Longyou Year 48, April 17

On the rooftop of the main building at Hanqiong Station, Xia Hong, who had been sitting cross-legged for most of the day, looked up at the gradually darkening sky, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"The spies sent by Hou Tong will return at night. Even under the best circumstances, if Wushuang, Yang Lu, and Beehive send reinforcements, the soonest they can arrive would be late at night or possibly even early morning, meaning there would be no battle tonight."

Although Xia Hong understood why Hou Tong sent scouts from the Earth-digging Realm, he couldn't help but disapprove internally.

There aren't many at the Cold Resistance Level, with perhaps fewer than twenty in Zhaoyang. Splitting them further means even fewer for Hou Tong's side. With the Long Mountain army watching fiercely nearby, deploying those at the Cold Resistance Level as scouts indeed required some boldness.

"That being said, during wartime, controlling the surrounding situation is crucial. Sensing opportunities early can secure an invincible position!"

Knowing both the enemy and oneself ensures victory in every battle. To Xia Hong, the transmission of intelligence during wartime is a critical factor affecting the outcome. If he were commanding this battle, he certainly would have sent those at the Cold Resistance Level as scouts.

"Maybe I should go check on Beehive..."

Xia Hong turned his head to look south, his brows slightly knitted.

During last night's discussion, he learned that Hou Hu had already sent men to deal with Beehive. What intrigued him most now was the state of Beehive.

"Knowing Xia Chuan's personality, he will definitely come over. The question is, how far will he go? Will he just help Beehive defend against Zhaoyang, or will he be smart enough to act like the hunter waiting for the opportunity..."

Xia Hong understood his brother well. As the Great Xia expanded, Xia Chuan's aggressive nature surfaced, especially after realizing how resources could aid his cultivation. His eagerness to expand territory only intensified.

Within all this, there seemed to be an element of wanting to prove something to his elder brother.

Xia Hong stared south for a while, then subtly glanced to both sides before finally shaking his head, suppressing his inner impulse.

Given his current strength, the two pairs of eyes persistently watching him from the shadows were naturally unable to escape his notice.

Earlier today, a new Cold Resistance Level individual arrived at the station. Judging by the direction, they likely came from Zhaoyang or White Abyss to the north, probably sent by Hou Hu. Since that person's arrival, two pairs of eyes had been fixed on him.

"It seems Hou Hu is starting to distrust me..."

A mischievous glint appeared in Xia Hong's eyes. Managing to develop Zhaoyang so significantly, Hou Hu was certainly not simple. If the other party were to belatedly notice something suspicious about him, Xia Hong wouldn't be surprised.

The question is, what is the meaning of sending two people to keep an eye on me?

"Are they trying to monitor and restrict me to the Hanqiong Station, or..."

Not to mention, Hanqiong Station currently has two thousand five hundred Earth-digging Realm individuals, plus six at the Cold Resistance Level. If the intent is indeed to keep an eye on him, it would be entirely feasible.

"But that doesn't seem right. Hou Hu might be suspicious of me, but he wouldn't go to such lengths and expenses just to deal with me!"

Xia Hong furrowed his brow, pondering what other motives Hou Hu might have.

After contemplating for a while, Xia Hong still came up empty-handed. In the end, he could only sigh slightly: "Finally, free and independent, yet this feeling of having no one to use is truly unsatisfying."

The root of the matter lay in the fact that he had too little control over the information concerning the current battle situation in Longyou.

Ultimately, with only twelve camps in Longyou, spanning thirteen thousand square kilometers, it wasn't particularly large. If in the Great Xia, he could have sent people to gather intelligence, and once compiled, everything would be clear.

"Worrying is futile; first, see what concoction Hou Hu's brewing. If he really intends to deal with me, it's not going to be that simple!"

A glint of cold flashed in Xia Hong's eyes. His true combat strength remained unknown to everyone in Longyou, including Hou Hu and Li Tiancheng. Just this fact alone left him invincible.

Amidst his contemplation, the sky finally turned completely dark.

Excluding the two thousand five hundred Earth-digging Realm individuals, the remaining population in the Hanqiong Camp was about thirty-five thousand. Although it was wartime and outdoor hunting and similar activities were halted, life inside the station hadn't changed much.

Inside the station, sparse groups of people began to emerge from the wooden houses, either preparing meals, forging iron, or mining... each starting their bustling nighttime routines.

It is worth noting that Hanqiong Station was also set in a valley, remarkably similar to the Great Xia. Located on the eastern side of Longyou under the cliff of Twin Dragon Mountain, unlike the natural valley of the Great Xia, the gourd-shaped valley of Hanqiong was manually excavated.

The entire station was composed of two circular spaces, with the outer layer having a diameter of over seven hundred meters and the inner layer over one kilometer. The narrow gourd waist in the middle was only about twenty meters wide.

In such a small area, accommodating over thirty thousand people naturally required thoughtful architecture. All the buildings in Hanqiong were more than five stories high, constructed from wood and iron—the most sensible and sturdy type of housing Xia Hong had ever seen.

Especially notable was the main building where Xia Hong was currently situated, which was built against the stone wall deep inside the valley. At over seventy meters tall, with fifteen floors, Xia Hong was almost left gaping in amazement upon seeing it for the first time yesterday.

"Human wisdom is indeed not to be underestimated. Regardless of the strength of these camps, their ability to adapt to local environments is impressive. You can see this from the different types of architecture. If these talented individuals could be brought together, the level of building construction in the Great Xia would surely rise significantly."

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