Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1440 - 459: Interlude Before the Hall, Moving Progress, Blood Cold Beast and Copper Bone Corpse Demon (2)

He suddenly halted then, his gaze fixing on Xia Hong, and he resumed his query, "To nurture a cultivator like Brother Hong, the Great Qin Feudal Town's might must certainly eclipse my Cai Qiu. Would Prince Hong enlighten us on Great Qin's true strength? It would serve to broaden our perspectives, wouldn't it?"

An immediate silence descended upon the hall, and all present, Cai Yunlan included, inevitably turned their heads toward Xia Hong.

Regardless of one's location, persistent inquiries are commonplace. After all, these are the high-ranking officials of Feudal Towns, formidable figures at the Xianyang Level. The notion of easily deceiving them is far from simple…

Recollecting the interrogations encountered at Qinghua City and Lin Chu County, and further compounded by Fan Qinghu's probing demeanor upon their meeting, Xia Hong couldn't suppress an inward sigh. Nevertheless, maintaining an impassive countenance, he contemplated for a moment before a smile touched his lips as he spoke:

"Indeed, to elaborate, while Great Qin may not match Cai Qiu in scale, certain parallels exist. For instance, Great Qin presides over three states and nineteen counties, with each major county city boasting population territories comparable to those under Cai Qiu's jurisdiction across its four counties..."

Upon absorbing this information, Fan Qinghu and his cohort exhibited no discernible shift in their expressions.

Xia Hong was not taken aback, as he had conveyed similar details in Qinghua City previously.

The senior leadership of the Feudal Towns had taken notice, and consequently, all his public pronouncements and actions had been under scrutiny for some time. Fan Qinghu and his associates were evidently already apprised of this.

Therefore, without offering some truly astonishing revelations, achieving the desired effect would prove challenging.

While Xia Hong's mind was actively calculating, his words continued to flow.

"Beneath the Great Qin Landgrave, the most powerful individuals are the Governors of each of the three states: Qingzhou Governor Bai Qi, Yu State Governor Lv Buwei, and Yangzhou Governor Wang Jian. These three men..."

He paused momentarily, observing the palpable curiosity in everyone's eyes, and then proceeded: "Are all formidable experts within the Fifth Transformation Tribulation Body Realm!"

Phew…

As his declaration concluded, a brief stillness enveloped the entire hall.

Including Fan Qinghu, more than a hundred others at the Xianyang Level displayed pupils that visibly trembled, their gazes subsequently locking onto Xia Hong, brimming with a mixture of astonishment and profound disbelief.

"It appears my conjecture was accurate; the pinnacle of cultivation among the Four Vassal Landgraves is merely the Fifth Transformation Tribulation Body Realm, and thus far, no one in Moao River has breached the Venerable Realm!"

The fabricated narrative was spun swiftly, yet the expectation of complete and utter belief from everyone was unrealistic. This was especially true considering the more than a hundred figures present were the core elite at the highest echelon of the Feudal Towns; none were simpletons.

Consequently, the reaction unfolding at this moment did not deviate from Xia Hong's expectations.

Crucially, he did not anticipate absolute belief; as long as a degree of skepticism was maintained, this carefully constructed fabrication would serve its intended purpose.

Thus, the current outcome was precisely as he had hoped.

Furthermore, by gauging their reactions, he could infer the highest combat prowess on the Feudal Towns' side, accomplishing two objectives simultaneously.

"With such formidable strength demonstrated by Great Qin, I must endeavor to visit someday. However, I understand Great Qin is situated east of Lulong. I wonder, Prince Hong, how did you manage to traverse Cold Wave Lake to reach our Cai Qiu?"

Still probing, this Fan Qinghu is truly relentless!

Xia Hong's hesitation lingered for three to four breaths before he let out a slight sigh: "Sigh! Hong understands; such matters, mere words are insufficient proof, and it's unlikely anyone would readily believe them. Cai Qiu's ceaseless probing, Hong also finds it somewhat vexing. Perhaps it's best to speak frankly with everyone..."

A hint of exasperation flickered across his features. He shook his head and continued: "It was Uncle Lu Junyang, the Landgrave of Lulong Feudal Town, who personally escorted me to Cai Qiu. This matter is rather sensitive, and Uncle Lu prefers that too few people learn of it. I trust everyone can maintain discretion regarding this."

At this revelation, a palpable tension immediately seized everyone present.

Fan Qinghu's pupils contracted slightly, but he soon offered a smile, waving his hand dismissively. "Prince Hong, please accept my apologies. The Ice Abyss is fraught with peril, and the Landgrave has repeatedly instructed us to exercise extreme vigilance towards outsiders; it is merely ingrained habit. East River County's Prefectural Governor, Fan Zijing, is my father. He resides in proximity to Cold Wave Lake; I shall dispatch a missive immediately to have him verify with Lulong Prefecture, and answers will be forthcoming in due course."

"It does seem that way. You all probing time and again, making me feel like some kind of deceitful person. It appears the invitation from Brother Yunlan to help at Blood Miasma Plain is a fabrication, with Admiral Fan's true intention being to investigate further. Given this situation, I shall not intrude any longer and will return to the county city. Hmph!"

Not only was Xia Hong's tone laced with anger, but his expression also conveyed a profound sense of indignation. Without even glancing at Cai Yunlan, he let out a cold snort and directly turned to walk towards the hall door.

"Brother Hong..."

Fan Qinghu, initially taken aback, gradually showed panic in his eyes after a moment of thought. Seeing Xia Hong depart without a word, he immediately turned his head to cast a look at Cai Yunlan.

"Brother Hong, please stop! Brother Hong, wait... I swear, this invitation for you to assist at Blood Miasma Plain was genuine, with absolutely no other hidden motives. Admiral Fan's actions have nothing to do with me. I sincerely apologize..."

Cai Yunlan moved forward swiftly, intercepting Xia Hong, and followed up with earnest, sworn apologies.

"Very well. Although our acquaintance is brief, Brother Yunlan, Hong understands your character. Ultimately, Hong is an outsider here, and your suspicion and caution are understandable. Fortunately, Hong has done nothing wrong so far. If my presence is unwelcome, I shall depart soon!"

However, Xia Hong remained unmoved, still indicating his intention to leave.

"This misjudgment is entirely my fault. I hope Prince Hong will forgive me. The looming threat from Blood Miasma Plain endangers the survival of Cai Qiu. We implore Prince Hong to consider the millions of lives in Cai Qiu and stay to offer your assistance."