Chapter 927: Persuasion

Min Tianxi walked in front of the pirates, pressing his hands down to signal for quiet. As soon as he stepped forward, the pirates' clamor subsided.

"Listen to me, everyone, listen to me!" Min Tianxi coughed lightly. "Young Master He just led us deep into the archipelago, and we killed dozens of Shadow Vipers. I can guarantee you one thing: Young Master He can dispel the malevolent energy of Yangshan Archipelago!"

The pirate group erupted in a buzz, almost overwhelmed by the news. Everyone spoke at once, with the loudest voices shouting:

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"That scoundrel must have given our Chief some hallucinogenic drug!"

"If the archipelago's malevolent energy can be dispelled, I'll stand on my head for three days!"

"Chief, if you're being coerced into speaking, just blink!"

Min Tianxi had been exposed to the sea breeze for several hours, making his eyes dry. He had wanted to blink, but upon hearing that remark, he had to force his eyelids open to avoid any misunderstanding. He Lingchuan specifically glanced at the man who said "stand on my head for three days," making a mental note of him.

Once the pirates started to argue, the place resembled a bustling market and took a long time to calm down. Min Tianxi was used to it and showed ample patience. This was completely different from the strict discipline of an army.

Min Tianxi waited until they quieted down before continuing, "He Xiaoliu, Daopian, and Old Du—they all witnessed it with their own eyes and can confirm what I'm saying."

Several pirates who had been on He Lingchuan's boat nodded vigorously, "It's true! Young Master He absorbed all the malevolent energy from the sea and the islands! We saw it clearly; there's no mistake."

"We even sailed all the way to Dragon Ridge Island's coast and heard the roar of the Shadow Viper King."

"We killed many Shadow Vipers along the way! We even brought one back, tied to the back of the boat."

The Shadow Viper had been bobbing up and down in the water, hidden by the boat. Granny Zhu jumped into the water and pushed it onto the beach. If they hadn't moved quickly, a group of pirates would have been knocked over. Everyone turned, and before they could even curse, they gasped sharply:

"What a huge Shadow Viper, and it's dead!"

For the past few days, Shadow Viper carcasses had been washing ashore, and everyone was tired of seeing them. However, a Shadow Viper nearly five zhang long was truly rare. "What's five zhang? That's the size of a medium-sized whale." Its serpentine body, stretched out, was almost half the length of Fishbone Reef.

An hour ago, when they were capturing this incredibly powerful creature, it thrashed wildly, almost capsizing He Lingchuan's boat; even the strong Granny Zhu missed her grip, and the boat was nearly dragged into the sea. In a critical moment, Young Master He drew his Soaring Dragon Spear, leaped into the sea, and delivered a powerful thrust that directly pierced the Shadow Viper's skull. A circular hole remained right in the center of the Shadow Viper's forehead.

The scene quieted down. He Lingchuan looked at the pirates' wide eyes, knowing he had achieved the desired effect. The shock of seeing the massive creature lying dead before them was more convincing than any words. The pirates from the Second Path were even more aware that just a few days ago, creatures like this had come ashore at night, causing significant casualties in the First and Third Paths; yet, He Lingchuan and his group had captured them at sea, which was several times more difficult.

And they had killed dozens of giant vipers in one go! Such power, such efficiency... Everyone then looked at the mountain-like Granny Zhu, and nodded, *hmm*, adding that kind of assistance. What Chief Min said, perhaps, possibly, might be true?

The pirates' gazes towards He Lingchuan became flickering and wary. Mysterious powerful figures of unknown origin are always feared. Not to mention they had only defeated the Second Path and abducted Chief Min a few hours earlier.

Seeing the change in his subordinates' attitudes, Min Tianxi took a deep breath and declared loudly:

"Young Master He has purchased the Yangshan Archipelago from the Bailie people and intends to manage it properly. Many things need to be done right now, and he's only short on manpower. Therefore, I've decided—"

The main event arrived: "To join Young Master He's command."

To He Lingchuan's surprise, this time the pirates' reaction wasn't as intense as before; instead, they exchanged glances.

"Most of you here have been with me for over ten years, sharing hardships together. Those who wish to stay will continue to share in prosperity; for those who wish to leave, I won't stop you. We've been brothers, so go pursue your own futures!"

The man who said "stand on my head for three days" stepped forward again, saying, "The Chief is still in their hands; I'm afraid his words aren't sincere!"

Someone nearby corrected him, "It's 'insincere'!"

He Lingchuan chuckled, "How much money do you usually earn by living dangerously, plundering at the risk of your lives? If you're too ruthless, the authorities will come after you. Why not work properly under me? Before long, you'll be living a life of luxury."

Someone asked, "What can we do by following you?"

"Many things, but all legitimate businesses. Didn't your Chief Min say that many things need to be done in the archipelago? There's plenty of work." He Lingchuan pointed towards Yangshan Archipelago. "I am the owner of Yangshan Archipelago, legitimately and reasonably. If you follow me, earning and spending money will all be above board."

He patted Min Tianxi's shoulder. "You explain it to them properly. I'm heading back to Blade Port now."

Min Tianxi immediately turned and bowed his head, responding, "Yes."

He Lingchuan turned and boarded the boat, sailing away from Fishbone Reef with Qiu Hu and the others, leaving the space for discussion to Min Tianxi.

Watching the dense cluster of pirates on Fishbone Reef grow smaller in the distance, Qiu Hu said, "Young Master is very lenient towards these pirates."

"We already dealt them a heavy blow earlier, killing dozens of people." At this point, He Lingchuan remembered that Qiu Hu himself had killed six, a nearly one-third kill rate. "Now it's time to offer them some incentives."

A combination of strictness and kindness produces extraordinary results.

He Lingchuan continued, "Furthermore, the organizational structure of bandits is different from that of regular armies. Armies have clear hierarchies, strict discipline, and emphasize obedience; bandits, however, are very loosely organized. While they do have leaders and the leaders have their trusted confidants, internally they prioritize fairness. The saying 'big bowls of meat, big scales to divide gold' emphasizes this 'division'. If a leader distributes unfairly, morale among the subordinates will scatter, people will leave, and they won't continue to follow you."

"Such an organizational structure cannot withstand pressure. Min Tianxi understands this well, which is why he cannot coerce his subordinates to join me; he can only persuade them." He Lingchuan smiled. "I am lenient with them because we are truly short-handed right now."

The water bandits are familiar with the Yangshan sea area, are strong and healthy, skilled at boating, and have good relations with the coastal villages—exactly what He Lingchuan needs now. The biggest variable, of course, is loyalty.

"It doesn't matter; people's expectations can be manipulated."

Qiu Hu and the others pondered carefully, all nodding in agreement. Wang Fubao scratched his head and said, "Young Master sees things so clearly."

He Lingchuan smirked slightly, "Few people, I'm afraid, can match my understanding of bandits." Even when he entered Panlong City at night, he was constantly thinking of ways to solve the problem of the water bandits in Longchuan.

Wang Fubao then asked, "If we subdue the Second Path, what about the First and Third Paths?" Their young master had already become an island lord, and it was impossible for him to allow pirates to roam freely and plunder the archipelago. However, bandit suppression had always been a troublesome matter, and even the former Bailie had never been able to eradicate the pirate menace.

"At that time, they won't have a choice."

These words were quite harsh. Wang Fubao asked in surprise, "Will you have to coerce them again then?"

"Whether to do something or not depends on the overall situation," Qiu Hu said, patting the back of his head. "You'll know when the time comes."

At this moment, the Soul-Snatching Mirror in He Lingchuan's arms also asked, "Aren't you afraid Min Tianxi is just humoring you again? Once he returns to his lair, he might completely disregard his promises." There wasn't any oath binding between the master and Min.

"Perhaps," He Lingchuan said, turning to face another direction of the wind. "Nothing is absolute in this world."

"But if he's smart, he should assess the consequences of being my enemy," he said blandly. "My island purchase procedures are complete, legal, and reasonable, and I can also absorb malevolent energy, which means I hold the absolute initiative in Yangshan Archipelago. They are just a disorganized mob; if they dare to be treacherous or rob my guests, I will certainly not be lenient with them."

When he arranged to meet Min Tianxi today, not only did the other party want to intimidate him, but he also intended to show off his strength; neither side had good intentions. Otherwise, why would the powerful enforcer Granny Zhu have come along? Only by letting the pirates know he's someone not to be provoked or avoided would they possibly submit to him. The combination of stick and carrot is always the best way to win people over.

"'If you can't beat them, join them' is essentially a pirate's basic survival skill." Otherwise, how would Min Tianxi have so many subordinates? "They'll figure it out."

As soon as darkness fell, the wind picked up.

He Lingchuan had been incredibly busy these past few days, and only after finishing reading the account books Wen Daolun had sent did he remember he hadn't visited Lu Xun in two days. As he walked outside the inn in Yuheng City, Lu Xun happened to be returning from outside and called out to him at the entrance:

"Commander He!"

"Mr. Lu, where are you going?" Seeing Lu Xun strolling leisurely, he seemed to be in a good mood.

"I'll be leaving in a few days, so I need to buy some souvenirs for my clan members." Lu Xun casually pulled out a jade pendant from his sleeve and showed it to him. "Oh, by the way, look at this jade!"

They stood under the luminous spores outside the inn's entrance, where the light was bright, and the jade pendant in his hand shimmered with a soft glow.

"Beautiful, like lychee jelly."

As soon as the words left his mouth, He Lingchuan was startled. Why did the shape and color of this jade pendant look so familiar to him?

"In a little over three months, my grandson will turn one," Lu Xun said with a smile. "I want to give him this fine Tongshan jade."

"They sell such good jade in Yuheng City?" Jade is easily faked; he hoped his ancestor wasn't being tricked.

Lu Xun paused, then burst out laughing. "This was a gift from Commander Zhong before he left; I didn't buy it in the city!"

"..." *Didn't you just say that in a way that could easily be misunderstood?*

Lu Xun held the jade pendant up to the light. "Later, I'll have someone engrave a character on it."

He Lingchuan blurted out, "Lu?"

He remembered then: wasn't this the relic left by his original body's mother, Lu Xiuyun? Except now it was just a blank jade pendant, without that prominent red character "Lu."

Lu Xun said, "I want to engrave my grandson's name."

"Why not make it a family heirloom?"

Lu Xun was moved by the suggestion, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, yes, I'll take Commander He's auspicious words."