Chapter 1544: He Lingchuan's Preparation

He Lingchuan noticed the dark circles under Dong Rui's eyes but didn't comment on them. The man must have been working on his research day and night again, which explained his exhausted appearance.

"Where is she, then?" He Lingchuan frowned. "She hasn't stayed in Jucheng, has she?" That place wasn't safe for Xiao An, and Xiao An wasn't safe for the civilians there.

"No," Dong Rui replied. "Am I that careless? I took her to the Ghost King's Catacomb in Howling Forest and left her a few Dragon Torture Pillars. It's a large place, perfect for her to play hide-and-seek with the spirits. Oh, and she can see ghosts easily, no need for ox-tear drops."

Even He Lingchuan had to admit it was an excellent location. Howling Forest was permeated by ominous energy, which ordinary creatures and cultivators avoided. Xiao An's "father" certainly couldn't enter either, so the girl was safe there. The Ghost King's Catacomb was originally Dong Rui's secret laboratory, and he had stocked it with plenty of daily necessities, including food and drink.

"The child is obedient and likes the catacomb; she won't run out casually," Dong Rui said. As long as she wasn't provoked into her true form, Xiao An was a well-behaved and intelligent little girl.

"So, has this month of research been productive?"

"Productive, very productive, with great gains!" Dong Rui's eyes lit up at the mention of experiments. "My research had stagnated for a long time, but Xiao An has given me immense inspiration."

He Lingchuan smiled, but his eyes didn't join in. "What about the tasks I gave you?" This fellow always forgot about important matters the moment he started researching.

"Done, done!" Dong Rui quickly replied. "Several young men from Yangshan are very promising; they lead their teams quite competently. For example, that Lao... Lao..."

"Lao Wensong?" He Lingchuan knew his subordinates intimately.

"Yes, him! He identified seven or eight groups of 'grass-roots armies' who were being hunted. They were all claiming to do good under the banner of the Black Dragon or the Great Emperor of Nine Netherworlds, but they were being encircled and intercepted by local forces, almost driven to a dead end. Then, we intervened against their pursuers!" Dong Rui laughed heartily. "So satisfying, truly satisfying! The Ghost Ape even devoured a county magistrate."

The Ghost Ape bared its teeth, thinking the fat magistrate wasn't as tasty as candy beans.

He Lingchuan pointed at it. "No one found out, right?"

Dong Rui grinned, showing his teeth. "Don't worry, we left no survivors. Oh, and in a few days, I'll need to change its appearance."

"Anyway, by the time I left, stories of the true Black Armored Army rescuing the fake Black Armored Army were already circulating throughout the Blazegold Plains." Needless to say, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce was fanning the flames behind the scenes. "Those grassroots armies were greatly encouraged and excited. In the past month, your imitators have at least doubled."

These self-proclaimed "Black Armored Armies" were initially weak, and if encircled by local forces or the army, they could easily be wiped out. At such times, He Lingchuan didn't mind lending a hand to help them eliminate their pursuers.

He Lingchuan also smiled. "I've received news that some of these grassroots armies seem to have started merging?" He had indeed received several rapid dispatches to that effect.

"Exactly." Dong Rui took another gulp of tea. "Do you remember the Weng brothers?"

"Of course." He Lingchuan's three-month agreement with the Weng brothers was nearing its end.

"In the past two months, they've joined a Cangzhou team whose leader is called Doctor Li. He's very shrewd in management and even seems to have military experience," Dong Rui chuckled. "This team started with just over a hundred people, and after targeting a few corrupt gentry and evil officials, their numbers grew with each fight. Not long ago, they even merged with the Pang brothers from Ruhai, instantly expanding their forces to nearly a thousand and making quite a name for themselves! Several places tried to encircle them, but Doctor Li broke through the sieges and escaped, without even needing our intervention."

"Only those who survive the sifting of the great waves are truly capable," He Lingchuan acknowledged. "People like this just lack time and opportunity. We provide the opportunity, and they will naturally rise to prominence."

Sparks grow from small to large, from weak to strong. Now, the true Black Armored Army had shifted its function, with its main task becoming the nurturing of these nascent movements and sparks.

"Oh, and another thing," He Lingchuan added after a moment's thought. "Have Lao Wensong go to Julu Port in person. If the Weng brothers' original intentions haven't changed, incorporate them directly into the Black Armored Army!" This would be the first group of Blazegold people officially integrated into the Black Armored Army.

He Lingchuan clearly understood that this step had to be taken eventually. In the near future, the main force of the Black Armored Army would be the people of Blazegold. The Yangshan Archipelago and Bylie were too small. Only the vast lands of Blazegold could bear his ambitions and hopes and provide him with a continuous supply of manpower.

"Oh, by the way, the allied forces have recently won two more battles," Dong Rui said, pushing his messy hair aside. "Bixia's defeat is sealed, and they want to negotiate with the allied forces. Situ He refused, probably wanting to seize Bixia in one fell swoop while Yaoguo is too preoccupied to intervene."

Situ He harbored both national and personal vengeance, eager to settle scores with Bixia.

"They've also noticed something is wrong with Yaoguo?"

"They noticed it long ago," Dong Rui replied. "As soon as I returned to Jucheng, Situ He came to visit, wanting to know what you've been up to recently. I only casually mentioned one or two things, like how you killed He Yang and became highly influential in Tianshui City. He was immensely impressed, saying you were truly worthy of Island Master He, accomplishing what ordinary people cannot."

"He's become the Allied Forces Commander; he's grown quickly, and his mind is far more agile than before." He Lingchuan had always been paying attention to Situ He, observing the changes in his character.

In the past, even with his talent, Situ He often acted on pure passion. Yet, in just a few months, he had become calm and thoughtful. The crucible of war: some enter only to become fuel, while others are forged into sharp blades.

Dong Rui remembered something else and took a booklet from his robe. "And this document here," he said. "Jiang Lishui didn't dare send it to Tianshui City via rapid dispatch, fearing it would be intercepted, so he entrusted me to bring it directly to you."

He Lingchuan took it, flipped through it, and nodded. "Excellent. This information is too important to fall into external hands."

"I see some business names and numbers on it?" Dong Rui asked. Business matters always gave him a headache just looking at them.

Strangely enough, if numbers appeared in his research experiments, he could understand them perfectly. But if they appeared in He Lingchuan's business ledgers, his eyes would blur.

"These are fifty-five business entities I've set up across the Blazegold Plains," He Lingchuan explained as he flipped through the pages. "Of course, not all of them operate under the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce banner; in fact, most outwardly have no connection to Yangshan."

"What are they for?" Dong Rui tutted. "How many brains do you have? How many things do you handle at once?" Just dealing with the Hidden Lake Villa and the Tianshui East Expansion project would exhaust ten ordinary people, yet He Lingchuan also managed the Yangshan Archipelago's business in the Blazegold Plains remotely, and simultaneously seemed to be initiating new plans for the next phase. Of course, Dong Rui didn't know that at night, He Lingchuan also had to enter the Dragon-Coiling World and engage in tense, fierce battles against the Beiga there.

He Lingchuan smiled. "This is preparing for a rainy day. Taking advantage of the autumn harvest in various places, we first collect some supplies and store them locally, for contingencies. This booklet is a directory, marking the locations of each business's warehouses, as well as the quantities of stored food, weapons, and medicine, for later verification."

"What do you mean by 'contingencies'?" Dong Rui scratched his head. "It looks like these are spread all over Blazegold."

"Except for Yaoguo and northern Blazegold, we've set up something in most other places. There are relatively few in eastern Blazegold as well." He Lingchuan flipped to the latter half of the booklet. "The collection and storage situation isn't entirely satisfactory in all places; some simply can't collect, and in some areas, Yangshan's influence can't yet penetrate. Time is a bit tight; we need to speed up."

The Blazegold Plains presented far more difficulties than other places. Dong Rui was also curious as to why Yangshan was collecting and storing supplies all over Blazegold. What kind of preparations was He Lingchuan so methodically making?

However, He Lingchuan closed the ledger and offered no further explanation. Instead, he looked at the eaves where rainwater was dripping and said to Dong Rui, "You're back just in time. Shall we go out?" Dong Rui stood up and stretched. "Let's go."

The two returned to He Lingchuan's courtyard. His residence was guarded by Yangshan protectors, keeping idlers away. Dong Rui understood his intention. "Where to?"

"Into the city."

A major benefit of moving to Yongquan Mountain Villa was the freedom of movement and the convenience of using the Snail Toad for travel, unlike at the Sanmentou Inn, where they couldn't move freely and there were spies everywhere. He Lingchuan's backyard was filled with large trees and a deep garden; from above, only dense tree canopies could be seen. He used his Soul-Capturing Mirror to repeatedly confirm there were no lurking monsters or individuals with divine powers nearby, only then instructing Dong Rui to summon the Snail Toad.

In the rainy weather, the Snail Toad plunged into the ground, moving with extreme smoothness.

Tonglin Emporium.

The night rain was fading, and Gu Lin was still counting accounts, not yet having gone to bed. Business at Tonglin Emporium had been exceptionally good recently, with Yangshan transferring so many orders they couldn't complete them all. Of course, for the sake of secrecy, Yangshan didn't solely deal with Tonglin Emporium; instead, they distributed Hidden Lake Villa's needs to dozens of merchant associations. Tonglin Emporium received a relatively small share, making it less conspicuous.

Gu Lin counted accounts for a while, feeling a bit dizzy, so he stood up to walk a few steps and stretch his limbs. The merchant association was completely deserted on this rainy night; not even the usual stray cats came calling. The old gatekeeper was already dozing off, lulled by the sound of the rain.

Three wind lanterns under the eaves swayed gently in the breeze. The middle one was dark, and the other two glowed faintly, resisting the wind and rain. With a puff, the left one went out. Ignoring the wind and rain, Gu Lin quickly went out to relight it.

It couldn't go out! It was a signal, a secret code indicating his presence in the association and that all was safe. As Gu Lin was about to head back inside, he suddenly sensed something behind him, like a faint breeze. He spun around, and a person had appeared silently behind him.

Gu Lin wasn't alarmed. Instead, he pushed the door open with the back of his hand and said in a low voice, "You've arrived. Please come in." The newcomer was He Lingchuan. A nearby room door opened, and Wang Fubao emerged—he now specifically looked after Gu Lin and would come out to investigate at the slightest disturbance. He Lingchuan waved his hand at him, and the loyal guard went under the eaves to act as a lookout for the two.

The two entered the room, closing the doors and windows. He Lingchuan casually set up a soundproofing barrier before sitting down. His very first question made Gu Lin pause: "The capital's expansion is booming. Did you seize the opportunity to invest in some land?"