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If they bought more ships, even a hundred and seventy thousand taels might not cover it. Both men knew this was nowhere near the end. The Yangshan Archipelago was a blank sheet of paper. Countless projects had to be built from scratch, and every single one cost money. He Lingchuan had only two hundred and eighty thousand taels left in hand. It sounded like an enormous sum, but at this rate of spending, how many months could it possibly last? "This is only the beginning," He Lingchuan waved a hand with grand bravado. "Hire as many men as you need, buy whatever is required, and spend every coin necessary. Don't pinch a single copper for my sake! As for the capital, you don't need to worry. I have my ways." At the assurance not to worry about capital, Ding Zuodong relaxed, his voice filling with confidence. "Yes, Master!" "Spend what must be spent," He Lingchuan reassured him with absolute composure. "Show the same boldness you had when building up my properties in Dunyu. Right now we're only burning through sixty thousand taels a month. In the future, it might be six hundred thousand, or even six million." *Splat.* Lingguang fumbled, dropping half of the peach in its hands onto the table. The little spider picked it up and kept eating, just as Ding Zuodong exclaimed in admiration, "That would be wonderful!" Spending hundreds of thousands a month assumed the master had that much wealth—or that much credit. He hoped that day would come quickly. He Lingchuan knew full well that while over a hundred and forty thousand taels was an astronomical sum to an ordinary person, it was a mere drop in the bucket compared to his future plans. Having finished his report, Ding Zuodong tucked his ledger under his arm and stepped outside, his stride noticeably lighter. If the master said he had ways, then he had ways. As an employee, all he needed to do was carry out his duties. Why lose sleep over matters like that? The moment Ding Zuodong's back vanished past the doorway, He Lingchuan's face instantly crumpled. He shot to his feet, clawing at his hair in frustration. *Damn it, over sixty thousand taels gone in a single month!* With such a massive deficit, where on earth was he supposed to get that kind of money? Putting on an air of serene confidence before Ding Zuodong wasn't about putting on a show. If even the boss panicked, what confidence would the workers underneath him have to get anything done? Future bravado was a grand vision for tomorrow, but being strapped for cash was today's harsh reality. At this rate of spending, a measly two hundred and eighty thousand taels wouldn't last long at all. Heaven forbid an accident happened; the silver would pour away even faster. Yet his only way to gain a swift, firm foothold in a foreign land was rapid expansion, full-scale deployment, and building his strength before other factions caught on. Time waited for no one. Money, money, money. Rushing work meant burning cash. The Yangshan Archipelago was in its early phase of heavy investment. Its meager current output was a drop in the ocean; all progress relied entirely on him pouring in silver to keep it afloat. Silver didn't fall from the sky. What scheme could he come up with? Lingguang finished the peach just in time to hear He Lingchuan let out a vicious curse. *** That morning, Blade Harbor also welcomed six new visitors. Blade Harbor was the Mou Kingdom's premier rear port, situated along the golden maritime route. Countless travelers came and went every day, so a mere party of six would normally draw no attention. However, one of them had a white bird perched on his shoulder, drawing the eyes of passersby. The man produced a compass, opened it, and peered at it for several moments before frowning toward the south. "The bee needle still points out to sea, within a distance of a hundred and twenty li. That Spider Queen hasn't changed locations in days. Looks like it's making a home at sea this time." "A Burrow Spider Queen fleeing out to sea on a ship?" someone else remarked. "I hear there's a vast archipelago south of here." Hiding among the islands? That was very likely. Without the Tracking Bee compass, finding their quarry among so many large and small isles would have been an impossible task. "But how did it get across? A spider demon that large—with a molted shell even bigger than itself—could never fit on an ordinary fishing boat." "It's an ancient demon immortal after all. Perhaps it had other means?" "Are you saying it drifted over a hundred li across the ocean on its own? How could that be possible?" "We'll know once we take a look." After a moment's thought, the leader split the party in two. One group remained at the harbor to gather intelligence, while he took the other to charter a boat. Chartering a small vessel proved surprisingly difficult. After scouring the entire harbor, they found only two boats available for rent, and at exorbitant rates. Accepting their money, the boatmaster told them it was the palm harvest season and boat rentals were going for this rate everywhere; wait any longer, and none would be left. What palm harvest? The trio claimed they were merely sightseeing on the sea. One of them knew how to handle a boat, so they didn't need to hire a skipper. But doing without a boatmaster made the rental even pricier, and the boatmaster specifically warned them, "The deep waters of the Yangshan Archipelago are forbidden territory. You cannot go there!" "Why?" "In the past, whenever ships sailed deep into the islands, living men aboard would go mad. On top of that, there are man-eating yin hui in the sea, and pirates! That's why seafaring vessels could only follow the golden route, which was relatively safe." The trio caught the key word. "In the past? What about now?" "Now the archipelago is private territory. It has a lord. Island Master He has only opened certain islands and certain waters. No one is allowed near the rest, and fishing is strictly forbidden there." *Island Master He?* The leader took note of the name. The boatmaster added, "Either way, steer clear of any islands off the main sea route. Some places have undercurrents and whirlpools. Although the currents shift this time of year and the submerged undercurrents are fewer, you outsiders don't know the waters. If you barge in blindly, you won't make it back out!" The three boarded the vessel and left port, heading south. Today the sea was calm, the water's surface shimmering like molten gold. The leader fed bits of dried meat to the white bird. Seeing the seagulls circling overhead grow envious, he tossed a few pieces of jerky into the air. The gulls swooped down to catch them, showing no fear of humans at all. After traveling another ten or so li, the first island appeared ahead of them, lush and green with dense timber, gleaming like a pearl upon the sea. This was evidently along the regular shipping lane, for other vessels—both large and small—plied the waters nearby in peaceful serenity. "So this is the Yangshan Archipelago?" The leader pulled out the Tracking Bee compass, checked it, and commanded, "Keep heading south." Only after sailing into the Yangshan Archipelago did they realize how vast this cluster of islands truly was. The small boat threaded through the sea channels; rounding one island, another lay ahead, and then another... seemingly without end. Even after sailing for a long time, they could not glimpse the open sea. Nearby vessels had grown scarce, with only the occasional fishing boat in sight. The water was eerily quiet. If the Burrow Spider Queen had chosen to make its new nest among these islands, it was truly clever. The leader glanced at the compass. "Further south." Just then, a fishing boat about thirty yards away called out kindly to them, "Hey! You can't go any farther ahead!" The leader gestured for the boat to row closer and asked, "Why not?" "Another ten li ahead is Longji Island, and there are man-eating monsters there," the fisherman told him. "If you row close, you'll be eaten alive!" "What do these monsters look like?" "Like snakes, but with hands!" The fisherman gestured with both hands. "Huge!" The leader asked again, "Brother, can no one set foot on Longji Island?" "Can't say for sure. I reckon Island Master He can, but no one else!" The leader thanked him and ordered the boat to keep moving forward. "Hey, hey! I told you, you can't go ahead!" The fisherman shouted after them several times, but his boatwoman tugged his arm and snapped, "Stop yelling! We just crossed paths with them—they don't need your meddling kindness!"