Chapter 1357: 契成

"Also, these monsters decay very quickly." Dong Rui picked up a piece of marinated beef, put it in his mouth, and savored it for a long time. It was fresh, fragrant, and chewy – excellent! "Take that Joint-tailed Tiger, for example; even if I didn't kill it, it wouldn't live for more than half a year."

"Your demon puppets used to have this problem too." Later, Madam Zhu Er, using her ancient demon immortal abilities, gave Dong Rui a method that significantly extended the lifespan of his demon puppets.

He Lingchuan still didn't know how that was achieved, and he couldn't be bothered to ask—he probably wouldn't understand even if he did. In any case, it was to obtain this secret method that Dong Rui cooperated with He Lingchuan on the Ruins Mountain project in Lingxu City.

"These three demon puppets are likely just prototypes. They wouldn't last long anyway, so they were deployed into battle after being created, and their loss isn't a pity." Dong Rui held up two fingers. "This indicates two things: First, the opponent likely possesses much more powerful demon puppets; and second—"

"The more powerful the demon puppet, the harder it is to control. That's why this demon puppeteer used three prototypes to track Xiao An."

He Lingchuan tapped the table upon hearing this. "I see. He might have a superior. But his superior is either too busy or of too high a status to personally track Xiao An all the time."

"Next, as long as we figure out why the demon puppeteer absolutely has to catch this little girl, the truth will likely surface."

"Where do you plan to start?"

"Xiao An has mentioned more than once that she wants to go home, back to that village." He Lingchuan smiled. "At least we know her destination."

"Xingyun Village is long gone."

"But she herself doesn't know that." He Lingchuan opened the sand table of the central Shanjing Plains and pointed to the location of Yao Nation. "Do you remember when we completed the task at Ling Mountain, escorting the Three-tailed Fox Demon from Baitou Ridge to Julu Port?"

He changed the subject quickly, startling Dong Rui. "Oh, yes, I remember."

"The Three-tailed Fox Demon was pursued by General Chongwu for allegedly killing over a thousand Yao Nation civilians, including Princess Ya, beloved by the King of Yao." He Lingchuan recalled, "The victims died with their vital essence and internal organs completely drained, which strongly resembled the work of a fox demon."

"Oh, right, I remember now. The Three-tailed Fox Demon denied it, saying that she and the little fox demon hadn't left the mountain or harmed anyone during that period." Dong Rui suddenly understood. "Are you suspecting that the Three-tailed Fox Demon was a scapegoat, and the real killer was Tong Zhuo?"

"As it appears now, it's not impossible," He Lingchuan continued. "That time, it killed too many people; it wouldn't have taken the brains from every single one for consumption. Yao Nation probably didn't even notice that some of the corpses were missing their brains."

"That was more than half a year ago."

He Lingchuan made marks on the sand table: "The Yao Nation princess and civilians were killed near Baitou Ridge, where the Three-tailed Fox Demon resided."

"And Chen Family Village and Greenery Mountain Villa are at this location."

He continued marking: "And here, Xiao An's final destination, Xingyun Village."

"Connecting these points reveals Tong Zhuo's route over the past few months." He paused. "It's highly likely to be the demon puppeteer's route as well."

"Tong Zhuo's killings in other places were sporadic, but only at Baitou Ridge did he go on a rampage. There must have been a trigger," He Lingchuan mused. "That vicinity is worth investigating."

"Also, Xiao An said her father lived in the mountains, in a large house with large red and white stones outside the gatehouse. This is a distinctive feature, worth investigating as well. Furthermore, these demon puppeteers, like you, capture monsters for research, so their residences are probably not in the county town but in the countryside."

Considering all this, there are quite a few clues to investigate.

Dong Rui put down his second large bowl, patted his stomach, and burped. "I'm full. I'm going to catch some sleep."

***

Yaopo, Situ Military Camp.

Two months ago, this was the front line of the Situ family's battles against the Bixia people. But with the fall of the Ghost King and the Allied Army's advance, Yaopo had returned to peace, and its residents could live securely once more.

In just two months, the areas outside the city were lush with greenery, with almost no trace of the past war's devastation.

However, Yaopo received a new assignment today: The treaty between the Poliu Nation and the Kan people would be signed here.

The Bixia people, unable to contend with the Allied Army, conveniently handed over the Qingye region, originally belonging to Poliu Nation, to the Kan people during their retreat from the northern front. The Kan people, coveting the region's abundant resources and trade benefits, refused to return it to Poliu Nation.

The two sides quarreled incessantly, not only preventing the Allied Army's northern front from advancing but also posing a constant risk of collapse.

As the leader of the Allied Army, Situ Yu had mediated multiple times, exhausting all persuasive words and exchanging countless letters. Finally, both sides had nearly reached an agreement and were ready to sign the treaty.

Before entering the tent, Situ Yu let out a long breath. This was his fourth time mediating this matter, and it should hopefully be the last.

Inside the tent, representatives from Poliu Nation and the Kan people sat on opposing sides. The space in between wasn't empty either; Kang Lang sat there.

When Situ Yu entered, everyone rose to greet him. The terms had largely been agreed upon. The Poliu monarch and the Kan tribe leader did not attend in person but sent representatives to Yaopo to sign.

"Alright, everyone, please be seated." Situ Yu sat down and saw a long scroll on the table. Unrolled, it was the signing document for both parties.

Just looking at it gave him a headache. He would rather go to battle and kill enemies than review such a long contract clause by clause!

Below him, Kang Lang, however, was beaming, sitting up perfectly straight. He was the sixth son of the Poliu monarch and the son-in-law of the Kan tribe leader, on the verge of becoming the key figure in resolving the Qingye dispute. Among everyone present, he was the most jubilant.

Situ Yu glanced at him, recalling his son's relay of He Lingchuan's idea, which indeed proved viable. "Alright, what's before you is the latest Qingye Agreement. We will review it clause by clause, and then we will sign and seal it right here!"

There were no objections from below, and so the review began.

The Kan people, who had seized Qingye, knew they were not entirely in the right, so they requested fifty percent of the city's revenue; Poliu Nation was willing to cease hostilities and disputes, but only if they received seventy percent of the revenue.

Originally, this was the sticking point the two sides couldn't agree on. However, the Situ family consulted He Lingchuan and obtained "the impossible solution," bringing a glimmer of hope for peaceful cooperation on the Allied Army's northern front. Of course, He Lingchuan only provided ideas and concepts; how to implement them specifically still required negotiation among the three parties themselves.

When personal interests are involved, even the dullest and most foolish people immediately become shrewd, let alone two major powers. The Situ family invested a great deal of effort and exercised extreme patience for this, finally succeeding in brokering the deal.

This round of deliberation took two hours, interspersed with several challenges and arguments. But ultimately, an agreement was reached.

Representatives from both sides and Kang Lang would sign and seal four copies. Poliu Nation, the Kan tribe, and Kang Lang each kept one copy, and naturally, the Situ family, as witnesses, also kept a copy for their records.

When Situ Yu held the agreement in his hands, he felt immense relief. Two hours, and his voice was hoarse!

The representatives from both sides stood up, politely declined the Situ family's invitation to a banquet, and bid farewell to their hosts. They were eager to report back; this treaty was of great significance. With it, the Allied Army's northern front could set aside disputes and continue their offensive against the Bixia people!

Only Kang Lang remained invigorated. When he stepped forward to thank Situ Yu, his bow nearly touched the floor: "Thank you, Marshal Situ!"

"Congratulations, Prefect Kang, on your appointment!" Situ Yu patted his shoulder. "Do a good job. From now on, you will be the cornerstone of peaceful exchange between Poliu and the Kan tribe. Remember to be impartial."

"Yes, Kang Lang will remember."

Leveraging his unique identity, Kang Lang became the Qingye administrator jointly entrusted by Poliu Nation and the Kan tribe. He immediately took office as Qingye Prefect upon the agreement's生效. He was no longer the dispensable sixth prince of Poliu Nation.

As long as he acted fairly in Qingye and effectively communicated between both sides, the Allied Army could crush the Bixia people's conspiracy and continue their strong offensive against them.

Situ Yu added, "You'll need more guards when you go out, to avoid becoming a thorn in the Bixia people's side."

Kang Lang laughed, "I will heed your words!"

Then he also took his leave, departing with brisk strides. In recent days, he had developed many ideas for Qingye and was now eager to put them into practice.

At this point, the Qingye dispute was resolved, and a great burden was lifted from the hearts of all parties in the Allied Army.

Situ Yu watched Kang Lang's excited retreating figure and praised, "The master of Yangshan Islands is truly talented."

His confidant beside him didn't understand: "Marshal?"

"The Hometown Association, supported by the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce, has already contacted many talented individuals. But those who wield real power, like He'er, are still a minority." The Situ family had raised the banner against Bixia, and the Situ father and son worked together, each with their own division of labor. "Most members of the Hometown Association are scions of aristocratic families like Kang Lao Liu, with a prestigious family background and an eagerness to prove themselves, but in reality, they are idle individuals."

"Ah... your insight is truly sharp."

"This time, the Hometown Association planned well. Kang Lao Liu instantly became a key figure in resolving the Qingye dispute. With his success as an example, other idle scions will undoubtedly look at the Hometown Association with new respect, hoping to receive support themselves and rise from obscurity." Situ Yu chuckled softly. "He Lingchuan not only helped us and the Allied Army but also raised the banner for his own Hometown Association and built its reputation."

Killing three birds with one stone was nothing; what was truly remarkable was that He Lingchuan remained unassuming and kept a low profile to this day. Outsiders still believed he was merely a wealthy merchant from elsewhere.

Thinking of this, Situ Yu was slightly startled again. He Lingchuan's covert support for Kang Lao Liu was precisely like how He Lingchuan helped his father and him repel Bixia. It was through setting examples and creating models that he made himself popular and successful in the central Shanjing Plains, becoming a sought-after figure by various nations and powers.

Even Yao Nation sent envoys to contact Yangshan—a fact He Lingchuan had never concealed from the Situ father and son. Situ Yu still held his righteous assistance deep in his heart, but what exactly did this Master He of the Islands want to achieve in the Shanjing Plains?

People always have a purpose when they do things, don't they? But Situ Yu still hadn't figured him out. Were all of He Lingchuan's actions truly just to expand Yangshan's commercial business throughout the Shanjing Plains? It seemed so, yet it also seemed like more than that.

As he pondered, he unconsciously walked back into his own tent.