Chapter 1476: Three Years of Change
The surrender of the two Demon Saints, Lei Bao and Hou Yu, along with their subordinates, significantly boosted Half-Moon Island's strength. However, Yang Haoran was well aware that these two factions, especially Lei Bao and Hou Yu themselves, harbored no sense of belonging to Half-Moon Island. Still, he wasn't anxious; he was confident that with enough time, he could undoubtedly shift their mindset.
What he desired was not merely their acknowledgment of Half-Moon Island, but a powerful sense of belonging. He wanted both factions to truly believe, from the depths of their hearts, that they were people of Half-Moon Island—to live as its people, and to die as its ghosts. Achieving this would demand not only time, but also strategy and, crucially, sincerity!
In the blink of an eye, three years passed. During this time, Yang Haoran did not leave Half-Moon Island for a single step, nor did he cultivate any Ghost Arts or Spiritual Arts. He focused on one thing alone: healing his injuries. Failing to recover his wounds and remain at peak strength would not bode well for him.
Before his grand battle with Hou Yu and Lei Bao, his injuries hadn't fully healed to begin with. After the fierce confrontation, the accumulation of new and old wounds left his physical condition even more precarious. Therefore, for safety's sake, he decided to prioritize his recovery. Any matters that required his personal attention would be temporarily set aside; anything that could be delegated to his subordinates, he entrusted entirely to them.
Hou Yu and Lei Bao's injuries were even more severe than Yang Haoran's. Thus, after their surrender that day, the two forcibly dragged their grievously wounded bodies to complete the handover with Old Master Wu. Afterward, they entered the Medicine God Society alongside Yang Haoran to receive professional treatment—the best treatment available on all of Half-Moon Island.
In truth, neither Lei Bao nor Hou Yu wished to conduct the handover with Old Master Wu. Once they did, it would be tantamount to ceding their military authority to him, allowing him to arrange things as he pleased, even completely disbanding their forces. Upon emerging from their recovery, they would find themselves commanders without troops.
It was precisely because they understood this that they were reluctant. However, Yang Haoran's words ultimately made both of them dutifully complete the handover with Old Master Wu.
Firstly, Yang Haoran demanded that they demonstrate sincerity in their surrender. If they were unwilling to even complete the most basic handover, what kind of defeat and surrender was this? It would be like a victor acting as a supreme ancestor, showing not a shred of sincerity.
Finally, Yang Haoran assured Lei Bao and Hou Yu that their respective forces, beyond gaining official Half-Moon Island designations, would remain exactly as they were when handed over to Old Master Wu upon their release from recovery. If there were any changes, they would certainly be for the better, making them stronger and more prosperous.
However, the prerequisite was that both must appoint reliable agents. During their secluded recovery, these agents must absolutely cooperate with Old Master Wu. Any failure to cooperate, or intentional defiance of orders that jeopardized unity, would undoubtedly result in severe disciplinary action. Half-Moon Island would absolutely not tolerate such troublemakers within its ranks.
The reason Yang Haoran gave such assurances to Lei Bao and Hou Yu, rather than seizing the opportunity to sideline them, was that he didn't want to shoot himself in the foot. Lei Bao and Hou Yu had only just pledged allegiance to Half-Moon Island; they felt no sense of belonging, and Half-Moon Island hadn't yet offered them any tangible benefits. Moreover, many of their subordinates harbored deep resentment towards Half-Moon Island. Under such circumstances, forcibly sidelining the two would inevitably lead to trouble.
As for whether he would sideline them or disrupt their forces in the future, that was a matter for another day, depending on the specific circumstances. For now, it was absolutely out of the question. Thus, to put their minds at ease, Yang Haoran made these assurances to them.
Beyond reassuring Lei Bao and Hou Yu so they could recover in peace, Yang Haoran had another consideration: he worried that since they had just joined Half-Moon Island and felt no sense of belonging whatsoever, there was a chance they might sow discord within their own ranks, making Old Master Wu's management difficult, impacting overall unity, and perhaps even stirring up significant trouble. Therefore, sending these two unstable elements into secluded recovery was absolutely necessary.
Initially, Lei Bao and Hou Yu were unwilling. However, with Yang Haoran's assurances, coupled with the fact that their injuries were indeed exceedingly severe, to the point of potentially leaving lasting complications, the two deliberated and ultimately agreed to Yang Haoran's terms, entering secluded recovery at the Medicine God Society alongside him.
Over the course of three years, under the arrangements of Zhu Rong and Yao Guozhi, and with the concerted efforts of everyone involved, Half-Moon Island underwent tremendous changes every single day. Now, after three years, not only have various infrastructures been successively completed, but the island has also grown increasingly prosperous, truly embodying the appearance of an island nation.
If it were left to ordinary people, three years would barely be enough to bring true prosperity to Half-Moon Island. But with extraordinary individuals at the helm, the efficiency was completely different. After all, the various abilities possessed by such individuals were incomparable to those of ordinary people, and thus, the output naturally varied immensely.
Originally, Yang Haoran had not given Zhu Rong such a long period of three years. However, Zhu Rong had indeed successfully completed the tasks Yang Haoran assigned her within the stipulated time. It was only because Yang Haoran was in secluded recovery that he couldn't witness or, naturally, inspect her progress.
Of course, Zhu Rong wouldn't halt the development of Half-Moon Island simply because Yang Haoran couldn't inspect her work. Quite the opposite: after completing the tasks Yang Haoran had assigned within the specified timeframe, she continued to pour her heart and soul into Half-Moon Island's construction, expanding and accelerating its development. She wanted Yang Haoran, upon emerging from seclusion, to witness a truly flourishing Half-Moon Island—to be utterly astonished. Only then would she not betray the trust and high hopes Yang Haoran had placed in her.
Beyond the earth-shattering changes in Half-Moon Island's infrastructure, its personnel also underwent significant transformations, particularly in their ideology.
The people Yang Haoran brought from Jingling Continent's Ninth District largely had no ideological issues three years prior. Only a small handful of stubborn individuals, prone to splitting hairs, remained somewhat unstable in their thinking. However, after three years of education, their ideologies were finally rectified, and their perspectives changed, transforming them into true Half-Moon Island residents with a genuine sense of belonging.
As for the sea demons who joined Half-Moon Island, whether they did so willingly or under duress, over these three years, through Old Master Wu's continuous ideological education, they gradually developed a sense of belonging to Half-Moon Island, moving from having none at all. At least, the vast majority of sea demons now recognized themselves as part of Half-Moon Island, and this included even the sea demons under Lei Bao and Hou Yu.
Only a very small number of more stubborn sea demons had not yet completely shifted their mindset. This small fraction of sea demons naturally required further ideological effort. Given enough time, and with the right approach, even stones could be tamed, let alone living, thinking demons. When that time came, their ideology would undoubtedly change, just like those stubborn individuals Yang Haoran had brought from Jingling Continent, and they would wholeheartedly consider themselves part of Half-Moon Island.
In comparison, influencing the ideology of these sea demons was somewhat easier. Unlike the people Yang Haoran brought from Jingling Continent—especially those who once belonged to the Underworld Office—these individuals possessed faith, deeply believing in the Death God, and some held exceptionally firm convictions. Asking them to abandon their former beliefs and accept new ideological indoctrination was an arduous task. Conversely, sea demons had no deities they worshipped, making the process considerably simpler.
It was precisely for this reason that, given enough time and the right methods, taming even the most ideologically stubborn sea demons was not an impossible feat.
Comments