Chapter 1078: Testing Courage at the High Cliff

"I took Lei Ni to stroll through Black Stone Street, eating all the way, and the taste was quite good." Recently, it was the cargo transport season, and Suoding Island had to receive hundreds of medium and large merchant ships daily, with peak periods multiplying that several times over. Therefore, the commercial form on the island had already taken shape; coming up from the pier, crossing the cargo warehouse area, one entered the main street, with inns, wine shops, tea houses, opera troupes, specialty stores, maze formations, barbershops, and everything else, with the most being all kinds of snack shops. Lu Feiyan was a practitioner and had a big appetite, but she was full after walking half the street.

"I also saw a rock sheep at the pier, so fat—no, so sturdy, with big horns, beautifully trimmed fur, and a copper plate hanging under its neck." She was drooling at the time, but—"Lei Ni said that was your mount when you traveled in Beijia."

"Yes, it likes Suoding Island, so I sent it there to retire." He Lingchuan smiled. "This sheep can climb dangerous peaks as if walking on flat ground, and it helped me a lot back then."

It was just that now that he was an Island Master, he spent all his time turning around in his own little acre of land, and the rock sheep had no use, so he simply let it play freely.

The rock sheep wore a plate, and everyone on the island knew it was the mascot of Suoding Island, so no one would have designs on its good meat.

"By the way, didn't your brother come together today?"

"After drinking on your island that day, just as he returned to Baili, my brother received an order and set off overnight."

He Lingchuan was slightly surprised: "Something happened?"

In fact, he knew Lu Qingbin had left; he had also planted eyes and ears in the Lu family.

"Something happened, but it wasn't an accident." Lu Feiyan corrected. "Accidents in war are hard to predict."

But He Lingchuan caught the word "order" in her words.

The Lu siblings were already the top leaders on Baili's eastern battlefield; who would send them orders?

Was it Lu Zhensheng, or...? "Doesn't Miss Lu need to rush back?"

"Not for now." Lu Feiyan didn't want to talk about this topic anymore. "You've only been developing this place for half a year; I heard the shop rent is very expensive?"

She asked casually while buying things, and the shopkeeper's answer shocked her. A shop of five or six square meters on the main street had a rent equivalent to sixty percent of a prime shop in Qu City!

Qu City was the capital of Baili, with a permanent population of over three hundred and fifty thousand; this Suoding Island had only been developed for a few months? The shop rent was already going up? Although she did feel the coming and going of people on Suoding Island.

"Recently, there have been two consecutive harvest seasons, the Golden Waterway is busy, and there are many guests docking and landing on the island." When He Lingchuan first took a fancy to the Yangshan Archipelago, it was because of its superior geographical location.

Here, late spring, early summer, and autumn were all harvest seasons, and three out of four seasons were busy times for the Golden Waterway. As long as it was managed properly, the Yangshan Archipelago didn't have to worry about guests.

Agriculture was the foundation of standing, but how much money could one make and how many people could one support just by farming? What He Lingchuan wanted to develop was the commercial value here.

He had some ideas that hadn't been implemented yet.

Opposite, Blade Harbor, Wu Ti had been managing it quite well. Unfortunately, Blade Harbor was very small, surrounded by water on two sides and backed by mountains on one, limited by its own geographical conditions and unable to expand outward; the business form was very mature but there were not many new opportunities.

Therefore, merchants and forces with an adventurous spirit and investment vision set their sights on the emerging Yangshan Archipelago, trying to find new business opportunities.

Hey, didn't that just hit it off with He Lingchuan?

So, plant the parasol tree, and the phoenix will come on its own.

The premise was that your tree had to be thick and strong enough, and you had to be outstanding among the woods.

Lu Feiyan asked casually: "How many people are there on Suoding Island?"

He Lingchuan smiled: "Far from Qu City."

Qu City had a permanent population of three hundred and fifty thousand; Suoding Island naturally couldn't catch up yet.

Heh, this girl was not as simple and honest as she looked on the surface.

Lu Feiyan asked again: "Can I buy a few shops on Suoding Island?"

"It won't be open for purchase until a few months later."

Suoding Island had been developed for less than a year, and He Lingchuan didn't intend to sell land and shops yet. In places where passenger flow was not large and popularity was not prosperous, how much could the land be worth? Selling it was a waste.

The land was just placed there, and the so-called "value" was all additional. Perhaps because of business, perhaps because of passenger flow, or perhaps because it was closer to high-ranking officials and nobles, being near the water tower made it easier to scoop up the moon... In short, everyone agreed it had value, and its price would rise with the tide.

However, the current Yangshan Archipelago also attracted commercial partners to stay, such as Platinum Island, Songyang Prefecture, and merchant caravans from the Qing Nation, Mou Nation, Ya Nation, Baili, and other countries, which could be considered attracting investment.

While the two were talking, another new recruit stood at the edge of the cliff.

He was very sturdy, but he swallowed hard after one look down, his feet stepping on the stones as if they had grown roots, unable to move.

It didn't feel like that when looking up from below before climbing the mountain, but as soon as he stood up, he found this height was too terrifying! He felt dizzy after two looks; would he die if he jumped down? The soldiers on the side clamored, some cheering, some mocking.

Several breaths passed, and the new recruit still didn't dare to jump down, sweat dripping from his forehead continuously.

Wanzai Feng, who was guarding the side, said coldly: "You are not the material for this. Next!"

Lu Feiyan saw the few braids behind his head and said "Eh": "Is he a Ya Nation person?"

She fought against the Ya Nation on Baili's eastern border and was no stranger to this unique hairstyle.

"He is from the Bailong tribe." He Lingchuan pointed his chin at Wanzai Feng. "When these five hundred men came to apply, they all passed the Eight-Zhang Cliff trial."

As soldiers, the hard conditions of the Bailong elites were all met. Otherwise, He Lingchuan wouldn't have had to spend so much effort to subdue them more than half a year ago.

The next three new recruits also flinched at the last moment and failed to pass the courage test.

Lu Feiyan walked over, stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down, seeing the jagged reefs at the bottom and the splashing white waves.

A full eight-zhang drop, those with small courage would have weak hands and feet after one look. Not to mention jumping down from this height, a poor water entry posture could lead to a coma.

If they fell onto the reefs, they would be dead directly.

The new recruits standing here would probably be unable to stop imagining themselves being smashed into rotten persimmons.

She asked Wanzai Feng: "Has anyone fallen to their death?"

"Yes." Wanzai Feng stood with his arms crossed. "Two months ago, there was one who was unlucky, blown crooked by the wind onto the rocks, and his brains were smashed out."

He even specifically rendered it: "The waves that splashed up at that time were red."

The new recruits in line were already drumming in their hearts, and after hearing him say this, several faces changed color and they all retreated.

"Wow, will it really fall to death?"

"Not going, risking one's life for those few pieces of silver is not worth it, not worth it!" Someone immediately said, "I quit!"

Once someone took the lead in quitting, the new recruits who were already hesitant suddenly became timid by more than a dozen.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1079 =====