Chapter 1071: I’m Saying Exactly What You Want to Hear

Chapter 1060: I'm Saying Exactly What You Want to Hear

"With no money, limited resources inevitably lead to uneven distribution. Between prioritizing Bailie and prioritizing his second son, Lu Zhensheng chose the latter from the start, so he has no choice but to see it through to the end, gritting his teeth and persevering."

He Lingchuan understood Lu Zhensheng's predicament very well. Any vacillation at this point would likely lead to failure on both fronts. Understanding was one thing; calculation was another.

"As for the fighting on Bailie's eastern front, isn't there Deer Third Master and Deer Sixth Master helping out? As long as they can hold on, Lu Zhensheng isn't worried," he continued. "Your patriarch also clearly sees that Ya Kingdom has no intention of annexing Bailie; they just want to extort some money from here. If they ask for little, he'll give a little; if they demand too much, Bailie will have to resist. Either way, they'll fight a bit, stop a bit, just dragging out time waiting for Lu Qinglin to return—he'll come back eventually, right?"

These words pierced straight to their hearts like an awl. What was worse, he was right, and they had no way to refute him.

Lu Qingbang hesitated for a long time before saying:

"Brother He, you haven't misjudged. In fact, the patriarch sent an order to the front line, requesting that the conflict be contained and that efforts be made for peace talks."

Avoid conflict escalation? He Lingchuan's mind raced, and he understood: "Fight, but don't fight too fiercely. Hmm, Patriarch Lu doesn't want to truly provoke Ya Kingdom."

The Lu siblings were like young calves; if they got carried away and truly dealt a severe blow to the opposing border army, Ya Kingdom would lose face and might send more elite troops to the border. The conflict could then escalate into a full-blown war, and the situation would certainly worsen. Bailie's overall strength was inferior to Ya Kingdom's, and they didn't want to reach that point. Lu Zhensheng, as Bailie's leader, naturally had his own considerations. However, from another perspective, Lu Zhensheng's order perfectly confirmed He Lingchuan's words: he truly intended to use a "delaying tactic" to buy time until Lu Qinglin's return.

"But the question is, will Lu Qinglin truly return as a king? And when will he arrive as a savior?" He Lingchuan sighed. "If you want to break the current stalemate, you either have to disrupt Lu Zhensheng's plans, which would make him agree to shift resources to the eastern front; or—you take action yourselves and seize the limited resources."

Lu Qingbang's face changed color. "Brother He, you can't just say things like that."

He Lingchuan smiled. The young man was quite astute; he immediately understood the implied meaning.

"A secret shared with more than two is no longer a secret. We discussed current affairs freely and without scruple in Lingxu City, so why can't we talk about them here in these offshore islands?" He Lingchuan pulled out a small jar of wine and two cups from his storage ring, pouring a full cup for him. "It's freshly brewed peach wine from the island, have a taste."

Lu Qingbang took it and drank it in one gulp.

"Brother Lu, you should also think about the future. The entire eastern front of Bailie now relies on you and your sister, which is a great achievement. But once Lu Qinglin returns triumphantly with a large army, he will be bathed in glory. Will the main family still remember your contributions then?"

Lu Qingbang poured himself another cup. "Good wine."

"Moreover, the main family isn't adept at warfare, and more than half of the military power is in your hands," He Lingchuan continued to incite. "Even if you harbor no disloyalty, won't the main family be wary? I heard that Lu Zhensheng was originally from a side branch and used certain methods to become the head of the main family. Since he rose to power this way, shouldn't he be wary of others doing the same?"

Lu Qingbang drank half a cup of wine in one breath, without uttering a word.

Just then, Lu Feiyan rushed over and said, "Brother, someone's looking for you."

Lu Qingbang immediately stood up and said to He Lingchuan, "Brother He, please excuse me."

He Lingchuan smiled. "You go ahead and take care of your business."

Watching the siblings hurry towards the bonfire, the Soul-Devouring Mirror in his embrace asked, "Hey, isn't your instigation a bit too obvious? Will Lu Qingbang listen to you?"

"Even if he just returned from the front, how could he not know about the conflict between Lu Zhensheng and me?" He Lingchuan rubbed his eyes. "Why did he still seek me out for a talk? Most likely, it was a move suggested by Deer Sixth Master."

"So Deer Sixth Master wants...?"

"Therefore, what I said is exactly what they want to hear, and the clearer I said it, the better. They understand the Lu family's predicament better than I do. It's a mess that Lu Zhensheng can barely manage, even with all his effort. Not only are Bailie's common people suffering, but other members of the Lu family are too."

"For the Lu Qingbang siblings, they either selflessly persevere for the family until Lu Qinglin's grand return; or, they must gain a status within the clan that matches their strength," He Lingchuan said slowly. "The Lu siblings are just beginning to make a name for themselves. If they can continue to achieve victories, Lu Zhensheng will have no choice but to rely on them, and he will have to carefully consider any demands they make."

The Soul-Devouring Mirror chuckled. "So we're back to the old problem: what happens when there aren't enough resources to go around?"

"Exactly. Because of Lu Zhensheng's poor strategy, Bailie's finances have long been insufficient to support two fronts simultaneously. Funding Lu Qinglin means neglecting the eastern front, and supporting the eastern front means they can't deal with the state of Mou. That's why Lu Zhensheng is particularly afraid of the eastern front's war escalating, even demanding that Lu Qingbang yield to Ya Kingdom and win fewer battles."

He exhaled. "A clan leader acting like this, it's no wonder other Lu family members are dissatisfied."

The Soul-Devouring Mirror wondered, "Then why did Deer Sixth Master come to test you?"

"He still fears Lu Qinglin," He Lingchuan said. "Lu Zhensheng's second son is indeed thriving in an official capacity in Mou State, and it's not impossible for him to return to Bailie with troops. So, Deer Sixth Master wants to understand my stance, because—"

He Lingchuan took a sip of wine:

"—I have troops under my command."

Eight months ago, the Yangshan Islands began forming a guard force, and they recruited openly, so the Lu family had long heard rumors. Due to the islands' natural concealment, Deer Sixth Master wasn't clear on the exact number of this guard force, but after interacting with He Lingchuan for so long, he knew that this island master was no pushover. With the Yangshan Islands' industries growing larger and larger, how could there not be corresponding military protection?

The Soul-Devouring Mirror was startled, then greatly pleased. "He finally figured it out? Your long-term planning wasn't in vain."

"Not necessarily. Perhaps he's just preparing for a rainy day; I don't see any definite signs yet. You know, connections and relationships need to be diligently maintained normally; it's too late to start looking for them when you need them," He Lingchuan shook his head. "This generation of Lu Zhensheng's family seems to have a common flaw: indecision. Even when a good opportunity is right in front of them, they wait and wait, and it just slips away."

"So what do you plan to do?"

"Perhaps, at a crucial moment, I'll still have to give them a push."

After that, He Lingchuan picked up some pebbles again to scare crabs. But knowing him, the Soul-Devouring Mirror knew he most likely already had a plan in mind.

The next morning, before the residents of the Yangshan Islands had even woken up from the Spring Festival celebrations, He Lingchuan received good news.

A white egret flew to Centipede Island, folded its wings, and landed to report:

"Island Master, the dock at Suoding Island reported two large, long-distance ships arriving from the west. They are filled with monsters, and one of the ships is primarily carrying... carrying wild boar demons!"

A full cargo of wild boars, truly a magnificent sight! He could hear their snorting and grunting from afar; it was quite an eye-opener for him.

Pigs? He Lingchuan immediately perked up. "Have they landed yet?"

The clever little blue pill really worked. He had drunk all night, yet felt no dryness in his mouth this morning.

"Not yet, they haven't fully docked. The harbor isn't sure whether to allow them onto the island." Huang Zhao had sent the egret to request instructions from He Lingchuan.

"No. Tell Huang Zhao to go to the bow and hang a plaque, and instruct the captain to sail directly to Pan'si Island!" He Lingchuan said, dressing and tying his hair. "I'll be there soon!"

The waters around Pan'si Island were a restricted area; foreign vessels had no right to enter unless they obtained a temporary permit, otherwise, they would be driven away by the Yin Serpents. He Lingchuan had a private dock on Centipede Island, so he boarded a ship directly and headed for Pan'si Island.

Today, the breeze was gentle, and the clear blue waves stretched endlessly.

He Lingchuan waited for a long time at the Pan'si Island dock before two large ships slowly approached. Their design differed from local Dafenghang vessels; they were clearly ocean-going ships.

When the ships finally docked, He Lingchuan at last saw a sturdy figure appear at the bow.

What a massive wild boar! Its size was almost comparable to Zhu Erniang's. Its entire body was covered in a layer of grayish-brown mud armor, and its protruding tusks were longer than those of a typical elephant.

"King Siwen!" He Lingchuan laughed. "We've been waiting for you for a long time!"

The last time He Lingchuan saw it in the Demon's Lair Swamp, it had been defeated by Zhu Erniang and had shed its fur, escaping as a bare-skinned pig. Now, seeing it again, he noticed that King Siwen's mud armor was thicker, darker, and harder than before, perhaps due to a compensatory psychological effect.

King Siwen leapt ashore, and the entire pier vibrated violently under its weight, the wood groaning. Fortunately, it was well-built and didn't collapse on the spot. The colossal wild boar first looked around, surveying its surroundings. The island was open with complex terrain and dense jungles. It also smelled fresh water. Yes, this place was good.

It let out a roar, and wild boars on the ship began to leap down one after another. Large and small, of varying sizes, all were King Siwen's subjects. One, two, three, four, five... He Lingchuan silently counted in his mind, reaching thirty-six. Hmm, it seemed fewer than he expected. The number of wild boars he had seen in the Demon's Lair Swamp was at least twice that. Had King Siwen only brought a small portion, or was there something else...?

Some other monsters disembarked from the second large ship. Five of them were avian, along with two giant pythons, and a monster that resembled a large dog but had horns on its head and was covered in spotted patterns. The Soul-Devouring Mirror identified this beast as a "Jiao," known for being vigilant and solitary. As expected, after it landed, it darted into the jungle without a backward glance.

There were also many hoofed monsters. What made He Lingchuan's eyes light up were two Bo, white-bodied with black tails. They resembled horses but had mouths full of sharp teeth, and their tails were more like dragon tails than horse tails, very beautiful. Standing nearly eight feet tall at the shoulder, despite their massive bodies, they were exceptionally agile, leaping from the bow to the pier with hardly a sound. These were true Bo, not the lesser Bo beasts He Lingchuan usually encountered. A single character difference, but a world apart. In ancient times, the Bo were called "wingless celestial steeds" and could fly with the wind. Their inability to fly now was not their fault; Bo still retained their wind-riding talent, running faster and longer than most land creatures. It was simply that the spiritual energy was too thin to sustain their flight.

(End of this chapter)