Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1236 - 411: Mu Longhe’s Hope, Departure, and New Discoveries (Part 4)

Numerous rules govern the Great Xia territory, categorizing all stationed individuals into permanent and transient groups. Permanent inhabitants or those handling business may roam freely within the station, while transients remain confined to the station area, needing to notify the Prison Department first for any pressing needs.

Naturally, ignoring the rules to wander the station is possible too. Escape detection, and no issues arise. But detection by the Prison Department without a valid justification could lead to a deduction of Contribution Values at minimum, or lashes plus mandatory labor at maximum.

Therefore, in Great Xia's domain, most avoid pushing these boundaries.

Although Xiang Liang along with his three allies held positions as Silver Order Prison Wardens granting them unique allowances, they avoided exploiting such advantages. They arrived dutifully at Qinghepu Station, requested some dishes, and aimed to unwind briefly before departing after their evening meal.

It's noteworthy that Xiang Fuhai commanded impressive fortunes. Right after Xiang Liang placed his order for a solid spread, he pulled three jars of Phoenix Yang Drunk from his pack, flinging two medium-grade versions straight to the group of four.

"I value the efforts of you four young companions during this trip. Accept these two jars of Phoenix Yang Drunk as my thanks. Wen Tian, join the young companions for some drinks as well!"

"Understood, Grandpa."

At these words, the four's faces shifted abruptly, a reflexive urge to turn it down surging within, yet facing the spiritual wine set before them, they found rejection impossible. Each of the four got to their feet and offered a respectful bow to Xiang Fuhai.

"Thank you, Senior Xiang!"

For Xianyang Level experts, medium-grade spiritual wine amounts to little more than a simple drink, but to those in the Cold Resistance Level and Earth-digging Realm, it counts as a vital asset for cultivation. Should it hit the markets in Hongmen City, one pound might pull in excess of 3000 taels of silver, and even today at the Camp Supply Department, it'd demand more than 20000 Contribution Points per pound.

These two jars together no doubt total one pound, carrying substantial worth.

Observing the four stand and bow in his direction, Xiang Fuhai brushed it off with a casual wave, showing how little such a gift mattered to him.

He uncapped the leftover top-grade jar, filled a portion for Mu Longhe, and assisted by raising the cup toward his lips.

"Brother Mu, this Phoenix Yang Drunk..."

The wine's scent had already ignited a gleam in Mu Longhe's eyes, and prior to Xiang Fuhai wrapping up his words, he leaned in hungrily and downed the whole thing, catching Xiang Fuhai off guard.

"Hahaha, Brother Xiang might not realize, but back in early May at the Hongmen Banquet, I got lucky and sampled this Phoenix Yang Drunk once."

Only then did Xiang Fuhai catch on, putting on a show of astonishment: "So Brother Mu has tried it already? In that case, I ought to keep this one."

"No, no, no, you can’t take it back after bringing it out."

"Hahahaha..."

Noting how effortlessly Mu Longhe got entertained, Xiang Fuhai burst into loud laughter, quickly refilling his cup, as they kept on with the drinking.

The vibe surrounding the seven grew far more at ease.

"There don’t seem to be many people at the Qinghepu station, are there?"

Once the meal wrapped up, Xiang Fuhai gazed out the station's window, spotting only a handful of folks in Qinghepu Station, and found himself compelled to question Xiang Liang.

Xiang Liang responded without delay, "Senior Xiang might know, at the end of April, Dajue Temple used the Primordial Soul Pill to slaughter all the village-level camps within their territory. At that time, there was only Lower River Village here in Qinghepu, and since all villagers were promptly controlled by our Great Xia, they escaped disaster. But Qinghe Village and Upper River Village weren’t so lucky..."

After uttering merely a handful of lines, Xiang Liang spotted the shifting looks on Xiang Fuhai and his grandson's faces, grasping that he'd prodded their old wounds, so he halted swiftly, took a breath, then pressed on, "The folks at Qinghepu these days are largely shifted over from Xia City, hence the low numbers. That said, word in Hongmen City suggests the Lord plans to expand the water region here soon, drawing in more crowds before long."

Before the recent changes, Qinghepu Station existed as Qinghe Village, a typical village-level camp, and the Garrison Department wouldn't designate it casually as a primary hub.

Qinghe Village's transformation into a key station boils down to two factors: its straight-line proximity of just 21 kilometers to the southern Xing River waters, and the presence of Chilong Lake located three kilometers to the village's east.

A Red Blood Demon Dragon lies dormant in Chilong Lake, news that's circulated through Great Xia's middle and higher ranks, putting Xiang Liang in the know too.

Naturally, Mu Longhe and Xiang Fuhai grasp the details even more thoroughly.

"Is Lord Xia Hong coming to develop the water area? Could it be..."

Mu Longhe automatically swiveled his view toward the station's eastern flank, even with the three-kilometer gap, a flicker of alarm emerging in his eyes.

With his direct brush of the Red Blood Demon Dragon's ferocity, merely thinking back to the early May confrontation still stirred a deep-seated dread in Mu Longhe.

"Senior Mu, you worry too much, the Lord..."

Thud... thud... thud...

Precisely as Xiang Liang geared up to elaborate, sudden footfalls rang out from the staircase, making him break off and glance over.

Qinghepu Station totals five stories high. The lowest two levels cater to eating and lounging, as the third, fourth, and fifth levels house the sleeping quarters.

Having dined on the second floor, the party descending from higher up had to be visitors from the lodgings.

When Xiang Liang twisted around to catch sight of the six descending the steps, he inspected them intently and soon felt a surge of interest.

"Eh, they’re not people from Great Xia!"

In that group of six, four middle-aged fellows cultivated to Cold Resistance Level, their prowess edging past his, and the two youths hit Earth-digging Realm, earning just a quick scan before he brushed them aside.

The levels of cultivation held no shock value. The real standout was their garb—neither the fabric nor the cut rang any bells for Xiang Liang.

He mulled it briefly, and lifting his eyes once more, found his wonder only growing stronger.

"Not even the style of the Eight Towns! Could they be from some small place in the Eight Towns, or perhaps not even from the Moao South Slope Territory?"