Chapter 176: New Hunting Department Rules, Building Upgrades

"Office Director, here is the hunting department charter I've drafted—please review it!"

Yuwen Tao took a leather scroll from his person and handed it to Xia Chuan.

After carefully reading the charter listed on the scroll, Xia Chuan's eyes lit up; seeing the crowd still gathered around, he immediately returned the scroll to Yuwen Tao and pointed upward toward the furnace.

Receiving the signal, Yuwen Tao nodded slightly and stepped forward.

"Everyone, the hunting department charter is now finalized. I'll read it aloud for you now—these rules will be publicly posted and continuously refined based on your feedback. If you're interested, listen closely."

The hunting department's matters were the top concern for everyone in the camp; hearing Yuwen Tao's words, those who had just begun to disperse immediately gathered again, and the Digging Earth cultivators crowded to the front, ears straining, expressions utterly focused.

"First, the qualification criteria for forming a hunting team.

To successfully form a hunting team as an individual, you must meet the following three conditions:

First, your base strength must exceed twenty thousand jin; second, you must recruit at least four members; third, you must pass the trial by killing five different low-grade cold beasts."

Upon hearing this, the Digging Earth cultivators all wore expressions of thoughtful consideration.

None of them were fools; from these three conditions, it was clear what Yuwen Tao intended.

Base strength above twenty thousand jin, with suitable weapons, and as long as luck isn't abysmal, killing low-grade cold beasts is hardly an issue; recruiting team members is even less of a problem.

In short, Yuwen Tao's meaning was clear: only those capable of single-handedly killing low-grade cold beasts qualify to form a hunting team.

Among the Great Xia Digging Earth cultivators, many already exceeded twenty thousand jin.

Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, and the three Zhao brothers—the first six to break through to Digging Earth—had long surpassed twenty thousand jin;

On the Mirror Immortal camp side, even more so: not just Hong Guang and his four, but several others below them had also surpassed twenty thousand jin.

Hearing these three conditions and realizing they qualified to form a hunting team, these individuals' expressions brightened slightly.

"Next, the second rule: once a hunting team is formed, the camp imposes no restrictions on hunting frequency, distribution of prey contribution points, or internal member changes—all are fully managed by the team captain. But…"

Hearing the high autonomy granted to hunting teams, the crowd grew even more excited—until Yuwen Tao's tone shifted.

"Every hunting team must meet a monthly quota. Teams failing to meet their quota will be disbanded immediately; their captain will lose the right to form a team for one year, and all members will be punished, with penalties ranging from one thousand to ten thousand contribution points."

Hiss…

The crowd didn't even hear the quota—just the penalty range—and all drew a sharp breath.

A penalty of one thousand to ten thousand? What did that even mean?

The wealthiest tier in Great Xia currently was the original hunting team's fifteen members; their contribution points were the highest in the camp, yet even Xia Chuan, who held the most, had barely over ten thousand.

Xia Chuan had so many contribution points mainly because he was alone; others like Luo Yuan, Zhao Long, and Yue Feng had families to support and many uses for their points, leaving them with only six or seven thousand.

"Office Director, tell us the quota!"

"Yes, how much must we complete each month? With penalties this severe, the quota shouldn't be unreasonable."

…………

Of course, the Digging Earth cultivators weren't fools; since the penalty was so terrifying, the corresponding quota surely wouldn't be high—if everyone failed, the hunting teams couldn't survive.

Yuwen Tao nodded and smiled:

"Thank you all for your patience. Before stating the quota, I must mention the third rule: the tier classification of hunting teams.

Going forward, all teams under the hunting department will be divided into three tiers: low, medium, and high.

A low-tier hunting team must meet a monthly quota of fifteen low-grade cold beasts; a medium-tier team must meet five medium-grade cold beasts plus twenty low-grade cold beasts—or, if inconvenient, four low-grade beasts count as one medium-grade.

High-tier will not be introduced now; the camp won't have any for a long time."

This quota eased everyone's expressions slightly.

They didn't know the medium-tier standard, but for a hunting team of five or more Digging Earth members, killing fifteen low-grade cold beasts monthly was not difficult.

"Don't forget, this quota isn't free—your killed cold beasts still earn full contribution points, every bit as before. Why set these rules? You all know why."

Yuwen Tao's sincere words made the crowd fall into quiet thought.

None of them were fools; they understood perfectly.

The main purpose of this quota was to maintain the camp's supply of cold beast meat, for Great Xia wasn't just these one hundred ten people—there were over four thousand others who needed to eat it.

If they only cared for themselves, they wouldn't need to work so hard.

But Great Xia's camp's fundamental tone had long been firmly set by Xia Hong.

The contribution point system's core principle was "contribution."

Contributing to the camp, securing cold beast resources for those still weak and undeveloped, was precisely the inescapable duty of those ahead, those stronger among them.

"Office Director, continue—we understand."

"Exactly. Fifteen low-grade beasts a month? What's that? Our leader once led our seventeen brothers for half a month, bringing back three medium-grade beasts every night—that was real hardship."

"Thinking back now, I think we held our leader back. Don't forget: from the seventh to the fifteenth, our leader killed thirty-two medium-grade cold beasts."

………………

The hunting team members had meant to inspire the crowd, but Yuan Cheng happened to mention Xia Hong's past hunts.

At once, the wooden hut fell into deathly silence.

Compared to Xia Hong, Yuwen Tao's quota wasn't just low—it was laughable.

"Will our leader laugh at us?"

"Office Director, can we raise the quota?"

"I think it's too low—if our leader finds out, he'll blame us."

…………

Hearing Great Xia's people voluntarily propose raising the quota, Yuwen Tao's face showed astonishment; his heart stirred with emotion for Luo Yuan and the others' sincerity.

Hunting was no easy task; death was commonplace.

Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, and the others knew this well—yet they still proposed raising the quota, proving they truly wished to contribute to the camp, even at great personal risk.

The Mirror Immortal camp had no such spirit—not at all…

Yuwen Tao's expression grew solemn as he glanced toward Hong Guang and the others.

Hong Guang and the rest lowered their heads slightly, faces flushed with shame.

Last night, when discussing the hunting quota, they had even thought fifteen beasts too high and repeatedly urged Yuwen Tao to lower it further.

Now it was clear: though Great Xia's Digging Earth cultivators were weaker, their mindset and vision far surpassed theirs.

"Enough. The quota stands as set for now; adjustments will be made later based on the camp's overall meat consumption."

Xia Chuan spoke directly, rejecting the proposal.

In fact, from the moment he saw the quota, he had already estimated roughly.

Under Yuwen Tao's rules, those qualified to form hunting teams were immediately obvious.

Luo Yuan, Yuan Cheng, Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Zhao Bao, Huang Yong, Yuwen Tao, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Meng Yi, Zhu Ling, Zhu Yuan—and of course, himself.

Thirteen people total, all intending to form teams; the camp's current Digging Earth cultivators could easily support thirteen teams. At a minimum of fifteen low-grade beasts per team monthly, each beast yielding thirteen hundred jin, total meat output would exceed twenty-five thousand jin.

This output was already close to the camp's current consumption.

Of course, the hunting teams wouldn't just meet the minimum—they'd exceed it naturally, and Yuwen Tao himself could hunt medium-grade beasts, let alone his elder brother Xia Hong.

Under these rules, the camp's meat consumption would be more than covered—no need to raise the quota.

"Yuwen Tao, continue."

Hearing Xia Chuan's words, Yuwen Tao nodded and spoke on:

"Next is the fourth rule: promotion criteria for hunting teams. No exceptions—any team accumulating fifty thousand total contribution points may apply for promotion to medium-tier. The promotion trial requires successfully killing five different medium-grade cold beasts."

Fifty thousand points!

Hearing the harsh condition for promotion, everyone winced.

Low-grade cold beasts yielded two hundred to four hundred points each; that meant at least two hundred kills just to qualify.

The trial itself wasn't easy—killing five different medium-grade cold beasts was no simple task, even for Yuwen Tao. Different beasts had different difficulties; unfamiliar ones posed extreme risk on first encounter.

"Fifth rule: team size limits. Including the captain, low-tier teams are capped at ten members; medium-tier at twenty. No team may exceed these limits.

Sixth rule: fixed monthly quotas for coal and iron submission by hunting department members.

Everyone knows only Digging Earth cultivators can mine; thus, joining the hunting department means you're assigned mining duties. The camp's daily coal and iron supply depends entirely on us—so every hunting department member has the obligation to mine."

The crowd nodded; coal and iron mining were the camp's top priorities. All one hundred ten Digging Earth cultivators were bound to it—and so would all future breakthroughs.

"All hunting department members must submit a minimum monthly quota: five thousand jin of coal, two thousand five hundred jin of iron. These resources still convert to contribution points, recorded to your personal account. Remember: this is the standard quota. During special circumstances—like when our leader needed resources for his breakthrough—the quota will be raised. Any objections?"

"None at all. With the rodent drill, five thousand jin of coal and two thousand five hundred jin of iron? Just ten days' work—we can do it easily."

"If our leader needs more, I'll live in the mine every day."

"Office Director, we have no objections. What else? Say it all—we're eager to head out hunting."

………………

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Hearing the crowd's enthusiastic response, Yuwen Tao's earlier anxiety vanished; he smiled and said, "Good!"

Beside him, Hong Guang immediately pulled a wooden tablet from behind his back and placed it upright beside the furnace.

The tablet was already marked in coal ink with all hunting department rules: not just the six rules Yuwen Tao had just stated, but many more.

From the naming rights of each hunting team to the full authority and responsibilities of team captains, it covered everything. After circling and studying it, everyone understood clearly.

"Different-tier hunting teams will have merit rankings, settled monthly—the top five receive bonus contribution points!"

"Not just merit—total coal and iron mined will also be ranked, with bonus contribution points too!"

"Going forward, any changes to hunting department rules will be discussed by the Office Director with all team captains?"

"Do hunting team captains have certain rights within the hunting department?"

"Having to form a team means recruiting—might be hard."

"Only a few qualify to form teams; choosing a good captain matters greatly."

"Office Director will probably form his own team, and Office Director Xia probably will too—I wonder if we can join his team."

………………

As people finished reading the content on the wooden board, murmurs rose up in waves among the crowd.

Some quick-witted individuals were already scanning the crowd for suitable teammates;

A few impulsive ones, like Yuan Cheng and Hong Guang, had even pulled people aside, clearly planning to form hunting squads.

"Big brother didn't misjudge him—Yuwen Tao really is a talent!"

Watching the fervor below, Xia Chuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Yuwen Tao had only just arrived in Great Xia last night.

To draft the entire hunting department's regulations in such a short time was already difficult; to inspire such enthusiastic response from everyone was even harder. The current zeal of all the Digging Earth cultivators to form hunting squads was undeniable proof of Yuwen Tao's ability.

Zhum…………

Just as the crowd was in heated discussion,

Suddenly, the furnace in the center of the wooden hut emitted a loud sound, followed by a blinding flash of intense light.

Everyone's expressions changed instantly; all chatter ceased as they turned to look at the furnace, but the blinding light made it impossible for them to open their eyes.

"Don't panic—it's me who did this!"

Hearing Xia Hong's voice, everyone calmed down. Those who had just arrived from Mirror Immortal Camp were still confused, but the Great Xia group seemed to recall something, their faces subtly showing anticipation.

Hong…………

The blinding light vanished abruptly; a wave of heat, rising with flames, surged outward and engulfed everyone.

"What's going on? Why is it so warm outside the hut?"

"No, the valley entrance is warm too."

"It's not from the bonfire—it's the hut. Something inside is radiating heat. Let's go back and check."

………………

Those inside the hut, hearing the voices outside and sensing the light had faded, opened their eyes and immediately turned to the furnace.

All of Great Xia's people wore joyful expressions;

Yuwen Tao and the others from Mirror Immortal Camp froze in stunned silence.

In the center of the hut, the original one-meter-wide furnace had vanished. In its place stood a massive three-legged circular cauldron over three meters in diameter.

Its surface was engraved with intricate fire-cloud patterns; two ear-like handles flanked its rim. Flames roared atop it, leaping four to five meters high, continuously radiating immense heat.

Merely by its appearance, the cauldron exuded an aura of solemnity and sanctity—let alone the heat it emitted, which seemed to have solidified into tangible warmth, felt clearly by everyone.

All eyes were fixed on the cauldron. The hut fell silent for over a hundred breaths before someone finally spoke.

"Our leader has performed another miracle! This cauldron is far stronger than the old furnace—can it repel even stronger supernatural entities?"

"The warming effect is better too—much warmer than before."

"I think it's more than that—didn't you hear what people outside just said? The heat radiates over a much wider area. We won't need bonfires for warmth inside the valley anymore."

…………

Yuwen Tao's stunned gaze snapped back to life as he heard Great Xia's murmurs, and instantly recalled the words Hong Yu had spoken earlier.

Everything he said was true.

The furnace had transformed directly into a cauldron, and the heat it emitted—its range clearly abnormal. Witnessing such a miraculous event before his eyes, Yuwen Tao now fully believed Hong Yu's claims.

Polishing hammer, wooden training post, green bamboo fence, marker stone, decoction pot…

In an instant, curiosity surged within Yuwen Tao for the other items Hong Yu had mentioned.

Just then, Xia Hong's voice came again from behind the hut.

"Xia Chuan, clear two square areas in the valley, each fifty meters wide. The training ground will resume use tomorrow night. Also, Cheng Feng and Mudong, prepare to take over the new herb workshop and forge."

"Yes, Leader!"

Xia Chuan, Cheng Feng, and Mudong bowed immediately in reply.

Whenever Xia Hong spoke, every member of Great Xia wore expressions of reverence—even fanaticism. Yuwen Tao had always found this puzzling.

Respecting and trusting one's leader was normal.

But fanaticism? That went too far.

Only now, after witnessing the furnace's strange transformation, did he begin to understand.

And when Xia Chuan and his team cleared two open spaces in the valley, and Xia Hong merely waved his hand—two buildings appeared out of thin air—he truly understood.

Not just him—Hong Guang, Hong Tian, and the other four, all the Digging Earth cultivators from the Mirror Immortal Camp, even the woodcutters and all ordinary people—after witnessing Xia Hong's consecutive miracles—their gazes gradually acquired a hint of respect.

Especially after learning and experiencing the functions of these buildings.

The respect in their eyes was clearly turning into fanaticism.

Just like those of Great Xia's people—exactly the same.

(End of Chapter)