Chapter Sixty: Gaining the Land

Everyone drank from noon until dusk, all completely drunk, sprawled haphazardly across the room. The next morning, Ye Zihan awoke from his slumber, instantly feeling a throbbing pain in his head. He turned over, shook his head a couple of times, then used his source energy to dispel the headache. Only then did he take a good look around, and the scene before him made him chuckle.

Aside from the chief, everyone else remained in the room, snoring in deep sleep. Yan Chen was even hugging Mo You, mumbling dreamily; human and dragon exchanged sleep-talking sentences, as if conversing with each other. If they woke up, who knew whether such intimacy would quell their usual bickering.

Ye Zihan stepped over a few bodies and pushed open the door. A blaze of sunlight spilled down; he shielded his eyes until he adjusted, then lowered his hand.

"Young Master Ye, you've woken?" A robust man hurried up, eyes brimming with admiration and respectful tone. The person before him was on brotherly terms with the illustrious Qianyou Blood Phantom Dragon, one of the three great beast clans; his identity could not be ordinary. So young, yet decisive and fierce—in yesterday's battle, he had turned the tide. Now, all of Liuguang Stronghold talked about Ye Zihan.

"Yes, I've just woken." Ye Zihan smiled, cupping his hands in greeting.

The man felt flattered, his heart pounding, then quickly gathered himself, inwardly praising: Truly, heroes emerge in youth; every gesture exudes the bearing of greatness—one cannot help but admire.

"Young Master Ye, please follow me, let me take you to wash up."

"Thank you, brother, please lead the way."

With the man guiding him, Ye Zihan entered another simple room, furnished only with a table and a basin. He washed up, then asked, "Brother, where is Chief Song now?"

"I'll take you to him, Young Master Ye." The man was secretly delighted; this youth, acknowledged by the Qianyou Blood Phantom Dragon as brother, now called him 'brother' as well. That would make him, in a way, the Blood Phantom Dragon's elder brother! Ha—I'm the elder brother of the Blood Phantom Dragon's elder brother...

Lost in his imaginings, he couldn't help but laugh aloud, then quickly turned away. Seeing Ye Zihan was unbothered and merely surveying his surroundings, he relaxed, stealing a smile along the way—he would have plenty to boast about before his comrades.

"Young Master Ye, the chief is inside." The man brought Ye Zihan to a newly built house, then turned and left.

Ye Zihan gazed around, nodding in admiration. The stronghold, destroyed only yesterday, now already had one or two sizable houses built thanks to everyone working together. The speed was surely due to the brothers laboring day and night.

A dragon cannot be headless; a stronghold cannot be houseless—such is the principle.

"Brother Song, are you there? Your younger brother Ye Zihan requests an audience."

Chief Song was inside, reviewing a draft, scribbling away. Hearing Ye Zihan's voice outside, he immediately set aside his brush, striding out with a welcoming smile. "Brother Ye, you're awake? Truly a strong drinker—outlasting all the others." With that, he pulled Ye Zihan inside.

"Chief, you jest. You're the true heavy drinker, waking so early."

"I'm no heavy drinker, just a water buffalo, ha ha! Please, sit."

After a round of pleasantries, Ye Zihan got straight to the point. "Brother Song, did the survivor from Qingshui Stronghold wake up?"

"He did. I'll have him brought in."

Soon, two men carried in the survivor. The broad blade that had pierced his right leg had been removed, and his injury simply bandaged.

His appearance was unremarkable. Upon seeing Chief Song Tielin, his face turned pale. Then, looking at Ye Zihan, his eyes widened in shock and awe—both emotions mingled for the same reason: astonished and admiring that Ye Zihan was on brotherly terms with the Blood Phantom Dragon.

Ye Zihan and the chief said nothing, staring at the man intently, their expressions unreadable. Sweat streamed down the man's face, his body crawling with invisible ants, yet he dared not move—a tormenting sensation.

At last, just as he was about to break, the two shifted their gaze away. Relief washed over him as if two mountains had moved.

Ye Zihan stood from his chair and said, "I have a few questions for you. Your life depends on your answers."

"Yes, yes! Ask anything you wish, hero; I dare not hide a thing."

"Tell me, do you know if Qingshui Stronghold possesses a map?"

"A map? Which map do you mean, hero?"

"The map of Demon Prison."

"Demon Prison's map?" The man muttered, then pondered. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Yes, I remember there was such a map. Years ago, the chief robbed a passing cultivator and found it on him."

"And where is the map now?"

"I recall it was divided into four parts, each chief holding one."

"Four chiefs each holding a part?" Ye Zihan frowned. That meant Li Da Dao did not have the map, and the two parts Mo You obtained were found during the raid on Qingshui Stronghold. So the final part could belong to any of the other three chiefs.

The chief of Qingshui Stronghold had been blasted to pieces by Mo You. Even if he had hidden the map, it would have been destroyed as well... The other two chiefs had already been searched, and nothing was found. Could the last piece really have been blown to dust?

Yesterday, Ye Zihan and Yan Chen examined the three Demon Prison maps they possessed. None depicted the location of the Yin-Yang Chamber—a stroke of ill luck.

Chief Song Tielin noticed Ye Zihan's silence and suddenly recalled something. "I have a Demon Prison map as well."

The words were a lifeline for Ye Zihan, his eyes gleaming. "Chief, may I copy it?"

"This map is not very detailed; it only gives a rough outline of the thirteen chambers of Demon Prison. I’ve never been there myself, so I can’t vouch for its accuracy."

Something is better than nothing; a dying horse must be treated as if it could live. "No matter, as long as there’s one."

"Very well. Wait here a moment, brother Ye. I'll check the storeroom and hope it’s still there." With that, the chief strode out.

Now only Ye Zihan and the captive remained in the room.

The captive kept his head bowed, not daring to look up. Ye Zihan’s attention was fixed on the door, awaiting the chief’s return.

After a short while, the chief returned with a smile, holding a map. "Fortunate indeed—the fire yesterday didn’t reach the storeroom, so this map survived. Here, brother Ye."

Ye Zihan took the map, unfolded it, and searched. He soon spotted the coordinates marked 'Yin-Yang Chamber,' his joy evident. "Thank you, chief. I’ll copy it now."

Song Tielin waved his hand. "We’re brothers, this map is yours; I have no use for it."

Ye Zihan gratefully accepted, thanked him, and tucked the map away.

"Brother Ye, what should be done with this man?"

"I leave it to you, chief."

Hearing this, the captive’s last hope of survival vanished, sweat beading on his forehead.

The chief pondered for a moment before addressing the captive. "What was your role in Qingshui Stronghold?"

The man answered truthfully, "I was merely an outer thief, gathering information and such." His strength was low, just at the mid-stage of One Yuan. Surviving yesterday’s slaughter was a stroke of luck.

"Can you do business?" Ye Zihan suddenly asked. The chief glanced at him in confusion, uncertain of his intent.

"My ancestors were merchants, and we were quite well-off. Only in my generation, when prospects faded, did I take to the hills as a thief."

"I asked if you can do business, not for your family history!" Ye Zihan’s tone turned cold.

The man broke out in cold sweat. "Forgive me, forgive me, I shouldn’t have rambled. I have some understanding of commerce."

Ye Zihan nodded, then whispered a few words to the chief, who listened and broke into a smile, giving Ye Zihan a thumbs-up for the excellent idea.

Song Tielin then snorted at the captive. "There’s a position in Liuguang Stronghold. Are you willing to take it?"

It meant he had a chance to live. The man’s face brightened, nodding vigorously. "I’m willing, I’m willing!"

"Liuguang Stronghold plans to send a group into nearby cities to open legitimate businesses. Do you wish to carry on your family’s commercial legacy?"

"I do! A thousand times, I do!"

"Good. I plan to open an inn and a pharmacy in each of the nearby cities. What do you think?" The chief deliberately questioned him—if he truly had a merchant’s mind, he would have unique insight.

Ye Zihan's suggestion was for the good of Liuguang Stronghold. The brothers could not survive solely by robbing corrupt officials—such targets were neither abundant nor likely to repeat their mistakes. If they had legitimate sources of income, the stronghold could prosper. If the businesses grew, the stronghold would be fortified against any threat from other bandits or soldiers.