Chapter 28: Merely Surviving Is Not Enough |
"Brother..." Xia Chuan blurted out, accidentally reverting to calling Xia Hong "brother" again. A sharp glare from Xia Hong made him quickly correct himself.
"Leader, we all agree we should return to the old system - ninety percent of the Frost Beast meat should go to us hunters, with the remaining ten percent distributed to others. This way we grow stronger faster, and our prey will increase accordingly."
Yuan Cheng couldn't hold back from adding: "Also, the current two Crystal Fruits per person daily is too much. We should revert to one per day - just enough to sustain them. Those three Crystal Fruit Trees haven't borne new fruit yet. At our current consumption rate, we'll exhaust our supply in just over a month. If new fruits don't grow in time, we'll face serious trouble."
Xia Hong had long anticipated their desire to restore the old ways.
Including himself, the camp now had eight Lumberjack Realm cultivators - nearly matching the numbers from when Xia Ding led them. With the lumberjack team reformed, tradition dictated the old rules should resume.
Not just Yuan Cheng and Yue Feng, even his younger brother Xia Chuan shared this view.
Xia Hong didn't answer immediately. His gaze swept across the gathered men before he spoke deliberately:
"Let me ask you something - what are your seven personal goals?"
"To survive," Xia Chuan answered first.
"To survive, and protect my younger brother."
"To protect my sister and survive."
Though phrased differently, their answers shared the same essence - survival and protecting loved ones.
"Then why bother hunting at such great risk when we could simply gather Crystal Fruits daily?"
Xia Hong's question stunned them.
"Because you all know only by growing stronger can we truly survive, correct?"
Nods all around.
"Then when I killed my first Snow Mane, I should have kept all the Frost Beast flesh for myself. Consuming it all would have made me stronger faster, ensuring my survival, no?"
His words struck like thunder. Shame gradually colored their expressions.
"My goal is to grow stronger to survive - same as yours, same as theirs." Xia Hong gestured toward the other camp members gathered around the bonfire.
"Having hunted alongside me recently, you've witnessed how Frost Beasts overwhelmingly outmatch us. Whether relying on just me or our eight Lumberjack Realm members - none can guarantee survival."
He paused meaningfully.
"Not even thirteen could. Otherwise, our fathers' generation wouldn't have perished, right?"
"I shared the Frost Beast meat because survival requires more than individual strength. I hoped you'd break through quickly - more Lumberjack Realm members mean safer expeditions, greater harvests in both lumber and hunting."
"Now I allocate most meat to the camp's other youths with the same purpose - to increase our Lumberjack Realm numbers, to build a stronger force."
Seeing them deep in thought, Xia Hong sighed quietly. At its core, this was about resource distribution - always contentious, especially when survival hung in the balance.
Was Xia Ding's old system flawed?
Not inherently.
But circumstances differed. Back then, Great Xia Camp couldn't hunt systematically - Frost Beast meat came sporadically. With many mouths and scant meat, prioritizing the lumberjack team made sense.
Now, armed with Small Torches to lure Frost Beasts, they hunted regularly. While not abundant, meat supply had increased dramatically. Clinging blindly to old ways would alienate people and stifle the camp's growth.
Consider this: Xia Hong had already delegated lumbering duties to Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng, freeing himself to scout terrain and locate Frost Beasts. Soon, with enough Lumberjack Realm members, they could form specialized teams - some dedicated to hunting, others to lumbering, fruit gathering, or reconnaissance.
Any organization seeking progress required division of labor - specialized roles maximizing efficiency. A simple concept from his past life, yet one he now patiently explained in terms they could grasp.
"Frost Beasts are formidable, but haven't you noticed? As more like Yue Feng and Lin Kai break through, our hunting success rises. Today Xu Ning advanced - tomorrow our odds improve further."
"Imagine twenty, thirty, even forty or fifty Lumberjack Realm warriors! We could overwhelm Snow Manes or Frost Wolves through sheer numbers. Would meat shortages still plague us?"
Their eyes lit up with realization. Recent hunts had proven their success rate climbed with each new breakthrough. Xia Hong's vision of dozens overwhelming Frost Beasts made them reconsider.
Their experience centered on Snow Manes and Frost Wolves. While limited, this granted deep understanding. Snow Manes possessed tremendous strength (around ten thousand jin), while Frost Wolves relied on speed rather than power. With forty to fifty Lumberjack Realm fighters, surrounding these beasts seemed entirely feasible.
"Mark my next words carefully."
Xia Hong stood, pointing solemnly at the bonfire crowd.
"You spoke of protecting family - brothers, sisters, mothers. This is good. But remember: the wilderness brims with danger. None can guarantee returning safely from every hunt."
"Should any of us fall, our loved ones remain among those you'd deprive. If someone then proposed denying them meat and restricting them to one Crystal Fruit daily... would you want me to agree?"
His final question struck like a gong, vibrating through their cores.
The realization of their selfishness hit them like physical blows. Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng, who'd advocated for the old ways, hung their heads in shame.
"We are one entity. As such, we cannot think only of ourselves. Frost Beast meat matters because it strengthens us - but if only a few grow powerful, we repeat the previous lumberjack team's fate."
"Against Abominations, we couldn't fight back - only await slaughter."
"Therefore, we must elevate our collective strength. When all camp members reach Lumberjack Realm, will Frost Beasts still terrify us? Even Abominations would face resistance."
"And when I say 'all,' that includes your families."
Xia Hong's impassioned speech transformed their shame into determination. Even bystanders drawn to his words appeared deeply moved.
"Survival is indeed our goal - but merely surviving isn't enough. We must live with dignity, with pride."
"We are humans - not creatures cowering in shadows."
"The Frost Beasts and Abominations are the monsters."
"And one day, I'll make them kneel trembling before me - before Great Xia Camp!"
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