Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1392 - 450: Out of Control, Intimidation and Naivete, The Battlefield Becomes Clear, the Beautiful Cai Shiqing [Subscribe!]_3

Within the side hall adjacent to the main hall, a banquet was currently underway.

A circular table occupied the center of the side hall, with two individuals seated opposite each other. On the left sat Duan Hong, the acknowledged Lord of Chui Mountain. On the right was a young man clad in blue, appearing no older than nineteen, with more than forty individuals standing behind him. Among this group, approximately ten were of a similar age, while the remainder were middle-aged men.

It was quite apparent that despite Duan Hong's solitary presence on the left, his formidable aura alone possessed the power to overwhelm the forty individuals assembled on the opposite side. Nonetheless, a discernible trace of anxiety clouded his features at this moment, and he kept glancing towards the entrance, evidently preoccupied with the unfolding rebellion.

The young man in blue, conversely, exuded an air of composure. He held a wine cup in his hand, and a discernible arrogance persisted in his gaze, unwavering even when meeting Duan Hong's eyes.

In stark contrast to Duan Hong, this young man in blue projected the image of the true master of Chui Mountain.

"Lord Duan, you have borne witness to this Princely Heir's capabilities! The internal state of Chui Mountain was already precarious; within a mere month spent in this Town, this Princely Heir has successfully instigated this rebellion, a fact that is beyond dispute. Should you hastily align yourself with Beishuo, it would only invite greater calamity upon Chui Mountain. If you pledge to this Princely Heir that you will cease all association with Beishuo from this point forward, I shall immediately dispatch my men to locate Mu Qinghe and order them to stand down. What say you?"

At this juncture, Cai Shiqi was filled with an exhilarating sense of triumph. Witnessing Duan Hong, visibly agitated by the commotion outside, stripped of his dignified bearing as the Lord of Chui Mountain, brought him immense psychological satisfaction. The sheer pleasure of dominating a Xianyang Level powerhouse undeniably fueled his enjoyment, causing his smugness to intensify with each passing moment.

He even employed a patronizing tone when posing his question to the other party.

Upon hearing Cai Shiqi's words, Duan Hong turned his head to face him. Having engaged with him for a considerable duration, he was well aware of the Cai Qiu Prince's temperament. Therefore, observing Cai Shiqi's self-satisfied expression, Duan Hong felt no surprise whatsoever. He merely offered a gentle shake of his head and stated, "The Princely Heir certainly possesses a degree of cunning, but to presume you can dismantle all of Chui Mountain by merely cornering me is rather naive!"

As he finished speaking, Duan Hong's body abruptly vibrated, releasing an overwhelming surge of Qi that nearly sent the table toppling.

However, as his Qi extended approximately five meters from the circular table, it encountered an invisible golden screen. Reacting to the infusion of energy, the screen erupted in a brilliant luminescence, rapidly manifesting as a golden barrier encompassing a radius of five meters. This golden barrier then securely contained the area within its confines, including the table itself.

The table was on the verge of overturning, and Cai Shiqi was compelled to rise to his feet. A flicker of anger began to surface on his countenance as he gazed at Duan Hong, seemingly oblivious, or perhaps deliberately disregarding, the fact that he stood before an actual Xianyang Level powerhouse.

Alternatively, it could be that he simply did not consider the Xianyang Level Duan Hong to be a threat worthy of his concern.

Even an inanimate clay figurine would eventually lose its temper, let alone Duan Hong, the esteemed master of Chui Mountain. He fixed his gaze directly upon Cai Shiqi, his expression darkening slightly. Suppressing the burgeoning anger within his heart, he spoke in a resonant voice, "The Princely Heir's methods of rebellion are hardly remarkable, but this golden barrier you employ is indeed quite something..."

It was more than just 'quite something'; it was an unbelievable feat for a Cold Resistance Level cultivator to trap a Xianyang Level expert within the Nine Towns Territory. Such extraordinary measures could only be orchestrated by a Feudal Town.

Duan Hong had, in fact, anticipated the rebellion's occurrence.

Few occurrences within the Town could elude his notice as its Lord. The increasingly close association between Mu Qinghe and Cai Shiqi in recent times had not gone unnoticed by Duan Hong; he had long been aware of their clandestine collusion.

Just prior to the dawn, Cai Shiqi had dispatched an envoy to extend an invitation for a banquet in the side hall. Knowing that Mu Qinghe was scheduled to relinquish military authority at dawn, Duan Hong immediately deduced that Cai Shiqi and Mu Qinghe were poised to make their move.

The nature of the rebellion was not difficult to surmise; the Mu Family wielded considerable influence within the military. With the backing of Cai Shiqi, the Cai Qiu Prince, there was virtually nothing Mu Qinghe would hesitate to undertake.

Duan Hong's sole miscalculation was failing to anticipate Cai Shiqi's resourcefulness.

The moment the sounds of mutiny from the military camp reached his ears, his immediate instinct was to go out and confront the situation. To his astonishment, however, Cai Shiqi had, without his knowledge, erected this golden barrier, effectively trapping him within.

Observing the golden barrier, Duan Hong deliberated for a moment before continuing with a smile, "It is regrettable that this barrier will only endure for a single hour. Does the Princely Heir truly believe that Mu Qinghe and his band of rebels possess the capability to overthrow my entire Chui Mountain Town?"

The concluding part of his statement was delivered with a tinge of mocking rhetorical flourish.Upon hearing the words, Cai Shiqi's visage immediately became grim. He responded with a frigid scoff, "It's broad daylight, and your Chui Mountain possesses a mere tally of just over seven thousand Cold Resistance Levels, not even seven thousand within the Town itself. Faced with this rebellion, Mu Qinghe has marshalled close to four thousand individuals. Without your presence, my Lord, I can scarcely fathom what prospects the Duan Family truly holds..." Cai Shiqi's ultimate aim was never to usurp the Duan Family of Chui Mountain. Thus, after uttering these words, he swiftly altered his demeanor and proceeded, "Lord Duan, I have diligently sought to sway you for a full month. This Princely Heir has no desire to expend further breath on this matter. I shall impart but one final declaration: Cai Qiu harbors no aspirations to overturn the present order of Chui Mountain. Should you provide assurance that you will not align with Beishuo, I shall instantly command Mu Qinghe to stand down!" Beyond Beishuo lies Chen Cang. To turn towards Beishuo signifies an alliance with Chen Cang. At this present juncture, Cai Qiu and Chen Cang are in no position to mount a significant southward offensive. Consequently, their only recourse is to first foster a proxy within the Nine Towns Territory. The predicament at hand is exceedingly apparent. Chen Cang has explicitly chosen Beishuo as their allegiance. However, they within Cai Qiu have yet to designate a suitable proxy. In their indecision, they can only resort to sabotaging Chen Cang's strategic maneuvering, thereby preventing Chen Cang from further consolidating their power!