Placing the fifteen armies there is meant to keep your readiness sharp. With all fifteen leaders here now, in any future clashes, the capabilities and flaws of each force will shine through on the field—don't give me cause to call out the feeblest one later!"

Xia Chuan's grave inflection made the atmosphere tense up noticeably, prompting the assembly to bow in unison and declare, "Understood!"

"Yuwen Dao, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng—you three stay behind at Hongmen. Once the Six Towns deliver those bodies, work alongside Hou Ming to resolve the case."

"Understood!"

"Everyone else, head back to Xia City. That's all—dismissed!"

"Understood!"

The assembly offered bows and farewells to Xia Chuan before exiting the grand hall expeditiously.

As they stepped out, Lin Kai recalled a detail and drew near to Xu Ning, murmuring, "Xu Ning, you've set up a betrothal for your brother Xu An with that lady Zhao Yuanxiu, haven't you?"

Xu Ning nodded at once, beaming, "Yes, though I didn't initiate it. Zhao Long and his siblings approached me for the arrangement. Zhao Yuanxiu is Zhao Bao's firstborn daughter. I encountered her while stationed in Wuyuan; she possesses exceptional looks and virtue. Xu An has truly found a fine match!"

Lin Kai's features stiffened as he probed, "Have you checked with Xu An on this? Is he on board?"

The question caught Xu Ning off guard, twisting his expression strangely, "I mentioned it to him last month; he kept quiet about it—youths tend to be shy..."

"Ah, keep a closer eye on Xu An!"

Interrupting Xu Ning, Lin Kai noted his puzzled look and pressed on, "Recall the siblings Ji Hong and Ji Jiang?"

"Naturally—veterans from the Mud Slope days. That Ji Hong is no ordinary fellow; with his elite Battle Body Talent, Director Yuwen just recruited him into the Dragon Martial Army, and his path ahead looks boundless!"

Lin Kai shook his head repeatedly, adding, "Well, your brother Xu An has feelings for Ji Jiang, his sister—you're aware? They were often in each other's company during his Wuyuan posting; I've spotted them together more than once."

Xu Ning's brow knit upon hearing this, and as he reflected on last month's marriage talk with Xu An, he saw his brother's reticence not as shyness but as a silent rejection.

"Why didn't he just say something..."

Xu Ning cut himself short.

After depending on one another for almost a decade, Xu Ning knew his little brother's temperament intimately.

Xu An never contradicted his older brother outright, and considering how earnestly Xu Ning had presented the match last month, Xu An likely swallowed any dissent.

"I'll discuss it straight with him soon!"

Lin Kai nodded promptly, explaining, "Wedlock demands clear resolution—I picked up the news from a Zhao Family contact last night, and thinking back to witnessing Xu An with Ji Jiang in Wuyuan, I figured I'd alert you."

Xu Ning acknowledged with a nod, remembering that during his time as Five Originals Guardian, Lin Kai, Xu An, and Zhao Bao had served under him, forging a tight bond where such insights came naturally.