Chapter 1221: Collusion

After Situ He returned to the manor last night, the father and son must have had a long talk, and Situ Yu likely formed an initial impression of He Lingchuan. Inviting He Lingchuan back to the manor for a thorough discussion implied more than just expressing gratitude.

Everyone present was shrewd and understood the situation perfectly.

So, after some pleasantries, both parties, by tacit agreement, got straight to the point.

Situ Yu subtly probed about the Yanshan Merchant Association's intentions for entering the Glimmergold Plains, while He Lingchuan inquired about the surrounding situation.

In fact, both sides were concerned about the other's future plans.

"If the Yanshan Merchant Association wants to do business with us, my family certainly welcomes it with open arms!" Situ Yu stated firmly. "Our army will fully ensure your safety here; if the association encounters any problems in its operations, just say the word, and we'll work together to find a solution."

After his conversation with his son, he knew that neither He Lingchuan nor the Yanshan Merchant Association behind him were simple entities.

This young man named He once investigated the elixir of immortality case in Lingxu City under immense pressure, which, by all accounts, was like an egg challenging a rock. To everyone's surprise, the rock shattered!

Regardless of the full extent of the inside story, the fact remained that He Lingchuan emerged unscathed. Situ Yu, having navigated many difficult situations himself, deeply understood that handling major cases in a great nation was like navigating treacherous reefs in a storm, with every step fraught with danger.

Then there was the Yanshan Merchant Association he founded—

Situ Yu initially didn't take this foreign merchant association very seriously. He allowed them to mine here without knowing their background, largely due to his son's persuasion.

But according to Situ He's report, the Yanshan Merchant Association was thriving west of Ya State, possessing ample funds, provisions, and personnel.

This greatly intrigued Situ Yu.

What is most lacking in war?

Money and provisions.

The information could be verified. If the Yanshan Merchant Association indeed possessed both, then He Lingchuan was truly a godsend, a god of wealth.

But Situ Yu also knew very well that this god of wealth wouldn't just scatter money gratuitously unless he saw value in investing in their side.

As the local authority, with his word, the Yanshan Merchant Association's operations in the area would be open. From then on, purchasing and dealing in bulk commodities would not be an issue. Perhaps they could even go a step further and exert some military influence.

He Lingchuan immediately drank a toast to these words.

So, following Peng Nation, Yanshan's influence had taken another significant step into the central Glimmergold Plains.

He knew exactly what General Situ lacked most and desired most, but he wouldn't explicitly state it. Instead, he would seize the opportunity to make a request:

"General Situ is a straightforward man, so I'll be direct. The Yanshan Merchant Association leased the Rolling Stone Valley mine, and everything was initially normal. About half a month ago, ferocious ghosts suddenly appeared and began devouring people. We heard these spirits came from the Howling Forest in the north. Now, Jishi Village is in a state of panic, and miners are afraid to go underground. We're still unsure how to resolve this problem."

The Situ family's army was the local power. Having also accepted the merchant association's money, they were obligated to maintain law and order in the area.

So, his request for Situ Yu to step in and solve it was perfectly reasonable.

"It's not just Jishi Village; civilians have been killed in seven or eight surrounding towns and villages." Situ Yu said, then turned to give a couple of instructions, and a guard immediately left.

Not long after, someone else entered. It was an old acquaintance of both He Lingchuan and Dong Rui.

It was Heavenly Master Fu Liushan.

He was covered in dust from travel, his eyes bloodshot. He was surprised to see He Lingchuan and Dong Rui prominently seated.

He Lingchuan smiled, "Master Fu."

Fu Liushan's face twitched. "Heh heh, we meet again."

Is the frequency of meeting these two a bit too high lately? How is it that I run into them everywhere I go?

He Lingchuan, feigning ignorance, asked, "Master Fu, where have you come from?"

"The east," Fu Liushan replied. He had just rushed back from Bixia territory and hadn't even had time to rest. "And you two?"

"Jishi Village," He Lingchuan replied, with an expression that implied, "Where else would I be?" "There were no evil spirits attacking last night, so I slept soundly."

No sooner had he spoken, than Fu Liushan, who hadn't slept a wink all night, couldn't help but yawn.

Dong Rui also asked, "How did you two escape Jucheng last night?"

He Lingchuan had caused such a commotion that Jucheng must have activated its anti-escape barrier. How did Heavenly Master Fu manage to lead his team to safety?

Dong Rui was very curious.

Fu Liushan retorted impatiently, "Don't even mention it, it was a close call!"

There was a city-wide manhunt! He almost lost his life in the city.

Fortunately, he still had some secret tricks up his sleeve. Heh heh, it's a secret.

"Master Fu, we were discussing the incident at Mian Village." Situ Yu immediately brought the conversation back on track. "A month ago, the Bixia people raided Mian Village, abducting over 150 villagers. Only two villagers, who were staying outside the village, escaped. I later received intelligence that the Mian Village elders were taken back to the opposing Bixia territory and brutally murdered within a dozen hours. Their bodies were buried in a single mass grave in the soft mud outside the city, without even a tombstone."

He Lingchuan and Dong Rui exchanged glances, sensing a problem:

If the Bixia army intended to kill, wouldn't it have been simpler to execute them on the spot? Why bother taking the Mian Village captives back to their territory to do it?

Dong Rui even blurted out a curse: "Thank goodness Rolling Stone Valley held out in the end."

Otherwise, wouldn't Jiang Lishui, the miners, and others from the Yanshan Merchant Association have met the same fate?

"Damn it, that demon from the Howling Forest has truly set its sights on Yanshan!"

Situ Yu took a shallow breath. "Our scouts dug up several bodies and asked Master Fu to examine them. We found that the Mian Village victims, apart from signs of being bound, had no external injuries; only their glabella areas were a dark, bruised color. This is very similar to the deaths in Jishi Village."

He Lingchuan suddenly realized, "Demons eating people."

Fu Liushan added, "The Bixia army abducted the Gaopu people to offer them as sacrifices to the demon king of the Howling Forest!"

He had known this all along, but only now revealed it.

"It was the Demon King Xuanlu who tortured my son! This demon king has colluded with the Bixia people," Situ Yu continued, pressing his temples. "A few months ago, two Bixia army detachments, each numbering around three hundred, suddenly appeared on the front lines. Their eyes glowed red, and they fought fearlessly and in perfect coordination, as if no matter how brutal the battlefield or how many comrades fell, it wouldn't affect them. Such 'dagger-like' units were very troublesome; we barely managed to wipe out one, and the next day Bixia would form a new unit, equally fearless and astonishingly strong."

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly as he listened. "What a familiar formula."

"We have been fighting the Bixia people for many years. Their combat strength is already considerable among our neighbors, but they never had units like these before." Situ Yu shook his head. "This matter defied common sense, so I asked Master Fu to observe the front lines."

Fu Liushan continued, "These soldiers were like puppets; they felt no pain or fear of death. However, they had to remain grouped in a legion and couldn't stray too far from each other. I retrieved an ancestral magical artifact and then discovered that they were all controlled by a certain leader within their unit, which explained their precise attacks and coordinated movements. Later, General Situ adjusted his tactics, putting great effort into eliminating two of these leaders, and only then did we manage to turn the tide."