Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1388 - 449: Accelerated Fission, Military Power Handover, Military Petition and Mutiny (Part 5)

A chilling cold seeped into Helian Ba's quarters as he sat, consumed by worry. The night began to recede, revealing a faint white glimmer in the sky.

A stir arose from the military camp; the soldiers were awakening.

Every soldier within the Yellow Armor Army possesses Cold Resistance Level Cultivation, which dictates a schedule vastly different from ordinary individuals. Their prime active hours are typically during the day and the first half of the night, with the latter half dedicated to rest.

Helian Ba, having remained awake through the entire night, observed the sounds from outside gradually subside. He, too, rose to depart his quarters. Upon his emergence, the two hundred soldiers of the Reconnaissance Camp were already impeccably attired and precisely lined up.

It is a fundamental regulation within the Yellow Armor Army: any soldier not in formation before their Colonel exits their quarters in the morning faces immediate punishment.

Witnessing the two hundred soldiers standing in perfect order before him, Helian Ba's gaze naturally conveyed his approval. Without preamble, he directed them to join the First and Second Camps stationed ahead of the main tent.

Just as Helian Ba reached the front rank, a hand emerged from within the main tent. Subsequently, Mu Qinghe, clad in silver armor and possessing a full head of white hair, stepped forth.

His demeanor was remarkably composed. Once outside, he addressed the assembled army in a resonant voice: "Today, there will be no formal assembly. The Lord's newly appointed Commander is on the verge of assuming command of the Third Army. Brothers, please accompany me as we await his arrival..."

"Such disciplined and imposing military bearing! Truly befitting the Yellow Armor Army!"

Coincidentally, as Mu Qinghe concluded his statement, a slightly impertinent middle-aged voice echoed from beyond the quarters.

The thousand soldiers of the Yellow Armor Army maintained their forward gaze, with only Mu Qinghe, Helian Ba, Mu Ziming, and Zhu Qingkai—the Colonels of the Third Camp—turning their heads towards the source of the voice outside the quarters.

Appearing from beyond the quarters were three individuals. The man in the center, a lean figure equipped with a long saber, appeared to be around fifty years of age, much like Helian Ba;

Flanking him were two white-haired elderly men, clearly of the same generation as Mu Qinghe.

"Ah, Duan Ming arrives, early to offer apologies to Commander Mu. Were it not for the Lord's decree, I would never have so readily accepted the position of Commander."

The middle-aged man, saber in hand, accompanied by the two elderly men, advanced to the forefront of the main tent. Despite delivering words of apology and bowing deeply to Mu Qinghe, a disingenuous smile graced his lips, hinting strongly at duplicity.

This middle-aged man was, indeed, Duan Ming, whom Lord Duan Hong had designated to succeed Mu Qinghe as the Commander of the Yellow Armor's Three Armies.

Mu Qinghe first cast a cold glance at Duan Ming, then deliberately ignored him, directing his attention instead to the two elders at his side. With a sneer, he remarked, "For a standard transfer of military authority, you deemed it necessary to bring along two Deputy Army Chiefs. If the Lord harbors such distrust, why then entrust the Third Army to him?"

Those two elders were none other than the current Deputy Army Chiefs of Chui Mountain: Duan Mian and Duan Xian. Not only did they hold the positions of Deputy Army Chiefs, but they also concurrently commanded the First and Second Yellow Armor Armies, respectively.

It was evident that Lord Duan Hong recognized Duan Ming's inability to manage the situation alone, thus dispatching Duan Mian and Duan Xian to ensure a seamless transition of military command of the Third Army from Mu Qinghe.

"Brother Mu, we have known each other for decades, and now that we are both nearing the end of our lives; let us dispense with further words and hand over the Commander's Seal!"

Upon hearing Duan Mian's words, Mu Qinghe retrieved a silver Commander's Seal from his chest. Etched on the front were the words "Chui Mountain Yellow Armor," and on the back, "Third Army."

Lifting the Spirit Talisman that symbolized the military power of the Third Army, Mu Qinghe took a deep breath before proceeding to the front of the Third Army. He then proclaimed loudly, "By the Lord's command, I must obey. This Commander's Seal shall be transferred to Duan Ming today. Henceforth, the Third Army will be under the leadership of Duan Ming!"

With that, he directly passed the Commander's Seal to Duan Ming.

Duan Ming eagerly accepted the Commander's Seal, his countenance alight with jubilation, entirely oblivious to the subtle, cold expression that was silently forming in Mu Qinghe's eyes.

"The Third Army recognizes only one Commander!"

An abrupt voice cut through the ranks, instantly extinguishing the nascent joy on Duan Ming's face.

Duan Mian and Duan Xian, however, displayed little surprise. They turned their heads towards the ranks and swiftly identified the speaker.

"Besides Commander Mu, we acknowledge no one!"

"There's only one Commander with the Mu surname in the Third Army."

"Who is Duan Ming? We've never heard of him."

......

However, even after identifying the speaker, it was to no avail as voices from the ranks continued to grow louder.

The newly appointed Commander Duan Ming was directly challenged by the soldiers, his initial joy completely replaced by fury.

As if anticipating this reaction, Duan Mian stepped forward. His entire being radiated power, his white beard flowing as if stirred by a phantom wind. Facing the soldiers, he roared, "Are you defying military orders? Are you plotting a rebellion?"

The soldiers were visibly shaken by his question, and the clamor instantly ceased.

"The Lord appoints based on personal preference. What sort of military order is this? Duan Ming's strength, at 28 maneuvers, doesn't even match mine. He's not worthy to even clean the Commander's boots, let alone lead my Third Army!"

While the soldiers remained silent, the three Colonels were unfazed.

Zhu Qingkai of the First Camp, in particular, possessed a formidable talent in the Sword Dao, matching Duan Ming's 28 maneuvers. In fact, many who had only just surpassed 30 maneuvers hesitated to claim victory over him.