Their Own Calculations

Yu Zecheng also let a smile bloom. "Go about your business, He Xiao; pay me no mind." With that, the faint trace of tension vanished into thin air. Leading a large entourage, He Lingchuan escorted Yu Zecheng and his retinue back to their quarters, showing every courtesy and giving him ample face before returning to his own affairs. Back in his room, Yu Zecheng drained a full bowl of tea in one gulp, raising his hand to smash the bowl to pieces. Yet he held back in the end, staying his hand. In the end, he tossed the bowl back onto the tabletop and let out a long exhale. Behind him, a guard said, "Sir, is that fellow He playing a double act with the spider demon?" Yu Zecheng replied coldly, "What do you think?" The guard fell silent, not daring to utter another word. He Xiao had been exceedingly courteous to them, but that courtesy was devoid of awe and reverence. Yu Zecheng muttered to himself, "Why does this kid act as if he has nothing to fear?" To claim the spider demon had done him a favor—even if true, when weighed against one's own life and safety, what debt of gratitude couldn't be cast aside? The guard ventured, "Could it be that he's relying on his close friendship with Chiyan's Crown Prince Yue?" "He should know full well that Crown Prince Yue has no authority over us." Yu Zecheng's tone was flat, yet laced with thinly veiled arrogance. "The Black Tiger Army has no need to give Chiyan face." Yet the mission to track Zhu Erniang could not simply be abandoned like this, or National Preceptor Shuangye would surely hold him accountable. "With He Xiao refusing to hand over Zhu Erniang, the crux of the conflict falls squarely upon him. A classic case of refusing to shed a tear until one sees the coffin." Yu Zecheng casually erected a barrier. "Only by taking him down and forcing him to face reality can we deal with Zhu Erniang." Even now, he merely spoke of "taking him down," rather than killing him. In truth, Yu Zecheng had his own misgivings. The elixir of immortality case had implicated numerous high-ranking figures in Lingxu City. He Xiao had once been the Special Envoy of Chiyan, maneuvering through Lingxu City and emerging unscathed—did he have connections and backing in Beijia as well? Given the political climate in Lingxu City back then, if He Xiao hadn't possessed a formidable patron—at least someone more powerful than the Crown Prince of Chiyan—National Preceptor Qingyang could have crushed him with a flick of his little finger. If he were to kill He Xiao now, might he offend some prominent figure in Lingxu City? He rubbed his brow, sighed, and pulled his thoughts back to the archipelago at hand. The environment of the Yangshan Archipelago was extraordinarily favorable to burrow spiders. Moreover, from what he knew of Zhu Erniang, the moment this great demon settled on an island, it would have begun fortifying its camp, turning its cavern into an impenetrable bastion. They had sent scouts to inspect it: the island as a whole was riddled with countless trenches and fissures, as if tailor-made for burrow spiders. The most complex terrain likely lay underground and underwater; merely observing from the outside offered no way to fathom its true depths. It was both a labyrinth and a fortress. They didn't even know which cavern Zhu Erniang resided in, so how could they launch a surprise attack? Forcing an assault wasn't out of the question—they had made ample preparations targeting burrow spiders and Zhu Erniang specifically—yet the odds of victory remained unpredictable. However, once the island master sided with them, the advantage would immediately be theirs. Home-field advantage was just that decisive. The key to dealing with Zhu Erniang now hinged entirely upon He Xiao's attitude. And changing this man's stance would require far more than mere persuasion. The guard reminded him in a low voice, "Sir, this He Xiao is likely no simple character, and here he holds the geographic advantage." "Who do you think is easier to deal with—He Xiao, or Zhu Erniang?" The guard answered immediately, "He Xiao." To say nothing of the sheer number of burrow spiders, if Zhu Erniang were pushed to the brink, it could unleash the power of an ancient demon immortal. And then there was the spider nest... an absolute nightmare. That was precisely why Yu Zecheng had adopted pack tactics rather than confronting this prehistoric demon head-on. Purely in terms of martial prowess and combat experience, He Xiao was undoubtedly the easier mark. Choosing the lesser of two evils, Yu Zecheng would pick He Xiao, even if the young man was no pushover. Besides, could He Xiao truly be that formidable? The guard added, "B-but our men and equipment were all arranged to deal with the spider demon..." They had pursued Zhu Erniang for half a year; the personnel and materiel mobilized from the front lines had all been tailored for a specific target. Yu Zecheng offered a half-smile. "A configuration meant for Zhu Erniang can't handle He Xiao?" The guard bowed his head, saying nothing. "At the start of this year, when I returned to Lingxu City and paid my respects to the National Preceptor, he spoke of the elixir of immortality case and held this fellow He in exceedingly high regard," Yu Zecheng said slowly. "Yet by the time Emissary Bai brought the case to Lingxu City for investigation, He Xiao was no longer a pivotal figure. The focus of the competing factions was not on him, and he enjoyed the protection of Chiyan's Crown Prince. Emerging unscathed was hardly an impossible feat for him—it was mostly due to caution and the mutual checks between rival factions." He was analyzing, but also reassuring himself. "Perhaps where he truly shone was in maneuvering against Cen Boqing within Chiyan's borders?" Yu Zecheng left one thought unspoken: Beijia never lacked peerless, brilliant talents, yet National Preceptor Shuangye rarely praised anyone. Now, He Xiao was obstructing Beijia from capturing a fugitive, which showed he didn't truly understand how to gauge the tides of power. Given National Preceptor Shuangye's stature and vision, holding He Xiao in such high esteem was truly unwarranted flattery. He mused, "He Xiao is surely on guard against us, and he has several elites by his side. It won't be easy to strike here on the island." The guard suggested, "Then wait until he goes ashore at Blade Harbor?" Just as the words left his mouth, a white bird flew in through the window and landed on the table. "What news from the harbor?" Yu Zecheng had stationed two men in Blade Harbor. "Several cargo ships were recently sunk by yin hui. Word on the street is buzzing about it; everyone says those ships actually belonged privately to Superintendent Wu of the Blade Harbor Maritime Trade Office." Yu Zecheng raised an eyebrow. "Is it rare for yin hui to sink cargo ships?" "When those ships were wrecked, none were in Yangshan waters. Normally, yin hui only roam the depths of the archipelago and never leave Yangshan waters to attack people." "Yet this time they came out, and targeted only Superintendent Wu's ships?" "Indeed. For several days running, they preyed only on Superintendent Wu's ships, while completely ignoring other vessels that passed right beside them," the white bird relayed. "Rumors have been flying thick and fast in Blade Harbor, especially since word had already spread that the new master of the Yangshan Archipelago tamed the yin hui. People are speculating that friction arose between the two sides, and the Yangshan Archipelago is giving Superintendent Wu a taste of its wrath." Yu Zecheng tapped his fingers against the table. "As the superintendent in charge of Blade Harbor, could it be that he was taking kickbacks and shaking people down?" Both were men of officialdom; neither was an innocent saint. "Ye Qing discovered something else as well." Ye Qing was one of the guards stationed in Blade Harbor to gather intelligence. "Over the past few days, Superintendent Wu's ships have resumed sailing as usual, and the yin hui have stopped intercepting them." "It seems he and He Xiao reached an agreement." Otherwise, how would he dare send ships out? "More than that. Sailors on Superintendent Wu's ships claim that as long as they follow a fixed route in and out of Blade Harbor, they won't be attacked," the white bird said. "Now, other ships entering and leaving Blade Harbor are following suit and switching to that route." Seafarers were superstitious by nature; they would never invite bad luck by crossing taboos. Yu Zecheng understood immediately. "A fixed route? Does it happen to pass right by this Suoding Island?" "Yes." Yu Zecheng slapped the table. "Clever lad! Turning a disaster into a blessing—what a sharp mind." No wonder Suoding Island had so many ships docked despite its crude facilities. "This Superintendent Wu suffered a silent loss at He Xiao's hands and was even forced to steer traffic right to him; he must be fuming inside." Yu Zecheng instructed the white bird, "Have Ye Qing sound him out. It would be ideal if we could turn him into an asset. After that, return to Suoding Island and keep your eyes on He Xiao." "Understood!" The white bird flapped its wings and flew off. No one noticed that the bird's arrival and departure had been observed from beginning to end by spiders perched in the large tree outside the window. This was Suoding Island, He Lingchuan's domain. Who cared if there were a few bugs in the trees? Elsewhere, the mirror asked He Lingchuan, "Do you think this guy Yu will just let things go?" "How could he? Today's meeting was merely going through the motions," He Lingchuan said calmly. "Without getting the answers they want, Beijia won't back off. Yu has to make at least an attempt, or he won't be able to report back to his superiors." After spending nearly half a year painstakingly hunting Zhu Erniang, turning back without even trying—what kind of subordinate would do that? When reporting to his superior, he would at least have to say, 'Your subordinate did his best, but it proved truly impossible.' "With the temperament of these Beijia folk, when civil means fail, force is bound to follow." Since he had welcomed the spider demon sisters, he had to take on their troubles as well. Excuses, lies, and clever tricks were useless. From this moment on, Yu Zecheng's pursuit of Zhu Erniang would become a matter between He Lingchuan and Beijia. What must come will come, and what must be faced cannot be avoided. "What do you plan to do?" "Keep close watch on Yu Zecheng. He is bound to make moves behind the scenes." The mirror scoffed. "He wouldn't be stupid enough to make a move himself, would he?" "Only two men follow him openly. How could he bring only two people to hunt a great demon like Zhu Erniang? The rest of Beijia's force is likely lurking in the shadows." He Lingchuan's eyes gleamed. "After all is said and done, Zhu Erniang was once an ancient demon immortal. For Yu Zecheng to dare pursue it here, he must have something up his sleeve. Let us first figure out how many people he brought along." He Lingchuan patted the mirror. "Since I refused to hand over Zhu Erniang, he will definitely suspect me. Be vigilant from now on. Whether it's divine techniques or mundane scouts spying on me, I leave them to you." With the waters around Pansi Island under total blockade by the yin hui, Yu Zecheng had still managed to spot the burrow spiders on the island, which meant he possessed at least the advantage of aerial reconnaissance. He Lingchuan had no desire to have his every move watched by eyes in the sky. "Leave it to me," the mirror promised casually, then asked, "Should we kill this guy Yu?" "Of course not! Absolutely not! We cannot afford to become Beijia's enemy right now—or at the very least, we cannot cause Beijia to lose face." The dignity of a great empire was not to be provoked; He Lingchuan understood this crystal clear. "Fortunately, he still has superiors. When he encounters difficulties, he will inevitably have to report upward." "National Preceptor Shuangye?" "Precisely." ... Blade Harbor, Maritime Trade Office. Assistant Commissioner Zhao had just handed Superintendent Wu a repair report for the dockyards when a clerk came trotting over to report: "A guest seeks an audience. He says he is... from Lingxu City." Superintendent Wu looked up. "Oh? Bring him in." Hearing of visitors from Lingxu, he did not get all flustered like other Qing Kingdom officials. Blade Harbor was a natural port of massive throughput, welcoming seafarers from all quarters; travelers from the Mou Kingdom and the Beijia Kingdom were never in short supply.