Chapter 1328: Only the Strong Deserve Beautiful Fish (Seeking Monthly Votes at Month's Start, Combined Issue)

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—"

A voice of piercing clarity rippled across the waves, three white streams forming the character "pin" as they spanned the horizon; before the streams arrived, a silver light shot forth and slammed into the palace floor—a silver token. Seeing this, the guards scattered aside, and the white streams flowed unimpeded, slanting down to the ground.

The water surged, the aquatic plants bowed low, and the weak were torn apart by the current, drifting and swirling.

The leading general, clad in fish-scale armor, Lang Yu, knelt on one knee.

Dismissing the attendants, only a few fish remained in the hall as Hai Ya Wang leaned forward: "Lang Yu, how is it?"

"Your Majesty, we have scoured the Northern Sea, Ehe River, and Jianghuai, and investigated everything thoroughly. The Northern Court and the Great Shun have signed a thirty-year peace treaty: the Great Shun grants the Northern Court a fortress, and the Northern Court grants the Great Shun a wei fruit. The wei fruit is—"

Hai Ya Wang raised a hand to stop him: "The Feng fruit and the Yi fruit, the death of the Yellow Dragon King—these caused a great uproar back then, and I know a thing or two. No need to elaborate; speak of the essentials: Bai Yuan and the Huai Wang, and also Hai Fangzhu."

"Yes!"

Lang Yu immediately shifted the focus of his narration.

He stated that upon obtaining the wei fruit, the Great Shun's plan to govern the Huangsha River.

"The Bai Yuan of Jianghuai and the Huai Wang of the Great Shun share an extraordinary bond—so much so that even rustic villagers say they wear the same pair of trousers. The people of Jianghuai regard Bai Yuan as a river deity, and the Huai Wang is the deity's close friend.

In this Huangsha River governance, the Great Shun has entrusted the Huai Wang, the Longxiang Wang, and the Dingxi Wang to jointly rule, with the Huai Wang responsible for the above-ground section of the Huangsha River's lower reaches—the most arduous stretch, involving damming and sand-scouring to lower the riverbed.

During this period, Bai Yuan frequently departs Jianghuai, nominally to assist the Huai Wang, but in truth to aid the Great Shun; along the way, the populace has even erected temples to Bai Yuan. Privately, I believe the bulk of the credit belongs to Bai Yuan—"

In sum, Lang Yu outlined the situation, then added what he had learned about the origins of Bai Yuan and Liang Qu, as well as the various speculations currently circulating under heaven.

"Or perhaps the wei fruit says that their current cultivation practices share weal and woe, like the natal gu of Southern Jiang, or that they share one life—if one dies, the other can be revived under specific conditions. There are rumors that the Huai Wang once secretly saved a dying Bai Yuan, and they thus formed a pact—"

"Nonsense." Hai Ya Wang showed no interest in such origins: "And Hai Fangzhu? What is the relationship between Hai Fangzhu and Bai Yuan?"

"Exactly what kind of relationship is it?"

"The Bajia tribe and the Jingren tribe have engaged in trade for generations, often sharing rule between two kings. The Jingren tribe resembles humanity in possessing innate spiritual awareness, while the Bajia tribe boasts a racial talent for bodily transformation, equally endowed with superior intellect; even a modest cultivation allows them to speak—"

Hai Ya Wang waved his hand.

Lang Yu halted his words and began to speak nearby: "The former Bajia Wang of the Bajia tribe died under highly suspicious circumstances—all we know is that after going out with Hai Fangzhu, the Bajia Wang suffered a breakthrough failure, and Hai Fangzhu became the new demon king. At that time, Hai Fangzhu had already become acquainted with Bai Yuan.

Later, Bai Yuan was devoured by a jiao dragon, and when confronting the Great Shun, it was Hai Fangzhu who went to retrieve its skull. When Bai Yuan and the Jiao Long Wang waged war in Southern Jiang, this also violated the maritime merchants' neutrality principle, which later led to the Bajia tribe being expelled by the Jing Wang. The Bajia tribe left the maritime merchants, and Hai Fangzhu went to Jianghuai, becoming Bai Yuan's subordinate as the Jiang merchant.

On this journey to Jianghuai, I saw the palace Bai Yuan built for Hai Fangzhu—magnificent and splendid, though not as vast as the Donghai Haiyan Palace, yet more exquisite. It is said the Yuan Wang spent both money and effort."

"What do you all think, elders?" Hai Ya Wang glanced around: "The matter has already been investigated thoroughly, just as I said—clear at a glance.

During the festive season, Bai Yuan Wang abandons his own dragon palace and runs to the palace of the Northern Sea Hai Fangzhu—still not proof enough?"

Behind the hall, six elderly sea wolves slowly emerged, facing one another.

The leading old fish prostrated itself: "According to General Lang Yu's words, the relationship between Hai Fangzhu and Bai Yuan is indeed extraordinary; otherwise, no demon king would build a traveling palace for another demon king, at most marking out territory.

Your Majesty's plan is indeed feasible: using Hai Fangzhu as a springboard to restrain Bai Yuan Wang—how could Bai Yuan Wang tolerate this? He would naturally be unable to march north, and the treasures of Southern Jiang would naturally enter our coffers.

"This move avoids direct war with the Great Shun and Bai Yuan, sidesteps emotional entanglements that are not conflicts of interest, and stops short of a death match. If Bai Yuan truly oversteps, it only reveals narrow-mindedness, damaging its prestige. And as long as Bai Yuan does not announce a marriage alliance with Hai Fangzhu, Your Majesty will always have a legitimate pretext to compete—indeed, you could even petition the Jing Wang for fair competition.

But if Bai Yuan does announce such a marriage alliance, it will inevitably divert its energy—whether for one month or several months—achieving the same goal, truly a multi-pronged success—this move—though it may damage Your Majesty's refinement."

"Hmph, refinement? Without strength, without benefit, what refinement is there to speak of?" Hai Ya Wang rose to his feet, already eager to try: "Can you attain even half of the Elixir of Creation?"

"Absolutely not," said the old man. "In my view, we could even contact the Jiao Long—then we could devour both Southern Jiang and the Jiao Long, getting double shares!"

The elders all shouted approval, except one who stood up.

"Your Majesty, the Jianghuai region is indeed a troubled autumn, and let alone Jianghuai, the entire world today seethes with hidden currents. I believe my Langyu clan should now rest and recuperate, quietly observe its—"

"Rest and recuperate? With what? Relying on this jiao dragon as a companion on a mere mu of land?" Hai Ya Wang retorted, "Just the vanguard resources of Southern Jiang already amount to two great shares—what about later? How many years of bitter toil could it save me?

To speak of rest and recuperation—can one cultivate that? The greater the turmoil in the world, the more one must struggle against the current!

Not advancing means retreating. I have devised such a splendid plan—no danger to life, yet it can be accomplished openly and honorably to achieve our goal and gain benefits. What more could you possibly lack?

Old and old, truly devoid of any ambition or aspiration—you actually think relying on that meager yield from the fields can lead to a good life? Impossible! You must rely on your teeth, your claws! Heaven will not rain down fish—you must go and catch them yourself!"

On the hall's dais, seeing the elder rebuked and knowing persuasion futile, Lang Yu let out a faint sigh.

Indeed.

After the early Donghai, it discovered that the Wang was equally restless, anxious about the Jiao Long Wang while simultaneously stirring beneath the great currents of the world, needing only a catalyst.

Who would have thought the catalyst would come so swiftly?

Two days after the morning worship, envoys from the Southern Jiang Qian Sect arrived, presenting the Elixir of Creation as a token of payment—so long as they obstruct the Great Shun's Huangsha River governance, further generous gifts await, as if dry tinder meeting flame.

Ordinary fish dare not venture forth, for fear of acting and gaining nothing, wasting effort, resources, and time.

This move by Southern Jiang is equivalent to: as long as one acts, one will surely reap!

Hai Ya Wang issued orders: "Only the strong deserve to possess beautiful fish, and the strong must have beautiful fish as companions. Issue the command—Hai Fangzhu is of national beauty and heavenly fragrance; this king seeks to take Hai Fangzhu as consort for my Hai Lang clan! First, dispatch two water beasts to deliver choice gifts."

"Yes!"

"Your Majesty, now is the festive season—the Huai Wang and the Yuan Wang are both in Jianghuai. Let us wait a while, wait until after the festivities, when they set out for the Huangsha, then we begin—this way, we'll again be dragging things out for several days!"

"Excellent idea!" Hai Ya Wang readily agreed, then turned toward the hall's center: "Lang Yu!"

"Your Majesty, I am here."

"This move by Southern Jiang certainly does not target only me, one king. You are responsible for contacting Southern Jiang—once any other Eastern Hai demon king shows inclination to agree, and since I cannot overcome Bai Yuan, I may then support you in the name of brotherhood, making all preparations secure."

Lang Yu opened his mouth, then lowered his head.

"Yes!"

Having settled on strategy, the elders all spoke up, offering suggestions.

"I have heard that nowadays, during the new year, people no longer favor sending gifts or objects when seeking a mate—they prefer sending poems!"

"Sending poems? Are there any poets among the fish of the Eastern Hai?"

"The Eastern Hai has none, but the Jianghuai great marsh does—rumor has it there is a great poet fish in the Jianghuai great marsh, whose many verses are praised without end even by humanity. Previously, it was the Jiao Long Wang's court poet; after Bai Yuan rose to dominance, we have heard little of new poetry—perhaps it suffered persecution by Bai Yuan, but the fish should still be there. We can spend money to buy it; as long as Bai Yuan departs, we will issue a mate-seeking poem to draw attention, with the cost borne by Southern Jiang—"

"Alas, I have become a rival in love!"

Inside the hall, the fat fish shoved aside "cannot move" and the fists, climbed onto the table, lifted the tray, and gulped down its contents with a hualala.

Outside the hall, Liang Qu's head ached.

Now it's settled—no need to search further, for the demon king bribed by Southern Jiang has already acted: namely, the Hai Lang fish seen within the Eastern Hai Yun Tian Palace—Hai Ya Wang!

Sea wolf fish, a major clan in the Eastern Sea, travel in groups, just like river dolphins.

Once they hunt, they gather into a current, like a storm, especially their teeth, bared ferociously, easily tearing prey in half—hence their name. It is said the Sea Tooth King can rally the clan's strength, his power far beyond ordinary.

I never expected this guy to actually find such a contrived excuse, using "emotional entanglement" to indirectly achieve the strategic goal in the Southern Frontier.

"The Octopus King wants to eat sister, the Sea Tooth King also takes sister as a token—alas, one by one, how can they be so wicked?"

Hai Yun waved her pink limbs, frowning, she heard the Sea Warden say the love letter was written for the Huai King and was puzzled, then hearing the Huai King say it was a challenge, she suddenly understood.

The drunkard's intent is not in the wine, the courting fish does not seek a mate.

The Sea Warden is among the few who know Liang Qu is Bai Yuan: "The Sea Tooth King perhaps received the Flood Dragon King's orders—"

"No, probably not the Flood Dragon King." Liang Qu briefly mentioned the Southern Frontier matter.

The Sea Warden suddenly understood: "Ah, so the Southern Frontier wants to restrain the Great Shun? Found another demon king?"

Liang Qu nodded: "Warden, what do you plan to do next?"

"I have no stake—I may not defeat the Sea Tooth King, but he truly clings desperately; the Frog King and Turtle King can help, just stall him. Little Water, what do you plan to do?"

"The Sea Tooth King thinks he can escape unharmed—" Liang Qu sneered, flicked his wrist, and a heavenly treasure blue seed floated into his palm, handing it to the Sea Warden: "This is for the Warden's self-defense, and to act as circumstances allow—do it if you can, if not, the Warden bears no burden, merely an added bonus. Do what must be done. When the Sea Tooth King comes, I will handle it."

"Good!" The Sea Warden, not using it for the first time, curled around the exposed seed, understood instantly, waved her eight limbs, renewed with passion: "Little Water, Little Ying, let's hurry to the main hall—time waits for no one."

"Little Water, Little Ying, Little Green, Little Sturdy, Little River, Little Dragon—goodbye!"

Liang Qu and the water beasts slid one by one from the icy, cool azure limbs into the carriage, Liang Qu firmly embraced the soft, jelly-like limbs, waved farewell.

The Red Dragon rose and stepped upon the water.

"No leisure at all—"

"My lord, what do you plan to do?" Long Eying lowered the curtain, "The Sea Wolf King clearly knows you routed the Flood Dragon, certainly won't be arrogant enough to make no preparations—he will surely leave a backup, possibly a life-saving measure, possibly political, possibly even to slay the Sea Wolf King directly, which may bring a host of troubles."

"Heh—" Liang Qu grinned, crossed his hands behind his head, "This matter, Lady, you need not worry—you'll know when the time comes."

The familiar smile, the familiar "scheme," Long Eying knew her lord had another "good idea," immediately set her heart at ease, and followed with a smile.

Her arm tugged, Liang Qu accordingly lay back on Eying's thighs, face buried in her lower abdomen, after a deep breath, he communicated with the Cauldron.

【Cauldron Master: Liang Qu】

【Refusing Marsh Spirit: Water Ape Great Sage (Deep Orange)】

【Marsh Spirit Favored: Martial Dao Reaches Divinity, Seventeenth Layer (Sovereign Lord of Chuan); Azure Dragon Pattern: Ten Layers; Heavenly Wu Yu Pattern:

Two Layers】

【————Martial Dao Talent Increased Seventeenfold, Damage to Water-Attribute Demonic Beasts Increased by Seventy Percent.】

【Dew Seed: Three】

The Dew Seed gave one to the Sea Warden, still three left, for as winter passes, it has already condensed into a fourth, quantity neither increasing nor decreasing.

Since defeating the Flood Dragon, the Sovereign Lord of Chuan surged ten layers, capable of shattering dried bones, traversing nine mountains, yet still lacking a sufficient water beast to activate his Chuan talent, to test his blade.

However, as Lady Eying said.

The Sea Tooth King is not unaware of Bai Yuan's strength, will not foolishly charge head-on, thus he uses the Sea Warden's circuitous path, slaughtering with chaotic blades—there will surely be repercussions.

But!

Liang Qu sank his heart and spirit.

There is a "secret art" he has not used in a long time—

The Nether Blood Ape is a transformation from 《Human Return to Origin》, strength unchanged, the Yang Realm White Ape manifests, yet it is truly the 【Spirit Transformation】 change!

The Sea Tooth King greedily seeks the Creation Great Medicine, insists on coming to his door—then he has only himself to blame.

Entering the Long Gong, the Third Prince flew first, spat mist to build steps.

"Splash."

Water ripples rose, lifting the hair tips, a warm current brushed the vast belly.

"Hmm?" Liang Qu suddenly understood, patted Eying's lower back, "Come, let's first send you back to your room."

"Good." Long Eying nodded.

Seeing off Eying, confirming no strange gazes fell upon him, Liang Qu flashed to before the quiet chamber, the chamber door opened by itself without wind, suddenly wide open. Inside, Zhang Longxiang sat cross-legged in meditation, eyes tightly shut.

Everything unobstructed, everything unhindered.

Inside, square and round.

The tea set in the box, the incense in the drawer, the ash in the censer burying the clumps—visible front and back—even able to see one's own cultivation self, Liang Qu outside the door!

Without mental effort, Zhang Longxiang could sense Liang Qu outside the door as well, but that was "sensing," not "seeing," let alone clearly "seeing" as if opening one's eyes.

Liang Qu strode across, sat heavily on the futon: "How?"

"Marvelous! Just like—" Zhang Longxiang opened his eyes, the fire in his pupils slowly extinguished, long unreturned from this wondrous state, "Recalling the past?"

"Pop!"

"Amazing, described so precisely." Liang Qu snapped his fingers, praised, "Exactly this feeling!"

Anyone recalling past events, their perspective is third-person, not first-person, watching what they themselves were doing then.

The mind's eye is precisely this same feeling, transcending self, as if a god's-eye view.

Yet feeling same, content different—the mind's eye sees not past memories, but the present, everything inside and outside, an absolutely objective, calm, capturing all, unaffected by divine arts or techniques viewpoint!

Half a day earlier, Zhang Longxiang had basically finished seclusion, was about to conclude, but he truly indulged in this unique insight.

Heaven has sun and moon to illuminate all directions, man has eyes to clearly see all phenomena.

Wondrous Enlightenment Light Round, illuminates inside and out!

How many strange and wondrous dharmas under heaven! With the mind's eye established, it is a great aid!

An immense harvest beyond imagination.

"It's just that the cultivation process is not quite right."

"Sigh." Liang Qu's expression unmoved, "Mutual learning, mutual progress. I too stumbled upon it by chance, back then also dazed and confused."

Zhang Longxiang chuckled, cupping his fists: "Many thanks!"

"No need for formalities, we're all Great Shun people, brothers from different fathers and mothers, what thanks are there to speak of? However, now that the Heart Eye is learned, we should also talk about proper business."

"Speak freely, no harm in it."

"Dragon Elephant King, it looks to me like you've performed Xiao Shen Duo Shi?"

Zhang Longxiang pondered: "Indeed so, there's been slight growth, but in daily meditation I've never had such a thing happen; I reckon it's most likely the combined effect of the unique circumstance when opening the Heart Eye, hard to replicate."

"I see." Liang Qu let out a breath of relief; he'd truly thought Zhang Longxiang could step on his own left foot with his right and spiral straight up to the heavens, "Then it's easy to handle."

"Easy to handle?" Zhang Longxiang was puzzled.

Liang Qu shifted his cushion, moving closer to Zhang Longxiang: "Dragon Elephant King, I observe that your Xiao Shen Duo Shi fate and divine ability have remarkable effect in chaotic times."

Zhang Longxiang nodded: "Indeed so."

"Alas, during Entering Zhen Xiang one may still challenge famous masters, but Yao Long cannot act rashly; now both the Northern Court and Southern Border are already peaceful, where would one find a satisfying great battle?"

"Three years from now at the East Sea Grand Hunt, heroes from all under heaven will gather — that is my opportunity."

"Three years!? How many three-years does a life have? A child could be running errands for soy sauce by then; Dragon Elephant King, opportunity never comes from passively waiting, but must be actively created with our own two hands!" Liang Qu raised both hands high, clenched his fists, and pulled them down hard.

Just out of seclusion, the man came rushing over to spout a whole pile of this and that.

Zhang Longxiang's heart grew wary, but thinking it over carefully, he again felt Liang Qu didn't seem like an ambitious schemer — could it be ————

His gaze sized him up from head to toe.

"Don't look at me." Liang Qu started, "It's not me fighting you."

"Prince Huai might as well speak plainly."