[{"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-181":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},2266607,4425,"Chapter 181: Exchange Fair and Grand Gesture","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-181",181,"\u003Cp>“Shi Ping, why does my lord need so much of this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the temporary supply depot on the southern side of the valley, Qiu Peng sorted through the items while curiously asking Shi Ping beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten thousand jin of iron ore, three long swords, and a ten-stone iron-bodied bow—these meant little to present-day Da Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for iron ore, the camp now produced at least three hundred thousand jin per month; weapons were even more absurd—last time they dragged back over four thousand seven hundred pieces from the Jingxian camp, everything from broadswords to axes, spears, and halberds was covered, and longbows were certainly not lacking—the camp wouldn’t need forging for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if there was plenty, it was rare for one person to request so much at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This batch of supplies wasn’t cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Iron ore is ten jin per point, each long sword is 300 points, and each ten-stone iron-bodied bow is 600 points—this entire batch adds up to 2,500 contribution points!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shi Ping’s exaggerated expression at the price, Qiu Peng couldn’t help teasing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, too expensive? This is already after a recent price reduction—if it were before, I doubt anyone in the entire camp could afford this many contribution points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping nodded—he’d worked at the Supply Office before and knew just how extreme the price fluctuations had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Xia’s recent reforms didn’t just involve the camp’s Six Departments; many other areas, including Supply Office pricing, had undergone massive changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple: first, the spoils seized from the Jingxian camp were too abundant; second, the camp’s strength had shifted, so the rules naturally changed too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, iron—a strategic material—could only be exchanged by those at the Digging Earth realm, and personal exchange had strict limits; everyone in the camp except Xia Hong, including Xia Chuan, faced tight restrictions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, pricing: when iron ore was scarce, submitting it was ten jin per point, while exchanging it was ten points per jin—seemingly brutal, but in reality, it discouraged, even banned, personal exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People had previously accepted this without complaint because, though iron ore prices were absurdly high, prices for finished iron goods remained relatively reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with mining capacity skyrocketing, the treasury overflowing, and no urgent needs beyond wooden buildings, the prices of iron ore and weapons naturally underwent major adjustments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord wants this batch to give to Xiao He Camp—these 2,500 contribution points will be deducted from me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Shi Ping’s words, Qiu Peng immediately looked enlightened, giving him a thumbs-up and smiling: “Ah, so that’s it—you’re going all out! Looks like you’re determined to get that Exploration Department Chief position!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Peng currently held the position of Supply Office Chief, but he himself was at the Digging Earth realm, so he too had to join the Hunting Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, both he and Shi Ping had been assigned to Xia Chuan’s Yunjiao Squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan hadn’t hidden the Xiao He Camp matter, so Qiu Peng knew about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan sending supplies to Xiao He Camp was clearly to recruit people—these new mouths would ultimately be credited to Shi Ping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll fight for it. My lord brought so many people to help me—if I don’t become Chief, I’ll let him down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two thousand five hundred contribution points were indeed a massive sum for Shi Ping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only had a little over four thousand points total—this one move would wipe out more than half, and naturally, he felt the loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he’d long served in the Supply Office, Shi Ping had some understanding of everyone’s current contribution point balances in the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The camp’s wealthiest in contribution points were the original fifteen members of the Hunting Teams, who had once followed Xia Hong on wild hunts of mid-tier cold beasts and had more points than they could spend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came Shi Ping’s own group—the fifty-odd who had broken into the Digging Earth realm—most of them had between two and three thousand points, thanks to the cold beast surge and the later campaign at Jingxian Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping had stood out exceptionally in both events, and during the cold beast surge, he’d aided Xia Chuan in extinguishing and igniting fires, earning special commendations—otherwise, his contribution points wouldn’t have differed much from others’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go notify the others—you prepare too. My lord is leaving for the north bank soon, and we’re going with him tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Peng nodded, then remembered something and asked: “By the way, Yuwen Tao just took a large group out—was he looking for Hong Guang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hunting Division counted heads every night; everyone knew Hong Guang’s Xuanwu Squad of seven had not returned last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping nodded: “My lord just gathered Yuwen Tao, Meng Yi, and others to question them in detail. Hong Guang probably went to the Sanhu Camp—likely something went wrong. Yuwen Tao, worried for their safety, went ahead to the north bank to find them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Peng shook his head, speaking gravely: “Hong Guang’s too impulsive. The two groups he brought back already had problems—now he’s directly approaching Sanhu Camp? He won’t get off easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ping said nothing, but his face showed agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what they’d heard, the people of Sanhu Camp were clearly no good; Hong Guang made no preparations and showed up unannounced, proposing annexation—his fate wouldn’t be good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yuwen Tao is strong—he probably won’t have problems. I just hope Hong Guang and his seven men are safe. Enough talking—get ready, we’re leaving soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shi Ping gather his things and leave, Qiu Peng also began preparing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao He Camp, inside the cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the outer storage space, Xiao Ning led a group loading coal stones into animal-skin sacks; eight full sacks already lined the ground, nearly half the total coal stockpile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, we’ve already got forty thousand jin—isn’t that enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My arms are numb—how many more sacks do we need to fill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Heng placed another coal stone into a sack, rubbed his aching arms, and looked up at Xiao Ning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pah…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Xiao Ning could answer, Xiao Yu, the second sister, slapped his head and scolded: “Just work! Why so many questions? You haven’t filled a single sack, yet you’ve got a whole belly of complaints!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, forgive me! I’ll keep picking, I’ll keep picking!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Heng grinned sheepishly and bent back down to gather coal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those around them couldn’t help chuckling quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning, seeing this, smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third brother Xiao Heng had always been spoiled at home—fearless of anyone, except when he saw second sister Xiao Yu, he turned into a mouse seeing a cat—truly, one thing tames another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after scanning the group, seeing how exhausted everyone looked, she spoke up: “Just two more sacks left—take a break.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone instantly relaxed, set down their coal, and sat where they were to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, why prepare fifty thousand jin of coal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After stopping, Xiao Yu walked over to Xiao Ning and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning nodded: “This is the last Exchange Fair before the cold wave. We need to trade for fruit, animal hides, bowstrings, external medicine, and most importantly, iron ore—there’s a lot to get, so we prepared so much coal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xiao Yu’s face darkened with worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Living in Wu Yuan Mountain had this one inconvenience: every year, a two-month cold wave arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This cold wave was caused by the ice river to the south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That river was frozen solid with thick ice—yet strangely, every ten months, it still had a flood season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the flood came, the ice on the river’s surface rose steadily, spreading northward toward this side of the bank, causing temperatures in Wu Yuan Mountain to plummet wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire process lasted two months—this period was called the Cold Wave by all nearby camps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Cold Wave, only those at the Digging Earth realm could venture out; those at the Woodcutting realm or ordinary people had to stay inside their cave bases—or they wouldn’t survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But during the Cold Wave, lower temperatures froze vegetation and drove away cold beasts, so even Digging Earth cultivators could gather only minimal resources—far too little to sustain the entire camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the final Exchange Fair before the Cold Wave was vital; every camp took it seriously to secure enough supplies to survive the winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu understood the Exchange Fair a little; looking at the eight full sacks of coal, she shook her head: “Too bad our Xiao He Camp has no iron ore. Father said at the Exchange Fair, you need twenty to twenty-five jin of coal to get one jin of iron ore—fifty thousand jin of coal, even if all used for iron, would only get us two thousand jin. We’re getting ripped off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning smiled bitterly and shook her head: “No choice. Coal has alternatives; iron doesn’t. In Wu Yuan Mountain, only two camps besides Sanhu have iron ore—prices are entirely up to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mining coal and iron required the same threshold, but their scarcity differed vastly. Xiao Ning hadn’t even finished—coal not only had substitutes, but its underground reserves were clearly far greater than iron’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a medium-sized camp, finding a coal mine wasn’t hard—just find trees with golden surface veins and dig down along their roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But finding iron ore? Much harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the eleven medium-sized camps in Wu Yuan Mountain, nearly all had coal mines, but only two had iron ore—this alone showed how scarce iron was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty jin of coal for one jin of iron—everyone knew it was a loss, but they had no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not from those two camps at the Exchange Fair, where else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Sanhu Camp?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, those two camps only want your coal, and they’ll pay through normal trade channels, but the Three Tigers Camp wants your life—what’s weighty and what’s light, any sane person can tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two camps only wanted your coal and traded through normal channels; Sanhu Camp wanted your life. Who wouldn’t know the difference?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning paused, a trace of regret in her voice: “Last time, Father was too hasty. Da Xia Camp probably has iron ore too—if we’d kept Xia Chuan around and talked longer, maybe we could’ve gotten iron ore from him at a lower price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Heng perked up immediately: “Right, Sister! That Xia Chuan’s long knife—even its scabbard is made of iron! Da Xia Camp must have tons of iron ore—more than they can use!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yu, however, was skeptical: “Sister, you’re thinking too optimistically. That Xia Chuan might be a fraud—like Uncle Yuan guessed—he’s just like Sanhu Camp, here to trick us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning lowered her head, thought for a moment, and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True enough—Xia Chuan was a stranger. Even if her instinct told her he wasn’t like Sanhu Camp, she had no concrete proof he was trustworthy; trying to get cheap iron ore from Da Xia Camp was just wishful thinking—nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strangers approaching! Everyone back inside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a tense shout rang from outside the cave. Xiao Ning and the others instantly tensed, leaping up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heng and the rest—get inside! Yu, come with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning grabbed her bow, called out, and sprinted for the cave entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Heng and the others, though worried, quickly retreated deeper into the cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu, they were only Woodcutting realm—they couldn’t help outside and would only be a burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sisters burst out of the cave to find their father, Xiao Kangcheng, already fully armed with twenty-one Digging Earth cultivators guarding the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng frowned in silence, but a middle-aged man beside him turned to look at Xiao Ning and said, “I’m on perimeter duty tonight; I just spotted a few people lurking suspiciously nearby, as if they knew the location of our cave, drawing closer and closer. I felt something was wrong, so I came back to report to the leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng remained grim and silent; a middle-aged man turned to Xiao Ning and said: “I was on perimeter duty tonight. I just spotted a few people lurking nearby, as if they knew our cave’s location—they kept getting closer. I felt something was wrong, so I came back to report to the leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Xiao Ning’s expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the base’s location was discovered, it was bad news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially now, during the Cold Wave—rumors said Sanhu Camp was short on people and hunting for camps to absorb. If they found us, a brutal battle was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One man suddenly cried out, and everyone turned to follow his pointing finger—when they saw, their faces darkened at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone suddenly shouted. Everyone turned to where he pointed—and their faces sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dense forest south of the cave, three torches were rapidly approaching—the torchbearers had clearly spotted the cave and were rushing closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s too late to seal the cave—get everyone inside first, then see who they are before deciding what to do!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Xiao Kangcheng’s words, everyone tensed, gripping their weapons, eyes locked on the southern torches without blinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They might not be Sanhu Camp—maybe other camps lost their way and got confused.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if they are Sanhu, I’m not afraid. We’ll fight to the death. Sanhu Camp may be strong, but they won’t drag me off as a slave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[101] “Don’t panic—we can always retreat inside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………… Though they spoke thus, their increasingly heavy tones betrayed their tense hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, we found it—this is the place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is it—the cave has firelight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It must be Xiao He’s camp—notify the others to come!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Peeeee…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the three torches drew within a hundred meters, the voices of the three men became clearly audible to Xiao Kangcheng and his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The content of their words only deepened their gloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That final whistle was clearly a call for nearby personnel to gather—they were seasoned travelers; they knew full well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True enough, no more than ten breaths after the whistle, six more torches swiftly approached from the side; in moments, the group had assembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad—not many of them. Come with me and see what’s going on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one look\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing only nine men, Xiao Kangcheng’s expression eased considerably; a cruel smile crept onto his face as he led his men a few steps south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he moved, a loud voice came from the opposite side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Xiao, it’s been ten days—how have you been? Xia Chuan is here to pay another visit!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this familiar voice, Xiao Kangcheng’s men froze in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xiao Ning’s eyes lit up with joy—clearly noticed by her younger sister, Xiao Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s Brother Xia Chuan—not from Sanhu Camp.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the joy in his eldest daughter’s voice, Xiao Kangcheng frowned deeply, but after a moment, his expression softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the nine men walking toward them were now clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sight, Xiao Kangcheng and his men were utterly transfixed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten days ago, the moment they first saw Xia Chuan, they were stunned by his attire—not just Xiao Yu and her brother, but even Xiao Ning, Xiao Kangcheng, and all the Foundation Establishment cultivators present felt the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That high-quality black cloak, blue fur-lined cap, black leather boots, the slender longsword with its iron scabbard at his waist, and the iron token he’d left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they discovered that the eight men accompanying Xia Chuan wore identical clothes, carried identical tokens at their waists, bore matching weapons, and even each carried a bow on their backs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them even carried two bows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is this—showing off wealth?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng’s eyes widened in disbelief, but as Xia Chuan drew nearer, he still bowed slightly: “Xia Chuan… my lord, may I ask why you’ve come here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With nine Foundation Establishment cultivators trailing behind him like servants—and several even carrying gear—it was impossible for Xiao Kangcheng to call him “nephew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had switched to “my lord,” Xiao Kangcheng still tried to soften his tone, avoiding stiffness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This level of caution is excessive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Xiao Kangcheng’s cautious inquiry, Xia Chuan inwardly sighed—but quickly smiled, gesturing to Shi Ping and the others to bring out three items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten minutes later, outside the cave entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng, Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, and every Foundation Establishment cultivator from Xiao He’s camp stared at the three items on the ground, their faces filled with disbelief, numbness, and a faint, unsteady joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten thousand jin of iron ore, three longswords, a ten-thousand-jin iron-core bow—all given to our camp?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Am I dreaming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this Xia Chuan lord insane?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Foundation Establishment cultivators looked up at Xia Chuan, their eyes full of confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xiao Kangcheng seemed to realize something—he suddenly turned to glance at his eldest daughter, Xiao Ning, then returned his gaze to Xia Chuan, his expression unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Ning noticed her father’s look; her face flushed crimson, her grip on the bow trembling slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Xia Chuan, our camp truly needs these supplies. Whatever your demand—so long as Ning agrees…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Xiao, don’t misunderstand. I give these items because when I visited last time, I saw your camp was desperately short of such supplies. A severe cold snap is coming—these may help you survive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng’s shifting expression was fully visible to Xia Chuan; Shi Ping and the others couldn’t help but suppress quiet laughs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t interrupt now, Xiao Kangcheng might offer his daughter to him right here—Xia Chuan couldn’t let that happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Xia Chuan’s words, Xiao Kangcheng met his gaze, saw the sincerity in his eyes, and his hesitation slowly vanished; finally, he sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Xia Chuan, could you tell me more about the Great Xia Camp?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time they met, he’d sensed Xia Chuan’s unusual nature, but he’d doubted his claims about Great Xia Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d just touched the three longswords—each weighed seven or eight hundred jin; the ten-thousand-jin iron-core bow—no camp in Five Ape Mountain except Sanhu Camp would treat such a thing as anything less than a treasure; plus ten thousand jin of iron ore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a lavish gift—even if he didn’t believe it, his doubts were beginning to crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Xia’s strength must far exceed his imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, Xiao Kangcheng knew Xia Chuan wouldn’t give them these things for no reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His goal was clearly what he’d said before: to have them join Great Xia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there truly existed a camp stronger than theirs—and capable of improving the lives of over a thousand people—Xiao Kangcheng wouldn’t resist; he’d welcome it wholeheartedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only feared something like what happened to Sanhu Camp—that joining might not bring prosperity, but greater suffering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Great Xia showed intent—and such sincere generosity—Xiao Kangcheng lowered his guard and actively sought to learn more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his changed tone, Xia Chuan knew his grand gesture had worked; his smile deepened, and at Xiao Kangcheng’s invitation, he entered the cave and began a detailed conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to their first meeting, this conversation flowed far more smoothly now that Xiao Kangcheng’s defenses had fully collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng was eager to learn about Great Xia’s situation—even on the verge of directly asking what benefits joining would bring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Xia Chuan didn’t directly answer his questions; instead, he subtly steered the conversation toward the overall situation in Five Ape Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, Xiao Kangcheng realized Xia Chuan already understood why he’d been so cautious—he knew everything about Sanhu Camp, and even had a solid grasp of the broader situation in Five Ape Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you know so much about Five Ape Mountain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Xiao Kangcheng’s question, Xia Chuan smiled faintly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, Chief Xiao, four camps in Five Ape Mountain have already joined Great Xia in the past few days. Through them, I learned some of the local situation—but those four were small camps with limited knowledge. I came here hoping you could tell me more about the other camps.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words sent a whirlwind of thoughts through Xiao Kangcheng’s mind—he suddenly looked up at Xia Chuan, eyes wide with shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning was unmistakable—he couldn’t miss it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Xia Camp intended to absorb every human camp in Five Ape Mountain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Great Xia really have such ambition?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After long thought, Xiao Kangcheng spoke gently: “Lord, since you know about Sanhu Camp, you must realize that if you truly intend this, you’ll have to deal with them first—so…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Xiao, rest assured. Sanhu Camp has been committing atrocities—Great Xia won’t stand idly by. Without doubt, they’re already facing a major crisis!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if to confirm Xia Chuan’s words, before Xiao Kangcheng’s shock had faded, a man rushed in to report:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief, a stranger has arrived—he says his name is Qiu Peng, here to find Lord Xia Chuan. His attire matches theirs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the report, Xiao Kangcheng immediately looked to Xia Chuan; upon receiving his nod, he signaled the man to bring Qiu Peng in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Qiu Peng—dressed exactly like the nine men—was led in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Peng said nothing upon seeing them, walked straight to Xia Chuan’s side, and bowed with a hint of joy: “My lord, Master Yuwen has rescued the captives—arrested many. He’s furious; Hong Guang’s squad must have encountered serious trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Chuan’s expression hardened, but quickly returned to calm; he nodded, waved Qiu Peng aside, then turned back to Xiao Kangcheng with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Xiao, let’s continue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng’s heart was uneasy; he kept pondering Qiu Peng’s words—though he suspected the truth, it seemed impossible, so he continued discussing Five Ape Mountain’s situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the four camps already joined, Xiao Kangcheng, as leader of a mid-sized camp, clearly had a far more comprehensive understanding of Five Ape Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Xia Chuan had a clear picture of the entire region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including Xiao He Camp, there were eleven mid-sized camps in Five Ape Mountain;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their approximate populations, locations, and number of Foundation Establishment cultivators;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the temperaments of their leaders;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he learned that the final trade fair before the cold snap would occur in two days—and all eleven mid-sized camps would send representatives—Xia Chuan’s eyes lit up; he probed for every detail of the gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning the location of the fair, Xia Chuan’s excitement surged; he thanked Xiao Kangcheng, then addressed the question Xiao Kangcheng most wanted answered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief Xiao, you still wish to know more about Great Xia. Last time, my words alone weren’t enough. How about this: pick a few men to come with me tonight to visit our base. Let them see for themselves. I’ll personally return them here in two days—then you can ask them what they’ve seen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng nodded slightly—it was indeed the best solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But who should go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, let me go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the conversation, Xiao Ning’s eyes had never left Xia Chuan; Xiao Kangcheng had noticed. Now she volunteered to go—his heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This daughter was almost certainly lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, I want to go too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Kangcheng froze, turning to his younger daughter, Xiao Yu—his eyes slowly filled with suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, let me go as well!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pah…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his son, Xiao Heng, spoke, Xiao Kangcheng could no longer hold back—he slapped him hard across the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get out! What are you doing here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahaha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahahahaha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene made everyone smile, even Xia Chuan across from them couldn’t help shaking his head and chuckling a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Yuan, take Ning and Yu on this trip!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Xiao Kangcheng still sent the steady elder Xiao Yuan, assigning him to take his two daughters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3908,"2026-06-19T20:30:15.201Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","73cf4dabe2635b7b1fbedc646b8819a7c579df52c6df04739cb749b05a9cb419","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-182","endless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-chapter-180",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fendless-winter-my-camp-infinitely-upgrades-cover.jpg"]