Chapter 1025

Below, the crows fell silent, only the rain pattering.

Every drop of rain that fell on the body was bone-chillingly cold, meant to wash away the last lingering resentment and indignation clinging to these defeated troops.

"Seal off the warehouses separately; we'll deal with them tomorrow morning." Seeing even the most stubborn of the Bailie people hanging their heads in dejection, He Lingchuan then gave orders to Min Tianxi and the others: "Wan Si Feng, follow me to the southwest beach and drag out whoever is hiding there."

Wan Si Feng broke out in a sweat. Had he known earlier that even his retreat was in the Island Lord He's grasp, what island were they still trying to seize?

Truly, the foolish fear nothing.

This turmoil that occurred during the hurricane came like a downpour and departed like dust.

……

On the carriage heading to the southwest beach, He Lingchuan asked Wan Si Feng: "How could you be so foolish as to cooperate with the Lu family? If the island seizure fails, you bear the consequences yourselves; if it succeeds, then Bailie has justification to attack you and retake the Yangshan Archipelago."

The Lu father and son had signed a transfer agreement with He Lingchuan; before they tore faces apart, they also could not openly reclaim it;

But if Wan Si's uncle and nephew seized the Yangshan Archipelago, what would the Lu father and son still have to worry about? They had not signed any public agreement with Wan Si's uncle and nephew, merely treating them as wild island occupiers, so Bailie had the right to reclaim their ancestral property.

Wan Si Feng sighed repeatedly: "I've said it several times, but old uncle stubbornly refuses to listen. He thinks that even after seizing the archipelago, he need not fear Bailie's attack, agreements or no agreements."

So stubborn.

One stubborn act drags down the whole nest.

He Lingchuan shook his head: "What about your landing procedure?"

With this many Bailie people landing on the island, from the ship captains to the dockworkers, none noticed anything amiss? That seems unlikely.

Wan Si Feng confessed: "We didn't take a regular route; Old Yu found several dozen ships, smuggling us in batches to land on the southern part of Suoding Island. Compared to the northern dock, this place is sparsely populated; as long as we avoid the occasional patrol of the guards, we're fine."

"Did you also obtain the guards' patrol schedule?"

"It was Old Yu who obtained it; he said the guards only patrol the seaside three times a day."

Old Yu is the spy sent by the Bailie Lu family into the Yangshan Archipelago. He Lingchuan knows that as long as the archipelago continues to recruit people, this situation is hard to avoid.

"Three times?" He chuckled, "You've figured it out quite thoroughly."

This patrol frequency is clearly below the required standard; it seems the guards have been lax.

Normally, besides reefs and the sea, there's nothing here, so they just can't be bothered to come.

The guards are also human; in places the island lord can't see, they don't bother to exert themselves.

"On Black Page Island, there are a few old fishermen who, seeing the sky this morning, said the typhoon would definitely make landfall tonight." Rain struck his face, Wan Si Feng licked his lips, "Old uncle just said heaven helps me too, so we moved up the action."

He Lingchuan gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "You really do know how to pick your moment." He almost truly gave him trouble.

Wan Si Feng hesitated before speaking: "Actually, I wanted to find another place to stay, but……"

Just that I cannot disregard Wan Si Song's kindness in raising me.

"He uses kindness to demand repayment, and you're willing to stake the lives of these six hundred men under you?" He Lingchuan asked him, "Oh, plus several hundred family members, that's over a thousand lives. Do you not weigh the gravity in your heart?"

Wan Si Feng lowered his head and said nothing.

Having lost, there's nothing left to say; just listen to the lecture sincerely.

I feel like I'm even a few years older than Island Lord He, yet at this age, how come I feel like I've lived all the way to a dog's state?

"Wan Si Song has more guts than you and knows clearly what he wants." He Lingchuan said lightly, "It's just that he picked the wrong target, and his luck isn't great either."

"……Yes."

He Lingchuan looked at him and sighed, deciding to enlighten him: "Your old uncle is playing the information gap, going all-in in a situation where neither I nor he understands the other, which is also a method. I think, given extraordinarily high returns, someone like him—a desperate gambler betting everything on one throw to decide victory—seems rash, but actually has his own reasoning."

In He Lingchuan's view, Wan Si Song's approach actually has its internal logic supporting it.

"If you adopt this tactic, your best moment to strike is precisely when you've just been recruited into the Yangshan Archipelago. If luck is a bit better, you strike immediately upon engagement, catching me off guard. At that time, calling you reckless or calling you warriors, neither is without opportunity." He Lingchuan glanced at Wan Si Feng, "Unfortunately, you didn't do that. I think the reason lies with you. Right?"

Wan Si Feng swallowed his saliva; indeed it was so, and Island Lord He had guessed correctly again.

Why does Island Lord He always guess right?

He Lingchuan poured him a cup of wine; Wan Si Feng was parched, so he tilted his head and drained it.

"Wan Si Song's tactic, you've always felt it unsafe, worried the risk is too high. You'd rather want a tactic that is low-risk, stable, even risk-free." He Lingchuan analyzed his psychology, "But you simply cannot propose a tactic; your mind is full of reservations! Even before battle erupts, you withdraw from the front lines due to excessive reservations. Heh, changing commanders mid-battle is already a major taboo, let alone retreating in the face of battle. Wan Si Song's failure, half of it is your achievement."

Wan Si Feng was made unable to lift his head by his words; sweat trickled from his forehead into his neck, unknown whether it was rain or cold sweat.

Yes, the tactics were all proposed by old uncle; he himself only had negation and disagreement, yet could not put forth a wholly new or improved idea.

"I'm not saying that if you participated in the ambush you would win, but even in evenly matched conditions, your kind of person finds it hard to win any campaign." He Lingchuan shook his head regretfully, "You possess martial skills yet utterly do not know how to wage war, only pitiable that those several hundred warriors must follow you to their deaths."

Lying to one side as a mute/guard, Lu Qiuwei heard this and genuinely began to sympathize with Wan Si Feng.

The lord's sharp tongue can drive people to shame and self-destruction. Seeing Wan Si Feng's face of utter hopelessness, already brimming with shame; he fears the lord will speak further, and they will go even further.

He Lingchuan continued: "You previously lost to the Yue people, and now lost to me; being able to preserve your lives counts as great fortune. Looking at your performance in this battle, I think you won't have another opportunity, even if you go elsewhere it's merely exchanging one death for another; truly, it would be better for me to personally end you, lest you continue to harm others."

The soul-capturing mirror in his bosom cried out strangely: "Good, good, killing people still requires condemning the heart, worthy of you."

Wan Si Feng suddenly lifted his head, startled: "Island Lord He, you said when playing chess……" to give him a chance, let him redeem merit through service.

He Lingchuan raised his hand to interrupt him: "I remember what I said, so——"

(End of Chapter)