Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1375: Chapter 445: Encounter and Gratitude, Idle Moves, Trial and Opportunity (2)

So on the day of the twenty-fifth last month, at the very last moment when Zhang Yiping was leading men in pursuit, he risked his life to run to the gates of the Hong Mansion, hoping that Hong Yu would, for the sake of having traveled together for a while, save them.

This was not just madness; it could practically be called wishful delusion.

Hu Tiejiang hadn’t held out much hope at all in his heart. Whether Hong Yu even remembered him was a question, and even if he did, given the other party’s current status in the city, it was basically impossible for him to spare them a glance.

But the result was far beyond his expectations.

Hong Yu didn’t come, but his four disciples did!

As soon as Su Jing and his three siblings arrived, the people from the Law Enforcement Department almost, without even asking the reason, let their whole family go. And after eight or nine days of investigation, they even came to the conclusion that Zhang Yiqing was in the wrong. Ten days ago, they had obediently sent the slave status papers of Fang Jing and Wang Qing to the Hong Mansion.

They even personally delivered them to Hu Tiejiang’s hand.

.........

Thinking back to ten days ago, to Zhang Yiping’s expression—so obsequious it was sickening—when he placed his wife’s slave status papers into his hand, the flames of anger in Hu Tiejiang’s eyes not only failed to fade in the slightest, they instead burned all the fiercer.

Especially when he saw the wounds on his younger brother’s face, and thought of how his tongue had been cut out alive in the prison and how he could no longer speak, his breathing grew heavier, and the hatred in his heart became even deeper and more intense.

In those days when they were taken away by the Law Enforcement Team, not only did Hu Tiechuan suffer inhuman torture, their wives Fang Jing and Wang Qing were the same. And the children that the two brothers each had, both not yet one year old, were also all frozen to death in the prison because the Law Enforcement Team took away the items that kept them warm.

One bloody debt after another—never mind those few people of the Law Enforcement Team—even if the City Lord of Qinghua City, Cai Yunzhou, came personally to fawn and apologize, it still could not wash away the hatred in Hu Tiejiang’s heart.

"Tiechuan, we can go to the Subordinate Bureau to remove our slave status at any time now. No one will stand in our way anymore. But right now, there’s a better path in front of us. We don’t have to rush to shed our status. As long as the Hong Prince is willing to accept us as slaves, you and I will be as good as ascending to the heavens in a single step. Zhang Yiping, Zhang Yiqing, and that lot from the Law Enforcement Team—each and every one of them will pay with their lives!"

Hu Tiechuan had long since seen through his elder brother’s thoughts, so upon hearing these words he showed no surprise at all, merely nodded heavily in response.

If they could become Hong Yu’s slaves, never mind commoner status—even if you gave them military status, they wouldn’t look twice at it.

"It’s just a pity that we’ve been living in the mansion for twenty days now, and the Hong Prince has been in seclusion the whole time. We still haven’t seen him. Although Miss Su hasn’t set a deadline for how long we can stay, if we keep living here like this, it’s hard to guarantee that we won’t cause the Hong Prince to take a dislike to us. We’ll wait another five days at most. If we still don’t see him, we’ll go to the Subordinate Bureau and get our slave status removed first!"

Excited as he was, when he thought of how they had stayed in the mansion for so long without even seeing Hong Yu’s face, a wry smile surfaced on Hu Tiejiang’s face. He shook his head and finally set himself a five-day limit.

It wasn’t hard to understand. With Hong Yu’s status and position, the people in the whole of Qinghua City who wanted to be his slaves were probably too many to count. Leaving others aside, just among the servants in this Hong Mansion, those stronger than the two of them were everywhere.

Did these servants not want to become Hong Yu’s slaves?

Why should Hong Yu pick the two of them?

"You two, the lord has summoned you. Come with me at once!"

However, just like when he had gone to the gates of the Hong Mansion to beg for help, Hu Tiejiang’s predictions about how things would develop were once again completely off.

Just as he had practically given up the idea of becoming Hong Yu’s slave, a hurried shout from Housekeeper Zhou Qing came from the gate of the side courtyard.

Hong Yu was summoning the two of them?

Hu Tiejiang’s expression trembled sharply. He turned his head and met his younger brother’s eyes. In each other’s gaze, they both saw wild joy.

"Please wait a moment, Housekeeper Zhou, we’re coming right away!"

Hu Tiejiang headed straight for the courtyard gate. Hu Tiechuan followed closely behind.

As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard, they saw a hint of envy in Housekeeper Zhou Qing’s eyes.

The brothers were a bit puzzled. It was just a meeting—was that worth such a look?

"Alright, you can go in."

But soon enough, they understood.

Zhou Qing, the housekeeper of the Hong Mansion, actually didn’t have the qualification to enter the main building...

When the two brothers realized this, their hearts grew even more excited. They hurriedly quickened their pace and walked into the building. Before they even got close, they saw the figure sitting upright in the main hall. With a thump, both of them dropped to their knees and banged their heads hard on the floor toward the seat of honor.

They kowtowed over a dozen times before Hu Tiejiang, on the left, finally raised his head, his face full of gratitude, and said in a tone of utmost reverence, "If not for you, my lord, my entire household would surely have perished in the prison. For your life-saving grace, even nine deaths would not suffice to repay it. If you do not despise us, my lord, my entire family, even unto our descendants for generations to come, are willing to be your slaves, to serve by your side forever. If you command us to cross seas of blades and mountains of fire, we will obey without frown. Should I dare so much as wrinkle my brow, I will kill myself before you on the spot!"

"Mm-mm..."

When Hu Tiejiang finished speaking, Hu Tiechuan at his side also let out a sound, then thumped his chest heavily and slammed his head onto the floor with a loud crack. Clearly, he was expressing the same resolve as his elder brother.

"No need to be so anxious. I’ve known about Xing’er rescuing you for a while now."

Xia Hong had just returned from Snow Phoenix Mountain, a few snowflakes still clinging to his clothes. Hearing the brothers’ words, he first shook his head. Seeing that the once vigorous Hu Tiechuan from a month ago had turned into this horrifying sight, he couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

"Xing’er came to see me five days ago. I basically know everything about you two brothers. And I more or less understand what you’re thinking right now."

With a smile on his face, Xia Hong went on, "Honestly, a mere Zhang Family from Red Tiger Ridge is nothing to me. Even if I forced my hand to wipe them out, Cai Qiu wouldn’t be able to do anything to me. However..."

At this point, he paused, then suddenly changed the subject and asked, "You two brothers possess hardly anything, and your talent can only be called average. To be blunt, you’re not even qualified to be my slaves. So to wipe out the Zhang Family on your behalf is out of the question."

At these words, the expressions of the Hu Brothers instantly dimmed.

Especially Hu Tiejiang—though he had been mentally prepared, to have his intentions so plainly laid bare by Xia Hong face-to-face still caused a trace of despair to flicker in his eyes.

Without borrowing Xia Hong’s power, there was not the slightest chance for them to take revenge...

"But I can point you to a bright path."

Very soon, as Xia Hong continued speaking, the two brothers snapped their heads up to look at him, their eyes filled with hope and yearning.

Smiling, Xia Hong took a Beast Skin Roll out from his robe and flicked it forward.

The Beast Skin Roll unfurled in midair, and by the time it floated down in front of the Hu Brothers, it had completely spread open.

They lowered their heads to look and saw at once that it was a map—a map of Evergreen Valley, with a certain location marked in the deep southern part of the valley.

After seeing what was on the map, they raised their heads to look at Xia Hong, confusion in their eyes.

"Revenge still has to be taken by your own hands. The strongest of that Zhang Family in Red Tiger Ridge only has a strength in the low thirties. Faced with such a weak enemy, if I have to step in to settle them, then you two brothers have no value to me at all. Never mind taking you in as slaves—just for Su Xing’er rescuing you, I’d have to reproach her later."

Hearing Xia Hong’s words, their expressions tensed, but they could tell there was more to come, so they simply stayed silent and listened on.

"What you lack is nothing more than time and resources. With my name backing you, the Zhang Family absolutely won’t dare lay a finger on you in the short term. At the location marked on this map, I’ve left behind a large cache of Cultivation Resources. How exactly you use them, and in what way, is up to you. Whether you can rely on yourselves to wipe out the Zhang Family will be my test for you.

As long as you can do it, I will accept the two of you."

Here Xia Hong paused again, then continued, "Of course, if wiping out the Zhang Family brings about some larger trouble, I will personally resolve it for you. Well, do you have the guts to take this test?"

Hu Tiejiang looked at the location marked on the map, then raised his head to look up at Xia Hong. Once he was sure the man wasn’t joking, he thought for a moment, and without the slightest hesitation, nodded heavily.

"Of course we do! This isn’t a test, it’s a chance you’re giving us, my lord!"

"Mm-mm..."

Hu Tiechuan directly kowtowed in response, his face full of excitement.