Chapter 83: Establishing a One-Man Rule |
After a series of disasters, coupled with the recent encounter with the frost wolf pack, Xia Hong’s understanding and reflection on the plight of humans in the Ice Abyss world and the organizational form of camps deepened significantly.
Abominations, Frost Beasts, extreme weather, and even other human camps—all posed lethal dangers. This hellish survival environment dictated that sacrifice would be the recurring theme for all camps.
Even with the system backing him, Xia Hong was no exception.
Compared to Frost Beasts and Abominations, humans were just too weak!
Especially camps like Great Xia, which were at the bottom tier, were as humble as ants.
A single low-level Abomination or a pack of low-tier Frost Beasts were fatal crises for Great Xia.
Not to mention the Lumberjack Realm, even with his current Digging Realm strength, encountering these creatures was almost a matter of life and death.
Ordinary people didn't stand a chance and only faced death.
Unity was humanity’s only way out.
Great Xia must enforce a single authoritative voice.
In other words, Xia Hong had to establish a one-man rule!
Human minds were treacherous; ten thousand people had ten thousand ideas. Even one camp like Great Xia was complicated enough. Now, with the merger of two camps, the situation was even more complex.
When they had just encountered the frost wolf pack, Xia Hong had instructed Li Baihe and the other four to give up rescuing ordinary people. The five hesitated for more than ten breaths before turning their arrows away.
Those ten breaths might have only caused a few more deaths this time, but what about the next?
In moments critical to life and death, even a moment’s hesitation could cause irreparable consequences.
Xia Hong wasn’t so confident to believe that every decision he made was 100% correct, but at certain critical moments, especially in desperate situations, what the camp needed was a decision that everyone could believe in and execute.
As for whether the decision was right or wrong, it was irrelevant.
One-man rule would lead to excessive concentration of personal authority, ultimately deifying an individual and creating a god out of thin air, which might be undesirable in civilized society.
But in the Ice Abyss environment, it was absolutely the best way to gather people’s hearts and unify the collective.
He had heard Shi Qing mention before that Yang Li and another person showed an almost fanatical respect and obsession toward the so-called great lord Yang Zun. Back then, Xia Hong was merely curious but didn’t understand.
Now, he could understand.
Perhaps without such a system, Beishuo Town could never have developed into a massive population of nearly one hundred thousand and might have long since perished due to various accidents.
Besides uniting everyone, Xia Hong’s second purpose in creating a one-man rule atmosphere was to prepare for future resource collection.
Upgrading the Wooden Dummy to level two required 3,000 wood and 6,000 iron;
Upgrading the Grinding Stone to level two required 5,000 coal and 10,000 iron;
Upgrading the Medicine Pot to level two required 20,000 wood, 20,000 coal, 10,000 iron, and the generation of ten recipe types.
Upgrading the level two Smelting Furnace to level three required 2,000 wood and 5,000 iron.
The resource requirements for upgrading these four camp buildings that were currently open were astronomical for Xia Hong.
Wood was exchanged at a rate of one point per 1,000 jin; coal, one point per 20 jin; iron, one point per 10 jin. Xia Hong calculated that even if nearly five hundred people in the camp all broke through to Digging Realm overnight, it would still take at least decades to gather enough resources to upgrade all four buildings.
No, decades wouldn’t be enough—they still had consumption.
Therefore, Xia Hong needed a massive population for resources.
This was also why Xia Hong had directly invited the Huang Zhao and Great Chuan camps to join.
Though ordinary people were useless in combat, without ordinary people, where would the Digging Realm practitioners come from?
The Lumberjack and Digging Realms were the absolute mid to high-level personnel in the Ice Abyss human world, considered privileged.
Frost Beast meat was the only gateway for humans to reach these realms.
Xia Hong already foresaw that in the future, the camp would need a group of people specifically dedicated to lumbering and mining for these resources.
But once they had strength, no one would willingly do these tasks every day.
Even in large camps, Lumberjack and Digging Realm practitioners were already mid to high-tier privileged members.
So possessing absolute authority became extremely important.
Of course, Xia Hong did not expect to achieve one-man rule simply by asking this question; this inquiry was only a start.
Xia Hong could roughly guess the responses from the crowd.
But he wasn’t in a hurry and quietly waited for them to speak.
Perhaps sensing the seriousness in Xia Hong’s tone, the silence inside the wooden cabin lasted for more than a hundred breaths.
“If the four-tier Frost Beast meat distribution rule we discussed just now can really be implemented successfully by the leader in the camp, then I will entrust my life to the leader!”
Finally, a young man from Rogge Camp spoke.
“I agree as well. If I can receive a fixed share of Frost Beast meat long-term, I am willing to entrust my life to the leader.”
“I agree. As long as the leader can deliver, I am willing to give you my life.”
…
With the first voice, the second and third followed…
Regardless of whether they were ordinary people or the fifteen cultivators present, almost all spoke up as time passed.
Without exception, their attitude was: as long as Frost Beast meat distribution was guaranteed, they would accept the conditions proposed by Xia Hong.
Xia Hong naturally understood their thoughts and did not explain anything, only looking at everyone with a solemn expression, saying:
“Good, I will guarantee that I will do it. You all remember what was said today!”
No matter how much was said, nothing was as effective as putting Frost Beast meat right in front of them.
Xia Hong understood this truth and thus didn’t elaborate further.
Suddenly, outside the door, Yue Feng came running and approached Xia Hong.
“Leader, Luo Ming is calling for you outside. It seems he’s ready to leave with some people.”
Xia Hong was momentarily stunned, then nodded. He first instructed Xia Chuan to settle the people from Great Xia camp inside the wooden cabin, then left alone.
Once out of the passageway, Xia Hong saw Luo Ming and twelve others already fully prepared outside the valley.
“Leader Luo, leaving in such a hurry?”
Xia Hong actually understood Luo Ming. Since he had brought the Great Xia people here, it was inappropriate for Luo Ming to stay longer. Also, he might have feared facing the over a hundred people left behind in the camp; after all, it was a fact that he had abandoned them.
Luo Ming placed his young son on the ground and approached Xia Hong with a face full of guilt, bowing deeply:
“Brother Xia Hong, thank you just now. I, Luo, am truly ashamed!”
Xia Hong was slightly surprised and then realized Luo Ming was referring to how he had spoken up for him in front of the people in Rogge Camp.
“Leader Luo, where are you going? Could you tell me?”
Upon hearing this, hesitation flashed across Luo Ming’s face.
“Don’t worry, Leader Luo. I won’t abandon these people. Leaving Redwood Ridge is just a precaution. If there’s a chance in the future, perhaps you and I can meet again.”
Seeing that Xia Hong had seen through his thoughts in one glance, Luo Ming bitterly smiled.
“It’s my fault.
Leader Xia, I won’t hide it from you. This time I am leaving with half of the camp’s stored coal and iron. I hope you can understand.”
Xia Hong glanced at the four bags behind Luo Ming and nodded without saying anything. It was normal to take some capital when joining another camp.
“Also, I left you two items. Take a look!”
While speaking, Luo Ming pulled out two scrolls made from Frost Beast pelts from his bosom.
Xia Hong took the scrolls and opened the first one. Upon seeing what was inside, a pleased expression appeared on his face.
Comments 1