Chapter 1017: For Me, You Move Down

Yuzhe Cheng laughed and said, "As long as the official ships come, civilian merchant ships will follow closely behind. The prosperity of the Yangshan Archipelago is just around the corner." To say He Lingchuan isn't moved would be false. Beijia is so powerful—just scattering a handful of rice here would be enough to feed the entire Yangshan Archipelago till they're bursting at the seams.

It all depends on whether Beijia is willing, not whether it's able.

But this is a national investment, a strategic deployment. Yuzhe Cheng is merely a Captain of the Black Tiger Army—how could he possibly paint such a big pie for He Lingchuan?

He doesn't seem to be all brawn either.

He Lingchuan directly asked him: "This is a great opportunity, but who has the final say?"

Yuzhe Cheng smiled: "A great nation has capable people."

He Lingchuan also smiled.

Although the sea route relied upon by Blade Harbor and the Yangshan Archipelago is called the "Golden Shipping Lane," in reality, only a small number of Beijia merchant ships currently choose to sail it. Most sea vessels travel elsewhere, only stopping at a few Beijia ports to load and unload cargo—not dedicated Beijia ships on a fixed line.

Is Qingguo unwilling to maintain friendly relations with Beijia?

Obviously not.

After all, Blade Harbor and the Yangshan Archipelago lie within Mouguo's sphere of influence. If Mouguo is displeased, Qingguo still has to watch its expression.

At this point, the Yangshan Archipelago's location gains strategic value.

If Beijia's official ships could also sail freely along the Golden Shipping Lane, then not only would mutual exchange between Beijia and Ya State be effortless, even increasing military aid would pose no problem.

Put simply, once He Lingchuan nods in agreement, it would be equivalent to establishing a foothold deep in Mouguo's rear, allowing Beijia free access to the Yangshan Archipelago and using it as a springboard to interact with Ya State.

What reaction will Mouguo have then?

Conversely, since the Yangshan Archipelago must bear pressure from Mouguo, what conditions must Beijia offer to make He Lingchuan nod?

Just thinking about it is interesting. But He Lingchuan's current focus isn't on the big pie Yuzhe Cheng painted—it's on Wanqi Feng a zhang away! This fellow should have come to negotiate, yet He Lingchuan is keeping him waiting while he talks with guests, and he can't just lash out immediately.

Yet He Lingchuan noticed that, despite being burdened with worries, the outsider Wanqi Feng kept his eyes fixed on the backgammon board, his gaze flickering, several times almost speaking but stopping himself.

He let Wanqi Feng wait, intending to suppress the sharp energy this kid had just brought in upon entering.

One burst of effort, then decline—negotiations are the same; momentum matters greatly.

Wanqi Feng had no awareness of this at all.

But He Lingchuan instead observed something more interesting, so he picked up the white chess piece and moved it forward two steps.

This move caused Wanqi Feng's brows to furrow again, revealing a look of disapproval.

So He Lingchuan asked him: "Do you know how to play backgammon?"

Wanqi Feng startled, not expecting He Lingchuan to be so unhurried: "I do."

"How good are you? Be honest."

Wanqi Feng placed one hand behind his back and spoke bluntly: "Better than you."

Then he immediately added: "Island Master He, I came here to..."

"I know, I know." He Lingchuan raised his hand and gestured twice toward him, "Don't rush—how about you take over this game for me?"

"Me?" Wanqi Feng didn't expect He Lingchuan to let him take over, stunned for a moment before saying, "But I need to find you..."

"I know what you want." He Lingchuan pointed at the board, "You've caused me a lot of trouble! But if you win this game, everything can be discussed."

Everything can be discussed? Is that Island Master He's promise? Wanqi Feng fell silent for a few breaths, then finally replied, "Good."

After all, I'm on someone else's turf—even if we end up fighting to the death with nets broken, at worst the Yangshan Archipelago just tears a net, while the Bailong people will turn into dead fish.

Yuzhe Cheng had been observing him for a long time, and now he immediately asked: "Who is this?"

He had collaborated with Wanqi Song's uncle and nephew through subordinates, but Wanqi Feng himself standing here, he didn't recognize.

But when Wanqi Feng heard He Lingchuan's address to him, he clearly knew who he was playing chess with: "My surname is Wanqi."

Yuzhe Cheng's brows twitched slightly, and he immediately understood.

This is Wanqi Feng? Wanqi Feng didn't follow his uncle Wanqi Song to sea, but instead led four hundred Bailong people to disappear. Judging by the current situation, has Wanqi Feng already surrendered to He Lingchuan?

No, something seems off?

"Mr. Yu, these are my subordinates." He Lingchuan laughed, "He says he can do it, so I'll give him a chance to redeem himself through merit. What do you think?"

He said, Wanqi Feng is his subordinate.

Upon hearing "give him a chance" and "redeem himself through merit," Wanqi Feng's heart jumped.

"Oh?" Yu Cheng asked knowingly, "What crime has he committed?"

"Just a minor labor dispute, nothing serious." He Lingchuan glanced at Wanqi Feng with a smile, "Knowing one's fault and correcting it—nothing is greater than that."

"Reliance on others is inferior to self-reliance." Yu Cheng furrowed his brows, "But He Hao, you're the host—you want to change people, just change them."

This "reliance on others is inferior to self-reliance" of his was also him unable to hold back a complaint.

The Wanqi uncle and nephew are useless, the Bailong people are useless—indeed, not a single one is reliable! Of course, he was also simultaneously urging Wanqi Feng not to pin all his hopes on He Lingchuan.

Wanqi Feng said nothing, stepped forward, embraced the white pieces, and began to move.

The old uncle believed the words of the Yu-surname person and Bailie, which led him to this state today. He won't repeat the same mistake! They played chess, and He Lingchuan also summoned a guard over, whispering two sentences.

The guard responded with "Yes" after hearing, turned, and strode out in large steps.

Soon, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the Warm Fragrance Studio, fading into the distance.

He Lingchuan then stood to the side to watch the game, seeing Wanqi Feng's moves expansive and orderly, his strategy solid—indeed, far stronger than his own.

The rules of backgammon are lenient, gameplay flexible and variable, a game can be enjoyed in just two quarters of an hour, and it's commonly seen among military troops. Wanqi Feng used to play backgammon in the Bailong army and rarely met an opponent, often winning to the point of overflowing bowls and basins.

However, Yuzhe Cheng had extremely good luck—several dice rolls later, he stubbornly turned this game into an overtime match.

Wanqi Feng played mercilessly, bearing him no goodwill.

If it weren't for the old uncle being incited by this crowd, how would our side have fallen to this state?

He Lingchuan found it interesting to watch from the side—the Bailong and Beijia people, this temporary alliance, are now killing each other back and forth in the game.

He clearly understands Wanqi Feng's demands, but he doesn't want to easily let these Bailong people go.

So, what should be done now?

Just then, the eyeball spider inside his collar delivered the good news he most wanted to hear: "Settled!"

Zhu Erniang's voice was a bit weary, but one could hear she was in good spirits: "Eleven Bega people — we caught eight, two died, one escaped."

He Lingchuan let out a light breath, setting down the heavy boulder that had been weighing on his heart.

Yu Zecheng had played all his trump cards, yet the Bega people's surprise attack still failed.

The biggest reason for the failure was outdated intelligence, because the great yaoguai they faced, the highest combat power of the Yangshan Archipelago, was not merely Zhu Erniang alone! Apart from the day Zhu Erniang took up residence, when He Lingchuan appeared publicly he had at most one spider yaoguai following him. Humans fundamentally cannot tell the difference between Zhu Xiuer and Zhu Erniang, so naturally they would not believe the Yangshan Archipelago actually had two such terrifying Spider Queens.

As for Dong Rui's ghost ape, only the people of Rong Mountain know its true face. Besides, Dong Rui is a tech geek who stays on his own Alfalfa Island all day, and usually has the ghost ape guard the house for him.

So in outsiders' eyes, the only great yaoguai the Yangshan Archipelago can field is Zhu Erniang herself.

He Lingchuan basically did not participate in the battle on the eastern side of Suoding Island.

It wasn't that he didn't want to stay and help the spider yaoguai sisters, but this place needed him more —

He rushed here in a hurry to pin down Yu Zecheng, not letting him slip away to cause sabotage.

Originally Yu Zecheng would not take the field personally, just like a Bega envoy stationed abroad would not personally carry out assassinations or sneak attacks, and He Lingchuan would not charge into Nuanxiang Zhai to directly capture Yu Zecheng alive.

All that gets left to subordinates, after all the surface diplomatic relations still have to be maintained.

But He Lingchuan faked his death, and Yu Zecheng concluded the Yangshan Archipelago was leaderless, so he very likely came out of his cave on his own.

After all, he came from military ranks, not a true official envoy; for a major matter like this, handling it himself is the most reliable.

Once he personally took part in the operation, that meant completely tearing face with He Lingchuan, leaving no room for maneuver for either side. Then when they met on a narrow path, should He Lingchuan beat him, or beat him, or beat him? If he beat Yu Zecheng black and blue, that would also slap Bega's face.

But this time he wasn't wearing a mask, so Bega would definitely know who didn't give it face, and when it went berserk —

That was exactly the situation He Lingchuan least wanted to see.

So to prevent Yu Zecheng from causing trouble for himself, after He Lingchuan took down Moqi Song on the Qingyun Road, he still had to rush here at full speed — on one hand to interrupt Yu Zecheng's command of the sniper operation against the Spider Queen, on the other to keep an eye on him and not let him run around wildly.

But deep down He Lingchuan was still very worried about the battle on the spider yaoguai sisters' side.

The spider yaoguai sisters + ghost ape lineup was already very powerful; even if He Lingchuan himself went there he would only get pinned down and beaten violently, let alone the extra insurance measures he added — unknown whether they were used or not.

Even so, He Lingchuan still couldn't set his mind at ease.

Yu Zecheng had prepared for more than half a year; it was impossible he had no killer move.

Alas, pity his subordinates lacked high-end combat power; if there were just one or two more great yaoguai joining the fight, only then would it be called a sure victory.

So the good news Zhu Erniang just sent let He Lingchuan breathe a solid sigh of relief.

Tonight's series of crises — one small half of them can be considered passed.

After hearing Zhu Erniang's report on the captives, He Lingchuan casually beckoned Wang Fubao behind him and gave a few low-voiced instructions.

Wang Fubao listened with eyes wide, then scurried off in a puff of smoke.

This scene naturally could not escape Yu Zecheng's eyes; he was playing chess with Moqi Feng, but in his heart a few strands of ill omen sprouted.

Reasonably speaking, even if his subordinates' squad actions were anticipated by He Xiao, with their own configuration and magic tools, even if they couldn't take down Zhu Erniang, self-preservation and retreat shouldn't be too difficult.

Tonight's operation target shifting from He Lingchuan back to Zhu Erniang — this itself wasn't a bad thing.

But his current sudden impulse was very bad.

He Lingchuan was dragging him here, and he had no way to contact his subordinates on the eastern side of Suoding Island on the spot.

One moment of distraction here, and his chess move went wrong; Moqi Feng seized the chance to fly two pieces in a row, cementing his advantage.

He Lingchuan walked over with hands behind his back and said a few words in a low voice to Moqi Feng, only the two of them could hear:

"Drag out more time!"

(End of chapter)