Chapter 934: Espionage and Tracking

It was just as he had expected.

"About five hundred men. On the surface, they are refugees and mercenaries from the western mountains of the Jin Tao Kingdom, but in reality, they are all regular troops. They are even helping Fu Shanlie train water bandits in Longchuan." The Jin Tao Kingdom still feared Panlong City and dared not openly dispatch regular troops, so they could only transport reinforcements here under the guise of mercenaries.

"The food and supplies for nearly three thousand people are no small amount. The villagers of Longchuan have already turned to our side, so who exactly is supporting Fu Shanlie's forces?"

The reason Panlong City and the Great Wind Army are powerful is that their most basic condition is a sufficient supply of grain. Longchuan is about half the size of the Chipa Plateau, but its soil and water are not as fertile, and it contains large areas of wetlands and uncultivated wasteland.

The composition of the Xiji puppet army is complex; most are outsiders, and the local water bandits of Longchuan account for less than thirty percent. Furthermore, it is now difficult for them to rob merchants, so where are they getting their supplies? As the commander of a city, few people understand the importance of military provisions better than He Lingchuan.

While recruiting the Longchuan water bandits, the favorability of the villages and towns in Longchuan toward Yuheng City is also increasing; at the very least, they are no longer at daggers drawn as they were before. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Fu Shanlie's army to obtain grain from Longchuan.

Hu Min immediately said, "A portion is taken from the villages, another portion is purchased from the Baishawan Free Port, and there is another portion that Thinny discovered: Jin Tao is also secretly transporting grain to them."

The waters of Longchuan have their upper reaches in the Jin Tao Kingdom.

"However, their forced purchase of grain from the villages and towns of Longchuan has already stirred up local dissatisfaction."

This number of Xiji puppet troops huddled within Longchuan, being neither locals nor engaged in production, will inevitably have a parasitic and exploitative effect on the local area.

He Lingchuan nodded: "The Emperor Flow Syrup has descended; how are they responding?"

The Emperor Flow Syrup amplifies human greed, which happens to serve as a touchstone for the quality of the Xiji puppet army.

At least during the first night of the Emperor Flow Syrup in the past, the performance of Yuheng City left both He Lingchuan and Wen Daolun quite satisfied—after these few months of high-intensity, continuous tempering, the newly formed Yuheng Army has been reborn. Both their spirit and their organizational discipline are much stronger than before.

"We only know that there were casualties, but the number is unknown," Hu Min said. "After you pacified the Qianjin Stronghold, the Xiji puppet army had several bloody clashes with various bandit groups, which quickly led to hostility with the people of Longchuan. Fu Shanlie then surrounded the stronghold with demon vines, leaving only two paths. That demon vine wall is impenetrable and allows no one near. In this way, they are isolated from the outside, making it difficult for intelligence to enter or exit."

"Have you dispatched bird demons for aerial reconnaissance?"

Hu Min shook his head: "They have also dispatched raptors to circle overhead; it is difficult for outside bird demons to get close."

"It seems that Fu Shanlie has changed his plan from offense to defense, preparing to occupy Longchuan for the long term." He Lingchuan walked to the side of the sand table: "After annexing several bandit groups, Fu Shanlie's territory has expanded to the eastern part of Longchuan, occupying the passage between the Longchuan wetlands and the outside world, making it more convenient to interact with the Jin Tao Kingdom."

If this malignant tumor is not removed, Jin Tao's spies or even their army could enter from Longchuan and run rampant in the old Xiji lands.

"Strange, why hasn't he retreated yet?" He Lingchuan muttered. "If he cannot kill me, Yuheng City's occupation of the entire Longchuan territory is only a matter of time, and he cannot stir up any trouble there. This is the trend of the times; there is no point in him remaining in Longchuan."

In all fairness, Fu Shanlie was originally doing quite well in Longchuan, uniting a group of rabble and repeatedly repelling the attacks from Yuheng City.

But he suffered a great disadvantage in his position.

In Longchuan, he is a "bandit." No matter how well he does, at best he is a big bandit leader. The water bandits following him still have to bleed and sweat, fighting against government troops to make money.

He Lingchuan, however, is an "official." With the trump card of "pacification" in hand, he can dissolve the will of the water bandits without a single drop of blood. The water bandits can transform into road managers and collect money sitting down; who would still want to follow Fu Shanlie?

He Lingchuan has converted this natural gap in power into his own huge advantage.

And before this, neither Wen Daolun, Commander Xiao, nor Panlong City had realized this point.

Fu Shanlie failed in his sneak attack on He Lingchuan and should know that the trend is irreversible. This is a failure at the strategic level; why persist in holding Longchuan? The cost of staying will only grow, and cutting losses in time is the wise move.

Unless he has other considerations.

Hu Min added: "Also, Mr. Zhang, whom you invited from Panlong City, entered Longchuan the day before yesterday."

He Lingchuan pressed his neck, which made two cracking sounds: "Reconnaissance by both land and air has been cut off. Fortunately, Longchuan has plenty of water; surely we can conduct reconnaissance by water?"

The Xiji puppet army's stronghold is built on the water. It is said that Fu Shanlie's sleeping quarters are less than thirty feet from the water.

"Mr. Zhang reported back for the first time that there was a quarrel within the puppet army, seemingly due to the uneven distribution of the Emperor Flow Syrup; the water bandits are dissatisfied."

The water bandits have always valued fairness and interests, while the army is a top-down vertical management system that forces obedience. The Longchuan water bandits need an adjustment period to transform into military combat power.

He Lingchuan does not intend to give them enough time.

"When the Emperor Flow Syrup first descended, it was actually a good opportunity; it is truly a pity to have missed it. The second Emperor Flow Syrup should arrive in these two days." He mused, "Where has Fu Shanlie been these past few days?"

"The night before last, he was sitting by the water enclosure in the stronghold drinking, several pots in a row; Mr. Zhang saw it all. He also seemed to receive a letter, and after reading it, he was very angry and cursing."

"What was he cursing about?"

"His senses are sharp, so Mr. Zhang dared not get close and only heard fragments—something about infighting, something about dragging down the front line."

Who is Fu Shanlie angry with? Was the letter from Beijia? He Lingchuan gave a hum: "Tell Mr. Zhang he must keep a close watch on Fu Shanlie. Also, keep an eye on the number of ships in the Xiji puppet army's water stronghold."

Boats are an essential means of transport in Longchuan, especially since the Xiji puppet army cut off the land routes, they rely mainly on ships to enter and exit.

"Yes."

"Have our men gone out?"

"The third batch is already on the way."

"Good, very good." He Lingchuan inserted a small flag into the Longchuan area on the sand table. "It is time to put an end to this."

Tonight, there were no military affairs, so He Lingchuan walked home.

Standing halfway up the mountain, he could see half the city brightly lit, even more prosperous than when he first arrived in Yuheng City.

Stars of light. Behind every lamp, there is the small happiness of a family.

Under the diligent efforts of him and Wen Daolun, Yuheng City is flourishing every day.

However, the Heavenly Gods and Beijia always cast malicious gazes here. If the scourge of the Longchuan bandit army is not eradicated as soon as possible, how much longer can Yuheng City have good days?

He had only walked halfway along the mountain road when a flapping sound came from the night sky.

He Lingchuan looked up and saw two birds colliding above, feathers flying as they fought with incessant screeching.

Before long, the outcome was decided.

The two birds were entangled and both fell to the ground. The kestrel was on top, using its claws to fiercely pin down a thrush, with blood visible on its claws and beak.

But it also had a red mark above the corner of its own eye and kept blinking.

This thrush was too large, almost equal to it in size.

It spoke before He Lingchuan could: "You were being followed. It has been watching you for the last two days, from the city guard station to your home; wherever you went, it followed."

"Oh? Well done." No wonder he had felt watched for the past two days, a vague, lingering sensation.

Tracking by monsters is the most covert. Fortunately, he had dispatched the kestrel to patrol.

He Lingchuan stroked the kestrel's head, fed it an elixir, and then looked down to ask the thrush, "Who sent you?"

"Longchuan!" The thrush was covered in wounds and was too afraid to be stubborn. "The leader of the Xiji army!"

"Besides watching me, what else did he send you to do?"

"He wanted me to check on the south, the south camp of Yuheng City, while I was at it."

He Lingchuan nodded: "How many eyes did he send into Yuheng City? Like you?"

What a coincidence; he sent aerial eyes to watch Fu Shanlie, and the other party sent birds to watch him.

Mutual surveillance.

"I have seen two others, a blackbird and a silk-starling."

Both are small birds common in the city, not easily noticed.

"Where has Fu Shanlie been operating lately?"

"I don't know!"

He Lingchuan frowned: "When and where was the last time you reported to him?"

"Yesterday, in Longchuan!" the thrush said. "I reported to his subordinates."

"You didn't see him in person?"

"No."

He Lingchuan gave a "hmm" and said to the kestrel: "The questioning is over, do as you see fit."

The thrush shrieked, all "spare my life."

But the kestrel insisted on using it as dinner.

He Lingchuan did not care; when Yuheng City sent troops into Longchuan, they announced to the entire water region that any monster assisting the Xiji puppet army would be treated as an enemy of Yuheng City.

If these monsters heard it but didn't take it to heart, then they shouldn't blame him.

The noise behind him soon ceased.

After returning home, He Lingchuan first took a God-Slaying Pill and went to the back mountain to practice his blade.

He Lingchuan had already taken two of the God-Slaying Pills that A-Luo had refined using the Emperor Flow Syrup. Of course, A-Luo was not as reckless as he had been by the Three-Heart Lake, but had made three pills and instructed him to take only one every six hours.

The one he had just swallowed was the last one.

He Lingchuan had already discovered that the best way for him to refine the spiritual syrup and increase his cultivation in the Panlong world was not through meditation, but through honing his body and practicing martial arts.

The real and illusory worlds were, after all, somewhat different.

The mountains were silent, and there was no one in the forest. He gradually practiced until he forgot himself, and at some point, a faint white aura appeared around his Floating Life Blade.

The blade aura had taken shape.

With his essence, energy, and spirit at their peak, he suddenly unleashed a wave slash.

The strike was silent, yet the brilliance was like water; the forest five zhang away suddenly rustled violently, as if hit by a hurricane.

Two breaths later, branches and leaves drifted down.

A few breaths after that, more than twenty trees as thick as a bowl had fallen.

He Lingchuan's blade had been a horizontal slash; the plants in the fan-shaped area five zhang ahead, from shrubs to trees, were all decapitated!

Neatly, as if measured with a ruler.

This technique originated from the wave slash and had never been taught by Panlong City; it was something He Lingchuan had realized himself, natural and seamless.

Just as he was about to raise his blade again, he had an insight, and his blood and energy surged to his head.

He Lingchuan's movements suddenly stopped, and he secretly said, it has finally come.

(End of chapter)