He let out a quiet sigh. "Daniang, after all is said and done, we have only a dozen or so men of our own, yet we have to govern such a vast territory and have just taken in so many pirates. How many of them do you think harbor rebellious bones in their bodies?"
"Ah, surely not many?" Zhu Daniang disliked the complexities of the human heart above all else. "Haven't their two leaders already surrendered to you?"
He Lingchuan remarked with deep meaning, "Given the right circumstances, everyone has rebellious bones."
Was this Heavenly Order Gold Scroll not his very own protective talisman?
Zhu Daniang frowned dismissively. "Carrying on with such constant scheming and infighting—isn't it exhausting?"
"Why would it have to be 'constant'?" He Lingchuan gave a soft chuckle. "Give me a little time, and I can turn them into diehard loyalists."
Zhu Daniang grew curious. "Oh? How do you plan to do that?"
"It is quite simple, really," He Lingchuan said leisurely. "Nothing more than the two words: 'self-interest.'"
With that, he said no more.
Zhu Daniang spat in disdain. Knowing full well that he loved to keep people in suspense, she simply chose not to ask further.
The journey back was completely uneventful.
Min Tianxi and Huang Zhao had already been waiting by the shore for more than three shichen. Looking at the yin hui surrounding them with malicious, covetous glares, and then at the sky turning darker by the moment, everyone felt thoroughly uneasy.
By now, the sun was likely setting.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Huang Zhao grumbled for the tenth time. "What if..."
What if Young Master He had perished? Would the several dozen of them left behind on these dangerous shallows become side dishes for the yin hui?
Qiu Hu turned his head from the opposite vessel, casting him a fierce glare. "There is no 'what if.'"
"..." Huang Zhao jumped in fright. Did this fellow have supernatural hearing? How could he eavesdrop from so far away?
Min Tianxi suddenly pointed into the distance, overjoyed. "They're back!"
The figures they had been craning their necks to look for finally emerged from the dense forest!
Intact, safe and sound, and even beaming with high spirits.
That Young Master He had returned at all was good news—splendid news.
The pirates could not hold back their cheers:
"We can finally go back!"
The yin hui that had guided him let out several hisses. Yin hui from both the dense woods and the sea emerged in droves, gathering round, their gazes fixed entirely on He Lingchuan.
To be stared at by so many monsters would have given anyone else full-body goosebumps. Yet He Lingchuan walked forward as if nothing were amiss. Holding the precious scroll, he could understand the meaning of the guide's hissing:
*This is the new master of the archipelago and the leader's partner. From now on, no one may offend him!*
The yin hui flicked their tongues, the hatred and malice in their eyes quickly fading away.
In this regard, they were as simple-minded as Zhu Erniang's burrow spider brood.
Once He Lingchuan and Zhu Daniang boarded the vessel and the ships began to move slowly, the yin hui continued to swim alongside, though neither side interfered with the other. Only then did He Lingchuan announce to everyone:
"I have reached an agreement with the king of the yin hui. The southwestern tip of Longji Island, along with Gusheng Island and Longxun Island, have been designated as a sanctuary for the yin hui clan. These will also be forbidden zones for humans—none of you are to approach them! Three days from now, we will take possession of the entire Yangshan Archipelago, excluding those three places. From this day forward, the yin hui are our good neighbors and will no longer seize or eat humans!"
With every sentence he uttered, the crowd's eyes widened a fraction more.
By the time they heard his last words, the pirates across both ships exchanged glances, utterly incredulous.
Young Master He had absorbed their yin fiend energy and slain who knew how many yin hui. That the creatures were not seeking vengeance was already astonishing enough, but they were actually willing to divide the land and live as neighbors beside him?
What was the king of the yin hui thinking? Had it been threatened by Young Master He into bowing its head?
He Lingchuan drew the Golden Restraint Scroll from his robes and unfurled it before Min Tianxi and the others. "Look!"
The text upon the golden scroll was completely different from before. Min Tianxi noticed first that the signatories to the agreement had changed to He Lingchuan and Longhao.
This Young Master He really had renegotiated and sealed a fresh treaty with the master of the yin hui!
Huang Zhao leaned in as well, scrutinizing the scroll intently.
Yet the calligraphy was exceedingly hurried and wild, capturing the very essence of freehand brushwork; every single character seemed ready to leap from the scroll in a frantic dance.
To put it simply, from a slight distance it looked like ghost talismans. The pirates were largely uneducated, making it extraordinarily difficult for them to decipher.
He Lingchuan merely brandished it before their eyes for a few moments before rolling it back up and asking, "Did you see clearly? Is it written plainly enough?"
Qiu Hu and the others had moved over as soon as the ship set sail and had also pressed close to look. At this moment, they chorused in a resounding roar, "Seen clearly!"
"Not a single word off!"
Min Tianxi steadied himself, cupping his fists. "Congratulations, My Lord!"
In front of his subordinates and peers, he could hardly admit he could barely read it, could he? That would cost him dignity and face.
Besides, the yin hui had escorted Young Master He out with utmost deference. That attitude alone said everything:
In the future, they would be able to walk with heads held high anywhere in the Yangshan Archipelago!
Seeing that the dust had truly settled, Huang Zhao joined the pirates in offering congratulations, their voices thundering together: "Congratulations, Young Master He!"
If their gaze toward He Lingchuan before had been one of astonishment, it was now filled with profound admiration.
His hands were clearly dripping with the blood of the yin hui clan, yet he had traveled alone into their lair and forced the king of the yin hui to sign an agreement. Probably only this Young Master He before them was capable of such a feat.
Reclaiming the islands occupied by the yin hui without shedding a single drop of blood, leaving the yin hui not daring to seek revenge, and even treating him as an honored guest—this move had been executed with absolute brilliance.
None of them could fathom how he had accomplished it, and thus their reverence for him grew all the deeper.
To achieve what others deemed impossible—that was the mark of a true master.
Looking at the gazes directed at him, He Lingchuan knew the objective of this venture had finally been achieved. Those who had harbored doubts, second guesses, contempt, or even malice toward him would now quietly stow away their banners and silence their drums, wouldn't they?
In revealing the precious scroll, he had employed a bit of cunning. To ensure no one could decipher it in such a brief window, he had covered a vital clause with his fingers—the terms specifying that the yin hui army would serve at his command.
He had other plans in mind, so it was best that no one read those words clearly in red ink upon gold paper.
Yet even so, his stature in everyone's hearts had instantly grown towering and mysterious.
Eliminating the threat of the yin hui was tangible substance; striking awe into their hearts was intangible deterrence.
Taking possession of the Yangshan Archipelago was an overt victory; clearing away obstacles for his next stage of expansion was a covert strategy.
This balance of substance and deterrence, overt and covert, would be critical to his future endeavors.
With these pirates bearing firsthand witness, the residents of Blade Harbor and even Bailie would soon believe beyond any shadow of a doubt:
Island Master He was the nemesis of both the yin fiend energy and the yin hui, and the development of the Yangshan Archipelago was right before their eyes.
The mirror inside his robes asked him, "Oh my, the fiend energy and yin hui issues are both resolved. Can you rest easy now, Island Master?"
"No, the Yangshan Archipelago is not yet fully recovered."
Thick clouds churned, and the sea breeze picked up. Facing the chilly oceanic wind, He Lingchuan took a light breath. "There is still one small trouble: Yue Pinghe."
There remained one last pirate force that had not yet submitted.
"Are you going to negotiate again?" At the thought of a good show to watch, the mirror grew excited. "What clever, bloodless trick do you have up your sleeve this time?"
"As for that..." He Lingchuan smiled. The warm glow of the ship's lantern fell across his face, as though plating it with a mask. "I've grown tired of the old tricks. I think I'd like to try something fresh."
Chapter 922