Chapter 315: Preparations for Relocation, Population Surge, Cold-Resisting Level Settlement

From the moment Xia Chuan declared in front of over a hundred thousand people that Li Li Ying Xuan Ling would marry Xia Hong, the loyalists of the Li clan lost all legal grounds for restoration.

The more than one hundred thousand people of Longshan, now integrated into Does Does Da Xia, had no psychological barriers left.

Xia Chuan had gathered these one hundred and twenty thousand people with such fanfare, and he would not let them disperse so easily; executing the seven hundred or so was for deterrence, announcing Xia Hong and Li Li Ying Xuan Ling's engagement was for pacification—these were merely the two most important events of the night.

Over ten thousand more were still imprisoned in the dungeons; over seven thousand were Earth-Digging Realm cultivators, the Longshan garrison troops who had defended the city last night. Of these, over four hundred with the gravest crimes had just been executed; the rest, though less guilty, had all genuinely fought against the Xia Army, so they fell under Does Does Da Xia's prisoner regulations.

Xia Chuan had reduced their punishments, with the most severe carrying only five years of corvée labor and the lightest just six months—over ninety percent received such lenient sentences.

Then came the abolition of the Longyou Records, the announcement of the population relocation plan, and the settlement plan after arrival in Xia Cheng—including Does Does Da Xia's current Contribution Point system, the Six Ministries structure, and every aspect of benefits; Xia Chuan explained each detail meticulously.

This relocation was unlike any before; Longshan alone had nearly one hundred thirty thousand people, and adding the four families of Zhaoyang, Bai Liu Liu Yuan, Xiling, and Dongkang, the total population was expected to exceed two hundred sixty thousand—more than double Does Does Da Xia's current population, an immensely vast and complex undertaking.

Moreover, these people already had their own housing in their original locations, and a small minority even owned private property; persuading them to abandon their homeland and relocate to Does Does Da Xia would inevitably require much persuasion.

As expected, upon hearing of the relocation, the crowd showed strong resistance;

but when they learned of Does Does Da Xia's Contribution Point system and the various materials from the Supply Department—especially the exchange prices for beast meat, beast blood, and cultivation pills—they first stared in shock, then grew suspicious;

upon hearing Xia Chuan's description of Xia Cheng's splendor, they began to waver; some bolder souls spoke up directly, and after receiving Xia Chuan's personal assurances, some of their resistance gradually melted.

"Director Si, as ordinary people, can we really exchange for beast meat, beast blood, and cultivation pills in Does Does Da Xia?"

"Of course. Anyone can exchange them as long as they have Contribution Points."

"Director Si, is it true that any materials we exchange for in the Supply Department belong to us personally, and we may dispose of them however we wish?"

"True. Even if you throw them away, no one will care!"

"Director Si, can we build our own houses?"

"Everyone can. When you first arrive in Does Does Da Xia, you'll only be able to live in the temporary wooden huts we've prepared. But if you work hard cutting wood and hunting, you can buy land from the Supply Department and build your own home. Once built, it becomes your private property, to be passed down through your descendants forever—no one can take it from you."

"Director Si, is it true that everyone who hasn't broken through to Wood-Cutting Realm gets one to two jin of beast meat daily?"

"Of course! Even children under six get five jin per month."

………………

As Xia Chuan patiently answered every question raised by the crowd, the expressions on the square's faces clearly softened, and their resistance to relocation diminished further.

The night was long; Xia Chuan kept answering their doubts, never showing the slightest impatience. When the crowd fell silent, he would casually describe Does Does Da Xia's wonders: clothing, fruits and vegetables, fine wine, refined salt, pills, weapon-crafting workshops, pill-crafting workshops, Martial Dao Academy…

Hearing these unheard-of marvels, not just ordinary people, but even Wood-Cutting and Earth-Digging Realm cultivators, and among the crowd, Meng Ying and other Cold-Resisting Realm cultivators, couldn't help widening their eyes, their faces filled with curiosity.

………………

People seek higher ground; water flows to lower places.

Whether one is willing to relocate depends entirely on whether living conditions can improve—this is undeniable.

Xia Chuan dared gather over one hundred thousand people together and openly explain Does Does Da Xia's situation because his confidence rested on Does Does Da Xia's superior living standards and fair resource distribution system.

Just the right to private property alone was enough to attract every person in Longyou.

Though Longshan was so prosperous, the concept of private property was limited only to the Cold-Resisting Realm tier and a small fraction of those connected to them.

The vast majority of ordinary Longshan people still relied on camp-wide rations for food, clothing, shelter, and transport; so upon hearing they could own their own homes, their faces immediately showed signs of interest.

Everything that followed unfolded largely as Xia Chuan had anticipated.

Over eighty percent of the crowd agreed to relocate; the rest, even if they didn't agree, were drowned out by the overwhelming tide of consent.

With just one hour left before dawn, Xia Chuan voluntarily ended the dialogue, gestured to Watching Yue Feng and the other ten to lead the crowd out of the square in orderly fashion.

Meng Ying and his family, along with the others, had been brought to the square under escort by Liu Liu Liu Yuan and over three hundred Yunjiao soldiers, so when they departed, they too would return with Liu Liu Liu Yuan's group to the main building.

Does Does Da Xia's restrictions on them had not yet been lifted, so they still had to be confined to the main building and could not move freely.

On the way back to the main building, Lord Lord Jiang Ping, Sun Yan, and eight other Cold-Resisting Realm cultivators all looked uneasy, unable to suppress low murmurs among themselves.

"It seems this integration will happen much faster than we expected."

"If what Xia Chuan says is true, Does Does Da Xia's benefits are too good—anyone can get beast meat, beast blood, even beast bones for exchange, and cultivation pills from Wood-Cutting to Cold-Resisting Realm, no restrictions, freely exchangeable—how can the Xia clan possibly control the camp?"

"Without the Xia clan—I've heard—the Xia Leader has no other blood relatives except his younger brother, Xia Chuan."

"Don't you think Does Does Da Xia's current situation resembles the early days of Longshan under the old Leader?"

………………

Hearing Meng Ying's words, everyone paused, then their faces twisted with complexity, and they nodded in unison.

Of the eleven of them, the youngest, Gong Sun Fu, was already forty-seven; all had fought alongside the old Leader Li Li Tianhua, so they all knew the history.

In its early days, when Longshan rose to power in Longyou, there was no Li clan—just as Does Does Da Xia is now—only the brothers Li Li Tianhua and Li Li Li Li Tiancheng, with everyone rallying around them, gradually consuming and absorbing surrounding camps, expanding population, growing stronger, until they seized the throne of Longyou's dominance.

Back then, no one could have imagined Longshan would one day be swallowed!

Thinking of it, the old Longshan veterans fell silent, unable to suppress sighs:

"Xia Hong and Xia Chuan will inevitably build a Xia clan, a monopoly—this outcome can't be avoided. The upper echelons will decay over time. Perhaps every camp is doomed to follow Longshan's path!"

"Correct. Today's Longshan is tomorrow's Does Does Da Xia—it's a cycle…"

"Does Does Da Xia will never become Longshan!"

Before Meng Ying finished speaking, a sharper voice cut him off.

"Salute to Director Si!"

Before they could turn, Liu Liu Liu Yuan and over three hundred Yunjiao soldiers had already bowed deeply toward the figure behind them.

Meng Ying and the others froze, turned to see Xia Chuan approaching from behind, realizing they'd been overheard—immediately their expressions turned anxious.

"We were just speaking nonsense! We beg Director Si's forgiveness!"

"We beg Director Si's forgiveness!"

………………

Xia Chuan wore a white brocade robe woven from snow bamboo silk, carried no weapon, only a string of beast-bone pendants at his waist; he walked forward with a warm smile and gestured with a raised hand:

"No need for such tension—please rise!"

Just moments ago on the platform, Xia Chuan's wave had turned blood into rivers—his demeanor had seemed cold and brutal; now, up close, he radiated a gentle, spring-breeze-like warmth. The stark contrast made Meng Ying and the others even more uneasy.

"You are new to Does Does Da Xia and unfamiliar with my elder brother. Your lament about 'today's Longshan, tomorrow's Does Does Da Xia' is understandable. But as you spend more time in Does Does Da Xia, you will come to understand…"

Xia Chuan paused slightly, then his expression turned solemn: "Our Leader, Xia Hong, has a broad mind. He appoints talent without regard to background, recognizes ability regardless of lineage, and selects the worthy from the humble. In just three short years, Does Does Da Xia has grown from fewer than a hundred to over a hundred thousand—this alone proves it!"

Does Does Da Xia is not now, and will never be, the private property of the Xia clan. It will never divide itself into Xia and non-Xia as Longshan did. Before entering Longyou, Does Does Da Xia already had thirty-seven Cold-Resisting Realm cultivators, encompassing nearly thirty different surnames. Our camp's success today rests on these non-Xia people—how could we possibly cut off our own arms by distinguishing between 'you' and 'me'?"

Before Meng Ying and the others could react, Liu Liu Liu Yuan, Watching Yue Feng, and the other Does Does Da Xia personnel, along with the three hundred Yunjiao soldiers, had already grown visibly moved.

Xia Chuan's words alone carried no persuasive power—but when paired with the expressions of hundreds of Does Does Da Xia people like Liu Liu Liu Yuan and Watching Yue Feng, they became undeniable.

Meng Ying and the others turned their gaze from Liu Liu Liu Yuan's group, exchanged glances among themselves, then bowed deeply and respectfully to Xia Chuan:

"Defeated generals have no right to speak of allegiance. A wise lord accepts surrender with virtue. From now on, we pledge our service—to our Leader, to Does Does Da Xia, to Director Si!"

Meng Ying and the others were no fools; from the reactions of Does Does Da Xia's people over the past day, they had already discerned the hierarchy of importance in their hearts: Xia Hong first, then Does Does Da Xia, then Xia Chuan—so they deliberately placed Xia Hong first, followed by Does Does Da Xia and Xia Chuan.

As expected, upon hearing this, not only Xia Chuan, but Liu Liu Liu Yuan, Watching Yue Feng, and the other Cold-Resisting Realm cultivators beside him all smiled.

"Excellent. By the way, I must inform you: at dawn, all Cold-Resisting Realm cultivators must report to the Grand Hall to meet the Leader. Do not forget."

"Your orders shall be obeyed!"

After speaking, Xia Chuan waved his hand and led Liu Liu Liu Yuan and the Yunjiao soldiers ahead into the Grand Hall.

Seeing Xia Chuan and the Yunjiao soldiers depart, Meng Ying and the others first stared in surprise, then realized they were now free—immediately, they burst into excitement.

………………

The surrender of Meng Ying and his eleven companions was, in Xia Chuan's view, highly significant.

Longshan had fifty-six Cold-Resisting Realm cultivators; twenty-nine were executed on the platform just now, one was killed by Xia Hong during the siege last night, and later, Li Li Li Xuantian, Li Li Ying Xuan Yan, and Li Xuandu—all controlled by Bai Lu Ghost—were executed; Li Li Ying Xuan Ling and Li Li Li Li Tiancheng would be expelled from Longyou; that left only twenty-one.

Of these twenty-one, Yue Qian, Cheng Guang, Song Kang, and seven others were severely wounded; Meng Ying and his eleven were the only remaining Cold-Resisting Realm cultivators in full health.

With these eleven helping, the difficulty of population relocation would be greatly reduced—that was why Xia Chuan had deliberately followed them to deliver this speech.

Of course, winning over these eleven was also part of his mission.

………………

Does Does Da Xia Year Two, Seventh Month, Eighth Day

Creak… creak…

A chill more piercing than the night began sweeping across the land; violent frost and wind slammed into the western mountains and battered every wooden hut in the Longshan encampment, producing a chorus of creaks.

"Is it dawn? Why do I feel it's not as cold as before?"

"You only just noticed? The temperature wasn't as low last night."

"Didn't you notice? Last night, many children—even infants—were gathered in the square. How could they have endured such cold under normal conditions?"

"What are you implying? Are you saying the temperature already rose?"

"It warmed up on the twenty-sixth night, right after the last wave of chaos. I sensed it immediately."

"I heard the new Leader possesses a treasure that warms the encampment."

"Director Si said last night—it's the Does Does Da Xia Sacred Cauldron!"