[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades":3,"chapter-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-124":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Endless Winter: My Camp Infinitely Upgrades",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266550,4425,"Chapter 124: All Set, Let","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-124",124,"\u003Cp>Although everyone was full of energy, making bows was a craft requiring complex processes and tedious procedures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Casting the bow stave, forging the bow curve, drilling grooves, stringing the bow, and testing draw weight—each step demanded extreme care and precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more rushed you were, the more mistakes you made, leading to material waste that was ultimately counterproductive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those practicing archery outside could afford to be enthusiastic, but those making bows could not—no matter how eager they were, they still had to be meticulous and ensure high yield rates to avoid unnecessary losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stringing the bow and testing draw weight were not difficult; Mu Dong had already successfully strung thirty-six iron-bodied bows and had gained immense experience—he could string a bow in under half an hour as soon as the stave arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most difficult step in bowmaking was casting the bow stave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, forging iron itself was a difficult, tedious, and time-consuming task;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the entire camp had only seven people with forging ability, and three of them had to be assigned to mining, leaving just four to forge—efficiency was naturally extremely limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Zhao Long had just begun forging; though they had improved significantly over the past ten days, they could produce at most one bow per night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong had more experience and greater base strength, so his forging efficiency was naturally faster—he could forge three bows per night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together, the four produced six bows per day, while Yuan Cheng’s trio in the mine, using gnawing drills, collected only 1,200 catties of ore per day—enough to cast only four bows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever the iron ore supply began to lag, Xia Hong would take Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan down to the mine to replace Yuan Cheng’s trio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His own mining output now reached eight hundred catties per day; Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan were slightly stronger than Yuan Cheng’s trio, so their extraction efficiency was naturally a bit faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Cheng’s trio could manage at most 1,200 to 1,300 catties per day with gnawing drills, but when the three of them went down, they could reach up to 1,800 catties per day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they replaced the miners, Yuan Cheng’s trio would come upstairs to take over forging—this way, bow production never stalled, and for several consecutive days, everything flowed smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seven worked only one or two hours of rest each day; under this extreme overload, bowmaking efficiency naturally rose steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Zhao Long’s forging skills improved rapidly during this period—from one bow per day at first, they later managed to produce one or two extra bows daily through coordinated effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day one: six finished bows;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day two: six finished bows;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day three: seven finished bows;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day seven: eight finished bows;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Day nine: dawn was just breaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the valley, those who had practiced archery all night were weary, slowly returning to their wooden huts to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping came down from the second floor, face beaming, hurriedly left the hut, and rushed toward the mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang… clang… clang…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking over ten meters into the mine, a crisp chiseling sound came from ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping quickened his pace, saw Xia Hong’s trio mining, bowed deeply, and exclaimed excitedly: “Leader, we produced six bows yesterday!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong thought he’d misheard and immediately stopped working to look at Shi Ping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan beside him also paused, staring at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under their gaze, Shi Ping grew nervous but still nodded and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, six. Young Master Zhao Long forged the first one, then took turns helping the three Young Masters Yuan Cheng—until just now, we’ve produced six.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Long’s forging skill has improved remarkably!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan, who had stopped working, couldn’t help praising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong nodded, but after a moment’s thought, he immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of everyone, he had made the most bows, but Zhao Long had spent the longest time forging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since there were only three gnawing drills, whenever iron ore ran low, he’d bring Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan down to mine, leaving Zhao Long upstairs—so over these eight consecutive days, all six had taken turns mining, but Zhao Long alone had stayed upstairs forging iron nonstop, hence his skill improved rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many iron-bodied bows do we have in camp now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xia Hong signaled Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan to bring over the iron ore, he turned to ask Shi Ping about the bow count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the past eight days, we forged forty-nine bows; adding the previous thirty-six and the eleven already in camp, we now have ninety-six iron-bodied bows.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many meters of Tengjiao spine tendon remain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twenty-seven meters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Resources: Wood 42102 Coal 560 Iron 188 Silver 0 Gold 0】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When entering the mine, the iron supply had already been exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one night, the three collected 1,880 catties of iron ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We now have ninety-six iron-bodied bows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calculating in his mind, Xia Hong asked Shi Ping:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many iron arrows do we have now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All weapon-related supplies were managed by the Camp Supply Office; since Xia Chuan had been busy, Shi Ping had handled all these tasks—he immediately answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We had five hundred fifty before; adding the five hundred the leader forged five days ago, we now have one thousand fifty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arrows differed from bows—forging arrow blanks was not difficult, and sharpening could be done by Woodcutters, so forging efficiency was very high; five days ago, upon learning we lacked iron arrows, Xia Hong immediately started a furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He personally hammered the arrow blanks and summoned twenty or thirty others to sharpen them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In two or three hours, they produced five hundred iron arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Each bow needs fifty arrows—that means we still don’t have enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong’s expression darkened; he calculated the iron ore on hand would barely suffice for six hundred arrows, and he felt helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear: over this period, both their bodies and iron ore had been squeezed to their absolute limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, their mining luck held out, or they’d have fallen behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These eight days, our two groups: my group mined for four days, Yuan Cheng’s group mined for three, and on one day, all seven mined together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the system, he knew the total extraction volume precisely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His group’s four-day output: 7,920 catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Cheng’s group produced less: 3,850 catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the day all seven mined together: 2,300 catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In total, over eight days, they extracted 14,070 catties; adding the previous 3,300 catties, the total was 17,370 catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forty-nine bows consumed 14,700 catties; the five hundred arrows used another 2,500 catties—totaling exactly 17,300 catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extraction and consumption matched perfectly: for ten days, as soon as iron ore was mined, someone immediately took it to the furnace to forge—hence Xia Hong said their bodies and iron ore had been squeezed to the limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We have enough iron-bodied bows—stop making more. Arrows can be reduced slightly, but not too much. Dawn is coming; today, rest well. At night, the seven of us will resume mining—all new iron ore will go to arrow production.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Leader!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan both exhaled deeply in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Earth-Digging cultivators had bodies beyond normal humans, they weren’t made of iron; for eight days, they’d slept only one or two hours daily, spending the rest either mining in the cave or forging upstairs—they had reached their limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With four hours of rest finally available, they cherished it, immediately dropped their gnawing drills, and returned to the hut to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong was no different—he went upstairs, checked the forge room, saw Yuan Cheng’s group had already rested, and hurried to his room to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the four daytime hours vanished quickly, Xia Hong’s seven had slept soundly and regained over half their energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong wasted no time—he led the six straight down into the mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he mined only half a day, collecting about ten chunks—roughly four hundred catties—then, by the late night, handed his gnawing drill to Zhao Long and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than an hour after leaving, Xia Hong returned with a grim expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go make iron arrows first. You keep digging. As soon as you get more iron ore, send it up immediately. Do as much as you can in one day—the gnawing rodents are still moving south; we can’t delay any longer!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six, hearing this, knew Xia Hong had just returned from the northern cliff face—their expressions turned grave, and they redoubled their mining speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong no longer delayed—he gathered all the iron ore already mined, his face heavy, and walked out of the mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past nine days, he hadn’t stayed in camp making bows—he visited the northern cliff face every other day to check on the gnawing rodents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the last migration nine days ago, the rodent herd had moved south twice more, and each time farther than before—now over four hundred meters away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The valley was less than two kilometers from that point—meaning the rodents’ range now lay just over one kilometer from camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time was running out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the hut entrance, over a hundred Woodcutters in camp still trained furiously in archery; compared to twenty days ago, camp now clearly had more resources—though not enough for everyone to own an iron-bodied bow, there were more than enough for practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hail, Leader!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Leader has come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hail, Leader!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Keep practicing. Ignore me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong gestured for them to continue, stood watching for a while, and a look of satisfaction crossed his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the hundred-meter target, almost no one missed—the shots were all ten rings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the two-hundred-meter target, hit rate was still one hundred percent, though ten-ring shots were still few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to nineteen days ago, their archery skills had clearly risen a major level—evidently, none had slacked off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural—it was a matter of life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All knew the gnawing rodents were nearby and understood why Xia Hong demanded improved archery—if they still slacked off, their hearts were too bold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without disturbing their training, Xia Hong went straight upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before sleeping last night, they had stockpiled 1,880 catties of iron ore; after half a day’s work upon waking, the seven had mined another 1,100 catties—totaling over 3,000 catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These three thousand catties can forge over six hundred iron arrows; adding the existing total, we have 1,650. Fifty arrows per bow is impossible—even reducing by forty percent to thirty arrows per bow, we still need at least 2,880—short by 1,230. At five catties per arrow, we need over six thousand more catties!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past nineteen days, Xia Hong’s main task was accounting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no choice—Da Xia’s strength was weak, resources were scarce, and worse, the mining speed was painfully slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over six thousand jin—good enough. Finally, there’s hope. Xia Chuan and the six others can mine about 1,500 jin per day; with me, we hit 2,200. Arrow production is fast. Once the iron ore runs out, I’ll go down and mine with them—it shouldn’t take more than three days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to bows, arrow production was far easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong only needed to forge the arrow shafts; the arrowheads were handed off to others for polishing. He’d already done this once before, and in just over two hours, he’d forged five hundred arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Mu Dong learned Xia Hong was making arrows, he immediately gathered the craftsmen and stationed them all nearby. As soon as Xia Hong forged one, someone would instantly take it to begin polishing—efficiency surged instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six hundred arrows were completed in less than three hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the mine still hadn’t delivered more iron ore, Xia Hong went down again. He spent two days mining alongside Xia Chuan’s six, stockpiling nearly 4,500 jin of iron ore, then came up and forged nine hundred arrows in one go. After finishing, he went back down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong was like a machine that never tired—though he wasn’t alone. Xia Chuan and the other six, even Mu Dong and the others solely responsible for polishing, were the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing their madness, the hundred-odd Woodcutting Realm cultivators in camp grew even more diligent in practicing archery; ordinary people, beyond cultivation, also did whatever they could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the entire camp, everyone seemed to be holding their breath, channeling all their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third night, the final batch of three hundred arrows was completed. Xia Hong still didn’t leave the smelting room—he summoned Shi Ping and ordered him to the mine to tell Xia Chuan and the six to stop mining and deliver the last batch of iron ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping left the forge carrying over three hundred arrows. Soon after, Xia Chuan and the other five—drenched in sweat, exhausted—walked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew… Brother, are we done with the iron arrows?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan dropped the bag of iron ore beside the furnace, exhaled heavily, and collapsed onto the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, the other five did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough. These past three days—were you worn out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+ Shu _ Ba\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan and the five didn’t need to answer—their exhaustion was answer enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For three straight days, they ate in the mine, slept right there for their single hour of rest each day—their fatigue was unimaginable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No more mining from now on. You five, go rest first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of fatigue passed through Xia Hong’s eyes, but seeing the twenty-odd pieces of iron ore Xia Chuan had just placed on the ground, he forced himself to rally and told Luo Yuan and the other five to rest first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five were utterly drained. At Xia Hong’s order, they immediately rose and returned to their quarters, leaving only Xia Chuan behind in the forge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, something on your mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Xia Chuan wanted to rest too—but he knew Xia Hong wouldn’t keep him back without reason, so he spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong nodded. “How many Woodcutting Realm cultivators are there in camp now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Xia Chuan had been mining nonstop, Shi Ping and others from camp logistics had kept him updated—he knew the numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two hundred and twelve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the number, Xia Hong’s tense nerves eased slightly; a long-absent spark of excitement lit his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the new barracks began, camp had 140 Woodcutting Realm cultivators. After eighteen were lost in accidents during the last expedition, less than two months had passed—and now the number had surged to 212.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems the pressure from the Rodent Swarm hasn’t just reached us. The reserves have been training hard too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan nodded, smiling. “Another reason—they all want to hold a bow. We now have enough iron-bow frames, but only Woodcutting Realm cultivators can train with them. Add in the archery contests every ten days, and they’re desperate to join.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xia Hong’s eyes brightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right—humans are social creatures. With the entire camp immersed in archery practice, and the contribution rewards from the contests, those left out would naturally push themselves to break through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following this logic, could the camp introduce more weapon contests in the future? It would greatly boost overall strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—now wasn’t the time to think of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong suppressed the thought and turned to Xia Chuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You rest too. Once you’re recovered, start selecting people—choose the ninety-six best archers. We’ll move out the moment night falls tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan nodded, his expression growing solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The past twenty-plus days of overwork had all been for the Rodent Swarm on the northern slope of the cliff. Preparation was complete. Now, they faced them directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, only ninety-six? Shouldn’t we let the other Woodcutting Realm cultivators…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Useless!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong cut him off with a firm shake of his head. “Even poisoned by Tengjiao venom, the rodents still move and strike faster than Woodcutting Realm cultivators. Without bows, they’re useless—just dead weight. They won’t contribute, and worse, they’ll disrupt the others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong had already considered this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from bows, there was no other way to harm the rodents remotely—even poisoned ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right now, besides the ninety-six bows and arrows, the camp had only one great axe and five great swords—nowhere near enough to arm the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can’t ask them to fight the rodents in close combat, can you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether armed or not, a Woodcutting Realm cultivator engaging any cold beast in melee is suicide—unless you’re willing to throw lives away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, our main tactic is archery. It makes no sense for these ninety-six to shoot from behind while the other hundred charge in for melee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If time allowed, I’d make more bows. But we don’t have time. A hundred bows, nearly three thousand arrows, plus our seven—we’ll handle the rodents easily if we execute this right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Xia Hong gestured for Xia Chuan to rest, then stayed alone in the forge, staring at the final batch of iron ore Xia Chuan and the others had brought up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send someone to get Mu Dong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Chief!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A guard had been stationed at the door. At Xia Hong’s order, he immediately left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong worked through the entire night in the room, Mu Dong staying by his side the whole time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only as dawn neared did the noise in the forge finally cease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give these three bows to Zhao Long and his two brothers. I’m going to sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Chief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Dong bowed obediently, staring at the three sets of bows on the floor, his face filled with deep pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three bows on the ground were visibly a full circle larger than the ordinary iron-bow frames; their bowstrings had multiple extra strands—clearly far superior to anything made before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mu Dong, the Chief called for us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Zhao Long and his two brothers, who had been watching the archery selection downstairs, rushed up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered the forge, didn’t see Xia Hong, and asked in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then their eyes locked onto the bows on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Long picked one up, pulled the string—and felt its immense tension. His eyes lit up. He turned to Mu Dong, face filled with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Dong smiled faintly. “These three bows were made specially for you three. Each comes with fifty arrows. The Chief said to take them and get used to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three nodded eagerly. Zhao Hu picked up his bow and asked, “Where’s the Chief?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Chief hasn’t slept in nearly thirty hours. He’s resting now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three nodded, a wave of respect rising in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Chief is more exhausted than any of us. He deserves a good rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past twenty-plus days, they and Xia Chuan’s six had taken turns mining and forging—exhaustion was no exaggeration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the most exhausted? Definitely Chief Xia Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mined, forged bows, made arrows—he did everything, and because his efficiency was far higher, he did even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his relentless drive that inspired the six of them—and everyone else in camp—to complete such an overwhelming task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ninety-six bows, plus these three—those rodents are in for a real beating. Xia Chuan’s already selecting archers. They’ll head for the northern slope by nightfall. Let’s find a place to train—don’t want to let the Chief down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Dong nodded and hurried downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a Woodcutting Realm cultivator too—he hoped to pass the archery selection and join Xia Hong in confronting the Rodent Swarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xia Hong woke, night had fully fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing he’d overslept, he rose quickly and rushed downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second-floor council hall—the camp’s meeting room—he found it packed with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The front row all held longbows and carried quivers. A quick glance told Xia Hong: these were the ninety-six selected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the circle, over a hundred others stood, their faces heavy with defeat—they hadn’t yet recovered from being rejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief, the ninety-six are all ready!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong stepped to the front of the crowd. Hearing Xia Chuan’s report, he looked down at the group, his expression sharpening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Technically, you’re only Woodcutting Realm—you have no right to hunt cold beasts outside camp. But circumstances are exceptional. You all know the Rodent Swarm is right outside. To secure the camp, we must strike first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Xia Hong scanned the ninety-six before him, his voice low and firm:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, congratulations—you’ve risen from over two hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re lucky—you’ve earned the chance to go out with me tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But you’re also unlucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Rodent Swarm’s numbers and strength far exceed your imagination. I have confidence, but I cannot guarantee your safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any mishap—wounds are lucky. Death is possible. So I say: you’re unlucky too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong’s gaze flickered—he saw no fear on any of the ninety-six faces. He asked, “You’re not afraid?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not afraid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not afraid. For the camp, I’d die without hesitation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right. We’ve all eaten the cold beast meat you’ve hunted. We’ve given nothing back. Now, finally, we can do something for you—would we still hesitate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For Da Xia, I fear nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If not for you, I’d be dead long ago. I wouldn’t have this life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's right. Thanks to the leader, I've had such a good life these past years. Even if the leader told me to die right now, I'd be willing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who's afraid? Let me go! My archery's terrible, but if I were any good at it, this chance to die for the leader wouldn't even be yours!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's right. My base strength isn't low—I just can't shoot arrows well. If any of you don't want to go, let me take your place. I'd gladly swap with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, not only the ninety-six selected men, but many unselected Woodcutting Realm cultivators and even some reserves began speaking up, offering to swap places with those unwilling to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good! With words like these, I'm reassured.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Xia Hong had some sense of how highly he was regarded by these men in the Great Xia camp, hearing these words firsthand still stirred his emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The complete, unreserved trust of these hundreds, even thousands of men before him—trust so deep they were willing to sacrifice their lives—wasn't it the result of all my hard work over these past six months!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Hong had always been someone who put himself in others' shoes. He knew exactly how much he had given to these men in the camp, and to say he asked for nothing in return was false.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he wanted in return was precisely this: their unreserved trust, right here and now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won't waste words. Just remember one thing: every action tonight outside the camp must follow my orders. Remember what you just said—tonight, no matter who it is, even if I order you to die, you must grit your teeth and obey. I don't want anyone to fail. Understood?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, the three Zhao brothers, Yuan Cheng, and the ninety-six selected Woodcutting Realm cultivators all lifted their heads and answered in unison—their roar shook the rafters and made the eaves tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A surge of boldness rose in Xia Hong’s heart. He declared loudly: \"Good! Your spirit is strong. I haven't told you this yet—a single Rodent’s contribution value is 200 points. You ninety-six have never had a chance to earn so much before. Tonight is your chance. See who can seize it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the ninety-six below grew wildly excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the six Earth-Digging Realm cultivators—Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan—had their eyes suddenly brighten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3887,"2026-06-19T20:30:15.201Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a177eb73be1f08780aaa781ca4b041f9c8ce0a681adeb74ed264b90ec439bfe6","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-125","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-123",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fendless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-cover.jpg"]