Chapter 350 - 265: A Family Is Not Allowed to Be That Awesome

Chapter 350: Chapter 265: A Family Is Not Allowed to Be That Awesome

Flame Camp, Inner City.

Clad in fiery red, the Queen took advantage of the empty courtyard to raise a wine gourd and take long, deep swallows.

Generals Zhou and Zhao, along with the Commanders who had recently become Extraordinary, also emerged from the Council Hall.

General Zhou held out his palm. Snowflakes landed on his large, rough, warm hand and immediately vanished, leaving only a hint of coolness without a trace of moisture.

"This snow is too light. It could fall all night and still not wet the ground."

"Hey, Old Zhou, never mind how heavy it is. As long as it’s snowing, that’s what matters!"

"That’s right. Any snow is a blessing."

Everyone was all smiles.

"Her Majesty the Queen? How about we have something special for dinner tonight?"

The Queen’s eyes lit up. She was just about to order them to prepare hot pot, ’I’ll have a separate pot all to myself,’ when General Zhou waved a dismissive hand. "Absolutely not! Something big is coming up. We can’t let our guard down. No alcohol for the rest of the month."

The Queen discreetly moved the hand holding the gourd behind her back and nodded with a grave expression.

"Is Xiaowen coming back?"

General Zhao shook his head and chuckled. "You’ve already asked three times. He’s coming back. The kid sent a message via Blood Crow a few days ago, saying he would definitely be back."

"It’s not that I’m being repetitive. We absolutely must wait for him to return before we attack. Otherwise, we’ll have no eyes in the sky. If the Black Mountain King escapes, he’ll be a dagger hanging over our heads! Send someone to the South to meet him."

"Are you worried he can’t find his way home?"

"Speaking of Xiaowen, he’s truly our lucky star. I never dreamed I’d see the day I’d become an Extraordinary!"

"Isn’t that the truth? And it’s all thanks to the Protective Marrow Liquid he sent!"

"Old Zhou, don’t worry so much. We have seven or eight Extraordinaries now, and the Queen has allied with the Silver Wolf King and the Sand Wolf King. Even without Tang Wen lifting a finger, we can still take down Black Mountain Camp!"

"Exactly!"

...

Spirits were high in Flame Camp, but General Zhou wasn’t nearly as optimistic.

People die in war.

Besides, Black Mountain Camp’s forces were formidable. If the Black Mountain King launched a desperate, final counterattack, he feared the Queen and the Silver Wolf King alone wouldn’t be enough to stop him.

When that time came, there was no telling how many of his old comrades would be wounded or maimed.

As for what Old Zhao had said about Tang Wen possessing the combat power of a Sixth Grade, General Zhou was privately skeptical.

Even if it were true, he had no intention of letting Tang Wen fight.

The camp’s leadership had already made their position clear when Tang Wen’s first batch of supplies and Protective Marrow Liquid arrived.

Tang Wen would be the camp’s next king.

If he was too busy abroad to return, they would groom Zhou Bing in the meantime.

And when the two of them eventually had a child, the old guard would dedicate themselves to raising that child.

In short, Tang Wen was destined to be the next leader. He would do it whether he wanted to or not!

The light snow fell all night, finally blanketing the parched Northwest Land in a thin layer of silvery-white.

At daybreak, the children raced excitedly through the streets.

The adults laughed as they scolded them, "Don’t run! Come back here, you’ll burn up all your energy!"

Having starved all winter, the children had little stamina and soon returned home, their faces flushed.

The adults continued to scold them while boiling water and adding rice, preparing the luxury of a morning meal.

But they still added, "We’re eating early today! There won’t be any for dinner. No running around after you’re done! You stay home and rest!"

The children agreed reluctantly, blinking as they stared at the iron pot on the dark earthen stove, waiting eagerly for it to start steaming.

The camp gates opened, and people with bows and arrows on their backs and machetes in hand began to head out.

With the snowfall, it was harder for birds and beasts to find food.

These part-time Hunters intended to go out and try their luck.

Ever since the Silver Wolves stopped preying on humans, the number of hunters in the camp had increased considerably.

One Hunter entered the forest to the north, walked alone until he reached an uninhabited area, then made a wide loop to arrive at the southern side of the camp.

Then, following a familiar path, he arrived at a ravine and slipped into a cave.

"Who’s there?"

"It’s me!"

"Brother Hei, you’re finally here! When is our time in this godforsaken place going to be over? We’ve nearly frozen to death these last few days!"

"Cut the crap. You can go back. Tell Boss Hei something’s definitely not right at Flame Camp. They’ve been drilling their troops for three months! Half a day of training every three days, and they’re even provided a meal—with meat!"

"What?! What are they planning?"

"They can afford to eat meat?"

"What do you think they’re planning? I’m afraid they’re coming for us. Remember this: they’re stockpiling food, producing medicine, and training their people. It’s highly likely they’re planning to launch a surprise attack on us! You got all that? Don’t waste any time. Head back to Black Mountain now!"

"R-Right." The two men scrambled out of the cave and headed southwest, braving the swirling snowstorm.

A full day and night had passed by the time the two Martial Artists finally trudged their way back to Black Mountain Camp. Nearly frozen solid, they were thrown into tubs of hot water by the Guards. After soaking for half an hour and eating some hot porridge, they slowly began to recover.

Before the two could even get out of the tubs, the Black Mountain Ghost and the Black Mountain King appeared before them.

"What’s the situation?"

One of them rushed to speak. "Yes, My Lord! Brother Hei told us Flame Camp is mobilizing for war. They may be coming for us."

"May be?" The aged Black Mountain King’s expression was as cold as ice. He raised his murky eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

"My Lord, they *are* coming for us!" the other man hastily interjected.

"Do you know when?"

"Uhm, they’re still in the preparation stage."

The Black Mountain King’s expression grew even colder. "Very well. This information is not to leave this room. You two need not worry. I have my own plans. For now, focus on your recovery."

With that, he turned and left.

The Black Mountain Ghost hurried to keep up.

Once they were in a deserted area, the Black Mountain Ghost, himself an Extraordinary, asked, "Foster Father, what do you think we should do?"

The Black Mountain King’s thoughts were cynical. ’What should we do?’

’Knowing that Flame Lady, if she’s decided to attack, she’s definitely made thorough preparations.’

’What else can I do?’

’I’ve scraped together enough money, and I’ve had my fill of playing the overlord of this region.’

’It’s time to find a nice place, buy a mansion, and purchase a few dozen—or a hundred—maids to serve me so I can live out my golden years in comfort!’