Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 1591: Chapter 499: What Is Yuwen Dao Waiting For? Taking the Initiative_4

“Very well, Lord, I shall make the arrangements immediately. Since we are going out to provide support and there may be a confrontation with the Xia Army, I will dispatch all the elite troops. Under my command, 1000 Iron Thorn Army and an additional 13,000 Defensive Army will be deployed. For the rest, there’s no other choice but to draft them from the Hunting Team!”

Upon hearing this, Long Mingyuan’s face showed a slight frown.

Currently, Dragon Valley has 19,000 Cold Resistance Level soldiers, of which only 14,000 are properly trained soldiers. The remaining 5,000 are temporarily drafted from the Hunting Team. Although there are sufficient armor reserves in the town’s inventory, these 5,000 are not systematically trained, and their combat effectiveness differs significantly from regular troops.

Considering the importance of the town, Long Mingyuan shook his head and said, “It’s quite commendable that we can take the initiative to head north for support. Wuchuan will be the main force in this battle; we don’t need to go to such extents. Leave the Iron Thorn Army behind, hold back 3,000 Defensive Army, and just send 15,000 troops out.”

Seeing Li Yangtian’s hesitant expression, Long Mingyuan continued, “The town is our foundation and cannot be lost. Go make your arrangements.”

“This… very well, I accept your command!”

After hearing this, Li Yangtian nodded reluctantly, cupped his hands, and retreated.

The overall strength of Dragon Valley Town, although not as strong as the Northern Three Towns, possesses its own hidden asset, which is the 1000 Iron Thorn Army.

More than thirty years ago, Dragon Valley Town unexpectedly acquired a secret technique for casting armor called the Iron Thistle Armor. Armor made using this method had iron spikes about thumb-length covering it. These spikes, not only being tough and sharp, could expand and rotate with the soldier’s movement.

Armor is originally for defense, and with these special spikes, the Iron Thistle Armor immediately became an unparalleled weapon on the battlefield upon its debut.

Of course, the casting requirements for this Iron Thistle Armor were extraordinarily high.

The armor, including the attached iron spikes, must be at the Thousand Forged Level. Additionally, it requires the use of many precious materials, significant technical skill from craftsmen, and even if all conditions are met, there is still a chance of failure, making it quite daunting.

For these reasons, even though Dragon Valley Town discovered this casting secret some three to four decades ago, only slightly over a thousand Iron Thistle Armors have been successfully made. Moreover, this unique armor requires soldiers not just to wear it but also to undergo specific training, taking anywhere from a year to several years to master. This has led to the Iron Thorn Army perpetually being maintained at a size of 1000.

Typically, the elite town defense forces are directly commanded by the Lord, or at the very least, close relatives. But Dragon Valley Town broke this convention, as the commander of the Iron Thorn Army is none other than Army Chief Li Yangtian.

This has led to some malicious speculation among other towns.

For instance, that there might be discord between the Long Family of Dragon Valley and the Li Family, or that Li Yangtian does not submit to Long Mingyuan. Even more extreme, some suggest that the real Lord of Dragon Valley Town is Li Yangtian, and Long Mingyuan is merely a puppet he put forth…

But these malicious speculations have gradually faded over the years as Dragon Valley Town enjoyed prolonged stability. Everyone now sees the relationship between the two as harmonious and mutually trusting, which is why Lord Long Mingyuan has the confidence to entrust Li Yangtian with the command of the Iron Thorn Army.

Li Yangtian’s military authority is not limited to the Iron Thorn Army. As the Army Chief, he nominally oversees all the major forces in Dragon Valley Town. Even the 13,000 Defensive Army must follow his orders.

Of course, with the recent outbreak of hostilities, even the newly brought in 5000 Cold Resistance Level troops have also come under his command.

After leaving the Lord’s Hall, Li Yangtian went straight to the military camp, where he gathered all eighteen Commanders to quickly announce the Lord’s order.

“The Lord has commanded that 1000 Iron Thorn Army and 3000 Defensive Army remain to guard the town. The remaining 15,000 will follow me north to support Wuchuan. If anyone wishes to remain for defense, speak up now.”

The eighteen Commanders below exchanged looks but after a long while, none spoke up.

“Since no one’s speaking, I’ll assign names…”

Seeing that everyone was eager to go out and confront the Xia Army directly, Li Yangtian showed a satisfied expression, seemingly pleased with his results in military governance. He then glanced around the group and said, “Zihe, Ziqing, Zichu, the three of you will each lead your thousand men to remain and guard the town!”

Upon hearing this, the three individuals showed signs of agitation, clearly wanting to refuse. However, just as they were about to speak, Li Yangtian’s words silenced them.

“The safety of the town is of utmost importance. Do you think the Lord left the Iron Thorn Army behind for no reason? Your three units were all personally trained by me, standing out as the elites among the forces. By leaving you behind, the security of the town can be assured. No more arguments. Take your orders and prepare to relieve the gate defenses!”