Lu Xun continued, "The islands where the pirates are based have no karst caves and lie far from the main island, making them barely habitable. However, those isles consist mostly of reefs and rocky crags with difficult terrain. Little grain can be grown there, so supplies have to be shipped in from the mainland. Over the years, garrisons were stationed there and then pulled back time and again, until the Bailie people grew utterly sick of it."
He Lingchuan nodded.
Put simply, the cost of managing the Yangshan Archipelago far outweighed any returns, which led its owners, the Lu clan, to abandon caring for it altogether.
The Lu clan's purchase of this archipelago was a textbook cautionary tale, perfectly illustrating how chasing petty gains often results in massive losses.
He Lingchuan asked offhandedly, "Where is the largest source of the yin fiend?"
Lu Xun paused, bewildered. Why was Commander He asking about this? As if he could actually go there.
Yet being good-natured, he still answered, "To the southwest of Longji Island, there is an immense sinkhole known as the White Abyss. Every night, the yin fiend billowing from it is thick enough to see with the naked eye. One of my ancestors once set foot on that island, but he didn't dare linger long. Two of the attendants accompanying him perished there."
He Lingchuan made a careful mental note of it.
Lu Xun took out his waterskin, drank a mouthful, and steered the topic back: "In that case, isn't the interior of Longchuan currently a tangled mess?"
With some river bandits accepting pacification while others refused to surrender and chose to keep causing havoc, wouldn't they have to fight several rounds amongst themselves first?
He Lingchuan smiled faintly. "Who says they wouldn't?"
After returning to discuss the matter repeatedly with their followers, the leaders of the two largest outfits—Qianjin Stronghold and the Globe Amaranth Gang—ultimately accepted the terms He Lingchuan offered them. After all, Yuheng City continued to mass its forces, keeping up ruthless suppression and high-frequency patrols along the Longchuan trade route, to the point of completely ignoring the frequent provocations from Jintao Kingdom to the east.
The bandits' territory and operations shrank constantly, and their profits dwindled day by day. It was no longer a venture without capital cost.
Moreover, no matter how they calculated the terms He Lingchuan offered, they would not lose out. Thus, the two bands of outlaws transformed overnight, turning into proud road toll inspectors and trade route security escorts.
In fact, they were doing quite a decent job.
He Lingchuan stationed two petty clerks from Yuheng City at every checkpoint specifically to verify road tolls and prevent the bandits from arbitrarily hiking prices.
Once these reformed bandits saw that the toll money genuinely went into their own pockets, they were instantly filled with drive. Their patrols along the route were even more diligent than those of the Yuheng City Army. If other gangs dared come around looking for a handout, they drove them away on the spot, with zero hesitation.
Naturally, this set off tremendous shockwaves within Longchuan.
Apart from the Xiji puppet troops, the two largest gangs had suddenly surrendered. Such an abrupt shift in the wind inevitably sent waves of unrest and hesitation through the other gangs.
Infuriated, Fu Shanlie led the Xiji puppet troops on a night raid against the Globe Amaranth Gang.
He had lurked in Longchuan without swallowing up every gang precisely because he feared pressing them too hard, which might drive the others straight into Yuheng City's arms.
If only the Xiji puppet troops remained in Longchuan, how could Yuheng City possibly show them any restraint?
Now that Qianjin Stronghold and the Globe Amaranth Gang were both surrendering, Fu Shanlie's initial plan had failed, so he hatched another: kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and show the surrender faction what became of the Globe Amaranth Gang!
Yuheng City's strategy of co-optation and division was utterly venomous. If he did not act fast, he wouldn't be able to achieve anything later.
The battle was exceptionally fierce. The Globe Amaranth Gang was driven back step by step, and only the timely arrival of reinforcements from Qianjin Stronghold saved them from total destruction.
By daybreak, the Xiji puppet troops withdrew, but Xu Zeshou, chief of the Globe Amaranth Gang, was critically wounded and succumbed to his injuries half a day later.
Fu Shanlie had assassinated Xu Zeshou precisely to slaughter the chicken to warn the monkeys, sending a clear threat to all the bandits:
Dare to surrender to the authorities, and you die!
He Lingchuan knew this fellow was capable. Otherwise, the Xiji puppet troops wouldn't have expanded so rapidly within a few months, growing powerful enough to rival Qianjin Stronghold. Now, not even the Globe Amaranth Gang was their match, leaving the smaller gangs terrified and silent.
Using the Longchuan river bandits as their chess pieces, He Lingchuan and Fu Shanlie had engaged in an invisible duel, quietly playing a round against each other.
Following Xu Zeshou's death, Qianjin Stronghold, acting on He Lingchuan's instructions, immediately backed Ding Mi, the second-in-command of the Globe Amaranth Gang, to take the chief's seat that very day. This barely halted the gang's collapse, closely binding the two outfits together.
At the same time, a large influx of unfamiliar faces appeared within both gangs—vigorous, burly men in their twenties and thirties, powerfully built, with a demeanor distinctly different from ordinary brigands.
The Xiji puppet troops quickly recognized them: these were Yuheng City soldiers in disguise! Some were even familiar faces who had fought them along the trade routes.
Just like that, Yuheng City Army's infiltration into Longchuan began in broad daylight.
Over the following period, the Xiji puppet troops clashed with Qianjin Stronghold several more times, but failed to gain any advantage.
Months ago, even a force as large as Qianjin Stronghold would have provoked outrage and an alliance against them if they dared invite government troops into their lair. But now, what other gangs were left?
Under the relentless crackdowns and patrols of the Yuheng City Army, the number of small and medium gangs had plummeted from over fifty to just over twenty, already struggling on the verge of extinction. Now, the Xiji puppet troops were attacking the Globe Amaranth Gang and forcing the rest to pick a side.
Faced with this, seven or eight more gangs abruptly disbanded. Their members either joined Qianjin Stronghold or defected to the Xiji puppet troops. Yet to the surprise of both sides, the majority chose to pack up their families, leave Longchuan altogether, and head ashore to turn over a new leaf!
*I refuse to pick a side. I'm leaving, and I'm not playing with you anymore. Is that allowed?*
People loved their native soil, but when pressed, they could still flee like refugees.
In any case, the internal turmoil among the Longchuan bandits had raged on for so long, and even recently it hadn't let up at all.
For the Longchuan trade route, this was an excellent development, because every gang siding with Qianjin Stronghold had also accepted Yuheng City's pacification. On the surface, this meant more toll checkpoints along the route, and far fewer highwaymen.
By the time He Lingchuan escorted Lu Xun back northward on this journey, only eleven bandit outfits remained in all of Longchuan, six of which had already pledged allegiance to Yuheng City.
Furthermore, the demise and absorption of gangs continued unabated.
The fewer that remained, the heavier the pressure on those still standing. Even the Xiji puppet troops felt the squeeze.
Of course, the travelers bustling along the Longchuan trade route knew nothing of the schemes and bloody clashes unfolding behind the scenes; they only noticed that the road was growing safer by the day.
Passing yet another checkpoint, He Lingchuan said to Lu Xun, "From here on, we enter the Qianjin Stronghold section."
This was the stretch of road managed and tolled by Qianjin Stronghold.
At the same time, he barked an order to the escort squad behind him: "Stay on high alert the entire way! No slacking!"
"Understood!" the men answered in unison, adjusting their arms and equipment.
Lu Xun was puzzled. "Hasn't Qianjin Stronghold already submitted? Why are you stepping up your guard along this stretch instead?"
"Over the past month, the Xiji puppet troops have been staging robberies constantly on Qianjin Stronghold's turf." The two sides were already locked in combat, extending their conflict from the waters of Longchuan to the trade road. "On one hand, it causes trouble for them; on the other, Qianjin Stronghold is responsible for the security of this road, and if they fail their duties, their pay gets docked. Fu Shanlie also hopes to use this to drive a wedge between Qianjin Stronghold and the authorities."
"Fu Shanlie?" Hearing this name, Lu Xun was startled. "The ba from Beijia?"
"You know of him, Master Lu?" The Bailie people were remarkably well-informed. An entire Mou Kingdom separated Beijia from Bailie, yet Lu Xun still knew of Beijia's rising demon general.
Most people in this world lived isolated lives. A mountain villager might go an entire lifetime without ever stepping foot beyond his birthplace.
"I have heard of him—a rising star from the past thirty years." Beijia had nearly four hundred years of history, and monsters generally lived far longer than mortals. Given Fu Shanlie's age, he could indeed be considered a junior newcomer among the kingdom's demon generals. "Beijia truly produces an endless stream of talent."
He Lingchuan noticed that while Lu Xun spoke words of praise, his brow was tightly knit.
...
Ahead lay a river. Due to recent days of torrential rain, the water surged swiftly, murky and swollen.
A wooden bridge spanned the river, about ten zhang long and wide enough for three horses to ride abreast, built for travelers and merchant caravans.
Qianjin Stronghold had originally set up a toll checkpoint here.
A road toll was essentially a bridge toll or a pass fee. Authorities usually collected them beside such bridges or passes, refusing entry without payment. Otherwise, if you barred an open, interconnected road to demand money, travelers would spot you from a distance and easily take a detour.
However, this river had a violent temper. Whenever it flooded, both banks were inundated, forcing Qianjin Stronghold to relocate their checkpoint elsewhere.
The merchant caravan ahead had already crossed, and the guards could still see their receding figures heading into the woods.
The escort retained its formation while crossing the bridge, with He Lingchuan and Lu Xun positioned in the middle, flanked in front and behind.
All was going smoothly at first. But just as He Lingchuan and Lu Xun crossed the halfway mark, sudden disaster struck!
From the dense woods on the opposite bank, a furious volley of arrows whistled like rain, hurtling toward the escort.
Because the arrows were launched in a high arc, a guard managed to roar, "Enemy attack!"
He Lingchuan gave only a single word of command:
"Charge!"
Get across the bridge first, and everything else would be easier to handle.
The guards immediately spurred their mounts, accelerating while raising their shields, their bodies glowing with faint red light.
Unfortunately, the bridge's width was limited, and horses could not sprout wings to fly across.
The arrow rain descended. It failed to cause heavy casualties, as the origin power cloaking both men and mounts absorbed much of the damage. Yet the enemy's primary target had never been them:
With several earth-shattering booms, several specialized arrowheads detonated, blowing the wooden bridge into splinters!
More than thirty mounted guards on the bridge plunged instantly into the water.
A sharp whistle sounded from the woods, followed by dozens of men charging out. At the same time, the merchant caravan ahead shed its disguise, turning around with blades and axes raised to strike at the escort squad.
Of the ninety riders in He Lingchuan's escort, over twenty were on the far bank, thirty were in the water, and the rest had not yet set foot on the bridge.
*Strike when the enemy is halfway across.* The attackers understood how to exploit the terrain to perfection.
"Grand Commander!" Willow, who had been guarding the rear, had not yet stepped onto the bridge. She sprinted two steps to the water's edge, lowered her arm, and fired a crossbow bolt with a sharp *whoosh* toward He Lingchuan.
A length of grappling cord trailed behind the specially forged arrowhead. Originally meant for scaling walls and roofs, it now served as a lifeline thrown to the man in the water.
The moment he fell into the river, He Lingchuan had already seized Lu Xun's arm to keep him from being swept away by the raging current.
With no footing beneath him, however, he had no leverage to heave Lu Xun ashore.
Willow's bolt struck with pinpoint accuracy. He Lingchuan snatched it, wound the cord twice around Lu Xun's waist, gripped the arrowhead tight, and shouted, "Pull him up!"
Willow pressed a mechanism on her crossbow, and the deployed spider cord automatically retracted.
This apparatus was the culmination of Panlong City's meticulous tuning across several generations, fully capable of hauling up two or three grown men without snapping.
As she "reeled" Lu Xun back, two or three arrows whistled across from the opposite bank aimed straight at him. Anyone whom He Lingchuan prioritized shielding and pulling ashore had to be an important figure—they could not let him escape.
Chapter 875