Chapter 1762 - 561: The Future of Green Jade Valley, the Uneasy Su Lie and His Son
Chapter 1762: Chapter 561: The Future of Green Jade Valley, the Uneasy Su Lie and His Son
Green Jade Valley is called a valley, but it is actually a small river running north-south for over twenty kilometers. The starting point at the southern end of the river is close to the Bone-Eroding Path, about ten kilometers away from the northern entrance.
Given the dangers of the Ice Abyss Waters, human settlements are generally not situated by the water, making Green Jade Valley a rare exception.
Firstly, the river is narrow and shallow, with the widest part being about five meters, and the deepest being only about three meters. Larger Water Cold Beasts can’t really fit, so the level of danger is much lower than in other water territories;
Secondly, because its water flow is irregular.
The starting point of Green Jade Valley in the south is a hundred-meter-high small hill. Inside the hill is an underground river connecting to the Moao Mountain Body. Every July and August, a large amount of living water gushes out from the underground river and flows northwards through the river valley.
Living water is rare to see in the Ice Abyss. Coupled with Evergreen Valley’s vegetation coverage being higher than the outside, green occasionally dominates. When living water flows out from the underground river every July and August, nobody dares to approach the river surface, which remains largely undisturbed. The vegetation reflects on it, making the entire river seem as crystal clear as green jade, hence the elegant name Green Jade Valley.
Only, no matter how elegant the name is, it doesn’t change the fact that Green Jade Valley is at the southernmost tip of Evergreen Valley. The entire Evergreen Valley is quite barren, and Green Jade Valley, being in the deepest part, is even more barren beyond imagination.
There are a total of sixteen villages distributed around Green Jade Valley. The largest three villages, River Valley, Green Pool, and Small Pond, each have a population of over twenty thousand. The remaining thirteen villages have as few as four to five thousand people, with the most having just over ten thousand.
Evergreen Valley isn’t without any advantages. The temperature is higher than outside, and the vegetation coverage is high, which is its greatest advantage.
Because the vegetation grows well, there isn’t a shortage of things like fruits. Green Jade Valley, being in the deepest part, has a higher temperature than the northern area, providing an even better growing environment for vegetation, leading to a more astonishing fruit harvest.
Unfortunately, fruits can only fill the belly and cannot be used for cultivation. This has resulted in the people around Green Jade Valley, though not starving, having a very hard time improving their overall strength, with very few reaching the Cold Resistance Level compared to other areas.
As fortune and misfortune often come together, the good coexists with the bad as a rule. Because the temperature is relatively high, the vegetation grows luxuriantly, leading to a high fruit harvest. But similarly, because the temperature is relatively high, Cold Beasts dislike this place, making hunting difficult for the people around Green Jade Valley, and the harvest of Beast Meat and Beast Blood has always been low.
Beast Meat and Beast Blood, these basic cultivation resources, are the foundation of camp development. Without these, even if you’re not starving, it’s hard for the camp to develop.
Take the simplest example. Before humans break through to the Cold Resistance Level, their average lifespan is only about forty, which means that the average lifespan of humans lacking Beast Meat and Beast Blood
resources in the camp is only two-fifths that of others.
Think about it, just not starving, what use is it?
People aren’t stupid. They might not notice it for a year or two, but over time, the locals in Green Jade Valley naturally begin to see some signs. So, over the years, they’ve always been trying to make changes.
Unfortunately, with strength being too weak, even wanting change is difficult.
To change their situation, the best way is to migrate outward. But they lack strength, lack courage, and even if they wanted to migrate, where could they go?
Evergreen Valley is only so big, and all the places suitable for human habitation are already claimed. The uninhabited places are too dangerous. As for going to Qinghua City, they would like to, but unfortunately, no one would take them, even if they sold themselves.
So, they can only stay in place and die a slow death!
Of course, this predicament isn’t unique to Green Jade Valley. Many places deep in Evergreen Valley are like this, where everyone can only eke out a survival.
But from today, the situation is about to change!
The thirteenth year of the Great Xia, the fourth day of the first month, daytime
At the southernmost tip of Green Jade Valley, Qingtan Village
The village and its surroundings are teeming with people. It’s important to know that it’s daylight now. It’s hard to imagine such a scene appearing in Qingtan Village.
Su He stood next to his father Su Lie, both with excitement on their faces, following behind the Su Xing’er siblings, watching the pile of War Armor and weapons accumulating in the village, their eyes filled with exhilaration.
"Lord Yuwen said that these confiscated spoils of war will be temporarily stored in your Qingtan Village, to be collected later when someone comes."
Su Xing’er and the siblings were not in the lead at this moment. Standing in front was still Xiang Liang, responsible for liaising with them. Xiang Liang had brought Lord Yuwen Dao’s military orders half an hour ago from the main tent at the valley entrance.
The piles of weapons and War Armor in the village were all confiscated from Cai Qiu’s army. The Xia Army is escorting prisoners north to the Green Jade Valley camp, while allowing those prisoners to move the supplies here along the way.
Cai Qiu’s army of 150,000 was routed. Though some ran, more were either killed or captured. The amount of weapons and War Armor confiscated by the Great Xia is extremely terrifying, totaling at least eighty to ninety thousand sets.
So many weapons and War Armor couldn’t possibly be carried at all times, nor could they be casually discarded at the valley entrance. Qingtan Village is not far from the valley entrance, and storing them here is convenient for access and subsequent transport.
"Father, when are we going to Great Xia?"
Seeing the once-overbearing Cai Qiu soldiers now in the hands of the Xia Army soldiers, looking like quails with their necks pinched, each appearing dispirited, Su He couldn’t contain the excitement in his heart and asked his father Su Lie in a low voice.