Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1245 - 413: The Truth, Shifting Blame to Cai Qiu, Hongmen Affair Concluded (Part 3)

"I, Long, share your sentiment. Should this truly be provocation from Outer Realm powers, the tragedy in Hongmen City from last month falls squarely on Dragon Valley Town's shoulders. Minister Xia Chuan, have no worries; as soon as our Lord learns of it, Great Xia shall get the resolution it deserves!"

Long Wenbai chimed in as well. Among the Three Towns, only Yang Rong remained silent now. Tensions between Beishuo and Great Xia were at their peak, so his face clearly showed inner turmoil. Yet, the facts were undeniable, and every gaze in the chamber fixed upon him. He resisted briefly, but in the end, he voiced his agreement.

"I, Yang, shall report this to our Lord too!"

Noting the unwillingness etched on Yang Rong’s features, Xia Chuan’s brow furrowed faintly. He remembered Xia Hong’s parting words from Hongmen last month—Yang Zhun likely held knowledge of the true orchestrator behind it all—and a cold glint flickered in his gaze.

Still, he swiftly masked that chill, then turned to the group with a warm smile and declared, "Hearing your assurances from all three, this minister feels much relieved. The Nine Towns dwell in the same land and ought to unite closely to forge a secure haven in the Moao South Slope. How could we allow those Outer Realm villains to undermine our bonds?

Although the victims this time hailed from the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce, Great Xia won’t sit back against such schemers with predatory designs. I suggest we keep today’s events under wraps for the moment, lest we tip off the foe ("stirring the grass to scare the snake") and complicate our pursuit. What say you all?"

The assembly grasped his intent at once, with several even displaying thankful expressions.

The fatalities among the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce bore no direct tie to Great Xia. Earlier, the Six Towns had banded together to stir unrest in Hongmen over this very issue. Yet now, Great Xia had unveiled the reality, harbored no resentment, and offered aid in seizing the actual perpetrator.

Such thoughts prompted the others to voice their support in turn:

"Minister Xia’s wisdom shines through; I, Long, concur!"

"I, Cao, support it as well."

"Minister Xia’s righteousness inspires; Muyin Town commits to full collaboration!"

"Jiangxia stands ready to ally with Great Xia in apprehending this fiend."

......

"Beishuo is determined to hunt down the true offender, and Minister Xia speaks true—it’s unwise to reveal this now. I, Yang, consent!"

Even Yang Rong, chief of Beishuo Institute, found himself cornered by the Seven Towns Institute Chiefs. Refusing to align would effectively isolate him from the Moao South Slope Territory.

Listening to the affirmations from the Eight Towns Institute Chiefs, Xia Chuan gave a subtle nod initially, then infused his voice with a touch of reluctance as he continued deliberately, "Truth be told, there’s more to it..."

With those words, he displayed a trace of uncertainty, seemingly weighing whether to proceed.

This sparked intrigue among the Eight Towns representatives, who all swiveled their attention toward him with keen anticipation.

"Never mind, I’ll lay it out plainly!"

After a brief contemplation, Xia Chuan resolved to press on, "Regarding the true perpetrator, Great Xia has gathered certain leads. More accurately, we’ve pinpointed an Outer Realm faction."

Great Xia has pinpointed the Outer Realm faction?

At this revelation, shock rippled through the Eight Towns Institute Chiefs.

Observing their responses, Xia Chuan remained utterly composed.

Certainly, among the Eight Town Lords, some possessed intel on the Outer Realm powers. Xia Chuan was nearly convinced of that. At minimum, per Xia Hong’s assessment, the Northern Three Towns Lords were in the know.

However, the Lords’ awareness didn’t imply universal knowledge.

To galvanize the full Eight Towns against the Outer Realm threats, exposing these forces completely was vital.

And this marked the initial phase.

Meeting the array of inquisitive stares, Xia Chuan wasted no time on suspense and stated outright, "Great Xia has verified beyond doubt that a feudal town-level entity to the north, called Cai Qiu, covets our Moao South Slope Territory. This minister can largely confirm that the demise of the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce members stems from schemes by the Cai Qiu Feudal Town. Share this with your Lords upon your return.

Great Xia has resided east of the Xing River for just over four months, yet we’ve already uncovered multiple spies from Cai Qiu Feudal Town inside our lands. If my suspicions hold, numerous Cai Qiu infiltrators have embedded themselves in your Eight Towns long ago. Beyond dispatching agents into the Nine Towns Territory, Cai Qiu seeks to sow discord among us. Their sinister aims stand out plainly, and I urge the Eight Towns to treat this gravely without delay, lest regret follow when disaster strikes..."

Xia Chuan’s closing remarks exploded like thunder in the minds of the Eight Towns folk. They might not fully grasp Cai Qiu Feudal Town’s implications, but linking it to the Outer Realm powers, the Three Towns Chamber of Commerce slayings, and the black-clad middle-aged man boasting over 50 prowess with memory manipulation skills sufficed.

Certain truths thrive in implication; over-explaining breeds peril.

Xia Chuan knew this well, so after highlighting Cai Qiu Feudal Town, he refrained from delving deeper.

The instant the Eight Towns Institute Chiefs learned of Cai Qiu Feudal Town, urgency to depart gripped them, and sans Xia Chuan’s prompt, they ordered their followers to gather the fallen bodies and then took their leave from him.

Xia Chuan assented to each farewell. Once the Eight Towns contingent had departed sequentially, he directed the Cloud Dragon Army soldiers to resume patrols, while he ascended with Yuwen Dao, Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, Xu Ning, and Lin Kai.

Entering the summit conference chamber of the Ministry Building, Yuan Cheng’s confusion burst forth as he queried Xia Chuan, "Minister, we haven’t verified that individual’s background, so why attribute it straight to Cai Qiu Feudal Town?"

Xia Chuan stayed silent, but Yuwen Dao had evidently deduced it, a subtle grin forming as he remarked, "Provided we establish it’s Outer Realm handiwork and heighten the Eight Towns’ caution toward those forces, does it matter if it’s precisely Cai Qiu..."

He halted briefly, then added, "Should it genuinely be Cai Qiu’s plot, we’re merely calling it right. If not, it signals another Outer Realm group aiming at the Nine Towns. Consider: if both Outer Realm powers later strike the Nine Towns, how might Cai Qiu react upon realizing they bore the brunt of false accusations without even acting?"

These words left Yuan Cheng stunned, and he wasn’t alone; Qiu Peng, Xu Ning, and Lin Kai hadn’t foreseen this twist either, their faces lighting up with realization.

"Hahaha, genius! Minister, this stratagem earns my deepest respect."

"Exactly! Should two Outer Realm forces exist, our ploy could yield tremendous results down the line, hahaha..."

"The Minister’s prowess astounds me truly!"

Amid their commendations, Xia Chuan chuckled and dismissed it with a wave, "This plan isn’t mine. Our Lord entrusted it to me prior to departing Hongmen last month."

The Lord’s scheme—small wonder!

Realizing it stemmed from Xia Hong, the awe on their faces dissolved into composed acceptance. Such ingenuity from Xia Hong came as no shock to them.

"Knowledge of Cai Qiu Feudal Town must permeate beyond this gathering; next, utilize the spies to disseminate damaging tales of Cai Qiu Feudal Town across the Eight Towns. Guarantee all learn of a formidable Outer Realm power lurking to devour the Nine Towns, having planted spies to spark internal strife, aiming ultimately to shatter the Nine Towns and claim the full Moao South Slope Territory!"

"Understood, minister!"

Qiu Peng and the rest affirmed solemnly.

A sudden recollection struck Xia Chuan, prompting him to ask Lin Kai, "Oh yes, has the entire Bashang populace been resettled?"

Lin Kai nodded promptly, "They departed Hongmen two nights ago, under direct guard by the Fei Peng and Beizhao forces. They should have arrived in Xia City by this point."

The Bashang relocation stood complete at last!

A subtle ease crossed Xia Chuan’s visage, and he went on, "Qiu Peng and I must head back to Xia City to brief the Lord. Concerning Hongmen City matters..."

He paused momentarily, glanced at Yuwen Dao, mulled it over, then instructed, "Hou Quan commands the Dragon Martial Army, but Yuwen Dao, I require you to base yourself in Hongmen City henceforth. I remain uneasy with just Lin Kai handling it solo."

"Yes, Minister!"

Xia Chuan’s lack of confidence stung Lin Kai, flushing his cheeks with shame and spurring resolve. In the Great Xia Slope era, among the initial five to gain beast meat, his power lagged behind. Now, unable to helm Hongmen City independently, he felt like dead weight.

"I need to boost my abilities swiftly!"

"Very well, Qiu Peng and I depart for Xia City now. Xu Ning, maintain oversight of Bashang; Yuwen Dao and Lin Kai, vigilantly guard Hongmen City, and at any sign of trouble, send word to Xia City without delay."

"Understood, Minister!"