Chapter 990: Plan Arrangement

He Lingchuan judged that Yu Zecheng and his teammates would most likely not choose Suoding Island for their rendezvous, as it was He Lingchuan's territory and most easily monitored.

Therefore, Dong Rui followed Yu Zecheng's attendant onto a boat.

"He browsed the market for a long time and even bought some things, seemingly in no hurry at all."

"Did he spot you?"

Dong Rui shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Yu Zecheng's people are quite skilled. Madam Zhu previously sent her small spiders to track them, but they never succeeded," He Lingchuan mused. "You probably didn't escape his notice, but he also didn't shake you off. He's very confident."

Dong Rui snorted, a little unconvinced. "Then he went to the Yellow Croaker Tavern. As usual, it was crowded."

"If it weren't crowded, he wouldn't go there."

"He ordered a bowl of noodles, and I ordered one too. But as we ate, I didn't see him speak to anyone else," Dong Rui sighed. "That's when Madam Zhu suddenly alerted me via an eyeball spider that a familiar face was sitting by the window."

How many Bajia people could Madam Zhu recognize? "Did it pursue them in eastern Mou State?"

"No, the person by the window had visited the Wanqisong uncle and nephew on Blackleaf Island a few days ago. You placed an eyeball spider outside their door, remember? It monitored everything."

Someone who had visited the Wanqisong uncle and nephew was in the same tavern as Yu Zecheng's attendant?

"Could the man with the mustache see him from his seat?"

"Yes, he was angled towards him." Dong Rui chuckled. "I then noticed the guy tapping his index finger on the table rhythmically."

"A coded message." The man with the mustache didn't even need to speak directly to his contact, which explained why he wasn't afraid of Dong Rui's surveillance.

Fortunately, Madam Zhu's supernatural abilities were extraordinary.

"The man with the mustache boarded a boat back after finishing his noodles, and I was on the same one."

"What about the person he was tapping the message to?"

"I didn't follow him; otherwise, the man with the mustache would know I'd discovered his secret," Dong Rui said with a laugh. "But I sent my little 'pet,' and it tracked them all the way to Banrong Inn in Blade Harbor. They're staying in a room by the window, but my demonic puppet sensed danger inside and didn't dare approach."

"How many people were there?"

"It only detected three or four, but that's probably not all of them. It seems the other party sensed something was wrong, and they disappeared an hour later."

Dong Rui's informant also lost track of them.

"No matter, Madam Zhu's little scouts have lost track many times too. These Bajia people have ways to conceal their movements; their true intentions aren't easily uncovered," He Lingchuan said, patting his shoulder. "However, this contact person himself is a major discovery!"

Just as Dong Rui said, Yu Zecheng's subordinates had linked up with the Bailong people.

These two sides were originally unrelated. What could bring them together for a private, closed-door meeting? He Lingchuan could guess the reason with his eyes closed.

"We've only just learned that the Bailong people harbor ill intentions. How could Yu Zecheng, a newcomer from afar, be so well-informed?" He Lingchuan's gaze shifted slightly. "It seems someone is connecting them."

Dong Rui: "Are you saying..."

"Either Qing State or Bailie." With Bajia's involvement, the situation had become muddled and unclear.

He Lingchuan took a deep breath.

This was his first encounter with the Bajia since traveling overseas and settling down.

In this battle, he not only had to win, but he also had to win decisively.

Not only decisively, but also precisely.

Overdoing it wouldn't be good either.

It was a difficult balance to strike.

Urgent gongs sounded again at the Blackleaf Island camp—*clang, clang, clang, clang*—this time announcing an approaching hurricane.

Hearing there were still thirty hours left, Wanqisong clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "If the hurricane arrives with the Imperial Dew, it will be heaven's help!"

When two major celestial phenomena converged, it only brought more chaos to the human world.

The more chaotic Suoding Island became, the better; that's when they could truly fish in troubled waters.

He hadn't been this happy in a long time, but Wanqifeng seemed to hesitate, about to speak.

Two hours later, Ye Qing arrived on the island for a meeting.

Wanqifeng frowned, looking at him. "You're coming here too often. Be careful not to attract unnecessary attention."

"We've been blending in with the laborers, not staying near Lord Yu, and we haven't met Island Master He. The Yangshan Archipelago won't see us," Ye Qing said, then asked Wanqisong, "You've heard the news about the approaching hurricane, right? Lord Yu suggests we act then, whether the Imperial Dew arrives or not."

The Imperial Dew was also expected to descend soon, but no one knew if it would coincide with the hurricane.

Wanqisong nodded. "That's exactly what I had in mind."

"Then let's discuss the strategy," Ye Qing said. "Bailie's ships are already arranged. On the day the hurricane arrives, the Golden Sea Route will be at its busiest, and many ships will dock at Suoding Island for shelter. Your dozens of ships can blend in with the convoy along the route and won't attract Yin Hui's attention."

That part would be easy.

"Where do you plan to hide once you're on the island?"

"We'll designate two hundred men to help unload cargo at the dock," Wanqifeng said, dipping his finger in water and drawing a map of Suoding Island's terrain on the ground. "The hurricane will inevitably cause chaos at the dock, and no one will notice an extra two hundred helpers. The authorities will only want as much transport capacity as possible. When the uprising begins, we'll use them to control the dock area."

"Where will you attack He Lingchuan?"

"The Hot Spring Pavilion," Wanqifeng replied, having already planned it out. "The guard at the docks is too numerous; it's not a good place to act. The Hot Spring Pavilion is quiet and far from the dock, accommodating high-ranking guests. If anything happens there, Island Master He will surely rush to investigate."

"Ambushing him halfway would be best," Ye Qing said, pointing at the map. "There's only one road from the Hot Spring Pavilion to the dock, called 'Qingyun Road,' and both sides of it are dense forest, making it easy to ambush three or four hundred people."

"Then we must ensure that He Lingchuan will definitely pass through Qingyun Road when the hurricane makes landfall. Otherwise, our ambush would be pointless, wouldn't it?"

"We can place explosives at both the Hot Spring Pavilion and the dock," Wanqifeng mused. "If He Lingchuan is at the Hot Spring Pavilion, we'll detonate the explosives at the dock to cause chaos, and he'll rush to the dock when he hears the commotion. If he's at the dock or somewhere else, we'll detonate the explosives at the Hot Spring Pavilion, making him rush there. Either way, Qingyun Road is the only access path to and from the Hot Spring Pavilion."

"This way, no matter where He Lingchuan is at the time, he'll inevitably pass through Qingyun Road," Wanqisong nodded. "He'll be rushing in a panic with few people around him, and we'll intercept and kill him halfway!"

Both sides agreed the plan was feasible.

"Then let's decide on a signal," Ye Qing said. "Once you engage He Lingchuan, fire a signal arrow into the sky."

The Wanqisong uncle and nephew had no objections. Wanqifeng asked, "What about you?"

"We'll be responsible for intercepting He Lingchuan's reinforcements."

Wanqifeng chuckled. "Are you referring to that subterranean spider queen?"

Help them? That sounded good, but these Bajia people were only aiming to achieve their own objectives.