Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1389 - 449: Accelerated Fission, Military Power Transfer, Military Petition and Mutiny (Part 6)

Zhu Qingkai’s pronouncements were like forcefully shoving Duan Ming’s face into the dirt and grinding it in.

Upon hearing these words, Duan Ming’s countenance cycled through hues of blue and white. Though clearly incensed internally, he dared not offer a retort to Zhu Qingkai, merely standing with his fists tightly clenched.

"Useless!"

Despite their shared lineage, Duan Mian couldn't help but inwardly curse at Duan Ming’s pathetic display. He advanced slowly, fixing Zhu Qingkai with a hostile gaze and issuing a stern warning: "Captain Zhu, it is a grave offense to slander the Lord. I am offering you one chance to retract your statement, or do not fault this Commander for enforcing military law."

Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier the taste; Duan Mian sidestepped Zhu Qingkai's implicit jab at Duan Ming's strength. Instead, he latched onto a technicality in his words, accusing him of slandering the Lord and deftly seizing the initiative.

"Enough of this drivel! Commander Duan simply needs to explain why the Third Army is to be under Duan Ming's command! The Lord's directives, firstly, defy common sense, and secondly, breach established regulations. I now suspect these orders were haphazardly concocted by your Duan Family. We absolutely refuse to believe the Lord has become so utterly bewildered!"

Regrettably for Duan Mian, Zhu Qingkai appeared fully prepared for this confrontation. He first deftly deflected the accusation of slandering the Lord, then skillfully distanced the criticism from Duan Hong himself, directing his invective squarely at the entire Duan Family.

"How dare you!"

Duan Mian could restrain himself no longer. He and Mu Qinghe held equivalent ranks, and Zhu Qingkai, being the progeny of Mu Qinghe's junior, Zhu Ziying, found himself publicly challenged by a junior. Maintaining his dignity under such circumstances was impossible.

"Slandering the Lord, I shall ensure you face consequences today!"

Observing the more than a thousand soldiers glaring at him, Duan Mian quickly grasped that without intimidating these troops thoroughly, Duan Ming’s prospects of smoothly assuming command were negligible. Thus, he abandoned further verbal exchanges. Drawing his silver saber from his waist, he charged directly at Zhu Qingkai.

Duan Mian failed to notice that as he drew his saber, a flicker of light crossed the eyes of Mu Qinghe, who had been observing the scene impassively from the front of the main tent.

Swish......

The whistling of the blade surged like a tempest. Zhu Qingkai hesitated only for a moment before instantly retreating.

Unlike the other less capable members of the Duan Family, Duan Mian had served as Deputy Army Chief for over a decade, his Basic Strength reaching 43 Saeta, a level surpassing even Mu Qinghe. Confronting him directly, with only 28 Saeta of strength, would undoubtedly spell certain demise.

However, having positioned himself before the soldiers, upon retreating, he immediately fell back into the midst of the troops.

The soldiers of the Third Army clearly recognized Zhu Qingkai, the Captain of the First Camp. Witnessing his retreat towards them, they promptly created an opening, allowing him to enter unhindered, and then swiftly closed ranks, obstructing Duan Mian's pursuit.

"Get out of my way!"

Initiating an action without looking back, having committed to the strike, Duan Mian was resolved not to falter. Seeing the Third Army soldiers blocking his path, he neither slowed his advance nor paused. Instead, he let out an angry roar. Observing their continued obstruction, he twisted his wrist, changing the saber's orientation to its flat side, intending to sweep away the more than a dozen soldiers barring his progress.

Splat......

However, the execution of this sweep led to astonishing repercussions.

The armor of over a dozen soldiers directly in his path split open simultaneously. Dozens of gory blood sprays erupted, and the three soldiers at the very front were flung backward more than ten meters, crashing to the ground with audible snaps of breaking bones.

Splat......

Two soldiers collapsed, dead on the spot, while another clutched a grievous wound on his chest. He gazed up at Duan Mian, his face a mask of utter disbelief, seemingly unable to comprehend his fate.

"You... you..."

The soldier's lips trembled as he uttered a few disjointed words. Then, he abruptly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes falling closed as he succumbed to the ground, unmistakably deceased.

"This..."

Duan Mian stood dumbfounded for a moment, his gaze falling upon the bloodstains adorning the flat of his blade. He sensed a subtle wrongness but couldn't immediately articulate it.

Soon, however, the realization dawned upon him.

"Duan Mian, do you dare to slaughter our brothers!"

"Murdering your own kind, what sort of Deputy Army Chief are you?"

"Brothers, the Duan Family never intended for us to survive. Should Duan Ming assume the position of Commander, the Third Army will undergo a restructuring similar to the Second Army; the Duan Family plans to expel us from the military."

"The Duan Family intends to cede Chui Mountain to Beishuo. Once the Third Army is restructured, we will be integrated into Beishuo under the Duan Family's dominion, relegated to the status of second-class citizens!"

"Revolt!"

"Chui Mountain belongs to all of us, not just your Duan Family! Brothers can no longer bear this; enduring more leads to no future."

"Revolt!"

.........

The soldiers' clamors grew, and the content of their words struck Duan Mian, Duan Xian, and Duan Ming like lightning, turning their expressions ashen.

"Ever since the Army Chief met his demise at Hongmen, the Duan clan has been swaying the Lord to suppress the loyal, filling the Town with deep resentment. To curry favor with the Yang Family, you've allowed Beishuo infiltrators into the city, and it's likely you'll soon hand over Chui Mountain Town to Beishuo.

Furthermore, you now raise your blades against your own, slaughtering comrades. The Duan clan's crimes are beyond counting. If the Lord will not remove you, I, Mu Qinghe, will no longer tolerate your treachery. Brothers, if the treacherous Duan clan is not purged, the Lord may never awaken again..."

After a prolonged observation, Mu Qinghe finally broke his silence.

He continued to distinguish the Lord from the Duan clan, his tone growing increasingly somber as he meticulously listed the Duan clan's numerous transgressions over the past year. Pausing briefly, he drew the saber from his waist, faced the gathered soldiers, and sharply thrust it toward the heavens:

"Brothers, we are not revolting; we are staging a military remonstrance! Expel the treacherous Duan clan, awaken the Lord, and revitalize Chui Mountain!"

"Military remonstrance, revitalize Chui Mountain!"

"Military remonstrance, revitalize Chui Mountain!"

.........

"Mutiny! There is mutiny! First Army, Second Army, encircle the camp, quickly!"

"Hurry to encircle the camp, do not let a single soul escape, make haste!"

One soldier after another roared in fury, and the entire Inner City Camp was suddenly awash in chaos. The neighboring Yellow Armor First Army and Second Army had already been alerted and, under the fierce commands of Duan Mian and Duan Xian, two thousand soldiers rapidly surrounded the Third Army's camp.

Witnessing the Third Army camp encircled, Duan Mian and Duan Xian's expressions eased slightly. However, this relief lasted for less than two breaths—

Swish... swish... swish......

Amidst earth-shattering roars, Mu Ziming, the Captain of the Second Camp who had remained silent until now, suddenly produced a Longbow from his back. He nocked three Iron Arrows, then successively shot them toward the sky.

These three Iron Arrows appeared specially crafted with coal powder. Once launched into midair, they swiftly ignited, leaving behind a straight trail of fire that lingered for three to four breaths.

Just as the three fiery arcs were about to vanish.

Other skies above the Town also lit up with similar arcs of fire.

Counting carefully, there were at least twenty to thirty!

"Mutiny! The Mu clan is launching a mutiny..."

Duan Mian's face turned a deathly pale, his pupils widening in utter panic.

At this juncture, if he still couldn't comprehend, he would be utterly foolish!

Everything that transpired today had been meticulously pre-designed by Mu Qinghe. From the moment he had struck at the soldiers, he had fallen directly into the trap.

"The Lord was truly not mistaken; the Mu clan actually dared to launch a mutiny!"