Chapter 210

On the south side of the Great Xia valley, there was a massive three-story wooden house.

The wooden house was over a hundred meters long and was built against the stone wall on the south side of the valley.

"Your father and everyone who came from Wuyuan have been settled in this wooden house. The entrance to the mine is on the south side of the wooden house. You will likely be living here for a long time to come."

A young man wearing a black beast-hide cloak and looking quite ordinary led Xiang Liang to the door of the wooden house and introduced it to him with a smile.

"Thank you, my lord, for leading the way. This humble one is deeply grateful!"

"Don't be so polite. I happened to have business here, it was just on the way."

Hearing his thanks, the young man smiled, waved his hand slightly to signal, and then took the lead in walking into the wooden house.

Xiang Liang looked at the young man, his heart filled with gratitude.

As soon as he left the main building and found that his father and the others were all gone, he started searching the entire valley. But there were simply too many houses in the Great Xia valley—at least several thousand inside and out—and he couldn't find them no matter what.

He had gathered the courage to ask people, but everyone in the valley was celebrating the Cold Origin Festival, eating, drinking, and playing to their hearts' content, and almost no one was willing to pay him any mind. At most, they pointed him in a direction, but he had searched for a long time without finding the right place.

Just at this moment, this young man appeared. Upon learning that he was looking for the people who came from Wuyuan, he not only pointed the way but also thoughtfully brought him here.

The young man before him looked at most to be in his early twenties, wore only a beast-hide cloak, and carried no weapons; his status in Great Xia shouldn't be very high.

Since entering the Great Xia valley, the shocks Xiang Liang had received were one wave after another. He had just gone up to the Great Hall on the third floor and seen so many big figures. Now, suddenly seeing someone with a relatively low status, a less arrogant demeanor, and such kindness toward him, he naturally felt much closer to him.

"Big Brother, how long have you been in Great Xia? Were you also captured and brought here like us?"

Xiang Liang had observed that the clothes worn by the people of Great Xia were mostly made of a combination of beast fur and cotton cloth, which was not only warm and light but also aesthetically pleasing, clearly better than beast-hide cloaks. That was why he deduced that this person might also have joined Great Xia later on.

The young man smiled and said, "I did join later. I also served one year of hard labor before becoming an official member of Great Xia. Most of you who came from Wuyuan should be the same as me, right?"

Hearing the young man say that he had also served a year of hard labor, Xiang Liang felt a sense of shared misery. His expression darkened slightly as he said, "In our He Feng camp, except for my father Xiang Ping, the other 28 Earth-Digging Realm members were all sentenced to one and a half years of hard labor. Their 122 family members were also sentenced to half a year of hard labor. The family members basically don't have Earth-Digging Realm cultivation, so the hard labor still has to be added to the 28 Earth-Digging Realm members. Calculating it this way, everyone basically has to serve about four years of hard labor."

With 122 family members spread across 28 people, each person would have to bear about four to five half-year hard labor sentences. Adding their own one and a half years, it was indeed about four years.

The young man nodded, looked at Xiang Liang, and asked with interest, "Your father wasn't sentenced to hard labor. How did that happen?"

A look of relief appeared on Xiang Liang's face as he replied, "Thanks to a treasure in our He Feng camp, I offered it to the leader and that Minister, which is why my parents, sister, and brother were exempted from hard labor."

"A treasure?"

The young man tilted his head slightly, glanced toward the main building, then immediately turned back with a smile. After looking at Xiang Liang for a while, he said, "So you are worried about the other twenty-eight Earth-Digging Realm members in your He Feng camp, right?"

This Big Brother's insight was too sharp.

Xiang Liang marveled in his heart, then said with distress, "The Earth-Digging Realm members in our camp are basically all quite old. The oldest is nearly forty, and the younger ones are around thirty. Four years of hard labor is indeed too long."

The average lifespan in the Frozen Abyss World is only forty-something, and the Earth-Digging Realm hasn't jumped out of this category yet. Given the age of the people in the He Feng camp, four years of hard labor is indeed too long for them.

"I have already asked around. There is no standard quota for the coal and iron collected for hard labor, which means four years is just a standard four years. The key is that this four-year hard labor can only be served by the criminal's direct family members; others cannot. This way…………"

Seeing the young man lowering his head in thought, Xiang Liang thought he was unhappy and didn't dare to continue.

The young man raised his head with a smile and said, "It's fine. When I was serving hard labor before, I also had many opinions. Just speak your mind."

Only then did Xiang Liang feel at ease and continued, "It's simply too heartless!"

Four years of time is equivalent to one-tenth of a Frozen Abyss human's lifespan.

It is indeed a bit heartless!

"If the hard labor standard could be quantified—for example, how much coal and iron must be mined per year to be considered up to standard—and the restriction on others serving on their behalf were lifted, it would greatly reduce the burden on these people. Moreover, the final output of the hard labor would remain unchanged. That would be much better."

After Xiang Liang finished speaking, he sighed lightly. This suggestion was certainly good, but he wasn't sure about Great Xia's motivation for sentencing these people to hard labor—whether it was for resources or to punish them.

The key was that he was of low status and no one would listen to him.

Or to put it more bluntly, he didn't even have the chance to speak.

What Xiang Liang didn't notice was that after the young man finished listening to this last part of his words, his eyes lit up as he looked at him.

"With the abundance of Great Xia's resources, it shouldn't be too difficult for us to break through to the Earth-Digging Realm. If it could really be opened up as I said, this hard labor could be finished very quickly, and we could obtain the status of official Great Xia members a day earlier. Wouldn't we still be able to contribute to Great Xia in the end?"

Recalling the mountains of beast meat on the tables earlier and the forest of white beast bones displayed on the open ground behind the valley, Xiang Liang's expression was moved.

In fact, after witnessing the grand scene of Great Xia with his own eyes, Xiang Liang no longer had any resistance to coming to Great Xia. He believed that the five thousand people, including the main culprit Wang Lie, felt the same way.

The living standards of the four camps north of the mountain were all about the same.

Even someone as fierce as Wang Lie had a strong yearning for a better life.

If they could live a life like Great Xia's every day.

Who would still be willing to go to the north side of the mountain and continue living a bitter life?

But the hard labor pressing down on their heads was simply too heavy for them.

The Earth-Digging Realm members of the four camps north of the mountain were generally older, and they didn't know if they could finish serving such a long hard labor sentence. Even if they were lucky, they would likely not have many years left to live after finishing.

This was indeed too unfair to them.

"Thanks to that leader's benevolence, he exempted us from three months of hard labor. With so many people added together, it's already very good. Still, we can't ask for too much; after all, we were the ones at fault first."

Recalling that person shouting that final edict earlier, Xiang Liang still felt some comfort. A three-month exemption per person, including family members—according to the calculation earlier, each person could save more than a year of service.

The young man looked at Xiang Liang and smiled, "I saw that you just came down from the Great Hall earlier. Since you have such a good idea, why didn't you tell the people in the Great Hall?"

Xiang Liang smiled bitterly and said, "In that Great Hall earlier, let alone letting me speak, I didn't even dare to make a sound while breathing."

Hearing this, the young man chuckled and shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, Xiang Liang happened to find his father Xiang Ping and the others in the wooden house.

"Big Brother, thanks to you today. May I ask…………"

Xiang Liang wanted to ask for the young man's name, but when he turned back, he found that the person had already disappeared. He was stunned for a moment.

"Liang'er, come quickly. There are many people in this wooden house who are just like us and came not long ago. We have learned quite a bit about Great Xia……"

Seeing Xiang Ping and the group of Earth-Digging Realm members around him looking somewhat excited, Xiang Liang, although still wondering where that black-clad Big Brother had gone, walked toward his father, wanting to know why they were so excited.

And the black-clad young man who had puzzled him was, at some point, already standing on the top floor of the wooden house. He first scanned the thousands of people below, then looked at the mine entrance on the south side of the wooden house, and finally placed his gaze on Xiang Liang, chuckling with a thoughtful expression.

"This kid is quite smart. The hard labor does need to be changed. The iron mine in the valley will soon hit bottom, and these people serving hard labor will soon be dispersed to other iron mines. If the resentment is too high, management costs will soar, and the loss will outweigh the gain. I'll have to talk to Xia Chuan about it……"

………………

Unlike the joyful and noisy atmosphere of the tens of thousands of people in the Great Xia valley.

At this moment, inside the Great Hall on the top floor of the main building, it was completely silent.

The tables and chairs on both sides of the Great Hall were empty. Over a hundred people were all standing in the center of the Great Hall in order, their expressions solemn, their gazes fixed on the high platform, their faces filled with deep anticipation.

"Why, are you all waiting for me to start the banquet?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the high platform.

Joy instantly appeared on the faces of everyone below.

But as a figure appeared on the high platform, they were all stunned at the same time.

A young man wearing a black beast-hide cloak and looking quite ordinary had walked out from behind the high platform so abruptly.

He even sat down on that golden chair.

Everyone's face subconsciously showed anger, but then they realized something. They carefully examined the young man on the high platform, their faces full of suspicion and speculation, but they didn't dare to confirm it.

"Hahahahaha…………"

Seeing the crowd's expression of not daring to confirm, the black-clad young man on the chair suddenly burst into hearty laughter. Then, after fiddling with his face for a while, he immediately tore off a pale vermilion mask.

Behind the mask, who else could it be but their leader, Xia Hong!

"Hahaha, this mask made of Zhu wood is quite useful. None of you could even tell."

The hundred-plus people below, seeing Xia Hong's true face, first showed smiles, then bowed in unison toward the high platform, saying:

"Respectfully welcoming the leader out of seclusion!"

When the crowd shouted these six words, they clearly and deliberately increased their volume. Let alone the Great Hall, even the entire wooden building, and even the valley outside the wooden building, instantly fell silent.

On the three main roads of the valley, the tens of thousands of people who had been noisy instantly fell silent. Turning their heads to look at the top floor of the main building, realizing that Xia Hong had come out of seclusion and was now in the Great Hall, they all stood up from their seats in unison, bowing respectfully toward the main building.

"Respectfully welcoming the leader out of seclusion!"

Listening to the sound echoing inside and outside the valley, not dissipating for a long time, the smile in Xia Hong's eyes grew richer. Gathering his Qi in his throat, he spoke slowly toward those below and the tens of thousands of people outside the valley with a touch of solemnity:

"The new year begins, may the Cold Origin be peaceful and healthy. The first year of Great Xia has turned the page. I wish our Great Xia camp to expand our territory and become more prosperous in the coming year, and I also wish all of you to climb to new heights in your cultivation and live better and better lives in the coming year. Tonight, we drink until we are drunk. Everyone, cheers!"

The hundred-plus people in the Great Hall and the tens of thousands of people in the valley all raised their cups and shouted loudly toward the main building:

"Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!"

"Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!"

"Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!"

………………

Nine consecutive impassioned shouts echoed through the sky and shook the heavens, not only dispelling the snowflakes in the sky above the valley but also signaling that the new chapter of the second year of Great Xia had slowly begun.

………………

Inside the Great Hall of the main building, Xia Hong put down his wine cup and leaned back against the chair, saying with a smile:

"I have been in seclusion for more than four months. What is the situation in the camp now? Xia Chuan and the Ministers of the Six Departments, stand up and speak. Everyone else, sit down and listen with me. Taking this opportunity, you should all get a good understanding of what the situation in our Great Xia is now!"

The hundred-plus people in the Great Hall sat down immediately upon hearing this.

Everyone's gaze was focused on the seven people in the middle, including Xia Chuan.

"Then let's start with me!"

After thinking for a moment, Xia Chuan was the first to bow and speak:

"Reporting to the leader, as of this moment, the total population of our Great Xia camp is 30,129. Excluding the leader, there are 2 Cold-Resistant Realm members; 6 people are currently breaking through to the Cold-Resistant Realm: Luo Yuan, Hong Guang, Yuan Cheng, Hong Tian, Meng Yi, and Zhu Yuan; 63 people are using beast blood after reaching the limit of the Earth-Digging Realm; there are 2,192 Earth-Digging Realm members; and 11,924 Woodcutting Realm members, with people breaking through almost every day." Hiss…………

"More than two thousand Earth-Digging Realm members?"

"Twelve thousand Woodcutting Realm members, how can there be so many!"

"Six people are breaking through to the Cold-Resistant Realm. If they all break through together, wouldn't our Great Xia have eight…… no, nine Cold-Resistant Realm members at once?"

"Hiss…………"

I don't know who gasped, but sounds of astonishment rose one after another in the Great Hall.

Everyone looked at Xia Chuan in the center, their faces full of excitement.

Not to mention the Cold-Resistant Realm, what is the concept of more than two thousand Earth-Digging Realm members?

It is equivalent to seven times the original Mirror Immortal camp.

Hasn't the progress in these four months been too great?

Xia Chuan in the center of the Great Hall smiled, deliberately waiting for the crowd's reaction to calm down before continuing: "In addition, the Six Departments were reorganized three months ago. The reorganization mainly includes three items:

First, the Collection and Woodcutting Departments were merged into the Harvesting Department.

(No errors, first release, all content is here!)

Second, the Land Reclamation Department was changed to the Jurisdiction Department. In addition to being responsible for land reclamation, it is also responsible for the affairs of other outposts within the entire territory of Great Xia. Currently, two outposts, Jinggu and Wuyuan, have been established, and twelve hunting squads have been stationed in each. Yue Feng is the Garrison Commander of Jinggu, and Xu Ning is the Garrison Commander of Wuyuan.

Third, the Civil Affairs Department was newly added, responsible for coordinating and managing all household registrations in Great Xia, as well as food, clothing, housing, transportation, and all livelihood matters.

Currently, the camp has Hunting, Camp Needs, Harvesting, Craftsman, Jurisdiction, and Civil Affairs……"

After Xia Chuan finished speaking, he signaled to Director Yu Wen Tao.

Director Yu Wen Tao nodded, walked forward, and bowed slightly:

"Of the 2,192 people in the camp, 2,012 have all registered in the Hunting Department. As of now, our department has a total of 83 hunting squads under its jurisdiction: 16 intermediate squads and the remaining 67 are low-level squads.

All squads are running in good condition, and there are not many casualties. The hunting targets and coal/iron submission targets for the previous four months are all normal. The Camp Needs Department should have records of all of this, so I won't say more!"

Qiu Peng, Minister of the Camp Needs Department, nodded upon hearing this and stood out directly:

"There have been major personnel changes in the Hunting and Harvesting Departments, and the various resources submitted each month have gradually increased. There is no average number at the moment, so I will roughly report the total resource amount for last month……"

Speaking of this, not afraid of being laughed at by those around him, he took a small booklet directly from his bosom, smiled, and continued:

"In December, the total revenue of the Camp Needs Department from the Hunting Department was:

10,220 jin of beast blood; 2.1 million jin of beast meat; 280,000 jin of intermediate beast bones; a total of 1,621 beast hides; 7.1 million jin of iron ore; 14.2 million jin of coal."

These figures reported by Qiu Peng immediately caused the hundred-plus people present to gasp in succession. Although these things were all submitted by them, they only had a half-understanding of the total amount. Hearing such large figures so intuitively, they were naturally astonished.

Xia Hong, who was at the head, had a much more indifferent reaction than them.

"Of course, this is only the revenue from the Hunting Department. The resource amounts submitted by the Craftsman and Harvesting Departments are also very large. Below, I will take a few important things to tell everyone…………"

After the crowd's astonishment gradually subsided, Qiu Peng flipped through a few pages and continued with a smile: "Our department currently stores a total of 12,152 finished weapons. The most numerous are the four systems of Xia knives—Yi, Heng, Mo, and Zhang—which account for half. The rest include thirteen types such as swords, spears, sticks, and axes;

There are 6,232 finished iron-tire bows, including 10 hundred-stone bows, 100 fifty-stone bows, 300 twenty-stone bows, 5,000 ten-stone bows, and the rest are all five-stone bows. According to the current situation, we won't need to build bows for a long time;

Salt reserves are currently 420 jin, a total of 2,521 bottles of various medicinal pills, 820 jin of aged wine, 35 jin of blood-cold wine, 90 meters of silk, 1,220 meters of cotton cloth, 29 jin of paper, Zhu wood, crystal fruit…………"

The function of the Camp Needs Department is to manage all materials in the camp, from basic raw materials to finished materials produced by the Craftsman Department, so the various materials reported by Qiu Peng were not only huge in amount but also miscellaneous in variety.

From various materials on cold beasts to weapons and tools, to medicine and salt, as well as finished materials made of various fruits and bamboo silk, almost everything was available. Except for a few precious materials, the reserve of most materials was also terrifying.

This undoubtedly also reflected from the side the abundance of Great Xia's current materials.

After the Camp Needs Department finished, it was the Harvesting Department's turn.

Cheng Feng stood out. After the Collection and Woodcutting Departments were merged, he served as the Minister, and Bai Dongying served as the Deputy Minister.

"The 11,524 Woodcutting Realm members in the camp have all registered in our department. However, the key task of our department is no longer wood, but the fruits and various medicinal plant vegetation in all areas of our Great Xia territory.

As of now, the Harvesting Department has explored and recorded a total of 78 species, including 19 types of trees, 34 types of medicinal materials, 14 types of fruits, and 11 types of materials whose uses are temporarily unknown.

After exploring the growth cycles of medicinal materials and fruits, we organize personnel to pick them regularly. Trees with special uses are also reported to the Craftsman Workshop, and if needed, special logging will be done. We have also basically stockpiled some of each type."

Next was Mu Dong's Craftsman Department.

"Our department currently registers 580 craftsmen, including 180 Earth-Digging Realm craftsmen and 400 Woodcutting Realm craftsmen, under the jurisdiction of four workshops: Forging, Medicine Refining, Xia Clothing, and Woodworking.

The Forging Workshop can currently forge weapons, covering the four systems of Xia knives, totaling 17 types; 39 types of iron tools; and 120 types of iron products;

The Medicine Refining Workshop can refine a total of 18 types of medicinal pills;

The Xia Clothing Workshop has 7 major categories of ready-to-wear styles and 21 types of small items;

The Woodworking Workshop has 42 types of furniture and 210 types of wooden products."

After Mu Dong finished speaking, he stepped back, and then Yuan Cheng stood out.

After the Land Reclamation Department was changed to the Jurisdiction Department, considering that Shi Ping's strength was a bit weak, he was made Deputy Minister, and the Minister was changed to Yuan Cheng.

"The Jurisdiction Department currently has only two outposts under its jurisdiction, Jinggu and Wuyuan. Everyone has witnessed the achievements of the two outposts last year, so I won't say much. In the new year, I hope the leader and the Minister can lead us to continue to expand our territory and create a few more outposts, so that having only two at the moment doesn't look very good……"

"Hahaha, Minister Yuan, this is complaining that he has too few people under him."

"Hahahaha, Old Yuan, your ambition is a bit big!"

"Haha, to expand territory, Yuan Cheng, you have to go yourself."

………………

As soon as Yuan Cheng finished speaking, the crowd in the Great Hall laughed and teased him.

Xia Hong on the high platform couldn't help but smile and chuckle twice.

"Alright, alright, you go down. Zhu Yuan, you continue!"

The Minister of the final Civil Affairs Department was Zhu Yuan.

Zhu Yuan walked forward and said: "The Civil Affairs Department currently records a total of 6,621 household registrations. In the previous four months, 800 household registrations were added. Except for the 241 newly married couples, the remaining 551 households were all people who joined the camp later.

Half of the 4,200 plots of land in the valley have been sold, and the residences have all been completed. The remaining 2,000-plus plots are expected to be sold out in the next six months. By then, I'm afraid we will have to find a way to open up new land!"

Hunting, Camp Needs, Harvesting, Craftsman, Jurisdiction, Civil Affairs—as the Ministers of the Six Departments all spoke, the atmosphere in the Great Hall also became enthusiastic.

"We did so many things this year?"

"There are more than 2,000 houses in the valley, I haven't even noticed!"

"There are too many things in the Camp Needs Department. I only stay at the door every time I go. I must go in and see another day. I guess there's no room to put things, right?"

"Are there so many types of weapons? Except for the four systems of Xia knives, I have only seen four or five other types of weapons."

"There are more than 200 types of wooden products, I haven't seen many of them."

"Hehe, you don't have children at home, right? That kid in my house now stares at the wooden products in the Craftsman Workshop every day. There are many small toys, and he cries for them all day long. I get a headache when I go back."

"There are also many types of clothes. No wonder my wife wants to buy clothes all the time."

………………

This is the case of being a bystander. The hundred-plus people in the Great Hall are at least captains of hunting squads, considered the batch of people with the highest status in Great Xia at present.

But even they only had a half-understanding of the overall situation of Great Xia at present. If Xia Hong hadn't summoned Xia Chuan and the Ministers of the Six Departments today to let the seven people describe it as a whole, they probably wouldn't have known.

So Great Xia had developed to this extent without knowing it!

Everyone in the Great Hall showed a touch of pride, and a sense of unprecedented satisfaction and pleasure rose in their hearts.

After all, these achievements, in the final analysis, also had their share!

"Everyone, you have all worked hard for the whole of last year!"

Xia Hong's voice made the expressions of the hundred-plus people below immediately restrain.

"Leader, we are not as hard-working as you."

"Yes, if it weren't for the leader hunting so many cold beasts earlier, where would we be today? In the whole camp, the leader is the hardest working."

"Four months ago, the leader hunted so many intermediate cold beasts and brought them back. We people use the beast blood we got for nothing, how can we have the face to say we are hard-working."

"Leader, please don't say that!"

…………

Hearing the sincere rebuttal from the crowd below, a touch of warmth crossed Xia Hong's heart. He didn't say much, just raised the wine cup in his hand and said with a smile: "Alright, you are hard-working, and I am hard-working. Then let's drink this cup together. I wish our Great Xia to reach a higher level in the coming year!"

The hundred-plus people below raised their wine cups and all stood up immediately.

"Long live the leader, long live Great Xia!"

"Good, I wish Great Xia and everyone present a long life!"

Xia Hong laughed heartily and led the hundred-plus people to drink the fine wine in their cups in one gulp!

The Great Hall began to push cups and change lamps. Xia Hong, the leader, naturally could not escape the round-robin attacks of the crowd.

For the first Cold Origin Festival, to show solemnity, the Camp Needs Department almost took out more than half of the stored aged wine. Almost everyone who could come to the Great Hall was allocated a jin of free aged wine.

Xia Hong, the leader, naturally had special treatment. Two pots of aged wine and one pot of blood-cold wine were placed on the table.

As the atmosphere in the Great Hall gradually climbed to its peak, Xia Hong quietly opened his system page during the gap when no one was toasting.

【Camp: Great Xia (Level 0)】

【Lord: Xia Hong】

【Cultivation: Cold-Resistant Realm】

【Territory Population: 30,129】

【Resources: Wood 2.3 million, Coal 3.24 million, Iron 2.46 million, Silver 0, Gold 0】

【6 Buildings Opened: Sun Tripod (Level 3), Martial Arts Hall (Level 3), Medicine Refining Workshop (Level 2), Forging Workshop (Level 2), Green Bamboo Fence (Level 1), Article Board (Level 2)】

【3 Buildings Not Opened: Yellow Land, Small Wooden Table, Thick Iron Chain】

"With so many resources, before leaving, I can upgrade the buildings collectively once to see what big surprises it can bring!"

(End of chapter)