Chapter 1095: Good Rain Knows Its Season, Good People Know When to Advance and Retreat

"Ah, this place is truly wonderful!" Wasn't Elder Wanqi here for this very reason? He cast aside his reservations. "It's far from the mainland, away from conflict, yet close to Yaksha. And it's so prosperous! Furthermore, it's vast. I believe even if 400,000 or 500,000 people were settled here, let alone 40,000, it would still feel sparsely populated."

Wanqi Feng smiled and said, "The tribesmen also love this place. These past few days, people have been subtly and not-so-subtly asking me if they can stay."

He and his subordinates already lived on the island. Each family occupied a single-door courtyard like these.

The main Bai Long tribe members who visited were incredibly envious: tribesmen who arrived on the island a few months earlier not only had a place to live here but were living so well!

He Lingchuan's fleet was supposed to transport the Bai Long tribe to Blade Port, but instead, they were brought directly to the Yangshan Archipelago. Wanqi Feng understood his lord's intention: to let the Bai Long people see and experience the environment, economy, social life, and atmosphere of the Yangshan Archipelago firsthand.

Whether they liked it or found it suitable, they would only know by experiencing it themselves.

Only if the Bai Long people genuinely liked it would they truly want to stay.

If they wished to stay, then the task was already eighty percent complete.

Since the topic had been broached, Elder Wanqi no longer held back. "Island Master He is truly capable and kind to us. I've noticed this archipelago has been constantly taking in outsiders. Ah Feng, do you think he could, uh, would he be willing to accept the Bai Long tribe?"

Wanqi Feng said, "The Island Master is benevolent. He used the entire island's resources to rescue our tribesmen, risked offending Yaksha, and settled us on the island. Frankly, if he didn't want to accept the Bai Long tribe, why would he go to such lengths?"

Elder Wanqi nodded.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, nor unprovoked eagerness in this world. Of course, he had already guessed Island Master He's intentions.

Although the Bai Long tribe was currently in decline, they had once been a powerful warrior tribe in Yaksha.

Whether fleeing or retreating, the tribesmen had meticulously protected their children.

Therefore, with some time to recuperate, the Bai Long tribe would regain its strength.

In just a few years, the adolescent boys would grow into capable warriors.

Island Master He needed manpower, warriors, and laborers, while the Bai Long tribe needed a place to settle and a stable life.

This was a mutually beneficial arrangement, a perfect match.

However, Island Master He waited for them to speak first, perhaps having accurately predicted that they inevitably would.

After all, compared to the various uncertainties and unpromising prospects of the Mu and Bailie nations, the prosperity and thriving growth of the Yangshan Archipelago were evident. Furthermore, Wanqi Feng was already working under Island Master He, and he would certainly seek welfare for his tribesmen.

"Island Master He has shown us great kindness," Elder Wanqi said gravely. "Ah Feng, our tribesmen are willing to work hard to repay the Island Master's benevolence and grace."

"I understand," Wanqi Feng said, tilting his head back to finish his last drink. "I will make the request to the Island Master."

The rain arrived in the afternoon.

After two months of clear skies, the Yangshan Archipelago finally welcomed a refreshing downpour.

He Lingchuan stood in the Shuyu Pavilion, his office, watching the rain fall on the lotus leaves in Lake Ding.

"This rain is perfectly timed. The wheat harvest is complete, and the rice has been planted, and only now does it begin to rain." The Yangshan Archipelago and Blade Port experience an "early" rainy season each year, which refers to a series of precipitations before the main rainy season. In previous years, if this rain came early, it would affect the winter wheat harvest. If it didn't come, or came too late, drought conditions would hinder rice growth.

Standing behind him, Wanqi Feng straightened his back and said, "Good rain knows its season."

He Lingchuan smiled, then returned to their original topic. "Congratulations on your promotion to clan chief."

Although he and Wanqi Feng were superior and subordinate, their communication was smoother than that between Wanqi Feng and Elder Wanqi.

Wanqi Feng had already explained the purpose of his visit: the Bai Long tribesmen hoped to live and work on the island, and would fight for Yangshan in the future! As the new chief, he needed to obtain permission from Island Master He for the entire tribe to settle.

Hadn't He Lingchuan gone to such great lengths precisely to hear this request?

So, he agreed, appearing nonchalant on the surface but overjoyed inwardly.

Wanqi Feng, on the other hand, was a bit worried. "My lord is generous, but I wonder if others might have some concerns?"

"Such as?" He Lingchuan asked, though he knew the answer.

Wanqi Feng carefully chose his words. "The number of our tribesmen is indeed quite large."

Once the Bai Long tribe settled, over a third of the Yangshan Archipelago's fewer than 130,000 residents would be Bai Long people.

People tend to stick together when in a foreign land, and given the large number of Bai Long people, the problems could be more complex than just forming factions.

This was a situation that leaders and those in power were most wary of.

In truth, both understood that there were no "others." Wanqi Feng was simply concerned that this matter would cause He Lingchuan to become suspicious of him.

After all, he was now the chief of these 40,000 people.

"What if they do?" He Lingchuan countered, "What will you do then?"

"I will strictly discipline them and command them to obey the rules and laws," Wanqi Feng said earnestly. "If any of my tribesmen cause trouble, my lord, you may hold me solely accountable!"

But he made no mention of leaving.

The world was vast, yet the Bai Long tribe and he had nowhere else to go.

"Then it's settled, isn't it? If they cause trouble, I'll come to you; if they commit crimes, you'll be punished." He Lingchuan leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant mountains. "Tell me, is the Yangshan Archipelago inhabited solely by humans?"

Uh, Wanqi Feng scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

That's right, the Yangshan Archipelago was different from other places. It wasn't just a human residential area. Madam Zhu Er, King Yinhui, and the descendants of King Siwen were active here, along with a multitude of bird demons. Subsequent monsters would surely only increase in number.

When counting the monsters, the proportion of Bai Long people didn't seem so high anymore.

Take Madam Zhu Er, for instance; no one knew exactly how many subterranean spiders there were on Panzi Island, and no one could count them.

In any case, the workers who went to the island to move goods always described them with one word:

Swarming.

There must be at least a few thousand of them, right?

Considering these large demon tribes, the humans living next to them would have to be more obedient and well-behaved.

"Let me ask you again, do you think the Yangshan Archipelago is a very large territory?"

"At least... it's not small."

"Compared to Bailie?" He Lingchuan asked him. "Compared to Yaksha?"

Forget Yaksha, even if these 40,000 people were moved to Bailie, they wouldn't seem like many at all.

Although Bailie wasn't a large territory, its land was fertile, and its population exceeded a million.

"What about compared to the Mu Nation or Beijia?"

Wanqi Feng looked embarrassed. "Your subordinate understands."

"The world outside is so vast, why would we confine ourselves to just a few dozen islands?" He Lingchuan stood with his hands behind his back, watching the rain fall like a bead curtain from the eaves. "What's the most important thing when expanding territory?"

Wanqi Feng answered without hesitation, "People!"

What good is territory without people?

Without people, who would defend even the widest territories?

Therefore, the Island Master had no fear of diverse new groups joining; on the contrary, he hoped for as many as possible.