Chapter 1013: You Go Down for Me

Yu Zecheng chuckled, “As long as the official ships arrive, civilian merchant vessels will follow closely. The prosperity of Yangshan Archipelago will be just around the corner.”

It would be a lie to say He Lingchuan wasn't tempted. Beijia was incredibly powerful; just a handful of provisions from them would be enough to make the entire Yangshan Archipelago incredibly wealthy. It only depended on Beijia's willingness, not their capability.

But this was a national investment, a strategic deployment. Could Yu Zecheng, merely a Black Tiger Army commandant, really paint such a grand picture for He Lingchuan? He didn't seem to be a complete simpleton either.

He Lingchuan directly asked him, “This is wonderful news, but who can make such a decision?”

Yu Zecheng smiled, “A great nation has capable people.”

He Lingchuan also smiled.

Although the shipping lane relied upon by Blade Port and Yangshan Archipelago was called the "Golden Shipping Route," currently only a small number of Beijia merchant ships chose to use it. Most seafaring vessels traveled from other places, only docking at a few Beijia ports to load and unload goods, without being dedicated ships or routes dispatched by Beijia.

Was it that Qing Nation was unwilling to interact amicably with Beijia? Clearly not. Ultimately, Blade Port and Yangshan Archipelago were both within Mu Nation's sphere of influence. If Mu Nation was displeased, Qing Nation would still have to defer to them.

At this point, the location of Yangshan Archipelago gained strategic value. If Beijia's official ships could also navigate the Golden Shipping Route unimpeded, then not only could Beijia and Ya Nation exchange goods, but even mutual military aid would be easy. To put it simply, if He Lingchuan were to agree, it would be equivalent to establishing a stronghold in Mu Nation's rear, allowing Beijia free access to and from Yangshan Archipelago, and using it as a springboard to interact with Ya Nation.

What would Mu Nation's reaction be then? Conversely, since Yangshan Archipelago would have to bear pressure from Mu Nation, what conditions would Beijia have to offer to get He Lingchuan to agree?

It was interesting to consider. However, He Lingchuan's immediate focus wasn't on the grand promises Yu Zecheng was making, but on Wanqiao Feng, who was ten feet away!

This fellow was probably here to negotiate. He Lingchuan was currently making him wait while talking with a guest, so Wanqiao Feng couldn't immediately flare up. Yet He Lingchuan noticed that even though he was preoccupied, Wanqiao Feng, a bystander, kept his eyes fixed on the backgammon board, his gaze flickering, appearing as if he wanted to speak several times but held back.

He had made Wanqiao Feng wait, intending to deflate the young man's initial assertiveness. Strike while the iron is hot, then spirits wane. It's the same in negotiations; momentum is crucial. Wanqiao Feng didn't realize this at all. However, He Lingchuan observed something more interesting, so he picked up the white horse piece and moved it two steps forward.

With this move, Wanqiao Feng's brows furrowed again, revealing a disapproving look. So He Lingchuan asked him, “Do you know how to play backgammon?”

Wanqiao Feng was startled, not expecting He Lingchuan to be truly unhurried. “Yes,” he replied.

“How well do you play? Be honest.”

With one hand behind his back, Wanqiao Feng replied bluntly, “Better than you.” Then he quickly added, “Island Master He, I came to...”

“I know, I know.” He Lingchuan raised a hand and made a dismissive gesture towards him twice. “Don't rush. How about you take over this game for me?”

“Me?” Wanqiao Feng was surprised that He Lingchuan wanted him to take over, and it took him a moment before he said, “But I need to speak with you about...”

“I know what you want.” He Lingchuan pointed to the board. “You've caused me a lot of trouble! But if you win this game, everything can be discussed.”

“Everything can be discussed?” Was that Island Master He's promise? Wanqiao Feng was silent for a few breaths, then finally agreed, “Alright.” After all, he was on someone else's territory. Even if it came down to a fight to the death, Yangshan Archipelago might just lose a net, but the Bailong people would become dead fish.

Yu Zecheng had been observing him for a long time and now immediately asked, “Who is this?” His cooperation with Wanqiao Song and his nephew had been through subordinates, so he didn't recognize Wanqiao Feng himself standing there. But Wanqiao Feng heard how He Lingchuan addressed him and clearly knew who was playing chess with He Lingchuan. “My surname is Wanqiao,” he said.

Yu Zecheng's brows twitched slightly, and he immediately understood. “This was Wanqiao Feng? Wanqiao Feng had not gone to sea with his uncle Wanqiao Song, but had disappeared with four hundred Bailong people. Given the current situation, had Wanqiao Feng surrendered to He Lingchuan?” No, something seemed off.

“Mr. Yu, this is my subordinate,” He Lingchuan said with a smile. “He says he's capable, so I'll give him a chance to atone for his past actions. What do you think?” He said Wanqiao Feng was his subordinate.

Wanqiao Feng's heart skipped a beat when he heard the phrases "give a chance" and "atone for his past actions."

“Oh?” Yu Zecheng asked knowingly, “What crime has he committed?”

“Just a minor labor dispute, a small matter,” He Lingchuan said, glancing at Wanqiao Feng with a smile. “To err is human; to correct one's mistakes is the greatest virtue.”

“It's better to rely on oneself than on others,” Yu Zecheng frowned. “But He Xiao, you are the host; change players if you wish.” His "better to rely on oneself than on others" was also an involuntary complaint. The Wanqiao uncle and nephew, these useless Bailong people, were indeed completely unreliable! Of course, he was also subtly advising Wanqiao Feng not to place all his hopes in He Lingchuan.

Wanqiao Feng remained silent, stepped forward, picked up the white piece, and began to play. His uncle had listened to Yu and Bailie's words, which led to their current predicament. He would not repeat that mistake!

As they played, He Lingchuan beckoned a guard over and whispered a few words to him. The guard acknowledged with a "Yes" and strode out. Soon, hoofbeats were heard outside the Warm Fragrance Pavilion, fading into the distance.

Only then did He Lingchuan stand by to observe the game, seeing that Wanqiao Feng's gameplay was expansive and methodical, indeed much better than his own. Backgammon rules were loose, gameplay flexible and varied; a game could be finished briskly in about thirty minutes, and it was also common in military camps. Wanqiao Feng rarely met his match playing backgammon in the Bailong army and often won handsomely.

However, Yu Zecheng had exceptionally good luck; several dice rolls later, he stubbornly forced the game into overtime. Wanqiao Feng played mercilessly, harboring no goodwill towards him. If his uncle hadn't been incited by these people, how would they have ended up in this situation?

He Lingchuan watched with amusement from the side, as this pair of temporary allies, the Bailong and Beijia people, were now fiercely competing against each other in the game. He clearly understood Wanqiao Feng's demands, but he didn't want to easily let these Bailong people go.

Now, what should he do?

“It's done!” Zhu Erniang's voice sounded a bit tired, but her joy was evident: “Out of eleven Beijia people, we captured eight, two died, and one escaped.”

He Lingchuan let out a soft sigh of relief, a heavy weight lifted from his mind. Yu Zecheng had played all his cards, yet the Beijia's surprise attack had failed. The biggest reason for their failure was outdated intelligence, because the great demons they faced, the top combat power of Yangshan Archipelago, were not just Zhu Erniang alone!

Apart from the day Zhu Erniang settled in, when He Lingchuan made a public appearance, he was accompanied by at most one spider demon. Humans couldn't distinguish between Zhu Daniang and Zhu Erniang, so naturally they wouldn't assume that Yangshan Archipelago had two such terrifying spider queens. As for Dong Rui's ghost ape, only Rongshan people knew its true form. Moreover, Dong Rui was a tech-savvy recluse, usually staying on his Alfalfa Island, and he typically had the ghost ape guard his home. So, to outsiders, the only formidable great demon Yangshan Archipelago could present was Zhu Erniang herself.

He Lingchuan basically did not participate in the battle on the east side of Suoding Island. It wasn't that he didn't want to stay and help the spider demon sisters, but he was needed more here. He had rushed here to keep Yu Zecheng contained and prevent him from slipping away to cause trouble. Originally, Yu Zecheng wouldn't have acted personally, just as an envoy dispatched by Beijia to a foreign country wouldn't personally carry out assassinations or sneak attacks, and He Lingchuan wouldn't burst into the Warm Fragrance Pavilion to directly capture Yu Zecheng. These matters should be handled by subordinates, as superficial diplomatic relations still needed to be maintained.

But with He Lingchuan faking his death, Yu Zecheng believed Yangshan Archipelago was leaderless and was likely to act on his own. After all, he came from a military background, not a true official envoy, and for such an important matter, he would likely prefer to handle it himself to ensure it was done most securely. Once he personally participated in the action, it would mean completely breaking ties with He Lingchuan, leaving no room for reconciliation between the two sides. So, when they met, He Lingchuan would have no choice but to confront him. If he beat Yu Zecheng black and blue, that would make Beijia lose face. But this time, he wasn't wearing a mask, so Beijia would surely know who was disrespecting them, and when they got furious—that was the situation He Lingchuan least wanted to see.

So, to prevent Yu Zecheng from causing trouble for himself, after subduing Wanqiao Song on Qingyun Road, He Lingchuan had to rush here immediately. One reason was to disrupt Yu Zecheng's command of the spider queen sniper operation, and the other was to keep an eye on him and prevent him from running around. But He Lingchuan was still very much concerned about the battle involving the spider demon sisters. The combination of the spider demon sisters and the ghost ape was already very powerful; even He Lingchuan himself would only get brutally beaten if he went there, not to mention the additional safety measures he had put in place, which he didn't know if they had been used. Even so, He Lingchuan was still uneasy. Yu Zecheng had been preparing for over half a year; it was impossible that he didn't have a trump card. Alas, it was a pity that he lacked high-end combat power among his subordinates. If one or two more great demons had participated, he would have been assured of victory.

So, the good news now from Zhu Erniang allowed He Lingchuan to truly breathe a sigh of relief. This series of difficult challenges tonight was perhaps just a little over halfway done.

After hearing Zhu Erniang's report on the captives, He Lingchuan casually beckoned Wang Fubao, who was behind him, and whispered a few instructions. Wang Fubao's eyes widened upon hearing them, and he scurried out. This scene naturally didn't escape Yu Zecheng's notice. As he played backgammon with Wanqiao Feng, a few ominous feelings began to surface in his heart. Logically, even if He Xiao had anticipated his subordinate's operation, with their team's setup and magical artifacts, it shouldn't have been too difficult to protect themselves and retreat, even if they couldn't capture Zhu Erniang. The change in tonight's target, from He Lingchuan back to Zhu Erniang, wasn't a bad thing in itself. But his current sudden premonition was very bad. He Lingchuan was keeping him here, and he had no way to contact his subordinates on the east side of Suoding Island on the spot.

As he got distracted, he made a wrong move in the game. Wanqiao Feng seized the opportunity to quickly move two pieces, solidifying his advantage.

He Lingchuan walked over with his hands behind his back and whispered a few words to Wanqiao Feng, audible only to the two of them: “Drag it out longer!”