Chapter 889: Innate Evil Land

Chapter 880: A Naturally Malevolent Land

The group had already embarked on the Longchuan trade route. The journey was peaceful, with merchants often passing by, their expressions relaxed.

After another half-day's travel, they reached a checkpoint. Other merchant groups had to queue and pay a fee to pass, but when He Lingchuan showed his waist token and flashed it at the soldiers, they immediately saluted him as "Great Commander!" and stepped aside with a bow, letting them through without any unnecessary words.

By nightfall, this Great Wind Army contingent had passed through three checkpoints, and this scene had repeated itself three times.

Lu Xun had observed for most of the day before finally asking, "Commander He, the checkpoints on this trade route seem quite frequent. Also—the soldiers guarding them aren't from the Great Wind Army, are they?" Although these soldiers wore uniforms and had tokens at their waists, they had a thuggish air, slouched when standing, and only instinctively straightened up upon seeing the Great Wind Army. He had heard that Panlong City was known for its strict military discipline, so how could such a group exist? Of course, Lu Xun, being a guest from afar, asked his question rather discreetly.

"No. Mr. Lu, your insight is truly sharp." He Lingchuan knew exactly what he was getting at. "These were originally Longchuan river bandits. After we offered them amnesty, they remained here to collect road tolls. Each checkpoint brings us further into the bandit gang's original sphere of influence."

"This..." Lu Xun was stunned, not expecting such an answer. The river bandits weren't disbanded and sent elsewhere for training; instead, they were left here to guard the road? Previously, they had to openly rob to get money, but now, under the official banner of Yuheng City, they could simply sit and collect money without shedding blood or sweat? It was practically safe, efficient, and painless. How could Panlong City, always known for its clear rewards and punishments, be so lenient with river bandits?

He Lingchuan explained, "The situation within Longchuan is complex. The Xiji army, which we dispersed, has also hidden in Longchuan, continuing to contend with us. Furthermore, they've received external support, making this kind of internal and external collusion very difficult to suppress. Therefore, we chose to divide the river bandits and eliminate resistance." He added, "Everything prioritizes the safety of the trade route. Other issues can be resolved slowly."

"Before I came, I heard that banditry was rampant on this Xiji trade route, but I didn't expect it to be so orderly now." Lu Xun didn't care how they achieved it; the public order on the trade route was certainly much better. "I had hoped to draw some lessons from this." The implication of "had hoped" was that he originally intended to, but no longer did. The method He Lingchuan employed was tailor-made for the Longchuan river bandits, and others would find it useless to emulate. Everything must proceed from reality.

"Does Bailie also suffer from banditry?"

"Alas, where isn't there? It's just a matter of degree." Lu Xun's mount was startled by a small wild boar that darted out from the roadside. He patted its neck to soothe it. "You have river bandits here; we have pirates there."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan was curious. "I'd be pleased to hear the details."

Lu Xun didn't expect He Lingchuan to be interested in bandits thousands of miles away, so he continued, "The Yangshan Archipelago is located twenty li southwest of Sword Edge Port, comprising forty-two islands of varying sizes. The smallest can accommodate only dozens of people, while the largest, Dragon's Ridge Island, spans over 1,700 qing, with mountains, hills, caves, valleys, and even plains and lakes."

He Lingchuan hissed softly. Over 1,700 qing is more than 110 square kilometers; this island is indeed quite large.

"Although the Yangshan Archipelago is our family's territory, it has been infested with pirates for many years. They use the scattered islands as their base, playing hide-and-seek with us."

He Lingchuan mused, "Do they raid the coast?"

"Generally no, they only plunder passing merchant ships," Lu Xun explained. "The waters around the Yangshan Archipelago are very vast and lie on the necessary westbound shipping route. To completely bypass it, one would have to travel an additional two hundred li. Moreover, the outer sea is often rough, while passing through the archipelago offers much calmer waters."

"Are there civilians on the islands?"

"Very few, apart from a few ports dedicated to resupplying food and water."

He Lingchuan smacked a mosquito buzzing annoyingly by his ear. "Can't you just arrange for concentrated military sweeps a few times, and then have official troops garrison the islands?" The reason Longchuan's bandit problem was so difficult to eradicate was that many civilians also lived in the waters, and they had close ties with the river bandits, sometimes to the point where bandits and civilians were indistinguishable. Whether it was Xiji before or Yuheng City later, attempting to suppress the bandits often led to accidental harm to civilians, which in turn caused endless resistance, making it terribly hard to deal with. The leaders of Thousand Gold Stronghold and Ball Gang dared to come and negotiate with him precisely because they were confident that Yuheng City's army wouldn't dare to recklessly slaughter people in Longchuan. But the Yangshan Archipelago doesn't have this problem; hardly anyone lives there apart from the pirates. So why are the Bailie people still being so polite to them?

"We have indeed done so, but the bandits are like weeds; they will continue to proliferate as soon as we relax our efforts. Moreover, garrisoning troops on the Yangshan Archipelago is truly difficult."

"Why?" Apart from anything else, Dragon's Ridge Island, the main island of Yangshan, is so large; doesn't it have food and fresh water?

There was nothing else to do while traveling, so chatting was a good way to pass the time. Lu Xun sighed, "Long ago, my ancestors purchased a large territory including Sword Edge Port and the Yangshan Archipelago. At the time, they thought the price was a bargain, but only after buying it did they realize that most of the islands in the Yangshan Archipelago were uninhabitable."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Every seven days, at midnight, malevolent Yin energy emerges from the karst caves of the Yangshan Archipelago, spreading across the entire island. This energy is harmless to plants and even promotes their growth, but humans and animals cannot endure it. Staying on the island for just a few hours causes illness, and any longer leads to death." Lu Xun shook his head. "It took us a lot of effort to discover that there is a natural vein of turbid Yin energy beneath the Yangshan Archipelago!"

He Lingchuan mused, "Earthly Fiend?"

"Exactly, the Earthly Fiend!"

Heaven and Earth possess two forms of Qi: Yang Qi, which is clear and spiritual, nourishing all things; and Yin Qi, which is malevolent and turbid, causing all things to wither. These two are mutually restrictive yet mutually generative. Yang Qi floats in the heavens, while Yin Qi sinks into the earth. Just as spiritual energy can form mineral veins when it sinks into the ground, so too can malevolent Yin energy. However, such subterranean veins are quite rare, and those connected to the surface are even rarer. When the Yuan Kingdom was destroyed, the resentment of millions also formed an Earthly Fiend, leaving its former territory barren. But a natural vein of malevolent Yin energy is the opposite: it doesn't harm plants, only humans and livestock. Not all Earthly Fiends are alike.

"Even primal energy can't withstand it?"

"It cannot withstand it; the Yin energy is too strong." Primal energy also has its limits. Can Bailie's primal energy compare to the power of Heaven and Earth? "Near the exit of the turbid Yin energy vein, a person cannot survive for more than two ke."

"Furthermore, Dragon's Ridge Island is home to a monster called the Yin Hui, which can enter water and eats people," Lu Xun shook his head. "They typically operate within the areas covered by the malevolent Yin energy. Travelers who wander too deep into the archipelago are sometimes not killed by the Yin energy but are devoured alive by these monsters."