Chapter 1274: Arming and Training the Troops

At this, Lu Qiuwei couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, the Goldenflame Plain is so vast that even the State of Mu is powerless against it. How will Yangshan bring it...?" He made a gesture of bringing something under his control.

How many times larger was the Goldenflame Plain than Yangshan? Even Ding Zuodong couldn't calculate it. To conquer the Goldenflame Plain and achieve a dream that two powerful nations couldn't? If anyone else said this, they would laugh at him for daydreaming.

He Lingchuan looked out the window at the sky, seeing thick clouds rolling by, and a sudden realization dawned on him: "Yangshan, in the Goldenflame Plain, should be like a dragon hidden in the abyss, biding its time, poised to strike."

Wang Fubao eagerly asked, "Then when can it ascend to the sky with the clouds?"

He Lingchuan smiled slightly, "Waiting for a clap of thunder."

No sooner had he spoken, there was a flash of lightning outside, followed by several rumbling sounds as thunder rolled.

Today marked the Awakening of Insects.

Everyone's faces were cast in an eerie, alternating blue and white light by the celestial thunder.

Looking out the window, heaven and earth formed a murky expanse.

Only monstrous lightning serpents slashed across the sky, tearing through it with a fierce roar.

Everyone was so stunned they were speechless, able only to silently feel the might of heaven and earth and listen to the pervasive thunder. He Lingchuan activated his internal energy, and his words, accompanied by the thunder, reached everyone's ears, word by word: "When Yangshan clears the clouds and ascends to the heavens, it will surely possess the overwhelming power of a thunderclap."

In the distance, the last two bolts of lightning struck down, crossing each other like an incomparably massive tree growing between heaven and earth. They lingered for a full two breaths before vanishing. The widespread thunder ceased its fury and transformed into a torrential spring rain.

He Lingchuan then continued to give instructions, pointing at Qiu Hu and Wan Sifeng: "The two of you will take the lead in establishing the Yangshan Army. It should be distinct from the Guard Team, recruiting only elite soldiers and formidable generals. Before the end of the year, I want two thousand five hundred elite soldiers; within two years, at least six thousand."

The two replied in unison, their expressions solemn. This was a tremendous challenge. Although the Yangshan Guard Team already numbered nearly six thousand, their Lord had only mentioned "elite soldiers," meaning a vanguard force. This meant selecting the best of the best, excluding ordinary soldiers. Of those six thousand, picking out five hundred elite warriors would be a good start—including the Bailong people. However, an army without a vanguard is on the path to defeat. They also understood He Lingchuan's intention: it was time to separate the Guard Team from the army. The Yangshan Guard Team was sufficient for defending the islands, but the Yangshan Army had to grow into an elite force under He Lingchuan, capable of campaigning across the land! Time was short and the task was heavy, no wonder their lord needed to plan ahead.

Qiu Hu said in a deep voice, "Rongshan sent a message, hoping to send forty more disciples to Yangshan, all of whom have practiced for over ten years. Additionally, I've contacted former comrades who also wish to join our lord." Yangshan was gradually gaining a reputation in the area, and old comrades, seeing that Qiu Hu was doing well, were willing to join. This was a call for friends to join.

To this, He Lingchuan had only two words: "All are welcome."

Then, he said to Li Mingyang and Li Mingrong, brothers from Songyang Prefecture, "The two of you, lead your people to work quickly in the next few days and forge sixty more sets of armor for me." These two were the heads of the Yangshan branch in Songyang Prefecture and direct disciples of Li Fubo. In the past two years, they had led their sect to achieve many accomplishments, making the branch prosper and also entering Yangshan's core circle.

"Yes," they agreed first, then asked, "What kind of armor do you need?"

"Light, pure black armor with attached masks, distinct from Yangshan's military uniform. Its appearance should be fierce, making a deep impression at first glance." He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "Oh, and it should be easy to put on and take off."

The two exchanged a look: "We've just created a new armor design prototype. Would you like to offer some suggestions?" The color and style could be modified, of course.

Afterward, He Lingchuan assigned tasks to others. The meeting concluded when the rain stopped, and everyone departed, having received their orders.

The next day, He Lingchuan first replaced all the Dragon Punishment Pillars at the earth fiend rifts, then went to check on the King of Yin Hui and Fu Shanyue. Fu Shanyue kept his word and indeed practiced peacefully without causing trouble. So, the two were getting along peacefully, and their relationship was quite harmonious.

Over several months, Fu Shanyue also fulfilled his duty, sending two letters to Lingxu City to report intelligence about the Yangshan Islands to Imperial Master Shuangye. This was originally a very awkward situation—benefiting from his host's hospitality, drawing on his fiend qi for cultivation, and yet digging up his host's intelligence to report to his superior. Even someone as generally unbothered as Fu Shanyue felt a little uncomfortable, so he kept copies of the letters, which he now showed to He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan waved them away without a glance: "No need. Just report the facts as they are."

"How can I be so unashamed?" Fu Shanyue said, feeling ashamed, even as he gorged on fragrant and sweet lobster.

"Report truthfully, or you'll be replaced," He Lingchuan said seriously. "Do you think Imperial Master Shuangye only sent you to gather intelligence on Yangshan?"

"Uh!" At his hint, Fu Shanyue suddenly realized, "You're right. He must have sent others over to gather information secretly!" Fu Shanyue and He Lingchuan had a deep connection from their time in Beijia; how could Shuangye trust him completely?

"He will receive at least several reports regarding Yangshan's intelligence. If you give him false information, he'll cross-reference it, and you'll very likely be exposed." He Lingchuan patted his shoulder. "It's hard to try and play cunning games with an old schemer like Shuangye."

Fu Shanyue was well aware of this, which troubled him greatly: "Shuangye is most interested in Yangshan's revenue, military strength, and strategy; he always asks about them in his letters." And he couldn't simply refuse to answer.

"As for the so-called strategic plans, you won't be able to get them, and Shuangye knows that too. As for the rest, feel free to tell him," He Lingchuan smiled. "The Yangshan Islands are developing openly and honestly; what secrets are there that cannot be revealed to others?"

"Shuangye's last letter asked about your whereabouts."

"What did you say?"

"I told him the truth: the State of Mu assigned you several tasks to complete in the Goldenflame Plain. I wasn't clear about the details of the tasks."

"Precisely."

Just then, Taozi came riding Jiao Yu to find Fu Shanyue. The young girl was smiling, more cheerful than ever, but no longer constantly holding hands with people as she used to. Jiao Yu saw He Lingchuan and came purring to nudge his head. It gently bumped heads with the fierce tiger, gave it two strong hugs, and then moved aside.

Out at sea, on the way to Pansilk Island, the Soul-Capturing Mirror said, "You're really good to Fu Shanyue, not letting him be troubled. I just wonder if he'll trouble you in the future."

"Fu Shanyue is an important part of the strategic game between me and Shuangye. If Shuangye replaces him, that would be even more disadvantageous to me."

"A strategic game?" the mirror asked curiously. "When did it start again? How come I didn't know?"

"From the moment he sent Fu Shanyue here," He Lingchuan said, still sitting at the bow of the boat, enjoying the sea breeze on his face. The wind on the Goldenflame Plain was not this humid or warm. "This action was both a show of force and a means of applying pressure." After the previous Yuzecheng incident, Imperial Master Shuangye had to cover for He Lingchuan and even canceled the arrest warrant for Zhu Erniang. But He Lingchuan would never be naive enough to think that all his troubles were gone and that he could rest easy from then on.