Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1346: Chapter 437: Killing and Interrogation, Five Great Feudal Towns, The Four Su Siblings, The Long-Lost Thrill (Part 3)

"Venerable Level, is it?"

Xia Hong’s face first showed a trace of seriousness, then he noticed He Qing’s slightly evasive gaze and immediately sneered, standing up and walking towards him.

"Spare me, my lord, spare..."

He Qing seemed to realize something and immediately opened his mouth in terror, begging for mercy.

Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Xia Hong kicked him into the Bone-Eroding Path.

"Ah..."

The Black Wind of the Bone-Eroding Path instantly stripped his flesh and blood, and the scream lasted less than two breaths before it became a pile of white bones crashing to the ground.

"Which other Feudal Towns are around Cai Qiu?"

"To the west is Chen Cang, to the north is Hezang, and to the east, there’s Wei Bo. I’ve heard that northeast, behind Cold Wave Lake, there’s another Feudal Town called Lulong. These are the four I know."

"What are the names of your Lord Landgrave and the four County Governors?"

"The Lord Landgrave is named Cai Qianshan, Lin Chu County Governor is Cai Qiuyang, Qingcang County Governor is Cai Qiuning, East River County Governor is Fan Zijing, and finally, our Bai Shui County Governor is Cai Qiuhong."

"How is Cai Qiu governing the place?"

...

In any power, compared to the ordinary people, soldiers certainly have higher authority, and the Great Xia is no exception.

The higher the authority, the more one naturally knows.

Xia Hong didn’t expect his luck to be so good, encountering this group of County Guard Army right after coming out of the Bone-Eroding Path. His main purpose in coming to Cai Qiu was to gather information about the Feudal Town, and since he didn’t have to bother with infiltrating or gathering intelligence stealthily, he decided to ask everything he wanted to know right there.

From the general strength of Cai Qiu, to the local governance methods, from the high-level structure of the Feudal Town to the local official system, from the general combat strength of the army to the management model...

Xia Hong asked about everything that came to mind, spending nearly half an hour, and only when the questions exceeded what the soldiers could answer did he stop. Then, he asked another question.

"Where is the Blood Miasma Plain?"

Just like before, the soldiers’ faces were full of confusion upon hearing the question.

Only a soldier in the back row, after pondering for a moment, answered: "I know, it seems to be south of Lin Chu County, next to Yanze Lake. It’s rumored that it has a lot of deceitful monsters. Last year, a commander from the Town Guard Army came and took a batch of elites from us over there. I heard there’s a battle going on there!"

Recalling the route Chu Yan’er told him, Xia Hong’s brow furrowed slightly as he continued to ask in a low voice: "Is Yanze Lake part of Cai Qiu’s territory? Can the people from Chen Cang also travel through there?"

The soldier froze for a moment, then quickly responded: "The area of Yanze Lake is quite large. We, Cai Qiu, only occupy a small area that extends from the east side, while the west side is Chen Cang’s territory..."

Based on the soldier’s description, a map slowly formed in Xia Hong’s mind.

The Blood Miasma Plain is roughly a circular area with a radius of 50 kilometers, with an area of about 7000 square kilometers, including the southern Yanze Lake; Yanze Lake is long and narrow from east to west, with both ends cut off by Moao Mountain. The eastern part belongs to Cai Qiu, while the western part belongs to Chen Cang.

"Just as its name suggests, the Blood Miasma Plain is named for the blood-colored miasma that shrouds the snowy plains year-round. The creatures inside, both the Cold Beasts and deceitful monsters, are several times fiercer and more powerful than similar beings outside. It’s said that the blood-colored miasma can confuse the mind, making people violent and bloodthirsty. Those at the Cold Resistance Level who inhale it either go mad or die, and even those at the Xianyang Level can’t stay there for long."

Upon hearing this last bit, Xia Hong’s eyes gleamed with a cold sneer.

The path provided by Chu Yan’er was indeed malicious.

"My lord, spare us!"

"The lord may not be familiar with Cai Qiu’s routes; spare our lives, and we can guide you."

"Yes! We beg the lord to spare us for answering so many questions!"

"Spare us, my lord!"

......

After answering so many questions, the soldiers naturally understood that Xia Hong was a powerful outsider. Realizing he was unfamiliar with the local routes, they immediately bowed down, pleading for mercy, each vowing to guide him.

"Want to stay alive, huh..."

A cold smile appeared on Xia Hong’s face as he continued: "I’ll ask you one last question. How did you all get those tolls?"

The soldiers’ expressions froze upon hearing this, and they stiffened for over ten breaths, with none daring to answer.

"My... lord... my lord..."

Su Jing, who was kneeling on the side, couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up.

He was visibly still afraid, trembling as he called out, and seeing Xia Hong remain silent, his courage grew. He cupped his fist and said, "Reporting to the lord, the camp in Evergreen Valley, although under the jurisdiction of Bai Shui County, never treated us as their own. Every year, besides sending people down to collect tributes and occasionally recruiting some slaves, they don’t manage anything else.

We all come from Qingtan Village. Three days ago, they came to Qingtan Village, demanding 500 people under 25 to go to the County City for labor. We eagerly signed up, only to find out later they were forcing us to the Bone-Eroding Path to die."

Upon hearing Su Jing’s words, all the soldiers bowed their heads.

Xia Hong’s face showed a hint of coldness, sneering: "Using human lives as tolls shows you aren’t good people ordinarily. I, too, haven’t paid any tolls yet, so you can be my tolls!"

"Run!"

Hearing Xia Hong’s final words, the soldiers knew they were destined for death, and with a hysterical scream, they frantically attempted to flee.