Transfer of the Archipelago

According to his avatar, only when his divine soul grew sufficiently powerful could it be wiped away. This was also one of the directions he had to strive toward in the future. Looked at the other way, the day he could erase this divine imprint mark would be the day the strength of his divine soul stood shoulder to shoulder with a celestial god. Just contemplating it made it feel exceedingly distant. Ding Zuodong glanced at the maid standing nearby. He Lingchuan caught his meaning. Rising to his feet, he said to the maid beside him, "You may withdraw. I will summon you if needed." The maid softly assented, turned, and left. He Lingchuan did not remain in the courtyard either. Taking Ding Zuodong along, he walked back into the lodge, shut the doors and windows tight, and casually laid down a ward. This was the Lu family's domain; he had to beware of ears in the walls. Having traveled through Beijia for several months, he knew all too well how many little demons could hide within a single garden estate. "Speak." Only then did Ding Zuodong report the Lu family's asking price. He Lingchuan clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Good, wonderful, splendid!" Seeing him so elated, Ding Zuodong could not quite gauge his master's mindset. "Master, this price is still rather steep." "More than steep—it's downright outrageous!" He Lingchuan scoffed with a grin. "A bunch of ruined islands nobody can use, and they want an astronomical one hundred and fifty thousand taels! The Lu family truly dares to open their maw wide." Immediately, he added, "Yet the fact that the Lu family is willing to sell the Yangshan Archipelago—that is the most valuable piece of intelligence!" If they truly had no desire to sell, he might not acquire it no matter how exorbitant a price he paid. Since the Lu family was inclined to sell, then through bargaining, a deal would eventually be struck. A prolonged tug-of-war held no terrors. Indeed, his master remained the same shrewd master. Ding Zuodong said admiringly, "Your assessment of Bailie was spot on. The Lu family is indeed desperately short of money." He Lingchuan, playing the loaded fool of a young master rushing to hand over silver, was practically a pillow tossed to a dozing man. Faced with such an open scheme, even if suspicions lingered in their hearts, they could not bear to watch shining silver slip through their fingers. Greed was ever the sharpest weapon in the Eldest Young Master's arsenal. Ding Zuodong chuckled. "The Lu family was likely afraid that too low an offer would arouse our suspicion instead. Which means there is plenty of water in this price—it can be chopped down ruthlessly." "Tell them that the offer I can accept for the outer six islands is thirty thousand taels, and if they give me the entire Yangshan Archipelago, sixty thousand. Not a copper more. I don't have that much silver to throw around anyway, and I would rather buy manors and land elsewhere." He Lingchuan yawned. "There are plenty of fine estates around Blade Harbor. If Bailie won't have me, surely I can go to the Qing Kingdom, can I not?" Ding Zuodong was a clever man. He caught on immediately and took his leave on the spot. In passing, He Lingchuan handed him a basket containing several silver flasks of osmanthus plum soup, several packets of the local specialty walnut cloud cakes, and a pouch of crispy fava beans. Droplets of condensation still clung to the outside of the silver flasks. "Take these to your family to beat the heat." Ding Zuodong did not decline, taking it with a broad smile. "Many thanks, Master!" He Lingchuan returned to the garden and leaned back into the rocking chair. Ah, truly comfortable. The young maid sent by Lingtai Courtyard returned to attend to him, her watery eyes constantly darting in his direction. Among the guests at Yunding Mountain Villa, rarely had she seen one so handsome and tall. He Lingchuan downed half a jug of plum drink in one breath before asking the maid, "Do you know of the Yangshan Archipelago?" "Y-yes, I know it," the maid replied. Holding the jug, the spout paused slightly before she resumed pouring the fruit juice. "They are islands across from Blade Harbor." "Have you been there?" "A few years ago, while passing by on a ship, I stayed on one briefly." "What is that place like?" "The beaches have fine white sand, and the seawater is clean." The maid thought for a moment. "It's just that there are a few too many bugs." "I heard buildings there are few and far between. How did that happen?" He Lingchuan deliberately pressed. "Are the people of Bailie leaving such fine islands unused?" "This humble maid wouldn't know. Perhaps because the islands lie isolated across the sea, making governance inconvenient?" The maid offered a smile. "After all, Blade Harbor has been temporarily leased to the Qing Kingdom." "So that's how it is." He Lingchuan asked no further, lazily closing his eyes. The Lu family moved quickly indeed. In just half a day, they had already coordinated the stories of all the servants at Yunding Mountain Villa's Lingtai Courtyard. Not half a word about yin fiend energy, yin hui, or pirates was permitted to leak to prospective buyers of the archipelago. "Yin fiend energy" was a highly specialized term; neither the Lu family nor the Qing Kingdom had ever publicly explained it. Most commoners in Bailie and Blade Harbor had no idea what it actually was. All they knew was that yin fiend energy existed deep within the archipelago. Anyone who ventured inside easily fell ill—especially if they slept on the islands at night, they might inexplicably sleep straight into death, never waking again. Moreover, the waters around the islands harbored monsters known as yin hui that attacked passing ships. As for Yunding Mountain Villa where He Lingchuan stayed, the estate was vast and scenic, offering an all-inclusive spread of fine dining and entertainment. If he stayed inside, the truth about the archipelago might well remain hidden for several more days. *Heh,* he mused, *the Lu family is surprisingly thorough.* Yet the Lu family did not know that the Mount Rong folk were currently roaming all over Qucheng. ... That very afternoon, Ding Zuodong resumed negotiations with the Lu family on He Lingchuan's behalf. He had patience in abundance. After several rounds of back-and-forth haggling, he settled the offer at forty thousand taels for the outer six islands and eighty thousand for the entire archipelago, stating, "This is our absolute ceiling. If we cannot reach an agreement, our young master truly won't buy." This essentially stepped right on the bottom lines of both parties— The bottom line of price, and the bottom line of patience. Then came two days of silence. He Lingchuan had patience to spare. Moreover, the Mount Rong disciples returned from outside one after another, delivering all sorts of sundry intelligence regarding Bailie. The most direct piece of news was the grain prices in Bailie and the Qing Kingdom, which had skyrocketed nearly through the roof... This largely corroborated He Lingchuan's deduction and helped him read the Lu family's mindset like an open book. This money was something the Lu family could never bring themselves to push away. Sure enough, two days later, the Lu family came knocking on their door, accepting Ding Zuodong's offer. They were anxious. For every day wasted, the odds of He Lingchuan discovering the truth grew by twenty percent. If this deal fell through as well, tens of thousands of taels of silver would fly out the window. If no one had ever offered to buy the islands, so be it; but if He Lingchuan backed out at the last moment, the agony of gaining something only to lose it would surely make the Lu family beat their chests in despair. This agreement had to be signed and formalized at the Qucheng government office. He Lingchuan had to show his face in person, while the Lu family dispatched Lu Qing'an. This was also the very first meeting between He Lingchuan and a member of the Lu family. Lu Qing'an was tall and slender, fair-skinned with long brows, dressed in a dark-patterned gray silk robe. He indeed carried the air of an aristocratic scion. While He Lingchuan observed him, he was observing He Lingchuan in turn. This traveler from across the sea turned out to be strikingly handsome as well. Though a hint of flippancy and cynicism lingered between his brows, the way he rested his hands behind his back carried unmistakable poise. He nodded to He Lingchuan in greeting. "Young Master He." He Lingchuan's current persona was that of an affluent young master from a wealthy family, bearing neither rank nor title—at the end of the day, merely an idle rich gentleman. There was nothing wrong with Lu Qing'an adopting the posture of a superior. He Lingchuan cupped his hands and smiled. "On such a sweltering day, it is troublesome for Lord Lu to make the journey!" At a time like this, showing a bit of courtesy cost him nothing. In any case, Lu Qing'an would surely have a deep and lasting impression of him later. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the Qucheng county magistrate cleared his throat lightly. "My lords, the contracts are prepared." In duplicate, every word on both copies was identical. He Lingchuan and Lu Qing'an picked up the documents. Even though both were intimately familiar with the terms, they still reviewed them word for word. The clauses hammered out between Ding Zuodong and the opposing party were exceedingly meticulous. In addition to stipulating that the transfer of the Yangshan Archipelago encompassed forty-two subordinate islands, it also included three hundred and eighty-seven isolated reefs and the surrounding sea radiating eight li outward from the archipelago. Down to the islands themselves, it included the transfer of ownership over all land, public buildings, fortifications, military barracks, and any structures not classified as private property— This last point was because there were still scattered Bailie commoners, not pirates, living on the islands who held legal land deeds. This clause appeared quite considerate. The Lu father and son had worried the buyer might object and had prepared several countermeasures. To their surprise, He Lingchuan merely smiled and agreed upon seeing it, requiring only that the island inhabitants abide by the laws and ordinances of the new lord. Entirely reasonable, so this condition was supplemented into the contract as well. On the perimeter, supply stations on two islands had previously been leased out; now that ownership had transferred, the Lu family was responsible for vacating them within half a month. Furthermore, owing to He Lingchuan's lavish expenditure, he was now a major patron in the Bailie domain, enjoying a series of privileges in taxes, transport, and customs clearance throughout Bailie. Adhering to the principle of focusing on the big picture and letting minor details go, the Lu family granted all of these requests. In any case, having this man do business on their home turf was a good thing; paying taxes was an honorable deed, and there was no reason to stand in his way. The two verified the agreement, found no discrepancies, and proceeded to sign, affix their thumbprints, and stamp their seals. With that, the transfer of the Yangshan Archipelago was concluded. Putting away his seal, Lu Qing'an gazed at the bright red stamp on the agreement, and the heart in his throat finally settled back into his chest. Until just now, he had been terrified that the other party might come to his senses. Now that the seals were pressed, neither could renege. The silver had arrived. He Lingchuan jerked his chin toward Ding Zuodong, who promptly retrieved the banknotes and offered them forward. "Here are the banknotes for the initial payment of forty thousand taels. Please verify the count." A specialist from the Lu family stepped forward to receive them and counted carefully. Indeed, exactly forty thousand taels. The remaining forty thousand taels, per the agreement, would be paid once the tenants on the two outer islands were completely vacated and the islands were handed over to He Lingchuan. Lu Qing'an laughed heartily. "Young Master He is truly a man of crisp decisiveness! With such a treasured land of good fortune, Young Master is bound to see boundless wealth roll in from now on." Trading a useless chicken rib for a fortune, he no longer had to worry in the near future about the military funds to be remitted to the Mou Kingdom. He Lingchuan was likewise overjoyed. "You are too kind! Such a delightful occasion calls for draining a hearty cup!" To buy a fine manor of fifteen qing in Bailie, factoring in the purchase price and various surcharges, would run over fifteen thousand taels of silver. Now, for just eighty thousand taels, he had bought forty-two islands and claimed dominion over an immense swath of waters! How many sprawling manors could be built across this archipelago? He Lingchuan could hardly count. It was an utter steal, was it not? The two showered each other with praise, while silently calling each other an idiot in their heads. Both felt they had secured an astronomical bargain. In high spirits, Lu Qing'an said casually, "I shall host. How about joining me for an informal meal at Linglong Pavilion, Young Master He?" He Lingchuan never turned down an invitation. "That sounds marvelous." Smiling broadly, the two strolled outside, practically arm-in-arm. No sooner had they stepped outside the government office than a crackling barrage of loud explosions erupted! Startled, Lu Qing'an focused his gaze and realized that more than a dozen thick strings of bright red firecrackers had been strung up across the street. The moment they stepped out, people ignited them, and the explosive crackle echoed across several streets.