That they had pulled this off was both a testament to the rich natural gifts of the Yangshan Archipelago and proof that He Lingchuan’s efforts were bearing initial fruit.
Most importantly, he had gained things far more vital than money:
Population, labor, and an army.
Along with a system that was running smoother and more efficiently by the day.
During the peak of the palm harvest season, over ten thousand people had gathered on the Yangshan Archipelago. They had seen and experienced life on the islands firsthand, and were convinced that this place was no longer plagued by yin fiend energy.
The archipelago offered generous terms: anyone willing to lease and farm land on the islands would receive tax breaks and housing incentives.
At this time, the war between Bailie and the Ya Kingdom had not yet ended. Turbulent times and crushing taxes made many commoners and displaced refugees yearn for a quiet, secluded life away from the world.
Thus, after the palm season drew to a close, nearly five thousand migrant laborers chose to stay and settle on the islands, most bringing their whole families along.
This number far exceeded He Lingchuan’s estimates.
After all, the Yangshan Archipelago was in the midst of vigorous development and large-scale construction, and everyone could find work.
In times like these, if a man had work that paid money and could keep his wife and children well-fed, that was enough to satisfy most people.
As for the military, with the pirates and the Bailong people forming the bedrock, He Lingchuan tightened the recruitment standards, accepting only the hale and hardy. Even so, their ranks quickly surpassed two thousand three hundred men.
The Mount Rong men, led by Qiu Hu, stepped up the training of the troops.
Meanwhile, following the customs of Panlong City and Yuheng City, He Lingchuan introduced an incentive system into the Yangshan Guard. Those who won or placed near the top in drills, sparring matches, competitions, and selected combat missions received handsome rewards.
Having started out as a Panlong patrolman and risen through the ranks purely on military merit, He Lingchuan knew this system inside and out, designing it with little effort.
The rewards themselves were even easier to handle. Beyond cultivation methods, gold, silver, grain, elixirs, and raw materials, one could also redeem points for mystery boxes.
Lately, the salvage crews had been pulling an endless stream of oddities and knickknacks from sunken shipwrecks and pirate hoards across the waters. He Lingchuan found auctioning off such miscellaneous odds and ends too bothersome, so he simply tossed them into the military merit system to pad the prize pool. At the very least, anyone opening a mystery box was guaranteed a bit of silver or gold, and occasionally someone would pull out a magic artifact or precious gem—the real appeal was the thrilling unpredictability.
He Lingchuan's original intention had been to save himself some silver, but who could have guessed that as soon as it rolled out, everyone would go wild for it? Some redeemed nothing else, saving up their merit points day after day just to pull another box.
Gambling—the gambling itch latent in human nature.
Left with no choice, Qiu Hu finally instituted a rule that each person could redeem only one box every half-month, lest they put the cart before the horse.
Both He Lingchuan and Qiu Hu knew full well that drilling the troops and boosting their combat readiness was an urgent priority. The richer the Yangshan Archipelago grew, the more eyes would turn green with envy. The sooner they possessed the capability to defend themselves and strike back, the safer they would be.
When He Lingchuan had crossed the ocean to arrive here, he had barely a dozen men by his side. Now, just a few months later, the archipelago’s permanent residents combined with the army numbered nearly eight thousand.
Going from nothing to something was always the hardest part.
Managing the daily lives and production of several thousand people, developing the archipelago’s resources, and conducting trade with the outside world all required dedicated personnel.
His hastily assembled skeleton crew was also meshing, growing, and expanding at a rapid pace.
These were things that pure silver and gold could never buy, yet they were crucial components of his vision for the future.
So, breaking even this autumn and winter was already a massive win.
Right now, aside from money, there was only one thing he desperately lacked:
Talent.
His operations were bound to expand, and the affairs requiring management would only multiply. The handful of people beneath him simply weren't enough. He needed talent across various trades and professions—people who were experienced, competent, and young!
The Yangshan Archipelago was in an upward stage of pioneering and expansion. It didn't need safe, comfortable custodians, but rather people full of vigor, drive, and ambition.
In He Lingchuan's own words, they needed people who could casually work late into the night and still show up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the rooster's first crow the next morning.
Where to find such talent?
When Ding Zuodong took this question to his master, He Lingchuan merely waved a hand. "I've already cast a wide net with invitations to heroes, reaching out to some old acquaintances to come lend a hand."
Turning it over in his mind, his best bet was still the many Imperial Academy scholars he had befriended during his past travels in Beijia!
The Lingxu Imperial Academy and other academies attracted eager scholars from across the world. Among them, students from the Mou Kingdom and other small and medium-sized nations accounted for well over half.
He Lingchuan had paid careful attention to screening them back then, and now those connections were finally about to pay off.
He could only hope that all that drunken revelry and squandering of gold had been worth it.
***
That same day, Fang Canran sent intelligence to He Lingchuan via a messenger—he had become a vital source of information for the Yangshan Archipelago.
He Lingchuan skimmed through the report and hurried to pass the news along to the spider demon sisters:
"Good news, good news, huge news! Daniang, Erniang, your Heaven Ranking wanted bounties have been canceled!"
Before the spider sisters could react, Dong Rui’s voice piped up first: "Huh? When did that happen?"
"Fresh firsthand news from the west..." He Lingchuan frowned. "Why aren't you staying on Alfalfa Island? What brought you over to Pansi Island?"
This fellow had an entire large island to himself, and He Lingchuan had even assigned several attendants to serve as his apprentices and assistants.
"Can't I drop by for some tea and a chat?"
"..." Tea in Zhu Erniang's burrow? Who was brewing it?
"I came to ask Erniang for some materials for research," Dong Rui quickly pivoted back to the topic. "You're saying the Heaven Ranking wanted list struck Erniang's name off?"
"Right. Canceled about a month ago."
Dong Rui immediately burst out laughing, but Zhu Daniang sounded somewhat dejected: "Just struck off like that?"
Being second on the Heaven Ranking had sounded quite impressive to boast about; now the title had vanished in an instant.
Dong Rui grinned from ear to ear.
He had once been on Beijia's wanted list himself, but later National Preceptor Shuangye had removed his name, turning him into a regular nobody.
With the two folks beside him sitting at number one and two on the Heaven Ranking, he had felt rather put out.
Now, Zhu Erniang had been struck off as well, making her just like him.
He Lingchuan said lazily, "Only Number One stands here, towering and unshakable."
Zhu Erniang couldn't conceal her disdain. "What's there to be proud of! Isn't Beijia calling off the hunt fantastic news?"
She really couldn't comprehend how these three's brains worked.
Moreover, she harbored doubts: "Could there be a trick? Is Beijia trying to make us drop our guard?"
He Lingchuan smiled. "Very unlikely."
Zhu Daniang chimed in, "You beat Yu Zecheng's men to a pulp. Why would Beijia revoke our wanted notices instead?"
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't make sense of the logic.
If she had known Beijia loved being abused so much, she would have struck much earlier.
"They probably don't intend to pursue it anymore," He Lingchuan analyzed. "They can't catch you anyway."
Dong Rui also found it hard to believe. "That flexible? Have they no shame for their reputation?"
"Statecraft can be quite flexible whenever a nation wants it to be," He Lingchuan shrugged. "Leaving Zhu Erniang on the list long-term—and occupying such a high spot, no less—only brings them more embarrassment. Word on the street is already spreading that Beijia has lost its reach. If Number One and Number Two stay posted year after year with no hope of ever catching them, what else can they do? Better to just revoke the notices. That's called being pragmatic."
Zhu Erniang pressed further, "Does this mean we're all safe? Beijia doesn't intend to do anything to you?"
"At least for the near future," He Lingchuan said seriously. "I don't know how National Preceptor Shuangye managed it, but he pulled it off. The cancellation of the wanted notice can be taken as Beijia accepting your explanation, temporarily shelving any action against you or the Yangshan Archipelago."
Dong Rui let out a long whistle.
Yet He Lingchuan immediately added, "However, the crisis is far from over. This news only means Beijia can't be bothered with us."
Zhu Daniang asked in surprise, "Who else are you wary of?"
This kid feared neither heaven nor earth, daring even to offend Beijia. Whom could he possibly still keep an eye on?
"National Preceptor Shuangye."
When that name was uttered, everyone fell silent.
He Lingchuan had played National Preceptor Shuangye; would the man truly let it slide?
***
Some time later, a servant came to report:
"Suoding Island is hosting two distinguished guests surnamed Dou. They say they've come from afar upon your invitation."
He Lingchuan perked up. "The Dou brothers are here?"
Ding Zuodong naturally had no idea who they were, but the soul-snatching mirror let out a long "Ohhh! Them, huh?"
Its memory was sharp as a tack.
He Lingchuan went personally to the supply post to receive them. After searching around twice without finding them, he finally spotted the Dou brothers in the dining hall.
Both were tall and lean, in their twenties, with similar facial features.
One was eating a bowl of yellow croaker noodles, while the other was intently tackling a plate of Spanish mackerel dumplings.
He Lingchuan strode over and cupped his fists in greeting. "Oh, distinguished guests at my door! Long time no see, gentlemen!"
"Brother He!" The moment the two saw He Lingchuan, they dropped their chopsticks, stood up, and returned the salute.
He Lingchuan said warmly, "It's been over a year since we last met. I trust you've both been well?"
These brothers were friends he had made during his travels in Lingxu City: Dou Wenguan and Dou Wuxing. Both had originally been scholars at the Lingxu Imperial Academy, hailing from the Sha River Basin along the border of the Mou Kingdom.
He Lingchuan had attended literary gatherings and outings with them at least four times, and understood them rather well.
He had kept them in mind all along, only to learn upon inquiring that they had already returned to Sha River.
Thereupon, he had promptly penned a letter earnestly inviting them to "come and assist," wording it with great sincerity.
After the letter was sent, it sank like a stone in the sea. Assuming the Dou brothers were unwilling to come, he had planned to invite them once more after the New Year, never expecting...
Dou Wuxing was busy chewing food and didn't answer. He was wooden and introverted by nature, which He Lingchuan didn't mind in the least. Dou Wenguan gave a soft chuckle. "All thanks to your good wishes, your good wishes! Just getting by, muddling through each day."
His answer was tactful. He Lingchuan called them distinguished guests, but the brothers had actually come to seek refuge and employment with him. If they claimed to be doing well, what reason would they have to come to the Yangshan Archipelago?
He patted his noodle bowl. "Boss He, have you tried the yellow croaker noodles here yourself? The flavor is downright fantastic." Best of all, it cost a mere five coppers.
With generous portions and great flavor, the value was undeniable.
"Of course I have! I poached this cook from a little tavern in Blade Harbor. He's been making yellow croaker noodles for twenty-five years. Within a hundred li, nobody simmers a broth more flavorful and fresh than his!"
Chapter 1046