Chapter 1282: Bluffing

True, Beijia might not trouble him again for a short while, but what about State Preceptor Shuangye?

Does State Preceptor Shuangye look like the type to accept a loss once suffered? At the very least, State Preceptor Qingyang certainly doesn't think so now. He Lingchuan had successfully turned this matter into a personal vendetta between himself and State Preceptor Shuangye.

Whether by sending him a scroll or dispatching Fu Shanyue, State Preceptor Shuangye was warning He Lingchuan:

"I am watching you!" *This round is a battle of wits; State Preceptor Shuangye hopes I will fall into disarray. As long as I pass false intelligence to Fu Shanyue and it is discovered by Shuangye, first, the friendship between Fu Shanyue and me will inevitably be affected, and second—* He exhaled. *This attempt to cover up only reveals that I fear Shuangye, which shows my strength is not great, and that is why I am afraid of being exposed. *

"If I am weak, he is strong. Once I show fear, Shuangye will likely make a move."

"So, I will show them my openness." He Lingchuan changed his posture. "The weak hide and cover up; only the strong display their power. Look at cats; they are sneaky when moving through the jungle, terrified of being discovered. Lions and tigers, however, pee everywhere to mark their territory, warning external enemies not to approach."

"You say this because you met Jiao Yu today?"

He Lingchuan smiled. "I just don't want Shuangye to make a wrong judgment. That is good for him and good for me. This is called deterrence."

"Can you really bluff Shuangye?"

"Not for long. I hope our wings will be fully fledged by then." He Lingchuan rubbed his hands. "Finding the last testament of Immortal Qu Yu this time has given me some new ideas. Our layout in the Shanjin Plain has already begun; I hope Heaven gives me a little more time."

"Why?" The mirror was slightly startled. "Where could there be trouble?"

"The deeper we get involved in Shanjin, the less likely it is to remain this smooth." He Lingchuan said slowly, "Besides, I am more worried about Yangshan. This is my foundation; if Shuangye wants to strike at me, the best breakthrough point is still Yangshan."

After saying this, he fell into deep thought.

The "openness" he displayed to Fu Shanyue and State Preceptor Shuangye—was it not just another layer of bluffing? The mirror stopped bothering him.

Soon, Pansi Island arrived.

He Lingchuan went to visit the spider demon sisters, bringing local specialties from the Shanjin Plain as gifts. As for Dong Rui, he had already come in the afternoon and had since returned to his own Muxu Island.

Zhu Erniang had always been very stable.

Emotionally stable, productively stable; whether He Lingchuan was in the Yangshan Archipelago or not, she lived her own life with gusto.

Incidentally, the number of small spiders on the island had increased by twenty percent, and King Siwen had something to say about that.

He Lingchuan immediately mediated for this pair of demon neighbors.

As for Zhu Xiuer, she was not very happy because He Lingchuan had never blown the spider xun.

"I have been practicing the shrinking technique diligently recently. Now I can shrink my form to—" She became several sizes smaller right in front of He Lingchuan, finally reaching a size similar to Jiao Yu's. "This small!"

"I am walking the Shanjin Plain, doing business only, not fighting." He Lingchuan lied without blinking. The spider demon's appearance was still too conspicuous.

"Not even a single fight?" Zhu Xiuer was extremely disappointed. "Are there no blind opponents on the Shanjin Plain? Oh, didn't you just fight a Ghost King?"

"Now that you mention it, an old acquaintance did indeed go to the Shanjin Plain." He Lingchuan was very proficient at pacifying Zhu Xiuer. "State Preceptor Qingyang is now the Grand Overseer of the Yao Nation."

"State Preceptor Qingyang?" Zhu Xiuer chiseled her front claws into the ground, carving out a deep hole in the sandy soil. "Do you want to deal with her?"

"I want to settle a score with her."

Zhu Xiuer said very straightforwardly, "Count me in."

State Preceptor Qingyang had hunted her down at Mount Xushan, along with Baizhantian. Zhu Xiuer held a grudge.

He Lingchuan nodded repeatedly. "If there is an opportunity."

Zhu Erniang watched from the side without speaking. This straightforward sister was just too easy to fool.

After pacifying Zhu Xiuer, He Lingchuan went to chat with her:

"Erniang, I have troubled you with the archipelago during the time I was away."

Zhu Erniang said lazily, "You asked me to keep an eye on your subordinates without revealing myself; it was truly very troublesome."

"Ah?" Zhu Xiuer on the side was very surprised. "There was such a thing?"

Little He asked the younger sister to keep an eye on his subordinates? Why was that?

Zhu Erniang said irritably to her sister, "No, you didn't hear anything."

Zhu Xiuer: "Oh."

She wasn't stupid; she got up and went for a walk by the sea.

Only then did Zhu Erniang continue: "The month after you left, the Bailong people and the Rongshan people clashed."

The last time He Lingchuan left the Yangshan Archipelago, the thing he was most worried about was the "people" here.

Human hearts are complex, and interpersonal relationships are the hardest to handle. He traveled across the ocean, and his supervision of his subordinates inevitably slackened.

Although he had trusted aides like Ding Zuodong to question upon his return, everyone has subjectivity, and he didn't want to be wrapped in an information cocoon, so he had asked Zhu Erniang to scatter eyes and ears everywhere to help him monitor the management personnel of Yangshan.

Small spiders could appear on any island, and Zhu Erniang had a natural advantage in obtaining intelligence. She had no interest conflicts with He Lingchuan's subordinates, making her more objective and neutral.

Listening to both sides brings clarity; he needed more information sources for cross-referencing.

"Which two clashed?" Actually, Ding Zuodong had already reported this matter earlier.

Zhu Erniang told him truthfully, then asked: "The Bailong people have had some friction with the Yangshan people and your original team; you know that, right?"

He Lingchuan nodded. "Of course."

The number of Bailong people in the archipelago was large; with strength in numbers comes boldness, and there was no lack of troublemakers, so it was not at all strange for them to clash with other residents.

It was already within his expectations.

Although inevitable, if such budding signs were not nipped in the bud, they might grow into disasters later.

"By the way, I have something to ask the Mirage Demon in person."

"In person?" Zhu Erniang stood up. "Wait a moment, I'll go ask."

He Lingchuan took out the Mirage Horn and handed it to her.

So Zhu Erniang moved her eight long legs and quickly slid down the cliff.

He Lingchuan waited on the hilltop. Who said fat people are clumsy? The spider demon sisters were so plump, yet their gait was so light and agile.

Watching them walk, there was always a strange yet harmonious aesthetic.

In just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the eyeball spider perched on He Lingchuan's shoulder spoke:

"The Mirage Demon dares not see you. Or rather, it doesn't see people, so I will pass on the message."

This was the first time He Lingchuan had encountered such a socially anxious demon. The Mirage Demon had moved with Zhu Erniang from the Demon Nest Swamp all the way to Yangshan and had lived on Pansi Island for over a year, yet He Lingchuan had no idea what it looked like.

But he decided to respect its habits. "No problem."

Zhu Erniang passed the message first: "Where did you get this Mirage Horn? It is very excited."

"It is said to be obtained from an ancient Mirage Immortal, True Person Qianhuan."

Thanks to Xi Shentong for the tip; we have another big patron~ Thanks to Alliance Leader Yinbing Shinian for the tip. Palms together.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1283 =====