Chapter 993: Let's Both Give Each Other a Chance

Min Tianxi added, "According to the laborers on Black Page Island, the few children the Bailong people brought to the island to play were all sallow-faced, and they ate even more ravenously in the mess hall than the adults; it seems they must have suffered quite a bit on the journey south." This was perhaps one of the reasons for the Bailong people's dissatisfaction: following the Moqi uncle and nephew meant their wives and children had to endure hunger.

He Lingchuan said softly, "Moqi Song is treating his nephew's troops as his own power. In most cases, an uncle and nephew are as close as family, so this wouldn't be a problem."

Min Tianxi asked him, "Since you know the Bailong people have ulterior motives, should we kill them or drive them away?"

He Lingchuan shook his head: "The Bailong people have outstanding combat strength; it would be a pity to just let them go."

His subordinates were all a motley crew; the pirates could become somewhat capable with proper training, but turning farmers and laborers into elite soldiers required money, effort, and time—

And time was exactly what he lacked most.

This troop was not like the Panlong City army, nor did it even have a decent foundation like the Yuheng City army. Having never been on a battlefield, never seen blood, never been tempered, and never killed anyone, how could these raw recruits become elite soldiers?

Having finally obtained several hundred elites, he was truly tempted and could not bear to cast them out.

"Then strike first to gain the advantage?"

The evening breeze made He Lingchuan's robes snap loudly: "They haven't rebelled yet, so they are still good citizens. If I arrest them all now, how could they ever submit to me?"

To make such a warlike tribe obedient and prevent them from harboring second thoughts, soft tactics were useless, and schemes were useless; one must rely on direct, frontal military suppression!

Once beaten down and made submissive, they would listen.

Otherwise, they would never be convinced, never truly submit to him, and would continue to feign compliance while secretly working against their master.

"They want to find a place to settle and develop, and I need an elite force; let's both give each other a chance. If they can take my island, that counts as them having the ability; if they can't—" He Lingchuan chuckled, "They have already lost to the Ya Kingdom. If they lose to me this time, it proves they aren't suited for independent development, and they will have to obediently serve as my subordinates."

Min Tianxi smelled the scent of danger: "My lord, their target is you!"

Using himself as bait? This was too dangerous.

"When you and I first met on Fish Bone Reef, wasn't your target me as well?" He Lingchuan found it amusing, "You could do it, why can't they?"

Dangerous? Ever since he obtained the Divine Bone Necklace, he had been dancing on the edge of a blade every few days; he had long forgotten what safety was.

Min Tianxi looked sheepish, scratched his neck, and felt a bit of schadenfreude.

Someone else was about to get their head bashed in, which meant he wasn't the only one who had been blind.

"Besides, perhaps it isn't just the Moqi uncle and nephew who have me as their target."

Min Tianxi: "Ah? Oh, you mean..."

"The target is set; guess when they will make their move?" The float on the water sank; a fish had taken the bait. He Lingchuan quickly lifted the rod and carefully reeled in the line.

"Uh." This answer wasn't hard to guess, and Min Tianxi blurted out, "The Emperor's Flowing Nectar?"

When the Emperor's Flowing Nectar descends, people's hearts fall into chaos.

It wasn't just him who could see that He Lingchuan's subordinates were a motley crew; the Moqi uncle and nephew could see it too. A battle-hardened army of Bailong people was surely better than a bunch of pirates and farmer-soldiers, right?

Choosing to rebel at that time, they would have the advantage of timing, location, and human support—at least two of the three.

"Wherever I am at that time, that is where they will launch their surprise attack." He Lingchuan retracted the fishing line, and another large fish was pulled out of the water; this one was over a foot long, with a dorsal fin like a halberd.

"We know the time, target, and location of their strike; can we not handle it?" Once the Bailong people's ambition was exposed, their cards were on the table.

"Those who are willing take the bait; this is their own choice." The large fish he had just caught was golden and looked quite fierce. He asked Min Tianxi, "What kind of fish is this?"

"We call it a Yellow Stick here; it's delicious whether steamed or braised." Min Tianxi was now an expert at flattery, "My lord always catches the best fish."

He Lingchuan smiled slightly, his peripheral vision glancing toward the sky.

Because the mirror in his robes reminded him: "That white bird is back in the sky; it's circling twice and staring at you."

Over the past two days, the mirror had discovered the scout in the sky. Wherever He Lingchuan went, this white bird followed.

This also matched He Lingchuan's prediction: if Yu Zecheng could find the island where Zhu Xiuer was hiding, he must have aerial reconnaissance capabilities.

The spot he chose for solo fishing tonight was deep in the sea, surrounded by nothingness, with an empty beach at his back—not even a tree in sight.

If this white bird wanted to tail him, it couldn't hide in the trees behind the beach—it was too far away.

It wasn't a nocturnal bird either, so it couldn't watch He Lingchuan from afar at night; it could only intermittently circle in the sky to confirm he was still sitting on the reef fishing.

He said to Min Tianxi, "Your dinner table tonight will have more than just fish."

Min Tianxi was startled, not understanding the meaning: "There's more?"

He Lingchuan smiled and suddenly pulled out the Floating Life Blade, tossing it casually into the sky! He didn't look up, but the white bird in the sky caught a flash of cold light below and saw something shooting toward it.

It was very alert, flipping its body to dodge, and turned to fly toward the direction of Suoding Island.

Discovered, must flee.

But before it had flown three or five yards, that cold light actually pursued from behind, spinning and hacking off its wing!

The people on the reef heard a splash; the bird was struggling on the water's surface.

He Lingchuan pointed to the spot where it fell, a few yards away: "The prisoner has arrived."

Min Tianxi immediately jumped into the water to swim over and catch the white bird. At his master's command, let alone jumping into water, he would jump into a sea of fire.

As it turned out, the bird spat out two streaks of frost, nearly piercing his arm.

Well, well, a bird demon? He feinted twice and suddenly clamped his hand onto the white bird's neck. The bird's struggles were useless; it couldn't fly or peck him, but it kicked up a huge splash.

Min Tianxi climbed back onto the reef, his face sporting two new scratches from being clawed. He presented the white bird before He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan looked at it for a moment: "Whose subordinate are you?"

The white bird chirped angrily twice but did not answer.

He Lingchuan appeared to be talking to himself, but he was actually asking the eyeball spider inside his collar: "I wonder if Second Sister recognizes it?"

Zhu Xiuer's voice immediately came to his ears: "I saw this white bird in the eastern part of the Mou Kingdom, and I've also seen it fly to Yu Zecheng's side on Suoding Island; it has been spying on my lair!"

Through the eyeball spider, she had immediately seen the white bird's appearance clearly.

He Lingchuan asked the white bird: "So, you came with Yu Zecheng?"

The white bird lunged forward, trying to peck him.

It really did have the arrogance of the Beijia demon race. He Lingchuan said to Min Tianxi: "A treat for you."

"Oh, good!" Min Tianxi drew his blade and severed the white bird's neck in one stroke, "So fat, we'll have roast bird tonight. I hear that demons with cultivation are not only delicious but also highly nourishing."

(End of chapter)