Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1378 - 446: Arrangements, Power Increase, and Departure—The Splendor of Hongmen (Part 3)

"Not bad, all completed, even the youngest got 9.5 hairs, which is overachieving!"

The situation of Su Jing and his three siblings wasn't entirely outside of his expectations.

Over the past three months, aside from the brief period spent rescuing the Hu Brothers, they had barely left the side building, regardless of the matter or the invitation. This performance left Xia Hong quite satisfied.

Furthermore, when the initial goal was set for the four of them, it was for a three-month duration. Xia Hong commenced his retreat on the night of January 17th, and today is already April 20th, meaning they were granted an extra three days.

Since all four had met the standard, Xia Hong would naturally uphold his promise from three months prior and accompany them to Lin Chu County City.

"Cai Yunzhou hasn’t bothered me for two months now, likely intimidated by the trip to Snow Phoenix Mountain. That’s good; starting directly saves trouble!"

Xia Hong contemplated for a moment, first rising to put away the Enlightenment Lotus Platform, and then called out towards the door, "Go inform Su Jing and the others to come see me."

"As you command, Master!"

Upon hearing the maid's deliberately sweet response from outside the door, a hint of amusement flickered across Xia Hong’s face. He had sensed the servants' strong desire for patronage from the very first day he entered the mansion.

For those who have entered a state of servitude, aligning oneself with a good master is indeed considered the foremost priority in life.

"This system caters to the superiority complex of the powerful while offering an escape route for the lower strata of society. The sole drawback is its failure to guarantee a path for the lower class to transcend their status. Coupled with the hereditary nature of such positions, the upper echelons have long solidified into exclusive interest groups. Barring a very few benevolent individuals, the majority are disinclined to permit slaves to rise in status, thereby effectively blocking social mobility. The prospect for slaves to turn their lives around is exceedingly slim.

In certain aspects, those enslaved for extended periods are even more pitiable than individuals of lowly birth. The latter possess the awareness to strive earnestly for a change in their circumstances. The former, however, may have long become accustomed to their servitude, to the point of forgetting how to live as ordinary people..."

Reflecting on his time in seclusion, recalling the maids who delivered meals while deliberately posing flirtatiously before him, Xia Hong couldn't help but shake his head. While sighing, he also felt a glimmer of sympathy for these women.

However, it was merely sympathy!

Altering the circumstances for a few individuals, or even a small group, is currently a straightforward matter for him.

But these actions don't yield significant outcomes.

On a smaller scale, his objective is to transform Cai Qiu, which encompasses all Four Vassals;

On a grander scale, it concerns the thousands of Ice Abyss inhabitants.

One must not sacrifice the greater good for minor gains!

Xia Hong pondered for a moment, sensing that Su Jing and the others had already entered the main building. He then rose with a smile, left the quiet chamber, and proceeded towards the main hall.

............

In the tenth year of Great Xia, on May 10th,

Hongmen City was once again a hive of activity.

The reason was simple: the annual Martial Arts Competition of Great Xia had entered its preliminary stages.

During its inaugural year, due to various reasons, some youths and teenagers from the Nine Towns were unable to participate; however, this second iteration has completely galvanized the entire Nine Towns.

With a year of anticipation, the rewards allocated to the top hundred participants across the two divisions from the ninth year of Great Xia had been widely discussed and were known to virtually everyone.

As long as one could secure a position on the list, even occupying the very last spot at 100th place, the rewards bestowed by Great Xia amounted to a value exceeding 50,000 taels of silver;

The compensation for the top ten was valued at a minimum of 200,000 taels;

The grand prize winner could receive up to 600,000 taels...

For the contestants, the intrinsic value of the reward materials was, naturally, the primary consideration;

Yet, this did not imply that their sole focus was on the ranking prizes.

Achieving renown was an exceptionally alluring prospect for young individuals, particularly in the presence of peers from all across the Nine Towns.

While fame and status were significant factors, the possibility of attracting the attention of a prominent figure from any town, whether for discipleship or a marriage alliance, presented a chance for overnight ascension.

Considering these compelling elements, it is only natural that the number of participants in this year's Martial Arts Competition has surpassed that of the previous year, and by a considerable margin.

A substantial influx of participants began arriving in Hongmen City progressively from April. In light of this overwhelming turnout this year, Lin Kai made the decision to refrain from branding it as the Three Towns Martial Arts, as he had done last year, opting instead to refer to it directly as the Nine Towns Martial Arts.