Chapter 508: Xia Army’s Main Camp, the Father and Son Bringing News |
The Ice Abyss is cold both day and night, but comparatively, the daytime is even colder.
The low temperatures during the day are secondary; the key is the cold light emitted by that frigid sun in the sky, which is extremely invasive to the skin membrane. Before a human's skin membrane is fully formed, recklessly exposing oneself to the cold sun would lead to instant death.
During the ongoing conflict, the five northern towns may not have achieved a complete territory lockdown, but key cities directly under town control, like Baimu City, and important large strongholds are basically in a state of closure. All normal activities such as gathering, hunting, freight transport, and so on have been halted.
Intelligence is the key to deciding the outcome of war. This principle isn't understood by Great Xia alone; the five northern towns... no, it should be four northern towns now, certainly understand it too.
Unfortunately, the four northern towns do not have manpower as abundant as Great Xia's. Moreover, being the side forced to react to the attack, they naturally don't have much energy to spare to interfere with information transmission across the wilderness.
Speaking of which, it must be said that the four northern towns' control over their territories is completely on a different scale compared to Great Xia.
Take Beishuo as an example. The town's control over its seven subordinate districts is actually extremely loose. It boils down to two main measures: first, establishing large camps and stationing troops in the central areas of the seven districts; second, collecting tribute from all village-level camps within the districts every six months.
This model long ago predetermined that the vast majority of camps have almost no centripetal force towards Beishuo.
Of course, focusing on the major aspects while letting go of the minor ones isn't without its logic.
The problem is, out of this million-plus population, those at the Warmth Realm likely number less than 500. Even if we double that to 1,000, how much significance does that hold for Beishuo Town?
Great Xia established rules early on: the higher one's cultivation, the more hunting and gathering tasks one must undertake. Except for minors under fifteen, no one in all of Great Xia can reap without sowing.
But not all camps are like Great Xia. People have inherent laziness. Once life becomes comfortable and status rises, it becomes very difficult to get them to risk life and limb fighting Frost Beasts in the wilderness like before.
The Mo'ao Calendar marks a full 136 years. That is to say, aside from Great Xia, the various towns in the Southern Foothills have persisted for roughly a century. Why has the population of the major towns not broken the one-million mark to this day?
To put it bluntly, it's because the towns are unwilling to support such a large population.
It's unwillingness, not inability!
A large population means consuming vast amounts of resources. In a harsh environment like the Ice Abyss, resources don't fall from the sky.
Frost Beasts need to be hunted, spirit herbs need to be gathered, mineral deposits need to be mined... all sorts of resources require people to exert effort, even risk their lives, to obtain.
When people are at the bottom, their fighting spirit is unquestionable. But once they complete their initial accumulation and their status climbs, it becomes very difficult to make them work as hard and desperately as before.
Rather than taking in all the population within their jurisdiction into the town, exhausting themselves in the process, it's better to regularly collect resources from them through tribute. This way, they don't have to do anything, still have income, only need to provide a certain degree of protection, and then recruit all the emerging geniuses and elites from these villages into the town. This allows them to long maintain the town's transcendent status, effectively control the territory, and since the town specializes in an elite path, it can continue developing just fine. It's a win-win-win situation.
Not just Beishuo thinks this way. It can be said that the core reason the situation of the nine towns coexisting in the Southern Foothills has lasted for a century is that almost all nine towns share this mentality.
Of course, this idea was first proposed by Yang Zun. The specific measure was the so-called Beishuo Inspection System, which the other eight towns followed up on later.
Xia Hong had already analyzed the pros and cons of this system when he first set foot in Beishuo territory. When a town's strength is insufficient, resources are relatively scarce, but the overall territory area is too large, it is absolutely applicable.
But if any one of these three conditions changes slightly, immediate adjustments must be made. Otherwise, it will seriously hinder the town's development. Once institutional inertia sets in, it can even cause the entire town to become rigid. It may seem like strength is still increasing, but internally it's already ossified, with no vitality left.
The great war currently happening in the north is probably the best illustration of Xia Hong's words back then.
………………
One li north of Baimu City, thirty giant black military tents were arranged in a ring on the snowy plain, surrounding a wooden watchtower at the center.
The watchtower was a full fifty meters tall. At its top, a large, square, golden command banner with a kui-dragon pattern fluttered in the wind. It was daytime, and the large black character "Xia" in the center of the banner shimmered brilliantly, extraordinarily eye-catching.
Just like the main army tent at Zhongyang Camp under Mu Longhe's command, the watchtower was also built atop a wooden main tent. However, this main tent was a full thirty meters long, twice as large as Mu Longhe's.
South of the main tent, nineteen-year-old Hong Yang was walking with his father, Hong Fan, following behind an armored soldier towards the main tent.
Unlike his father, whose face showed slight anxiety and unease, Hong Yang's eyes were full of curiosity at the moment. As they walked, he kept looking around. When he clearly saw the main tent, especially the over one hundred young soldiers standing guard outside it, clad in black and silver armor, a flash of envy appeared in his eyes.
"The main tent of the Dongchuan Allied Army... the soldiers guarding the main tent must be the elite of the elite. But looking at their age, they seem about the same as me..."
As the son of Hong Fan, the leader of Hongyuan Village, Hong Yang's knowledge wasn't shallow. He broke through to the Warmth Realm the year before last. Benefiting from precious elixirs sent back by his sister, he now had 13 Zong of strength. Looking across the entire Jingxi area, aside from those freaks from East Ridge Village, he was almost unmatched by anyone.
But now, he couldn't see through a single one of these over one hundred soldiers outside the main tent who were around his own age.
Ice Abyss rule: if you can't see through someone, their strength is most likely above yours.
That meant all these over one hundred soldiers guarding the main tent had strength above 13 Zong. But their ages were clearly similar to his own?
"Wait here. I'll go report to the Commander-in-Chief first."
"Thank you, sir. This humble one will wait quietly here."
Hong Yang, full of confusion, followed his father as they continued forward. When they were about twenty meters from the main tent, the soldier who brought them left these words. Ignoring Hong Fan's polite words, he turned and walked towards the main tent.
Seeing his father lower his posture so much, Hong Yang immediately frowned. He couldn't help but lean closer and whisper, "Dad, we're here to deliver information to the Xia troops. It might help them win. Why be so humble?"
His father, Hong Fan, was after all the leader of Hongyuan Village and a trusted aide of Lord Lu Yang, the Beishuo Sword Chief. He now had 36 Zong of strength. Although that might not amount to much in front of Great Xia, considering they were here to pass on crucial information to the Xia troops, being this humble really shouldn't be necessary.
"Shut up!"
Hong Fan's heart was extremely uneasy at this moment. To be precise, from the moment he entered the Dongchuan Allied Army camp, his heart had never settled down.
Seeing his son still looking defiant after being scolded, his expression froze slightly. In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind.
His master Lu Yang's true identity, the real power behind East Ridge, that ten-thousand-strong reinforcement army in Jingxi, and Gu Tianxiong already having been turned...
With myriad thoughts swirling, Hong Fan finally remembered his eldest daughter, Hong Yuru, who married Li Hu two years ago.
Having followed Lu Yang these past few years, he actually had quite a few guesses about the situation in East Ridge. Although he wanted to seek confirmation from Lu Yang countless times, each time the words reached his lips, he held them back. Firstly, he clearly knew he didn't have the qualification. Secondly, the weaker one is, the more one knows, the worse it is.
But ever since his eldest daughter, Hong Yuru, married Li Hu two years ago and occasionally sent people to deliver precious cultivation resources home, he understood at a glance.
Hong Fan wasn't some ignorant youngster. The elixirs, refined salt, spirit wine, including some clothing and daily items his daughter sent back were clearly products only Great Xia could produce.
After his daughter married, she claimed to be living in East Ridge Village with her husband Li Hu. But in the past two years, he almost never saw them whenever he visited East Ridge. The servants' excuses were good, saying the son-in-law and daughter were out and not home. But how could they be out every single time?
If the items from Great Xia his daughter sent back only gave him some suspicions, then last year around mid-year, when he happened to go to Dongchuan City on business and unexpectedly saw his son-in-law Li Hu outside the barracks, that completely confirmed the suspicions in his heart.
His son-in-law Li Hu, the core members of East Ridge, including his master Lu Yang, were all, in reality, people of Great Xia.
Hong Fan was utterly terrified at the time, trembling with fear for a long while. It wasn't until mid-year this year, when his daughter returned to visit, that he mustered the courage to ask tentatively. Getting his daughter's non-committal attitude instantly made everything clear.
Having been a leader for so many years, he wasn't foolish. Such a huge matter, his daughter couldn't possibly tell him explicitly. Even if she did, he wouldn't dare listen.
He just wanted an answer. His daughter's attitude was the best answer. And after learning all this, all that remained in his heart was excitement.
After the alliance meeting at Chuishan the year before last, it had almost become a consensus that Great Xia would eventually unify the Southern Foothills. Which village-level camp like theirs hadn't considered switching allegiance to Great Xia?
And he had somehow, inexplicably, already become a person of Great Xia!
The key was, Great Xia had planted such a big chess piece in the north, and the northern towns hadn't detected it at all. How terrifying would the role this chess piece play in the future be?
That question might find its answer today.
Hong Fan suddenly let out a deep breath, pushing aside the thoughts in his mind. Then, turning his head, he saw his son Hong Yang staring at the young soldiers outside the main tent, his face full of defiance. Hong Fan immediately shook his head repeatedly.
"Don't look. Their strength is basically above 30 Zong. Most of them are stronger than your old man!"
"This... how... how is that possible... how could it be..."
The expression on Hong Yang's face instantly froze. He then looked up at his father, his pupils filled with shock and disbelief, his voice even beginning to tremble.
"Great Xia's strength was originally..."
Hong Fan originally intended to continue speaking, but halfway through his sentence, he noticed all the soldiers near the main tent were looking at him. Realizing they could hear his words, he immediately cupped his hands towards them with a look of anxiety and closed his mouth.
"Alright, you can come in now!"
The soldier who had gone in to report finally came out. He called out to the Hong father and son first, then whispered a few words to the Dragon Garrison Captains guarding the entrance before turning and walking back outside the tent.
"Thank you, sir!"
Hong Fan still politely and humbly bowed to that person, then led his son towards the tent flap of the main tent.
"Go in!"
Luo An, clad in black-scaled silver armor at the main tent entrance, saw the father and son approaching and directly lifted the tent flap, gesturing for them to enter in a deep voice.
"Thank you, sir!"
Hong Fan naturally didn't know Luo An. But just from Luo An's demeanor, he could tell his origins were absolutely not simple. Thinking about it, it made sense. Someone young enough to guard the main tent, could he be simple...
Wait!
Hong Fan suddenly thought of something. He hurriedly turned his head and took another careful look at Luo An's face. His body jolted violently as he instantly remembered.
"Isn't this that Luo An who caused trouble in East Ridge last year? Right, it all fits. Luo Yuan's son, the Department Head of Great Xia's Hunting Department. That incident last year was just Great Xia putting on an act..."
His master Lu Yang was a person of Great Xia. Having long been psychologically prepared for this point, Hong Fan naturally wouldn't have too strong a reaction now.
The main tent was built from wooden planks. Rather than a military tent, it was more like a normal wooden house. Inside the tent flap, there was a screen partition. Hong Fan led his son around it for a few meters before formally stepping into the tent interior.
Whoosh…………
The moment they stepped inside the main tent, a wave of intense heat washed over them. The father and son only lifted their heads once, saw the densely packed, over one hundred burly officers clad in thick armor inside the tent, and a layer of fine sweat instantly beaded on their foreheads.
These officers almost all exuded powerful auras. Even the person closest to the screen partition, Hong Fan couldn't see through.
Not just couldn't see through, he couldn't even make an estimate.
"Twice, maybe more. The weakest officer in this tent probably has strength above 60 Zong. The dozen or so at the very front should all be at the Sun Manifestation Level. Great Xia's strength has actually reached such heights..."
While Hong Fan's heart was wildly shaken, his son Hong Yang, following behind him, was already trembling with fear.
Hong Yang considered himself quite knowledgeable. When he first entered the allied army camp area and saw so many Warmth Realm soldiers, although inwardly shocked, he managed to somewhat steady his nerves and didn't show any particularly disgraceful reaction.
But now was different.
At this moment, he could clearly feel that every single one of these over one hundred officers inside the tent had the strength to instantly kill him. Most likely, his father too!
Trembling with fear, the father and son walked to the deepest part of the main tent. They only briefly glimpsed a white figure on the seat of honor before immediately kneeling down.
"This humble one, Hong Fan of East Ridge, pays respects to the Commander-in-Chief..."
Hong Fan didn't dare delay. After paying respects, he continued directly: "This humble one was entrusted by my master, Lu Yang, to inform you, sir, that the Jingxi main force has arrived at Qingxue Gully before dawn. Baimu City may have unusual movements. I beg the Commander-in-Chief to make preparations early!"
"Where did you come from?"
Hearing the voice, Hong Fan was momentarily stunned. The voice sounded only slightly older than his son. This Commander-in-Chief was much younger than he had imagined.
Not daring to look up, he hurriedly answered in a low voice, "This humble one came from Beining Mountain. My master is tied up at Jingxi Camp and cannot get away. He had instructed me beforehand, saying that as soon as I saw any movement from Jingxi Camp, I should immediately come to the Dongchuan Allied Army camp to report. So..."
"Department Chancellor! They've moved! The main force in Baimu City has started moving!"
Before Hong Fan could finish his sentence, he was directly interrupted by an urgent, hurried voice from behind.
"All Battalion Commanders-in-Chief, pass down the order. Prepare the army for battle."
"Your subordinates obey!"
Xia Chuan, seated above, stood up directly. At his command, the over one hundred officers immediately cupped their hands and bowed in response. The main tent instantly surged with another wave of heat.
Boom…………
Hong Fan and his son, kneeling on the ground, were startled out of their wits. Their hearts were instantly filled with fear and trepidation. Their heads, already bowed to the ground, lowered even further.