Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1345: 437: Killing and Interrogation, Five Great Feudal Towns, Four Su Family Siblings, the Long-Lost Thrill_2

Chapter 1345: Chapter 437: Killing and Interrogation, Five Great Feudal Towns, Four Su Family Siblings, the Long-Lost Thrill_2

“My lord, please show mercy, spare our lives!”

“We were blind and didn’t recognize you, my lord, please let us go…”

…

“All of you, be quiet!”

Xia Hong silenced them with a booming shout. He then gestured towards He Qing, whose legs had been severed and who had passed out from the agony, and coldly ordered one of his Soldiers: “Stomp on him to wake him up. If he doesn’t wake up with one stomp, you can forfeit your life in his stead!”

The Soldier, trembling with fear, stepped forward towards He Qing. Remembering Xia Hong’s threat, a fierce glint appeared in his eyes. He raised his foot and stomped down hard on He Qing’s severed leg stumps.

Squelch…

He Qing must have taken some Dan Medicine before fainting, as the bleeding had already started to clot. But the Soldier’s stomp ruptured these clots, and blood sprayed out with a sickening squish.

“Ah…”

Even unconscious, He Qing felt the searing pain. He let out a miserable cry and opened his eyes. Seeing the Soldier on top of him, fierce intent flashed across his face. But then he remembered, turned his head to look at Xia Hong, and terror flooded his features.

“Senior, I’m from Bai Shui County…”

“Silence!”

Xia Hong had already closed his eyes, resuming his breathing exercises to heal. He Qing choked on his words and dared not utter another sound. He couldn’t even bear to look at his brutally severed legs, forcing himself to endure the pain and tremble with his head lowered.

Without another word from Xia Hong, the seventeen Soldiers, along with He Qing, knelt on the ground, shivering. The scene was deathly silent.

If even these sturdy Soldiers were in such a pathetic state, the situation for the hundred-plus youths on the periphery was even worse.

They all stared wide-eyed at Xia Hong, a mixture of relief and profound fear in their gazes. They desperately wanted to flee but were paralyzed by the fear that Xia Hong might decide to attack them. Thus, they remained frozen in place.

“Little sister, hurry and put on some clothes!”

However, some possessed slightly more courage, like Su Jing, who had just emerged from the Bone-Eroding Path. Su Jing’s left arm had been severed at the shoulder, and blood still seeped from the wound. Despite his deathly pale face from blood loss, he immediately rushed to his younger sister, Su Xing’er, and removed his own outer garments to wrap around her.

“Big brother, your arm…”

Su Xing’er gazed at her brother’s injured arm, tears welling in her eyes. She quickly tore strips from the discarded clothes to bandage his wound. Then, turning towards Xia Hong, a flicker of fear crossed her face.

“Run!”

“This lord likely won’t harm us.”

“Some people are already leaving, let’s go too.”

……

Su Jing’s movement sparked a chain reaction. Several youths cautiously began to edge towards the perimeter. Seeing that Xia Hong paid them no mind, they quickly bolted into the distance. Soon, more and more youths caught on and fled towards the outskirts.

At this moment, Su Xu and Su Zhi also joined their elder brother, Su Jing. After helping their younger sister Su Xing’er to her feet, Su Xu whispered to Su Jing, “Big brother, we should run too!”

Hearing his second brother, a hint of hesitation crossed Su Jing’s face. He turned to look at Xia Hong, his right fist clenching subtly. A glimmer of hope ignited in his eyes as he murmured in a low, firm voice, “No, we are not running…”

He had only just survived the Bone-Eroding Path; this had to be due to this lord’s intervention. This fact alone proved that even though this lord had killed numerous Soldiers upon arrival, he was certainly not a murderer who killed without reason. Furthermore, those Soldiers had undeniably deserved their fate!

Su Jing turned to face his younger siblings. A fleeting look of lingering fear crossed his face, quickly replaced by a determined resolve. Without another word, he took Su Xing’er’s hand and began walking towards Xia Hong.

Seeing their eldest brother proactively approach Xia Hong, Su Xu and Su Zhi initially showed fear, but they gritted their teeth and followed suit.

Thud…

Su Jing reached the side of the group of Soldiers and, with his sister, knelt before Xia Hong. Su Xu and Su Zhi immediately followed, their minds already grasping their elder brother’s intentions.

Approximately two hundred breaths later, Xia Hong’s eyes slowly opened.

With the eighteen Soldiers before him under his gaze, he drew a slight breath. First, the Shattered Star Sword was sheath ed and placed into his bundle. Then, in a deep voice, he declared, “You all are aware of the consequences for excessive talk. From this point on, I will ask, and you will provide the answers.”

Without affording them the opportunity to respond, a query was immediately posed.

“What territory is this, and what is the distance to Cai Qiu Town?”

“This locale is known as Evergreen Valley. It lies 900 li away from Cai Qiu Town.”

“What areas fall under Cai Qiu’s governance? What is the total extent of its dominion?”

“In addition to the Town itself, it has jurisdiction over four counties, two lakes, and one valley. The counties are named Lin Chu, Bai Shui, Qingcang, and East River. The lakes are Yanze and Cold Wave. The valley is Evergreen Valley. The total territory spans 150,000 square kilometers.”

“What is the population and military might of this Feudal Town?”

“The entirety of Cai Qiu encompasses a population of roughly over 18 million, supported by a standing army of 300,000.”

“Enumerate the branches of the army and their respective combat strengths!”

“There are three divisions: the Silver Scale Army, the Town Guard, and the County Guard. The Silver Scale Army, directly under the command of Lord Landgrave, is the most elite; all its Soldiers possess strength exceeding 20 Zong. Following them is the Town Guard Army, whose Soldiers all have strength above 10 Zong. The least powerful is the County Guard Army; their Soldiers are all at the Cold Resistance Level Cultivation. We hail from the County Guard Army of Bai Shui County, you see.”

“What is your Lord Landgrave’s cultivation level, and that of the Prefectural Governor?”

While the Soldiers had been responding with remarkable fluency up to this point, a noticeable pause and unease fell over them when Xia Hong posed this particular question. They exchanged glances for a considerable duration, remaining silent.

Ultimately, it was He Qing, in a state of near-death desperation yet clinging to life, who trembled and finally spoke. “I have heard that the Governor is established in the Tribulation Body Realm. As for Lord Landgrave, my knowledge is incomplete, but it is presumed he is at a level above the Tribulation Body Realm.”