Chapter 2073: Far-Reaching Plans

I won't come, you can't hold it.

Seeing Fushan Yue: "..."

Does the old man look down on him like that?

"Just that surnamed Lü is enough to make you drink a pot, and you don't even see how many people stand behind the Lu boy—those are all great powers of Mou State, originally meant to deal with the Yin Gui King. You guess, is it enough to beat you?"

Mou people naturally came prepared, but they didn't expect the Chiyan King to appear with many domestic experts, so their backup seemed thin. Without considering the strength comparison between both sides, it's hard to say Mou people wouldn't want to try.

Seeing Fushan Yue also wondered: "Was the wound on Lü Dongxian's face given by you? Why hasn't it healed to this day?"

"During that time, he seemed to be practicing something called the 'Heart-Arrow Technique,' and after I wounded him, corpse poison probably seeped in, and he can't pull it out anymore." Old Zombie stroked his chin, very satisfied with his work.

Even at their level of cultivation, not all wounds can heal. Doesn't Fushanlie himself carry old injuries?

He coughed a few more times, his face slightly gray. Wind blew through his open collar, and Seeing Fushan Yue saw fine black traces on his skin, like spiderwebs or blood vessels, already spreading above his collarbone.

Fushanlie sighed: "When He Hao took Yangshan Archipelago, this place was insignificant; when he went to Jinshin Plains to do business, this place became a golden goose laying eggs, but with Mou State's size, they still looked down on it; yet when He Hao became the 'Nine Abysses Great Emperor,' and the situation in Jinshin Plains was set, Yangshan Archipelago suddenly became crucial!"

Seeing Fushan Yue pondered.

"No matter how Jinshin Plains develops in the future, Yangshan Archipelago remains the most important channel for He Hao to connect with the West!"

West of Jinshin Plains is Mou State's sphere of influence; wanting to bypass Mou State and communicate with western countries, do business, the best route is Yangshan Archipelago.

"Why does Mou State send Ke Lin Lu to seize Yangshan? As long as they grab this archipelago, Mou State holds the lifeline of Jinshin!" Fushanlie chuckled, "If Mou State doesn't nod, Jinshin's products can hardly be shipped west, only trade with Mou State. Then, who do you say is stronger?"

Seeing Fushan Yue understood: "Mou State also fears He Hao."

"Who doesn't dislike a rising neighbor, even if they share the same Ling Mountain?" Fushanlie said, "He Hao also knows this, so he prepared in advance. I see, this person plans far ahead—from you coming to Yangshan to join him, he began scheming this."

Seeing Fushan Yue gasped: "Indeed very early."

When He Lingchuan made a trip back to Yangshan Archipelago, he specially came to find him for a drink, talking about this matter.

At that time, He Lingchuan had just dug up the Ghost King's Underground Palace, just allied with the allied forces, and hadn't yet used the title of Nine Abysses Great Emperor to intimidate everywhere.

Then He Lingchuan told him, brother, help me with something.

Seeing Fushan Yue naturally patted his chest and agreed, after all, he was on their turf, eating and using theirs.

But he didn't expect He Lingchuan to say to him, one day in the future, Yangshan Archipelago might be coveted by others, and he might not be able to keep it.

If that happens, He Lingchuan hopes Seeing Fushan Yue can take over.

Seeing Fushan Yue incredulous: "Such a good place, you say give and give? Aren't you afraid I'll really swallow it and not return it?"

"Better to give to a brother than to others. Fat water doesn't flow to outsiders' fields." These were He Lingchuan's exact words.

Yangshan Archipelago was merely a speck of land he bought for several ten thousand taels of silver; because of He Lingchuan's strength, it gained status. In He Lingchuan's heart, how could its importance compare to Jinshin Plains?

Gain and loss go hand in hand; he had long calculated this account.

At that time, he moved Seeing Fushan Yue so much that he immediately wrote a letter to his old father:

Old man, I'm not going back.

"He probably already knew, He Hao could only keep one of Jinshin and Yangshan." Fushanlie smiled, "You wrote me a letter, asking for troops and men, I knew I had to come myself."

For over a year, Chiyan State used merchant caravans as a cover to transport troops to Yangshan in small batches. Yangshan Archipelago lies on the golden route, with heavy traffic, merchant ships countless, Chiyan's several ten thousand people were hardly noticeable.

After arriving at Yangshan, they were assigned to the depths of the archipelago, with no contact with outsiders, greatly reducing exposure risk.

Indeed, as He Hao expected, raising troops for hundreds of days, used in a moment.

Fushanlie's arrival was an accident; he was originally fighting on the eastern front of Beiji, heard that Jinshin's situation changed suddenly, so rushed over to see.

"He truly treats you well, knowing you have nowhere to go, so he left you this blessed land."

Seeing Fushan Yue's face darkened: "Who has nowhere to go?!"

But he was indeed moved in his heart.

Actually, Yangshan Archipelago was originally He Lingchuan's retreat for himself, Dong Rui, and Zhu Xiuer, but after he set greater goals, he deliberately left this place for Seeing Fushan Yue, as his foothold.

If He Lingchuan treats one person well, it's the utmost good.

"Yangshan is already a contested military site, equally important to Chiyan." Fushanlie said solemnly, "Among the Thirteen Barbarian States, Chiyan has never stood out—historically inferior to Baoshu State, financially inferior to Bai Xiang State, militarily inferior to Shanjun State. The reason? Poor geographical conditions; the advantages of mountains, seas, lakes, and rivers have long been taken by other barbarian states."

Chiyan is a rising star; good lands were long taken by predecessors, so it can only get scraps of poor land.

Without mountain and river advantages, its development lags behind other barbarian states.

"The tasks assigned by the Beiji Levy, yet day by day grow heavier." Fushanlie snorted, "Like Old Tree and Bai Xiang, they have ways to shirk, only Chiyan has too short a history, insufficient status, always suffering the most. So, Chiyan needs new blood, needs new revenue!"

Seeing Fushan Yue nodded.

Yangshan Archipelago lies on the golden route, location superb; if operated orderly, it can lay golden eggs endlessly.

Most importantly, only Chiyan can hold this place; other Beiji barbarian states dare not covet it!

Approaching the port, the yin sha here have been sucked dry by the Punishing Dragon Pillars, island outlines very clear. Fushanlie inhaled a mouthful of fresh sea breeze, continued: "Yangshan Archipelago's geography is very important, just as that Qi Buwei said, Chiyan taking Yangshan is like stretching a hand behind Mou State one step earlier."

"Beiji has struggled for years, failed to do this; we succeeded, so in the future, if Beiji wants to exert force here, they must pass through Chiyan. In Lingxu City, we can also gain more say."

"Moreover, if Chiyan can firmly hold Yangshan Archipelago, in the Emperor's eyes it should have greater strategic significance, and thus you become important too! This place, if you hold it well, hold it exceptionally well!"