Chapter 985: Open and Aboveboard

Yu Zecheng’s heart sank slightly, because this also meant that the other party would be harder to deal with than expected. He Lingchuan looked curious: "How did Mr. Yu know?"

Spider Silk Island was a forbidden area where no living person should approach; only specialized cargo ships could get close. These Beijia people coming directly to find He Lingchuan meant they had confirmed that Zhu Erniang was among the islands.

If the water route was not easy to take, it could only be the air route.

"Such a large spider demon, and it has so many offspring; where could it go without attracting attention?" Yu Zecheng said meaningfully, "It cannot be hidden."

He Lingchuan gave an "ah" sound: "Mr. Yu, you are joking. The spider demon came to the island openly and settled down openly; what is this talk of hiding or not hiding? Look at my Suoding Island, so many travelers come ashore and check in every day; how can you say I am hiding someone?"

Zhu Erniang was on his island, and the products of the earth-hole spiders still had to be sold. This was a fact, and it would have to be admitted sooner or later.

Did he want to push it away? Could he? Did he want to stall? Could he? Hearing the four words "open and aboveboard," Yu Zecheng’s gaze sharpened: "In other words, the spider demon’s arrival on the island was with Island Master He’s permission?"

The threatening tone in these words was already very strong.

"Just as Mr. Yu said, such a large spider demon and so many offspring—if it lived on the island privately, how could I not know?" He Lingchuan laughed, "Besides, how could Zhu Erniang have the audacity to trespass on a forbidden area without my permission as the Island Master?"

Who was he mocking for trespassing? The expressions of the several Beijia people behind Yu Zecheng all changed.

Seeing that this kid was impervious to reason and was cursing people while pretending to be ignorant, Yu Zecheng put down his teacup: "Island Master He, let me be blunt. Zhu Erniang is a wanted criminal with a bounty from Beijia, and a major criminal ranked second on the Heavenly List! We have been chasing it all the way, and it ended up escaping to your island."

Since the other party was not being sensible, his approach had to be a bit rougher; he would lay his cards on the table.

He Lingchuan was greatly surprised: "Zhu Erniang, a wanted criminal? No way, right?!"

He looked shocked and leaned forward: "What kind of monstrous crime did it commit to be listed on the, the Heavenly List...?"

"Arson at the Star-Plucking Tower, theft of Heavenly Palace secret treasures." Yu Zecheng was very reluctant to state the charges; after all, it was a scar on Beijia.

"Arson? Theft?" He Lingchuan pondered intently, "Does Zhu Erniang have such great ability? What kind of treasure did it steal?"

Yu Zecheng said indifferently: "It is not for outsiders to know."

He Lingchuan looked at the group and suddenly asked: "Mr. Yu, do you have any Beijia tokens or official credentials?"

Yu Zecheng took a black token from his bosom and spread it out in front of him.

The token emitted a faint light, and the characters on it were clearly visible.

After verifying his identity, He Lingchuan showed hesitation and sighed: "Sigh, this is difficult to handle."

"What difficulty does Island Master He have?"

"Zhu Erniang once saved my life; I have to repay this kindness, which is why I let it take shelter on my island." He Lingchuan shook his head, "It only just moved over, and I promised it could live here in peace. Now that Mr. Yu says it is a fugitive and wants me to drive it out, this really puts me in a difficult position."

Whether there was actually kindness between him and Zhu Erniang, Yu Zecheng could not verify and was not interested: "Island Master He, Zhu Erniang committed crimes in Lingxu City, and it had accomplices. If you harbor it like this, be careful of being seen as an accomplice in the chaos of Lingxu City, which will invite Beijia’s dissatisfaction."

He Lingchuan hurriedly put down his teacup and waved his hands repeatedly: "Oh, I cannot afford that, I cannot afford that. This charge is too terrifying; I cannot bear it."

He sighed: "I think there might be some misunderstanding in the middle of this. How about this, have Mr. Yu and Zhu Erniang ever spoken properly?"

"What does Island Master He mean?"

"How about I act as a middleman and be a peacemaker?" He Lingchuan suggested, "You two sides meet and sit down to have a good talk. If it is a misunderstanding, then once you talk it out, it will be fine."

His face was full of sincerity, and for a moment, Yu Zecheng could not judge whether he was being genuine or fake.

"Where shall we talk?"

"If Mr. Yu agrees, I will go and consult Zhu Erniang’s opinion," He Lingchuan said, "Then we can arrange a suitable location to meet, how about that?"

Yu Zecheng stared at him for a long time, lost in thought.

His gaze was like a knife; others would inevitably feel uneasy being stared at like this, but the smile on He Lingchuan’s face was overflowing with sincerity, not discounted in the slightest.

Finally, Yu Zecheng nodded slowly: "Very well."

He Lingchuan immediately let out a long sigh of relief and gave a thumbs up: "Mr. Yu is understanding!"

Yu Zecheng’s interest, however, had already shifted to He Lingchuan: "Has Island Master He ever been to Beijia?"

"I have. That is a powerful nation rarely seen in the world; how could I not go to broaden my horizons?"

"And what about Lingxu City?"

He Lingchuan smiled: "I’ve been to Beijia, so how could I not go to Lingxu City? If one wants to travel through Beijia, one cannot bypass Lingxu City."

Yu Zecheng also smiled: "When did you go?"

Wang Fubao felt that there was poison in this person’s smile, full of ill intent.

He Lingchuan, however, seemed unaware and replied casually: "Last year, I suppose."

"Oh, what a coincidence?" Yu Zecheng’s gaze narrowed slightly, "Zhu Erniang also wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace last year."

He Lingchuan said hurriedly: "Mr. Yu, please don't say that. Someone who could burn down the Heavenly Palace is definitely not an ordinary person; they must have both ability and deep hatred, right? I only went to Lingxu City to broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge. Foreign travelers like me are everywhere in Lingxu City; what kind of waves could we possibly make?"

Having neither motive nor strength—these two points were also his protective umbrella.

He lowered his voice again: "Have the Heavenly Gods not found this person yet?"

Yu Zecheng looked at his gossiping expression and smiled without smiling: "Island Master He, when you were in Lingxu City, where did you stay and where did you study?"

An ordinary person would surely feel uneasy being interrogated like this.

He Lingchuan counted on his fingers: "First it was the South City Post House, but then the South City Post House exploded, so I moved to the Panshan Residence; who knew that later the Panshan Residence was also burned clean by a great fire, so I went to, I went to..."

What was the name of that large and gorgeous villa that even had a small lake for boating?

The mirror in his bosom reminded him: "Pianxiang Villa!"

"Oh right, Pianxiang Villa!"

Hearing "Pianxiang Villa," Yu Zecheng felt it sounded familiar, but he couldn't recall where it was for a moment. But the explosion at the South City Post House in Lingxu City last year was related to another major event: "When the Longevity Pill case happened, were you also staying at the South City Post House?"

"Yes, I was almost blown to death!" He Lingchuan still had lingering fears, "At that time, it was fortunate that I hadn't entered the room yet, otherwise I would have been scattered everywhere."

Yu Zecheng’s eyes flickered: "Where is Pianxiang Villa...?"

"It’s on Mount Qilin; I heard it used to be the old residence of the criminal official Chunyu family."

Mount Qilin—that was the core area of the Lower City of Lingxu. How could a mere foreign traveler afford to live in such a place? What exactly was this kid surnamed He’s background? Yu Zecheng felt that the more he dug, the less simple it seemed.

(End of chapter)