Chapter 956: New Visitor

If another ship were purchased, 170,000 taels might not even be enough.

Both knew this was far from over.

The Yangshan Archipelago was a blank slate, with innumerable projects needing to be built from scratch, and every single one would cost money.

He Lingchuan only had 280,000 taels. While it sounded like a lot, at this rate of expenditure, how many months could it possibly last?

"This is just the beginning," He Lingchuan declared with a confident flourish. "Recruit as many people as you need, acquire whatever is necessary. Spend freely; don't save a single coin for my sake! As for the capital, you don't need to worry; I have my ways."

Hearing "don't worry about the capital," Ding Zuodong felt a sense of relief, and his voice gained confidence. "Yes, sir!"

"Spend when you need to spend," He Lingchuan calmly reassured him. "Show the same boldness you did when acquiring properties for me in Dunyu. We're only spending a little over 60,000 taels a month now; in the future, it might be 600,000 or even six million."

*Plop.* Lingguang didn't hold it steady, and half the peach in its hand dropped onto the table.

It picked it up and ate it, hearing Ding Zuodong exclaim, "That would be wonderful!"

The premise for spending hundreds of thousands or even a million a month was that the patron had that much money, or that much credit.

He hoped that day would come soon.

He Lingchuan knew deep down that while over 140,000 taels of silver was an astronomical sum for ordinary people, for his future plans, it was just a drop in the ocean.

After Ding Zuodong finished his report, he walked out, clutching his ledger, his steps notably lighter.

If the patron said he had a way, then he had a way. As an employee, he only needed to fulfill his duties; why should he worry about such matters?

No sooner had his back disappeared beyond the door than He Lingchuan's face fell. He stood up and vigorously scratched his head.

Damn it, over 60,000 taels spent in just one month! With such a huge deficit, where was he going to get the money?

He had remained calm and composed in front of Ding Zuodong not because he wanted to show off. If even the boss himself panicked, how could his subordinates work with any confidence?

The grand ambitions of the future were mere aspirations for later; the current financial strain was an immediate problem.

At this rate of spending, his mere 280,000 taels wouldn't last long. He feared any unforeseen incidents, which would make the money drain even faster.

However, his method for quickly establishing himself in a foreign land was rapid expansion, a full-scale rollout, and strengthening himself before other factions noticed.

Time was of the essence.

Money, money, money. Rushing work meant spending more.

The Yangshan Archipelago was currently in an early stage of massive investment. The little output it generated was a drop in the ocean; all progress depended on him providing funds.

Money wouldn't fall from the sky. What method should he devise?

Lingguang finished its peach just as it heard He Lingchuan utter an expletive.

That morning, six new guests also arrived at Blade Port.

Blade Port was the largest port in the rear of Mu Kingdom, located on the Golden Shipping Lane, with countless travelers passing through it daily. These six guests would normally be inconspicuous, but one of them had a white bird perched on his shoulder, drawing the attention of passersby.

He took out a compass, opened it, and glanced at it. He frowned towards the south. "The bee needle still points to the sea, within 120 li," he said. "This Spider Queen hasn't moved for several days. It looks like it intends to make its home at sea this time."

"The Cavern Spider Queen escaped to sea by ship?" another person asked. "I heard there's a large archipelago to the south of here."

Hiding among the islands? That was very possible. If it weren't for the tracking-bee compass, it would be truly difficult for them to find their target among the countless islands.

"But how did it get there? Such a large spider demon, and its shed skin is even larger. A regular fishing boat couldn't possibly carry it."

"It's an ancient demon immortal, after all; perhaps it has other means?"

"Are you saying it floated over a hundred li by itself? How is that possible?"

"Let's go take a look first," the leader mused. He divided the group into two: one group remained at the port to gather information, while he took the other group to rent a boat.

Renting a small boat turned out to be surprisingly difficult. After searching the entire large dock, only two were available for rent, and the prices were exorbitant. The boatman took their money and told them it was palm harvesting season, and this was the standard rate for boat rentals; if they were late, there would be none left.

"What palms?" The three men only said they wanted to go sightseeing at sea. One of them knew how to handle a boat, so they didn't need to hire a boatman. However, this made the rental even more expensive. The boatman also specifically warned them, "The depths of the Yangshan Archipelago are a forbidden zone; you cannot go there!"

"Why?"

"In the past, if ships sailed deep into the archipelago, the living people on board would go mad," the boatman explained. "And there were man-eating Yinhui in the sea, and pirates! So, ships could only follow the Golden Shipping Lane, which was relatively safer."

The three men caught the keyword: "In the past? What about now?"

"Now the archipelago is private territory, and it has a lord," the boatman continued. "Island Lord He has only opened certain islands and parts of the sea. Other areas are off-limits, and fishing isn't allowed there either."

Island Lord He? The leader made a mental note.

The boatman added, "Anyway, don't go to any islands off the shipping lane. Some places have strong currents and whirlpools. Although the ocean currents have changed direction this season, and there are fewer underwater currents, you outsiders aren't familiar with them, and if you blunder in, you still might not get out!"

The three men boarded the boat and departed the port, heading south.

The day was calm and the sea glittered with golden light. The leader fed his white bird some dried meat. The seagulls in the sky also seemed to crave it, so he tossed a few small pieces of dried meat into the air.

The seagulls flew down to catch them, showing no fear of humans.

After traveling another ten li or so, the first island appeared ahead. Lush with trees, it was like a pearl in the sea.

This must be the normal shipping lane, as other boats, large and small, were traveling nearby, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.

"Is this the Yangshan Archipelago?" The leader took out his tracking-bee compass and glanced at it. "Continue south."

Upon sailing into the Yangshan Archipelago, they truly understood its vastness. The small boat weaved through the waterways, rounding one island, then seeing another ahead, then another... it seemed endless.

Even after sailing for a long time, they still couldn't see the open sea.

But nearby boats had become sparse, with only a few fishing boats occasionally visible. The sea was eerily quiet.

If the Cavern Spider Queen chose these islands for its new lair, it was indeed clever. The leader looked at the compass. "Further south," he stated.

Just then, a fishing boat ten zhang away kindly hailed them, "Hey, you can't go any further!"

The leader signaled for their small boat to approach and asked the other party, "Why?"

"Ten li further on is Dragon Spine Island, and there are man-eating monsters there," the boatman told him. "If you row too close, you'll be eaten!"

"What do these monsters look like?"

"Like snakes, but with hands!" the boatman said, gesturing with both hands. "And they're huge!"

The leader then asked, "Friend, can no one go to Dragon Spine Island?"

"I don't know about that," the boatman replied, "I guess Island Lord He can, but no one else!"

The leader thanked him and ordered his boat to continue forward.

"Hey, hey! I told you, you can't go any further!" The boatman shouted a few times from behind them. His wife then grabbed his arm and said, "Stop yelling! They're strangers; they don't need your kindness!"