Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely

Chapter 592: Chapter 253: Short on Meat, Short on Manpower, Someone Delivers (Part 2)

”Beehive 129, last night Hanqiong’s 1259, with the newly added Earth-digging Realm, the total is 1388 people. We have 1000 people in the Earth-digging Realm staying at the Beehive, and currently, there are 1472 people at Wushuang, altogether totaling...”

Xia Chuan murmured softly, his expression gradually becoming somewhat grim.

”3860 people!”

This is the number of available Earth-digging Realm manpower at Longyou from Great Xia, Qiu Peng evidently knew this number well, and without calculation, he directly reported it.

However, after reporting it, his expression also gradually turned grim.

Clearly, he too, like Xia Chuan, realized something.

”No wonder the leader said our strength is insufficient. Not to mention comparing with the Blood Guard Army and the Longyou Army, just in terms of available Earth-digging Realm personnel, we are inferior to those two!”

”It’s not inferior, it’s far inferior. Not to mention the number of Earth-digging Realm in Long Mountain itself, they used a decapitation strategy to seize Yucheng, Changning, and Song Yuan. If handled properly, the Earth-digging Realm of these three might soon bear arms to fight for Long Mountain;

Zhaoyang is even more beyond consideration, Xiling, Dongkang, White Abyss—all three camps haven’t yet joined the fight. Along with Zhaoyang’s own over 3500 people, their Earth-digging Realm far outstrips us!”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Peng’s expression became increasingly grave and said, ”Before coming to Longyou, Great Xia’s Earth-digging Realm numbered 2941 in total. We’ve already drawn out 2600, excluding the 100 stationed at Wuyuan and Jing Valley, currently, only just over 200 Earth-digging Realm are left at Xia City. Even with some breakthroughs, it can’t surpass 300, and we can’t spare any more manpower here!”

Today is April 28th. Great Xia started transferring personnel to Longyou only eight days ago. In eight days, even if someone breaks through to Earth-digging Realm daily now, there won’t be many new additions.

The remaining Earth-digging Realm at Xia City is just over 200.

After focusing entirely on Longyou these past few days, Xia Chuan’s face turned much graver upon hearing this from Qiu Peng.

Even when including Wuyuan and Jing Valley’s 100 people, the number of Earth-digging Realm staying in Xia City is clearly insufficient.

The Earth-digging Realm not only ensures camp security but also supplies beast meat. Without them hunting, where would people in Xia City get beast meat for cultivation?

The key issue is, people from the Beehive are already migrating to Xia City, and Great Xia’s population has been steadily increasing over the past four months. In this case, is the camp’s beast meat still enough?

”The Camp Supply Department’s stockpile of beast meat has already been activated, hasn’t it?”

Upon hearing Xia Chuan’s question, Qiu Peng immediately displayed a bitter smile and said, ”Not only have we opened the stockpile of beast meat, but when the Minister returned to Xia City to transfer 1600 people the other night, I noticed that the beast meat supply was about to face a problem. I have already informed the department to raise the beast meat price to 5 Contribution Value per pound. Our stockpile of beast meat is considerable; if the population remains stable, at this price, it might last for two months, but now...”

Xia Chuan’s eyebrows furrowed immediately.

The latter part of Qiu Peng’s words evidently referred to the recent population surge at Xia City.

Indeed, previously Xia City’s population was just over thirty thousand. If this number remained unchanged, the Camp Supply Department’s stockpile of beast meat would surely last a long time. But now, clearly, it’s not enough.

”The population suddenly increased by seventy thousand. When all these people return to Xia City, I estimate, with the current stock of beast meat, even if the price doubles again, it probably will only last for a month.”

”The price has already increased tenfold. Doubling again would make it twenty times the original price. That can’t be done. This round of newly added 77,604 people is more than twice our previous population. Pricing it too high is not conducive to their rapid integration into Great Xia. We must find a way.”

Only now did Xia Chuan truly realize how right Xia Hong was with those words he spoke at dawn.

”To properly absorb this batch of new population; to strive as best we can to narrow the gap between our strength and that of Long Mountain and Zhaoyang, the leader’s previous words were indeed without flaw. We have recently been immersed in the joy of capturing the three camps and have neglected attention to the situation at Xia City.”

Clearly, Qiu Peng too realized this, just like him.

”Currently, we occupy Wushuang, Hanqiong, and Beehive. We’ve grabbed enough territory at Longyou this time, but we can’t spare manpower to guard it. With only 3860 people, even based on the Longyou Army’s thousand men we saw last night at Gourd Valley, I estimate that excluding Cold Resistance Level, even if we gather this entire group together, it might not be feasible to hold it.”

Xia Chuan spoke with some reluctance but quickly adjusted his mindset and said in a serious tone, ”The Dewdrop Plague matter hasn’t passed yet. Long Mountain and Zhaoyang will most likely come to seek our Solidified Fire Oil. Just this point alone is enough to prevent them from daring to wage war against Great Xia. We must utilize this window period wisely.”

”I will take some time to return to Xia City temporarily, tighten the availability of beast meat, Dan Medicine, and other cultivation resources, and limit the Martial Arts Hall slots. Prioritize those close to breaking through, and with utmost speed, cultivate a batch of Earth-digging Realm and see if Xia City can resolve the beast meat deficiency with its current population.”

”Good!”

Xia Chuan immediately nodded in agreement with Qiu Peng’s proposal and continued:

”When you go back, notify Meng Yi and Yue Feng that the migration plan remains unchanged, leaving only a group of Logging Realm at Beehive to guard the camp. Ensure to send everyone back to Xia City with the utmost speed. Additionally, have Meng Yi release 800 people to return with the migrating team. The camp’s beast meat gap cannot be too large!”