Previously on Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely...
Under Li Xuanling's stirring speech, the Nine Towns alliance was proposed to defend against the encroaching Feudal Towns. Jiangxia, Muyin, and Chui Mountain quickly agreed, followed by Dragon Valley and Yangqu, solidifying Great Xia's position as the leader of the South Ridge alliance, much to the dismay of the Yang brothers.
"Qin Feng from Wuchuan is willing to join the alliance and jointly resist the invasion of foreign territories!"
"Shangguan Yang from Jin Mountain is also willing to form an alliance with each town to defend the Nine Towns!"
The ones changing their stance were certainly not limited to the Yang Zhun brothers.
Below, Cai Shiqi, who was clutching his broken finger with his head lowered, upon hearing the voices of Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng, felt a surge of overwhelming anger rising in his pupils.
"Playing me, they’re all playing me, treating me like a monkey..."
Last September, he went to Jin Mountain and Wuchuan, sought informally to express Cai Qiu’s invitation to Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng, who ambiguously pretended to agree but never gave a clear response, always evading with irrelevant talk.
Thinking back now, these two were playing him from start to finish.
Shangguan Yang and Qin Feng didn’t want to pledge allegiance to Cai Qiu at all.
No wonder when he wanted to intervene in the Chui Mountain matter, neither of them was willing to help.
Not just these two, even including Long Mingyuan and Cao Qianyang, the four of them were clearly hiding in Chui Mountain Town all along, watching this military coup unfold.
Cai Shiqi, though only nineteen this year, seemed young; this journey to the Nine Towns utterly shattered the pride he had held as the princely heir of Cai Qiu.
If you lack strength, no matter how noble your birth, at most they’ll show you three parts respect. To truly have them listen to you and act according to your intent, beyond showcasing strength that compels respect, there’s no other way.
As Cai Shiqi’s thoughts were flipping inside him, the Yang Zhun brothers over there had already become the focus of all eyes.
Not only the Eight Town Lords including Li Xuanling, Mu Longhe, Xiahou Zhang, Murong Chui, Long Mingyuan, Cao Qianyang, Shangguan Yang, and Qin Feng, but also the nearly twenty thousand Cold Resistance level soldiers of Great Xia and Chui Mountain, and even the two thousand surviving Beishuo soldiers were all looking up at them.
Others aside, most eyes carried a mocking amusement, but those two thousand Beishuo soldiers’ gazes were indeed filled with hope.
The reason is simple: as long as Yang Zhun agrees to the Nine Towns alliance, Great Xia won’t have a reason to kill them.
Who doesn’t want to live?
The Beishuo soldiers haven’t figured it out, in reality, Yang Zhun and Yang Fa no longer had the option to say no.
"Though Beishuo colluded with Chen Cang in practice, I imagine Yang Zhun must have been coerced by Chen Cang to commit such an unwise act. As long as he returns from the wrong path and wakes up in time, Beishuo is still one of the Nine Towns!"
Upon hearing Li Xuanling’s words, Yang Zhun’s fist tightened a bit more suddenly, but noticing the Seven Town Lords’ gaze turning unfriendly, he abruptly relaxed his hand, stepped slightly forward, and bowed towards Li Xuanling’s direction:
"Defending the Nine Towns against foreign enemies, Beishuo has an unshirkable duty!"
Thus, the Nine Towns Alliance was truly established...
Even though Li Xuanling had rehearsed today’s scene many times before, when she truly saw Beishuo yielding and bowing, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief rise in her eyes, and the corner of her lips under the veil curled into a subtle and alluring arc.
"This is indeed good. Today, the Eight Town Lords are present, only my husband Xia Hong, who is in seclusion, is absent. As his wife, I apologize on his behalf; he has reached a critical point in his cultivation and indeed cannot come out..."
It’s another critical moment!
With the Hongmen battle two years ago being so strong, what will happen when he emerges this time?
Li Xuanling didn’t know that her words again caused great shock within Yang Zhun and the other eight’s hearts. She paused slightly before smilingly continuing:
"Though my husband is not here, I can make the decision on the alliance matters. Since the Chui Mountain’s military coup is over, it would be better to settle this today at Chui Mountain Town and discuss the alliance details directly, saving the trouble in the future. I wonder what you all think?"
"The old man agrees!"
"It’s good to settle at Chui Mountain; the alliance of the Nine Towns should not be delayed!"
"The lady is right, Cao agrees!"
......
Not to mention the Cold Resistance level army numbering fifteen thousand, Great Xia at present brings the power of four towns, coupled with nearly two years of prior planning and brewing, the Nine Towns alliance faces no obstacles.
Though Xia Hong is absent, the corpse of Duan Hong on the ground is still steaming, and Shangguan Yang, Qin Feng, Cao Qianyang, Long Mingyuan naturally will not utter contrary voices.
Yang Zhun, filled with reluctance, found himself compelled to join the alliance due to the prevailing circumstances. He had no choice but to concede, aligning with the Four Town Lords in accepting Li Xuanling’s proposition.
He dared not even cast a fleeting glance towards Chu Yan’er, who lay prone on the ground.
"Yuan Cheng, Qiu Peng, take these individuals from Chu Yan’er and Cai Shiqi’s factions, including their retinues from the two subordinate towns, and hold them temporarily. We shall deliberate with the Eight Lords before making any further decisions."
"Understood!"
Upon receiving the command, Yuan Cheng and Qiu Peng sprang into action. Immediately, a hundred scouts from the Dragon Slayer and Fei Peng armies formed a cordon around the groups associated with Chu Yan’er and Cai Shiqi.
"How dare you..."
"Little Princess, Prince, fret not. This is merely a temporary confinement, so there is no need for undue anxiety. As long as you conduct yourselves properly, you shall avoid excessive hardship. Considering your noble bloodlines, my soldiers may not exercise the utmost gentleness. Should you choose defiance and any harm befalls you, do not claim ignorance of my prior warning."
While addressing them as Little Princess and Prince, Yuan Cheng's words were laced with a mocking smile, devoid of genuine respect. Two hundred elite soldiers, upon hearing his voice, unsheathed their formidable Big Sabers. Their combined vital energies coalesced into a crimson mist, exerting pressure upon the two assembled groups.
Chu Yan’er, suppressing her displeasure, quickly submitted and followed the soldiers without further ado. Cai Shiqi, however, offered some resistance initially, but under the soldiers' menacing presence, he too reluctantly complied.
