Chapter 1392: Leaving the Tiger to Lure the Mountain

## Chapter 1377: Luring the Tiger Out of Its Den

Having finished giving his instructions, He Lingchuan returned to the private room.

The three people inside were chatting merrily. General Chongwu, who was facing the door, saw him appear and teased, "Here he comes, here he comes! I thought Island Master He got cold feet and was going to sneak away midway."

The Soul-Sucking Mirror simply snorted, "If you're going to talk, say something worthwhile."

Fan Shuang smiled and said, "Brother He is an open and honest person. How could he do something like that?"

"It was just a small matter," He Lingchuan said, pouring himself a full cup. "I apologize for interrupting your enjoyment. Come, I'll drink this as a penalty." With that, he drained the cup, and the atmosphere at the table became harmonious once more.

Outside, two inebriated patrons walked past, slurring and loud. Every word of their argument drifted into the room:

"Bixia is definitely going to lose. It's just a matter of how much territory they can retain in the end."

"Impossible! The Alliance's leader is dead!" the other retorted. "Haven't you seen how sluggishly the Alliance is fighting? They might even fall apart first."

"The Alliance's army is already fighting on Bixia's land, right?" the first person sneered. "Those who can fight their way into enemy territory have the upper hand. They already have the upper hand, so which eye of yours tells you they'll collapse first?"

"You need to be reasonable! Logically, the Alliance has already conquered all the easy places; what's left are tough nuts to crack. If they want to keep chewing, they'll probably chip their teeth."

"You need to stick to the facts! The fact is, the Alliance won a major victory just a few days ago; Bixia suffered a crushing defeat! They've been fighting and winning continuously, so why would they stop? Why would they collapse?"

The two patrons continued their argument as they walked further away.

Hearing the words "Bixia" and "Alliance," the atmosphere in the private room became subtly tense.

There was one issue that everyone had deliberately avoided discussing that evening: General Chongwu was the son of Bixia's leader, while He Lingchuan had been indirectly funding the Alliance's attacks on Bixia. No matter how the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce branded itself, it supplied funds and provisions to the Alliance, and the Alliance used these resources to inflict heavy losses on Bixia. True, Yangshan was just a chamber of commerce, and during wartime, many chambers of commerce did business with the Alliance—after all, the Alliance consisted of seven member states and factions. However, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce's aid to the Alliance was the largest and had the most significant impact.

Fan Shuang cleared his throat, just about to change the subject. Commander Zhao, however, glanced at General Chongwu, then asked He Lingchuan, "Island Master He, you understand the war between the Alliance and Bixia better than us. In your opinion, which side will ultimately win?"

He Lingchuan hadn't expected Commander Zhao to ask such a loaded question. If he answered that the Alliance would win, he would immediately offend General Chongwu; if he answered that Bixia would win, he would be admitting that Yangshan's current actions were a failed investment, and if that reached the Alliance's ears, it would create even more serious implications.

General Chongwu stared straight ahead, slowly sipping his wine. But He Lingchuan knew he was surely listening intently.

"Military strategy is fluid, like water; the battlefield situation changes constantly. How can there be a fixed outcome?" He Lingchuan said, gently swirling his wine cup. "General Chongwu is also a great military commander; he must understand what I mean. Currently, the war situation is delicate; both Bixia and the Alliance have a chance to win, it just depends on which side can seize the opportunity."

General Chongwu's eyes flickered slightly, but he still didn't speak. Instead, Fan Shuang pressed, "What opportunity?" He had previously avoided mentioning it, but since He Lingchuan had brought it up, he might as well ask a few questions.

"It's the opportunity created by Grand Marshal Situ's assassination, and the Alliance's internal unrest before they settled down," He Lingchuan stated openly. "This window of opportunity is closing fast. Situ He recently won a major victory and is about to prove himself through his actions."

He had also been closely following the war within Bixia. Just as the news of Situ Yu's assassination spread, Situ He led his troops to swiftly capture Bailang City, indeed achieving a resounding victory, which played a huge role in settling disputes and stabilizing the Alliance internally. Most of those who were previously contentious, ambitious, or hesitant had largely settled down. Such was the timing, such was the fortune.

He Lingchuan believed that Situ He had always been quite lucky. Previously captured by Bixia, he was rescued by He Lingchuan and Fu Liushan; now, taking command in a perilous situation, he could still manage to secure a major victory smoothly. If this battle had been lost, the Alliance would very likely have fallen apart.

Only then did General Chongwu put down his wine cup. "Island Master He has keen insight," he said. "Within the Alliance, Situ He is rapidly consolidating support..."

As he spoke eloquently, the Soul-Sucking Mirror in He Lingchuan's arms clicked its tongue twice. "This guy is really composed," it muttered. "Hey, do you think if he killed you, it would resolve Bixia's crisis?"

He Lingchuan subtly shook his head. Of course not. The Alliance had already gained confidence against Bixia; as long as Situ He could hold things together, whether He Lingchuan was present or not would not have a decisive impact. As for funds and provisions, the Alliance had been raising them from various sources in recent months and had already reduced its reliance on supplies from the Yangshan Islands. Seeing that they were about to win, other factions were even willing to offer credit. Wanting only to add flowers to brocade and unwilling to send charcoal in snowy weather—such was human nature. The fact that Bixia had previously assassinated Situ Yu instead of He Lingchuan showed that they clearly knew where the Alliance's weak point lay.

General Chongwu had not yet finished speaking, when a sudden loud commotion erupted outside, drowning out his voice.

"Something was stolen upstairs!"

"They ran that way!"

"That damn thief..."

There were urgent footsteps outside.

Hearing these words, General Chongwu couldn't help but frown. This inn was robbed? Right, it was pouring rain today, making it difficult to track thieves coming and going, which was why they said "steal in the rain, not in the snow."

Fan Shuang frowned. "What's happening outside?" Since they were drinking in the inn's front courtyard, he hadn't brought his personal guards.

"It seems someone was robbed..." General Chongwu had not finished speaking when urgent footsteps sounded outside, and immediately the private room door was flung open. The man who had previously vied for a seat with Fan Shuang, who was General Chongwu's personal guard, exclaimed, "General, the tribute gifts have been stolen!"

General Chongwu suddenly stood up, his expression changing. "What?" He hadn't expected the trouble to come to his own doorstep.

His tribute gifts for this trip to the capital were very substantial. His previous encirclement and suppression of the Three-tailed Fox Demon had gone awry, and the royal court had been cold to him for several months. This birthday celebration was a legitimate opportunity to present gifts, and General Chongwu had hoped to win the favor of King Yao. In addition, Bixia had also carefully prepared a lavish gift, entrusting him to take it to the capital. At present, Bixia was in a moment of life and death, so the gift it sent was meticulously chosen.

If the tribute gifts were stolen, General Chongwu would suffer a double loss. He no longer had any mood for drinking. He cupped his fist at everyone, saying, "I'm going to apprehend the thief; please enjoy yourselves," and hurried out of the room.

The other three all said, "Please go, General," and rose to see him off.

Only when General Chongwu's figure disappeared outside the inn did Fan Shuang shake his head. "With so many people around, all sorts of strange things happen," he remarked.

He Lingchuan casually asked, "Are the birthday celebrations always like this in previous years too?"

"More or less."

With King Yao's birthday celebration approaching, the roads leading into the capital were fully packed with travelers seeking food, lodging, and transport, so it was inevitable that various incidents would occur. Fan Shuang sighed, "I remember, ten years ago, an assassination case occurred just ten days before the celebration, shocking the entire nation."

"I remember, I remember," Commander Zhao nodded repeatedly. "However, General Chongwu's luck has been quite terrible. His pursuit and suppression of the Three-tailed Fox Demon should have been a sure thing; Second Young Master Tong had just gone along for experience, who knew..."

He Lingchuan, feigning ignorance, asked, "Something happened?"

The Queen of Yao Kingdom was surnamed Tong; that surname alone was enough to explain everything.

"Yes, Second Young Master Tong unfortunately fell off a cliff and died."

Second Young Master Tong had gone out with General Chongwu to hunt monsters, originally just to add a golden touch to his resume, who knew he would lose his life instead. Commander Zhao said, "The King was furious and severely punished General Chongwu."

The Soul-Sucking Mirror cackled, "Well done! Chongwu doesn't even know he just had drinks with his enemy."

Only then did He Lingchuan pose the question he had prepared: "I heard that Supervisor Qingyang is very close to General Chongwu?"

Fan Shuang, who was drinking, choked on his wine upon hearing this, and quickly waved his hand: "Well... it's not good to put it that way."

"Rumor has it that when General Chongwu was studying in Lingxu City, he received favor and guidance from National Master Qingyang and frequently visited Qing Palace." He Lingchuan rubbed his hands together. "Is there any truth to that?"

The people he had sent to Yao Kingdom were not idle; upon arrival, they began collecting all sorts of intelligence, some of which was mere gossip or speculation.

Fan Shuang hesitated for a moment. He Lingchuan pointed at him and said, "Aha, hesitation means consent!"

"When General Chongwu was studying in Lingxu City, he indeed received guidance from National Master Qingyang, I know that," Fan Shuang said, gripping his cup. "His family—his family was once very proud of it. But bringing it up now is a bit... a bit awkward."

He found it difficult to say more. He Lingchuan didn't press further, and refilled both his and Commander Zhao's cups. "Enough, let's not talk about him," he said. "Come, come, let's just enjoy our drinks."

The three played drinking games involving finger guessing, where the loser had to drink. Fan Shuang had already drunk quite a bit when General Chongwu was there, and now playing finger-guessing with He Lingchuan, he lost eight out of ten times. He quickly became quite drunk, and finally, with a thud, almost landed on his back.

Commander Zhao quickly steadied him. "I'll take Lord Fan back to his room to rest first," he said. He had also drunk quite a bit, his face flushed red, and his breath reeking of alcohol. When he first traveled with He Lingchuan, he had been somewhat reserved, but He Lingchuan frequently invited him and Fan Shuang for drinks. Even an iron man couldn't withstand such a warm offensive, so Commander Zhao did not feel that this evening was any different from usual.

He Lingchuan also stood up. "I'll go with you," he said.

The two escorted Fan Shuang back to his guest room. The man slumped onto the divan and immediately fell asleep, without making a fuss or embarrassing himself. He Lingchuan exhaled a breath smelling of wine and said to Commander Zhao, "This sound of rain is quite conducive to sleep; let's both rest."

Although it was not yet evening, it was as dark as midnight outside, as if the phrase "dark and dismal" was coined specifically for this moment. Commander Zhao had no objections and turned to return to his own guest room. He was a commander, and he had subordinates. While he rested, his subordinates would naturally look after the safety of Fan Shuang and He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan walked back to his own guest room, under the watchful eyes of several guards. Wanqifang was already waiting at the door, standing respectfully. He Lingchuan said, "Come in." The two closed the door in front of the Yao Kingdom's Imperial Guards, and three Yangshan guards stood at the entrance, standing guard for them.