Chapter 1621: Hidden Dragon in the Abyss

What Yangshan sought was not solely monetary profit, but also included several specific conditions. For instance, trade goods from Muguang were required to include healthy warhorses of suitable age, high-quality crop seeds, medicinal herb seeds, and other valuable resources.

Knowing that Ling Mountain possessed numerous spiritual seeds, which Muguang had been continuously refining, and with the frequent appearances of Imperial Nectar alongside the gradual resurgence of spiritual energy, it was highly probable that spiritual grains and fruits would soon reappear in the world. He Lingchuan understood this and needed to begin his strategic planning immediately.

He Lingchuan was quite satisfied with Yangshan's operations. Every penny, grain, resource, and even person acquired at this stage was laying the groundwork for his grand future plans.

The latter half of the letter was written by Qiu Hu in code.

As of the letter's dispatch, another three thousand soldiers had boarded ships at Yangshan Pier and set sail. This brought the total to twenty-eight batches of soldiers transported by Yangshan to Julu Port, comprising over thirty-eight thousand military personnel in small, frequent shipments, along with more than seventeen thousand business association and logistics personnel.

The reason for the slightly lower number of logistics personnel was the abundance of resources on Golden Flash Plain.

Various strategic materials departed simultaneously with the personnel and were escorted by military escorts all the way to the port. These included countless quantities of food, weapons, armor, medicine, equipment, and gold and silver treasures, with a total value exceeding sixty-two million taels.

Yangshan's new ships had already been launched and were faster than the previous ones. Along the route, pirates and aquatic demons had either been eliminated or brought under control, making the sea journey safe without the need for detours. As a result, the trip from the Yangshan Archipelago to Julu Port had been shortened from seven days to five and a half days, and with favorable winds, it could be even half a day or a full day faster.

If it weren't for the autumn hurricane season, Yangshan could have transported even more personnel and materials to Julu Port.

Both Yangshan and Julu Port were teeming with spies and informants from various factions. While such frequent movements of personnel and materials naturally aroused suspicion, key data remained elusive, making it impossible to estimate the true scale and quantity of the operations.

The Yangshan Archipelago, inherently offshore and composed of dozens of islands of varying sizes along with hundreds of reef formations, created a complex separation of land and water. For outsiders, gathering intelligence was exceedingly difficult, and the deployment and rotation of the island's garrison remained a complete mystery. Furthermore, after more than three years of diligent management, the Yangshan Archipelago had become a crucial hub for trade and logistics, where personnel and goods traveling from all directions transited and consolidated.

Rough estimates indicated that the five major commercial ports of Yangshan handled over 1,060 ship movements daily, averaging eleven ships every fifteen minutes. This doesn't even include Yangshan's dedicated internal docks for its own fishing and cargo vessels, or for civilians traveling between islands. The sight of "a thousand sails competing" was, therefore, a common occurrence in the Yangshan Archipelago.

These ports and docks were like monsters, daily processing enormous volumes of cargo. Yangshan's own materials and personnel, transported amidst this massive flow, were as untraceable as countless rivers merging into the vast ocean.

The real challenge, however, was for Julu Port on Golden Flash Plain to receive such a vast amount of materials without causing congestion or arousing suspicion.

Fortunately, He Lingchuan had planned this for a long time. Since the establishment of Peng State, Julu Port, which maintained its status as a free port, quickly became Yangshan's dedicated logistics hub.

Peng State initially had some reservations, but as it was originally a regime supported by Muguang, it dared not be too harsh on He Lingchuan, who was backed by Ling Mountain. Later, as the Yangshan Business Association flourished in Julu Port, even while enjoying Peng State's preferential policies, Peng State itself saw an explosive growth in tax revenues. These included taxes from ports, road tolls, warehousing, trade, and even property taxes, amounting to almost a hundred times more than during the Bohai period!

A hundredfold!

Peng State was merely a small nation, and over seventy percent of its current treasury revenue came from Julu Port. It could truly be said that one port sustained the entire country.

With a money tree falling from the sky, why would Peng State not embrace it?

Having received such substantial benefits, Peng State simply turned a blind eye to Yangshan's monopolization of Julu Port. After all, the new monarch, who had been in power for over half a year, clearly understood that the Yangshan Business Association had powerful backing, strong connections, ample funds, and plenty of personnel. Peng State, being newly established and still weak, could only watch as Julu Port gradually slipped from its control, all while quietly counting its newfound wealth.

The situation was exceedingly favorable; why would he disrupt this prosperous and peaceful atmosphere?

If Peng State were to manage it itself, Julu Port would certainly not be what it was today.

Yet beneath this facade of prosperity and peace, Yangshan's personnel and materials were quickly dispersed upon arrival at Julu Port.

Not long ago, Bai Ziqi discovered that the Yangshan Business Association had countless warehouses in Julu Port, with a constant, dense flow of materials and personnel, and surprisingly good security at the port. This was because goods transported from the Yangshan Archipelago were temporarily stored at Julu Port before being transshipped to various Yangshan Business Association branches, large and small, in the interior.

The soldiers and logistics personnel arriving at the port would also move deep into the interior with the materials arriving on the same ships, stationing themselves at the various branches.

Currently, the Yangshan Business Association held a dominant position in Golden Flash Plain, while the Changlong Martial Arts Academy was a well-known name in the central, western, and southern regions, specializing in freight and personnel escort. He Lingchuan's soldiers, utilizing their own transportation system, rapidly infiltrated every corner of Golden Flash Plain where a Yangshan Business Association branch was established.

Each branch served as a node, and the trade routes were the connections. If someone could map out all the Yangshan Business Association branches across Golden Flash Plain, they would discover a vast, intricate, and dense network already in place!

Unfortunately, no one could draw this complete map.

He Lingchuan himself never committed it to paper, only sketching it in his mind. He also did not allow any of his subordinates to draw it; at most, he permitted regional managers to create contact maps for their specific areas, for use by merchants and soldiers.

This is where it became apparent that Yangshan had fully leveraged the advantages of the chaotic lands. Aside from Yao State, Golden Flash Plain was dotted with various small factions, lacking any large, centralized nations. Yangshan spread its influence across different states and regions, making it impossible for local powers, even if alert, to fully monitor its entire operation.

No one knew the true scale of the game He Lingchuan was playing.

But he himself was proceeding brilliantly.

After reviewing so much information and intelligence, another half an hour passed. Even the Soul-Snatching Mirror felt its 'eyes' were tired and couldn't help but yawn, "Wow, that made me sleepy."

Yet its master remained energetic.

Indeed, those who achieve great things must possess superhuman energy.

While He Lingchuan was still pondering these figures, the mirror asked him, "Are you going to empty out all of Yangshan's assets?"

"Not entirely, but at least seventy to eighty percent," He Lingchuan said seriously. "After bypassing Ya State, the fleet largely sailed along the coastline, encountering fewer disruptions. However, strange winds are common at sea in late winter and early spring, making transportation difficult. The next large-scale transport will have to wait until after the warm spring, so time is still somewhat tight."

The mirror sighed, "Do you really think the Yangshan Archipelago will be very dangerous in the future?"

"It's about preparing for the worst," He Lingchuan said, remaining sober-minded. "Our plotting in Golden Flash Plain is aimed at taking a bite out of Beijia's profits and undermining Muguang's foundation. Once they react, they will surely be furious. Yangshan is too small, and its operations rely too heavily on the Golden Sea Route. Though the archipelago currently thrives like a blazing fire, if Muguang turns hostile and cuts off the shipping lanes, the archipelago's commercial flow will quickly dry up."

While Yangshan would not simply wait to be destroyed and would fight back, it would be like a fight between a five-year-old child and an adult strongman. Who would inflict more pain? Who would be less able to withstand a beating?

It's plain to see.

This was the hidden danger that came with the Yangshan Archipelago's prosperity and strength, and it was also He Lingchuan's motivation for seeking development in Golden Flash Plain.

He sighed, "Yangshan is too close to Muguang. Initially, I sought refuge under Muguang, but now I must guard against it. There are indeed pros and cons to this situation."

Back then, he traveled thousands of miles to Blade Edge Port precisely to hide behind Muguang and escape Beijia's pursuit. However, what brought success through location could also lead to failure through location; the locational advantage at that time would very likely become a locational disadvantage one day.

Yangshan had always kept a low profile and accumulated strength, but there would eventually come a time when it could no longer be hidden.

That day was drawing nearer.

"Therefore, we must prepare for a rainy day." Furthermore, with his current vast enterprise, he shouldn't put all his eggs in one basket.

"After my trip to Yao State is over, I'll have to make time to rush back to the Yangshan Archipelago," He Lingchuan said, exhaling heavily. "If the worst comes to pass, Ding Zuodong, Qiu Hu, and the others will be among the last to evacuate."

His goal was Golden Flash Plain; his future was in Golden Flash Plain. Naturally, he should gradually move his forces there in batches.

Those tens of thousands of people entering the vast territory of Golden Flash Plain would instantly disperse without causing a ripple. Distributed among each Yangshan branch, it might only mean an additional few dozen or a few hundred people, making it impossible for outsiders to calculate the overall picture or total numbers.

The vastness of this land could accommodate a multitude of beings that a hundred Yangshan Archipelagos could not even begin to compare with.

Now, He Lingchuan's people, money, and provisions were steadily and secretly falling into place.

"We have already planted seeds throughout the plains. Now, we just need to wait for a thunderclap."

Coincidentally, no sooner had he finished speaking than a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.

A latent dragon in the abyss, patiently awaits its time to soar into the heavens.

It was already dark, but He Lingchuan still sent Wanqiu Feng to invite Peng Yukui and his companion.

The mirror asked curiously, "Didn't you want them to remain calm?"

"That was before. Circumstances have changed, and I've altered my plan." He Lingchuan's expression subtly darkened. "Qingyang specifically mentioned Bai Ziqi last night, threatening to reveal information about the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds to him. She wanted to observe my reaction and even force me to leave Tianshui City."

"Force us to leave?" the mirror asked curiously. "Why?"

"If I were the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds, how much destruction could I cause? Qingyang must be considering this point."

In Qingyang's eyes, He Xiao might not hold much weight, but the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds was not to be underestimated!

"At this critical juncture," He Lingchuan smiled, "she naturally prefers to avoid complications and wants the plan to proceed smoothly. Furthermore, the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds moved freely across Golden Flash Plain, yet only appeared briefly in Yao State. Qingyang would know then that I still have concerns in Tianshui City and cannot act entirely as I please. Therefore, after Cao Wendao's attack failed, she might hope that I retreat gracefully."

The mirror didn't understand. "She hates you to death; why would she want you to leave Tianshui City?"

"How can a bit of personal grudge compare to matters of state?"