Chapter 966: Wanqi's Declaration

**Chapter 956: Wanshi's Proclamation**

Several boats docked, and Old Yu stood up, saying, "I'm leaving now; I'll be back tomorrow night. Mr. Wanshi, this is a rare opportunity, you must think it over carefully." Watching his back as he quickly departed, Wanshi Feng shook his head. "This person can't be trusted." Wanshi Song remained silent, using a small knife to pry open the cloth bag on the ground.

Several large silver ingots were revealed, reflecting the faint moonlight from the sky. The heavy ingots were particularly persuasive. Underneath the silver were two stacks of banknotes, whose denominations couldn't be earned by their six hundred men working for one or two months. Working for wages? How could working for wages make one rich?

"Uncle?" Wanshi Feng was shocked. "You weren't really swayed by him, were you?" Wanshi Song put away the silver, tilted his head back, and took a swig of wine. Wanshi Feng quickly said, "The Lu family signed an agreement with Island Lord He, and then immediately wanted to renege. With that kind of trustworthiness, what good could come from us signing a contract with him?"

"We kill and seize the island, then it's ours. What does it have to do with the Lu family?" Wanshi Song said gruffly. "Sign a contract? Sign a damn contract with him! He'll never get it back!" He continued, "Afeng, our tribesmen must have a place to settle with fertile land and good water. This place is so suitable, and not far from the Ya Kingdom! We can recruit soldiers and horses here, and gather other Bailong people. Sooner or later, sooner or later, we can even fight our way back!" By the end, Wanshi Song was grinding his teeth.

The geographical location of Yangshan Archipelago was too perfect for them. "That rich kid has only been here for just over a month, and nothing has taken shape yet. Now is the best time to strike," Wanshi Song punched a log. "If we wait any longer, he'll have more people around him and greater power, making it even harder for us to take him down!"

"I heard the Island Lord has some capabilities. What if...""What if what?" Wanshi Song glared. "As long as we act by surprise, can't our six hundred elite men take him down? We don't need to talk much with him, nor give him a chance to turn the tables. Just kill him with one strike, and this island will immediately become ownerless, the people on it will also become ownerless, and all will be at my disposal!"

"To achieve great things, one cannot be hesitant. If you keep waiting like this, good opportunities will pass you by!" He instructed his nephew, "For the next few days, act as if nothing is amiss. Do whatever you usually do. If our brothers are assigned to other islands, you must find a way to stay in contact. We cannot let this He separate us."

"Think about why we came here!" Wanshi Song turned and put his arm around his nephew's neck, meeting his gaze. "The Bailong people have reached a dead end. Only by taking Yangshan Archipelago, by securing this base, will we have hope of turning things around, and a future!" He thumped his chest. "Look at us, look at us! We're just six hundred wretched lives. Instead of lingering on this island, slaving away for others, it's better to risk everything! If we win, we turn the tables!"

A fierce glint flared in his eyes, suppressing a roar in his throat: "Can a person be unlucky their whole life? We Bailong people have suffered such tragedy, such injustice from fate. Isn't it time for our luck to change? Afeng, tell me, tell me, shouldn't we finally have some success?" Wanshi Feng gritted his teeth.

"While we don't know much about He Lingchuan's situation, he also doesn't know much about ours. We haven't established a firm footing, and neither has He Lingchuan. We are iron-blooded warriors, and He Lingchuan seems to have some capabilities. Afeng, we're not bullying anyone. It's a fair fight, win or lose, we'll see." Wanshi Song's eyes were wider than brass bells. "See? Isn't that fair?" Wanshi Feng finally nodded.

His uncle's approach was indeed arbitrary, yet to achieve great things, one must be brave, fearless, and willing to take risks to seize opportunities and rise swiftly. The Bailong people had been driven from their own territory. Where else in the world was there unclaimed land for them to find refuge? Should they forever live under others' roofs? Was that the reward for his tribesmen who had faithfully followed him? In this world, hey, if you don't fight and strive, how can the goddess of fortune favor you?

"Time is He Lingchuan's friend, but our enemy." Wanshi Song stared into his eyes. "If we want to act, we must be fast!" The other laborers had long since moved away, unable to hear their conversation. Wanshi Feng slowly uttered a single word: "Good."

The two men drank on the beach from sunset until the moon set in the west. Only then did Wanshi Song burp a few times, stand up unsteadily, and turn to walk towards the shore. All the Bailong people watched Wanshi Feng, and seeing him nod, they quickly went to help Wanshi Song, escorting him back to rest.

Another person asked, "Young Master Feng, when should we make our move?" Wanshi Feng whispered, "First, you must ask the pirates clearly: how exactly did Island Lord He subdue them? He couldn't have single-handedly crushed hundreds of people, could he?" Since they intended to act, they had to gather intelligence first.

"We heard Island Lord He has monsters by his side, and several capable subordinates.""A few against hundreds?" Wanshi Feng glanced at them. "Do you really believe that?""Uh...""If he has another army at his disposal, acting rashly would be very dangerous." A faint glint flickered in Wanshi Feng's eyes. "And what exactly is the deal with the Shadow Viper? That needs to be clarified too."

As soon as Old Uncle Wanshi Song heard that this island was recruiting people, he brought everyone here. On the surface, the new Island Lord was young and rich, truly like a tender fat lamb. He had just bought the island, and his defensive forces were severely lacking; the so-called defense team was a disorganized rabble, with few capable fighters. However, Wanshi Feng only realized after arriving that his old uncle might have been too optimistic. There were some strange things here. For example, legends from the island camp claimed the Island Lord had a man-eating monster army hidden deep within the island, but upon closer inquiry, no one had actually seen them. Rumors about the Island Lord controlling the Shadow Viper were also plentiful, with several versions. Most peculiar was the mystery surrounding the Island Lord's origin; no one could clearly say where he came from, only that it was from the distant west.

Wanshi Song's argument made sense: eliminate the Island Lord, and all the above problems would vanish. But the key question was, was the Island Lord really that easy to dispatch? These few hundred people were, after all, newcomers, completely unfamiliar with the area. Even thieves scout out their targets. What was the true risk of being used as a pawn by the Bailie Lu family without knowing the full details?

Meanwhile, before the Shadow Viper's first strike, which sank the Baoji, He Lingchuan received a letter from the east. The envelope bore a blue seal impression, and the handwriting was elegant: "For He Xiao / He Lingchuan of Yangshan Archipelago, personal delivery." He Lingchuan tapped the envelope lightly with his fingertips, as if in thought, then said to Wang Fubao behind him, "Call Min Tianxi over." Min Tianxi was called away from a card game. He was on a winning streak, about to bet all the rewards from the last Treasure Hunt at Shipwreck Bay, when He Lingchuan's order arrived.