Chapter 139: He Yuanhun, Yuwen the Guardian, Yuwen the Solemn (Combined)

For the first time, He Meng and his group had displayed their arrogant demeanor;

And tonight, this very group had intruded into Hongmu Ridge to hunt;

These two incidents had already sealed the fate of the Jingxian Camp: it could never become a friendly neighbor, and would very likely compress Daya’s living space.

Although during the recent hunt for the Demon Sheep, this group had shown a fierce, fearless fighting spirit that even stirred a flicker of admiration in Xia Hong’s heart;

But an enemy is still an enemy.

Any enemy that might threaten Daya’s survival—whether a Cold Beast, a supernatural entity, or a human—should be eliminated without mercy, if necessary and if possible.

I, Xia Hong, dare not accept that!

Earlier, Xia Hong’s tone had already sunk to its lowest point; anyone could hear the furious rage hidden within.

Those final seven words carried a chill so deep it pierced the bone.

Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan both thought he was about to give the order to attack, and immediately drew their swords, stepping forward in unison.

“Daya’s territory? Isn’t this Lu Shang’s camp’s land?”

“Lu He already said he handed this area over to the Jingxian Camp—when did it become Daya’s territory?”

“We haven’t even settled accounts with you for driving the Rodent Swarm into the Arrow Bamboo Grove last time, and now you turn around and accuse us of trespassing?”

“Hahaha, laughable—what kind of pathetic Daya? You just covet our prey and are making up excuses.”

“Just three of you? Even wounded, I’m not afraid.”

“Boss, don’t waste words with him—let’s settle this with our blades!”

………………

The Jingxian Camp’s hunt for the Demon Sheep had not been easy; over twenty men had already fallen, and now only nine remained standing.

And all nine were wounded.

Some could barely stand, supported by others.

Yet even so, after hearing Xia Hong’s cold words, not one showed fear—instead, each responded with fiery defiance.

A few who still had decent mobility, feeling their rebuttals weren’t strong enough, drew their swords and stepped forward two paces, just like Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan.

Their reaction was even more aggressive than Xia Hong’s trio, as if ready to fight to the death at the slightest provocation.

Xia Hong lowered his gaze; given the ferocity they’d shown during the hunt, this response wasn’t surprising.

At a distance of just over ten meters, Xia Hong could clearly make out most of their faces; He Meng, who he’d clashed with before in the Arrow Bamboo Grove, was not among them—but from the voices shouting just now, he sensed someone had been there that day.

He Meng had brought fourteen men last time.

Xia Hong focused his gaze on the black-clad man surrounded by the nine.

His voice matched what he’d heard—he was indeed young.

Thick eyebrows, broad face, expression like still water; his fitted black combat attire revealed his powerful frame. Perhaps to conceal the wound on his shoulder, his hands rested on the hilt of a broadsword planted firmly in the ground, standing tall like an upright pine, utterly motionless.

He looked no older than Xia Chuan, yet his composed, seasoned demeanor bore no trace of youth.

By contrast, the nine around him were clearly older—some even looked middle-aged—but in demeanor, behavior, and even strength, they seemed far more youthful than he did.

As Xia Hong studied the black-clad man, the man was studying him in return.

Their gazes met and lingered in midair for a moment; then the black-clad man’s expression softened slightly, and a faint smile appeared as he bowed with both hands:

“Last time, I heard from He Meng that there was a Daya Camp here in Hongmu Ridge, led by Xia Hong—fearless and unmatched, who led over a hundred men to drive the Rodent Swarm into panic, nearly forcing them into the Arrow Bamboo Grove. At the time, I held deep respect, and planned to visit in a few days. I never expected to meet you here tonight.”

“Jingxian Camp, Yuwen Tao, greets Head Leader Xia!”

…………

Xia Hong’s gloomy expression froze for several seconds.

He had imagined Yuwen Tao might react more fiercely than the others.

Even direct violence wasn’t out of the question.

But he never imagined Yuwen Tao would be this courteous.

Of course, after the initial shock, Xia Hong grew even more wary.

Compared to He Meng and the other Jingxian members’ blunt honesty, Yuwen Tao’s politeness was clearly a mask—far more dangerous.

His words sounded courteous, yet he referenced the Rodent Swarm nearly breaching the Arrow Bamboo Grove—clearly a veiled threat.

“As for the Rodent Swarm incident, I already settled it with He Meng. The Jingxian Camp occupied the Arrow Bamboo Grove for only three months, and gave no prior notice to Daya. Moreover, the incident caused no real loss to your camp—and crucially, the Rodent Swarm never entered the Arrow Bamboo Grove.”

“Trying to use this as leverage won’t be so simple!”

One doesn’t strike a smiling face; since Yuwen Tao showed willingness to negotiate, Xia Hong decided to meet him halfway, softening his tone slightly.

Of course, only his tone softened.

After speaking those final words, he raised his right hand and gave a light wave toward the rear.

Shhhhh…

Three iron arrows shot simultaneously from behind the trees, striking the ground two to three meters in front of Yuwen Tao and his men.

The arrows buried themselves twenty to thirty centimeters deep; the force was so great the vibration of the shafts against the earth rang out sharply.

Yuwen Tao and his nine men stared at the arrows, then snapped their heads up toward Xia Hong’s rear—their expressions changed instantly.

At this distance, and with such penetration, the archer’s strength was unquestionably Earth-Digging. Three arrows meant little—but who knew how many more archers and arrows lurked behind Xia Hong’s trio?

Yuwen Tao’s smiling face darkened instantly; his earlier ease vanished. He stepped forward two paces and spoke in a low voice:

“Head Leader Xia, when Lu He and his men joined our Jingxian Camp, he transferred all of Lu Shang Camp’s territory in Hongmu Ridge to us…”

“Didn’t they tell you how Lu Shang Camp acquired its land?”

Before Yuwen Tao could finish, Xia Hong cut him off.

“No need for more talk. I have no intention of explaining Lu Shang Camp’s affairs to you. Be direct: tonight, since this is your first offense, I won’t pursue it further. Leave the Demon Sheep behind, and never set foot in Hongmu Ridge again—I’ll let you go.”

Xia Hong had no desire to explain—he simply stated the terms for their release.

The moment he spoke, Yuwen Tao’s nine men erupted like scalded cats, shouting in unison:

“You’re dreaming!”

“Boss, ignore him—we’re not afraid! Fight him!”

“We fought all night—now you want to steal our kill? Dream on!”

“Boss, don’t listen to him—he dares kill us, and when our Head Leader arrives, every last person in Daya Camp will pay with their lives…”

………………

At those final words, not only Xia Hong, but Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan beside him, all turned cold. Their gazes on the ten men grew icy.

Pah…

“Enough!”

Before the last man could finish saying “burial,” Yuwen Tao roared, cutting him off—and turned to slap him hard across the face.

The man was already wounded; the blow sent him flying two or three meters, unable to stand, collapsing onto the ground.

“Head Leader Xia, my men spoke out of turn—I beg your pardon!”

After striking him, Yuwen Tao immediately bowed low before Xia Hong and his two companions, inwardly cursing his nine men as fools.

As silence stretched, Yuwen Tao grew increasingly uneasy. He glanced at the massive Demon Sheep corpse behind him, his face twisting with pain—then he gritted his teeth and looked up:

“Head Leader Xia, we suffered heavy losses hunting this Demon Sheep. To give you the entire carcass would leave my men resentful—and I myself could never accept it. How about this: I’ll extract half its blood and offer it to you. What do you say?”

Xia Hong, who had remained silent, stirred slightly at these words.

Clearly, Yuwen Tao had noticed the abnormality in his skin—he knew Xia Hong was at a critical moment in his breakthrough to Cold-Resistant.

Accept half the blood, and leave behind a group of potential enemies?

Or refuse, and with Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and the others, eliminate all ten here?

“Big Brother!”

“Head Leader…”

Seeing Xia Hong hesitate, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan spoke together—Xia Chuan’s eyes glinted with cold intent, Luo Yuan simply drew his finger across his throat.

He knew they were urging him to give the order to strike—and he was tempted.

True, his own group had just fought and wasn’t at full strength.

But these ten were worse off.

A severely wounded Yuwen Tao, nine Earth-Digging warriors barely able to stand.

Meanwhile, behind the trees, nine archers waited.

“Head Leader Xia, if I’m not mistaken, after the Rodent Swarm incident, He Meng had a serious conflict with your camp. When he returned, he urged our Head Leader, He Yuanhun, to lead a force to demand answers from Daya. Fortunately, my father intervened and convinced him not to act…”

Yuwen Tao’s expression grew tense—he’d seen Xia Hong’s hesitation, sweat beading on his brow. After speaking those words, he added quickly:

“By the way, I haven’t told you yet: Jingxian Camp has over ten thousand people, hundreds of Earth-Digging warriors, and is guarded by two Cold-Resistant masters—our Head Leader He Yuanhun, and my father, Yuwen the Guardian!”

“Head Leader Xia, my father has always believed that in the Ice Abyss, humans must support one another—he holds that grudges are better resolved than deepened. Since Jingxian now borders Daya, even if we’re not close allies, we shouldn’t become mortal enemies. Head Leader Xia, don’t you agree?”

…………

He Yuanhun, Yuwen the Guardian, He Meng, two Cold-Resistant masters guarding the camp…

Hearing Yuwen Tao’s words, Xia Hong’s previously indecisive expression subtly shifted.

Especially when he met Yuwen Tao’s gaze and caught a flicker of something hidden in his eyes—he felt his mind stir.

Yuwen Tao was pretending to say his father, Yuwen the Guardian, had saved Daya by stopping He Yuanhun from retaliating—implying a debt of gratitude.

But that alone wouldn’t convince Xia Hong to spare them; it was empty words—who knew if it was true?

It was the hidden implication in the middle that truly swayed Xia Hong.

Jingxian Camp’s population of ten thousand, hundreds of Earth-Digging warriors—Xia Hong had already guessed as much. But the final point—that two Cold-Resistant masters guarded the camp—was what truly caught his attention.

Combined with the subtle expression on Yuwen Tao’s face, it was clearly a hint: Jingxian Camp was not ruled solely by He Yuanhun.

The deeper implication: if Xia Hong killed them, his father Yuwen the Guardian would shift his stance, He Meng’s proposal would be accepted, and Daya and Jingxian would become irreconcilable enemies.

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Just these few words, blending softness and hardness.

Not only did he clarify the immense benefit of Xia Hong’s group not acting;

He also made clear the consequences Great Xia would face if they killed, subtly threatening them without leaving a trace.

Is this Yuwen Tao really just a young man?

Though Xia Hong’s face showed no expression, his heart was deeply shaken by Yuwen Tao’s maturity and composure.

Whether or not Yuwen Tao’s earlier words were true, at least his final statement was: enmities are better resolved than deepened; Great Xia and Mirror Immortal Camp would inevitably become neighbors, and forging a bitter grudge would harm both sides.

Killing the son of a Yuhan-level cultivator would clearly lead to an irreconcilable feud—so why take such a step?

Kill them secretly, without anyone noticing?

Xia Hong shook his head. This was Bingyuan, not the normal world; if someone dies on your land, you’re implicated—you don’t need evidence to be held responsible.

At this point, Xia Hong had abandoned all thought of killing Yuwen Tao’s ten men; even Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan beside him had greatly diminished their killing intent.

At this juncture, they could only hope Yuwen Tao’s claims about Yuwen the Guardian and He Yuanhun, the two Yuhan-level cultivators, were true.

Regardless of whether Mirror Immortal Camp’s strength matched Yuwen Tao’s description, before Xia Hong broke through to the Yuhan level, it would certainly surpass Great Xia—at least this was undeniable.

At this stage, Xia Hong’s greatest advantage in confronting Mirror Immortal Camp was that they didn’t know Great Xia’s base location—they could only encounter them in Redwood Ridge.

But this wasn’t safe.

If Mirror Immortal Camp truly meant to find them, discovering the valley was merely a matter of time.

The current conflict between the two sides was still minor, so Mirror Immortal Camp likely wouldn’t expend great effort searching for Great Xia’s base.

But what about the future?

Two neighboring factions would inevitably clash; judging by the posture He Meng and his men had shown, future conflict was unavoidable.

This was why Xia Hong had been rushing to break through to the Yuhan level these past days.

Before a more intense conflict erupted with Mirror Immortal Camp, if Xia Hong hadn’t reached the Yuhan level, Great Xia Camp’s fate would be dire.

Tonight he could certainly kill Yuwen Tao and his ten men—but then what?

What if he couldn’t break through to the Yuhan level in a short time?

Xia Hong needed time—vast amounts of time!

If Yuwen Tao’s implication was true—that internal factions existed within Mirror Immortal Camp—then he could gain even more time.

Moreover, Yuwen Tao had deliberately mentioned his father Yuwen the Guardian’s philosophy, clearly hinting at something deeper; it was highly likely that the camp’s leader, He Yuanhun, held views contrary to his father’s.

This could explain why his father had intervened to stop He Yuanhun from adopting He Meng’s proposal to trouble Great Xia.

Yuwen Tao’s gaze never left Xia Hong; his expression remained tense, his hands never leaving the broadsword, clearly waiting for his decision.

“Bleed it.”

After a long silence, hearing Xia Hong utter those three words, Yuwen Tao instantly relaxed, his tension vanishing; he turned and gave orders to the others, a smile appearing on his face.

“Thank you, Head Leader Xia!”

Xia Hong merely gave a slight bow, offering no warm expression.

Though he greatly admired Yuwen Tao, the relationship between the two camps was still far from good; sparing them tonight was merely a temporary measure—if Yuwen Tao had lied, this goodwill would become a great joke later.

Aware of Xia Hong’s concerns, Yuwen Tao didn’t mind; he chuckled, then glanced at Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan behind him, showing a flicker of curiosity before smiling and nodding to them.

Only now did he seem like a young man…

Yuwen Tao’s slightly childish behavior struck Xia Hong’s eyes and eased his heart; his hostility diminished considerably.

Of course, while watching Yuwen Tao, he also observed how the other Mirror Immortal Camp members bled the Demon Sheep.

They walked to the Demon Sheep’s chest cavity, sliced open its hide, and found a red blood vessel about three to four centimeters in diameter near the heart.

One man cut the vessel with a knife; crimson blood gushed out, while the others held large leather bags beneath it, quickly filling one to the brim.

Amazingly, as the blood drained, the Demon Sheep’s massive nine-meter body slowly withered and shrank; by the time half its blood was drained, its body had contracted by one or two tenths, now only seven meters long.

Though this sight stirred Xia Hong’s curiosity, he said nothing, his face showing no sign of surprise; neither did Xia Chuan or Luo Yuan.

All three even deliberately turned away to conceal their interest.

There was no choice—if they asked, it would confirm they’d never seen a mid-tier cold beast bled before, exposing Great Xia’s weakness and lowering their standing instantly.

“Head Leader Xia!”

Soon, Yuwen Tao tossed over the sealed bag of cold beast blood.

Xia Hong reached out and caught it steadily, estimating it weighed about thirty jin.

Combined with their prior experience processing low-tier cold beasts, the blood volume matched the size of a mid-tier beast.

After obtaining the blood, Xia Hong didn’t leave immediately; he looked at Yuwen Tao, his expression growing solemn, and spoke in a low tone:

“Now that tonight’s misunderstanding is resolved, I shouldn’t say more—but Brother Yuwen, if you truly believe, as you just claimed, that our two camps should be good neighbors, then please carry a message back for me.”

The earlier incident with the Rodent Swarm was purely a misunderstanding; any clear-eyed person can see Great Xia has no intention of making enemies with Mirror Immortal Camp.

Our neighboring status is now fact; henceforth, even if we can’t live in harmony, we must at least avoid crossing lines and prevent unnecessary conflict.

From now on, I will strictly control my camp members and forbid them from entering any area of Arrow Bamboo Forest; I ask that Mirror Immortal Camp likewise refrain from trespassing into our Redwood Ridge.

Tonight’s incident is a one-time exception.

If it happens again, Great Xia Camp will show no mercy—don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

“Understood, Head Leader Xia. I will deliver your words.”

Yuwen Tao nodded quickly, then looked up to find Xia Hong and his two companions already retreating into the southern forest.

At the same time, rustling sounds came from several nearby trees—clearly the archers Xia Hong had brought.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…”

Yuwen Tao closed his eyes, silently counting; when the rustling ceased entirely, he opened his eyes, stared at the direction where Xia Hong’s group had vanished, and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“Nine Digging-level archers—thank heaven there was no conflict!”

Looking at his shoulder wound, Yuwen Tao’s face showed a trace of relief.

He had watched Xia Hong’s expression closely all along—if Xia Hong had changed his mind, tonight’s outcome would have been entirely different.

The other nine were now also more relaxed, though most still wore faint resentment, clearly still bitter about losing half the cold beast blood.

“Enough. You’ve kept your lives—why the long faces?”

As soon as Yuwen Tao spoke, all nine laughed.

One of them ran behind a large tree to the north and slowly dragged out a massive object.

It was a dead Snow Mane corpse.

“Hahaha, this Xia Hong never expected we had another kill hidden here!”

The man dragged the Snow Mane beside the Demon Sheep and burst into laughter.

Hearing this, Yuwen Tao turned to look in the direction Xia Hong’s group had left, and a smug smile slowly spread across his face.

“Hahahaha! Had I not feared this Snow Mane being discovered, I wouldn’t have handed over half the blood so easily—but this Great Xia head leader is clever—don’t underestimate him…”

Yuwen Tao turned back to the nine men, a deep glint flashing in his pupils.

“Alright, pack up and leave quickly. Return and report to the Head Leader and Second Leader—we’ll be dealing with Great Xia Camp from now on.”

The group quickly gathered both beasts, slung the unconscious and dead onto their backs, then followed Yuwen Tao eastward toward the outer edge of Redwood Ridge.

………………

Meanwhile, Xia Hong, having obtained half a bag of cold beast blood, met up with Zhu Shun, Qiu Peng, and the other four, and cheerfully returned to the valley base.

(End of Chapter)