Chapter 2524

The demonic birds found fishing nets drying by the shore, and the fisherwomen mending them.

They circled a few times, saw nothing unusual in the city, and concluded it was just an ordinary town, only more crowded.

But the town was filled with large warehouses and storage facilities, so its main business was likely logistics and transport.

Lin Ying observed two convoys entering the town and unloading at the warehouses.

Those convoys were packed full of supplies; upon reaching the warehouse, people began sorting and packing the cargo. Warehouse lights burned all night, meaning the laborers had worked through the night.

Before dawn the next day, another special vehicle loaded with supplies departed from Baishsong Town, heading north toward Yanxia Bay.

Baishsong Town and Yanxia Bay are twenty li apart.

The demonic birds cannot fly into Yanxia Bay, for there is a massive barrier here, covering the entire bay area!

It blocks land, sea, and air.

These few winged scouts can only stay on the rocks and treetops outside the bay, gazing inward.

Yanxia Bay has a unique terrain: huge reefs extend into the sea, forming a nearly circular atoll. From above, it looks like a giant "?" symbol, with the hooked tip pointing directly into the ocean.

This is a cape where two ocean currents converge, bringing rich nutrients. Moreover, the vast atoll separates the sea into inner and outer layers—outer winds and waves cannot penetrate, while the inside is a calm, natural harbor.

The demonic birds cannot land, but judging by the sea's color, the water in Yanxia Bay is unusually deep.

Likewise, a small town stands on the bay's shore, its houses neatly arranged, the timber young—clearly built only in recent years.

No signs of guards appear, yet the demonic birds have no doubt that if they dove down, the barrier's defenses would activate.

After hearing the demonic birds' report, He Lingchuan asked Ling Jinbao:

"What do you think?"

Mingke Xianren and Ling Jinbao are now regulars in the Jiugou Dadi Conference Hall. One is rich in cultivation experience, the other in worldly travel.

They share another trait: sharp minds.

"If I were to pass through unaware, I wouldn't find these two places particularly special. Dadi, your intelligence source is reliable—we truly are targeting Yanxia Bay, correct?"

The two words "reliable" are enough.

"Baishsong City and Yanxia Bay are too close; there must be some connection between them. Or why would Tiangong insist on hiding Yinshenjun beside a major city? After all, crowds mean many eyes—this is Tiangong and Tianmo's top-secret matter, which must be strictly guarded."

Dong Rui interjected: "Quite right. In the past, the demon puppet labs we destroyed were mostly in remote places—islands, lakeshores, or caves—usually uninhabited or with only a few civilians. Crowds complicate secrecy and make it easier for rival forces to plant spies or traitors."

"Tiangong chose this place to conceal Yinshenjun for good reason." He Lingchuan raised his hand, and a sand table appeared on the table—a newly surveyed topographic map of Yanxia Bay and its surroundings. "Zoom in, and you'll see Yanxia Bay lies in a very remote cape, because 130 li to its southeast is the Qieling Strait, which most merchant ships take, avoiding a detour here. At most, only a few ships mistakenly enter Yanxia Bay each year."

Looking at the full map, this is clearly visible.

"Thus, Yanxia Bay is off the regular trade routes, quiet and undisturbed, and combined with the bay's natural conditions, it's also a good hiding place for Yinshenjun. But such good places are common in the mortal realm—why did Tiangong pick this one?"

"This entire region is off the regular trade routes, so nearby villages and towns are sparse—just three or four, understandable since civilians rely on farming, not commerce." He Lingchuan moved his finger on the sand table toward Baishsong City, "But placing it beside Baishsong City is odd. Normally, such a major city would have three or four villages and seven or eight towns under it—those numbers are already low."

Ling Jinbao shook his head: "In recent years, due to demon beast tides, populations have migrated to big cities, while towns and villages have shrunk."

"From a macro perspective, you're stating facts, but—" He Lingchuan traced a circle on the sand table, "Look at the area north of Baishsong City all the way to the coast: mountains on both sides, narrow passages in and out—this vast region functions as Baishsong City's hinterland. Any invading demon beasts must first breach Baishsong City's defenses."

When Panlongcheng guarded the entrance to Chipa Highland, it turned its hinterland into fertile farmland, making invasion difficult for other forces. Thus, the Chipa Plain teemed with population—small cities, towns, and villages scattered evenly.

Though Baishsong City's terrain is not as strategic as Panlongcheng's, mobilizing the entire city to resist demon beast invasions should not be difficult.

"With Baishsong City blocking the front, the scarcity of towns and villages indicates locals mainly live in the city. The relationship between towns and the central city is usually mutual dependence and support: towns provide labor and grain to the city, while the city offers jobs and security to the towns. Baishsong City's few towns mean its food and supplies mostly come from outside."

Dong Rui also studied the sand table: "But the demonic birds, from high above, saw plenty of farmland below, all planted with grain."

"Is that enough to feed several hundred thousand people?"

"Ah, probably not."

"Baishsong City's hinterland is limited, surrounded by mountains, making farmland expansion impossible." Food is the primary constraint on population—Zhong Shengguang, who once administered Panlongcheng in its early days, found population growth stalled precisely because the Chipa Highland's grain output was limited, thus capping the city's sustainable population.

"If it were a small town or village, a few thousand mouths would be no issue. But Baishsong City is a major city—judging from the sand table, it should have several hundred thousand inhabitants." He Lingchuan crossed his arms, "Feeding and clothing so many people, with over half relying on imports, seems strange—unless they have some exceptional local product here."

The daily living expenses of several hundred thousand people form a considerable sum, enough to give rulers headaches—not just a matter of a few mouths or garments.

He has countless cities under his command; he knows this best.

Dong Rui laughed: "Like Yangshan Islands and Julu Port, farmland is also scarce there."

"So they rely on massive commerce—those two places have highly developed trade, which compensates for agricultural shortfalls." He Lingchuan gazed at the sand table, "What does Baishsong City rely on to support such a huge population? Could it be linked to Yanxia Bay?"

The earth mother's stone clone crouched beside the sand table, speaking in a muffled, jar-like voice:

"Isn't our target Yanxia Bay? Just strike straight at the Yellow Dragon—why dissect this human city?"

E Dishen Na, I've actually written a book reaching 2500 chapters!!

2500-chapter milestone achievement, check-in successful~~~

Next resolution:

From now on, my books will not reach 2500 chapters!