Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1240 - 412: Outer Realm People, Demon Dragon’s Strength, Confident Chu Yan’er, Hou Ming’s Skills

"The Landgrave's generosity and nobility stand out, his loyalty fixed on the Human Clan. Despite the Demon Dragon's overwhelming might, he won't remain passive. Indeed, decades may prove too short for Great Xia, yet for me, Chen Cang, things could turn out otherwise. Whether the Landgrave pushes ahead in his cultivation or I, Chen Cang, nurture a handful more Tribulation Body Realm powerhouses to stand against the Demon Dragon, it's far from impossible!

Furthermore, we don't have to clash head-on with the Demon Dragon at all. If we manage to sweep away the Blood Miasma Plain before the Demon Dragon stirs and rescue the countless inhabitants of the Southern Slope, wouldn't that be a straightforward accomplishment!"

These words struck the listeners at once, prompting instant responses as their eyes lit up with sudden clarity.

That's right!

A few decades could fall short for Great Xia, but Chen Cang's circumstances differ. Should we fail to match the Demon Dragon in battle, purging the Blood Miasma Plain later and safeguarding lives remains entirely within our grasp.

"Your ladyship's sharp wisdom and keen vision leave us in admiration!"

With a light wave of her hand, Chu Yan’er shifted her gaze to the west, a spark flickering in her eyes as she declared, "As I see it, the main barrier to Chen Cang moving south once the Blood Miasma Plain is cleared could very well be this Lord Xia."

Memories of yesterday's clash at Hongmen surfaced, leading the six at the table to nod in unison, with Chen Yimou voicing outright, "This Lord of Great Xia carries the air of a true overlord. Great Xia has now seized firm control as the South Ridge's master, showing intense wariness toward us from the Outer Realms."

A trace of unease crossed Chu Dongning's face right away, and he chimed in, "I'd say he's beyond mere overlord status. Thinking back to the chaos at Dajue Temple last year, Great Xia stayed out of the fray entirely yet watched closely from the shadows, drawing in Jiangxia, backing Muyin, and then in the decisive Bashang showdown, he launched a surprise assault, slaying the three Masters before arranging the Hongmen Banquet to reshape Bashang's borders and embed himself solidly in the Nine Towns. In under five months, he's swiftly captured the loyalty of the Six Towns and the populace of the Nine Towns, advancing with surefooted resolve. Among the Town-level Camp Lords I've encountered, few can rival Xia Hong—I could count them on one hand!

"What's crucial is that he appears to have pieced together how Brother Chen secretly engineered the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce affair. Just yesterday, he commanded the Three Towns to hand over the bodies and summoned envoys from the Six Towns for joint probes, clearly intent on digging deep and settling the issue. This reveals his drive to keep securing the allegiance of the Eight Towns. In my opinion, South Ridge Dominator falls short for Xia Hong; at minimum, he's gunning for Nine Towns Sovereign. If trends hold, Great Xia swallowing up the Eight Towns looks inevitable before long!"

"Brother Chen's skills are remarkable indeed; another might have been exposed by now. Xia Hong is no pushover!"

After absorbing the assessments from Chen Yimou and the rest, Chu Yan’er gave a small nod, a trace of pride surfacing as she said, "The greater his abilities, the finer it is. The Landgrave has long prized exceptional individuals. Upon unifying the Moao South Slope Territory, Xia Hong will surely prove an invaluable ally to me, Chen Cang."

The six all inclined their heads, faces reflecting full accord.

"Incidentally, how much time has passed since the escort team carrying Mu Longhe departed?"

"Merely a quarter-hour."

In response to Chu Yan’er's inquiry, Chen Yimou answered without delay, then probed curiously, "What prompts the lady to ask?"

A smile played on Chu Yan’er’s lips as she explained, "Security within Xia City runs excessively tight, with checks happening nonstop. At this pace, trouble could brew easily. Conveniently, we intended to head to Xia City ourselves; don't we lack a suitable escort? We can hurry to catch them and seek a chance to merge with the group."

Chen Yimou paused briefly, concern etching his features, "Lady, wouldn't that risk complications? That party includes two Xianyang Level powerhouses—if they detect our disguises..."

Chu Yan’er promptly produced a silver vial of pills, offering calm assurance, "Rest easy; pop a Blood Concealing Pill right before we go, and neither those two Xianyang Level experts nor Xia Hong himself will pierce our veiled auras."

Though the six wavered momentarily, with Chu Yan’er already passing out the Dan Medicine, they held their tongues and accepted the pills without protest.

"They'll surely stick to the direct path; we ought to devise a plan..."

After some discussion among Chu Yan’er and the seven, they quickly settled on a scheme, and the group hastened from the outpost, setting off from Qinghepu westward. On this occasion, they bypassed the main route, dashing nimbly over the snowfields instead.

...........

The eighth year of Da Xia, October 3rd

Hongmen City, Ministry Building

The spacious hall on the ground floor teems with activity from the gathered crowd.

Xia Chuan occupies the highest position, flanked below by Yuwen Dao, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Xu Ning, Lin Kai, Liu Yuan, Zhu Xing, Wang Yuan, and numerous other Great Xia affiliates;

Flanking Xia Chuan on each side are four chairs apiece. The prime left seat holds Muyin Inspection Institute Director Murong Ping, trailed by Beishuo Inspection Office Director Yang Rong, Jinshan Institute Director Shangguan Yuan, and Wuchuan Institute Director Ye Yizhou;

The foremost right seat belongs to Jiangxia Institute Director Xiahou Qin, followed by Yangqu Institute Director Cao Tianying, Dragon Valley Institute Director Long Wenbai, and lastly, Chui Mountain Institute Director Duan Xing.

To avoid any sense of hierarchy, the Eight Towns' arrangements form a ring; otherwise, the Northern Three Towns would voice strong dissent.

Right now, amid the nine positions lies a tidy array of thirty-two corpses, every face marred by numerous blotches, evidencing their prolonged demise.

Among the eight directors, the most grim-faced are those three from Beishuo—Yang Rong, Yangqu's Cao Tianying, and Dragon Valley's Long Wenbai.

The trio gazes at the remains positioned close to them, sorrow clouding their eyes, interspersed with bursts of fury.