Rogue Camp

The Rogue Camp's outpost was situated in a valley nestled between two tall mountains, directly east of Redwood Ridge.

Both mountains were elongated, soaring two to three thousand meters into the sky. Like Mount Ta in the Big Stone Camp, their rocky surfaces were covered in a layer of black ice crystals, a result of prolonged freezing temperatures.

The mountains here were taller than Mount Ta, and the ice crystals were naturally thicker as well.

However, it was peculiar that the lower the ice crystals got on the mountainside, the thinner and paler they became. By the time they reached the base, close to the ground, they had reverted to the color of ordinary stone.

Upon closer inspection, a wispy layer of white smoke could be seen swirling around the rock face. As the smoke rose, the black ice crystals continuously melted into water, dripping down the rock.

"The high temperature from burning coal can melt even these ancient ice crystals. Rogue Camp probably never has anyone freeze to death, right?"

Even though he had been staying at Rogue Camp for the past half month, Hong Gang, ever outspoken, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration every time they returned.

The other three leaders, along with Shi Qing and the Lumbering Realm personnel from their respective camps behind them, heard Hong Gang's words. Looking at the white smoke on the rock face, they all displayed envious expressions.

"Freeze to death? What a joke. Let alone the fact that everyone in Rogue Camp has animal hide clothing, with this constant supply of coal for heating, no one has frozen to death in nearly twenty years."

Luo Ming remained silent, but one of his subordinates couldn't help but speak up.

From his rather proud tone, it was clear that as a member of Rogue Camp, he felt immense pride.

Upon hearing that no one had frozen to death in twenty years, the envious expressions on everyone's faces intensified.

This was especially true for the leaders of the five smaller camps, who could most directly feel the impact of that statement.

Strictly speaking, compared to Frost Beasts and Grotesques, the cold was merely the simplest survival challenge for humans.

Yet, even so, each year, a considerable number of people died from the cold in various camps.

Being small camps, they could only rely on lumbering for warmth. The problem was that lumbering didn't guarantee a harvest every time. If they were unlucky enough to encounter Frost Beasts, not only would there be no harvest, but they might even lose their lives.

The critical issue was that Redwood Ridge had been expanding faster and faster in recent years, and the trees were growing more aggressively. Sometimes, they couldn't even find a single tree to chop down in an entire night.

Not only was obtaining timber difficult, but the physical condition of the ordinary people in the camps was also a major problem, especially the children. When the temperature dropped sharply, even if they hid in caves with bonfires for warmth, they would still freeze to death.

Therefore, twenty years without anyone freezing to death might be commonplace for Rogue Camp, but for their five smaller camps, it was an unattainable dream.

Where there was envy, there was naturally disdain.

"You country bumpkins, making a fuss over such a trivial matter. Is this something to be proud of?"

Compared to the admiration on Hong Gang and the others' faces, Li Hu's face was filled with contempt.

Clearly, the recent events had deeply displeased Li Hu, leading him to directly use the term "country bumpkins" to mock their lack of worldly experience.

Although Yang Ning remained silent, his expression was not much different from Li Hu's.

"Not to mention North朔 Town, even any slightly stronger medium-sized camp knows how to lay down coal stones to soften the ground and cultivate crops. You, on the other hand, only know how to use it for heating, holding onto a treasure without knowing how to use it, and still being smug about it. It's utterly foolish!"

The others present didn't react to these words.

Only Luo Ming paused, then seemed to realize something, and his face immediately lit up with joy.

"Thank you for your guidance, Sir. I, Luo, only today learned of such uses for coal stones."

Li Hu's face stiffened. His intention was merely to mock and ridicule, not to guide Luo Ming at all. He hadn't expected to backfire so spectacularly.

However, he quickly thought of a way to recover and sneered, "Don't celebrate too soon. The land required for those crops is not small. For softening the ground, you five Earth Excavation Realm cultivators would probably need ten years or more to mine enough coal stones."

Luo Ming, who had been excited moments ago, was instantly doused with cold water.

Although he didn't say anything, the leaders of Hong Gang and Shi Qing's camps were now looking at Li Hu with obvious anger in their eyes, clearly displeased with his blatant manipulation of Luo Ming.

"Alright, stop the chatter and let's go inside!"

Yang Ning noticed the undisguised anger of the five leaders and his expression turned displeased. However, he didn't say anything, merely glancing at Li Hu and signaling for everyone to go in first.

"Everyone, let's go inside and talk!"

Whether by nature or through practiced composure, Luo Ming acted as if nothing had happened after being toyed with by Li Hu, and invited everyone in.

While everyone else was talking, they hadn't stopped walking and had now reached the middle of the valley.

Despite being a medium-sized camp, like Great Xia and Big Stone Camp, Rogue Camp's location was also very well hidden.

The entrance to the valley was blocked by huge piles of rubble and trees. A normal person would never suspect that a camp of over a thousand people was hidden behind it.

Luo Ming led everyone around the rubble pile from the left. A few subordinates, familiar with the route, went ahead of him and pulled out a massive log, over five meters in diameter and fifty meters long, from a pile of debris.

When the log was pulled out, the rubble and other trees piled on top should have collapsed. However, not only did they not fall, they didn't even budge.

A passage, over thirty meters long, appeared out of nowhere amidst the pile of boulders and trees. Everyone present had seen it before and, without changing their expressions, followed Luo Ming into the camp.

After passing through the passage, the full view of the valley's interior was revealed.

The depth of the valley was unclear, but its width was about three to four hundred meters on each side. Most remarkably, the two tall mountains above intersected, completely blocking the valley and preventing any light from reaching down.

Of course, this alone was not enough to withstand the harsh extreme cold.

Unlike Great Xia and Big Stone Camp, which relied on bonfires in enclosed spaces for warmth, Rogue Camp had built five massive structures within the valley.

They couldn't really be called houses; "boxes" constructed from giant logs would be a more accurate description.

The five wooden structures were each square, about fifty meters wide, capable of housing several hundred people.

Fires were burning inside all five buildings, with white smoke continuously rising from the reserved ventilation holes above. The sounds of many people conversing could be heard from within.

Illuminated by the firelight inside, the wooden houses glowed with a faint golden hue, clearly indicating they were built from the sturdiest Golden Scale Trees.

"It's warmer as soon as we enter the valley. Burning coal is still the best!"

Hong Gang stretched out his hand to sense the temperature in the valley and couldn't help but exclaim.

Someone from the camp had already come to greet them. Luo Ming casually called out a few greetings and led everyone towards the innermost wooden house.

As they were about to enter the wooden house, Shi Dong, who had been following Shi Qing, suddenly his expression shifted, and he turned to look to the left of the wooden house.

"Big Brother, what is that place?"

Shi Qing followed his gaze and discovered that next to the innermost wooden house, there was another small wooden house less than ten meters wide.

Luo Ming noticed the two of them at this moment, walked over, and explained, "That's my father's residence."

Both of them were stunned upon hearing this.

Luo Ming's father, the previous leader of Rogue Camp, Luo Feng?