Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1319 - 431: Deceitful Object Appraisal, Mastery Ascendant, Martial Arts Competition Finale

Xia Hong's shocks upon emerging from seclusion were nowhere near finished.

Having grasped the basics of the Eight Departments in the Political Debate Hall, Xia Hong promptly brought Xia Chuan, Yuwen Dao, Yuan Cheng, Lin Kai, Yue Feng, Lu Yang, and Qiu Peng straight to the Camp Supply Department's main hall.

Deep within the Camp Supply Department lay a storeroom spanning roughly two hundred square meters, brimming with a stunning assortment of supplies neatly sorted by type:

Weapons numbering in the thousands adorned the four walls—silver ones surpassing Ten Thousand Forging Level, iron ones exceeding Ten Thousand Forging Level; close to the walls stood hundreds of wine jars, sealed so tightly they screamed high value; ahead of the jars, shelves displayed Dan Medicine in just over fifty varieties, featuring treasures like Dragon Carp, Green Cod, Black Death, Bone Condensation, Bone Gathering, plus elite beast hides, silk gauze, ores, and more...

This storeroom was obviously meant for rare materials alone.

Apart from those materials, a desk sat smack in the storeroom's center, bearing three standout silver boxes.

Qiu Peng guided Xia Hong and the group to the desk, then unveiled the three boxes sequentially while explaining to Xia Hong:

"These three boxes hold deceitful objects shipped to headquarters from Hongmen City this year. We've dubbed them Shadow Demon Insect, White Blade Willow, Possession Pearl..."

Here, Qiu Peng halted and glanced toward Lin Kai.

Catching the signal, Lin Kai advanced at once, clasped his hands, and declared, "Since last year’s opening drew crowds of outsiders to Hongmen City, many deceitful monsters among them sparked repeated murders, claiming countless lives. This year, working with Director Yuwen and Director Yuan, the Punishment Department under my lead solved three incidents: Chain Decapitation, Snow Night Butcher, and Daytime Break-in. We seized these three items after slaying the deceitful monsters..."

While Lin Kai detailed the three cases, Xia Hong delved into the silver boxes to examine the items, his gaze flashing with intrigue.

The Shadow Demon Insect was a black jade-hued insect egg that lurked in light sources, slaying via refracted shadows; the White Blade Willow, a twenty-centimeter blade-like willow branch, posed as a snowy swordsman to strike; the final green Possession Pearl latched onto various hosts at whim, striking by day against the host’s kin and friends.

"Do these three deceitful monsters solely hunt Cold Resistance Level targets?"

Lin Kai nodded swiftly at Xia Hong’s query, "Precisely. They started with some Earth-digging Realm victims but soon focused on Cold Resistance Level folk. We've determined these deceitful monsters pick tougher prey as their power grows."

Hearing this, Xia Hong's eyebrows knitted together.

This pattern starkly differed from the deceitful monsters he'd faced earlier.

Wood Puppet Monster, Yin Yang Mirror, White Dew Monster, Sumeru Nightmare, the Five Great Masters...

These deceitful monsters thrived on random mass slaughters; even the Sumeru Nightmare near Twin Dragon Mountain snatched hordes of Cold Beasts without discrimination. They never honed in on stronger kills.

Since Great Xia merged with Moao Mountain's southern slope, it had gathered much intel on deceitful monsters, including their classifications, yet their killing habits remained bafflingly unpredictable.

"Truth be told, we're puzzled too. No matter their tricks, these three deceitful monsters max out at Cold Resistance Level strength, ranking as intermediate ones like Mirror Immortal or White Dew Monster. But they can't pull off massive slaughters; they boost themselves only by taking down Cold Resistance Level prey."

Xia Chuan chimed in then. He'd clearly delved into these three deceitful monsters himself, and spotting Xia Hong's frown, he instantly read his mind.

Thanks to talks with the Eight Towns, Great Xia had shed its total ignorance of deceitful monsters and knew well that low, mid, and high-tier ones matched human Earth-digging, Cold Resistance, and Xianyang realms.

"Looks like deceitful monsters of the same level can differ wildly in their powers. Stay super careful whenever you meet them again, and make it a habit to always carry these three must-haves—the small torch, Solidified Fire Oil, and Yellow Candle!"

Recalling how the Yin Yang Mirror had drawn recognition from countless deceitful monsters earlier, Xia Hong shook his head at once, opted not to ponder it further, and gave directions to the group instead.

"Understood!"

Hailing from the Ancient Abyss Era, unraveling the deep secrets hidden in these deceitful monsters was obviously far beyond his current reach.

After catching everyone's replies, Xia Hong turned toward Lin Kai with a grin and questioned, "Who took down each of these three deceitful monsters, and why is nobody using them?"

"I slew the Shadow Demon Insect, Director Yuan snagged the White Blade Willow, and Director Yuwen beat the Possession Pearl last. Director Yuan can't wield it, while for Director Yuwen and me, the reason we're not using it is..."

Midway through his words, Lin Kai halted briefly, his face flushing with a bit of awkwardness.

"They both look down on it!"

Xia Chuan burst out laughing and spoke up for him, then added, "They're both coveting the three Master's Organs that the Lord fetched back last year, eager to merge someday with those deceitful items capable of boosting one's Battle Body Talent."

At those words, Xia Hong gave a light chuckle, then revealed a trace of admiration as he nodded and remarked, "Talent is crucial; waiting for the right one totally makes sense."