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Chapter 1021: Analysis and Evaluation

"Brave? What good is mere bravery? You need brains to fight!" He Lingchuan said, folding his arms. "First you served as Bai Lie's pawns, then you became cannon fodder for the Beijia people. And you still expect to win like that? In my eyes, your so-called plans are nothing but flaws! If you continue like this, you won't be carrying weapons on your shoulders, but hoes. For the rest of your lives, you'll be facing the yellow earth, toiling in the fields!"

Silence fell below, broken only by the sound of pouring rain. Every drop of rain chilled them to the bone, as if to wash away the last remnants of resentment and indignation from these defeated soldiers.

"Lock them up in the storerooms separately. We'll decide their fate tomorrow morning." He Lingchuan ordered Min Tianxi and the others, only after seeing even the most stubborn Bailong people looking dejected. "Wan Sifong, come with me to the southwest beach and ferret out those hiding there."

Wan Sifong's face flushed with shame. If only they had known that Island Master He had even cut off their escape routes, why would they have bothered trying to seize the island? Truly, fools are fearless.

This turmoil, which erupted during the hurricane, arrived like a downpour and vanished like dust.

In the carriage heading to the southwest beach, He Lingchuan asked Wan Sifong, "How could you be so foolish as to cooperate with the Lu family? If you failed to seize the island, you'd bear the consequences yourselves; if you succeeded, Bai Lie would have reason to attack you and reclaim the Yangshan Archipelago." The Lu father and son had signed a transfer agreement with He Lingchuan, so before they broke ties, it would have been difficult for them to openly reclaim it. But if the Wan Sifong uncle and nephew had taken the Yangshan Archipelago, what would the Lu father and son have had to worry about? They hadn't publicly signed an agreement with the Wan Sifong uncle and nephew; they would simply consider them savages occupying the island, and Bai Lie would have the right to reclaim their ancestral property.

Wan Sifong sighed deeply. "I told him many times, but my old uncle was stubborn and wouldn't listen. He believed that once the archipelago was taken, they wouldn't fear Bai Lie's attack, regardless of any agreements." He was too set in his ways. One rigid mind spoils the whole bunch.

He Lingchuan shook his head. "What about your process for landing on the island? So many Bailong people landed, and no one, from the boat captains to the docks, noticed anything unusual? That's highly unlikely."

Wan Sifong confessed, "We didn't take regular ferries. Old Yu found dozens of boats and smuggled us in batches to land on the southern part of Suoding Island. Compared to the northern pier, this area is sparsely populated, so we just needed to avoid the guards' occasional patrols."

"You even managed to get the guards' patrol schedule?"

"Old Yu got it," Wan Sifong replied. "He said the guards only patrol the beach three times a day." Old Yu was the spy sent by Bai Lie's Lu family into the Yangshan Archipelago. He Lingchuan knew that as long as the archipelago continued to recruit people, such situations would be unavoidable.

"Three times?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "You certainly got a thorough grasp of that." This patrol frequency was clearly less than required, so it seemed the guards were slacking off. Normally, there was nothing here but rocks and the sea, so they were too lazy to come around. Guards are also human; in places the Island Master couldn't see, they simply didn't bother to put in effort.

"There are a few old fishermen on Heiye Island who said this morning, looking at the sky, that the hurricane would definitely make landfall tonight." Rain lashed his face, and Wan Sifong licked his lips. "My uncle said it was Heaven's help, and so we moved the operation forward."

He Lingchuan gave a humorless smile. "You certainly pick your moments." They almost caused him real trouble.

Wan Sifong hesitated before saying, "Actually, I wanted to find another place to settle, but..." It was difficult to refuse Wan Sisong's kindness as a guardian.

"He's using his kindness to extort you, and you're willing to pay with the lives of these six hundred people under your command?" He Lingchuan asked him. "Oh, and add a few hundred family members, that's over a thousand lives. Don't you know what's more important?"

Wan Sifong lowered his head, silent. Having lost, there was nothing to say but to listen attentively to the lecture. He was even a few years older than Island Master He; how had he lived so many years seemingly for nothing?

"Wan Sisong has more courage than you, and he clearly knows what he wants," He Lingchuan said flatly. "It's just that he picked the wrong opponent, and his luck wasn't good."

"...Yes."

He Lingchuan looked at him, sighed, and decided to enlighten him: "Your old uncle wanted to exploit the information asymmetry. Going all-in when neither he nor I understood the other well was indeed a strategy. I think that under the premise of enormous potential gains, a desperate man like him risking everything for a decisive victory, though seemingly reckless, actually has its own logic." In He Lingchuan's view, Wan Sisong's approach actually had an underlying logical foundation.

"If you were to adopt this strategy, your best time to strike would have been the moment you were first recruited into the Yangshan Archipelago. If you were lucky, you would have acted immediately, catching me off guard. Whether you were called reckless fools or warriors then, you would not have been without a chance." He Lingchuan glanced at Wan Sifong. "Unfortunately, you didn't do that. I think the reason lies with you. Am I right?"

Wan Sifong swallowed. It was true, Island Master He had hit the nail on the head again. Why could Island Master He always be so accurate?

He Lingchuan poured him a cup of wine. Wan Sifong was extremely thirsty and tilted his head back, drinking it all.

"You always found Wan Sisong's strategy unstable, worrying that the risks were too high. You wanted a low-risk, steady, or even risk-free tactic," He Lingchuan said, analyzing his psychology. "But you couldn't come up with any tactics at all; your mind was full of worries! Before the battle even began, you even retreated due to too many concerns. Ha, changing generals on the eve of battle is a major taboo, let alone retreating. Half of Wan Sisong's failure is your doing."

Wan Sifong couldn't lift his head, shamed by He Lingchuan's words. Water ran down his forehead into his neck; he couldn't tell if it was rain or cold sweat. Yes, all the tactics had been proposed by his old uncle; he himself had only objections and disagreements, but could not come up with any new or improved ideas.

"I'm not saying you would have won if you had participated in the ambush, but rather that even in an evenly matched situation, someone like you would find it hard to win any battle." He Lingchuan shook his head regretfully. "You possess martial prowess but have no idea how to fight. It's a pity those hundreds of warriors risked their lives to follow you."

Sitting quietly by, serving as a silent guard, Lu Qiuwei heard this and genuinely felt sympathy for Wan Sifong. His lord's sharp tongue could shame a person to suicide. Seeing Wan Sifong's expression of utter despair, already full of shame, he feared that if his lord continued, Wan Sifong might take further action.

He Lingchuan continued his barrage: "You lost to the Yaguo people before, and now you've lost to me. It's a miracle you're even alive. Considering your performance in this battle, I don't think you'll get another chance. Even if you go elsewhere, it'll just be a different way to die. It's better for me to personally put an end to you, to prevent you from harming others again."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his embrace let out a strange cry: "Excellent, not only killing but also crushing their spirit. That's truly you."

Wan Sifong suddenly looked up, astonished. "Island Master He, you said during the game of chess that you would give me a chance to redeem myself..."

He Lingchuan cut him off. "I remember what I said, so—"

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