He looked at everyone, a surge of heroic spirit rising in his heart, and spoke solemnly:
"Good! Since everyone is not afraid, let’s stay here together. No matter how many people the Hive Camp sends, if they want to take the iron mine, they must step over our corpses."
Everyone nodded heavily upon hearing this, their expressions growing more resolute.
Returning from the Jing Valley to the stationed valley required passing through the Arrow Bamboo Forest. Going there and back would take about an hour. Considering Li Yuankun and the other two were dragging two wounded, this time might need to be extended.
Standing outside the mine, Yue Feng glanced at the sky, roughly calculating before saying to everyone: "It’s about half an hour to daylight, Lord Minister leading people over would have to wait until nightfall. Let’s prepare and spend the day in the mine."
Upon hearing this, everyone relaxed considerably.
Indeed, daybreak wasn’t far; Li Yuankun going back to report would take over half an hour, and by the time Xia Chuan knew, it would already be daylight. Leading people over would definitely be a matter for after nightfall.
Although the exact location of the Hive Station wasn’t known, it certainly had some distance from the Jing Valley. Similarly, if Lu Sheng brought people over, it would also be after nightfall.
They could sleep through this day with peace of mind.
Soon, everyone lit a coal fire in the mine, sealed the mine at first light, and began resting inside.
"You two take a group, each group guards for half an hour. I’ll take the last half hour. Quickly rest and sleep, there shouldn’t be any issues during the day."
Though it’s unlikely anything would happen during the day, Yue Feng still arranged for patrols.
The day was only four hours long. Seven groups guarded for three and a half hours, and he himself guarded the last half hour, making the time distribution just right.
The strength of Great Xia had indeed changed dramatically, and everyone’s lives had improved significantly, yet some fundamental things remained unchanged.
Throughout the camp, besides the leader Xia Hong, no one else could operate during the daytime, and they could only live a life of night-time activity and daytime rest.
"Someday, when I break through to Cold Resistance Level, I can be like the leader and see the Ice Abyss World during the day."
With these thoughts, Yue Feng closed his eyes, reminiscing about how Xia Hong could now unabashedly appear in the sunlight, filled with envy and yearning.
"Captain, it’s almost night."
He didn’t know how long he had slept, but Yue Feng was woken up by someone.
Through the small opening left in the mine, he saw that the outside was dim, realizing it was almost dark. He hurriedly got up, signaling for the last group to sleep while he began his guard duty at the entrance.
The thumb-thick small opening let in a continuous flow of cold air. Although the cave was warmed by coal fire, Yue Feng couldn’t help but shiver when he touched the condensed solid cold air.
"If just the cold air is so terrifying, what if exposed to that cold light..."
Yue Feng shook his head slightly, withdrawing his fingers, continuing to monitor the outside through the small opening while quietly awaiting nightfall.
"Creak... creak... creak..."
Yue Feng thought he could smoothly wait for nightfall.
However, just as day and night were about to exchange places.
A series of heavy footsteps suddenly reached his ears.
The Mirror Immortal Station had been unoccupied for a long time, and usually, there were no Cold Beasts here in the valley floor. The snow accumulated on the ground made the footsteps exceptionally clear.
Upon hearing the sounds, he didn’t wake others but first observed the outside through the small hole.
Upon seeing it, Yue Feng’s pupils abruptly contracted.
A white figure, braving the dim twilight, was steadily approaching the mine. Though his pace was slow, his target was unmistakable.
Clearly, the other party had detected someone in the mine.
"Get up, someone is coming, everyone get up!"
Seeing the figure only ten meters away, knowing it was heading for them, Yue Feng decisively shouted to wake the others.
The fourteen people instantly sprang awake, without a moment’s hesitation, grabbing their weapons and quickly nocking arrows, aiming at the entrance.
After all, they were people who hunted outside frequently, and even when sleeping, they had to remain vigilant.
Although their reaction was timely, upon noticing that it wasn’t entirely dark outside and linking it to Yue Feng’s earlier statement that someone was coming, their faces immediately darkened.
Someone comes during the day, basking in the cold light!
The answer was obvious.
The one coming was a Cold Resistance Level expert!
With a loud bang, the tree branches blocking the entrance scattered. As the figure at the entrance grew clearer, including Yue Feng, everyone’s hearts hung by a thread.
"Are you people from the Daxia Camp?"
With a kick from the newcomer, the entrance was shoved open, letting in a flood of cold light. Yue Feng had to lead people into the depths of the mine.
The newcomer was middle-aged, with prominent features and a brow exuding dominance. His appearance matched the uncompromising tone when he spoke.
He was very burly, not dressed in beast skin but seemingly in cotton cloth, which fitted well, exposing his knotted muscles all over and conveying a strong sense of oppression.
Despite knowing the other person was not someone he could provoke, Yue Feng gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and clasped his fists: "Yue Feng of the Great Xia Mountain River Team, greetings to Senior. May I ask if Senior is from the Hive Camp?"
The middle-aged man’s brows furrowed, letting out a cold snort, and casually flicked his hand at Yue Feng.
A thumbnail-sized pebble flew from his hand, directly piercing through Yue Feng’s right ear.
Yue Feng’s pupils contracted, touching the blood flowing from his earlobe. Despite the anger welling in his heart, he could only stand silently as the opponent had shown mercy. Otherwise, piercing through the ear or even the head would have been easy.
"I’m in a good mood today, seeing you’re not too old, I’ll teach you how to speak properly. You have no right to question me. Whatever I ask, you answer honestly, understood?"
Even though his anger kept rising, Yue Feng looked at the sky outside, still holding his fists tightly under his sleeves, responding in a deep voice: "Then, what would Senior like to ask?"