Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1180: Chapter 401: The Supply Convoy, Ji Hong’s Impact, the Sociable Chen Qing, and Arrival at Hongmen

The eighth year of the Great Xia, September 16th, late night

On the Bluestone Road, over thirty kilometers north of Binjiang Camp, a grand convoy is marching north majestically.

The convoy comprises over three thousand people. While seventy to eighty percent wear golden battle armor, careful observation reveals distinctions among them.

The convoy is roughly divided into three parts. The front group of nearly a thousand wears the brightest golden battle armor, glowing under the firelight, forming a long procession of ten people per rank, moving in an orderly pace as a golden stream flowing slowly northward.

In the middle are eight massive cargo iron wheel cars, ten meters long and five meters wide. In front of each vehicle, fifty people pull with chains, while around fifty more push from the sides and back, with others ready to rotate in as needed. These people are clearly the driving force behind the iron wheel cars.

The last group, more scattered, is over a thousand people casually dressed, some in light golden armor, others in black iron armor, ranging from the young to the old, leisurely conversing while walking.

Luo An, Zou Ping, Xiao Hen, Yuan Bai, Zhao Yuandao, Zhao Yuankong, and dozens of other young people from Great Xia are in the rear of the convoy, often glancing curiously at the Dragon Martial Army at the forefront.

"Isn’t Yuwen Sizheng’s Dragon Martial Army supposed to be stationed at Bashang? Why are they joining us on this return trip?"

Hong Ye in the convoy couldn’t help but voice his confusion. The others turned with similar expressions, clearly puzzled by this matter.

"The cargo in those eight cars might be too precious, don’t you remember? From White Tiger Pond, things like Jiao Long scales, ores, spirit plants, and the silver mined from Bashang City recently, plus the bounty from He Yin Station’s recent hunting teams—all these might be why Yuwen Sizheng felt uneasy, so he’s escorting them with the Dragon Martial Army personally."

Upon hearing Zou Ping’s reply, many people in the convoy nodded in agreement.

But a few older ones like Xiao Hen, Yuan Bai, Zhao Yuandao, and Zhao Yuankong thought for a moment, then shook their heads slightly.

"Probably not. No matter how precious, it’s unlikely they’d need the Dragon Martial Army for escort. We depart from Bashang City, pass Jiuqu, and then Binjiang to reach Hongmen. Binjiang is Jiangxia territory; what danger could there be? It’s definitely not a safety issue."

Xiao Hen spoke up, followed by Zhao Yuankong: "Definitely not. Don’t forget, it’s not just the Dragon Martial Army. Elite members from mid-level and high-level hunting teams from He Yin, Jiuqu, and Bashang City are in the convoy too—why deploy so many for potential danger?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd quickly looked towards the front of the convoy, nodded, and suddenly became confused.

As Zhao Yuankong mentioned, among these three thousand, apart from the Dragon Martial Army at the front, the remaining two thousand are elite selections from various mid- and high-level hunting teams, at least at Earth-digging Realm Limit cultivation—hardly a reason for such a grand operation considering the escort route’s risk level.

"Yuwen Sizheng personally leading, with the exploration competition also on hold, something significant must be happening. Could it be related to Xia City?"

Hearing Zhao Yuankong’s words, the crowd furrowed brows but soon relaxed, shaking their heads at him.

"What could happen in Xia City?"

"No way."

"If Xia City were in trouble, the Dragon Martial Army would have rushed back long ago, rather than leisurely escort supplies like this."

...

"I was confused!"

Zhao Yuankong realized his absurd guess but, unable to figure out the reason, continued walking forward filled with confusion.

"It’s a pity Ji Hong isn’t here. He’d surely know more than us!"

Yuan Bai suddenly remarked, prompting envy from the crowd.

"He broke through the fifteen thousand-pound mark with that pound of Jiao Long blood given by the Lord, achieving top-grade battle body talent—amazing!"

"More than that, he also surpassed Cold Resistance Level, achieving Three-maned strength upon breakthrough. Even Bashang City took note, and Vice Commander Yuwen Yong from the Dragon Martial Army verified it personally at He Yin Station!"

"Lord Yuwen personally invited him into the Dragon Wu Team. I heard Dragon Wu Team is basically the reserve for Dragon Martial Army now; whenever they need recruits, they choose from Dragon Wu Team first."

"I know, this was pioneered by the Minister, recruiting talented individuals with hunting teams sharing army numbers, quickly filling any vacancies—other armies emulate this now, but Dragon Wu and Cloud Jiao squads have the strictest selection criteria."

"To enter these teams, Cold Resistance Level is the baseline; without cultivation at the Cold Resistance Level, don’t even try."

"Cold Resistance Level cultivation requirement is too simplistic—last month, the Cloud Jiao Team stated the minimum power for applicants must be Three-maned or above."

"Gulp... Then the Dragon Martial Army is probably similar! So, even with Ji Hong’s power, he’s just barely qualified?"

"Ji Hong’s talent is key. Lord Yuwen values his top-grade battle body talent; his power will only grow stronger over time."