Chapter 1275: Bluffing

Yes, Beiga might not trouble him again soon, but what about State Preceptor Frostleaf?

Does State Preceptor Frostleaf seem like someone who would simply accept a loss? At least State Preceptor Qingyang certainly no longer believes that.

He Lingchuan successfully transformed this issue into a personal vendetta between himself and State Preceptor Frostleaf.

Whether sending him a painting or dispatching Fu Shanyue, State Preceptor Frostleaf was warning He Lingchuan:

I'm watching you!

“In this game, it's about psychological warfare. State Preceptor Frostleaf wants me to lose my composure. If I were to pass incorrect information to Fu Shanyue and Frostleaf found out, first, my relationship with Fu Shanyue would surely be damaged. Second,” he exhaled, “such an obvious attempt to hide something would reveal my fear of Frostleaf, indicating that my power is not strong, and thus I'm afraid of being exposed.”

“If I appear weak, he becomes strong. The moment I show apprehension, Frostleaf will likely act.”

“So I’ll simply display everything openly to them,” He Lingchuan said, shifting his position. “The weak hide, while the strong demonstrate their power. You see cats creeping stealthily through the jungle, afraid of being discovered, whereas lions and tigers mark their territory everywhere, warning outsiders to keep away.”

“Are you saying this because you encountered Jiao Yu today?”

He Lingchuan smiled. “I simply don’t want Frostleaf to make a misjudgment. It's better for both him and me. This is what you call deterrence.”

“Can you truly intimidate Frostleaf?”

“Not for long. I hope by then our wings will be strong enough,” He Lingchuan said, rubbing his hands together. “Finding Immortal Qu Yu’s last will this time has given me some new ideas. Our operations in the Glimmering Gold Plain have already commenced, and I hope heaven grants me a bit more time.”

“What?” the mirror asked, slightly surprised. “Where might trouble arise?”

“The deeper we become involved in Glimmering Gold, the less likely it is that things will continue to go smoothly,” He Lingchuan said slowly. “Beyond that, I’m more concerned about Yangshan. This is my foundation; if Frostleaf intends to strike at me, Yangshan remains the most vulnerable point.”

After speaking, he fell into deep thought.

Was the "openness" he displayed to Fu Shanyue and State Preceptor Frostleaf not, in fact, bluster on another level?

The mirror no longer disturbed him.

Soon, they arrived at Pan Si Island.

He Lingchuan visited the spider demon sisters, bringing specialties from the Glimmering Gold Plain as gifts. As for Dong Rui, he had already visited that afternoon and later returned to his Clover Island.

Second Mistress remained consistently stable.

Emotionally stable and productive, she lived a fulfilling life regardless of whether He Lingchuan was in the Yangshan Archipelago.

Incidentally, the number of small spiders on the island had increased by twenty percent, and King Siwen had something to say about this.

He Lingchuan immediately mediated between the two demon neighbors.

As for Madam Zhu, she was rather unhappy because He Lingchuan still hadn't played the spider ocarina.

“I’ve been diligently practicing my shrinking technique recently, and now I can reduce my size to—” She demonstrated by shrinking several sizes in front of He Lingchuan, eventually becoming roughly the same size as Jiao Yu. “This small!”

“When I travel through the Glimmering Gold Plain, I’m only conducting business, not fighting battles,” He Lingchuan lied without batting an eye. The spider demon’s appearance was still too conspicuous.

“No fighting at all?” Madam Zhu was extremely disappointed. “Are there no foolish opponents in the Glimmering Gold Plain? Oh, didn't you just defeat a Ghost King?”

“Now that you mention it, an old acquaintance has indeed gone to the Glimmering Gold Plain,” He Lingchuan said, adept at placating Madam Zhu. “State Preceptor Qingyang is now the Grand Supervisor of the Yao Nation.”

“State Preceptor Qingyang?” Madam Zhu struck the ground with a front paw, digging a deep hole in the sand. “You want to deal with her?”

“I want to settle a score with her.”

Madam Zhu responded readily, “Count me in.”

State Preceptor Qingyang had pursued her in Xushan, alongside Bai Zhantian. Madam Zhu was quite vindictive.

He Lingchuan nodded repeatedly. “If the opportunity arises.”

Second Mistress Zhu watched silently from the side. Her straightforward older sister was far too easily fooled.

After appeasing Madam Zhu, He Lingchuan turned to chat with her:

“Second Mistress, I apologize for the trouble the archipelago has caused you during my absence.”

Second Mistress Zhu said lazily, “You asked me to keep an eye on your subordinates without revealing myself. It was quite troublesome.”

“Oh?” Madam Zhu, standing nearby, was surprised. “Is that true?”

Young He asked his younger sister to monitor his subordinates? Why would he do that?

Second Mistress Zhu said crossly to her older sister, “No, you heard nothing.”

Madam Zhu simply said, “Oh.”

She wasn’t foolish, so she got up and went for a walk along the beach.

Only then did Second Mistress Zhu continue, “The month after you left, the Bailong people came into conflict with the Rongshan people.”

The last time He Lingchuan left the Yangshan Archipelago, his greatest concern was the "people" living there.

Human nature is complex, and interpersonal relationships are the most challenging to manage. With him traveling far across the ocean, it was inevitable that discipline among his subordinates would slacken.

Although he had trusted confidants like Ding Zuodong to question upon his return, people are subjective, and he didn't want to be isolated in an information bubble. Therefore, he had initially asked Second Mistress Zhu to act as his eyes and ears, helping him monitor the management personnel of Yangshan.

Since small spiders can appear on any island, Second Mistress Zhu had a natural advantage in gathering intelligence. Having no vested interests with He Lingchuan’s subordinates, she was able to remain objective and neutral.

To ensure a complete understanding, he needed more sources of information for cross-referencing.

“Which two groups were involved in the conflict?” In fact, Ding Zuodong had already reported on this matter previously.

Second Mistress Zhu reported truthfully, then asked him, “The Bailong people have had some friction with both the Yangshan residents and your original staff members. You're aware of this, aren't you?”

He Lingchuan nodded. “Of course.”

The Bailong people constituted a large population in the archipelago. Their sheer numbers gave them confidence, and there was no shortage of troublemakers among them, making clashes with other residents entirely unsurprising.

It was well within his expectations.

While perhaps inevitable, if these nascent issues were not nipped in the bud, they could well fester into serious problems later on.

“By the way, I have something I need to ask the Mirage Demon in person.”

“In person?” Second Mistress Zhu stood up. “Wait a moment; I’ll go ask.”

He Lingchuan took out the mirage horn and handed it to her.

With her eight long legs, Second Mistress Zhu quickly scurried down the cliff.

He Lingchuan waited on the hilltop. Who said plump creatures were clumsy? The spider demon sisters, despite their corpulent forms, moved with such light and agile steps.

Watching them walk, there was always an uncanny yet harmonious beauty.

In just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the eyeball spider perched on He Lingchuan’s shoulder spoke:

“The Mirage Demon does not dare to see you. Or rather, it simply doesn’t meet anyone, so I will relay the message.”

This was the first time He Lingchuan had encountered such a socially anxious demon. The Mirage Demon had moved with Second Mistress Zhu from the Demon Nest Swamp all the way to Yangshan, residing on Pan Si Island for over a year, yet He Lingchuan still had no idea what it looked like.

But he decided to respect its habits. “No problem.”

Second Mistress Zhu relayed the message first: “Where did you obtain this mirage horn? It's very agitated.”

“It's said to have come from the ancient Mirage Immortal, Master Qianhuan.”