Chapter 1022: High Purity Spoils

Wan Qifeng was already exasperated from being constantly interrupted.

“So, I’m giving you an opportunity. If you can develop a feasible battle plan for tonight’s situation that is superior to Wan Qisong’s tactics—and you must also prepare a development plan titled ‘How to Achieve Rapid Growth After Successfully Capturing the Island’—submit it to me before dawn tomorrow. If I find it viable after reviewing it, I will allow you all to leave the island unharmed and make your own way.”

It seemed Master Sun wasn’t the only one with a penchant for setting difficult tasks.

“What?” Wan Qifeng was dumbfounded, stammering after a long pause:

“Re-really?”

Make him write a plan?

He Lingchuan smiled. Did this fellow really think he was in a position to disbelieve?

Wan Qifeng composed himself: “Thank you, Island Master He.”

Island Master He had just thoroughly reprimanded him, tearing him to shreds. He had expected some outrageous demand, but it turned out to be merely writing.

He understood battle plans, but what on earth was a development plan?

He Lingchuan sighed inwardly. *Sigh*. If he weren’t in dire need of a ready-made combat team, why would he ever be so pleasant to Wan Qifeng?

When He Lingchuan had previously subdued the pirates of Yangshan Waters, he had been decisive and swift. He and Qiu Hu had decimated the Second Path pirates, and over thirty percent of the Third Path pirates were killed or wounded on the spot.

He Lingchuan had no objections; his attention was focused on the profound crystals.

Yes, this strategy against the Beijia people had been set by it.

This was the predetermined rendezvous point for Wan Qifeng and his uncle. If the island assault failed, the Bailong people would gather their remnants near Ding Lake and then retreat here to board ships.

Furthermore, it also had an agreement with He Lingchuan: after selling products from the underground lair, instead of silver, it would receive the equivalent value in profound crystals.

As they passed Ding Lake, the massive figures of the spider demon sisters emerged from the thickets.

The Ghost Ape had already returned to Dong Rui’s side, no longer acting as an attendant to the two spider queens.

With tonight being a critical time and endless tasks awaiting him, He Lingchuan didn’t have the mental capacity to manage prisoners. So, he first arranged for Wan Qifeng and the Bailong people to be confined separately.

However, He Lingchuan’s methods for subduing the Bailong people were noticeably gentler. After the battle, only a few Bailong people had died and a dozen were injured; even Wan Qifeng and his uncle, the instigators, had not been killed.

He often dealt with bandits and knew that whether they were river pirates or sea pirates, as long as they didn’t collude with external enemies, they were inherently bullies who feared the strong. They were merely scattered individuals with simple, loose organizational structures.

Different objectives called for varied approaches.

“His specific address?”

Wan Qifeng, who was nearby, said, “Old Yu is the liaison sent by Bailie. He’s also the one who brought the Beijia people to Black Page Island to seek our cooperation.”

Several individuals pondered deeply for a long time before shaking their heads. “No, we don’t!”

To subdue such a force, the key was to win over its leader, Wan Qifeng.

Several towering barrier reefs here were suitable for concealing ships.

He Lingchuan pondered for a moment, then put away two profound crystals and gave the last one to the spider demon sisters.

With that, it spat out three shimmering, large date-shaped objects, perfectly transparent and without a single impurity.

He knew the Beijia people had deep pockets. This didn’t look like something a mere commandant like Yu Zecheng could produce. To apprehend Zhu Erniang, the Frostleaf Imperial Advisor must have significantly upgraded his resources.

“This appears to be a type of divine spell that continuously drains the body’s life force,” Zhu Daniang said with satisfaction. “Fortunately, I devised an effective strategy: I used my sister’s shed skin to lure out their initial wave of attacks.”

Both groups attacked Island Master He, yet why were they treated so differently?

The difference was that He Lingchuan’s method for subduing pirates was “establishing his authority.”

Subduing the Bailong people, however, relied on “showing benevolence.”

“As for you,” He Lingchuan said, looking at Wan Qifeng, “tonight, you’ll bunk with Dong Rui.”

He Lingchuan asked, his face showing concern, “Neither of you is injured, are you?”

He Lingchuan merely needed them to fear his power and yield; that would suffice.

“Old Yu offered a high price and told us to transport people here. We didn’t know anything! Please, sir, show us mercy!”

Zhu Erniang then produced three more withered-chrysanthemum-like plants. “This is the body of the Wood Immortal, already damaged. We believe it’s a clone. Dong Rui wants to research it, so we should leave it for him.”

Gambling? He Lingchuan’s heart stirred. “Do you have any of his belongings, or anything he has handled?”

The spider demon sisters also needed to hurry to Suoding Island pier to assist with He Lingchuan’s next phase of the plan.

The Bailong people, led by Wan Qifeng and his uncle, were seasoned warriors accustomed to bloodshed. Subduing them through brute force and killing would only provoke resentment, not compliance.

A Half-Immortal? He Lingchuan’s expression changed, but fortunately, Zhu Daniang continued, “The main body of the Nine-Lives Soul-Returning Grass couldn’t come; only a clone arrived, powered by these profound crystals.”

Dong Rui had no objections. In any case, he had confined Wan Qifeng within the Snail Toad’s shell-world and would still need to supervise Wan Qifeng as he wrote his essay—or rather, his short paper.

Ultimately, tonight’s plan and battle on Suoding Island were for the benefit of the two sisters. As the supreme commander, He Lingchuan had priority in distributing the spoils of war.

He Lingchuan did not make things difficult for them. He ordered Min Tianxi to escort both the Bailong people and the boatmen, confining them all in the cargo warehouses near Suoding Island pier for later disposition.

To this day, these former pirates still regarded Island Master He with a mix of fear and respect, with fear outweighing respect.

Beijia was a vast land rich in resources, with dozens of profound crystal veins, making it far easier to acquire profound crystals than in ordinary countries.

“Yes, yes,” a boatman replied. “He found us through an old acquaintance from Baijiao Village.”

Otherwise, there would be no discussion.

As for the boatmen hidden here, a few of them, recognizing He Lingchuan as the one in charge, immediately pleaded, “We were also tricked by Old Yu!”

Zhu Daniang started to demur, but Zhu Erniang accepted them, saying, “Consider this an advance payment for the products from my underground lair.”

The boatmen, already bruised from the guards’ rough handling, now replied honestly, “His name is Yu Rong. He’s from Baijiao Village and usually lives in Blade Port.”

Yu Zecheng was truly a generous man!

Zhu Erniang’s eye-spiders had indeed monitored that scene, but He Lingchuan had too many matters at hand at the time and didn’t pay attention to such a minor figure.

Otherwise, they would have long since surrendered to the State of Ya.

As soon as Zhu Daniang saw him, she said, “This is also part of the spoils.”

It was an enclosed space, and typically, no one could exit without Dong Rui’s permission.

Since the shed spider skin wasn’t worn by the sisters, its effectiveness was limited, which meant the wood transformation spell took longer to dissipate.

He Lingchuan took them and, upon inspection, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Such enormous profound crystals?”

Zhu Erniang had no objections to his distribution; the sisters also needed profound crystals for their cultivation.

That battle had taken place on the eastern part of the island, and He Lingchuan had not witnessed it personally. If the spider demon sisters had kept the profound crystals for themselves, he would never have known. Zhu Daniang’s act of producing them demonstrated her integrity.

The Beijia people ambushed the subterranean spider queen, aiming to catch it off guard. Their opening assault was undoubtedly their fiercest, unleashing their most powerful techniques without reservation.

In the current spiritual energy environment, only the highest-grade profound crystals could sustain the immense energy consumption of a Half-Immortal’s battle.

High-grade profound crystals were rare, let alone three such massive pieces, especially ones that had turned such a deep reddish-purple!

“The Beijia people invited a Wood Half-Immortal named True Lord Musu, whose true form is the Nine-Lives Soul-Returning Grass.”

His ability to severely humiliate Yu Zecheng and teach Wan Qifeng a lesson tonight was entirely predicated on the spider demon sisters and the Violent Ape defeating the Beijia squad.

With the rebellion quelled, it was time to settle accounts. He was a meticulous person and ensured every detail was precisely calculated.

Zhu Erniang replied, “Not heavy.”

While her sister was competent in other areas, her combat experience was significantly inferior to hers.

Upon hearing this, he asked the boatman, “Do you know Old Yu’s full name?”

“No, we don’t know, but he enjoys gambling.”

With Wan Qifeng present, the Bailong guards hiding in the cliff caves along the shore, though surprised, surrendered obediently with minimal resistance and were escorted away by Min Tianxi and his men.

However, at that moment, a third massive figure emerged from the thickets: the spider demon’s shed skin.

Seeing its wooden body and the pale green growths in its eye sockets, He Lingchuan felt a chill run down his spine. “Wood Transformation Art?”

“Yes,” Zhu Erniang explained. “It’s much better than when it was first afflicted. It should wear off in half an hour at most.”

Tonight, everyone had their assigned duties; no one could afford to be idle.

“The Beijia people truly live up to their reputation for immense wealth; they can casually produce such treasures. The clarity, the color—it’s simply astonishing.”

There was even more than enough.

He Lingchuan also confirmed Wan Qifeng’s claims: he indeed wielded extraordinary control over these more than six hundred people, as the Bailong people were even willing to surrender on his behalf.

He Lingchuan tapped the spider’s shed skin, noting that its bristles felt like wooden thorns and the tapping sound lacked its usual crispness. “Can it recover from this?”

This was truly a welcome outcome. He Lingchuan had used a significant number of profound crystals to ensure the wind-resistant barrier beneath the Wind Lion God’s base functioned properly against the hurricane. He had been feeling the financial strain, but now Beijia had sent him compensation.

With these matters arranged, He Lingchuan promptly headed back to the Hot Spring Villa.

“Is it his real name?”

Fortunately, Suoding Island had gained over a dozen large new warehouses after its expansion, otherwise, there would have been no space for so many captives!

Shortly after, everyone hurried to the southwest beach, battling against strong winds and heavy rain.

It declared triumphantly, “We split the wooden entity in half and pried out its profound crystals.”

Such unity and cohesion were, in themselves, a manifestation of combat power.

So, it was best to let the shed spider skin draw the enemy’s fire first.

He Lingchuan dismounted the carriage and strode forward to greet them. “Congratulations on your victorious return!”

Behind it followed hundreds of spiders, large and small, their thousands of legs scuttling across the ground with a rustling sound.

This sight was always enough to make one’s skin crawl.

With such treasures, he could power formations of equally immense might and energy consumption, perhaps even granting the Golden-Armored Bronze Generals and Divine Generals extended operational time. In short, their potential uses were endless.

Zhu Daniang lowered her head. “Come aboard; I’ll give you a ride.”

He Lingchuan hopped onto its forehead and was carried by it towards Bailang Villa.

After this battle, he could clearly feel that the spider demon sisters trusted him more. Zhu Erniang, in particular, spoke to him with a much more familiar tone and attitude, and her favorability towards him sharply increased.