Chapter 88

In view of the danger of Great Xia's migration, for the next two nights, when the Huang Zhao and Da Chuan camps migrated over, to ensure safety, Xia Hong brought all twenty-six Woodcutting Realm members.

Fortunately, nothing happened for two consecutive nights, and the total of 427 people from the two camps all arrived safely at the valley in the early morning of the third day.

As soon as Xia Hong returned to the valley, he handed over all the merger affairs to Xia Chuan, while he himself walked impatiently toward the iron-smelting furnace.

On the furnace, a half-meter-long ring-shaped serrated animal trap was burning red. On the side wings of the animal trap, seven silver-white forging patterns had already appeared.

Xia Hong picked up the grinding stone on the side and continued the hammering that hadn't been completed last night.

Clang…… clang…… clang………

Half an hour later, Xia Chuan, with a heavy expression, walked over with Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Huang Yong, and Hong Gang.

"Leader, it has all been counted. After the two camps merged in, the current total population of the camp is 902. Not counting you, there are 36 Woodcutting Realm members; there are 302 people between thirteen and thirty; and there are 392 people under thirteen. According to the meat distribution rules we set earlier, not counting the leader, the monthly cold beast meat consumption of the camp is probably…………"

Xia Chuan paused here, his expression becoming increasingly heavy, and continued:

"Over twenty thousand jin!"

After Xia Chuan said this number, Luo Yuan, Huang Yong, and Hong Gang all focused their gazes on Xia Hong's face.

Over twenty thousand jin—by conservative estimates, that would be fifteen cold beasts.

Every month, fifteen cold beasts—on average, one had to be hunted every two nights.

No matter how you think about it, this is an impossible thing.

The four-grade meat distribution rule that Xia Hong boasted about earlier is destined to go bankrupt.

They were also helping to count the number of people just now, so they had long known this number. Although they didn't believe Xia Hong could really do it, they still wanted to see what reaction Xia Hong would have after hearing this number with his own ears.

Everyone, including Xia Chuan, thought that after hearing this number, Xia Hong would show surprise, disbelief, or even an embarrassed expression.

Clang…… clang…… clang…………

But instead, Xia Hong had no expression at all. He was still focused on hammering the circular serrated iron ring in his hand. Only when he stopped did he turn his head to nod at Xia Chuan and say: "Alright, I know. You all go back to rest first. Rest well during the day, and when night falls, we will go out hunting."

Xia Chuan wanted to speak several times but stopped, but seeing Xia Hong focused on forging, he still held back and didn't speak; Luo Yuan and the three looked at each other, clearly somewhat stunned by Xia Hong's indifferent reaction.

Could it be that he really can do it?

Impossible!

Luo Yuan shook his head in his heart. The other three didn't know, but he was clear.

The Luo Ge camp previously had five Earth-Digging Realm members and thirty-plus Woodcutting Realm members, which was much stronger than the current Great Xia. But even so, the cold beasts hunted each month were at most seven or eight. And this was under the condition of sufficient and complete weapons.

Now Great Xia has at most ten-plus weapons, and only Xia Hong as an Earth-Digging Realm member. Never mind fifteen, even seven or eight is a big problem.

It's true that this new leader's strength is strong, but no matter how strong, can he be more powerful than five Earth-Digging Realm members?

What exactly does this new leader rely on to be so confident?

Luo Yuan did not leave, but stared at the circular serrated iron ring in Xia Hong's hand for a while, then couldn't help but ask: "Leader, you are forging an animal trap, right? It's useless……"

Seeing Xia Hong raise his head and look sideways, Luo Yuan continued: "Previously, the Luo Ge camp also tried setting animal traps, but cold beasts don't move at all at night, so setting them is a waste. Cold beasts do occasionally step on them during the day, but this animal trap can at most injure them; wanting to keep them is impossible. And those cold beasts are cunning one after another; without a real person as bait, they can't possibly take the bait."

It's possible to use people as bait at night, but cold beasts aren't active at night; it's impossible to set bait during the day, so cold beasts can't possibly take the bait. Even if a cold beast accidentally steps on it, because there is no one nearby, the cold beast eventually escapes, and it's even possible that it takes the animal trap with it, which is a loss of both beast and wealth.

Xia Hong naturally understood Luo Yuan's words, but he didn't have any reaction. Instead, Xia Chuan on the side clearly thought of something, and his eyes lit up slightly looking at the animal trap.

"Don't worry, I have a way. You all go rest well. When night falls, I will call you. In addition, as for the woodcutting team, Huang Yong and Hong Gang will arrange it tonight."

Seeing that the dissuasion was fruitless, Luo Yuan could only leave helplessly. Huang Yong and Hong Gang also went to rest. Only Xia Chuan remained in place, and not until Xia Hong finished forging the animal trap did he lean over.

Xia Hong let out a fierce breath, looked at the side wings of the animal trap, the ten silver-white forging patterns, and only then did a trace of joy finally appear on his face.

"Big brother, there are only two hours left until nightfall. You rest for a while, I'll go prepare torches, and I'll call you when night falls."

Hearing Xia Chuan's words, Xia Hong knew that he had already understood his plan, nodded, put the animal trap away, and lay down to rest by the furnace.

After two consecutive nights of rushing about, plus not stopping while forging the animal trap, he was indeed exhausted.

He still has to go out hunting at night, so he can't not rest.

The reason Xia Hong understood Luo Ming's departure was because he knew the difficulties of being a leader, especially for camps with weaker strength, where the leader has to pay more.

Cutting wood, hunting, forging, mining—for the current Great Xia, the only thing Xia Hong can truly let go of is cutting wood. The other three not only must be done by him, but even forging and mining can only be done by him.

Without a bit of dedication and spirit of contribution, one simply cannot be a leader.

Great Xia is like this now, and the previous Luo Ge camp was not the same.

Giving up is human nature, not to mention that Luo Ming persisted for so many years.

"Persist a little longer, once the cold beast meat supply keeps up, the situation will improve immediately!"

Xia Hong rubbed his swollen arms and could only cheer himself up in his heart.

This rare rest did not last long.

Night soon fell again. When Xia Hong woke up, Xia Chuan and the other eleven were all fully armed, waiting for him.

Xia Hong looked around the camp and didn't see Huang Yong and the others, and his face instantly showed confusion.

Xia Chuan beside him saw this and hurriedly stepped forward to explain.

"Leader, Hong Gang and Huang Yong have already taken the others out to cut wood first. Mu Dong said that building a new house requires Jin Lin trees, so they also took the ten saws."

Xia Hong nodded. Only then did he remember the woodcutting matter. Now he doesn't have to worry about it, and his heart relaxed slightly.

Looking at the pitch-black sky outside the wooden house, he waved his hand at the crowd.

"Set off!"

Xia Hong led the way, and the group of thirteen opened the valley cave entrance under the cover of night, walked out of the valley under the gaze of everyone in the camp, and walked toward Red Wood Ridge.

"You say, what the leader said earlier, that everyone can get a share of cold beast meat, is it true or false?"

"How could it be true? It should just be to appease us, deliberately exaggerated. If he could really hunt so many cold beasts, why would Great Xia agree to us merging in."

"That's right, the leader is only just in the Earth-Digging Realm after all. Everyone getting a share of cold beast meat—the Luo Ge camp didn't do it before, how could Great Xia."

"I don't ask for a share every day, I only ask for one or two jin every month."

………………

Unlike the others who merged in, most of the reserve woodcutting team from the original Great Xia did not participate in the discussion, just grinding their strength on their own, or helping Mu Dong and others move timber, taking the opportunity to exercise.

Even hearing the discussions of others, these people did not explain anything, just smiled and didn't speak.

(End of chapter)