Chapter 950: Seemingly Easy but Actually Difficult

That large wild boar? Back then, it and Lord Boshan besieged Granny Zhu, and its reckless charge left a deep impression on He Lingchuan.

He was thrilled: "Excellent!"

"Near Butterfly Valley in Mu State, there are two old monsters. Their territories are too small, making them uncomfortable, so I'll try inviting them too."

He Lingchuan clapped his hands: "This is my good Granny Zhu!"

He immediately discussed a method of communication with Granny Zhu. After some thought, he reassured the spider demon: "Currently, Dragonspine Island and Silkweb Island are restricted fishing zones, and very few boats can pass through these waters. But your island will soon yield produce, so I will instruct special boats entering and leaving Silkweb Island to paint their keels red as a mark. The Yin Hui will not obstruct them once they see this mark underwater. This red mark will be concealed underwater; unless a boat runs aground for repairs, no one else will see it, and even if they did, they wouldn't know its meaning."

Granny Zhu raised a claw: "This is good. The Bega people won't be able to approach Silkweb Island with unmarked boats."

The important matters for today were concluded, and the tide was also starting to recede from the shore. In the newly built fish traps of the spider demons, the splashing figures of fish began to appear.

Only when the high tide receded could one clearly see who was stranded in the death trap.

Granny Zhu stood up and had a small spider fetch several lively, one-meter-long fish, which were tied through the gills with spider silk, and handed them to He Lingchuan:

"The wine was good. This is a return gift."

He Lingchuan casually accepted them: "When I've finished these, I'll come back for more."

The spider demon sisters accompanied He Lingchuan through the spider nest back to the surface, then saw him off as he boarded his boat for the return journey.

Granny Zhu decided to stay and have a meal with her sister.

Watching the small boat sail further and further away, Granny Zhu remained on the shore, deep in thought.

The small spiders around her were still busy. Since they were already there, they might as well carry some gravel back, which could help regulate the aeration of the topsoil.

Granny Zhu smiled: "I told you he's a good person, someone reliable."

"He might not be a good person," Granny Zhu recalled He Lingchuan raising havoc in heaven to retrieve her shed skin, but she also remembered the young man stabbing her and stealing one of her shed skins! "But you're right, this fellow is reliable."

Reliability was enough.

Who would dare to shelter her under the pressure of the Bega?

Who would offend the Bega for her sake?

Moreover, He Lingchuan himself had unmentionable secrets; sheltering her would easily expose him.

Now, the spider demon sisters, He Lingchuan, and these islands were all bound together. They could only hope he would win, only hope he would endure to the end.

"I hope this is my last move."

The sky winds and ocean waves were eternal.

He Lingchuan sat alone at the bow again, feeling the sea breeze on his face. It was autumn after all; even the sunlight had become lazy, and the warmth was gone.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror asked him: "From your coherent analysis, the Bega don't seem that difficult to deal with, do they?"

"That was for the spider demon sisters to hear," He Lingchuan said, closing his eyes. "In reality, how could it be that simple?"

"...Ah? So it's very difficult to deal with then?"

"When has the Bega ever been easy to deal with?" He continued. "What's more, that person named Yu is a subordinate of the Frostleaf Grand Master. Sigh, we've dealt with the Frostleaf Grand Master's subordinates before. Do you think they were easy to handle?"

"Xi Yunhe?" the Soul-Capturing Mirror exclaimed softly. "Quite annoying."

The immortal elixir case that shocked the entire Bega was caused by Xi Yunhe, a subordinate of the Frostleaf Grand Master, who killed a messenger from Lingxu City. The whole matter snowballed, and the truth unravelled like peeling an onion.

Yet, in the end, even Grand Master Qingyang was overthrown, but the instigator, Xi Yunhe, remained at large.

If a subordinate was this formidable, what about the Frostleaf Grand Master herself?

"That was just a subordinate of the Frostleaf Grand Master," He Lingchuan said, shaking his head. "If a subordinate can't get it done, do you think the Frostleaf Grand Master will give up?"

"Uh, then what do we do?" The Soul-Capturing Mirror, hearing He Lingchuan's words now, felt the future looked bleak again.

"No big deal," He Lingchuan said leisurely. "Granny Zhu is already here, and I strongly invited her. What good would it do me to scare her? Besides, I merely downplayed the Bega's influence on us just now. As for how the spider demon sisters should respond, I didn't say anything wrong; they can handle it normally, with a calm mind. Granny Zhu was intimidated by General Hong over a hundred years ago, and she still has a psychological shadow regarding official powers. Once she realizes that the Bega cannot harm Silkweb Island, she will naturally dare to act boldly."

"If the Bega exert pressure on the Yangshan Archipelago—and they will certainly do so—then I will naturally bear the burden; it has nothing to do with them."

In terms of resilience, Granny Zhu could not be compared to him.

He dared to invite Granny Zhu to the island, having anticipated this day.

"I think the person named Yu will at least meet with me."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror was startled: "Do you think he will launch a sneak attack?"

"I can't rule out that possibility, as we don't know his temperament," He Lingchuan said, not too concerned. "But it's more likely he will meet me openly."

"Directly approach you?"

"Yes, negotiation is the lowest-cost option," He Lingchuan said slowly. "Why would he bother to deal with me first, when he has the Bega's prestigious reputation at his disposal? Furthermore, looking at how he dealt with Granny Zhu previously, he always incited surrounding forces to act. In the Yangshan Archipelago, I have the most influence over Granny Zhu. Who else would he look for if not me?"

"That's true," the mirror asked him. "So what will you do?"

"I'll adapt as needed," He Lingchuan sighed, "and it won't necessarily be to our disadvantage. Dealing with the Bega, the real difficulties will come later."

He had a clear understanding of his future relationship with the Bega.

"Therefore, quickly improving the overall strength of Yangshan is very important. The war between the Bega and Mu State has created an atmosphere of extreme tension and fear, and the wild monsters in the surrounding areas are not faring well. You can see from Granny Zhu's multiple failed attempts to settle in Mu State that even a powerful monster like her found it difficult. What about the other monsters?"

"This is a good opportunity for us to attract more powerful demons to settle here, and I think the chances of success are actually quite high."

A few days later, the Qucheng County Magistrate requested an audience with Lu Qing'an.

Lu Qing'an had stayed overnight with his concubine, so the Qucheng County Magistrate waited until late morning before Grand Master Lu finally emerged, looking flushed and radiant.

"Magistrate Liu, what is it? Are there issues with grain transportation?"

"The last batch of grain is also on its way, and everything is fine for now," the Qucheng County Magistrate respectfully reported. "However, some news has come from the south, and I believe it's best to inform you."

Lu Qing'an yawned: "Speak."

"Do you still remember the Yangshan Archipelago that was sold recently?"

Lu Qing'an grunted in acknowledgment. A rich young master named He had approached them, wishing to purchase the Yangshan Archipelago. His father and he were short on funds, so they sold the islands, shrouded in ominous energy, for eighty thousand taels of silver.

This money had already been safely converted into grain and sent to Mu State.

As for what He Lingchuan did after acquiring the Yangshan Archipelago, Lu Qing'an felt a little uneasy and hadn't ordered anyone to inquire.