Chapter 942: Collaboration Based on Interests

This fellow has been locked in the abyss for years on end, so his insight is not bad. He Lingchuan thought to himself that this was something the Great Square Pot spat out through the divine bone necklace; it had likely highly purified and solidified the Earthly Yin Qi it had consumed, resulting in this appearance.

He was completely ignorant of the mechanism behind it. At the time, he hadn't dared to reach out and catch it, using spider silk to manipulate it instead; as a result, even the spider silk of Zhu Xiuer, which was incomparably tough and difficult for divine weapons to sever, was corroded and rotted by this thing.

Since spiritual energy is the clear qi of heaven and earth, which can transform into Emperor Flowing Nectar or enter the soil to become Profound Crystals, then Earthly Yin Qi, as the turbid qi of heaven and earth, should also be able to solidify, right?

He thought it was a matter of course, not knowing that the conditions for the solidification of Yin Beads were actually far more stringent than those for Profound Crystals. Given Long Hao’s age and experience, he hadn't seen many in the past, which was why he found it inconceivable.

Once Yin Qi solidifies into a Yin Bead, its properties are very stable and it no longer volatilizes, much like a Profound Crystal. He Lingchuan collecting them caused no harm to himself. Yet, he still dared not touch them casually, using only sand to contain them—

After many trials, he discovered that sand was the best thing for separating the Yin Beads.

Now, observing the attitude of the King of Yin Serpents, it seemed to value this thing highly.

Valuing it was good; valuing it meant there was leverage for negotiation.

You cannot force a bull to drink water; each taking what they need is the foundation of long-term cooperation.

Under his gaze, the King of Yin Serpents threw the Yin Bead into its mouth, swallowing it without knowing if it had even chewed, and then smacked its lips twice to savor the aftertaste.

He Lingchuan gave a silent thumbs-up. To dare to swallow a Yin Bead raw, this fellow’s digestive system was truly heaven-defying.

By comparison, swallowing a little sand along with it was just a minor detail.

"Very pure." Its voice was satisfied, like it had just finished a gourmet feast. "Did you refine this using the Yin Qi from the Yangshan Archipelago?"

"That's right, it’s very beneficial for your cultivation, isn't it?" He Lingchuan smiled. "In the past, you only occupied one Yin Qi vent, and seven or eight out of ten parts of the Yin Qi volatilized from the earth veins were wasted. I can condense them all into Yin Beads and deliver them to your dining table; all things considered, you’re the one getting the better deal. Isn't that so?"

"I want all of these Yin Beads; you have no other use for them anyway!" Once it heard there were Yin Beads to be had, Long Hao became very straightforward. "What other conditions do you have?"

These treasures could accelerate its cultivation progress and were even highly beneficial to its offspring.

He Lingchuan smiled: "Your offspring, they can leave the land of Yin Qi for a short time, right?"

Long Hao hesitated: "Only the strongest ones."

The fact that its offspring died in large numbers on the first day the Yin Qi was sucked away could not be hidden from the other party.

"Good. If I have need, you must mobilize the Yin Serpent army and listen to my commands!"

Long Hao thought for a moment: "My offspring cannot go too far from water, and they cannot leave the Yin Qi for too long!"

He Lingchuan pointed at the Yin Beads in the box: "With these treasures, can they still not leave the Yangshan Archipelago?"

If Profound Crystals are spiritual energy to a cultivator, then Yin Beads are Yin Qi to a Yin Serpent. This old Yin Serpent should have plenty of means to turn them into artifacts that sustain the Yin Serpent army for operations away from the islands.

"..." This brat was as cunning as a ghost and not so easily fooled. "They can leave briefly, until the Yin Beads are exhausted."

Honestly speaking, with these Yin Beads, the range of activity for the Yin Serpent clan suddenly expanded significantly, no longer limited to the depths of the Yangshan Archipelago.

This kind of change would not only affect the Yin Serpent clan, but might later also affect the Golden Shipping Lane, Blade Harbor, and even the Qing Kingdom.

"I will not let your offspring go to their deaths for nothing," He Lingchuan said sternly. "Otherwise, there would have been no need to seek you out today."

He continued: "Your Yin Serpent clan lives on my territory, which makes you my subjects. When a lord defends against an enemy, you must also contribute."

To this statement, Long Hao only wanted to sneer. But it ultimately swallowed its anger and focused on the negotiation: "We cannot fight for you every day."

"Then designate a specific unit for me that must be ready to listen to my commands at any time," He Lingchuan had already thought this through on the way here. "The other Yin Serpents can live in peace. I will not cut off the Yin Qi southwest of Longji Island; if you can build a barrier yourself to prevent the Yin Qi from escaping, that would be best. As for the waters around Longji Island, I will not impose restrictions, but you must still restrain your offspring from harming people."

Yin Serpents have a wide diet and do not primarily eat humans.

Long Hao pondered for a moment: "The clause of mutual non-aggression can be reached, as long as humans do not come to actively hunt my offspring."

"Excellent." The King of Yin Serpents' attitude softened, and the possibility of reaching an agreement increased greatly. "Additionally, if an external enemy attacks the Yangshan Archipelago, you must assist me with all your might to repel the enemy!"

If He Lingchuan lost, the supply of Yin Beads would be cut off. The King of Yin Serpents did not consider it for long before nodding: "If you release the Yin Qi, the enemy will naturally retreat. But, very well, I agree."

He Lingchuan breathed a sigh of relief. With the protection of these indigenous inhabitants, the defensive capability of the Yangshan Archipelago would rise by at least two levels.

"As for the residential territory..." Long Hao added, "Besides the southwest area of Longji, I also want to add Gucheng Island and Longxun Island for the use of my Yin Serpent clan; the terrain of these two islands is very suitable for our clan to thrive."

Recently, He Lingchuan had ordered the Rongshan people to map the archipelago in detail, so when asked about the locations, he roughly recalled the terrain of the two islands.

These two islands were rugged and craggy, with hardly a flat patch of ground; the shores were full of stone hollows and the waters full of hidden reefs, making them unsuitable for human habitation and, of course, devoid of any agricultural value.

Therefore, he agreed quite readily.

Next, both sides negotiated in detail the boundaries of the Yin Serpent habitat at the southwest end of Longji Island and left behind clauses for the agreement to be supplemented later.

Finally, He Lingchuan took out the Heaven-Venerated Scroll.

The previous agreement on the Heaven-Venerated Scroll could be voided on the spot as long as both parties were willing to erase their signatures.

Min Tianxi had long since crossed out his signature, and as the King of Yin Serpents plucked off its own scale, the handwriting on the Heaven-Venerated Scroll gradually disappeared, turning back into a bright, blank sheet of gold paper.

He Lingchuan recorded the new agreement on this gold scroll, clause by clause and word by word.

Both parties confirmed the terms were correct, then signed and stamped them, and the new agreement took effect immediately.

Only at this step did He Lingchuan let out a long breath, and he said sternly to the King of Yin Serpents: "Happy cooperation!"

Long Hao snorted, still feeling very unhappy.

No one would be in a good mood if their territory was encroached upon and they were forced to sign an unequal treaty.

But with this piece of paper, at least the Yin Qi that the Yin Serpents relied on for survival would no longer be taken away. Furthermore, the Yin Qi that He Lingchuan collected would eventually be solidified into Yin Beads and returned to it.

From this point alone, it was not suffering a loss; rather, it was a blessing in disguise, receiving several times more Yin Qi than usual.

The method He Lingchuan often used nowadays was the carrot and the stick.

First, beat the Yin Serpent clan to death, knocking away all their arrogance and contempt until they had no choice but to bow their heads to him, and then come to negotiate terms.

But no matter the process, he would always leave enough benefits for the King of Yin Serpents in the end.

An agreement that can be effectively executed over the long term relies not on coercion or inducement, but on mutual benefit.

Collaboration where both sides benefit is the only kind that lasts.

After putting away the gold scroll, He Lingchuan finally had the mind to ask about other things: "What is the deal with the bone chain behind you?"

"I failed to challenge my elder brother and, according to the rules of the Yin Dragon family, left the Upside-Down Sea to cultivate in another place. These bone chains—" Long Hao moved, the heavy bone chains scraping against the ground, emitting dull thuds, "belong to the elders of my clan. When I can break free from them, that is when my cultivation will be complete."

"No wonder this bone chain isn't corroded by the Yin Qi." This fellow put it nicely, but wasn't it actually just being imprisoned? He comforted it, "You could also call this a blessing in disguise."

"A blessing in disguise?" Long Hao let out a low, cold laugh. "Trapped in a deep ravine that never sees the light of day, year after year with no hope of release—is this what you call a blessing in disguise?"

"At least you are still alive. Besides, you Yin Serpents aren't supposed to see the light of day anyway, right?"

"When I cultivate into a Flood Dragon, I will no longer avoid the sunlight."

"What about the rest of your clansmen?"

"Unclear. I haven't seen them in two thousand years."

He Lingchuan added: "Give me a token to keep in touch; you wouldn't want me running to the sinkhole to find you all the time, would you?"

Every time he came, he had to suck away the Yin Qi.

Long Hao plucked a scale from its body and threw it to him: "Take it. Within five hundred miles of Longji Island, you only need to rub the scale three times to speak with me."

This scale had been the size of a ping-pong paddle, but once it landed in He Lingchuan’s hand, it shrank to the size of a copper coin.

It was a pitch-black piece, the surface rough, with protruding fine lines in circles.

"Within three days, please recall all the Yin Serpents to Longji Island," He Lingchuan said sternly. "Three days later, I will sweep away all the Yin Qi in the archipelago and build a protective fence on the borders of Longji Island."

Long Hao looked at him deeply, turned, swam off the stone platform, and disappeared into the darkness in the blink of an eye.

"It's done." He Lingchuan turned to smile at Zhu Xiuer, waving the gold scroll in his hand. "Let's go back."

He climbed out of the sinkhole with Zhu Xiuer; a Yin Serpent was still waiting at the pit entrance to lead them on the return journey.

Halfway there, Zhu Xiuer suddenly asked him: "Why leave a way out for the Yin Serpents? Do you really believe that heaven has the virtue of cherishing life?"

If He Lingchuan had sucked the Yin Qi of the Yangshan Archipelago dry on schedule, it wouldn't have been long before the Yin Serpent clan was finished, or perhaps only Long Hao would have remained.

Why did he still risk negotiating with the King of Yin Serpents, and why did he have to designate land for these monsters to live on?

He Lingchuan shook his head: "Auntie, we are new here, and our manpower is still thin."

He had already put away the scroll, not worried that the guiding Yin Serpent could understand their conversation.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Zhu Xiuer didn't quite understand. If her sister were here, would she have understood immediately? "The help the Yin Serpents give you is very limited; they can't go far once they land, and they can't conquer territory for you."

"I know. But their existence itself is a form of deterrence," He Lingchuan said slowly. "The Yin Serpents have been stirring up trouble here for years, and the officials, commoners, and pirates of Bailie and Blade Harbor have feared them for years. This kind of psychology cannot be eliminated in a short time."

(End of chapter)