Chapter 22 - 22 Found the Rightful Owner Xia Hong's approach was completely different from previous logging teams, although it was based on abundant resources, the clueless people in the camp didn't care. They simply thought Xia Hong was capable and selfless. Since the Cold Beast Meat was distributed that night, everyone in the camp who saw Xia Hong appeared fervent, then respectfully addressed him as leader. Respect, admiration, and it is no exaggeration to say, almost to the level of a follower. Xia Hong would not foolishly stop people from doing so, special environments require special measures. For years surviving in the shadows, unable to see the sun, with not enough food to eat and clothes to wear, the extreme despair didn't even adequately describe the situation of humans in the camp. In this kind of world, giving them something to lean on isn't a bad thing. After all, when there's something to rely on, hope naturally follows. Of course, all of this must be built on the basis of sufficient Cold Beast Meat. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎 After deducting seventy pounds, divided according to a three-five-two ratio, Xia Hong received 120 pounds of Cold Beast Meat. At his current level of cultivation, these would only last for half a month. Yue Feng and the other four also got 120 pounds each; Xia Hong calculated that, at their rate, the meat they received this time was not enough for them to make breakthroughs. Therefore, there is still a shortage of Cold Beast Meat, and the hunting cannot stop. Luckily, as long as nothing unexpected happens, at least there won't be a shortage of Small Torches. "Wood collection cannot stop, as long as Small Torches continue to flow, hunting is merely a matter of probability, when encountering strong ones, don't rush, as long as every time a Cold Beast is attracted, success is inevitable." The Cold Beast Meat was distributed, and people began roasting meat around the campfire. Before long, the whole cave was filled with the aroma of meat, and those in the camp who had not eaten in a long time, or had never tasted Cold Beast Meat, displayed expressions of ecstasy on their faces. Seeing the looks of satisfaction on their faces, something seemed to be lightly triggered in Xia Hong's heart. A meal of meat, in a previous life, was a simple thing. But here, it became a luxury for these people. In his previous life, afflicted with ALS, he had an extreme dislike of the world, blamed it for being unfair, and even chose to end his own life. He thought it was unfair, but what about the people from the Great Xia Camp? What about the other human survivors in this terrifying winter world? Do these people feel it's fair? Who could those living in the shadows blame? "Perhaps, I am here to do something for them..." ......... Meanwhile, at the Great Xia Camp, while everyone was celebrating. On the outskirts of Redwood Ridge, Shi Qing, with a twelve-member team from the Da Shi logging camp, searched several circles around the Great Xia's territory with an increasingly grim expression. "Three consecutive days and not even a single hair to be found, is Old Ding and his people no longer coming out to look for food?" Shi Dong was impatient, frustrated by their fruitless search over several rounds. Nearby, Wang Ming, holding a broadsword, also frowned. However, after glancing towards the east side of Redwood Ridge, he turned and spoke to Shi Qing: "Big brother, how about we head over the slope?" As soon as Wang Ming's words came out, everyone fell silent. Even Shi Qing didn't respond immediately and remained silent. For camps as small as theirs, a common unspoken rule was to maintain secrecy among each other. Human nature in the face of resource scarcity is terrifying. Initially, there were dozens of camps around Redwood Ridge. When food was plentiful, there was no issue. But once Crystal Fruits and other food became unavailable, when they reached a dead end, people became potential food. Moreover, at night only those in the Logging Realm have the freedom to roam, and a person from this realm venturing into another camp could easily arouse suspicion. Thus, the weaker the camp, the more they kept hidden from each other. Of course, due to Da Shi and Great Xia being neighbors, they had a general idea of each other's locations, even if they tried to remain hidden. However, if they did find the Great Xia Camp as Wang Ming suggested, it would stir up great animosity between them. It could even escalate into a never-ending struggle, unintentionally. "No need, Old Ding helped us before, and I don't intend to do anything drastic to him. Just teach them a lesson so they won't have any more sneaky ideas in the future." Shi Qing shook his head, dismissing Wang Ming's suggestion. As small camps, despite competition, they were essentially just people trying to survive in humility. The fact that the Snow Mane was taken by the Great Xia angered him, of course. But to be fair, they hadn't directly harmed them. Besides, when they lacked manpower in their hunts, Xia Ding once helped them. Making a scene was unnecessary. "Hey, someone over there, is that Old Ding?" While deep in thought, Shi Dong suddenly pointed to the inner forest. Shi Qing and the others looked in that direction. Indeed, deep within the forest, over ten figures were slowly approaching them. Shi Qing, an archer with excellent vision, quickly identified thirteen individuals. The logging team from the Great Xia Camp, including Xia Ding, was precisely thirteen people. Upon taking a closer look at the lead figure, Shi Qing immediately confirmed it. "It's Old Ding, we've finally found them, come with me!" They finally found the main party. Shi Dong, Wang Ming, and ten others immediately followed behind Shi Qing. Sure enough, it was Xia Ding. Seeing the leader was indeed Xia Ding, the memories of losing three brothers in recent days and having the Snow Mane taken advantage of surged to the forefront of everyone in Da Shi Camp, and their anger flared up intensely. "Old Ding, after being neighbors for so many years, how could you dare to betray me!" Unlike Shi Qing, who still showed some restraint, Shi Dong and Wang Ming were very direct and even aggressive. "Xia Ding, how many pounds of that Snow Mane's meat is left? Hand it over to us, or you'll face my arrows." "We've lost three brothers, and you didn't even give a heads-up before taking the Snow Mane, if you don't give us an explanation today, don't think about leaving." However, after these three finished speaking, neither Xia Ding nor the twelve people behind him responded. They just stared at them blankly. After a long time, a smile gradually crept on Xia Ding's face. However, to the people at Da Shi Camp, this smile seemed extremely eerie. Even though it seemed normal, it looked as though it was forcibly molded onto features that didn't quite fit. Shi Qing frowned, but before he could speak, his brother Shi Dong couldn't hold back and took two steps forward, angrily shouting: "What the hell are you laughing at, are you deaf?" But even after being scolded, Xia Ding and his people still didn't react. Noticing Xia Ding's stiff expression, and the twelve logging team members standing in the shadows behind him, Shi Qing instinctively sensed something was wrong. Whoosh... A sharp, needle-like sound suddenly pierced through the air. Shi Qing's face changed dramatically, and he quickly retreated while drawing and readying his arrow, shouting to the others: "Something's wrong, retreat now!" However, it was already too late. The three slowest to retreat suddenly froze, standing still, motionless. Looking closer, their pupils were dilated, and they each had a tiny red dot at the center of their eyebrows. Blood started to trickle from these red dots. Three bodies helplessly fell to the ground. Shi Qing and the others were filled with shock on their faces.