Chapter 1022: Easily Solved

He Lingchuan had been on edge all the way to the hot springs cottage, fearing bad news. Now he gave him two pieces of news in person:

Good news: Wanqi Song is still alive.

Bad news: Old Uncle is in He Lingchuan's hands.

As for the process, it seems less important now.

A carriage is already waiting outside.

"Get in."

Lv Qiuwei and Wang Fuobao also got in, sat facing each other, and the carriage set off.

The escort team followed behind, flanking the carriage on both sides.

The road was open, with only the sound of rain pattering around, no idle passersby.

Lv Qiuwei and Wang Fuobao stared at Wanqi Feng, warning him with their eyes not to act rashly. He Lingchuan patted the water droplets on his shoulder: "Want to tell me something?"

His relaxed demeanor only added more pressure on Wanqi Feng.

Wanqi Feng cleared his throat before speaking: "Please release Wanqi Song, and give us a few boats so we can leave Suoding Island. We promise we'll never come near the Yangshan Archipelago again."

He Lingchuan wasn't surprised by his demand. As for his promise, he didn't want to accept it: "Half an hour ago, weren't you still planning to take my life? Now, seeing you can't win, you just pat your butt and want to run?"

In short, his reply was two words: Dream on.

"I led over three hundred of my clansmen away midway; otherwise, you wouldn't have taken Old Uncle so easily." Wanqi Feng said in a deep voice, "Besides, I can have you find all the gunpowder barrels at the dock and warehouse to eliminate future troubles!"

Merchants demand a stable and peaceful environment; once the Yangshan Archipelago has nothing to do with "safety," who would still want to dock here and do business?

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"The explosion earlier at the dock wasn't caused by the gunpowder barrels we hid in the warehouse, as you should well know." Wanqi Feng had already confirmed that the instigator of the explosion was this astonished island lord before him.

What's worse, afterward he wanted the Bailong people to take the blame.

He Lingchuan raised a finger to his lips and softly shushed: "Words can't be spoken carelessly—do you have evidence?"

"..."

"Impure things, things not belonging to my warehouse, have long been cleared out." The warehouse had strict inspections; Suoding Island had specially hired several nests of rat demons to search for contraband, and the smell of gunpowder couldn't fool their noses.

It's just that because of tonight's special operation, Lei Ni and the others didn't startle the snake.

"But anyway, to avoid letting any slip through the cracks—" He Lingchuan drawled, "When you and Yuzhe Cheng were playing chess, I sent people to the dock to lock Wanqi Song and his men inside the warehouse."

Wanqi Feng stared, pondered the meaning, and his eyes slowly widened: "You, you..."

There was a full set of wine ware on the table, the celadon wine pot also full. He Lingchuan casually poured wine.

"Wanqi Song is indeed in my hands, and doing well." He poured a cup for Wanqi Feng too, "His over a hundred followers, plus the hundred men you stationed at the dock, are all under my control. I have four warehouses, large, medium, and small, totaling eleven. Each warehouse and granary, I've stuffed with several Bailong people."

Suoding Island had prepared in advance; when a large fleet docked, Lei Ni and Guan Ke ordered the Bailong people on the dock to help move cargo.

This fleet consisted of twenty large and small vessels; after docking, half the laborers went to move cargo, busy as worker ants.

Tonight was so busy that even pirates and the escort team were assigned to carry heavy loads.

Although the Bailong people had infiltrated, before receiving orders to act, they still had to work at the dock.

Guan Ke and Lei Ni opened a new large warehouse, intending to assign them to concentrate on moving goods. Once most Bailong people had moved the first batch of large items inside, they promptly shut the warehouse door!

The remaining over forty were shocked, tried to resist, but were surrounded by the escort team with blades and spears pointed at them, and had no choice but to drop their weapons and surrender.

After capturing them, Lei Ni then detonated another warehouse bridge and an unfinished empty warehouse, as a false signal to mislead Wanqi's uncle and nephew and the Bekka people.

Wanqi Feng swallowed.

Every word He Lingchuan said felt like bad news to him.

"If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check."

The moment he saw Wanqi Feng in the Warm Fragrance Studio, he knew what this kid wanted to do.

Negotiation? Hah.

Yuzhe Cheng wanted to negotiate with him, and Wanqi Feng also wanted to negotiate with him. Tonight really was a night of negotiation.

Only Wanqi Feng's so-called "bargaining chips" were, in his view, far too easy to break through.

Wanqi Feng gaped, unable to utter a sound for a long time.

How could I be so stupid? He Lingchuan let me play chess, and I played, only to give him leisurely time to prepare!

But he hadn't even had a chance to state his purpose or discuss terms upon entering the Warm Fragrance Studio when He Lingchuan already saw through him, even devising a countermeasure within a few breaths.

This insight, this execution—effortlessly toyed with him between applause! Wanqi Feng felt only cold air filling his lungs.

"Your bargaining chips aren't enough." He Lingchuan raised a finger and shook it at him: "You really shouldn't have come to face me!"

These words finally revealed his sharpness.

He Lingchuan sighed: "Surrender, or else I'll have Wanqi Song and those two hundred Bailong people all lose their heads!"

Wanqi Feng swallowed, cold sweat dripping.

"For the next two days, your three hundred-plus people must stay on the island, unable to fly away even with wings. I'll put in some effort and could wipe them all out." He Lingchuan crossed his legs, "The Bekka people dispatched immortal demons, yet still lost to me—do you think you still have hope?"

Wanqi Feng's gaze sharpened.

Immortal demons? The Bekka people dispatched immortal demons to chase the underground spider queen?

He hadn't seen it himself, but the Bekka people had previously sworn they could definitely capture Zhu Erniang, so they must have brought some great weapon.

"If you now lead your people to surrender, I'll spare you the later bloodshed and still give you a choice." He Lingchuan drawled, "Six hundred lives hang in your hands—you'd better think it over."

Wanqi Feng opened his mouth several times to speak, but deep down he knew he had no qualifications to negotiate.

His bargaining chips were gone; what remained were only weaknesses.

"Have your people send a message, summoning them to the newly built Stone Gate Warehouse."

The Stone Gate Warehouse is behind the supply depot, less than a hundred zhang away, basically built, just needs a coat of paint to be usable.

Wanqi Feng hesitated a while, then asked to stop the carriage, leaned out, and whistled—one long, three short.

Not long after, a Bailong person emerged from the grass.

He approached the carriage cautiously, listening to Wanqifeng's orders, nodded, and turned to leave.

The carriage creaked, the rain pattered softly, and it seemed as if nothing else moved in heaven and earth.

Wanqifeng and Lv Qiuwei remained silent, He Lingchuan propped his elbows on the low table, two fingers pressing his temples, eyes closed, resting his spirit.

This evening had been busy, alternating between battle and psychological maneuvering, and only with difficulty had they found a moment of respite.

(End of chapter)