Chapter 2265: Sun Hongye's Stepping Stone

When in Dunyu, Sun Hongye was He Lingchuan's confidant and had already come to understand his true character, knowing that the profligate image was merely Young Master He's disguise. The real He Lingchuan, with his exceptional wisdom and courage, would surely be able to decipher the clues he left behind.

"It certainly came in handy," and in a big way. He Lingchuan chuckled softly. "At that time, Yuan Ting was already teetering on the brink, powerless, and I was missing. He Chunhua didn't think it would be a big deal if this secret got out. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to leave Yuan Capital at all."

"Indeed, I knew Lord He had shown mercy," Sun Hongye sighed. "Over the years, as I traveled around, I always kept an eye on Cang'an. Initially, merchants from the east brought news of Cang'an's founding, so I quickly gathered information about Shanjing. I didn't realize until I started researching, and then I was astonished—your achievements far exceeded my imagination."

He couldn't quite articulate what he felt deep down as news of his former employer kept arriving, each piece more impressive than the last. Only when he finally understood what the Shanjing Plain was did he realize how formidable He Lingchuan was for unifying it! Previously, he had merely believed that Young Master He would one day rise to prominence, like a great roc taking flight, but he hadn't expected to have underestimated him so significantly in the end.

He Lingchuan looked at him and asked, "Since you knew Cang'an was established by me, why didn't you come to pledge your allegiance earlier?" Several years had passed since Cang'an was founded. Sun Hongye clearly knew that He Lingchuan was Emperor Jiuyou and intended to offer his service, yet he had delayed until this very day. Anyone else would probably have boarded a ship and crossed the sea to find him immediately, wouldn't they?

Sun Hongye remained silent for a moment before softly saying, "The Emperor has achieved unparalleled feats; he is no longer the Young Master He of yesteryear, and naturally, he no longer requires the assistance of the Sun Hongye of yesteryear."

He Lingchuan tapped his forehead, awaiting the rest of Sun Hongye's explanation. In the past, when the two of them chatted about state affairs and discussed strategies, they had the youthful passion and impulsiveness of teenagers, speaking freely and with full confidence.

However, times had changed. After more than ten years of trials and tribulations, He Lingchuan had become Emperor Jiuyou, a slayer of gods and demons. His mind was deeper than the boundless sea, and he commanded a multitude of talented individuals. How could Sun Hongye remain ordinary when serving such a figure? Yet, he hadn't achieved anything noteworthy over the years. If he were to rashly offer his service now, even if He Lingchuan, out of consideration for their old friendship, gave him a minor position, how could he truly put him to important use?

It wasn't that Emperor Jiuyou was heartless, but rather that Sun Hongye himself felt unworthy. The Young Master He of yesteryear merely needed a strategist to offer advice; today's Emperor Jiuyou required unconventional, brilliant, and worldly talents to help him manage this vast empire. The talent suited for a county, or a state, differs from that required for an entire nation; and the talent for a small country is not on the same level as that for a great empire.

Sun Hongye clearly understood that the gap between himself and Emperor Jiuyou was as vast as heaven and earth. Therefore, "I believe I could only dare to knock on Cang'an's gates once I had acquired the right 'stepping stone!'" He had to prove himself! Prove his abilities, prove his loyalty, and prove that he was still a talent He Lingchuan would value. He needed a highly convincing pledge of allegiance.

He Lingchuan smiled. In the past, Sun Hongye's thoughts were always more nuanced than others, and he possessed a greater sense of pride. More than ten years of wandering had still not broken his spirit. Truly rare. It was a pity that Sun Hongye had never truly found an enlightened ruler. In times of chaos, there were too many powerful figures and ambitious individuals, like chives in spring, growing in one patch only to fall in the next. How many could truly stand firm until the end? There were too many talents, yet too few enlightened rulers. It was always a case of 'when the great temple falls, the monkeys scatter.'

"What 'brick' did you acquire?" Things that could catch Emperor Jiuyou's eye were indeed rare.

"Before the Dragon God War, you had already raised the banner of resistance against the Heavenly Gods—er, the Heavenly Demons—pointing them out as public enemies of mankind, and declared to the world that they absorbed the blood, flesh, and nightmare energy of living beings. I heard that soon after Cang'an was established, all the temples on the Shanjing Plain were torn down, leaving only some natural shrines, such as those dedicated to mountain, lake, and water spirits, and the Dragon God Temple."

"Indeed." For someone in a remote small country, Sun Hongye had gathered a considerable amount of information about Shanjing, which was impressive.

"Then, you must be quite interested in critical information about the Heavenly Demons."

He Lingchuan leaned forward, intrigued. "What valuable clue have you obtained?"

"The Fu Nation, where I was previously, is a small coastal country, with half its territory on land and half as a group of islands at sea." Sun Hongye took out a map and spread it flat on the table. It was a hand-drawn map, with mountains, rivers, and geographical features depicted in great detail. He Lingchuan immediately spotted the location of the Fu Nation, which was precisely at the exit of the second sea route of the Coiled Dragon World. He had studied that area before, and it looked quite familiar.

"The primary deity worshipped in Fu Nation is Jialou Heaven. It's said that it performed a miracle twenty years ago, with numerous witnesses, which led to many temples being built across the country." Heavenly Demons performing recent, widespread, and potent miracles could typically attract more followers.

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "Jialou Heaven is the second most prominent figure among the deities of Lingxu. Its rank is quite high."

"Yes," Sun Hongye replied. "In recent years, there have been widespread and incredibly elaborate legends of divine manifestations there. I collected information for a while and learned that in Fu County of Fu Nation, powerful Heavenly Gods were often seen appearing, and various strange rumors were most prevalent there. So, I went to Fu County and managed to secure a position as a Procurement and Transport Officer in the county government." He was determined to acquire a "stepping stone" to meet Emperor Jiuyou, which made him exceptionally diligent.

"Fu County is not connected to the mainland; it comprises eleven islands of varying sizes out at sea. The furthest from the county seat is called Puluo Island. In terms of area, it is the second largest island in the county, but it's rarely visited by people. The county government prohibits locals from going to the island or even fishing in its surrounding waters." He pointed to a small red dot on the map, which was Puluo Island.

"Is there anything suspicious about that place?"

"As a Procurement and Transport Officer, I learned that the county government ships supplies to Puluo Island every ten days—rice, flour, oil, vegetables, fruits, and sometimes even bedding, medicine, and so on. Moreover, the goods must be loaded and transported to the island at a specific time, no earlier and no later. I asked the boatmen, and they said they were only responsible for delivering the supplies to the island's dock, after which they would immediately depart. However, on two occasions, they saw people on the island walking to the dock and beginning to move the supplies they had left behind."

"So, Puluo Island is inhabited?" He Lingchuan looked at the map. "Is this a lagoon?"

On the map, Puluo Island resembled a large crab with outstretched claws; between its embracing pincers lay a lagoon, with seawater flowing in and out through a natural gap in the coral reef. "If you block that gap, it would be a natural water cage."

"Yes. Judging by the quantity of supplies transported to the island, at least several hundred people live there. The boatmen mentioned that they occasionally heard strange noises emanating from the island, which scared them into quickly sailing away."