Chapter 1328: As Crazy As Always

"Qingyang and the Black Armored Army do not have a direct conflict, at least not yet. She would only intervene if the Demon Emperor commanded her to." Qingyang's current primary duty is to help the Demon Emperor better control Yao Kingdom, not to chase shadows on the Glimmering Gold Plain. "Dealing with Qingyang was already part of my plan. The appearance of the Flood Dragon Head Relief might bring this forward."

Qingyang's power was certainly formidable, but it was still within He Lingchuan's expectations.

"My biggest concern is if Lingxu Sect sends specialists to investigate. That would mean Beijia is truly focusing their attention here," He Lingchuan said seriously. "If such a team were truly lurking in the shadows and setting traps, it would pose a huge threat to us."

"But the other side also has disadvantages," he continued to analyze. "First, the Glimmering Gold Plain is not their home turf either, so their operations here would be objectively limited. Second, it would take a significant amount of time for Lingxu to dispatch specialized personnel from elsewhere."

"Unless we're extremely unlucky and these people are already operating around the Glimmering Gold Plain, we still have at least three to five months, or even half a year, to calmly prepare."

He let out a long breath.

If only the Flood Dragon Head Totem had appeared later—not much later, just half a year!

In the Coiling Dragon World, after General Hong captured Xiji Kingdom, Coiling Dragon City opened the Takigawa trade route and took control of the Mao River Plain. Combined with the general spiritual energy resurgence at the time and the blessing of the Flood Dragon Head Totem, the Coiling Dragon Wasteland began to prosper within just eighteen months, showing signs of flourishing.

That explosive development left other surrounding powers stunned.

If the Flood Dragon Head Totem had appeared only after He Lingchuan had taken control of the entire Glimmering Gold Plain, and again with the backdrop of spiritual energy resurgence, the Glimmering Gold Plain's strength could have similarly seen an explosion.

Alas, there are no 'ifs' in this world.

What the Flood Dragon Head Totem could offer him was a long-term blessing for the future, not immediate strengthening for the present.

Therefore, he would have to overcome the current difficulties on his own.

The mirror asked him, "What do you plan to arrange?"

"I'll assume Lingxu City plans to send specialists to investigate, which means I still have several months in the window period." He Lingchuan smiled, his teeth very white. "There's still plenty of time. Let the scoundrels of the Glimmering Gold Plain first face a stormy trial of justice!"

"You..." The mirror was speechless. Even knowing danger was imminent, its master not only refused to stop but intended to make a grand display and escalate matters?

Indeed, he was as mad as ever.

"Before anyone with ulterior motives notices, I'll muddy the waters so no one who jumps in can clearly see the cause and effect. Not Qingyang, and not Beijia's special envoys either." A sharp glint was hidden in He Lingchuan's eyes. "Consider this challenge a trial from the Dragon God."

Only by passing this trial would he be worthy of enjoying the halo and blessings of the Flood Dragon Head Totem in the future.

Having thought it through, He Lingchuan cast aside his worries and headed to the Homeland Association that afternoon.

With the financial and material support of Young Master He, the Homeland Association, run by Yu Hai, successfully reopened and held two events, inviting forty to fifty repatriates to attend.

These were all young elites who had returned from studies abroad in Beijia and Mou Nation. Some were Yu Hai's old acquaintances, while others were newly introduced through existing members.

The current situation was particularly sensitive; outside, the seven allied armies were campaigning against Bixia, experiencing both victories and defeats, and even Yao Kingdom had suffered some hidden losses. Consequently, the Homeland Association meetings were lively. Attendees freely expressed their opinions, debated keenly, and even pounded tables and glared at each other in the heat of discussion, much like the unrestrained debates at the Lingxu Imperial Academy.

Newcomers to the group were very interested in He Lingchuan and the Yangshan Archipelago. Island Master He was young, wealthy, articulate, and good at building connections, so more people gathered around him than around Yu Hai.

Within half a month, the Homeland Association had nearly a hundred members. After consulting with He Lingchuan, Yu Hai also recruited four or five executives, preparing to further expand the association.

He Lingchuan strongly supported this. On one hand, he needed to gather these broad-minded and ambitious young elites within the Homeland Association. On the other hand, he needed to build a network of connections and intelligence, and keep its source firmly in his own hands.

Those with keen eyes observing his actions could easily deduce that he intended to expand his network and operate a business circle on the Glimmering Gold Plain, hence his lavish spending. In fact, others had tried before, but they couldn't sustain it without sufficient returns.

However, no one could guess his deeper reasons.

Today, He Lingchuan, Yu Hai, and Situ He had arranged to meet at the Homeland Association, but Situ He only arrived in a rush just before the banquet began.

"My apologies, my apologies!" he immediately said, excusing himself to both men. "I'll fine myself three cups!"

"No worries, accidents frequently occur on the front lines; Brother He and I both understand," Yu Hai said with a smile. "We were just discussing the Black Knights who appeared in Shizhou Head, Liuping, and Daishan."

Situ He drank his first cup of wine. "Black Knights? Oh, you mean that unit of Black Armored soldiers."

The front lines were ablaze with war, and the Situ family had poured all their energy into the battlefield, paying little attention to matters outside their territory. They only received news of Zhao Guangzhi's death when the bandits in Daishan were eliminated.

"That notorious cannibal, Zhao Guangzhi, was from Luodian Nation." Situ He choked, coughing twice. "He was very active in the south; my father had been keeping an eye on him, worried he'd cooperate with the Bixians to attack us. Heh, no need to worry about that now."

Yu Hai said, "He died in Liuping, and the Shizhou Head City Guard—what was his name, Liu something?—he's dead too."

"Liu Shuheng. He wasn't a good person either."

"The Battle of Shizhou Head was exceptionally thrilling!" Yu Hai recounted the battle of that night in vivid detail.

He Lingchuan raised his cup and took a small sip. The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his embrace hummed twice, "Dry and dull, it doesn't at all convey your master's heroic might! Fu Liushan tells it much more vividly."

He Lingchuan held his wine cup, feigning attention. What Yu Hai described was quite plain, very different from the current rumors circulating. Those rumors had been embellished through several versions, already describing him as a horned monster.

He knew his own achievements; hearing others recount them was interesting once or twice, but any more became tiresome.

Nevertheless, the more legends of the Black Armored Army there were and the wider they spread, the better it was for his plan.

"Well killed!" Situ He exclaimed in surprise after hearing the detailed account. "Brother Yu, where did you hear this news from?"

"One of our Homeland Association executives went back to visit relatives a few days ago and brought back firsthand information. After that night, his neighbor went to commission a statue, saying they wanted to enshrine their benefactor in their home."

Situ He shook his head and drank his second cup of wine. "Living people should not receive incense offerings."

"They don't believe that was an ordinary person," Yu Hai said with a chuckle. "How can a mortal point at someone and they die? Those are the exact words of the local villagers."