Before the Hurricane

Ye Qing shook his head. "Who said He Lingchuan's only reinforcement is the Spider Queen? What if he has other cards up his sleeve? How long have you been on the island? Long enough to fathom the depths of his true capabilities?" There was truth in those words, leaving Moqi Feng unable to refute them. Ye Qing continued, "Furthermore, our side will be placing someone among your ranks." Moqi Song's expression darkened with displeasure. "You don't trust us?" A helping hand—more like an informant. "The stakes are too high; we must proceed with prudence," Ye Qing explained. "That way, no matter which side encounters an unexpected turn, the other will know immediately, allowing us to adjust our tactics." Having negotiated to this point, displeased though the Moqi uncle and nephew were, they ultimately conceded. As for planting their own eyes among the Beijia operatives, they did not even bother to bring it up, knowing Ye Qing would never agree. With negotiations finally concluded, Ye Qing moved to take his leave. Moqi Feng called after him, "Has your main force arrived yet?" "They have already reached Suoding Island." Suoding Island sat right along the Golden Sea Route, open to all merchant vessels and travelers. *** Suoding Island, Hot Springs Retreat. Upon receiving the message from Ye Qing, a faint smile finally touched Yu Zecheng's lips. The plan was taking shape piece by piece. The ambush by the Bailong people was the fuse for this entire operation. To bring down He Lingchuan, the single most critical key was one word: Chaos! They had to throw Suoding Island into chaos, and throw He Lingchuan himself into disarray. The messier it became, the better their chances to fish in troubled waters and strike against greater numbers with their smaller force. Those Bailong fools thought far too highly of themselves. In reality, they were mere pawns, cannon fodder, a smokescreen—and, if necessary, bait. Yu Zecheng had never truly counted on them. When it came time to deliver the decisive blow, he would rely on his own men! "Has Little White returned?" Little White was that white bird. Had it been here, passing messages back and forth with Ye Qing would have been vastly quicker and more convenient. The guard behind him promptly answered, "Not yet. Little White has been missing for three days now. Its last assignment was tailing He Xiao." Yu Zecheng sneered coldly. "What a He Xiao!" To dare lay hands on a Beijia monster guard? Since that brat named He insisted on going head-to-head against him to the bitter end, he had better not complain when no mercy was shown. The guard hesitated for a moment before venturing, "My Lord, this He Xiao seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve." Yu Zecheng cast him a glance, knowing what he wanted to say: should they send word back to Lingxu City to investigate thoroughly? That sharp look made the guard swallow his words at once. "He Xiao defeated the second Fan brother, so naturally he possesses decent skill," Yu Zecheng said placidly. "However, the Fan brothers command the Tongxin Guard through loyalty, not martial prowess! Out of the three Fan brothers, only Fan Long has never tasted defeat on the battlefield. If He Xiao could best him, only then would it count as true ability. "He Xiao went all the way to Lingxu City and came out unscathed because, first, he had the Chiyan Crown Prince as his backer, and second, he became the focal point of the entire capital. Naturally, someone under everyone's watchful eye is safe." Yu Zecheng spoke in a measured cadence. "Wisdom comes in many forms. Some possess the wit to maneuver and the savvy to preserve their own skins, yet lack the wisdom to govern a territory, overcome crises, and rein in subordinates." For so many virtues to converge in a single individual was exceedingly rare. In his entire life, Yu Zecheng had seen only one exception: National Preceptor Shuangye. The guard nodded hurriedly. Hearing Lord Yu's analysis, that youth named He did not seem all that formidable after all. Yet Yu Zecheng left one thought unsaid: He had his own difficulties. Time was running short. Sending word to Lingxu City and awaiting a reply would take too long; by then, the hurricane and the Emperor's Flowing Dew would have long passed. Once the prime window to strike at Zhu Erniang closed, moving against her later would become far more difficult. "Ye Qing also asked whether we should send men to infiltrate Pansi Island before the hurricane strikes." "No need." Yu Zecheng shook his head. "Do you know where Zhu Erniang will be on the night of the hurricane?" "N-Not on Pansi Island?" "Any operation must take into account heavenly timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony. We chose to strike on the night of the hurricane—do you think He Lingchuan couldn't guess that?" He Lingchuan knew perfectly well why he had stationed himself on Suoding Island. "On that night, Zhu Erniang will neither be on Suoding Island, nor will she likely remain on Pansi Island." Since the Beijia operatives might strike during the hurricane, Zhu Erniang had no reason to foolishly stay behind on Pansi Island. What would she stay there for—to wait for his sneak attack? The guard puzzled over it, perplexed. "Then where... where could she be?" "How would I know?" Yu Zecheng glared at him. "There are dozens of islands and hundreds of reefs scattered across this sea. Who knows which one she'll choose to ride out the storm!" No matter how colossal Zhu Erniang's body was, set against the vast waters of the Yangshan Archipelago, she was merely a drop in the ocean! "Therefore, our target can only be He Lingchuan." They could not pinpoint Zhu Erniang's whereabouts, but they knew with absolute certainty that He Lingchuan would be on Suoding Island that night. Only with a clear target could the mission proceed. "Sending men to Pansi Island would squander our combat strength," Yu Zecheng said evenly. "We are few in number to begin with; every man is precious. Tell Ye Qing that on the night of the operation, the Bailong people must spearhead the charge. Only after they make the first move will we strike." His core tactic for the night of the hurricane was singularly simple: bide their time and seize the opportunity! *** Come nightfall, the Blade Harbor Maritime Trade Office abruptly issued another warning. According to further precise readings from the Turbid Motion Gauge, the hurricane would most likely make landfall by the following night. It had indeed arrived even earlier than the initial forecast. The soul-snatching mirror squawked, "Natural disasters and man-made catastrophes hitting all at once—can you handle this or not?" By their calculations, the Emperor's Flowing Dew would soon descend, and tonight brought a hurricane as well. The Bailong rabble stirring up trouble was one thing, but now Beijia's squad had thrown themselves into the mix. Truly, blessings never came in pairs, but misfortunes never came alone. He Lingchuan gave a dry chuckle. "Has there ever been a time I couldn't handle things?" The following afternoon, after wrapping up all his affairs, He Lingchuan set off for Suoding Island. Before casting off, the sea had been calm and windless. Yet barely halfway into the journey, a sudden gale whipped across the waters, ferocious and swift. The towering winds and surging waves struck without rhyme or reason. He watched with his own eyes as the swells climbed higher and higher, tossing the ship into increasingly violent rolls. In the end, the vessel tilted a full ninety degrees, half the bow plunging underwater. When the ship finally crested the wave, seawater cascaded across the deck like a roaring waterfall. Had it not been for the extraordinary skill of the veteran captain hired at great expense, the ship likely would have foundered halfway. Before such heavenly fury, no cultivation and no divine powers amounted to anything! After helping lash down the cargo, everyone retreated inside the cabin. Only He Lingchuan stood rooted like an iron spike at the prow, channeling power through his feet, experiencing amidst the howling winds and crushing waves that sheer helplessness of drifting with the current, his life tossed to the whims of the heavens. His cultivation method demanded wrestling with fate amidst the raging swells. Moreover, witnessing such awe-inspiring heavenly wrath served as a constant reminder to himself: Remain sober and clear-minded in this mortal realm; never let the myriad illusions of the world cloud your sight. Furious crests battered the deck with roaring fury, soaking him from head to toe. If one has never battled the howling gale and surging breakers, how can one laugh in the face of life and death? Lingguang had no desire to share his madness, slipping off to take shelter beside the old captain. Two hours later, the sea vessel finally made its way into Suoding Island's shelter dock. The moment Dong Rui stepped ashore, his legs trembled violently. Lingguang tottered along the jetty, swayed unsteadily, and with a wretched retch, vomited all over the planks. Dong Rui had already been holding it in with all his might. Seeing the monkey set the precedent, how could he hold back any longer? Man and monkey huddled side by side, retching and vomiting uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down their faces: "If I ever board a ship in typhoon weather again, I'm a dog!" How wise Zhu Daniang had been to arrive well in advance, sparing herself the agony of the wild seas. The ghost ape kindly patted both their backs. The old captain hopped down from the vessel, chuckling. "Young lads, the hurricane hasn't even arrived yet. This is merely the prelude." Everyone looked out across the sea, spotting the silhouettes of four or five vessels. Their sails and masts were blown askew by the vicious winds, yet they were still hastening toward Suoding Island with all speed. With every ship that entered the harbor, dedicated hands on the docks rushed forward to assist. Suoding Island was a supply post along the Golden Sea Route and a safe haven when storms drew near. Seeing the sudden shift in the weather, any experienced captain would wheel their vessel around and head to Suoding Island to ride out the gale. Over the past month or so, the number of fleets received by Suoding Island far exceeded previous records, yet it had never been quite as lively as today. Two hours later, thirty-seven vessels had already reached the island, and more fleets continued to arrive in an endless stream across the open water. In truth, most ships would have preferred seeking shelter at Blade Harbor, under the impression that accommodations and docking conditions would be far superior there. However, on one hand, the sea swells were simply too rough, making captains fear they might not make the crossing; on the other hand, they worried Blade Harbor's berths might already be packed full with nowhere left to dock. Thus, they could only rush to make landfall wherever they could. None of them had expected Suoding Island to accommodate so many vessels with room to spare. One of the very first two major undertakings He Lingchuan tackled upon assuming the mantle of island master was renovating and expanding Suoding Island's supply post, while adding two brand-new shelter docks. Those two new docks took only twenty-odd days to complete. Thanks to an unusually massive low tide during construction, progress had sped up considerably, allowing them to be put to use just in time for this hurricane. Several captains gave He Lingchuan a thumbs-up, praising his exceptional foresight. Suoding Island enjoyed a superior geographic position, boasting several natural harbor bays, and was one of the prime islands He Lingchuan was focusing his efforts on developing. Qiu Hu and Min Tianxi were the first to dash over, their expressions grim. He Lingchuan drew Qiu Hu aside and asked in an undertone, "How is the situation?" "I only scheduled thirty of them for duty on Suoding Island, but Huang Zhao's men just checked Heiye Island twice. There are barely any Bailong people left in the camp, and the Moqi uncle and nephew are nowhere to be found. When we questioned the other camps, they said the Bailong people headed to the docks in twos and threes this morning. Within four hours, they were all gone." Those men knew enough to slip out in batches. Unfortunately for them, ever since He Lingchuan caught wind of their intentions, the encampment on Heiye Island had been crawling with Qiu Hu's eyes. Qiu Hu had already integrated the Bailong men into mixed duty rosters. According to his arrangements, the Bailong people from the Heiye Island camp were not supposed to be working on Suoding Island today. Movement between the islands was frequent, and traffic across the Yangshan Archipelago was bustling, served by scheduled ferry runs. As long as the island authorities gave a quiet word in advance, the boatmasters would take note of who was present and who was missing. Qiu Hu lowered his voice. "A boat quietly made landfall at the southwestern tip of Suoding Island." His lordship had deduced long ago that the Moqi uncle and nephew might strike on the night the Emperor's Flowing Dew descended. Who could have foreseen a hurricane crashing in from the side as well? Now, things were bound to get interesting. Where were the Moqi uncle and nephew lying in wait? If they were on Suoding Island, they would undoubtedly use the cover of the hurricane and the Emperor's Flowing Dew to strike at He Lingchuan. If they hadn't come, they would have missed their golden opportunity, leaving no telling when another chance might arise—and delays brought danger. He Lingchuan gave a slight nod. The yin hui had also reported a vessel coming ashore on the southwestern beach of Suoding Island. However, they lacked the wits for arithmetic and could not state precise figures, knowing only that the arrivals were quite numerous.