Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1374 - 445: Ordeal and Gratitude, Idle Move, Trial and Opportunity

The fifteenth day of February, in the year 297 of the Caiqiu Calendar, during the night.

Qinghua City, within the Hong Mansion's Guest Residence.

Hu Tiejiang rushed in from the outside, a look of deep worry etched on his face. Upon spotting a powerfully built individual practicing with a spear in the courtyard, his expression immediately brightened with relief.

"Tiechuan, are you recovered?"

The figure wielding the spear turned his head, revealing a face that was nothing short of terrifying.

His lower jaw was almost entirely gone, and seven or eight long scars, resembling colossal centipedes, were scattered haphazardly across his visage. Some sloped from his left brow down to his right cheek, others stretched from above his left ear to his forehead, and several were etched across the mouth area… a truly ghastly spectacle.

"Mmm..."

It wasn't just his face; Hu Tiechuan instinctively tried to speak, only to reveal a minuscule tongue stub. He managed a few sounds, his realization dawning that the ability to articulate was lost. He then responded with a nod and a smile, signifying that his injuries were no longer a major concern.

However, with such a disfigured countenance, every attempt at a smile appeared unsettling.

Hu Tiejiang showed no sign of disgust. Instead, witnessing his brother's horrific state, a profound hatred surfaced in his gaze. He briefly clenched his fist, then immediately relaxed it, forcing a smile. "That's wonderful! A few days from now, let's go together to express our gratitude to the master for his benevolence."

Hu Tiechuan nodded, walked over to Hu Tiejiang, and gently shook his head. He offered comfort by patting his brother's arm, conveying his thoughts wordlessly.

Their fraternal bond was incredibly strong. Though the younger brother remained silent, Hu Tiejiang grasped his intentions instantly. His previously relaxed demeanor tightened, and the animosity in his eyes resurfaced. It took a considerable effort before he managed to suppress it, speaking in a low voice, "Do not fret, elder brother will not act recklessly. I had assumed the Zhang Family only held sway over the Red Tiger Ridge vicinity, perhaps even dominating the Red Fox Ridge. I never anticipated they possessed influence in Qinghua City, leading to your current state... this is all my fault."

By the end of his statement, Hu Tiejiang's face was a mask of regret and guilt, his voice trembling slightly from the overwhelming remorse.

The dream they had meticulously planned for years – to escape their prescribed social standing – had been utterly shattered the moment they entered the Subordinate Bureau in Qinghua City on the seventeenth of the previous month.

......

Hu Tiejiang hailed from a region known as Red Tiger Ridge, situated in the central Evergreen Valley area. This region comprised five villages, one of which was Tiger Tail Village, his place of origin.

Despite facing early widowhood and losing their father prematurely, the brothers were fortunate to possess commendable cultivation talent and an unyielding fighting spirit. They achieved the Cold Resistance Level at a remarkably young age. In pursuit of greater opportunities for advancement, they registered with the lowest social status as soon as they broke through. Subsequently, they began their careers as porters, tasked with transporting goods within the Red Tiger Ridge territory.

The occupation of a porter was considered a menial job, and there was no legal prohibition against them engaging in it.

Originally, their lives might have proceeded without significant disruption. However, everything changed in the wake of their marriages.

Their respective wives, Fang Jing and Wang Qing, were originally indentured servants within the household of Zhang Yiqing, who held the position of leader in Tiger Tail Village. In fact, their marriages had been orchestrated by Zhang Yiqing himself. At that time, both brothers were regarded as promising young men within the village. The union of lowly status individuals with mere servants was not deemed a disgrace; on the contrary, both parties were deeply pleased with the arrangement.

The pivotal event that set everything in motion occurred when the brothers began to have offspring.

According to the intricate Caiqiu Six-class System, social statuses were hereditary. The children would inherently inherit the status of their parents, a condition that persisted until they were officially registered at the age of fifteen.

Under these strict regulations, the brothers' five children were destined to inherit either slave or lowly status, a fate they found entirely unacceptable.

Diligent and resourceful, possessing formidable hunting prowess, the brothers had diligently accumulated savings over the years. They approached Zhang Yiqing with a proposal: they wished to purchase their wives' freedom from their servant status.

Zhang Yiqing readily agreed, vouching for them as fellow villagers. He promised that if the brothers agreed to hunt for him without compensation for two years, he would relinquish Fang Jing and Wang Qing's slave status without extracting a single cent.

However, when the stipulated two-year period concluded, events took a drastic and unfavorable turn. Zhang Yiqing shamelessly reneged on his solemn promise. This betrayal ignited the fury of the brothers, who had already amassed sufficient funds and possessed every right to their claim. In a bold act of defiance, they pilfered their wives' registration documents, intending to flee to Qinghua City and resolve the matter of their status independently. This action rendered their escape plan irreversible.

Their cherished dream of upward mobility had been irrevocably shattered from that moment forward.

Traversing swiftly from Tiger Tail Village to Qinghua City, they encountered neither Zhang Yiqing nor any pursuers. This led Hu Tiejiang to initially believe they had either evaded detection or had established a significant head start.

It was only after they had physically arrived within Qinghua City that the stark reality dawned upon him: Zhang Yiqing had never harbored any intention of giving chase. He had, in fact, meticulously laid extensive plans within the city long before.