Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1232 - 410: The Zhao Family Makes a Move, Overflowing Joy and Inferiority, A Father’s Deep Love, the Pride of the Old Xiang Family [Vote Requested!]...

Right after the troops marched out of the barracks, the soldiers trailing at the back started chatting casually.

"Longyuan was stationed in Wuyuan before, and now they've been shifted straight to Beizhao, a really long way away."

"Yeah, it's quite distant; Zhaoyang sits close to Beimang Mountain and stands as the most remote outpost in Great Xia's borders from Xia City right now!"

"Staying in Wuyuan was so great! Such a pity."

"Haha, I bet you're all missing those huge hauls from the Wuyuan Waters, huh?"

"Hahaha, sure, if you put in some extra effort in Wuyuan, you'd rake in ten to twenty thousand Contribution Value each month—pure bliss!"

"Why not have Commander Zhou go suggest to the Minister that our Longyuan Army keeps watching over Wuyuan?"

"Dream on, but the Colonel mentioned that the forces will begin cycling through various zones for protection, unless you've hit Cloud Jiao or Long Wu rank, don't hope to stick in one spot forever."

"Got it!"

......

Xiang Ping belonged to the ninth camp in the Longyuan Army, serving as the leader of its fifth squad. He was talking with his squad mates toward the end of the formation.

"Xiang Ping, check that out!"

Yet before he could say much, Liu Qing, head of the nearby fourth squad, cut him off.

Once interrupted, he glanced along Liu Qing's pointing finger and felt a jolt of surprise.

Hongmen City's barracks lay to the north, right by the Ministry Building, facing south at the gates. The moment the army left the barracks, they first went by the Ministry Building.

Since the ninth camp trailed the advancing soldiers, they only reached the Ministry Building after the vanguard had gone past.

Right then, Liu Qing indicated a group stationed below the Ministry Building.

That group consisted of just five individuals, centered on an armless elderly man, flanked by four figures clad in black-red summer attire, topped with half-meter-wide black circular hats, and silver badges dangling from their belts.

"Those must be from the Prison Department, yeah!"

"Four Silver Order Prison Wardens showing up together?"

"Naturally, since that armless elder is Mu Longhe, a Xianyang Level powerhouse. Even sans arms, he's way beyond Cold Resistance Level might. Forget four Silver Order Prison Wardens—even a hundred couldn't hold him down!"

"It's Mu Longhe! Didn't our Great Xia snag the very first Xianyang Level expert like him? That Lord's Blood Jade Fox is incredibly fierce, chopping his arms clean off in one strike."

"Blood Jade Fox is impressive, but the true force is the Lord himself, who forced Mu Longhe to submit without a fight, leaving Chui Mountain's Town Lord Duan Hong too scared to utter a word!"

"Not just Duan Hong—even the other Five Townlords couldn't protest? Mu Longhe brought it on himself by messing with the Minister and Yuwen Sizheng!"

"His Mu Family's show of loyalty is truly praiseworthy; without it, Mu Longhe would've never made it out alive."

......

In the midst of the soldiers' buzz, Xiang Ping caught sight of those five figures too, and a grin spread across his face as he grasped why Liu Qing had nudged him to notice them.

"Who are they? That's the glory of our Old Xiang Family!"

The instant Xiang Ping uttered that, his squad mates turned curious eyes their way, joined by folks from Liu Qing's group, everyone fixing their gaze on the five below.

"Liang’er!"

Before others could chime in, Xiang Ping blurted out uncontrollably.

From the five under the Ministry Building, a youth on the left snapped his head up at the call, spotted Xiang Ping among the Longyuan Army lines, beamed widely, and yelled back, "Dad!"

The youth happened to be Xiang Ping's firstborn, Xiang Liang.

"So that's Captain Xiang's oldest boy!"

"A Silver Order Prison Warden, and the captain's son—no wonder he's so outstanding?"

"He's not just a Silver Order Prison Warden; the captain's kid got titled Ninth-Rank Xuanling Marquis back in May last year!"

"You're kidding, right? Captain Xiang's son seems barely twenty-four or twenty-five, yet a Ninth-Rank Xuanling Marquis—that's unbelievable?"

"Hmph, clearly you haven't followed the latest from Xia City. Xiang Liang spent nearly two years at Dajue Temple. Come September last year, in the clashes at Dajue Temple against Jiangxia and Bashang, he blended into the Dajue Temple forces and racked up endless merits. The moment the conflict wrapped in May, he earned the title and even met the Lord face-to-face!"

"That remarkable?"

"Just observe his power level."

"This... I can't gauge it—stronger than the captain?"

"I got word from the captain that his boy possesses Superior Battle Body Talent and holds Mid-stage Cold Resistance Cultivation with six-tuft power now."

"Ah, no surprise the captain calls him the Old Xiang Family's greatest pride; if I had a son that skilled, I'd gladly shave off a few years of my life!"

"Your grandson's on the way—losing a few years won't make one pop out."

"It's you who won't have one—scram!"

"Hahaha..."

.........

The soldiers' chatter and chuckles drew Xiang Ping into the mirth, but the awe in their tones over his son's prowess and rank swelled his chest with immense pride.

Risking it all for riches—those words ring so true.

The bold exploits his firstborn Xiang Liang pursued last year had completely flipped the fortunes of their Old Xiang Family within Great Xia.

Xiang Ping had advanced to Cold Resistance Level two years prior; he lacked Battle Body Talent. Despite reaching Late-stage Cold Resistance Cultivation currently, his might only hit five tufts, trailing even his own son. Landing as a squad leader in the Longyuan Army counted as a solid achievement already.

He'd served in Great Xia for six years; denying any jealousy toward noble ranks would be a lie. Xiang Ping had figured on steadily boosting his power in the ranks while piling up battlefield deeds, convinced that route would someday secure him a title.

Little did he expect his son to claim that honor quietly before he did?

Plus, the boy boasted Top-level Combat Body Qualification, his current strength already surpassing his aging father's, with far greater prospects ahead.

Who could've pictured a plain old man like him siring such a phenomenal child!

Hehehe...

Looking back, Xiang Ping reckons that if he'd learned of his son's perilous actions from last year, he would've moved heaven and earth to halt them or outright forbid it.

Reflecting today, as a seasoned dad, he may no longer steer his boy's course, since in raw power and bravery, he pales next to the youth.

Though bursting with pride for his son, Xiang Ping couldn't shake a touch of weariness from creeping age, letting out a soft sigh.

"Dad, we're heading back with your Longyuan Army this time, all five of us!"

While Xiang Ping sighed, he noticed his son approaching him already. At those words from the boy, he froze for a beat, but raising his eyes to spot the Mu Longhe his son guarded, clarity dawned instantly.