Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1385 - 449: Fission Accelerates, Transfer of Military Authority, Military Petition and Mutiny (Part 2)

The Chui Mountain military structure mirrored Moao’s various towns, with both the Army Chief and the Lord holding authority over the entire army and the power to command three thousand elite troops from the Yellow Armor Army. Each of the remaining six Deputy Army Chiefs was tasked with leading two to three thousand troops from the Defensive Army.

Duan Mian and Mu Qinghe, besides each personally commanding three thousand troops of the Defensive Army, also held the esteemed positions of Commanders for the First and Third Yellow Armor Army, directly responsible for the area's defense. The other four Deputy Army Chiefs each led two thousand troops from the Defensive Army, overseeing the security of Chui Mountain’s four major camps: Jiangyan, Tie Ling, East Qing, and Pingkang.

One could only observe how times had shifted. The demise of Duan Chang in May two years prior had undeniably diminished the Duan Family’s military influence once more, allowing the Mu Family to prosper for a considerable period.

However, merely four months later, in September of that same year, Mu Longhe, the Army Chief, met with misfortune during the Hongmen battle, initiating a period of hardship for the Mu Family faction.

Commencing last year, Zhu Ziying, who held command of the Tie Ling camp, and Qiu Sanming, overseeing the Pingkang camp, were successively stripped of their Deputy Army Chief roles. They were replaced by Duan Yang and Duan Chen, respectively. This trend continued until January of this year, when even his father, Helian Shan, could not evade the fate of dismissal, leaving him to reside idly at home.

The removal of these three Deputy Army Chiefs was merely the surface of a much larger upheaval.

Within the military, descending to the ranks of Commander, Colonel, and even Captain, any individual with deep affiliations to the Mu Family who either refused to align with the Duan Family or possessed ties too profound to sever was either discharged or expelled from service.

This purge extended beyond the military; all institutions, including the Inspectorate, the Chamber of Commerce, and other town-based organizations, underwent a significant restructuring. Numerous individuals associated with the Mu Family faction were ousted and replaced. At present, the military and governmental bodies of Chui Mountain were virtually entirely under the dominion of the Duan Family.

The struggle for power is, fundamentally, a pursuit of wealth. The primary objective behind controlling military and governmental institutions, to put it plainly, is the acquisition of town resources, or even more directly, securing greater cultivation resources and amassed silver.

Regardless of whether for individuals or entire families, inherent strength has always served as the bedrock for one’s standing. Cultivation resources represent the sole pathway to augmenting that strength.

Helian Ba, having surpassed fifty years of age, naturally grasped this fundamental truth.

His father, Helian Shan, now seventy-six years old, had, during the tenure of his mentor Mu Longhe, benefited from his Deputy Army Chief position to acquire substantial cultivation resources annually. Not to mention the accumulated wealth of over three million taels of silver, which had been the crucial factor in their family’s ascension into the ranks of Chui Mountain’s distinguished Helian Family.

Yet, since January of this year, following his father’s removal from the Deputy Army Chief post, his two uncles, Helian Cheng and Helian Gang, along with other members of the Helian Family, were systematically dismissed from their positions within the town’s various military and governmental institutions. By this current month, the Helian Family had been thoroughly relegated to the sidelines.

Being marginalized was one matter, but Lord Duan Hong offered them no new appointments; he treated them as commoners.

The Helian Family, comprising over a hundred individuals, suddenly found themselves facing increasingly difficult circumstances.

Although starvation was not a threat, and cultivation resources were not entirely absent, the transition from a life of plenty to one of scarcity proved challenging. Ease of movement from frugality to extravagance was simple; the reverse, however, was immensely difficult. The reduction in material provisions had already sown considerable discontent, not to mention the profound psychological shift.

Helian Ba distinctly recalled that his father, Helian Shan, had previously managed to advance his cultivation by one to two levels each year, thanks to his mentor’s favors and his own acquisitions of cultivation resources. But ever since the incident involving Mu Longhe two years ago, his father’s strength had remained stubbornly stagnant at 39 Manes.

Others might not comprehend the underlying reason, but as his son, Helian Ba was acutely aware of it.

His father, Helian Shan, given his advanced age, had long since attained the Peak Cultivation of the Cold Resistance Level.

To further enhance his strength, mere cultivation proved ineffective; only Dan Medicine offered a viable solution.

And for elevating strength at the Peak Cultivation of the Cold Resistance Level, the Nine Towns Territory currently possessed only four distinct types of Dan Medicine: the Tiger Power Pill sourced from Jinshan Town, the Dragon Carp Pill from Jiangxia Town, the Green Cod Pill originating from Bashang Town, and the recently developed Black Death Pill by Great Xia.

In truth, during the battle at Dajue Temple two years prior, the destruction of Bashang had led to the six Town Lords who divided Bashang Prefecture already sharing the precise formula for the Green Cod Pill.

The issue lies in the fact that possessing a formula grants no advantage if the necessary materials are unobtainable.

As its name suggests, the primary component of the Green Cod Pill is a creature known as the Green Cod, a Water Cold Beast exclusively inhabiting the Xing River Basin, with a significant concentration found within the Bashang Water Area.

This particular region is now entirely under the dominion of Great Xia. Consequently, Great Xia strictly prohibits any external parties from fishing in their waters and refuses to trade Green Cod with outsiders. This makes the Green Cod Pill formula utterly useless in practice.

Thus, to bolster strength for those at the Peak Cold Resistance Level, Chui Mountain is compelled to procure these pills from the three towns of Jinshan, Jiangxia, and Great Xia.

However, the inherent difficulty in producing such high-grade Dan Medicine presents a challenge. The three towns inevitably prioritize supplying their own populace at the Cold Resistance Level, making large-scale sales to Chui Mountain unlikely. This means Chui Mountain can only acquire a finite number of pills each year.

Prior to Great Xia's occupation of the East Exit, Chui Mountain could historically procure between 500 to 800 pills annually, depending on production fluctuations in Jinshan, Jiangxia, and Bashang. After Great Xia took control of the East Exit, their production saw an increase, which initially benefited Chui Mountain, allowing them to purchase 1200 pills two years ago and even more last year, reaching a total of 1400 pills.

While 1400 pills might seem substantial, it's actually a meager amount when considering the more than seven thousand individuals in Chui Mountain Town who have reached the Cold Resistance Level.

Certainly, not every individual at the Cold Resistance Level has reached Peak Cultivation, meaning not all require these Dan Medicines. The underlying problem, however, is that those with inferior Battle Body Talents tend to reach the Cold Resistance Level more rapidly. Therefore, even with careful calculations, there are at least over a thousand individuals who necessitate these pills. If distributed equally, each person would receive less than a single pill, rendering the enhancement of strength insignificant. It is therefore improbable that the town would adopt such a distribution method.