Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1269 - 419: Xiang Liang’s Ambitions, the Dire Situation at Hongmen, the Grim Executioner and the Big Score

Without lingering to face the gaze of his wife and mother, he snatched up his gear, bundled his belongings, and rapidly dashed through the threshold.

Twilight had yielded to dawn. Zhou Ying and Wang Yuxiu, possessing merely Earth-digging Realm cultivation, felt too vulnerable to venture outdoors. With heavy hearts, they stood watch over Xiang Liang as he vanished, finally calling out to his retreating back.

"Take care of yourself, my son!"

"Husband, I shall wait for your safe return."

......

"Gaining five manes of power in barely two months is truly remarkable!"

Upon hearing that familiar tone behind him, Xiang Liang halted, pivoted, and beamed with surprise. "Uncle Bai? The voice struck a chord, but I hadn't dared to hope you would be joining me to Hongmen!"

Standing by the gate was none other than Bai Shanning, the Silver Order Prison Warden who had assisted in escorting Mu Longhe back from Hongmen City during the previous harvest season.

Mention of Bai Shanning naturally brings to mind his relative, Bai Shanqiu.

Two years past, Xu Ning spearheaded a five-man infiltration mission into Lower River Village, a team that numbered both Xiang Liang and Bai Shanqiu among its ranks. Even when their Lord ordered a complete withdrawal, Xu Ning refused to simply walk away. Ultimately, he and Bai Shanqiu cemented their reputation by volunteering to remain behind for ongoing intelligence gathering.

Reflecting on those days, Xiang Liang feels a swell of profound gratitude. Had he not risked everything then, he never would have integrated into the Dajue Temple army, secured such legendary feats, or earned the titles and massive caches of Contribution Value that followed.

The material rewards were merely secondary; the true victory was capturing the eyes of a Minister and the Lord himself—a realization that opened paths previously closed to him.

Xiang Liang was under no illusions regarding his appointment as Hongmen’s Vice Chief of Punishment or his two months of concentrated training in the Martial Arts Pavilion; he knew he was only rising because Xia Chuan took notice. If he had remained the unremarkable nobody he once was in Wuyuan, these gates would have remained firmly shut.

Of course, this prosperity was shared. Bai Shanqiu, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him during that dangerous reconnaissance, also reaped his harvest.

They worked in tandem within the Dajue Temple ranks, completing numerous joint operations, meaning their collective achievements were essentially equal.

Just as Xiang Liang was lauded as a Ninth-Rank Xuanling Marquis the prior year, so too was Bai Shanqiu. Their compensation package included that title, Contribution Value, and a coveted spot within the Prison Department.

Xiang Liang had lunged at the chance to join the Eight Departments without hesitation.

Bai Shanqiu’s path took a different turn. At nearly seventy, having just been honored with a nobility title, he lacked the drive to remain in the meat grinder of constant battle. Discovering the reward was transferable, he gifted the opportunity to his cousin—the very same Bai Shanning standing before Xiang Liang now.

Bai Shanning was a man in his prime at forty-eight, possessing Peak Cold Resistance Cultivation. Though his talent was rated at Lower War Bod, his physical capability reached 17 manes, showcasing a drive that outstripped his cousin’s.

The later events bore out exactly as anticipated. Xiang Liang entered the Prison Department and hit Silver Order Level Prison Warden within half a year, a blistering pace, yet Bai Shanning matched or exceeded that trajectory.

Owing to the bond with Bai Shanqiu, the pair had developed a fast friendship—despite the twenty-year age gap—which was only deepened by their joint escort of Mu Longhe.

"Director Li reached out to me late last night. He claimed Hongmen City is severely undermanned, so they are bringing on two new Vice Chiefs of Punishment. It seems we are the lucky pair!"

Xiang Liang stood stunned. He had assumed he was the sole appointee for the role; the notion that Hongmen would break tradition to install two at once was staggering.

Yet, reflecting on the heavy, ink-stained dossiers he had poured over during the night, the urgency clicked into place.

"Appointing two additional Vice Chiefs suggests the security situation in Hongmen City is reaching a breaking point."

"Two?"

As they hurried toward the city ramparts, Bai Shanning caught the exclamation and arched an eyebrow. "It seems you haven't been keeping a close watch on the situation, my friend. Hongmen City already has three Vice Chiefs in place. We bring the total to five."

Five!

Xiang Liang was momentarily winded. "I spent all night reviewing the logs; Hongmen City is currently saddled with 239 unsolved cases. With Lord Zhao Bao as Chief of Punishment, overseeing three Silver Order Prison Wardens—each with their own deputy—that is technically six high-ranking wardens. Even with a support staff of ninety Iron Order Prison Wardens, how can this backlog be so severe?"

The role of Chief of Punishment is to maintain the rigid order of the station, a seat ideally held by experts cultivated within the Prison Department itself.

The issue is the disparity between rank and raw power.

In the martial code of Great Xia, strength is the ultimate arbiter. Every appointment is measured against this standard. Ideally, one would possess both tactical expertise and the muscle to back it up.

However, when forced to choose between intellect and violence, raw power always wins the day.

An investigator who lacks strength may fail to inspire fear or respect—which is a minor nuisance—but if they cannot suppress the criminals they are sent to arrest, or if they lose their lives in the process, it does more than fail the job; it drags the entire reputation of Great Xia through the mud.