He added, "If Yu Liang were here—er, he's one of my men—he'd be far more accurate at reading the skies and predicting the weather than we are."
The cloud cover above was thick, leaving He Lingchuan somewhat skeptical.
Still, half a cup of tea's time was something he could afford to wait.
Even as they spoke, the gray mist blanketing all of Longji Island drifted toward the ship upon the sea as though guided.
It was a magnificent spectacle, shifting unpredictably and surging with vast momentum.
Just like the clouds in the sky.
As if brushed aside by an invisible hand, the cloud layer inexplicably vanished dozens of breaths later.
The sky turned crystal clear, and unobstructed sunlight poured down upon the earth. Golden ripples danced across the sea, and the lush, verdant island looked indescribably beautiful.
The pirates had indeed not been mistaken: within half a cup of tea's time, the clouds parted to reveal the sun, ushering in clear, glorious weather.
He Lingchuan chuckled. "Heaven truly favors us." He then ordered his men, "Sail for Longji Island as fast as possible."
Otherwise, the wind would soon shift, making sailing twice as difficult.
Before long, Longji Island came into view.
It was now just past noon beneath a brilliant sky—the peak hour of yang energy in a day.
The yin fiend energy on the sea had long since dispersed, allowing them to gaze out at Longji Island's narrow coastline and rugged cliffs.
In accordance with He Lingchuan's instructions, the ship halted half a li from shore.
At this distance, human eyes could already make out plenty of details.
A pirate pointed toward the beach and yelled, "Corpses!"
Longji Island's sandy beach had once been as white as moonlight, but now it was mottled with specks—every tiny black dot was the remains of a yin hui.
Remains of yin hui had also washed up in Blade Harbor over the past few days, but compared to what lay here, that had been child's play.
Seeing it with their own eyes, the pirates could finally be certain that something had truly gone wrong with the yin fiend energy on Longji Island. The look they gave He Lingchuan had shifted from initial shock to sheer incomprehension.
Throughout this journey, just how much yin fiend energy had Young Master He absorbed? Had the demise of these yin hui truly been wrought by his hand alone?
The vessel ventured no closer, partly due to He Lingchuan's orders, and partly out of dread for the stench wafting from the carcasses on shore.
Moreover, ordinary creatures began decomposing naturally within days of death, but with no scavengers feeding on these corpses, who knew how long they would fester and reek here.
Aside from that, the scenery of Longji Island was truly magnificent.
He Lingchuan knew that as long as he approached the shore, the island's yin fiend energy would continuously pour out. He was in no rush, so he struck up a conversation with Min Tianxi. "Do you know that the Yangshan Archipelago produces Shaoling ore?"
Registrar Yang had said Lei Ni knew, but he guessed Min Tianxi would know even better.
"Shaoling ore?" Min Tianxi pondered for a moment. "Oh, it's on Leigong Island. Others can't go there, but you can, Young Master He."
"How so?"
"I heard from our elders that the yin fiend energy of the Yangshan Archipelago is like the tides—expanding at times, receding at others, though the intervals are quite long. Over the past sixty years, the yin fiend turbidity has actually been expanding," Min Tianxi explained. "In the past, Leigong Island wasn't within the area blanketed by the yin fiend, so people could go mine there. Later, the yin fiend enveloped it, and the mine fell into disuse."
"How much reserves are left?"
"Oh, that I wouldn't know. It was before my old man was even born," Min Tianxi answered truthfully. "Quite a pity—Leigong Island isn't small."
"Are there any other minerals in the archipelago?"
"There seem to be some copper and iron deposits, but I'm not really sure." Min Tianxi asked cautiously, "Do the minerals on the islands belong to Young Master He as well?"
"Everything produced on the land, underground, and in the waters—agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, and minerals—belongs to me." He Lingchuan pointed at him. "Including you."
Min Tianxi gave an extremely forced smile.
If he became an island resident, he would naturally belong to the island lord.
Just then, a long, drawn-out roar echoed from the island.
It sounded like an infant's wail, yet also like a screech owl's cry, remarkably shrill and resounding. Though it came from far away, it still set everyone's hearts palpitating with acute discomfort.
The roar seemed somewhat... enraged?
Min Tianxi panicked in shock. "That's a yin hui's cry! No, that's the cry of the king of the yin hui!"
"You've heard it before?"
"When I was young and unruly, I made a bet with a friend—er, with Lei Ni's father—and sailed close to Longji Island. The weather back then was as fine as today's. Standing at the bow, I heard this very cry. Shortly after, my father caught up and ordered me to turn around immediately, telling me the chieftain of the yin hui on the island was beyond human strength to defeat." Min Tianxi spoke in a rush, "Young Master He, we should leave too!"
Qiu Hu spoke up, "The sun is shining bright right now."
Both the yin hui and yin fiend feared light; with the sun shielding their vessel, what was there to fear?
Min Tianxi shook his head repeatedly. "No, no! Yin hui lurking underwater can avoid the sun's harm! They are also very skilled at striking from underwater!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud bang shuddered through the bottom of the ship, as if it had struck something, listing the vessel by at least thirty degrees.
Fortunately, everyone had a steady stance, saving them from tumbling head over heels.
Speak of the yin hui, and the yin hui appears?
He Lingchuan gave a decisive command: "Turn around! We're leaving!"
Without needing any urging, the five pirates took their places alongside the sailors.
Having been expert swimmers and seasoned sailors since childhood, their seafaring skills far outstripped those of He Lingchuan and the Mount Rong men. The moment the vessel was in their hands, it seemed to gain a soul—not only doubling in speed, but tracing graceful arcs and banking at smooth angles.
Qiu Hu couldn't help casting a few extra glances at them. On land, he alone could easily take on seven or eight of them, but at sea, several of him combined couldn't maneuver a ship as skillfully as they did.
This was what was meant by specialization. The young master had deliberately set their previous battleground on Fishbone Reef rather than aboard a vessel—he had indeed possessed great foresight.
"There was no sign of any yin hui entering the water from the shore," Qiu Hu noted, having kept his eyes peeled the entire time. "They must have already been patrolling the water."
He Lingchuan nodded. "Last time we came, we nearly wiped out their nest. It's hardly surprising that their leader would dispatch subordinates on regular sea patrols."
That they had been able to drive straight in and approach Longji Island today was merely good luck.
Just then, another tremendous thud resounded from beneath the hull, shaking the vessel violently. A pirate near the gunwale was nearly pitched overboard, but Wang Fubao grabbed him by the collar with one hand and hoisted him back.
At that very instant, a yin hui surged out of the water, lunging violently at the pirate.
Had Wang Fubao not yanked him in time, the pirate would have been snatched away in a second.
Seeing the yin hui appear in the flesh, everyone paled. Xiang Lian clicked his tongue in shock. "It's that big?!"
The creature didn't show its entire body, yet the portion breaching the water was two zhang long. Even with its chest folded in, it was thick enough to require a man's arms to encircle.
Ordinary yin hui were usually one zhang long; this was a rare behemoth.
The monster slipped back underwater less than two seconds after surfacing, but He Lingchuan had already caught sight of gray smoke rising from its body and heard a faint sizzling hiss.
That was the reaction to being scorched by the sunlight. If it dared linger on the ship, it would be burned to a crisp in the blink of an eye.
Before the sound of their voices had even faded, crunching, splintering noises came from beneath the ship, sounding like rats gnawing on wood magnified tenfold.
Chapter 908