Chapter 109: Carrying a High-Level Dungeon Run

The red steed carried a gust of wind; as it ran, its mane and tail streamed out, like a wild horse galloping across the wasteland.

The youth atop the horse had his robes fluttering in the wind.

Fast, extremely fast.

Through the gaps in the crowd, the fiery red horse swept past gracefully, like a blazing flame!

This horse was too intelligent, so smart it seemed equipped with the most advanced automatic obstacle-avoidance system.

Point it in a direction, and it could carry a person to any destination.

Yang Shi had said this horse would be fierce and explosive, but Liang Qu felt nothing of the sort; from mounting to galloping, it was as docile as a household dog.

Liang Qu lowered his body; the wind howled beside his ears, the scenery alongside him seeming to stretch infinitely, the flames rising and falling as if following his breath.

Sixteen li of road would take an ordinary person nearly an hour to traverse.

Liang Qu did not know how long he had taken, but upon arriving at Yixing Town, the time spent along the way was certainly not enough to drink a single cup of tea.

The Dragon Blood Horse bore no light load; with the Dragon Fubo sword hanging beside the saddle, the total weight was at least three hundred jin, fully demonstrating its superior performance.

After struggling for half a year, he was now driving a supercar, owned a thousand-square-meter courtyard in the planned new district, held a concurrent post as a rank-eight official in an important department, had the local most powerful magnate as his backer, and had a boundless future.

There was not too much money in the pouch; most of the one hundred and fifty taels of silver previously given by Mistress had been spent, with the bulk of the remainder being the one hundred taels given by the Emperor, yet he possessed everything he needed.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Riding atop the Dragon Blood Horse, Liang Qu straightened his spine even more.

Passersby who had come to transport timber cast envious and awestruck glances before continuing to carry pillars to build their new homes.

The horse's mane was glossy and smooth, feeling excellent to the touch.

Liang Qu stroked the Dragon Blood Horse's neck, feeling the pulse of its blood vessels, then pondered for a moment: "Tall and strong, red as a ball of fire; shall I call you Chishan from now on?"

Chishan snorted, lifting its head to nudge Liang Qu's palm.

"I wonder if Chishan can be dominated?"

Liang Qu drew Green Wolf, cut his finger, spread the fresh blood evenly across his fingertip, parted the horse's hair, and drew a water talisman.

A red light flashed; the blood did not seep into the skin rapidly as usual, but only slowly merged after a long while.

Chishan snorted again.

There was no significant sensation in his mind.

Nothing had changed; no spiritual link had appeared.

It had failed.

Was it because it was not a water beast?

Liang Qu withdrew his finger, opened half a packet of lotus root powder, mixed it with clear water from his waterskin, and swallowed it down; the wound gradually healed.

As his martial arts advanced, the effect of the lotus root was not as good as before, but it still healed minor wounds very quickly.

Having failed to dominate Chishan, Liang Qu was not too disappointed; since Chishan was not a water beast, he had mentally prepared for failure from the start.

Accepting the lack of a spiritual link was fine; with Chishan's level of intelligence, it would quickly learn some simple commands.

Upon reaching the destination, Liang Qu patted Chishan's neck, flipped off the horse, and dismounted.

Chen Zhao Shan, who had been notified early, walked out of the house and asked Liang Qu what had happened.

Hearing that grain was finally being transported, the news spread like wildfire, and the entire Yixing Town erupted in excitement.

Grain prices had been rising continuously; if they were forced to donate more grain, they would become refugees.

With the grain delivered, everyone truly breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Upon hearing they were needed to help move the grain, the able-bodied young men became more enthusiastic than ever; every household pushed out their carts, rushing to Pingyang County.

Lifting a one-hundred-jin stone was strenuous, but carrying one hundred jin of grain on one's shoulders meant walking as fast as flying!

Empty carts departed from Yixing Market one after another, and when they returned, the carts laden with grain pressed deep tracks into the muddy ground.

The setting sun spread its light, causing the earth to flow with a layer of gloomy deep red.

Women gathered in groups of two or three; their shadows reflected on the earthen walls as they craned their necks, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the grain carts.

Upon seeing the carts filled with grain, they rushed forward one by one to lend a hand, helping to transport it to the dock.

Chen Chen Zhaoan and the other village elders held registers, counting the people.

Distributing grain was a major science, especially with so many outsiders flooding in recently; registration was an extremely troublesome matter.

However, this was also a good opportunity to re-establish authority.

In a market of over a thousand people, age was a great asset, but in a town of over ten thousand, that asset was not so valuable; what mattered more was one's own strength.

Among the tens of thousands of outsiders who had flooded in, there were no lack of fierce dragons from other rivers, wealthy merchants from elsewhere, powerful magnates, and great clans.

Previously, Yixing Market had barely a few martial artists, panicking at the mere sight of a mountain ghost.

But now, as Liang Qu rode his horse through Yixing Town, he sensed the aura of several martial artists of considerable strength, at least at the Second Pass or above.

Population was the foundation of everything; being a magnate in a market and being a magnate in a town were two entirely different concepts.

Whether one could continue to occupy their original place in the ecological chain depended entirely on one's own capabilities.

The burly man at the head wiped his sweat and said, "Elder Chen, there are thirty-six carts in total, all here; I kept watch, and no one dared to steal anything."

"You have worked hard; later during the grain distribution, each of you will receive an extra jin."

"No hardship, no hardship at all! Elder, didn't you see? Our town was the first to go collect the grain. Other places, like Chaojiang County—oh, it must be called Chaojiang Town now—they all have to follow behind us! By the time they finish moving theirs back, it will probably be dark, and they likely won't get a full meal today."

"Then you must all thank Liang Ashui." Chen Chen Zhaoan stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "Otherwise, why do you think you were able to collect and transport the grain first?"

"Haha, we forgot about that; yes, we must thank Brother Shui! Did you all hear that?"

"Thank you, Brother Shui!"

"Master Liang is awesome!"

The able-bodied young men on the dock responded in unison, creating a massive uproar.

"Alright, I'll head back first; Elder Chen, distribute the grain early so everyone can have a better dinner."

"Indeed, that is proper."

Liang Qu flipped onto his horse; under the setting sun, Chishan turned into a streak of red light and vanished into the horizon.

Yixing Town's population had already exceeded ten thousand; many of the newly arrived outsiders noted Liang Qu in their hearts, each with different thoughts.

He came in haste and left in haste.

When Liang Qu returned to Yang Manor, the disciples were still distributing grain.

Lu Gang, who was registering the grain quantities, dragged Liang Qu over to do hard labor; he would rather carry sacks of grain than hold a writing brush again.

The county government office staff had not yet arrived, leaving only Yang Manor capable of overseeing the situation.

Not to mention that Second Cao Shixiong Yu Dun was also the County Commandant; although grain distribution was not under his jurisdiction, manpower was scarce, forcing him to step up.

Today's convoy was only the first trip; there would be a second, third, fourth, and fifth, continuously sending grain over.

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong sat together with Liang Qu, his wolf-hair brush moving incessantly.

While recording, Xiang Xiang Zhangsong revealed some good news—he was about to break through the Fourth Pass to become a Martial Master, within the next day or two!

Liang Qu offered his congratulations: "Does that mean you're treating us to a meal? I heard Cao Shixiong Hu treated everyone at Langyun Tower before."

"It must be Langyun Tower." Xiang Xiang Zhangsong waved his large hand, flicking several drops of ink from his brush, his mood very joyful.

"By the way, I still have a few Horned Pomfret horns over there; do you need them, Cao Shixiong Xiang?"

"Ah, that's not necessary; those items merely serve as a medicinal guide. Cao Shixiong Hu only used a small half-section last time and gave me the rest; what remains is more than enough to make Coagulation Elixirs."

"I have two even larger ones over there, as big as a wolf dog's tooth; they should work even better as a medicinal guide."

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong's eyes lit up: "In that case, I shall accept your generous gift without hesitation."

"No problem; I'll go fetch them for you shortly."

It was already midnight by the time the grain distribution finished.

Mistress had retired early; only Master and the senior brothers remained, chatting casually.

A maid brought a teapot and was about to pour tea when Liang Qu smoothly took the pot and, starting with Master, poured tea for each of his senior brothers in turn.

Yang Yang Dongxiong exchanged glances with several of his martial brothers, smiling faintly.

Xu Xu Zishuai took a sip and remarked meaningfully, "Little Nine, offering kindness without cause implies either treachery or theft!"

"Cao Shixiong Xu jokes; since my generation rank is the lowest, doing these things is only proper."

Yang Yang Dongxiong drained his cup in one gulp and placed it back on the saucer: "Enough, just say straight out what the matter is."

Liang Qu stepped forward to refill the cups again: "Master, how much do you know about that river in Pingyang County?"

"The Crossing Longhe? Why do you ask about that? I don't know much either; I only heard from the older generation that it was carved out by a flood dragon. What's wrong?"

"I've always heard this rumor and was very curious, so today during the day I followed the Crossing Longhe upstream. When passing through a dense forest, I discovered a lake; not too big, not too small, about half a li in both length and width."

"Half a li? That is indeed quite large." Yang Yang Dongxiong frowned. "Did you discover something inside it?"

"To be honest with Master, there were especially many sturgeon in that lake, everywhere; since these creatures eat meat, logically they shouldn't gather together.

What was most peculiar was that at the lake's entrance were three huge sturgeon, each over five meters long! In terms of aura, they were definitely refined beasts, pacing back and forth like guard dogs!"

Yu Dun, Lu Gang, and all the other senior brothers sat up straight.

Refined beasts were like fierce tigers, each having its own territory; for them to gather and coexist harmoniously, there was only one possibility.

Something even more powerful was suppressing them.

A great sturgeon refined beast, or perhaps... a sturgeon demon?

Several senior brothers licked their lips.

Sturgeon refined beasts were excellent treasures, especially the great tendon inside their bodies; eating it could increase strength in bones and muscles!

The great tendon of a sturgeon demon was even more extraordinary; if eaten in youth, it had the effect of enhancing innate talent!

Unfortunately, great water demons were extremely difficult to deal with; a slight carelessness would allow them to escape, making the great tendon of a sturgeon demon incredibly rare.

But judging by Liang Shidi's description, this terrain was also extremely favorable.

Fighting fish while underwater puts one at a severe disadvantage, but for a lake with an outlet, if you block the exit and drain the water, wouldn't the fish be entirely at your mercy?

Upon hearing this, Yang Dong's appetite surged, reminiscing about the exquisite taste of sturgeon meat.

Striking while the iron was hot, Liang Qu added, "And Master, it is actually quite strange that there are so many sturgeon in the lake; with so many carnivorous fish, the required food supply must be substantial."

"Your meaning is..."

"Sturgeon, sturgeon, their appearance closely resembles a dragon, so fishermen also call them 'sturgeon dragons.' I feel that if there truly were a great spirit or even a demon, it would not deign to reside in a small lake; I suspect there are other things within."

"Cross the Longhe, cross the Longhe, the flood dragon wades the river—I have heard this rumor countless times. So, is there a possibility that some remnant of a flood dragon truly exists inside, which is why that Sturgeon King is so reluctant to leave?"

Ten birds in the forest are not worth one in the hand.

A high-level dungeon does not necessarily require a fight to the death!

One can also hire a proxy fighter!

As soon as Liang Qu spoke these words, everyone present became restless, their minds racing with fantasies.

If there truly were remnants of a flood dragon, wouldn't that be extraordinary?

Not to mention dragon blood and dragon flesh; even dragon scales and dragon bones are extraordinary treasures!

"Keep your composure; why the rush? The lake is right there; it isn't going to run away. Cultivate the body by first cultivating the mind—have you all forgotten this?"

Yang Dong's words woke the dreamers.

Everyone adjusted their sitting postures one after another, calming their emotions.

Yet, the astonishment in their hearts could not be suppressed.

The fate of a long flood dragon crossing the river—so terrifying!

Liang Qu felt that his fate of the long flood dragon crossing the river was a versatile excuse; it only made people believe that he could truly easily gather resources in water marshes.

"The matter of the flood dragon can wait for now. After all, it is a water beast; if it truly is a demon, I will need to expend considerable effort and plan carefully. However, there is an important matter the day after tomorrow."

Yang Dong drew a gold-stamped card from his sleeve and passed it to Yu Dun, seated to his lower left, to circulate.

"This afternoon, someone delivered a visiting card, stating they intend to open a martial arts hall in Pingyang County and wish to challenge us to a spar."

"Isn't that just challenging the hall? What is their background? Are they not afraid of being beaten to death by Master?" Xu Xu Zishuai took the visiting card from Lu Gang, scanned it twice, and passed it to the Fifth Junior Sister beside him.

Honestly, he was quite surprised—not surprised that someone wanted to open a martial arts hall and issue a challenge.

Pingyang Town had suddenly become Pingyang County, with the population increasing more than tenfold. Since recruiting disciples is most crucial for martial arts halls, many capable individuals would inevitably follow, making challenges unavoidable.

But why challenge anyone else when you choose to challenge the Yang Family Martial Arts Hall?

He had never heard of anyone in the nearby counties more formidable than Master.

"Cao Shixiong Xu, you didn't look closely; it is written clearly. It is not a comparison between masters, but a contest of the disciples' skills."

The Fifth Junior Sister observed much more meticulously, pointing out the content: "The visiting card states that while the master is formidable, the disciples taught may not necessarily be so. Since they are opening a martial arts hall, they wish to compete on the ability to teach disciples."

"Hmph." Xu Xu Zishuai crossed his legs, slouching in the rosewood armchair. "Then is he not afraid his disciple will be beaten to death by me?"

After taking the visiting card, Sixth Cao Shixiong Cao Rang shook his head. "No, I fear this person is targeting Little Nine."

"Me?"

Liang Qu took the invitation letter and examined it carefully, discovering it was indeed so.

The opponent explicitly proposed that each side select three disciples for a contest.

They were to choose the eldest, the middle, and the youngest among the disciples based on the duration of their apprenticeship.

With the Eldest Cao Shixiong absent, that meant Second Cao Shixiong, Fifth Junior Sister, and himself.

Having entered the sect less than five months ago, was he obviously being treated as the weak link?

Xu Xu Zishuai also realized: "This fellow knows his own strength clearly and has no intention of winning outright; he is calculating to win just one out of three matches? I guess he has recruited a youngest disciple with excellent talent!"

What kind of figure was Master Yang? Naturally, the group of disciples he taught were all exceptional.

Winning one out of three matches, surpassing other martial arts halls that won all their bouts, would already be considered a success in the eyes of others!

Defeating a child and winning by half a move against a Grand General are entirely different concepts.

The challenger was indeed a shrewd person.

It was just a pity...

Xu Xu Zishuai stroked his chin.

When teaching Liang Qu the long spear, he had already sensed that his little junior brother's physical strength was even more fierce than that of warriors from the Siguan.

Afterwards, Master confirmed it as an innate martial bone, possessing immense strength.

His martial arts talent was even more extraordinary; he understood techniques at a glance and mastered them upon first try, refining his fighting methods to near perfection in just over a month.

Not to mention his fate was that of a long flood dragon crossing the river, making him exceptionally fierce.

Was the opponent sure they hadn't chosen the wrong person?

Even if they had chosen Eighth Liang Shidi, they might have had a slight chance of winning...