Chapter 1893: Intense Debate

Situ He set up a sound-insulating barrier, then carefully checked the study to ensure no surveillance spells or artifacts remained. Only then did he ask the two men, "What do you think? Is Brother He truly the Great Emperor of Nine Hells?"

He still couldn't accept it, for a simple reason: he was too familiar with He Lingchuan!

Ten days ago, if someone had told him He Lingchuan was the Great Emperor of Nine Hells or a "reincarnation of the Dragon God," he would have burst into laughter all day long.

But now, he couldn't laugh.

Wang Han said, "On such matters, the gods should not lie."

Xun Yu disagreed. "The Heavenly Gods referred to Island Lord He as the Great Emperor of Nine Hells. Who knows their true intentions? Perhaps the Heavenly Gods dislike Island Lord He and want us to eliminate him."

At their level, they knew that gods did not necessarily speak the truth.

Wang Han asked, "What benefit would eliminating Island Lord He bring to the Heavenly Gods?"

"The businesses of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce span across all of Shanjin. Their value is immeasurable and cannot be measured simply in terms of money. Perhaps the Heavenly Gods want to control these assets themselves. In that case, eliminating Island Lord He is the simplest method."

To build such a business empire and cultivate so many talents, it's unknown how many obstacles had to be overcome, both big and small. At least, few predecessors succeeded, and even He Lingchuan himself admitted it was extremely difficult.

People, money, resources, and connections—these four are the core of Yangshan's enterprises. The 'people' factor even ranks above 'money.' How difficult is that to achieve in Shanjin!

No one under the Heavenly Gods could build such a thing. It would be better to take what's already there.

That's what bandits do. Bandits kill for wealth, while the Heavenly Gods could kill He Lingchuan and seize his assets.

Wang Han immediately said, "Since the Yangshan enterprises are so valuable, my lord might have two choices. One is to eliminate He Lingchuan and take the assets for ourselves. The second is to hand these assets over to the Heavenly Gods in exchange for divine protection. What we absolutely should not do is allow Yangshan to continue growing—"

He continued to persuade Situ He: "Leaving other places aside, look within the Allied Forces' territory—which industry or business isn't connected to Yangshan? The livelihoods of every household are ultimately linked to Yangshan. Our economic lifeline is tied to one person. What if one day He Lingchuan turns against us and uses this to threaten us? If my lord has no alternative, won't we be at his mercy?"

"Brother He saved my life and helped the Allied Forces in times of crisis. For the Allied Forces to be where they are today, Brother He is responsible for at least thirty percent of the credit. Am I to repay him this way?" Situ He shook his head. "The people of Shanjin are watching."

If He Lingchuan hadn't saved him from the Ghost King that day, Situ He would no longer exist in this world.

When the Allied Forces lacked money and supplies, He Lingchuan used the power of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce. Even when Situ Yu was assassinated by the Master of Red Lodge and the Allied Forces were on the brink of collapse, it was He Lingchuan who strongly supported him from behind!

Thirty percent was an understatement.

Xun Yu immediately said, "He Lingchuan is a prominent figure in the Shanjin Plains. It's no exaggeration to say, 'Who does not know him?' If you were to kill He Lingchuan, you would certainly be condemned by all, and everyone would brand you as ungrateful."

If Situ He's subordinates were disunited, what power would he have? Would the Allied Forces still obey his commands?

To put it bluntly, He Lingchuan's reputation in the Shanjin Plains was far greater than Situ He's.

People in western Shanjin might not have heard of Situ He, but they definitely knew who He Lingchuan was.

"He Lingchuan helped you, and you repaid him. Otherwise, how could his businesses flourish throughout the Allied Forces' territory? He gave you one favor; must you repay him a thousandfold, endlessly?" Wang Han lowered his voice. "Besides, if even the Heavenly God Miaozhan could perish, why couldn't Island Lord He die suddenly? If he were to die suddenly, how could it be linked to you?"

Situ He's face turned pale.

Wang Han's words were very plain. The core idea was two words:

Assassination.

It would be fine if He Lingchuan died. How he died wasn't important. Who would dare claim Situ He was behind it?

But Situ He's grim expression was because he remembered his own father.

Situ Yu also died in an attack, his grand ambitions unfulfilled.

He snorted, "Assassination? If Brother He truly is the Great Emperor of Nine Hells, sending any number of people would be futile! It's still uncertain whether he killed Heavenly God Miaozhan, but General Xue Zongwu of Yaoguo certainly died by his hand. Could such a figure not evade assassins sent by others?"

In a word, if he wanted to assassinate He Lingchuan, it would be extremely difficult.

Xun Yu immediately said, "The Heavenly Gods know all this, yet still want you to deal with Island Lord He. This indicates either that the Heavenly Gods themselves don't truly believe Island Lord He is the Great Emperor of Nine Hells or the Dragon God, or that they merely want to sow discord between us and Yangshan, treating us as mere pawns, and have other significant plans to deal with Island Lord He."

Wang Han glared at him. "Xun Yu is from the Hometown Association. That organization was originally supported and rebuilt by He Lingchuan and is controlled by He Lingchuan behind the scenes. Of course he'd speak in He Lingchuan's favor! Ha ha, this fellow often drinks with He Lingchuan, exchanging toasts!"

He was older, around forty-six or forty-seven, and had always disliked the Hometown Association.

People from the Hometown Association had some talent, but they were arrogant and conceited and always harbored unrealistic fantasies. In his opinion, those fantasies were empty, grandiose, and no different from bubbles.

Xun Yu was furious. "My lord is also a member of the Hometown Association. When have I ever attended He Lingchuan's banquets without my lord? My lord also drinks and chats with He Lingchuan. Are you implying that my lord has also been bribed by He Lingchuan?"

"Absolutely not!" Wang Han quickly changed the subject and turned to Situ He, saying, "The Allied Forces are on the verge of victory. He Lingchuan is a person who only advances and never retreats. In the future, he might become too powerful to control. It's better to cut him off now. Moreover, the Heavenly Gods are the most powerful force behind the Shanjin Plains.

If He Lingchuan dares to stand against the Heavenly Gods, that would be like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot—suicidal! Why should my lord offend the Heavenly Gods, whom even Beijia carefully serves, for the sake of such an arrogant person?"

These last two sentences were the core of today's discussion!

The Heavenly Gods' power is unrivaled, sufficient to tell anyone in this world, "Those who follow me may not necessarily prosper, but those who defy me will surely perish!"

Xun Yu sneered, "You're changing the subject again! We can't even confirm whether He Lingchuan is the Great Emperor of Nine Hells. How can you say He Lingchuan is definitely against the Heavenly Gods? My lord has known He Lingchuan the longest; has he ever said anything like that?"

Situ He thought carefully and shook his head, "Indeed not."

He Lingchuan had never mentioned in his presence any intention of resisting the Heavenly Gods.

Never.

"Furthermore, even if my lord offers Island Lord He as a token of allegiance, what real help could the Heavenly Gods provide you?" Xun Yu enumerated. "How many nations and forces in the Shanjin Plains worship the Heavenly Gods? In the past two hundred years, only Yaoguo has been a consistently prosperous example. This shows that the Heavenly Gods are not unable to intervene, but simply unwilling to exert effort!"

Without waiting for Wang Han to retort, he quickly continued, "If the Heavenly Gods were truly sincere, why did they designate the Hundred Battles Heavenly God as your patron deity, instead of the Spirit Void Saint Venerable?"