Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1344 - 437: Killing and Interrogation, 5 Great Feudal Towns, 4 Su Family Siblings, the Excitement After a Long Absence

Not long ago, within the Bone-Eroding Path, upon the utterance of the phrase "road fee" by the Black Wind General, Xia Hong experienced a mixture of astonishment and bewilderment.

He found it peculiar that such a cunning fiend would establish a toll collection system!

Yet, he pondered what exactly the toll could consist of.

Considering the presumed needs of the creature, Xia Hong had formulated some hypotheses regarding this enigmatic "road fee." However, given that Cai Qiu was, after all, a power at the feudal town level, he entertained the possibility of other motives.

It wasn't until he was on the verge of escaping the Bone-Eroding Path and clearly perceived the circumstances outside that he definitively understood: the so-called road fee consisted of living individuals, specifically young people under the age of twenty.

Poof......

Xia Hong expelled another spray of fresh blood. Glancing down, he observed a continuous emission of black mist from the knife wound on his chest. Frowning, he swiftly retrieved a piece of solidified fire oil from his pack, applied it to the wound, consumed a Jade Wound Pill for healing, and promptly closed his eyes to meditate.

Hiss......

As the solidified fire oil made contact with the injury, sparks immediately erupted, working in conjunction with the Jade Wound Pill to expeditiously mitigate the damage to his body.

"May I inquire, senior, from whence do you hail?"

However, merely three to four breaths later, He Qing, accompanied by a contingent of soldiers, approached.

Xia Hong partially opened his eyes. Observing He Qing's deferential posture, the large saber held in his hand as he cautiously advanced, Xia Hong initially felt a sense of confusion. His gaze then fell upon the soldiers surrounding him, who, under the guise of casual positioning, were subtly closing in. A feeling of strangeness washed over him.

He looked up at He Qing, noticing the latter's occasional furtive glances toward the Shattered Star Sword and pack that Xia Hong had just set down. Realizing he had not exerted any Qi since emerging from the Bone-Eroding Path, Xia Hong grasped the intention behind He Qing and his men's actions, eliciting a dry chuckle from him.

They presumed his injuries were dire and contemplated outright robbery!

"Senior, I possess some healing elixirs; perhaps you would permit me to offer them?"

He Qing continued his cautious approach, halting at a distance of five meters from Xia Hong. He even produced a vial of pills from his chest with his left hand, advancing further as if genuinely intending to present the medicine to Xia Hong.

Xia Hong remained impassive, his gaze fixed on He Qing with a serene expression, allowing him to draw near.

Whoosh......

Once within two meters of Xia Hong, He Qing's eyes suddenly turned frigid. With a swift, violent motion, the saber in his right hand swept horizontally towards Xia Hong's chest.

Xia Hong made no defensive move. As He Qing's saber met his chest, a cruel smile spread across the attacker's face, his eyes burning with avarice.

A severely injured Xianyang Level cultivator, if vanquished, would undoubtedly yield immense riches...

This was his chance, He Qing's golden opportunity!

Clang...

However, the very next second, the triumphant grin vanished from He Qing's countenance. His previously fervent gaze was suddenly extinguished, replaced by sheer terror and disbelief.

His foundational strength of 38 zongs, augmented by his cultivation technique, meant this strike possessed a force of at least 45 zongs, aimed directly at Xia Hong's wounded torso. Yet, the saber failed to penetrate Xia Hong's skin.

Not only did it fail to inflict harm, but the Ten Thousand Forged Great Blade in his grasp fractured upon impact.

"It's over!"

Two words flashed through He Qing's mind. Without hesitation, he violently relinquished his weapon and cried out in alarm, "I am from Cai Qiu Baisui County, Captain of the County Guard Army, He..."

Bang!

Xia Hong offered no quarter. In a flash, he caught the discarded saber and, with a reverse grip, severed He Qing's legs as one might harvest rice.

"Run!"

The over fifty soldiers present finally recognized that this injured youth was not someone to be trifled with. One man shouted, and the rest turned tail, scattering in a panicked retreat.

"Run?"

The tables had undeniably turned. Xia Hong turned, observing the soldiers fleeing in disarray. A cold smile flickered across his lips as he retrieved the fractured saber piece from He Qing and forcefully compressed it.

Clang......

Though He Qing's saber was of Ten Thousand Forged quality and infused with silver, in Xia Hong's hands, it disintegrated like paper. The violent crushing motion caused the blade to shatter instantly, erupting into dozens of small fragments that sprayed outwards.

These shards arced precisely towards the fleeing soldiers.

Furthermore, every single fragment was directed at the backs of their heads.

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

The cacophony of blades slicing through skulls was so intense, it seemed mere moments passed before over twenty bodies lay scattered around.

The soldiers on the outer edges hadn't even managed to retreat a mere twenty meters.

"Who dares to move? Come and try!"

Xia Hong's stern command, like a harbinger of doom, instantly paralyzed the remaining twenty-odd soldiers. However, five, with a death-defying spirit, hesitated only briefly before gritting their teeth and resuming their flight.

Observing their actions, a chill flickered in Xia Hong's gaze. He effortlessly gathered the small blade fragments littering the ground and, with a flick of his wrist, launched them towards the fleeing five.

Thud...

A faint slicing sound echoed, and small bursts of blood erupted from the back of their heads. Their bodies convulsed, their life force extinguished, and they crashed to the ground.

Witnessing the grim fate of those five, the remaining dozen soldiers were finally gripped by utter terror. They no longer dared to act, nor even pleaded for their lives. Facing away from Xia Hong, they remained in their fleeing posture, their faces etched with fear and apprehension.

"Crawl over here and kneel, all of you!"

At Xia Hong's command, all seventeen soldiers quickly turned, nearly tripping over themselves in their haste to reach Xia Hong and immediately knelt before him.

"Mercy, sir, have mercy..."