Their debt collection from the Qinglong tribe went exactly according to the plan Lu Feiyan had tossed out off the top of her head. Not a single hitch occurred, and the money—principal and interest—fell smoothly into their hands.
With such a smashing victory, the guards were in high spirits, but He Lingchuan was so bored he yawned.
Striking the unprepared with careful planning, and outnumbering them to boot, was like fishing in a keepnet—what was there to boast about winning?
While everyone else was excitedly bragging and chatting, he couldn't even be bothered to open his mouth.
Perhaps Heaven heard his inner thoughts, for wasn't it tossing a little "surprise" into his lap right about now?
They had been just about to set sail back for the Yangshan Archipelago when an interrogation of the prisoners turned up an unexpected piece of intelligence:
The main body of the Bailong tribe was quietly migrating westward, and the Ya Kingdom had sent forces to intercept them en route.
The moment Lu Feiyan heard this, she leaped to her feet—because the one sent under the Mou Kingdom's orders to receive Moqi Tong was none other than her elder brother!
If the Bailong tribe was in danger, didn't that mean Lu Qingbang had walked into an ambush?
When she further learned that the man pursuing the Bailong was none other than Ya Kingdom General Wulu, her face drained of color on the spot. She turned toward He Lingchuan, hesitating to speak.
It just so happened that Island Master He had brought out over a thousand fully armed men, so naturally she hoped he might lend a hand in this dire moment.
Yet he had no obligation to do so.
Gazing at this Lu clan junior's hopeful eyes, a dozen thoughts flashed through He Lingchuan's mind in an instant.
To save them, or not?
He had led the Yangshan Guard to collect debts from the Qinglong tribe only after thoroughly investigating the opponent's background, knowing full well their chances of victory were overwhelming, using "debt collection" as a pretext to drill the troops.
If he went out of his way to rescue the Bailong and Lu Qingbang, with incomplete intelligence and an unpredictable outcome, the risk would be substantial.
If they lost, the confidence the Yangshan Guard had built up against the Qinglong tribe would be worn away with it.
The Yangshan Archipelago's prestige would also be shattered by the Ya Kingdom—and after all, Ya had long wanted to teach the Yangshan Archipelago a lesson.
From a purely utilitarian perspective, having accomplished both goals of collecting money and drilling his troops, returning in triumph right now would be the best move.
However, the He Lingchuan of today had to weigh pros and cons across multiple dimensions.
He could not be short-sighted like Lu Zhensheng, who shrank from danger when big matters were at stake yet risked his neck for petty gains.
First of all, over the past few months, he had gone to great lengths to cultivate maximum goodwill in Bailie and among the other Lu family members, pouring in money and time. This was naturally meant to lay the groundwork and win hearts for future moves. If he stood by and did nothing while watching Lu Qingbang fall into mortal peril, the high opinion that the Lu family—including Sixth Lu—had of him would surely plummet.
Because Lu Feiyan was right here on the ship, witnessing everything with her own eyes.
Conversely, if he successfully rescued the elite Bailie troops, it would draw him vastly closer to Bailie.
After all, no bond was forged stronger than fighting shoulder to shoulder.
Secondly, setting aside Moqi Feng's desperate pleas, the Bailong tribe possessed outstanding combat strength, and He Lingchuan had designs on them. Even if their final refuge was not the Yangshan Archipelago, He Lingchuan would gladly have them owe him a debt of gratitude.
Third, and most importantly: since the fighting was taking place near water, his chances of successfully evacuating the Bailong were far from small!
These thoughts swirled in his mind for less than a single breath before he reached a verdict. To onlookers, Island Master He had barely caught the imploring gazes of Moqi Feng and Lu Feiyan when he gave an unhesitating nod:
"Turn the fleet around. We're heading for Storm Harbor."
The two broke into cheers at once.
At the same time, He Lingchuan sent an accompanying egret flying back to the Yangshan Archipelago with an oral message: deploy another two thousand guards!
If they were going to fight, they might as well do it in style.
He Lingchuan smiled slightly. "The Ya Kingdom is always making threats and looking to trip us up. How could dealing with just the Qinglong tribe ever be enough?"
It was also time to make a name for himself.
These bold words instantly filled Qiu Hu and the others with inspiration.
Yet He Lingchuan's smile never reached his eyes.
Rescuing the Bailong this time was no small skirmish like taking care of the Qinglong tribe; the Yangshan Guard would have to shoulder serious risks.
Thus, they rushed to the vicinity of Storm Bay to gather intelligence before formulating an operational plan.
First, they had to ascertain what kind of man General Wulu of Ya was—the commander leading the forces cornering the Bailong.
Though He Lingchuan had gathered information on the Ya Kingdom, Moqi Feng, as well as Lu Feiyan, who had fought on Bailie's eastern front, naturally had far more say on the matter.
Wulu was one of the Ya Kingdom's Five Pillar Generals, boasting an illustrious military record. He had defeated the two most important tribes, clearing the final obstacles for the Grand Chief to establish his nation.
He was meticulous, skilled in ambushes, and fond of luring enemies into traps. He had once laid an ambush along an enemy's essential path for over half a month without leaving a trace; assuming he had already withdrawn, the enemy marched out of their city, only to be captured alive by Wulu.
He Lingchuan murmured thoughtfully, "So in his actions, he isn't one to recklessly chase glory and overextend?"
Moqi Feng was blunt. "No, he isn't."
"Neither my brother nor I have faced him directly, but from what we know, he rarely leads charges from the front," Lu Feiyan said. "In a realm like Ya, teeming with fierce, headstrong warriors, a commander with such a disposition is quite rare."
"Fussy," Moqi Feng remarked.
"He prefers orchestrating from behind the lines," Qiu Hu said.
Ya deploying a general like him signaled a firm resolve to wipe out the Bailong once and for all, leaving no future troubles.
According to Ya tradition, even if the Bailong surrendered, they would be banished to desolate wastelands to serve as slave labor for generations.
"What I don't quite understand is how he knew we would deploy ships at Storm Bay," Lu Feiyan said, knitting her brows. "It wouldn't be surprising if spies told him Bailie was coming to receive them. But how could he know my brother's contingency was placed at Storm Bay?"
"Look at the Bailong's westward route—it isn't far from the sea. They don't have ships, but Bailie does." Qiu Hu pointed at the sand table. "If I were Wulu, knowing Bailie was coming to their aid, I would inevitably consider your brother's path. Along that road, the easiest point of embarkation is Storm Bay."
Traveling by land was fastest; Baishitun was only a hundred li away. That was certainly the Bailong's preferred choice.
If they switched to ships, the Bailong would have to trek nearly thirty li farther through winding mountain paths to reach Storm Bay. Besides, with their numbers close to forty thousand, how many seagoing ships would Bailie need to transport them all back?
Thus, the sea route could only ever be a secondary alternative.
He Lingchuan was also pondering. "Moreover, Blade Harbor has quite a few merchants from Ya. As long as Wulu paid attention, it wouldn't be hard to discover that Bailie was renting large ships all over the place. Cross-referencing the two, wouldn't the conclusion be obvious?"
Realization dawned upon Lu Feiyan.
When she had led troops on Bailie's eastern front before, all she had cared about was fighting and killing; if she lacked silver or grain, she simply demanded it from the Lu family—straightforward and simple. When had she ever needed to piece together so many intricate threads?
"War is a discipline unto itself." He Lingchuan glanced at her. The young woman still had much to learn.
"One overland route, one sea route. As long as Wulu held those two paths, the Bailong couldn't slip through his fingers. The situation isn't actually complicated." He Lingchuan asked Lu Feiyan, "How many ships did Bailie deploy this time?"
Chapter 1063