Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Everyone Can Cultivate "Brother, what do you think of my proposal?" Xia Hong, who was pondering Luo Ming’s intentions, was interrupted by Xia Chuan. He decided not to speculate further and made a rough calculation in his mind before speaking: "Let’s go with the rules you suggested, but I want to add two more points: the age limit for the reserve can now be relaxed to thirteen to thirty; and for those under thirteen, we’ll give them five pounds of Cold Beast Meat every month." Seeing Xia Chuan’s anxious expression immediately after hearing this, Xia Hong raised his hand, signaling Xia Chuan to continue listening to him. "I know the population structure of the camp well. The age group from thirteen to thirty should total just over one hundred, which is about thirty more than what you originally set, and counting them in would consume only about an additional thousand pounds of Cold Beast Meat each month. Those under thirteen are a bit more, roughly one hundred and fifty, and with five pounds per person per month, it adds up to just over seven hundred pounds. So, my two additional points would only require us to hunt two more Cold Beasts a month to achieve that." According to Xia Chuan’s calculations, successfully hunting four adult Cold Beasts a month would sustain consumption. Adding these two points, hunting six in total a month would be completely sufficient. "Are you still worried that you won’t be able to hunt six Cold Beasts a month?" Upon hearing Xia Hong’s rhetorical question, Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng both showed a hint of hesitation on their faces. In fact, looking back over the past month, they had hunted more than six Cold Beasts. Now that they had iron tools and greatly improved hunting ability, considering the terrifying density of Cold Beasts at Redwood Ridge, hunting six a month should surely be achievable. But the problem is, hunting carries risks. The hunt for that Snow Mane seemed simple, but it required all ten of them working together, plus the enhancement from the Shock Frost Saber, and their understanding of the Snow Mane Cold Beast. It was a combination of many factors that made it possible. So far, they’ve only encountered three types of Cold Beasts. If they come across others they don’t understand, the risks remain very high. Moreover, taking such risks is only for the sake of ordinary people in the camp. After thinking for a long time, Xia Chuan finally spoke up. "Brother, hunting two more Cold Beasts would mean taking greater risks, and for the ordinary people in the camp, I don’t think it’s worth it; Besides, our current hunting range, including the original Da Shi territory, is only about a thousand meters north-south on the outskirts. Though the Cold Beast density is high, within this thousand-meter range, they are extremely limited, and adding two more might soon deplete the Cold Beasts in this area entirely. By then, we’d have to venture deeper into Redwood Ridge, which is even less safe." As Xia Chuan spoke, the three of them reached the entrance of the camp. "Greetings, Leader!" "Greetings, Leader." "The Leader is back..." "Brother Chuan and Brother Cheng are back too." "Alright, everyone, go about your business." While smiling and acknowledging the greetings from people at the entrance, Xia Hong led the two into the camp, stopping by the Iron Refining Furnace before indicating for them to sit down, then pointed to the ordinary people in the camp and asked Xia Chuan: "What do you think these people are considered to the camp right now?" Xia Chuan paused for a moment, thought briefly, and answered with two words. "A burden." "Exactly, a burden. So, are you willing to abandon them?" Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng immediately fell silent. The answer was obvious—they weren’t willing to abandon them. Not to mention that among these ordinary people in the camp, were their relatives and friends. Even without personal ties, having lived together for many years, there surely was an emotional bond. "You said that it’s not worth taking greater risks for these people, which I can understand. But think about it, before they had the ability to venture out, we were already taking risks for them. Hunting, picking Crystal Fruits, logging, and future mining work—once we venture out, who can guarantee absolute safety? Isn’t that considered taking risks?" After Xia Hong finished speaking, he let out a slow breath, and his expression gradually became serious. The fact that ordinary people are burdens is a commonly held belief. They cannot venture out, let alone logging, hunting, or mining—even moving wooden materials requires many people to work together. Previously, they didn’t dare open the entrance at night, and even collecting snow water had to be done by the logging team. During the attack by the Golden-eyed Demon Sheep, apart from the seven people led by him and Xia Chuan, over a hundred others could only watch helplessly from the side. With Cold Beast attacks being like this, one can imagine how much worse it would be with a stronger Deceitful Monster. The destruction of Da Shi Camp and the tragedy of Rogel Camp are two bloody lessons right before their eyes. Xia Hong was not blaming these people. With scarce resources, ordinary people at any camp were considered burdens. Not only could they not provide any help, but to sustain their survival, the camp’s active forces have to risk their lives venturing out. Venturing out inevitably involves risks, and while the ordinary people staying in the camp are risk-free, they offer no assistance and produce nothing. This rise and fall, if it continues, the camp cannot possibly develop sustainably. The camp must have every person involved in development. This, as they would say in past times, is about liberating their productivity. The first step is to provide enough Cold Beast Meat. After all, without the ability to venture out, everything is mere talk. Allowing more people to contribute more strength to camp development, it’s completely worth it to take a bit of risk initially. Moreover, this risk won’t last for long. Xia Hong has already seen through his cultivation progress that for humans, the Logging Realm and Earth-digging Realm virtually have no threshold; as long as enough Cold Beast Meat is provided, anyone can break through, with speed varying only by age and talent. With enough people in the Logging Realm, Xia Hong and the others can focus on hunting without worrying about cutting trees. The same logic applies to subsequent mining work. As more people take on their respective roles and contribute, the camp’s output will grow richer. Using this output to nurture further development, this cycle is the essence of true sustainable development, allowing the Great Xia to reach its full potential. After articulating his thoughts in detail, Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng immediately delved into contemplation. Unlike last time when he proposed the Four-level Division Method, this time they quickly understood. In fact, the very proposition of the Four-level Division Method indicates that Xia Chuan’s thinking was quite close to Xia Hong’s, so he quickly accepted what Xia Hong said. "Have you ever thought that maybe one day, everyone in Great Xia could cultivate, and even children as young as five or six might have Logging Realm strength?" "Leader, stop joking." "Brother, you’re out of your mind—how could that be possible!" Xia Hong’s last remark made Xia Chuan and Yuan Cheng burst into laughter. The idea that everyone could cultivate was ridiculous enough, but five or six-year-old children having Logging Realm strength was, to them, pure fantasy. Unless Cold Beasts lay still, waiting to be slain. Xia Hong did not refute them. After pondering for a moment, he joined in their laughter: "Hahaha, just kidding. Go count the numbers first, and announce the new meat allocation rule to cheer everyone up!" Watching them walk away, Xia Hong withdrew his smile and glanced around the camp, a hint of ambition in his eyes. He wasn’t joking— with the camp system, it was only a matter of time before Great Xia reached that point. After Xia Chuan announced the new meat distribution rules set by Xia Hong, the camp naturally erupted in cheers. Especially the newcomers from Da Shi, hearing that everyone would get Cold Beast Meat, including them, initially seemed skeptical, but upon confirmation, tears streamed down their faces. Seeing the crowd swarming toward him, Xia Hong immediately realized what was happening, jumped up, and opened his mouth to stop them. But before he could speak, the crowd had already surged forward, with several people lifting him high. "Mighty leader!" "Mighty leader!" "Mighty leader!" ...... The loud cheers, although mixed, were unanimously filled with gratitude and admiration, even growing into a frenzy as the cheers intensified. But just then, a familiar voice suddenly echoed from outside the cave. "Brother Xia Hong, what a journey to find you!" Although the voice wasn’t loud, it was exceptionally clear inside the cave, interrupting the cheering crowd. Everyone instantly quieted down, some nervously looking toward the entrance.