Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1382 - 448: Chui Mountain Fission

Moao Calendar Year 134, May 15

Chui Mountain Town, daytime

Within the Moao South Slope Territory, individuals possessing Cold Resistance were few, and fewer still ventured outdoors when the biting cold light descended. Consequently, even in Chui Mountain Town, a place of relative populace, the streets were notably sparse during daylight hours, lending an air of unusual quiet.

If the town's interior was this desolate, the area surrounding the city gates was even more deserted.

At the South City Gate of Chui Mountain, with the exception of a hundred or so stoic Yellow Armored Soldiers maintaining their positions outside the partially opened gate, not another soul was present.

It wasn't surprising, really. The gates typically saw their busiest activity at night; during the day, barring any peculiar circumstances, few would enter or depart the city.

Precisely because of this, most town cities usually assigned only a minimal contingent of Cold Resistance personnel to guard their gates during the day, making the current situation at the South City Gate rather out of the ordinary.

Before long, a middle-aged man, attired as a general and sporting two swords at his waist, clad in Silver Armor, descended leisurely from the city gate tower.

Observing the unwavering formation of soldiers flanking the gate, the middle-aged man’s countenance, initially expressing a flicker of approval, soon shifted as he quickly ignited a bonfire in a corner near the gate. He then called out to the assembled soldiers, "Brothers, your efforts are commendable. Since there are hardly any people around, come over and warm yourselves by the fire!"

Responding to the middle-aged man's directive, the Yellow Armored Soldiers visibly relaxed, promptly moving towards the bonfire. They shook off the clinging snowflakes from their bodies before extending their hands to bask in the warmth.

While possessing Cold Resistance Levels meant they could endure the harsh chill, it did not equate to immunity from feeling cold. The comfort of gathering around a fire was undeniably superior to standing rigid like statues on either side of the city gate.

However, it wasn't long before one soldier's composure gave way, and he voiced his thoughts.

"Colonel, forgive my frankness, but is Deputy Army Chief Duan overstepping his bounds? This gate-guarding duty shouldn't be relegated to our Yellow Armor Army!"

These words seemed to fan the flames of long-simmering resentment, and soon, a chorus of disgruntled voices joined in.

"Remember, when the Lord and Army Chief originally established this army, it was explicitly stated that our Yellow Armor Army would serve as the town’s crucial reserve, the very bedrock and paramount reliance for Chui Mountain’s stability in the Moao South Slope Territory. We were meant for deployment only when absolutely necessary. Yet now, they task us with mere gate duty? What purpose do the fifteen thousand Defensive Army soldiers serve then?"

"Times have indeed shifted! Ha... When the army was formed, the former leader himself declared that only he and the Army Chief possessed the authority to mobilize the Yellow Armor Army. But now? We're being deployed according to the whims of Duan Mian, Duan Sheng, Duan Yang, and Duan Chang!"

"Well, our Third Army unit isn't the sole recipient of such treatment, is it? The First Army appears to be quite comfortable."

"Naturally. They fall under the direct patronage of the Lord... the Duan Family. Who would dare arbitrarily issue orders to them? The Second Army underwent reorganization last year, with over half its contingent dismissed due to age restrictions. I hear the replacement process is nearly complete, so it's likely they'll soon turn their attention towards us in the Third Army."

"What talk of age restrictions is this? It’s merely a pretext to diminish the Mu Family's influence within the army, especially after the main Army Chief was incapacitated. Even before the Second Army’s restructuring commenced, Vice Commander Mu Ziheng of the Mu Family was already dismissed, and the soldiers subsequently discharged were all known to be close associates of the Mu Family."

"I’ve heard similar accounts! Last year, the Deputy Army Chief position in Qinghe was eliminated, leaving only the Commander role for our Third Army. But I've also heard whispers that even his Commander position is now precarious."

"Our Third Army represents the direct lineage of the Army Chief. How could the Lord possibly alter that? Replace us all entirely?"

"That possibility seems quite high."

"The Duan Family are nothing but scoundrels! The Army Chief was merely captured by Great Xia, not killed. The Great Xia Lord himself publicly declared he would return him after ten years. Their haste in suppressing the Mu Family now—what will they do when the Army Chief eventually returns?"

"It scarcely matters if the Army Chief returns; he’s already been crippled!"

"This…"

As their indignant discussion reached a crescendo, the middle-aged general in Silver Armor interjected, his single remark drawing everyone's attention.

Upon hearing his voice, their expressions tensed slightly, and all eyes turned towards the middle-aged man, their faces etched with profound resentment.

Similar to other settlements, Chui Mountain maintained two distinct military divisions: the regular Defensive Army and the elite Yellow Armor Army.

The Yellow Armor Army comprised three distinct corps: the First Army stood as the Duan Family’s direct forces, the Third Army represented the Mu Family’s direct bloodline, and the Second Army alone experienced joint command, alternating between the Duan and Mu Families. Despite this arrangement, the Mu Family wielded superior actual influence.

The sentinels presently on duty were all soldiers from the Third Army.

Following the conflict at Hongmen two years prior, where the Great Xia Lord, Xia Hong, severed the arms of Army Chief Mu Longhe and brought him into service under Great Xia, the standing of their unit, a direct force of the Mu Family, within the town experienced a considerable decline.

Consider the Northern Three Towns as an illustration; within the nine towns situated on the Moao South Slope, high-level internal power structures generally fell into two categories. One type, exemplified by Beishuo and Jin Mountain, was dominated by a single clan, with Beishuo overseen by the Yang Family and Jin Mountain by the Shangguan Family. The other type, such as Wuchuan, featured a shared governance between the Qin Family and the Ye Family.

Chui Mountain aligned with the latter category, maintaining a dual leadership of both the Duan Family and the Mu Family.

To be precise, Duan Hong was technically a subordinate to Mu Longhe in terms of generational standing. Chui Mountain's foundational establishment was initially a collaborative effort between Mu Longhe and Duan Zhao, Duan Hong’s father.

In the eighteen months since Mu Longhe’s departure, orchestrated by the younger generation of the Duan Family, Lord Duan Hong relentlessly intensified the suppression of the Mu Family. Initially, Duan Xing supplanted Mu Qingyu as the chief of the Inspectorate, followed by the dismissal of Zhu Ziying, Helian Shan, Qiu Sanming, and numerous other former subordinates of Mu Longhe.