Chapter 995: Entanglement

Each VIP was accompanied by guards, ranging from as few as seven or eight to as many as thirty or forty.

Rennie, with a glint in her eye, simply gathered several groups of VIPs together. People love to join a crowd, and seeing the large gathering, other guests also followed suit. The group quickly swelled to over three hundred people, setting off grandly towards Qingyun Road.

He Lingchuan had already temporarily entrusted the affairs of Suoding Island's dock to Rennie, Guan Ke, and others. While the entire Suoding Island was bustling, almost upside down with activity, they were heading to the quiet central part of the island.

The further they moved from the dock, the fainter the human voices became, and the quieter the surroundings.

It was already dark, and there were no stars tonight.

Qingyun Road ascended gradually, and everyone praised its auspicious name. After walking a hundred zhang and looking back, they saw the dock ablaze with lights, and people moving to and fro indistinctly.

Here, everyone had their place.

As the sea winds grew stronger, Wang Xingyi looked at the forests on Suoding Island and remarked, "The wind on Suoding Island is quite strong too."

After landing on Suoding Island, they had only felt a gentle breeze, and the tree branches by the road had swayed lightly, as if it were a different world from the sea.

But now, from a higher vantage point, he could see that while the dock experienced only a gentle breeze, the trees in the outer bay were swaying vigorously; waves crashed against the reefs, sending up white spray three feet high.

How could two areas, separated only by a peninsula, be so different?

Fang Canran mused, "A formation?"

If wind-deflecting formations were indeed set up, He Lingchuan must have invested heavily in Suoding Island, as its area was considerable.

He Lingchuan chuckled, "Yes, the dock and guest quarters are prioritized. Rest assured, the Hot Spring Villa is also protected by formations."

Uninhabited areas, such as the southern and western parts of Suoding Island, had no such formation barriers. If anyone insisted on going there, they would be 'greeted' by fierce winds and torrential rain.

Wang Xingyi and Fang Canran exchanged glances. He Lingchuan personally accompanied them, showing full courtesy, yet they both felt something strange they couldn't quite pinpoint.

Wang Xingyi considerately said, "The sea winds are getting stronger, and the dock is becoming busier. Why don't you stay and oversee things? Songyuan can accompany me."

In perhaps one or two more hours, the hurricane would make landfall, and Yangshan Archipelago would be incredibly busy. Yet, He Lingchuan, as the island master, was leaving his duties to accompany them to the Hot Spring Villa.

"You're too kind, Master Wang," He Lingchuan said dismissively. "Usually, where I am, that's where the excitement is."

The Bailong people were hidden in the forests of Suoding Island, less than ten zhang from Qingyun Road.

Lanterns illuminated Qingyun Road along its entire length, one every three zhang. They weren't ordinary wind-resistant lanterns, but rather glowing spores, a specialty of the underground spider lairs.

The brightness of the road only highlighted the darkness of the surrounding jungle.

Rain fell from the sky, and the scent of fresh grass and damp earth permeated the air.

The Bailong people lay motionless in the tall grass.

No one was in a hurry; they had that much patience.

Wanqi Song stared at Qingyun Road, his expression grim. Wanqi Feng, with over a hundred people, stealthily approached from a distance and quietly rendezvoused with him.

Everyone was present, and the rendezvous had gone surprisingly smoothly.

"Are the people at the dock all set?"

"Yes. No one suspects anything, and no one has asked questions," Wanqi Feng whispered. "He Lingchuan has also arrived on Suoding Island; our people saw him disembark."

"What about the explosives in the dock warehouse?"

"Being placed now. Tonight's dock operations are not only busy but also chaotic; who would notice a few extra or missing boxes of goods? When we give the signal here, they'll detonate them on the spot!"

This operation focused on multiple simultaneous attacks to overwhelm Yangshan Archipelago. Furthermore, the explosives were supplied by Bailie, and Lu Zhensheng was eager for them to cause as much damage as possible on Suoding Island.

Thinking of tonight's setup, Wanqi Song grimaced. Everything was proceeding smoothly, except for the current problem—

He pointed to Qingyun Road: "The hurricane might not help us. That He fellow has set up a wind-deflecting barrier. Old Yu was right, this island master is damn rich!"

The four hundred-plus people were soaked to the bone, their hair and the surrounding weeds dancing wildly. Yet, on the avenue, both the trees and the glowing spores barely swayed.

They were gritting their teeth, enduring the strong winds in the wilderness, while Qingyun Road experienced at most a gentle breeze.

A distance of ten zhang, yet it was like two different worlds.

Wind-deflecting formations were not difficult to set up; the challenge lay in deploying them over a large area during a hurricane and their enormous energy consumption. How many profound crystals would He Lingchuan spend on the wind-deflecting formations tonight?

That much money would be enough for the Bailong people to feed their families lavishly for how many meals?

Without the help of the strong winds, how could they attack He Lingchuan amidst the 'chaos'?

The guests coming and going on Qingyun Road were all laughing and relaxed, not to mention the patrol guards passing by every half-incense stick of time.

"Then we won't wait for the hurricane to make landfall. As soon as He Lingchuan comes, we'll act." With the situation changed, Wanqi Feng had to adjust his tactics. "Where is that Beijia man, Wang Xiang?"

Wang Xiang had been sent by Yu Zecheng to be stationed with the Bailong people, to facilitate communication between the two parties.

"He said he went to relieve himself and would be back soon."

Wanqi Feng shook his head. "The Beijia people have their ways of communicating; they just don't want to reveal them in front of us."

Wanqi Song rolled his eyes.

These Beijia people had sought their cooperation, yet they still didn't trust them.

Such arrogance, tsk.

Just then, a scout returned in the darkness to report: "The target is approaching, but there are over three hundred people, and the Mu Kingdom's Imperial Advisor is also present!"

The Bailong people immediately became fully attentive. The Wanqi uncle and nephew were startled: "The Mu Kingdom's Imperial Advisor?"

Not good. The arrival of a high-ranking official meant—

"Our people at the dock heard that the Mu Kingdom's Imperial Advisor made a sudden visit, and his accompanying guard detail numbered over a hundred, all elite!"

"At this crucial moment?" Wanqi Feng frowned. "Is he an outside reinforcement invited by Island Master He?"

"Doesn't look like it. Island Master He seemed surprised too. From their conversation, the other party just happened to arrive on the island before the hurricane," the scout quickly added. "Also, our brothers spotted that underground spider queen near the dock."

Wanqi Feng felt a bad premonition instantly: "The spider queen is on the island?"

"We've never seen such a large spider demon; it was like a small hut. It was wandering the streets, but the local residents and merchants weren't alarmed."

That confirmed it. Besides the underground spider queen wanted by Beijia, where else on Yangshan Archipelago would there be such a giant spider demon?

"What was it doing?"

"It seemed to be inspecting the dock."

Wanqi Feng pondered, "If anything changes on the island, the spider demon will likely rush over."

"That's the Beijia people's target," Wanqi Song said gravely. "If it comes, the Beijia people will intercept it."

Then, a large group of people, at least two to three hundred, walked along the avenue.

"So many people?" With their keen eyesight, the Wanqi uncle and nephew quickly identified He Lingchuan in the crowd.

The target was right, the location was right, but their hearts sank.

Wanqi Feng had originally planned to act preemptively, striking hard as soon as He Lingchuan appeared.

But now there were over three hundred people on the road, while their own side numbered over four hundred—two hundred of whom had remained at the dock—so they didn't have a numerical advantage.

Moreover, of the three hundred people on Qingyun Road, half were strong, capable men.

The scout's intelligence was correct: over a hundred elite guards surrounded He Lingchuan and the so-called Mu Kingdom VIPs.

If the person conversing and laughing with him truly was the Mu Kingdom's Imperial Advisor, how high would their chances of a successful preemptive strike be if they rushed in?

The Wanqi uncle and nephew exchanged glances, and Wanqi Feng shook his head.

Even Wanqi Song, as radical as he was, knew that rushing in offered little chance of success. He closed his eyes, bowed his head, resting his forehead on the grass, and sighed inwardly.

Qiu Hu, He Lingchuan's top fierce general, also attended him closely.

This fellow was formidable, and even on horseback, he exuded an imposing aura.

Wanqi Song said coldly, "Once we take down He Lingchuan, let's see if he can still be so arrogant."

These past few days, Qiu Hu had been instructing the guard team. He spoke from above, while the Wanqi uncle and nephew could only listen from below.

Wanqi Feng said, "This man certainly has some real skill."

The crossbowman next to Wanqi Song had been secretly aiming his crossbow at He Lingchuan.

Wanqi Feng's order was slow to come, but Qiu Hu's gaze swept over!

His eyes seemed to casually glance towards the tall grass by the roadside, meeting the crossbowman's gaze directly!

True to his name, his eyes were fiercely bright, like a tiger's.

Wanqi Feng quickly pressed down on the crossbow, quietly reprimanding his subordinate: "Turn your head! Don't make eye contact with him!"

Some people possessed innate spiritual perception or cultivation, making them particularly sensitive to being watched or to impending danger.

Fortunately, Qiu Hu didn't spot them. The next second, he withdrew his gaze and strode through that section of the avenue.

Another three and a half li winding to the west, and they would reach the Hot Spring Villa.

The uncle and nephew breathed a sigh of relief. The road was too brightly lit, too many people, too many guards; this was absolutely not a good opportunity to act.

Wanqi Feng immediately said to his uncle, "Tonight's out. Let's pull back."

Wanqi Song's face showed reluctance.

What a good opportunity, alas.

Just then, the Beijia man Wang Xiang arrived in a hurry, immediately asking the Wanqi uncle and nephew, "I heard He Lingchuan just passed by?"

"Over three hundred people, and the Mu Kingdom's Imperial Advisor in the group," Wanqi Feng said, looking at him askance. "Do you dare to attack them?"

"The Mu Kingdom's Imperial Advisor?" Wang Xiang was startled, asking the same question as Wanqi Song: "Is he a helper brought by the target?"

"Doesn't look like it, seems like an unexpected arrival," Wanqi Feng told his uncle. "Let's go. The hurricane hasn't made landfall yet, we can still leave by boat."

Wang Xiang was shocked: "What? You're backing out now?"

This uncle and nephew pair were a key part of Master Yu's plan; how could they retreat at such a critical moment!

Wanqi Feng pointed to Qingyun Road: "The opportunity is gone; what's the point of wasting time here?"

There was one thing he didn't say aloud: "And stay here to be your pawns?"

"If you leave now, there definitely won't be another chance. Why not wait a bit longer?" Wang Xiang immediately said. "You've waited half the night already, what's a little more waiting? If another opportunity arises, we'll seize it; if not, then so be it."

These words truly resonated with Wanqi Song, who hadn't wanted to leave in the first place.

"What's there to be afraid of by waiting? Will you lose a limb?" Seeing Wanqi Song's hesitation, Wang Xiang added fuel to the fire: "We just confirmed that the Imperial Nectar will definitely arrive tonight. You all know very well what the Imperial Nectar means. Once it comes, opportunities will follow."

The strong winds might be unreliable, but the Imperial Nectar was not. Every time this treasure descended upon the human world, it signaled the beginning of chaos.

Wanqi Feng: "Uncle..."

Wanqi Song raised a hand: "Wait a little longer, just a little longer!"