Chapter 192
Chapter 192
Count Xuanwu nodded.
“Understood! I will expand the army within three days, then immediately lead four thousand troops to station on Sorrow’s End Island. And I will build a fortress there. Lang, many people will come to investigate the truth of the island. Won’t our defenses show a crack, no matter how tight they are?”
“We must defend it rigorously and kill anyone who approaches the island. No matter who the intruder is, who is behind them, or how powerful they are, we must kill them all to show our absolute resolve. There can be no flaws in this performance. Father-in-law, rest assured. No secret can be kept forever; the news that Sorrow’s End Island is piled high with gold will certainly get out.”
Strategic deception was incredibly difficult. The slightest gap could be spotted by the enemy. The only way was to create a situation more real than reality itself, staging a performance with an astronomical sum of gold, several thousand troops, and laborers.
Count Xuanwu said, “If I were the enemy, I would firmly believe a massive gold mine was discovered on Sorrow’s End Island. Knowing Qiu Tianwei and Tang Lun, they will certainly fall into the trap. We’ve invested so much money in this deception; the whole world will believe it’s real.”
“No. One person will not be deceived; he will have already seen through it.”
“Who could that be?”
“Zhang Chong. He hasn’t appeared for months. Officially, he’s recuperating at home, but that’s highly abnormal.”
“We haven’t revealed any flaws in our strategy this time. How could he possibly see through it?”
“A true master of Go pays no mind to the enemy’s tricks. He discerns their true intentions and sees through to their final objective. That way, even the most brilliant deception is exposed. Our Prefect’s vision is far grander and more astonishing. He intends to use this opportunity to uproot three great powers and establish an immortal achievement. He’s waiting for a chance to be the fisherman who reaps the rewards, to be the one laughing at the end.”
While others might struggle to decide their next move in this grand game, Zhang Chong and Shen Lang were playing Go with masterful strokes.
Mulan left the ramparts, feeling a touch of regret. She remembered her bet with Shen Lang. It was a beautiful thing, however, and she didn’t want to rush it. Since resolving all the debt issues for the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, she hadn't even had a chance to sleep at home, spending several days in a whirlwind of activity. Because of that, she hadn't had the time to complete their beautiful first experience.
In the end, she bit the chest of the bewildered Shen Lang, who was standing there dumbfounded, before donning her armor and heading off to recruit soldiers.
“Husband, you wait. When I return, I’ll punish you properly. I’m going to eat you alive.”
Hearing this, Shen Lang was completely dumbfounded.
‘Did… did that come from Mulan’s mouth? Isn’t that something that brat Xiao Bing would say? Mulan is a proud goddess, an ice goddess at that. How could such shameless words come from her lips?’
The miracle Shen Lang had created this time was truly so great that even a goddess like Mulan couldn't help but be thrilled by him. Furthermore, the strategic deployment that followed was increasingly astounding, culminating in a grand design. The game was already set, and the enemies were about to fall into the net. Women were generally creatures of emotion, and Mulan was no exception.
During the previous Gold Mountain Island dispute, Mulan had already been halfway conquered by Shen Lang. Now, with the golden island strategy on the verge of success, he was about to create a great achievement and a new history for the Jin Clan. Such a situation was intoxicating. Spurred on by the miracle of earning a fortune in gold in one fell swoop, the goddess Mulan had been completely conquered by Shen Lang.
When a woman feels deep love, she simultaneously worships the man and is swept up by a powerful procreative urge. An emotional connection? Such people exist, but most are faking it. Humanity did not multiply through such pure and high-minded love.
Mulan’s sudden words had shaken Shen Lang’s heart so much that he remained stiff for several hours. Even when Xiao Bing came to pester him, Shen Lang hid behind her in fear. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold back.
“Bing’er, don’t come any closer, stay away! I really can’t take it anymore. If something happens, you’ll be fine, but my wife will beat me to death.”
“So annoying. Then you two should just hurry up and do it.”
Xiao Bing stomped her foot, causing her chest to bounce, and Shen Lang nearly collapsed at the sight.
‘I really can’t take it anymore.’
“The young lady is so annoying too. Hogging the privy but not even using it, not caring that others are about to burst.”
Hearing that, the fire burning within Shen Lang was half-extinguished.
‘Damn it, you lewd and foolish Xiao Bing. Don’t you know how to say anything pretty or beautiful? What’s this about a privy? Who’s a privy? And you describe such a beautiful act as taking a shit? You’re truly uncultured.’
***
For the next few days, Mulan rode without sleep or rest, visiting every town and village in the Jin Clan’s fiefdom. Wherever she arrived, she immediately summoned all the militia and selected only the most elite soldiers to be incorporated into the family’s private army. On the spot, she distributed armor and weapons, along with money for their families to live on and half a year’s salary in advance. Instantly, the morale of the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate soared to the heavens, and countless young men competed to join the ranks of the estate’s private army. The sight sent shivers down the spines of the neighboring powers who heard the news.
‘The Count of Xuanwu’s Estate is expanding its army? This is an act of provocation against the King. Expanding their forces at such a chaotic time? What on earth are they planning?’
Following this, many people noticed the fleet of the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate sailing continuously toward Sorrow’s End Island. Wave after wave of troops landed on the island, along with several thousand laborers. With the Count of Xuanwu's Estate making such a huge move, the situation grew incredibly tense. Everyone was certain in their hearts.
‘Something big is about to happen, something big is coming soon!’
***
While everyone else was busy working, Shen Lang, the one who had planned and directed this strategy, was rather at ease. Those who plan and arrange matters comprehensively are usually fraught with anxiety, but a master of schemes and strategy feels no need for such worry. The plan had already taken shape, and the watertight net was already prepared; all that was left was to draw the enemy into it. Shen Lang and Jin Mucong once again entered a period of madly copying books. Now, Shen Lang had finished all his preparations and, with the spirit of Zhuge Liang before the Battle of Red Cliffs, was merely waiting for the east wind to blow. Here, the east wind was the demoness Qiu Yao’er. She was the most crucial figure in determining whether Shen Lang could seize Raging Tide City.
Their speed of copying books had become so fast that Jin Mucong had copied half of *Journey to the West* in just over ten days. Moreover, he didn't feel tired at all. According to Jin Mucong, copying the book was just the process; he was listening to the story as he copied, and the thrill of it kept him from feeling weary. During these few idle days, while waiting for his enemies to walk into his net, Shen Lang was doing his utmost to indirectly curry favor with the demoness Qiu Yao’er. This was a book written for one person only, and never before had Shen Lang gone to such lengths to please a woman.
Just then, a spy Shen Lang had sent to Raging Tide City returned with a letter from Xu Qianqian. When Shen Lang opened it, he found nothing written inside. He held the letter over a flame, and Xu Qianqian’s handwriting appeared on it.
In that moment, Shen Lang was greatly alarmed.
‘Qiu Yao’er is gravely ill? Her life is in danger? Has the chronic poison she was afflicted with before flared up?’
But from Xu Qianqian’s words alone, Shen Lang couldn’t tell what kind of poison she was suffering from. Shen Lang faced a difficult decision.
‘Should I go to Raging Tide City? It would mean risking danger. If I don’t go? Let Qiu Yao’er die? No. She absolutely cannot die now. This is a risk, but perhaps it is also a good opportunity.’
Who was the most furious and anxious about the discovery of a gold mine on Sorrow’s End Island? Naturally, it was Count Jinhai, Tang Lun. His heart exploded with jealousy.
‘Your Jin Clan was clearly on its last legs, so why aren’t you dead yet? I lost Gold Mountain Island, and you discover a gold mine on Sorrow’s End Island? How could this be? The heavens must be blind.’
So, Tang Lun first secretly sent several spies to Sorrow’s End Island. But because the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate was heavily defending the surrounding area, any boat that got close to the island was sunk. Whether it was a fishing boat or a merchant ship, all were sunk, and every spy he sent died. As a result, Tang Lun had no choice but to believe they had really discovered a gold mine.
He found several of the world’s most renowned artisans and experts and showed them the gold nuggets from the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate. He had obtained them through the Hidden Yuan Society. When they saw the nuggets, they all said in unison that this was gold that had been mined and smelted very recently. They were even certain that some of the nuggets were naturally formed, with no signs of processing, and could absolutely not have been deliberately crafted. Even if the Count of Xuanwu's Estate wanted to create such a large quantity of gold nuggets, they wouldn’t have the ability to do so. Unless, of course, they had discovered a large gold mine.
Tang Lun asked, puzzled, “Why wasn’t a gold mine discovered on Sorrow’s End Island before? The Jin Clan has been mining there for a hundred years.”
An artisan replied, “Some gold mines are indeed hidden deep. In fact, most of the world’s gold mines are hidden deep. You can’t find them if you look for them deliberately; they are all discovered by accident.”
The great gold mines of America and Australia were also all discovered by accident. After that, a frantic gold rush ensued. Soon, Tang Lun began to covet Sorrow’s End Island even more, but he was afraid this was yet another of Shen Lang’s schemes. He didn’t want to be tricked by Shen Lang again.
“Send more people to find out. The gold can’t be faked. There must be large mining pits and large amounts of gold dust. It’s a pity Sorrow’s End Island is on the sea. Otherwise, we could have investigated by sifting through the soil downstream. Send more spies; you must confirm if there really is a gold mine on Sorrow’s End Island.”
His heir, Tang Yun, said, “Father, the Jin Clan’s defenses are extremely tight. Any spies we send will end up dead. Not only has the Jin Clan been constantly expanding its military, but they have also moved their main forces to Sorrow’s End Island.”
“Tang Yan, where is that boy? Has there been any reply?”
A few days ago, Count Jinhai, Tang Lun, had sent his eldest son, Tang Zong, to Sword Island to fetch Tang Yan. He intended to send Tang Yan to Sorrow’s End Island to find out the truth. As a supreme master, it would be easier for Tang Yan to infiltrate the island.
“There’s no news from elder brother yet, but it’s about time for him to return.”
Half a shichen later, Tang Zong returned, and Count Jinhai asked him, “Where is Tang Yan?”
“He refuses to come back. He says he doesn’t have time.”
Tang Lun was shocked and shot back, “Doesn’t have time? That ungrateful whelp! The family is in a major crisis and needs his help, and he says he doesn’t have time?”
“He also said not to come looking for him again. He said it’s interfering with him learning a new sword art.”
“That wretched boy…! Following Li Qianqiu around has addled his brain. Prepare the carriage. I will go to Xuanwu City myself!”