Hu Yin did not answer Wang Ping's question immediately. She raised her head, elegantly placed the Go stone in her hand, and cast a satisfied gaze at the piece on the board with her pale yellow eyes. Only then did she lift her gaze and say:
"Hai Zhou Road has always been Daoist Xiu Yu's territory. For the past few hundred years, his eldest disciple, Qingjiang, has managed it into an ironclad fortress. Add to that its shared border with the Hu Mountain Country—whether through taxing merchant caravans or secret smuggling operations at the border, they've managed to create a self-sufficient system."
Wang Ping showed no particular reaction to Hu Yin's words. He quickly placed a stone, then lifted his teacup to inhale its aroma. "I have no objection to matters concerning Hai Zhou Road," he said, "but I don't like the way Zhi Gong Daoist operates. Since she has her eyes on Hai Zhou Road, she should just make a move directly. Why resort to such petty schemes?"
